Balancer's Soul (24 page)

“Well we are in total agreement about that. I
wouldn’t want to ever get in a fight with him, especially if he was
protecting you.” He winked, knowing what could have happened to
Mathew without his timely intervention. “Your overprotective fiancé
asked me to keep an eye on you while he was away. Don’t worry I
will not tell anyone where your fiancé really is.”

“Thank you Mark… Wait a minute…Did he tell
you what he’s planning?” Mark’s teeth were set in a blazing grin.
“You do! Tell me or at least please give me a hint.” Sarah began
pleading for at least a miniscule size of a hint.

“Yes I know what he’s doing because he told
me. Sorry, but I can’t spoil his plans.” He remained smiling in a
knowing way.

As the students filled the class, Sarah
spotted Mathew as he was the last to enter the classroom. Her mood
darkened immediately at seeing the deplorable child. Just because
he didn’t study and failed a single test didn’t give one cause to
do as he did. Mark saw him as well from the corner of his eye.
Mathew’s eyes looked to still have a slow smoldering fire once he
saw her. A bright purple bruise displayed on his chin. Mark stepped
between them casually, but it wasn’t casual at all. His left fist
clenched tightly yet the rest of his body looked relaxed. Mark said
happily “Hey Mathew how’s the jaw feeling?” it was clearly evident
that the purple mark wasn’t from paint on his left jaw line.

The class was sitting quietly and
watching the drama unfold before them. Sarah stepped in front of
Mark to say “Mark, you may change your seat to the front.” She
looked up at Mathew and his smug sneer didn’t vanish. “I didn’t get
a chance to speak with you about last Friday. I will let your
actions slide only this once because no one was seriously injured
and you got what you deserved. Now! If you try anything like that
again,” she stepped into his personal space and looked up at him
while being shadowed by Mark. Though she was short she was still
slightly stronger than he, but he didn’t realize that. “you will be
expelled without graduating for physically assaulting a teacher. No
college will pick you up on that fancy football scholarship with
that on your
permanent
record.” His face paled at the promise. Sarah was past
threats at this point.

She wasn’t about to be a pushover of a
teacher anymore.

Stepping away from Mathew and to the front
board, she still seethed with anger. “Ok everyone let’s get
started.” Mathew sat in his seat while Mark moved his materials
forward to a vacant desk.

Sarah began writing on the board when a girl
asked aloud “Ms. Sarah. Where is Connor today?”

Her frustration could no longer being
contained from his absence. Sarah turned to the students and she
placed both of her hands on top of her desk to keep her anger in
check. “Pardon my bluntness, but why do any one of you care about
him now?” Everyone in the class was stunned into silence at the
question. “When I first came here I noticed that
everyone
in this school disliked him,
except for Mark here.” Sarah pointed to him sitting in front of
her, as protection from Mathew. “All of you children treated him
like a freak, an outcast of your pathetic social societies or
disposed like trash. You pushed him down, beat him, poured drinks
on him and you even made fun of him when he answers a question
honestly. More to the fact that everything he said was one hundred
percent accurate. Not a single person in here could answer like he
did let alone know what he meant. If the technological world came
to an end he would have the best chance at survival. The rest of
you would be eaten by some predator, crying for your mommies to
save you.

“None of you know what he has been
through and survived. You can’t say anything otherwise because I
have seen your
pathetic
and
immature actions personally.” Sarah looked at every student in
their eyes as her rant continued. Some looked down or away and some
fidgeted in their chairs. “Everyone saw how he caught and rescued
me from falling on Friday. I should warn you, Connor
let
you do those despicable things to
him. If he was serious, not one person in this school would stand a
chance against him.” Straightening up, she walked around her desk
so she could lean against it with her arms crossed. “All of you
need to grow the hell up! If you don’t, I can guarantee that you
will have miserable lives and you can only blame yourself.” Now she
spoke calmly after feeling the pressure ease off of her chest.
“Connor will be away for a month if you are wondering. He is
traveling around to look at different colleges. Now are their
anymore questions before I get started with the lesson?”

