Shattering Crystals

"But... what do you mean?" I ask. "Don't you know how to get into your own house?"

"Yeah, but not without everyone noticing. We don’t have a spare key outside of the house."

"Wait until everyone’s gone, the climb in a window or something.."

"My parents will be at work tomorrow, or looking for me, but my brother will definitely be home. And once he sees me, he won't let me leave."

"Well... fine, I guess. But how is me going with you gonna help?" I question. He leans against a wooden counter.

"You can do magic," he says. "Won't you help?"

"I guess... but I don't know very much. Lorraine is better at it than me," I admit, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

"Yeah, but I doubt that she wants to help me now that she's got somewhere to sleep. And I don’t think she likes me that much."

He’s right about that one. I still don’t know if Connor is going to stay with us, but he’s proven himself helpful. Maybe he can stay. "Well, I guess I'll help you... but not tonight. I actually have a bed tonight."

----

I wake up in a bed with a fluffy down comforter. I feel them move up and down with every breath that Lorraine takes. I carefully get out of bed so as not to disturb her sleeping form.

I quickly brush my teeth and wash my face in the parents' bathroom, using as little water as I can. Only then do I get dressed in a baggy sweatshirt and jeans, and creep into the boys' bedroom.

Surprisingly, I find Connor already awake and dressed. I glance at the clock on the desk. It reads as eight thirty AM. Looking up, I see that Dean is still fast asleep on the top bunk. Strange, because he always gets up early. But it might just be because of the bed.
Connor nods quickly to me and we both tiptoe downstairs without saying a word.

It’s strange how easy it is to get up now. It feels like I’ve been away from home for weeks, but it’s really only been a few days. I don’t miss home, not exactly. But maybe I will. Maybe it just takes time.

“We gonna go now?” I whisper. “How far is it to your house?”

“Maybe about half an hour by walking,” Connor replies.

“Seriously?” I’ve never been in great physical shape, and I really don’t want to walk for half an hour before breakfast. Or noon, even.

“Yeah… but we can’t just get a ride or something, obviously.”

I consider going back to bed, but then realize that would be pretty bitchy. “Fine.”

I look in my bag and find some snacks. I take two granola bars out and hand one to Connor. He leads me out the back door and onto the sidewalk. We both pull up our hoods, hiding from prying eyes.

He takes a right and I groan, as the sidewalk leads right up a steep hill. We walk in silence, far too tired to make conversation. I break off pieces of my food and put it into my mouth, the sweet taste barely registering on my tongue.

We finally stop in front of a two-story house after half an hour of uneventful walking. My ankles ache terribly, but the pain seems to clear up my head a bit.

"We're here," he says flatly. I wonder if he wants to go back to safety and letting parents deal with everything. "There's no spare key, like I said, so we're gonna have to break in."

"So this is what you needed me for?"

"Yeah. Can you unlock things?" he asks.

"No..." I say, "or we would have gotten into that house without your help."

"Can you at least try?" he says hopefully. I can see now that he really does not want to be here.

"I... I guess," I say, "but are you sure you want to come with us? Don't you miss home, now that you're actually seeing it?"

"No," he says, shaking his head. "I actually want to be there less now that I see it again. I'd rather be with you guys. And no I don't miss anything. Except for my brother, but he would never want to run away..."

"Then go back and stay with him. You don't even know who we are, really, or where we're going at all. And you still want to travel with us. Doesn't that seem a bit... sketchy?" I say, hoping that he decides to stay at home. It’s just more convenient, now that I really thought it over. But I realize that he could report me like he threatened to do before.

"Anything rather than staying here."

"Okay."

He takes me to the back door, just like in the other house. I tell him not to talk or anything, to let me concentrate. He just stands there, watching in awe.

I stare at the lock, willing it to turn with my mind. I imagine rays of magic, coaxing the lock to let me in. It turns slightly, but no further than a fraction of an inch.

"I can't do it," I say. "There has to be a spell or something, but I don't know it."

"Try saying 'unlock'?" he suggests. I can see that he’s starting to get frustrated.

"Uhh... unlock?" Nothing happens. I go back to trying to move it with my eyes. But after ten minutes of trying, it gets tiring. And I start to get frustrated.

"Ugh! Just unlock already!" I shriek, kicking the door.

"Shut up!" Connor hisses, "and don't do that!"

But to our surprise, the lock turns with a click.