Entry #9 - The Auras

This is my fault. It is all my fault.

If I had just let things be.

If I had just been calm.

If I hadn't left.

"Brian? What's happening?" Rachel asked.

"Sorry, Rachel, I was going to introduce you to the group that...helped me unlock my powers. I...Amanda, where did they go?"

"I...I don't know, I felt them coming and Kelly and Moira told me to hide in the chest and wait until they took care of them, but...I don't...they never came back, and now they're gone."

Damn it.

I am going to get them. I have to get them. They didn't kill them, so I can still save them. I rush towards the door.

Rachel runs behind me and grabs my arm and interjects, "Brian, don't do something stupid. You running aimlessly to find The Organization won't save them, it will only get them or you killed."

"I promised that I wouldn't be responsible for them getting hurt...I broke that promise. They're in the hands of The Organization because of my carelessness. They helped me where no one else could. I owe it to them."

Running out of the warehouse, I hear a phone ringing. When did this phone get here? This wasn't here before. Letting out a burst of power, I catch a glimpse of someone else's energy disappear just outside of my range. That brief moment was bright, burning my mind with a searing yellow light. I wince, and find myself standing above a phone now ringing again. I lift it to my ear as I answer it.

A gravely, but strong voice speaks, "Hello Brian, it is so nice to speak with you. I've been watching you for a while, but now it is time to come to the fold. I have your friends, and I am sure they would love to see you again. Isn't that right, Moira?"

I hear Moira yell, "Brian, forget us, they want to control..." her anger and urgency is then replaced by that of pain. A pain I have never heard before. Almost like they were torturing her very soul.

The voice from before continues, "Now, now. No need to spoil the fun and let him in on our little plans too soon. That will all come with time. Now, Brian, what I want from you is to simply meet my associates. For both of our sakes, let's try somewhere public, don't want anyone trying anything funny, now do we? Tomorrow morning, you will meet them where the vagrants also meet in depravity. Hope you enjoy your stay again."

My stay again...the motel, of course.

Stepping back inside, I face Rachel, "Apparently The Organization wants me to meet someone tomorrow morning. They still think they're going to recruit me. I can't have anyone else at risk of being manipulated or used to get to me. Watch over Amanda while I..."

I'm cut off by Amanda bursting into the room, "I'm coming with you to get them back."

"No, Amanda. I can't risk you..." Amanda interrupts me again, "No, Moira, John, and Kelly are the only family I have left...I can't....I won't let them...you can't face them alone. I am coming with you."

Amanda is a stubborn one. "Fine, we are going to a motel room just on the edge of town for the night and we are going to meet them in the morning. Both of you will stay in the room unless I need you. Rachel, don't try anything either, they are far more powerful than you could realize.

After a short drive, we arrive at the motel that I stayed at what seems like forever ago, and before we get out of the car, I turn back to Amanda, "Grab my hands, I have an idea." grabbing each other's hands, I continue, "use your detection magic." As her magic pulses out, it flows into my hands as well, and I then connect to her magic and use my own detection magic. Amanda gasps, but remains vigilant as the radius of both of our detection magic combines to spread out to an entire square mile, nearly twice as strong as either of us had done before. My hypothesis works, using magic together makes both stronger. We must feed off of one another's energy.

After we both sufficiently deduce that there is no magic capable beings around, we exit the car and approach the front desk. None other than the man from before sits quietly at the desk. He is reading a different book this time, but still lost in whatever story it weaves together for him. I clear my throat and his gruff face peeks his head above the top of the book and the faintest of joy bubbles up before being forced back down. With a familiar, yet still monotone voice, he says, "Ah, young man, another night and..." looking behind me at Amanda and Rachel, "what looks like a far better night ahead." His demeanor breaks slightly as he leans over pushing his hands into his book now placed on the counter, whispering, "two ladies, well done."

I stammer, "no, nothing like that I just..." I couldn't tell him the truth, but what lie could I come up with? Luckily I didn't have to come up with a lie as he adjusts his posture back into his chair and clearing his throat and giving a wink simply says, "same room? It's available."

