Part III

~One runs. One stops. One stares. Volcano. Lava and stones in air. Rivers of bright red magma. Dark column of smoke. Must stop flow before humans are hurt. Earth shifts. Footing unstable Ground crumbles. One falls into hole. Must get out. Wind whistles in one's ear. Sky darkens. Lightning flashes. Thunder roars. Cannot hear. So loud. So deafening. Rain falls. One is soaked, cold, dripping. Steam where water hits magma. One cannot see. One cannot breathe. Eyes sting. Chest hurts. One is swept up in a gust of wind. Spinning, spinning. Pulled in every which direction. No control. Loud, dark, wet. Blinding light. Then, nothing.~

With a gasp, I sat up, heart racing, breath coming short. The dream...it was so vivid. I could taste the bitter tang of smoke, the rain on my tongue. I could feel the ground falling apart beneath me, my arms scraping against the jagged rocks. I could smell the scent on the wind that swept me up into the air. I could hear the thunder booming in my ears.
Shivering, I hugged myself until the pounding in my chest stopped and I could breathe normally. That...nothing-ness. It was awful. Indescribable. It was...
I stopped myself from thinking more about it. I tried to ignore my dream and curled up in the covers again. It was still dark; the clock said it was 3 in the morning.

~One is hot. Sweltering, blistering. Sweat runs down face, arms, legs. Unbearable. Must find shade, shelter. Temperature too high. Riverbeds dry. No rain. Plants dried up or nonexistent. Humans skinny. Cheeks sunk in and hollow. Dying people. Sick people. Look like zombies. Pain in one's stomach. One has not eaten in days. One cannot find food nor water. One will die soon without nourishment. Others will die soon as well. Life cannot survive without water.~

I forced myself to wake up. My eyelids refused to open. Afraid of falling asleep again, I moved sluggish hand to my face, prying my eyes open with barely responsive fingers. I flicked on my bedside lamp, hissing at the bright light. It was worth it though. I didn't want to have any more of these dreams.
The barren landscape of my dream world was horrifying. I didn't know why I was having such dreams, but I knew I didn't like it.
With a quick glance at the clock, I found it was 4:30. I sighed and then decided it was alright to get up and take a shower. The sun had not quite risen yet, but I knew it would soon.
A quick splash of cold water on my face had me feeling a lot better. I turned on the computer and logged onto my gmail account. Linda wasn't there. I sighed, then opened up a new tab on the screen so that I could see if Linda was on later. She sometimes slept in on the weekends.
I plugged my earphones into the laptop, turned on the volume, and then went onto YouTube. I searched up one of my favorite songs, Halo, by Haley James Scott. The song was a little strange by my friends' standards, but I listened to weird things.

I never promised you a ray of light,
I never promised there'd be sunshine everyday,
I give you everything I have, the good, the bad.
Why do you put me on a pedestal,
I'm so up high that I can't see the ground below,
So help me down you've got it wrong, I don't belong there.

One thing is clear,
I wear a halo,
I wear a halo when you look at me,
But standing from here, you wouldn't say so
you wouldn't say so, if you were me
And I, I just wanna love you,
Oh oh I, I just wanna love you

I always said that I would make mistakes,
I'm only human, and that’s my saving grace,
I fall as hard as I try
So don't be blinded
See me as I really am, I have flaws and sometimes I even sin,
so pull me from that pedestal,
I don't belong there.

One thing is clear,
I wear a halo,
I wear a halo when you look at me,
But standing from here, you wouldn't say so
you wouldn't say so, if you were me
And I, I just wanna love you,
Oh oh I, I just wanna love you

Why you think that you know me
But In your eyes
I am something above you
It’s only in your mind
Only in your mind
I wear a
I wear a
I wear a Halo

One thing is clear,
I wear a halo,
I wear a halo when you look at me,
But standing from here, you wouldn't say so
you wouldn't say so, if you were me
And I, I just wanna love you,
Oh oh I, I just wanna love you

Haaaa ha-ha halo (x9)

