Anansi's Web
On the train

The streets leading to the train station seemed to be only half as full as normal. The orange of the afternoon sun expanded across the atmosphere, bleeding into the blue sky, turning it into a dull purple. The light stretched out, and slipped out of the maze of buildings, being dragged down by night.

Cara, Ember, and I walked as fast as we possibly could to get to the train station. Ember seemed to think that the pirates and the man from a place called Fervan who pretended to be a pirate could catch us at any moment. I didn’t think that they could know where we are, but then again, who knows.

We made it to the train station, and I realized that we did not have a single luggage. When I asked Ember if I could go back to get some of my stuff, she said, “We’ll be at Neptia in a few hours, when we get there they’ll have some clothes, and stuff. I can’t risk us being caught.”

“Well are we coming back? What about my parents?” I said.

“I thought I told you that part of my plan already. I’ll hex your parents from Neptia using a crystal ball, and tell them to take a train there.”

Ember said it like it was so simple, like she used magic like this all the time. I was not use to this, it all seems insane. What’s going to happen next? I looked around the almost empty train station. I didn’t see anyone from the square earlier today. But what if magic lets people change their appearance? This was all too much.

To distract myself I tried to talk to Cara. She was on my left as we stood in line to get our train tickets. She was biting her lip, and running her fingers through her hair as her body shook from her feet tapping on the floor. Her emerald eyes were locked on the clock just above the ticket booth. The ticking clock echoed through the hollow station, like a count down.

“Uh, Cara” I said, tapping her on the shoulder.

She looked at me, “Yeah?” She blinked the intensity out of her eyes, and tried to look calm.

“Why are you so jumpy?”

“What? I’m not jumpy; I’m just, uh, tired.” She said.

“No somethings wrong, what is it?”

“It’s nothing, just let it go.”

“Hey Cara, I know your parents aren’t with you, so where are they?”

She looked back at the clock, sticking her hands in her pockets, and shrugged.

I wondered what was wrong with me mentioning her parents. She got kind of defensive. Were her parents dead, was she adopted or something?

“Can I help you?” Cara asked.

I realized that I was kind of staring at her, so I turned, and faced the front.

We got our tickets, and sat down to wait for them to call our number. Because we didn’t have any luggage it was really easy to get through, but everyone gave us curious looks because we didn’t have anything to take with us while traveling.

We sat down on cozy chairs as we waited. The sky outside of the window was getting darker and darker until there was only light from indoor light posts because the ceiling was a skylight. We all sat in silence, listening to the few people that were here talking, and laughing. I wondered how long it would be before I was home in Othal, relaxing in my room.

“What if something bad happens on the train? What if the guy shows up, and attacks?” I asked Ember.

She was quiet as she thought. “Then I’ll protect you. No matter what I won’t let anything bad happen to either of you guys, I swear. And, maybe I can teach you some magic in Neptia Angelo.”

I nearly slipped out of my seat when I heard that. Did she just say she’ll teach me magic?

“What do you mean?” I asked suspiciously.

“You have magic abilities. I saw a lot of potential inside of you while we were being attacked in the shop.” Ember said.

“You can tell if someone has magic potential?” I asked.

“Yes, if you know how to, you can feel the magic surrounding a person.”

I gulped. “How come no one has sensed it in me before?”

“Parents have to notice it, and then get the child registered. If the child goes their entire life without knowing about their gift then they are no threat. Have you noticed that magic isn’t taught in school? They only teach how to defend against it.”

She was right. Once every year there was a course on how to avoid magic, and defend against it. I always thought that the course was next to useless. “Do I have to get registered now?”

“Hmmm, I’ll think about it. If there’s time in Neptia I’ll try. If you’re caught using magic without being registered, you could be arrested, but they’re pretty loose with kids.”

“Do I have any magic?” Cara asked, looking over me to see Ember.

“No, I haven’t sensed any on you.”

“Oh. So Angelo gets super magic powers, but I get nothing? That’s not fair.” She said.

“I’m sure you’re good at other things.” Ember said.

“I’m good at alchemy.” She said so quiet that I could hardly hear it.

“Attention passengers, train number two hundred will be leaving now; if you have a ticket for train two hundred please enter the boarding station through exit B” Said a monotone man from a fuzzy intercom.

I wish I had more time to swallow that fact that I had magic, but I guess I could process it while we got onto the train. I wondered about all of the things I could do when I had that kind of power. And to be taught by an MOD member was going to be so cool.

Ember stood up, and Cara and I followed her to the boarding station, which was really just the back of the building where a train stop was. The air outside was cool, and there were actually a few stars out, which I didn’t expect. I counted thirteen stars in total. The darkness above was fended off by light posts right in front of the tracks, where the huge metal snake awaited us.

The line to get into the train had security waiting at the doors, asking for tickets, and attendants helping put bags away. As we moved to the front of the line, I noticed a large man pushing an attendant harshly, grumbling. Ember shook her head with disapproval. “I bet he’d be easy to hex.” She murmured.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh, I meant that he would be easy to hex. People with low patience generally have weak minds.”

I kind of agreed with her, but that is kind of a snap judgement. Behind me, Cara was tapping her feet as she waited for the line to get moving.

We approached the opening, and I was kind of intimidated as I walked forward. The moon was the crescent shape of Embers earrings, and its light pooled on top of the train, reflecting softly onto the crowd, like a sea of silver. The steps to get into the train were metal and every time someone walked in I could hear the clanking. It reminded me of the ticking clock inside of the station. This is it; this is the one chance I have to turn back. If I keep walking, I have to follow through.

Ember handed the security man her ticket, and got on board. Her footsteps were clinging in my ears. It was my turn. I stood there for what felt like a whole minute, trying to make my hand give the stern faced man my ticket. He grabbed it when my hand was only half way to him, and I walked on board, into the journey.

