They say weekends are usually short for some and long for others. I wish my weekend could have been shrunk down to an atom and be done in a nanosecond. It’s just one of those things I wish didn’t happen but had no control over at all, and it made it worse come Monday morning when in class Mrs. Natsume was introducing a new student.

 

“Today I’ll be introducing a new student who has been living here for quite some time but has just recently started to attend our school. It’s rare that we have someone join only one quarter into the school year, so I want you to be nice to her. You may come in now,” she gestured toward the door.

 

This must have been the second time I’ve been so shocked in all my life, the first being when I woke up in the middle of that field with half a million dollars and a map to my new home. In through the door walked the same girl Cocoa and I were following Friday afternoon and who I’ve seen once before that. She had her same dark blue, straight cut hair stretched to the center of her back with 8 pink streaks. Wearing a blue, jean jacket vest over her yellow sleeveless tank top and a dark pink skirt that stretched to just below her thighs, she cast her gaze over the all of us. She also had on light blue heels that matched her purse.

 

“Her name is Aurora Crystalere and she will be joining this class, along with a few other classes, as of today.”

 

I couldn’t believe it; she joined our school?

 

After being introduced, she glided down passed the rows of desks and sat down two rows over from me. After she was comfortable, she cast a mocking smile at me that said, “We’re going to get along great.”

It sent shivers up and down my spine at the same time at that thought…

 

But before all of this took place, my hectic weekend happened first.

 

Friday night, after saying goodbye to Cocoa, I headed home to start work on a quick project. Using the metal pipes and coils Cocoa helped gather at the junkyard, I pulled out my soldering gun and started work on melding them together, along with some leftover panels.

 

As I soldered away I began to wonder where my ability to forge together various gadgets had come from. I guess I was building things well before I was in school. Not having many memories about it always drove me crazy. Sometimes I worked myself to death at night to meet deadlines back when I first started. But the funny thing is, as I did it more, it became more natural. Almost like my hands moved on their own and I just stood or sat there watching a television show done by my own hands. I guessit was just a part of my DNA and genetic code. Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad I’m able to do what I do, because it calms me down.

 

“Whew,” I breathe, wiping my head with the back of my hand. “Finally done, for now.”

 

I lost track of time before I was done for the night, it being almost 1 am. I began yawning quite a lot, so I turned the soldering gun off, turned out the lights and crawled into bed. That’s when my crazy weekend began; starting with the nightmare I had tonight.

 

Like usual, fog enveloped the area I was in and I couldn’t see more than a few inches ahead. I saw various silhouettes moving about. They were mostly people from what I could tell. I tried talking to them, but couldn’t find my voice. My voice box must have been removed, because all I could do was cough, and even that was silent. I couldn’t form any words. I couldn’t even hear anything anyone else was saying. Being in a silent movie never felt more exciting, I thought sarcastically.

 

Just then, the crowed started to panic, from what I could make out, and everyone moved to one side. A silhouette a wolf then jumped out and stood in front of the crowed, corning them. Even though I could make out their reactions, I couldn’t hear their screams of terror or the wolf’s growls. After several seconds of eying the group, it leaped towards them and dug its teeth into one of their legs. The rest scattered. I wanted to help, but I couldn’t. I had none of my equipment with me and I couldn’t even speak. I could only stand there and watch as it slowly ripped them apart.

 

I wanted to scream, I wanted it to stop. I couldn’t stand it and it was driving me mad. But before I completely lost it, I was finally able to hear a voice.

 

“Random…” it whispered.

 

It may have been a whisper, but I could hear it, whoever it was.

 

“Be careful, Random… Do not let your vision cloud your judgment.” The voice began to fade.

 

“Wait!” I cried out, surprised I could speak. “Who are you?”

 

“A voice protecting and watching over you.”

 

The fog then began to fade and revealed two more silhouettes, only they were clearer than the ones before them. I still couldn’t quite make out who they were, but what they said next stunned me.

 

“We love you, Random.”

 

And then I realized; it was my parents! As they spoke they began to fade into the distance, leaving me behind once more.

 

“Don’t go!” I shout once more, stretching my hand out while chasing after them. I didn’t want to be alone again.

 

And just like that, I was again alone, sitting on the floor surrounded by fog. Tears began streaming down my face as I wept. Wept to be with my parents again. Wept to have them see how much I’ve done and how much I’ve gone through. Wept for their love and warmth once more. But my voice wasn’t enough to reach them, not this time. Not ever.

 

I woke with a start. It was 6:47 am and Tipsy was by my side with band aids, gauze and hydrogen peroxide. I looked down at my hands to confirm what it was I felt on them, and I was right. My hands were bright red and white with small amounts of blood trickling down my wrist and arms before finally dripping off my elbows onto the bed. Tears also followed.

 

“Are you alright, Miss Dadalian?" Tipsy asks, concern overlaying every word.

 

I turned toward her and then looked back at my hands.

 

“It’s my parents, Tipsy… I miss them…”

 

Not knowing what to say or do, she curled up next to me and began purring, which put a smile on my face and managed to distract me, if only slightly, from the pain I was feeling; both mentally and physically.

 

Once I settled downed and after several minutes of bandaging my hands and slipping on my crimson sports gloves, the phone rings. The caller ID showed “unknown name”, but I still picked it up as it could have been important.

 

“Hello?”

 

“How are you feeling today, Random?” A not so cheery voice calls on the other end. “Because I’m feeling pretty down.”