I smiled as I listened to the song, enjoying the beat and the clear, but soulful voice. When it was over, I switched to another song, called Gonna Getcha Good by Shania Twain. I had weird taste in music, according to my friends. To me, it was normal. I just listened to whatever was good. There were some older songs that I liked, such as Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go and Hung Up. But I also liked more, I guess, modern songs, such as Lips of an Angel, or Pocket Full of Sunshine. And then I also listened to classical music, which is really really old. Sort of.
Justine was a heavy metal and rock girl. Linda went for Russian songs, which we didn't understand. Kendra and Ellen liked French songs and a lot of stuff by Avril Lavigne. Classical music was basically all that Tiffany listened to, except for the occasional Chinese piece. Carmen listened to Spanish songs and a lot of Japanese songs (she had this obsession with Japanese songs because they sounded cool). I...was just a mish mash music listener. Whatever I thought was good, I listened to it.
The song ended, and I took a peek at gmail. Still no sign of Linda. The time was 5:24; there was still time for her to get up if she was going to get up early. I started playing another song called Boulevard of Broken Dreams, by Green Day. Kind of depressing song, but I liked it.
While I listened, I plugged in my iPod (black video nano), bought a couple songs, and then synced it. The money was charged to one of my parents' credit cards and I paid them back when the bill came. I made sure to only buy a couple each week so that I would still have enough allowance for other things. Most of the time, I saved my money for a couple month before shopping for a few pieces of clothing to replace older ones. If I had some left, I would buy some food for myself (the usual groceries were paid by my parents but bought by me and my brothers) and found some other random things I wanted. That day, I felt that I didn't really need anything, so I listened to my music until my iPod finished charging.
It was 6:30, and I guessed that Linda was sleeping in. I unmounted my iPod from the laptop, and closed up everything before turning it off. With my iPod, cell phone, and wallet in my pocket, I crept down the stairs and out the door. My parents and brothers wouldn't notice anyways, for I knew they wouldn't get up until around 8 or 9.
I found the bike path near quickly, and then lost myself to the music and my running. It felt good to be outside, with the wind brushing against my skin. The air was crisp and cool, though I knew it would get hotter latter.
My pace changed slightly as the beat of the songs changed, but I had set a playlist with music of almost the same tempo, so I was generally pretty steady.
The only sounds I could hear was the beat of the music (I turned it down pretty low), my breathing, and the sound of my feet hitting against the ground. It was just me, my music, and my running. My legs pulsed with energy and I could feel my blood pumping through them. They were a little sore, but it felt good to be out again. (I didn't run during school days because I had homework and other things.) I turned back when it was around 7 and began to run back to my house. It was around 7:30 when I got home.
I tiptoed up the stairs and took a shower, enjoying the cool water running down my heated skin. I just stood there for a while, enjoying the water, until I heard a knock on the door.
"Gwen, get your ass out of there before I break down the door." I rolled my eyes.
"Jason, shut up so I can get some clothes on. Then you can come in." I knew it was Jason somehow. I turned off the water and began to dry myself with a towel quickly.
"Jeez, I never cease to wonder how you can tell us apart. No one else can. Well, I mean, I can tell the difference between Jacob and Johnathan, but... But other than that, just you."
"It's just a talent I have. Besides, I'm a girl." I dried my hair with the towel and then dumped it next to my dirty clothes. I'd have to dump those in my dirty hamper later. They would be washed on Sunday.
"Oo. That was harsh. But guys are better. Girls are so soft and...weak." I scoffed and scowled at the same time, but shot back a reply.
"Yeah? I'd like to see you kick my ass in a running competition." I laughed to myself as I pulled on some clothes. He could never beat me in running.
"Well... Just try to kick my ass in basketball, shorty!" That was cruel. I growled softly in the back of my throat.
"I may be short by your standards, but..." I opened the door with my dirty clothes and towel slung across one arm. "...you should ask Carmen." I playfully pushed his shoulder, and he poked me in the ribs before slipping into the bathroom.
Jason was my favorite out of the J triplets. They had different personalities despite the fact that they were identical and shared most of the same likes and dislikes. Jason was more playful and funny. Jacob was...more of a bad boy; he often got himself into fights and usually came out on top. (As for what he did with girls...I hoped he wasn't doing anything too bad.) Johnathan was the smartest of the three, and got the best grades too. He was a little bit of a teacher's pet sometimes.
"Gah! Jacob beat me to the shower?" I chuckled and nudged Alexander.
"Actually, that was Jason, but yes, he beat you to the shower." He gently elbowed me before walking downstairs.
Alexander was more peaceful and calmer than his "duplicates." He enjoyed reading as much as he enjoyed basketball. Aaron was a trouble maker, and had gone to the principal many times. They all had, but Aaron had gone more times. Adam was the sporty boy, the one who excelled at many sports and often showed off to the ladies.
I also met Johnathan, who asked me if anyone was in the shower. Along the way, I met my mother, who kissed me on the forehead before going off to eat breakfast. I assumed Dad was still sleeping.
When I got to my room, I dumped the contents of my pockets onto my desk and climbed up to the roof to gaze at the ocean. It was a gorgeous as always. The seagulls called their harsh cries as the soared in the wind. The waves crashed against the rocks and splashed on the sandy beach. I scanned the waters for the seal that sometimes showed up, but there was no sign of the slippery creature.
