"Why would a mob be after us?" Eric says, looking to the old man. I can feel my eyes drawn to Kyra and Anthony. The crowd was after them, and I wonder if they know why. Kyra meets my eyes and nods. She and I need to talk.
"Does it matter?" Malachi says in reply, "They are coming, and we need to leave before someone gets hurt."
The others move quickly to follow him, but I hesitate. Kyra moves up beside me, and I feel the same distrust in her. A quick glance between us, and we slowly follow the group.
We're a few steps behind the others when I hear a sound behind us. I can feel my blood begin to heat. The mob, or at least one or two of them are behind us. Kyra slips her hand into mind, and the sensation of a stormy sea slips inside me. Kyra is angry that the mob has come after us. She holds tighter to my hand and images slip inside my head.
Kyra woke much the way I did this morning, knowing something was different. I smile slightly as she searches the internet and turns on the radio. I remember the frustration at the realization that there is no news to be had, good or bad. She texts her mom and then heads out to work. The cafe where she works isn't far from my college, just on the other side of the park. In fact, Kyra walks past my college every day.
At work, Anthony was on edge, right from the moment he stepped in the door. He muttered to himself all morning, and none of the drinks he made came out right. Kyra had several customers complain that their drinks weren't the right temperature, and some even said they tasted salty.
I glance back at another sound behind us, the sound of a twig snapping. Kyra and I move faster, her hand still firmly clasping mine. A new memory pours into me; I see an iced drink begin to steam and then explode in Anthony's hand as the liquid begins to boil rapidly.
The shock on his face gives way to understanding. 'Magic,' he mutters under his breath.
'What's that, Anthony?' Kyra asks, walking up with a towel. He grabs her by the shoulders, almost shaking her.
'It's Magic, Kyra! That's what's changed. Magic is back, and the world is different now. I can feel it. You feel it too, Kyra; I know you do. Magic is back, and it's here. It's why the drinks won't behave.'
'That's crazy, Anthony,' Kyra begins, but Anthony just waves her off, one hand still grasping her shoulder.
'I know you feel it, Kyra. You know things have changed. Magic is back; you know I'm right.'
Before Kyra can respond, a nearby customer interrupts. His laughter is cruel and harsh. 'Ha! Magic doesn't exist, old man. You're delusional, and if the girl listens to you, she is just as crazy as you are.'
His buddy beside him chimes in. 'It'd be a real shame. She's quite the looker, but you can't date a crazy lady. It just ain't safe.'
'Ha! She doesn't have to be sane to take her to bed. Just willing,'
Steam begins to rise off every drink in the room. Kyra looks up to see a flash of anger storm through Anthony's eyes. The coffee in the customer's hand explodes, drenching him in boiling coffee. Then one by one, every drink in the cafe boils over. Steam billows out of countless cups, flooding the air. A dense fog suddenly fills the cafe.
I can hear the crowd shouting as their drinks foam and steam. I can't see them anymore though. The crowd is too think. The feel in the cafe quickly turns ugly. I grab onto Anthony's wrist and pull him into the back room by sheer memory.
'I'm sorry, Kyra; I didn't mean to. I just go so angry, I lost control. Not that I had that much to begin with.'
'Anthony, calm down. I can hear them coming, and they sound furious. We need to get out of here. Now.'
Images blur in my mind for a moment. Stacks of boxes and shelves blur with the trees around Kyra and I. Sunlight bursts over me, both in the memory and in real life as we move through a clearing. The memory becomes stronger now, and I let Kyra continue to guide me.
She and Anthony made it outside of the cafe into the back lot. They move quickly into the nearby park, but the mob follows them. A half empty cup of coffee slams into Anthony's back, drenching him.
He moves Kyra in front of him, urging her faster. He's trying to protect her, to shelter her as much as he can. They move through a slight dip in the ground, and the road moves out of sight. Kyra starts moving as fast as she can for the trees in the park, but before they can move a half a dozen steps, the crowd from the cafe surrounds them.
I know this is only a memory, but I can feel the anger and fear in the crowd. They're yelling at Anthony, offering insults and rude suggestions. Anthony just does his best to stay between them and Kyra, but it's futile. They're surrounded.
I feel Kyra's certainty that things are about to go very wrong, when she sees Eric and I break through the cover the trees provide. She knows us the same way we knew her. I feel hope break through her, like a wave crashing on the shore, and she grabs hold of Anthony's hand so he sees us too.
Kyra lets the memory slide then, and I blink quickly, reorienting myself. We've moved fast and our group is close to my college. I glance over at Kyra, grateful for the memories she's shared. I'll have to ask her about them soon, but for now I'm just glad to have some of my questions answered.
I have dozens more, but I doubt Kyra can answer many of them. We need to know who Malachi is, and what he wants. I don't trust him. He says he's just a guide, but that doesn't feel right. I think he's more, but even if he is what he says, what exactly is he guiding us to? What are his plans for us, and what does he get out of all this?
Kyra squeezes my hand again, and I know she shares my concerns. As soon as we get somewhere safe, we'll be asking our questions. I, for one, am not following anyone's guidance if I don't know where he wants to lead us.
