21
Ma-ehti
‘Well, I know where we’ll be holding the next trancing session, Claudine whistled trailing behind. Hawk had driven them all in his beat-up old panel van for half an hour. It wasn’t the most comfortable drive, and they were all holding on for dear life as they hit every pothole in the road.
When the group finally stumbled out of the van, rubbing their backsides, they could only stare around in awe at an old timber and stone house in the middle of the woods. The windows were small, as if a child had made them before popping them into the wood. A timber porch extended from the front with two rocking chairs while the top was thatched. On one side, a large stone chimney stuck out.
Claudine and Caro skipped towards it, their bangles jingling in unison, before coming to an abrupt stop. They turned simultaneously to Hawk who was grappling with the door.
‘Where’s Seth, Nettles and Amber? I tried texting them, but there was no answer.’ Hawk looked at Andrea before unlocking the door.
‘Andrea?’ Caro whispered, sensing something was wrong. Andrea looked at the twins for a moment before ushering them inside. Amber’s not feeling well.’ she muttered.
The twins trailed behind looking at each other.
‘Amber is always around,’ Caro whispered.
‘Yes, but remember yesterday?’ Claudine replied.
Caro pulled a face before nodding. She had never seen Amber so angry, and over what? A girl she hardly knew. It annoyed her that, after a few months, Amber expected to be initiated. It sometimes took years for that to happen and even then, she had to be able to trance at the basic level first. She couldn’t even perform some of the small tasks of sight. First level trancers were expected to at least visualise the next room. Claudine looked at Andrea and wondered if she was losing her touch. Amber’s feelings for her were obvious to everyone, apart from Hawk. She dismissed the thought, vulnerability creeping in, a feeling she sensed to her twin.
They held their breath as they took in the room.
‘So this is Hawk’s place…’ They both breathed out when they realised they were being looked at. Totem groups sat in bundles, shifting uncomfortably on a beaten old lounge suite. The room looked old, and seemed more in place in America, than Hampshire, England. Above the stone fireplace was a miniature sculpture of a totem pole with exaggerated grimaces on each head, hung from hooks. Claudine nudged her sister expectantly, tilting her head in the direction of Garren and Gabe; another set of male twins they had met at one of the conferences. They both blushed at the memory, their eyes blazing with excitement especially at the way the boys were staring back at them. They looked at each other giggling guiltily. The last meeting had been fun.
‘How are we going to chat to them without everyone noticing us,’ Claudine whispered to her sister. At first, it seemed like they wouldn’t have the chance to catch up like the last time. A red-haired woman from across the room was calling to them and they looked at her miserably.
They were closest to the door, and she wanted them to fetch the remaining bags of food from one of the cars parked outside. They almost whooped in delight when Gabe and Garren were told to help them. The boys made a beeline for them, and when they were in the kitchen, they were all grinning from ear to ear. ‘Where’s the rest of your group, I was hoping to see Seth,’ Garren said as they set down the remaining bags. Caro shrugged in response.
‘They got out of it,’ Claudine mumbled, still fuming that Amber hadn’t bothered to turn up either. Gabe picked up on her mood and put his hand in one of the bags.
‘Bruv…me thinks there’s something very fishy going one.’ He pulled out a large grey fish, holding it by its belly and shaking the head.
‘Idiot!’ Claudine laughed.
‘Fool!’ Caro bumped him with her hips.
‘Hey steady on, no touching on the first date,’ Gabe said and Caro blushed. Garren put his arms round the back of Claudine’s waist.
‘Nah…it’s the other way round. Touching is definitely allowed.’ The girls squealed before simultaneously shifting their bodies round to face them. The kitchen door opened, followed by an annoyed coughing. Soon other hands were stretching forward discreetly placing more bags on the table and Claudine groaned pulling herself away.
It was obvious that everyone disapproved. Maybe it wasn’t the right time, but everyone was so stressed by the meeting, she just wished, for once, they could have fun.
‘I’m not in the mood for meetings – anyone important coming or do you think we’ll be missed? Gabe winked conspiratorially.
‘Not sure,’ Caro whispered back. ‘I heard Andrea talking to the Surrey and Kent group earlier. Think there’s a load coming from there – bet it’s to do with that damn Anna.’ Three heads nod.
‘I heard she’s using mind control to take control of their totems.’
Claudine arched her eyebrow. ‘I‘d like to see her try.’
The noise from the lounge was getting louder, and they all looked towards the door.
‘We’ll find out soon enough. Low level trancers like us, don’t get to know what’s going on – remember?’ Caro half laughed, while sweeping a red gloss over her lips.
Gabe growled, wedging her in the corner of the kitchen and she pretended to struggle.
‘Hey, you should move to our group. We’re all equal, except for Suriah, Jared, Eaton, Lelah and of course Pippa.
‘Shut up…idiot!’ Garren interrupted looking at the mystified looks of the twins.