As I lay on the roof, I wondered where the others were. Justine was probably skateboarding at the park, and Tiffany was probably at the skating rink. Linda might be holed up in her room drawing, or drawing outside. Kendra and Ellen were most likely at their dancing class. Carmen was probably singing for volunteer work at a nursery home or somewhere.
I didn't see them much on the weekends, because that was when they pursued their interests and spent their time with their family. I saw them enough during the weekdays anyways.
A seagull landed on the roof and looked at me cautiously, cocking its head to one side. I grinned and cocked my head in the direction it did. And then it cocked its head to the other side. I copied. We kept this up for some time, until it got bored and flew away. Seagulls were funny like that. It brought back old memories.
I had a sandwich stolen by a seagull when I was around 6. My family had gone to the beach for the weekend and we were sitting their eating lunch. I put down the sandwich to grab a drink, and the next thing I knew, a seagull had grabbed the sandwich, looked at me almost mischievously, and then flew off. My family had laughed at me while I fumed and got myself another sandwich.
There was another time when Jacob had gotten himself a "seagull lover" as I called it. Some seagull had found something particularly interesting about him and followed him around until he tried to kick the seagull in his frustration. It tried to attack him at the point, and he had to take shelter under a towel. I think he was 10 at the time.
Those memories brought a smile to my face. I stayed up on the roof until I heard my father calling for me. Scurrying down, I quickly made my way towards the source of the voice.
"What is it, Dad?" I asked, skidding to a halt in front of him.
"I was thinking about going biking. The boys aren't interested, but I was wondering if you wanted to go?" I thought about it, and then nodded.
"Sure, I don't mind." He smiled and then headed to the storage shed, where the bikes were. He pulled out his navy colored bike, and I pulled out my own dark silver colored one. It suddenly reminded me my time controlling powers, and I stopped short for a moment. I tried to act natural as I resumed my bike inspection.
"Is something wrong, Gwen?" Shoot, he had noticed.
"Err...nothing at all. Just remembered that I went running for an hour this morning."
"You what?!" I'd forgotten that he didn't know about that. Oops.
"Yeah, I run for an hour or so in the mornings on weekends."
"An hour?!" He seemed shocked and surprised. I laughed internally.
"It's not that long. I've run longer." I gave a nonchalant shrug, and swung my leg over the bike seat.
"You ready?" I asked, giving a sly grin.
"Ready if you are!" He returned my grin and we set off into the winding path through the woods near the cliffs that loomed above the churning waters of the ocean.
We rode for about a half an hour, and he began to seem very tired. I slowed down and then stopped. He braked and ended up a couple feet away from me.
"You okay, Dad?" He didn't look too great. His breath was coming short and his face was flushed. I pulled out the water bottle I had brought with me and handed it to him.
"Thanks. I'm just a little tired, that's all."
"A little?"
"Fine, more than a little."
"We can stop for a while if you want." I wasn't tired, and felt that I could go on for another hour or so. But I kept my mouth shut.
My father worked at the aquarium, so he got some decent exercise, though he mostly worked on the technical aspect of the place. My mother was the one who did shows and tours of the aquarium. She was a lot more fit than he was.
Ten minutes later, we were off again, but this time we were headed back to the house. It took us around forty-five minutes to get home, because this time my dad was tired and therefore slower than before.
We put our bikes into the shed again and then went inside. My mother was at work now, for her day off was on Sunday. My dad had his day off on Saturdays.
I whipped up some lunch for us (the boys were out doing whatever they do) and as we ate, he scribbled absentmindedly on a piece of scrap paper. I didn't bother him. He was probably working on some problem that they were trying to fix at the aquarium.
When I finished, I gave him a gentle hug before heading upstairs for a change of clothes. I didn't perspire too much, but I probably didn't smell fantastic. I changed quickly, then examined my laundry load for tomorrow. The J triplets were doing their laundry today, and the A triplets were probably going to do theirs tomorrow, so it was best if I did mines in the morning, right after 8. That way, they couldn't accuse me for doing things "at the crack of dawn."
~*~
I decided to go swimming later, and did so until around 6. It felt good to be in the water, to feel the gentle waves lapping against my skin, the cool liquid spilling through my fingers. When I got home, I rinsed off my hair in some water, to get the salt out of my hair, and then headed down to the kitchen.
I knew my mother would be home soon, so I took the opportunity to cook some dinner so that she wouldn't have to. She probably was tired from her day at the aquarium. Technically, popping a frozen pizza (or 4 in my case) into an oven isn't really cooking, but by my family's definition, it is. It's hard to get a home cooked meal. Most of the food is pre-made and or easy to make. It may be part of the reason why I'm almost vegetarian now. I don't like pre-made meat. Also, I get this sick feeling when I eat too much meat, which is another reason why I'm practically vegetarian. It's weird.
My brothers came down and devoured two of three pizzas, and I stole a piece of the third before sticking the rest of the third into the oven to keep warm. I left a note on the oven telling my mother and father that there was pizza and then headed upstairs.
It seemed late enough for some of my friends to come online, so I flicked on the computer and waited for it to allow me to log into gmail. Once in, I scanned the page quickly to find that Carmen was on. I smiled slightly and opened up a chat.