“Sounds to me that there is something going
on between The Black Sheep and the teacher.” Mathew said in a
condescending tone.

“Oh now that’s it!”
But Mark spoke before she did and without looking at Mathew.
“You better stop while only three people want to beat the hell out
of you, Mathew.”

“Wow only three?” He sounded unconcerned in
his mocking.

“Yeah only three because Ms. Sarah’s
fiancé wants a piece of you before Connor, Ms. Sarah or I do.”
Sarah saw Mathew’s face go sheet white at hearing this for the
first time.
“Ha I bet you didn’t think
about me actually being engaged; even if it is to my one and only
Connor.”

Now Mark turned in his seat to look
directly at him. “Yes I said fiancé. He and Conner are quite close.
And let’s just say for clarification, if you don’t get over
yourself and grow up, he might
actually
kill you if you ever do anything to his
betrothed again. If you thought my buddy Connor scared you, I would
like you to meet her fiancé when he’s really pissed.” He pointed at
her as she smiled weakly.

Wanting to get away from this subject she
said “Now anymore drama before we start class?” All of the students
were quite quiet and ready to begin the lesson.

Mark began writing on his paper after turning
back around. Sarah walked up to the board and started writing their
assignment, as she finished and turned around, Mark had his paper
lifted, facing it in her direction. It read ‘Thank you for standing
up for him. Everyone in this school needs a lecture from you.’ She
nodded in appreciation and for his save with the whole fiancé
thing. He smiled and the rest of the lecture went smoothly.

The rest of the month went slowly and
smoothly after that. Every day Kara and she went to school and
back. Mark always stayed close during class, like a loyal
lieutenant. Only one saying kept her spirits up as she woke every
morning. “One day less until I get to see my fiancé.”

***

Connor’s eyes eventually opened in the dense
woods on Monday morning as he began remembering this past
weekend.

On Friday he caught Sarah before she was
injured in a fall. That night meeting her mother Jillian was odd as
she made Sarah and himself sleep in each other arms that night. In
the morning of the next day, he found out that not only that she is
immortal, but also a Balancer.

Looking up into a clear sky morning he
smiled. “My fiancé…” Connor spoke softly to no one in particular.
After showing Sarah his chest and asking her to be with him was one
thing, but the answer she gave was all together something else. She
actually tackled him to the ground and kissed him passionately.
Every cell in his body screamed in excitement from her answer.

It was pure ecstasy.

Connor stood up from the tree that he slept
in for a few hours and looked around the terrain. “This place is
perfect.” He then dropped to the ground.

Connor spent all of Saturday night awake,
studying and making a list of all of the materials that are
required for the cottage as well as drawing out a blueprint as a
reference to the design of the home he’d make. Sunday morning
arrived, and still feeling awake Connor took a quick shower and
made some breakfast for himself.

He left the list of materials at the end of
the table as he ate the morning meal. David stretched as he walked
in a little later and saw the list on the table. He picked the
parchment up and whistled “Did you stay up all night to make such
an accurate inventory?”

“Yes sir, I did. Will there be any problems
with the list?” Studying the items carefully David replied “Hmm…
not a problem. I will have everything that you will need by
tomorrow afternoon.”

“Thanks, I really mean it. I will be back
tomorrow Granddaddy and don’t worry I’m just doing a little
scouting to look for the perfect destination for my project.”
Connor stood, grabbed Tool off of his bag and slid it into his
beltline.

“Ha, I’m more worried about anything that
might cross your path.” He patted Connor’s back as he was trying to
leave. Rhoda entered the room during that moment, with a small bag
and said “Wait a moment. I made you something to eat, just incase…”
Connor took it and hugged her and his grandfather before waving
goodbye. “I’ll see you tomorrow and everything will be ready when
you get back.”

