I felt the hours drift by, each tick of the clock evaporated with a small piece of my sanity. But finally, five o’clock was here. That meant mom was going to be home any minute now, and I would be relieved of command. Of course, that status was constantly being challenged by Alexis. But I’d managed to keep my calm. Mostly, anyway. There had been a minor squabble when it came to sorting boxes, but it didn’t last long. She decided it was in her best interest to help when I started throwing the ones labeled as hers into the floor.
As much as I enjoyed being out of school, I wasn’t sure I could spend every day like this. I needed my space. But it was clear my sisters weren’t going to let me have it. June was always asking for help with one thing or another, and Alexis was simply Alexis. It seemed her sole purpose was to annoy me. I was just glad that time was nearly over. Although I wasn’t sure school was going to be much better. I would be the outsider. And considering summer break was almost a month away, it was going to be weird playing catch-up with a bunch of people I didn’t know. Moreover, I wasn’t the type of kid people just accepted. That was the main reason I got in so many fights in my last school. Though mom had asked me to try. That alone was worth the effort.
I heard tires crunch the gravel in the driveway. Peeking out the window, I saw mom’s dark green Jeep pull in. She got out and opened the back door, grabbing a handful of white plastic bags. If I had to guess, she’d stopped at the store, though it was anyone’s guess what she was making for dinner.
I reached the front door and opened it just as she arrived. “How was work?” I asked, though truthfully, I didn’t care about the answer. It was nothing more than a preface to conversation, which would potentially allow me to direct it my way.
“Not bad. It was a little difficult learning the new system, but I think I’ll get the hang of it pretty quick.” Mom squeezed through the door and continued talking as she made her way to the kitchen. She placed the bags on the counter and immediately went to work sorting the contents. “How was your day?”
“Boring. We got most of the boxes moved and unpacked. Alexis and June are upstairs, arranging their rooms. I had to block off the door to my room to keep Alexis from swapping things, but I think she finally got the hint.” I leaned against the counter, watching the bag of noodles, hamburger, sauce, and a few thin bags of fresh vegetables settle on the counter beside the stove. Apparently, we were having spaghetti for dinner.
“Honey, you know I don’t like you fighting with your sister. I wish you two would find some common ground.” She went to work filling a large pot with water and adding a little oil.
“We didn’t fight today. She tried to start a few times, but I didn’t give in. Hey, I was wondering, would you mind if I go for a walk? It’s a new area and I don’t know much about it. I promise I’ll be back for dinner.”
“It won’t take but about twenty minutes to finish cooking.” Mom sighed as if she was giving heavy consideration to my question. “You can go. But not far. I want you back before the street lights come on.”
“When is that? It’s not like I’ve been here long enough to learn the schedule.”
She glanced at the clock on the microwave. “You’ve got twenty-seven minutes. Don’t go far.”
“Thanks mom.” I kissed the back of her head as I passed. This was the first time I’d been able to go anywhere alone since before the move. I wasn’t going to waste it by dawdling.
I opened the back door and made my way down the single concrete step to the grass below. There was a long piece of wood angled along the back of the house not far from where I stood. If I had to guess it was a cellar of some kind, though I had plenty of time to explore that when I was stuck home.
It took no time to cross the back yard and step into the shadow of the old barn that ended the property, though said shadow was metaphorical, as the setting sun was bright upon my face. The tin siding was rusted in places and discolored to a rough looking grayish green. I pulled the latch on the wooden gate and opened it to the world beyond.
There was a wide parking space in front of the barn. A wide sliding door separated the parking space from the inside of the barn, and an old paddle lock ensured it stayed that way. I wasn’t overly concerned. Even at my age, I knew people put too much faith in locks. All it took to understand how they worked was to have a deadbolt come apart. Once you realigned the pins to fit the proper key and put it back together, locks in general were easy to bypass. But picking the lock was hardly necessary. I was certain there were other ways of gaining entry without touching the lock. You didn’t have places this old and run down without a few weaknesses here and there.
I made my way down the parking area to the street. There were a few houses nearby, but nothing crowding. That was nice. Not quite as open as the country, but better than what I feared the city was going to be. Behind the barn, there was a narrow alley. If I had to guess this was the corner of the property. It was time to handle what I’d really come out to do.
Making sure no one was around, I knelt at the intersection and closed my eyes. It only took a moment for things to focus into view. The astral plane was similar to the physical in many ways. In fact, all seven planes of existence overlaid each other, allowing bleed-through in places. That was where people like me came in. We could jump between them, which I suspected was where my power came from. Opening my eyes, I found the exact corner of the property. Everything was hazy, but that wasn’t uncommon. I was viewing the physical world through the astral one, which was comparable to looking through water in regard to magnification. In the astral plane, I could see things hidden in the physical. It was perfect for viewing lingering magics, or finding property lines.
I etched my sigil into the dirt, feeling its power spread through the walls that most people would never see. If this was to be my new home, I wasn’t about to leave it defenseless. Especially with the leylines that ran through it. That was a recipe for bad things to happen. At least this way, if something big showed up, I’d have some warning.
I followed the alley to the northeast corner. This section was overgrown, and there were remnants of an old treehouse behind what was left of the wooden fence behind the barn. With a little work, it would be an excellent hideout, though there was much to accomplish before I could start making plans. I quickly etched my sigil and continued up the alley. I didn’t have much time but it wouldn’t hurt to circle the block before I finished my protection barrier. I just hoped the front half of the property wasn’t overly active. I could perform magic without being seen, but it took patience to focus on otherworldly things. And there wasn’t much that would look odder than a boy meditating on the corner.