Gwen: carmen?
Carmen: i suppose you want to know too?
Gwen: eh?
Carmen: about how I knew and everything
Gwen: knew what?
Carmen: you honestly have no idea?
Gwen: not a clue
Carmen: everyone wants to know how I knew that i was lesbian
well...i just knew
it's like how the rest of you know you're straight or bi
Gwen: oh...that's what you were talking about...
i honestly wasn't going to ask
that kind of thing doesn't bother me and i just accept it as it is
Carmen: well, justine's asked, and same with linda and tiffany
the twins didn't ask, but i suppose they would know what i mean
Gwen: yeah, they would know
...can i ask you something?
Carmen: within reason, and i'll answer
Gwen: do you like anyone?
sorry, i know it's personal and you don't have to answer
i just...
Carmen: no, it's fine
i was half expecting it anyways
although, no one's gotten the guts to ask other than you so far
*takes deep breath*
k, here goes
i like kendra
Gwen: oh
Carmen: yeah, i know, laugh
how can a dark skinned girl like a light skinned girl?
Gwen: oh god, no, that wasn't what i was thinking
i was just thinking how much that complicates life
Carmen: thanks for being understanding *iz being serious*
i was afraid that you wouldn't understand how i felt for her
but yes, oh my god, it makes life so hard
Gwen: i can only imagine
seeing her everyday
so close yet so far away
must kill you
Carmen: tell me about it... *cries*
Gwen: *pats shoulder*
if you ever need a shoulder to lean on, i'm here for you
all of us are (if you tell them that is)
although, i know you aren't about to tell kendra and ellen
not yet anyways
Carmen: yeah...
i'm just...so scared
i want to tell her but...
Gwen: you'll do the right thing in time, i know
Carmen: you can travel through time?
(but, yeah, thanks)
Gwen: um...not as far as i know
Carmen: oh
i just thought you might have gone through time and seen something i didn't....
Gwen: no, you wish
i wish a little too
Carmen: it would be both a blessing and a curse
Gwen: our gifts now are both a blessing and a curse in general
i wonder what we're up against
thinking of which, i had this seriously weird dream about stuff
it sort of involved our powers yet it didn't
i don't know how to put it simply
all i know is that i don't want to ever have those dreams again
Carmen: i don't know what you're talking about, but...alright
Gwen: oh yeah, how was singing today?
or that's what i assume you were doing
Carmen: *grins* thought you'd never ask
yes, i was singing
it was really great
to see all those people smiling and as if they had such a great load taken off their backs
it felt good to do that for them
Gwen: well, then i'm happy for you ^_^
Carmen: i gotta go now...
my family and i are going to watching a movie soon
Gwen: home movie?
Carmen: yup
ttyl?
Gwen: if i'm on, yes
if not...well, ttyl even later!
Carmen: lol okay
bye

