Obsidian: Tryss (Book 1) (The Reaver Chronicles Spin Off Series)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I woke up to my 6am alarm. I didn’t dare sleep in, not even on a Saturday. The sooner I could get up and get out of this house, the better. I still hadn't talked to Andy and Erica about getting expelled or going to my new school, and I was dreading it.

I got up, showered, and got dressed. I just threw on some shorts and a crop hoodie. It was supposed to be nice out today, probably 70’s. But in the morning it was about 50s so it would be a little chilly.

I didn’t mind though. The varying weather temperatures never really seemed to bother me much. I headed towards the river, of course.

Up the trail a little ways from my favorite spot was a bench and I headed over to it to lie down. Looking up I could see the sun peaking through the trees casting an orange glow on the leaves and scenery.

Watching the sunrise and sunset were hobbies of mine. I always seemed to be up when it was rising, and up when it was setting. ‘We all have to do what we have to do to survive, you know.’ The strange voice filtered through my head.

“Yes we do.” I said out loud. Then I rolled my eyes at myself, I was definitely going crazy.

I waited for the pain to radiate through my eye and realized it didn’t. Wait, I hadn’t even grabbed my sunglasses on my way out…

I didn’t even think about it. I reached up and touched my eye, remembering what Alec had done last night.

I was in such a stupor after my meeting with the twins that I totally forgot about it! My eye was not swollen at all. It wasn’t sore, or even puffy. I even pressed on my cheekbone below my eye, and found no pain at all.

Either, I was literally losing my mind, or those twins were some sort of healers. But how? Those types of things didn’t actually exist. Did they?

‘Oh they exist, you have no idea what’s actually out there.’ The strange voice replied. I shook it off, I was not having a conversation with myself, I was not going crazy. This was not happening.

I successfully was able to push the voice to the back of my mind and I hoped it stayed there. I was just laying there with my eyes closed, minding my own business when a shadow suddenly came over my face.

I opened my eyes and looked dead into Jaces fiery orange orbs. Alec was close behind. I sat up. “Hey guys.” I said cautiously.

“How is it that you are always right where I am lately?” I asked. Some of my cockiness had returned, but the way I said it still seemed a little shaky to me. The twins laughed.

“Coincidence, I guess.” Jace said. But the look in his sparkling eyes seemed like he wanted to say more.

“What are you doing out here, Tryss?” Alec said. Tryss huh? I reveled in the thought of them calling me Tryss. I liked that. Not that I really had a name, a true name… But Tryss was a lot better than Rae.

“I don’t know, I'm just hanging out… Watching the sunrise. What are you two doing out here?” I replied. “Oh, uh we are doing the same thing.” Alec stammered.

Ok, they were really weirding me out. Super vague, always being right where I was lately, the healing crap that I'm still convinced was in my mind…

“Cut the crap, I can tell you’re lying. What are you guys really doing out here at this hour?” I shot back. Feeling a lot more confident than I had previously.

It looked like the twins were communicating with each other, but once again I couldn’t hear anything which struck me as strange. “We wanted to make sure you were ok.” Jace finally said. “So you have been following me?” I snapped back. “Why? What is your reasoning? I don’t even know you guys.” I asked.

“Look Tryss, we can explain… Just not yet. We just need you to trust us. We aren’t here to hurt you, we just want to make sure you are ok.” Alec stammered.

Everything they said was a conundrum to me. I had no idea why they would care if I was ok, and why should I trust them? I have no idea who or what they are? This whole thing was crazy.

‘Trust them Trystan, you can trust them.’ The strange voice popped back into my mind filling my head with ease. “Ok.” I said reluctantly. “But I expect a full explanation when the time comes, and you aren’t going to leave any details out. Got it?” I said to them both.

“Deal.” They both chimed in with huge grins on their faces. “Oh, and I have no idea what you did, but thank you. You know… For the arm and the eye…” I said shyly to the twins.

It was an uncomfortable topic for me, but I was glad I was healed and wasn’t going to get looks of pity and despair from the kids at my new school on monday. “Who hurt you, Tryss?” Jace asked. I swallowed the lump that had just formed in my throat.

I took a deep breath in and filtered through my list of lies deciding which one to tell. “Oh, uh no one. I’m just so clumsy, I did it to myself by accident.” I said with a laugh and perfect confidence. I had rehearsed this so many times the lie came second nature to me.

The twins looked at me with one eyebrow raised each, and I knew they didn’t believe a damn word out of my f*****g mouth… But to my surprise, they dropped it.

Thank god, I really didn’t want to go through it again. “Well, try to be careful. We wouldn’t want you getting hurt again.” Jace said.

“We better get going, we are already late. Have a good day, Tryss.” Alec said, and they waved as they started walking off in the opposite direction.

Something was off with them. I couldn’t place it, but the more I was around them, the more I wanted to be around them.

I couldn’t explain it. It was like an imaginary cord pulling us together, closer and closer each time I saw them. I wondered if this was why they kept following me… Maybe they were feeling it too?

That's nonsense, people don't have cords that link them together. I shook the thoughts of the twins away and laid back down on the bench. I just had to make it through today and tomorrow then I could get going to my new school. Speaking of my new school, where was it even?

I figured I better head across the river and check things out. I needed to know how far it was anyways so I could plan accordingly. I sat up and stood from the bench.

Then started heading down the trail following the path the twins had taken. They were long gone but they had left in the same direction. I made my way to the river bridge and crossed it.

I knew we werent supposed to be going over there, it was private property after all. But If I was going to school there, starting monday, I would have to go there anyways. I wondered what the school was like. What if we would have to wear uniforms? Barf.

I wondered about the kids that went there. Would they be assholes or kind people? But mostly, I wondered just how I would avoid every single one of them. I followed the path leading from the river bridge through the forest into a clearing.

I was in a new town, which looked similar to where I lived, but there were lights hung over my head in strings casting a soft yellow glow everywhere I looked. The lights made the town look magical, and I thought about what it would look like in the dark.

I could see the road on the outskirts of the town but you couldn’t drive through here. It was all cobblestone pathways leading into older looking buildings.

It seemed as if this were the city center, and the houses were aligned around the outside of the town. It all felt cozy and magical. No wonder they didn’t want anyone in here.

I saw a sign that said ‘Obsidian’ with an arrow pointing forward, so I followed it. I eventually came to a large metal front gate.

Behind the gate I could see a large oak tree. It was the biggest one I've ever seen before, smack dab in the middle of the entryway. Behind it sat an old victorian style building.

It was large, covered with many pillars and towers. It looked like a castle, sort of. I was having trouble explaining what it looked like but I was definitely in awe.

It was nothing like any school I had ever seen before. You had to have a keycard to get in, and I didn’t have one yet.

I assumed that I would just follow someone on Monday and then find the office and get one there.

I tried to look around the tree into the yard but I couldn’t see much behind it.

Well, at least I knew where it was now. It was only about 5 minutes further than my old school from my house, it was just in the opposite direction.