 

It was Cocoa.

 

 “My parents are arguing again and I just can’t stand it with how bad it is right now. I’m not even at home; I’m at a payphone just outside the hot chocolate shop. I didn’t think you’d pick up, but I'm glad you did.”

 

“Unknown number or not I still answer.” In hopes of my parents one day finding me, but I kept that to myself.

 

“If you’re not busy, do you want to go to the field in the park? I want to clear my head but I don’t want to be there alone.”

 

Turning toward my project, it takes me a while before I answer. On the one hand, I want to finish what I’m working on. On the other, Cocoa was like a sister to me, and I wanted to be there for her, no matter what. Sighing off to the side then putting the phone back to my ear I tell her, “Sure, I’m not busy. I’ll see you in about 10 minutes.” And after getting dressed and slipping on some shoes, I head out the door.

 

On the way to the park, I run into Cocoa, who’s standing just behind the corner of a building. When I reach up right behind her and tap her on the shoulder, she jumps.

 

“R-Random!” she exclaims, turning around.

 

“What are you doing?” I whisper, hoping no one things we’re stalking someone.

 

Instead of verbally telling me what she’s doing, she inclines her finger to where she was standing, indicating to me that I should look around the corner.

 

Curious, I decide to take a look. What I see stuns me; it’s Mrs. Natsume speaking with that same blue haired, pink streaked women.

 

I turn back to Cocoa and she shrugs her shoulders.

 

“I don’t know how long they’ve been here, but I didn’t want to walk past them in hopes of being pulled over.”

 

Nodding, I continue to stare at them talking, even laughing.

 

“Let’s go to my place; the park can wait till later,” I mumble as I walk passed Cocoa toward home, a sullen expression on my face.

 

“Why does she keep showing up?” I blurt out in anger as the sliding door closes behind me. Tipsy is surprised to see me upset again after this morning, but refrains from calming me down after I gently kick her away.

 

Cocoa senses hostility around me but is afraid to speak up. Ever since this mysterious girl has shown up, I’ve been on edge and my nightmares have become stronger than normal. I was both terrified and angry that I didn’t know what was causing them both to happen. Does she play some role in my parent’s disappearance?

 

While I’m lost in thought, Cocoa turns the TV on and flips to the news network in an attempt to drown out the silence.

 

“Welcome to Channel 72 News, bringing you the latest news around Hitomi. Today we bring you an awe inspiring genius who specializes in electrical engineering and technical know-how. Although she wouldn’t allow us to disclose her name, we were able to get an interview with her nonetheless. Take it away, Brian.”

 

The screen flips over to a girl with blue hair and pink streaks in her hair then to a slender looking man.

 

My attention was quickly taken as I intently listened in on her interview. Cocoa nearly turned off the TV after noticing who she was, but after I shifted in my seat she kept it turned on.

 

“Hello, my name is Brian,” the slender man says. “We were able to not long ago get an interview with this young woman here who says she’s been working on a device that will allow her to create, control and manipulate the very weather around us. If you would be as so kind to explain to us exactly what it is you’re doing?”

 

The camera turns to her and I’m drawn in even more. Is she behind what’s going on?

“Of course,” she replies confidently. “Hello. I am here to tell you about a marvelous device I am working on. Through countless experiments and failed projects I’ve come up with a device that has allowed me to slowly adjust the weather around me to how I please. Although it is still in the beta stages, I plan to have it finished by the end of this year.”

 

“Will you show us an example?” the announcer asks eagerly.

 

“Of course,” she says answering confidently yet again. Her attitude showed her to be very proud of herself.

 

Stepping over to the small device, she begins to input certain button sequences into the panel along the cylindrical machine. Afterwards, three antennas spring up in an outward, triangular fashion and from a clear side panel a purple like rock begins glowing. Electricity starts to spark between the three antenna and then it all collides in the center. Then a bolt of lightning strikes an open space in the room creating a small cumulus rain cloud, possibly no larger than a pillow. And given its name, rain begins slowly pouring from the cloud.

 

“Amazing!” the announcer exclaims. “Thank you for the demonstration.”

 

“It was my pleasure.”

 

Once finished, it flips back to the news station and, after a boring announcement, to a commercial.

 

Cocoa flips the TV off at this point and turns toward me, thinking the same thoughts I am. The thoughts of anger and sadness subside as we begin talking about what was shown.

 

“She must be controlling the weather,” Cocoa speaks up, breaking the silence.

 

“Possibly,” I whisper then trail off in thought.  That small machine couldn’t be enough to subdue an entire city in such astounding display. Could she possibly have something bigger and this is a prototype? But she did say she had just finished working on this one which was still in beta, so she shouldn’t have a bigger one anywhere around. But being able to manipulate the weather…!

 

Just then a flashing memory appeared before in my mind. I remember where I've seen that stone before. I saw her carrying a stone of the same color from the junkyard, surrounded in wires. Could it be what’s being used to manipulate and control the weather? But a stone of that size could barely create a rain cloud. Either that or it wasn’t at its full potential.

 

“Could that be why she was talking to Mrs. Natsume?” Cocoa asks.

 

“It’s a possibility. She does have two masters in mechanical and technical engineering. I don’t feel like being bothered by it anymore, though. Let’s see if we can go back to the park to talk about what’s been on your mind.”

 

And so we headed off to the park. But I still couldn’t shake the idea of what we just watched and what’s happened today our one in the same.