And then she was gone. I sighed and lowered the cover of my laptop, flopping onto the bed. Life had gotten confusing lately. Carmen liked Kendra, Tiffany liked Michael, Justine liked Dustin, I didn't know who liked who else. Now that I thought of it, did I like anyone?
That had me thoughtful for a while. Then I shook my head to no one in particular. I hadn't found anyone truly liked. I smiled bitterly. As if I would ever find anyone who would ever like me.
I was a little annoyed at the time, I guess. All my friends had gotten asked out at least once, though most of them didn't like the people who asked them out in that way. Tiffany was lucky. I ground my teeth. It wasn't fair sometimes.
I wouldn't have cared so much if my brothers and Justine didn't bother me so much about it. They were always asking if I liked anyone, if anyone had asked me out (yet), and in general, just being annoying about that kind of stuff. I'd never asked them to stop, because I knew they were curious and Justine was probably slightly concerned about my lack of being asked out. Still, it didn't help it from getting on my nerves.
My laptop blipped, jolting me out of me thoughts. I stared at the screen for a moment before realizing that Kendra was trying to talk to me. Odd; Ellen wasn't there.

Kendra: gwen?
are you there?
Gwen: yeah, what's up?
Kendra: i gotta tell someone other than ellen before i explode
and i trust you to keep it to yourself
Gwen: okay, shoot
Kendra: i...
*sighs*
i think i have a crush on carmen (OMG, NO WAY! *faint*)
Gwen: when did you know? (At this point, I was trying my best not to hyperventilate. Carmen liked Kendra, Kendra liked Carmen. I thought about it. It was pretty cute actually.)
Kendra: for the longest time really
i just...knew at some point
but i tried to ignore it for so long
when carmen told all of us that she was lesbian
i swear, my heart stopped
Gwen: i think it's really sweet that you like her
Kendra: you think so? *blush*
Gwen: yes, definitely
Kendra: that makes me feel so much better... *sigh of relief*
i gotta go now, but thank you soooo much
Gwen: i'm glad i helped you, kendra
ttyl i guess
Kendra: yeah, ttyl