After leaving his grandparents, Connor jogged
easily for three hours down the road before cutting into the dense
forest, teeming with abundant life. Now being so close to home and
to Sarah made the situation somewhat dangerous to his future plans.
Although being within five miles of Sarah lifted his mood and
spirits he needed to remain focused and not discovered.

Searching for the perfect place to build a
home is never easy. The terrain around this area can be too thick
with trees or the soil can be too rocky to support a home. The
natural streams that flow around here can be tricky. Some rarely
change in depth while others can become raging torrents after a
slow rain shower. Knowing how to tell the difference is easy, the
dangerous streams leave marks higher up their banks, to reveal a
tree’s roots. Water erosion is always tricky business. Also those
dangerous streams have river stones that are completely smooth from
the rushing water.

Connor searched the entire day and most of
the night, only stopping to relieve himself. The only time he ate
was when he needed to take a small break and rest. Then he began
searching again.

Almost losing hope in the search, he finally
found the perfect place.

During the night he came upon a small
clearing that held a steady stream on the east side of it. Walking
over to the clear stream and scooping a handful of sediment and
rocks from the water, Connor noticed that the water was pure from
just a simple taste. Now studying the stones, he came to the
conclusion that the water moves quickly and steadily because the
rocks are still somewhat rough. It was a great sign.
He walked up and down the banks of the stream to notice that
the stream was spring fed. It meant that the stream will not dry up
nor that it held any pathogens to get sick on. The roots on the
banks were still covered by soil meaning that the level of the
water doesn’t rise too much after a rain. Taking a stick to see the
average depth of the water revealed that it came up to his
chest.

The trees surrounding the natural clearing
were not only thick enough to hide one’s presence, but they would
also minimize any noises that he might make during the building
process. The grass that covered the ground grew wild yet it
remained soft and pleasant to the touch.

Under the starry sky Connor checked the
grassy ground where he would attempt to lay the foundation. He
scooped a hand into the soil, trying to see how much reinforcement
that would be needed to use for the framing of the structure.
Surprisingly, instead of the usual rocky soil, it was hard packed
dirt. Perfect as place as any for building purposes. He went to
sleep not too long after being relieved to find the ideal location
and also being so close to Sarah. Guessing at where he was, it
would be a ten to fifteen minute walk from here to there.

After Connor ended his reminiscing of the
weekend he ran through the woods to avoid all traces of
civilization.

He burst through the tree line of his
grandparent’s property around noon and then walked into their
house.

“Connor, is that you?” Rhoda called from the
entertainment room.

“Yes ma’am, I’m back.” he walked in after
taking his dirty shoes off.

“Are you hungry? Did you find what you were
searching for?”

“Always and yes ma’am I did.” He flashed her
a smile and she smiled back.

“Good, now come with me.” She stood and he
followed her into the kitchen. She started making a ham sandwich as
Connor made a glass of ice water. “Tell me what you found.” Handing
the sandwich over, he told her everything about the natural
clearing while eating.

“Sounds like a very romantic place. Oh I
almost forgot, David called not too long ago and said that he
found, and was able to buy, everything on your list. He will be
home in the late afternoon.”

After the meal vanished Connor said “Then I’d
better get started on my end of the agreement.” Drinking the last
of the water in his glass he stood and asked “What do you need done
around here?” She handed a list of things over that they needed
help on. She waved as he went outside.

The first thing on the list was to fix the
leak in the cattle’s barn roof. Grabbing a ladder, some shingles,
tar and roofing nails, he climbed up to the top of the roof. After
stripping the old warped shingles off and using the hammer side of
Tool, Connor repaired the leaky roof. Coming down the aluminum
ladder he saw the hay in the barn had the faint odor of mildew. A
quick look revealed it to be beyond any opportunity to be salvaged
as a food source for the cattle. He went on to do that task, even
if it wasn’t on the list.