The Light of Oriah : Burning Jungle - Part One Read Online Free PDF Page B

secured an internet
connection out there in the middle of nowhere. To be honest, I was
always much more interested in reading real books, rather than
staring at a screen, it always felt so sterile, so ironically
disconnected, whereas I could lose myself in a book to the extent
that it would become a part of me. It felt healthier, in my mind.
Despite my preferences, I had still learned the ins and outs of
computer maintenance and IT, and had from time to time browsed the
internet to research certain subjects.
    Out of sight of my parents watchful eyes, I had once used my
time online to search for others of my kind. Curiosity was what had
sparked my interest, I supposed, although now I wondered if there
had been more to it than that. My search had been quick, yet
thorough and the results conclusive. I had found nothing. Not a
single lead or believable account of the existence of others of my
kind. I had felt guilty after that, vowing to take my mothers word
for the truth in the futur e. She wouldn't
lie to me, my search had proved that much. Remembering that day
now, I batted away the feeling of doubt that arose within me,
questioning if my mother had known the truth, or if she had in fact
intentionally lied to me.
    Deciding to ignore the computer, I grabbed my
coat, making up my mind to make a visit to the town's tiny library,
since I had never made it that far after the unexpected sequence of
events that had occurred the previous day. Pleased to have a plan
and something to focus on, I rushed out the door, leaving Ivy a
quick note so that she wouldn't worry unnecessarily again. The air
was cool and crisp, the smell of wood-smoke rising up from the
neighbours chimney. It was one of my favourite smells, and I walked
slowly, savouring it and the good memories it conjured
up.
    As I tilted my face up to taste the air, I caught something
else, an unmistakable scent, one that made my heart thud and my
mouth water with its fresh, clean aroma, like apples, water, yet
not quite the same somehow. It was so familiar, yet I just couldn't
pinpoint it. The scent was Sebastian's without a shadow of a doubt.
I would have known it anywhere. Discreetly, I scanned the area
around me, sensing how close he was, yet not catching a glimpse of
him. I could only assume he was following me, and my mood took a
swift dive, the anger, still so close to the surface, began to
bubble like hot lava once again. I was not in the mood for his
games.
    I would not give him the satisfaction of drawing me in again,
I would not even acknowledge his presence, though he must have
known I could feel him there. I sped up, careful not to go too fast
out here in the open, not wanting to frighten the humans. I'd
decided to walk today rather than have to put up with the awfulness
of the bus journey again, and I made it there in under ten minutes,
with my eyes focused straight ahead, though my unhindered
peripheral vision enabled me to keep tabs on my surroundings. I
scalded myself for making the journey so quickly – I must try to be
more careful or people will notice! I never caught so much as a
glimpse of him, but I could tell that he was keeping pace about
thirty feet behind me, off to the left. I wondered why he didn’t
show himself, force me to talk to him, but then maybe this was all
part of his sick game. Would he follow me into the library? Surely
he wouldn’t start a fight in there, with so many
witnesses?
    I was annoying myself with all this useless speculation, I
would deal with him if and when I had to, I decided. For now, I was
going to get back to what I had set out to do. The door opened
automatically for me and I walked inside the warm building. I
wasn’t exactly sure of what I was looking for but I decided to
start with the stack of newspapers on the central table. Perhaps I
could decipher something from some of the articles that would lead
me in the right direction. I sat down, smiling tightly at an old
man who was reading nearby. He looked stunned and