Oh. My. God. They both liked each other! I was so happy for both of them, but underneath, I was worrying what it would do to our group. Would it make life awkward? (It wouldn't have made mine, but I worried all the same for the lives of my other friends.) How would the others react? How would the school react if they were open about it? There were just so many questions out there. So much drama. I had been complaining that my life was too boring just a week ago, and now all this. Gifts, saving the world from the Apocalypse, Carmen turning out to be lesbian, her liking Kendra and Kendra liking her back...so much stuff all at once. Why couldn't all this have happened over a large period of time?
The reference to time flicked my brain over to my powers, which just made my brain feel as if it was going to explode.
My head couldn't handle it. I let my mind fuzz out, just staring at the computer screen.
~*~
When I "woke" myself up, it took me a moment to even realize where I was. When I figured out that I was still staring at the laptop, I shook my head to clear away the funny feeling in my eyes and then checked to see if anyone was on. There wasn't, so I logged off and curled up into the blankets of my bed.
I didn't sleep exactly, but my eyes were closed, the light was off, the shades drawn. My mind was in a state of numbness. Really, I was half conscious, but the rest of me was floating off somewhere else.
After a while, something snapped inside of me, and I half jumped out of bed, turning on the laptop as fast as I could.
I read about the Apocalypse, meaning "the lifting of the veil" in Greek. It supposedly is to be the last test of the sinful nature of Mankind. There is to be the releasing of Satan and the destruction of heaven and Earth. They will be recreated in the beginning of Eternity.
It was a little too religious in my opinion, but I read on. There was some other information that I didn't quite understand, but I had a pretty good idea.
I knew already that there had been several cases where a person said that the Apocalypse was coming and a whole bunch of people would commit suicide and such. It was pretty gruesome, and so far, the Apocalypse had not come. The latest saying was that the Apocalypse was to come in 2012. If that was so, my friends and I only had until our last year of high school to save the world. And get good enough grades to make it to a good college in the even that we did manage to save the world from the Apocalypse. It wasn't a very long time. It was already almost the end of my freshman year. That meant we had three years and a bit. If it was true in the first place.
I started reading some articles on the subject of time, hoping it would help me. In a way, it did, but in another way, it just confused me. There was a lot of physics and other things I really didn't understand involved in it.
It came to me that the others should read about their own gift, though it might be hard for Ellen and Kendra. Still, it would be good for the others to understand more about their gifts and how it affects the rest of the world. If we were going to save the world, we had to make sure that we didn't destroy a small bit of it while trying to save another bit. Justine would be hard to convince though.
Another thing that occurred to me is that using our gifts required an extremely large amount of energy. It would be best if we could learn to build up on our endurance and strength along with out power control. With that, we would have to learn to concentrate properly, a task that would frustrate Justine, and I knew that.
Meditation (and/or yoga), was an idea, although I knew Justine would kill me if I tried to get her to meditate. I thought it'd be a bit much for Carmen, Kendra and Ellen though. They're too full of energy to settle down. I would probably be able to convince Tiffany and Linda though.
It seemed to me a good way to burn energy and actually learn how to be more flexible. Though, Tiffany, Kendra and Ellen were all pretty flexible already. Their endurance and strength was another matter.
I, not trying to brag, was in pretty good shape. At least, in my opinion anyways. I suppose other people could have disagreed.
Since the clock informed me that it was already 1 in the morning, I turned off the computer and fell into a dreamless sleep.
~*~
Sunday passed in a similar manner, but I went biking by myself, without my father, so I was there for a very long time. I didn't swim that day either. I also got my laundry done before I went biking, so it was a fairly productive day.
My mother had her day off, so she decided to take me shopping at 4, after I was done biking. Despite the fact that I honestly hate shopping in general, I went with her. I hadn't really talked with her one-on-one in a really long time.
She kept trying to get me to wear all these frilly clothes, fabrics with sequins, girly prints, and pink things. I wasn't too pleased.
I managed to actually get some good clothes that weren't too girly though, which was pretty nice. Plus, my mother paid for it, so I didn't have to use my money. I got myself a silver rhinestone-studded black belt that I had had my eyes on for a while, but didn't buy because it was a little more than what I normally spent. There was also a great set of biking gloves that looked good and was very comfortable. Finally, there was an irresistible great buy on a fake leather riding jacket. It looked and felt rather realistic, and was amazingly fitting on me, so I got it. My mother paid for half, while I paid for the other half. She said it was kind of expensive, but I didn't really care. I knew that jacket would last me a very long time.
We bought dinner on the way home at around 6. The guy who took our order (he looked around 17) looked flabbergasted at the amount of food we ordered. It really wasn't that much to our family. I gave a little smirk as he gaped at me carrying two bags of food in each hand. My mother had one in each hand, adding up to six bags. Not too much really. The boys ate a lot. I could eat a lot when I wanted to.
When we got home, the boys stampeded down the stairs and into the kitchen, taking the bags from our hands and ripping them open to get to the contents. I chuckled and shook my head as I watched them. My mother gave a little sigh and a smile before jumping into the brawl and dishing out the food to them.
We had all finally gotten out the food and dealt it out when my father came home. He looked tired, with light rings under his eyes and a weary expression. I helped him into a chair and took his stuff to put away. He smiled gratefully before devouring his food. The boys followed his example while my mother and I ate slowly, calmly, and neatly. The last one was the most important one, because the boys and my father almost always made quite a mess. I usually cleaned it, though a lot of times I would make the boys clean up at least some of it before I did my part.
The boys and my father stomped up the stairs leaving my mother and me to finish eating. When my mother finished, she headed upstairs without a word. She seemed a little out of it, so I cleaned up the kitchen and then headed into my room. The boys were playing their loud rock music (two different songs; one from the J triplets' room and the other from the A triplets'), so I escaped to the roof with a pair of binoculars.
The loud beat was significantly quieter on the roof, though I could still faintly hear the slanted tiles quiver slightly underneath with each boom. I sighed and then looked through the binoculars at the stars, marveling at their brightness and beauty. The moon was gorgeous as always. The gentle sounds of waves soothed my mind and helped to relax my troubled soul. A little, anyways.
I hadn't thought too much about the gifts we had gotten and the incoming Apocalypse, but subconsciously, I worried about it. It was hard not to think about it. Any color that corresponded with our gifts triggered my thinking about what the books had told us. I tried to ignore it the whole day, but it was hard still.
With the great open sky and silence, it was even harder not to think about it. I closed my eyes and tried to let my mind wander. My attempt failed miserably, as it led straight back to what I had been trying to avoid. It was easier to ignore things when I was doing something.
When the sounds of my brothers' music stopped, I decided that it was about time to go to bed. I had school again tomorrow, much to my distaste, but it meant that I could talk to the others all at once. Which was good. I had some convincing to do (or rather, try to do), and a lot of stuff to discuss.