Cloud Riders(53)

She slipped her hand onto his outstretched arm and Kayden winked good-naturedly at his woman as Woody dragged her out. ‘I promise to have her back in a couple of hours,’ he said, yelling over his shoulder while opening the car door for Cassie to get in. Within minutes they were thrashing through the bush on a red-dirt track, dust blowing around them in a cloud. They drove up onto one of the hills before they stopped for a look. Cassie followed Woody to a spot where the view was spectacular. They sat on an old tree stump overlooking flat land that went for miles. The red earth was habitat to snakes, scorpions and many other smaller insects and bugs that she watched scatter, not only to hide from the sound of their voices but to protect themselves from the scorching sun. Some small lizards ran under grey and black boulders that were shaded by green ferns that gracefully sprouted from black stumps. Large ant mounds stood meters high, dominant over shrubs and bushes. Dried twigs from trees that had weathered too many storms were strewn around, adding to the amazing sight of this outback land now called home. The old tree they sat under had branches that stretched out far beyond them, showing the years it had graced the earth. Everything here was fascinating to her.

Woody gave her a minute to relax and enjoy Mother Nature’s vast landscape. Then he turned to her with a slight hint of apology in his eyes for having to disturb her peace. She could tell he was reading her every emotion. ‘For me to get to the bottom of this, Cassie I need to know a bit about your power. What age did you notice it and what did your parents do to stop you using it? You can skip over bits you prefer not to relive although all of it will be relevant. Are you okay to talk to me about it?’

‘I would prefer never to have to discuss my parents for the rest of time. However, if this is the only way I’m going to learn to use my powers on my own so I can take Starburst on the next trip, I’ll try to recall a little of it for you.’ She coughed and fidgeted. ‘The first experience that comes to mind was at the age of six. I was in the garden playing when a man, one of Dad’s friends, came and picked me up and sat me on his lap. He touched me in a weird way that confused me at first and then scared me. His hands were scratchy as he held me far too tightly and I started to cry and threw up my hand to stop him. Next thing I know, I’m flat on my backside. I’d thrown him across the lawn and broken his arm. I was terrified that I had hurt the man and Dad gave me a hell of a spanking, even though I tried to tell him what happened.’ Cassie took a deep breath as she shuddered and shook the thought from her mind. She grabbed a stick from the ground and dug into the red dirt, making patterns as she recalled the next time she upset her parents. There were too many times.

‘After that, the magic just seemed to happen whenever I put my mind to it. I knew it was bad to use it, but I was just a kid and spent far too much time on my own. My parents freaked out if they caught me so that’s when I started to use them secretly. Mainly just to move things around my room—you know, just playing—except I was caught often and was severely punished time. At ten years old I was sick of being locked up with no outdoor activities: Not even allowed to go swimming in our pool. That’s when the shit hit the fan, so to speak. Frustrated and angry I eventually broke the lock on the door, going out into the garden where I played. The trouble over that little slip was not worth it as they barred me from roaming the house, ever, even when no one was around. That was when it really was hard to handle. It’s just when you get older you understand more and it’s hard to deal with the fact your parents don’t want you around them at all.’

‘So what actual age did you stop using your powers? Was it around ten years old?’

‘Yes, pretty much. I’d stopped using my powers altogether by eleven, thinking they might even trust me again one day but they never did. Then it all went pear-shaped and I ended up here. I’d been locked up for so many years by the time they tossed me out that I had even lost the sensation of how grass felt beneath my feet.’

‘Pear-shaped, what do you mean?’

Cassie threw away the stick she’d been playing with and sighed. ‘Mum and Dad went away on business and while they were gone the nanny threw a pool party. She said to stay in my room or she’d tell my folks that I organised it. She was very kind to me but she did have a mean side so I did as instructed. The music was loud so I only glanced out my window for a minute to see what a party looked like and a boy saw me and waved. I ducked away from the window but he must have been inquisitive and came and found me. The stupid nanny left the door unlocked and he barged in. With beer on his breath, he made a grab for me, wanting a kiss. As he forced himself on me he said I wouldn’t have been spying on him if I did not want some of him. I had no experience with boys and tried to explain that I was just looking, but not at anything in particular. He said, “bullshit”, got angry and came at me again but before he even reached me, I had smashed him through the bedroom door. The nanny heard the crash and the boy was taken to hospital suffering a concussion and whiplash. He had to wear a neck brace.’