"Yes, of course, that will be fine." I say as I shake my head of the conversation. Of course he would think something like that, why else do people stay at this motel? It is hardly luxurious.

Grasping my key and leading Amanda and Rachel up to the room, I close the door before taking a few more glances in the area.

Rachel kills the time watching the news on a television that looks like it was produced in the late 80s. Amanda, having been stuffed in a chest, crying got noticably dirty and insisted on taking a shower immediately. I simply sat in the corner, lost in thought. I try to come up with a plan on how to rescue Kelly, John, and Moira. Do I pretend to join them? If I do, how far do I take it? Will they even believe that I would join them? Maybe this is all a trick by The Organization?

As the questions cloud my mind, Amanda steps out of the bathroom and hollers, "Shower is ready for whoever wants it next." Rachel flings her body backwards into the bed in defeat, declaring, "I don't have the energy to do anything right now. I just want to sleep."

"Very well," I say, "Amanda and Rachel, you can sleep in the bed. I'll lay on the floor, assuming I can actually get to sleep." Amanda crawls under the covers, as Rachel simply lies motionless, likely already having fallen asleep. I say goodnight as I adjust my body to face out the small portion of the window I had revealed through the curtain. The street lights flickering, casting their light on the side of my face, I find myself lost in thought once more.

If I am going to see them again, I have to play along. I can have Rachel follow me as Amanda uses detection to know where they take me. Reaching into my pocket I eye the ring I had grabbed from the house. I realize I haven't worn this ring at all. In all this commotion, I forgot that I had grabbed it. Hell, I still don't know why I grabbed it. I look at my watch to realize I have been running wild I'm my thoughts for so long it is now 3 in the morning.

Just as I notice the time, Amanda rustles awake to find me sitting in the corner staring out of the window. Whispering, she gets up and walks over to me, "We're going to get them back, I know we will. I believe in you."

"I know, I just, I promised you all I wouldn't hurt you, and I failed." I say as I look up with a tear falling down my right cheek. "I can't have another person die because...because of me." Amanda pats my head as one does a crying child, unspeaking. Unfortunately, she is one that I have hurt, so not much good it does to be comforted, but I try to recognize the sentiment she is trying to convey to me.

I must still be twirling the ring in my hand as Amanda speaks up, "what is that?"

Opening my eyes, I notice that the ring has now begun to glow, faintly. Telling her the story of my dream, she urges me to put it on. For some reason I still face it with uncertainty. With confidence and Amanda incessantly telling me to put it on, I proceed to slip it onto my middle finger and the corner of the room is now flooded with a deep purple light that spreads out from the ring on my finger. Amanda stands back in disbelief as Rachel now awakens to see what the commotion is all about. I stand up in confusion as I don't know what is happening either.

Amanda, still in confusion asks, "How is this possible? I only vaguely know of artifacts, but no one ever talked about a ring. How has your aura changed, and that color?"

Focusing closer to the ring, I notice it is actually a channel for my magic to flow freely, and the strong purple glow, which has now turned into the brightest of lights, appears to be my aura, free flowing around me. I quickly pull the ring off as my aura recedes back into my body. Placing it back on again, I pull my aura in tightly and it remains contained.

Amanda steps forward as Rachel yells out, "What is going on here?"

A voice calls out from behind the wall against the bed with a "Shut the hell up, we're trying to sleep here."

Amanda glancing down at my hand says the words I never expected to hear, "I've never seen anyone with a purple aura before. That just doesn't exist."

"What do you mean? you saw it come out of my hand." I exclaim.

Amanda then explains the laws of aura's and magic to me: "White auras signify a fresh "unlock" of abilities. Each color corresponds the means of their power. Red is strength, like Moira. Blue, like I have, denotes what we call "passive powers." John has a green aura, matching his ability of healing and speed. Kelly is special; his black aura is seeded through heartache, anger, and trauma. There is a yellow aura, but that is rare and usually means that someone has two different types of power. They are known as Paragons. (I am reminded of the yellow aura I caught a glimpse of at the warehouse) However, purple auras just don't exist. So I have no idea what is happening."

Great. More unanswered questions.