#hail?

I heard from the tenant in my beach house last week. He reported that the siding on his house was coming off. Oh wow, just what I needed to hear when I’ve recently been unemployed and hemorrhaging cash like it’ll never run out (insurance on 2 places, credit cards from last vacation and estimated 2015 income taxes!).

Since I was home (looking for a new job), I went down there to take a look and…

Gently pressing her hands forward, the large polished front doors of her home swung soundlessly open and the cool night breeze washed over her. Silently she crept from her home, leaving no trace of where she went, and made it out past the edge of the city, wandering into the dark forest. Pitch black, the light of the moon was the only thing illuminating the starless night. As the trees got thicker, her path became less and less visible until she could barely see her own hands in front of her.

"Silma." she whispered. Nothing happened. "Silma." she said, louder this time and with increased enunciation. Outwards from herself, small lights flew, until all the open space around her was light up like the night sky. In the dark forest with only the unnatural starlight to guide her, she felt like she was flying in the night's sky rather than just taking a walk at midnight.

Only thirteen, Calliope was not supposed to be out at night alone. There were so many things that could kill her and she had yet to lead a hunt or even go on one alone in order to prove that she could defend herself. She didn't care though. The first time she left in the middle of the night she was scared, but she had done it so many times now that nothing about the forest at night scared her anymore. She knew that if she went too far something would most likely attack her, but she never ventured too far from the city so it was usually pretty safe.

There were two reasons she would sneak out at night, either to take a midnight stroll by herself or to meet up with Elwynn. Tonight she was just out by herself, but if the past was any indication, then there was a good chance that Elwynn might join her. She wasn't sure how, but for some reason he always knew what nights she left the house, even when they didn't plan to meet up. Or maybe he would leave often too, and they just happened to both sneak out on the same nights, Calliope wasn't sure.