This train was a lot nicer than the one that I took a few days ago. The seats were golden booths with fluffy velvet seats. There were large windows on the walls of the train, so I could look out at the places we were passing as we passed them. Maybe that didn’t matter much because it was too dark to see a lot.

Ember sat down on the first booth. I sat across from her, and Cara sat next to me. We waited for them to announce that we were heading off. Cara had grabbed a book from the center of the table.

“I love this book,” She said as she opened it to the first page.

“I’ve read it too, it is very good.” Ember said.

I slumped in my seat because I hadn’t read it, and there was nothing for me to talk about. I looked out of the window to watch the city that was saturated in darkness. The train began to move, and I watched the towering buildings, flickering lights, and bright cars disappear from my view, sliding away like they never existed. I was glad that I got to go there once to see everything.

“Angelo, have you read the book?” Ember asked, trying to be polite.

“No.”

“It’s very interesting, you should read it sometime.”

“Sure.” I grumbled.

Cara was reading her book titled, M1304. Ember was gazing out of the window. There was a look of longing on her face that showed how I felt.

I continued watching the train chug away from the city. I thought that waving might be a childish thing to do, but I raised my hand, and waved goodbye to Sraff. Goodbye to my parents, goodbye to all of my things that I brought here, goodbye to the event. I had a good time. I was on a train with a mind controlling witch, and someone that I hardly know. According to the plan everything was going perfectly.

“Hey Ember, can I ask you something?”

Ember turned away from the window, “Yes, what is it?”

“Did you use any magic on me when we were talking earlier?”

Ember studied my face, like she was deciding whether she should tell me the truth or not, which let me know that she might lie. “If I say yes, would you still trust me?”

“I already know that you hexed my parents.” I began, “And I’m here anyway. I know that I made the decision to come here, but I want to know if you helped me to that decision.”

“I want there to be trust between us, and honesty too. With that said, sometimes honesty can break trust. But those who feel the need to lie may not want true trust.” Ember paused to take in a deep breath, “I hexed you a little bit.”

If Cara heard us she didn’t care, or didn’t know what to say. I watched her eyes move along the page as though she’s unaware of anything that Ember and I talked about.

I took Ember’s answer to my question, and put it aside. I was already here. Like I said before there is no turning back from this. She was honest with me, but I could still feel lies hiding inside of her eyes. There was something deceptive about even the way she acted, like the babysitter who watches the kids, and has a secret about the parents, but isn’t saying it.

“So what are we going to pass on our way to Neptia?” Cara asked.

Ember adjusted her earrings. “We go around the tip of the river, pass the mountains, and then it’s just towns, and fields.”

I thought about the train ride to Sraff, and asked, “No demons?”

“No demons past the river. Ironically demons aren’t nocturnal. Just get some sleep; we’ll be there before you know it.”

As I took out my phone, I tapped my feet on the floor, watching grassy fields surrounded in darkness glazed by moonlight swirl by as my internet loaded. On my phone there was an advertisement talking about celestial guides. I couldn’t believe that people believe this stuff. According to my birthday I was the twin Nagas.

“Hey Cara, do you know your celestial guide? “

She looked up from her book. “Um, minotaur I think.”

I looked at the ad for the twin Nagas, and read my guide for today. It said: A path has been set for you, and you must know that there is always another way. Choose wisely. You have big decisions to make. I was tired of considering the options; I thought to the website. I have made my decision.

I didn’t feel like talking to all of my friends, because I was getting tired, so I posted that I was leaving Sraff, and shut off my phone, sloughing in the velvet seat, closing my eyes.

My eyes opened, and I hardly knew that I was awake. I had the same dream that I had the other night. The dream where I saw the woman’s silhouette, and she had the green, and brown gem eyes. I blinked the dream into the back of my mind. Ember was still staring out of the window, like she was when I went to sleep; Cara was leaning on my shoulder, snoring softly. I wanted to shrug her off, but I didn’t.

Ember turned to me, “Hey, you’re awake. It’s taken longer than I thought; we still aren’t past the mountains.”

I looked out of the window, and saw huge dark forms that seemed to rise past the sky itself. I looked at Ember, and asked her what time it was.

“Nine.” She said simply.

Cara’s book M1304 was sitting on the table. The cover was a girl whose face was half a skeleton. I wondered what the meant. I feel like it symbolizes her being half torn away, exposed, but still strong. But what do I know, I don’t read often.

I looked up from the book, to Ember. She looked so confident, but maybe she was like the girl on the cover, fighting to keep the half that’s still whole. “You have to be shocked by all of this happening.”

Ember looked away from the window and into my eyes in an instant. “No. I’ve adjusted to the way things are. I control where I go. Your friend is the same. Besides, he didn’t chase me here, I ran.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Isn’t that just perspective?”

Ember looked at me with her violet eyes. They lost their intensity. “No, it’s fact.”

She was right, it was definitely fact, I shouldn’t question it, she was right.

Embers eyes had become glassy, like it is just before you cry. I wondered why, and I wondered what might have upset her. Wouldn’t it be weird for a grown woman to cry? I mean, they’ve been through everything already, they should have worked this stuff out a long time ago right? I don’t like it when people cry around me; it makes me really uncomfortable for some reason. Besides, Ember is a really strong person.

uld ey’re you cry. I wondered why, and I wondered what might have upset her, but the I slumped down in my seat again, about to go back to sleep when I heard a CLANK, Like glass shattering.

I sat straight up, and looked to where I thought the sound came from. I turned to the booth just across from ours, and saw that the window had been broken. A single, large rock lay on the polished table.