Obliteration

Chapter 16

"Well, it took you long enough." this little old lady was camped out in the middle of the clearing we came to at the top of Mount Mitchell.
"I've been camped out here for hours! Hurry along, I want to get home."

"Wait, you're Shiva?" asks Landon, "I thought your house was at the top of the mountain?"

"Ha! So people still believe that old story. No, no my dear. My house is inside the mountain. If it was outside then anyone who wanted to could come and find me, like you.

And of course I'm Shiva! You think some random-ass old lady would just be sitting here waiting for hours? I am Shiva and I have been expecting you"

Her house was about an hour from where we met, and on the way over she told us the story of how she came to know about us.

"I was feeling rather nostalgic one day, thinking about my years as a youth. About my time at the school. That's when I Saw the attack. I'm sure you've already figure that out, though. And that I tried to tell Thamus but it was too late."

"Thamus?" I asked.

"You probably only know him as the Dean of your school, but I went to school with him as a child, we grew up together. I told him of my Visions and that you would end up going to me."

"Wait, so the Dean knew this entire time? Why didn't he tell us?"

Landon sounds mad at this. Which is completely understandable. if we knew we could've been more prepared.

"We both knew that the Island Officials would never agree to send you away from the Island if there wasn't a safe place for you go. They wouldn't have agreed so it had to be a secret, even from you guys." Shiva explained.

"Though I am sorry that your friend Kayla got hurt so badly. I would've loved to talk to another Precog."

It's weird talking to Shiva because her advancement allows her to know things that a normal Precog wouldn't be able to know. It's nice talking to someone who has been treated the same way I have my whole life, different and always slightly excluded.

The entrance to her underground house was nicely hidden behind a thick layer of ivy and tree branches. I would've never seen it had I not been following closely.

The inside of it was exactly what you could expect from a house in a mountain, only better. Shiva led us down stairs made of wood and dirt, and through a raggedy wooden door. Her actual house was beautiful and completely natural.

Fire lighted the house by torches on the walls, showing the perfectly sculpted room. It must've taken years to make this home. In the middle of my inspection a man turned the corner and into the entrance of the home.

"Shiva! Your home, finally. What took so long? This must be Mara! Nice to meet you, I'm Shiva's husband Nicoli."

"Hi, Nicoli, yes I'm Mara and these are my friends Julian, Quinn, and Landon. Sorry if I seem shocked, I assumed Shiva lived here alone according to the stories."

"I'm not surprised. We haven't told many people about me in case anyone tries to harm Shiva. Come in! Come in! Sit, make yourselves comfortable. I'm sure you've had a long trip."

"Thank you so much" Says Quinn.

By Quinn saying that I know that this man is sincere, and I feel free to be comfortable here. I grab Julian's hand and pull him to sit next to me on the makeshift couch.

We talk with Shiva and Nicoli for a couple hours, but we manage to avoid all serious topics. We're all too tired to talk about what comes next. Later that night we all set out to go to bed. Nicoli shows us to our room,

"I'm sorry for the squeeze, but you're all going to have to share the spare room. We don't usually have this many people in our house so it wasn't built for space. Here are a couple blankets and pillows, goodnight."

He was right, it was a small room for four people, but we didn't dare complain after everything they've already done for us. We are grateful for everything that they will give us.

I lay in between Julian and Quinn, with Landon on Quinn's other side. While laying here in Julian's arms I can't help but think that at least one good thing has come out of this trip.

I look up to see him already looking at me in deep thought. Without saying a word I kiss him deeply and then nestle my head in the crook of his neck.

Surprisingly it is not hard to fall asleep, I feel strangely safe in this new place. This home of Shiva and Nicoli. They seem like trustworthy people, people I can trust with my future.