Calvin glanced over his shoulder. No one. He smiled and turned back to the path. The sun cast long, distorted shadows from the trees onto the lawn. He pulled his backpack higher and picked up his pace.
The stone trail wove neatly from the River Gate to the Horned Serpent’s River itself, but Calvin wasn’t going there. An almost unnoticeable branch off the path led him in almost the opposite direction most would follow.
But then, that’s what Calvin did quite well. His way of doing things was very different from the normal Wampus “direct and strong” approach to things. In fact, he usually preferred counterintuitive and roundabout solutions to almost anything. He skirted around problems rather than facing them head-on, looking at them from different angles and trying everything besides what he knew would work. Yes, this ostracized him from his own Housemates, but there were plenty of other peers willing to take him in.
Before he knew it, Calvin had arrived at his destination. He vaulted deftly over a fallen log and stepped up to the rocky bank. The sun had been behind the trees for a while now, which meant that dusk was not far away.
Calvin tore off his shoes and socks, setting them on the shore next to his backpack. Wading into the rushing stream, he enjoyed the cool water on his bare feet and legs. He walked to the middle of the stream and sat down, allowing the water to soak his clothes and hair. He closed his mouth and leaned back into the water. The sounds of the river, though softer, were far more interesting while actually inside of it.
Calvin resurfaced and stood, watching the stream around him. Just then, a flash of white surrounded him. As the sun set, the stream began to glow. It looked as though the water was luminescent - with every passing minute, the blue-teal colors became more and more vibrant, contrasting violently with the darkening woods around it. Even the white rapids gave off a bright, shimmering gleam.
Calvin whipped around and slipped on a loose stone. He lost his balance and fell hard into the water. He stood, coughing and wiping water out of his eyes as he tried to see who was there.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!” A girl stood on the bank. Calvin blinked the last of the water from his eyes and stepped toward her.
“It’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.”
The girl raised a sharp eyebrow. “You didn’t look like you wanted to be followed.” The edge of her mouth raised in a smirk. “So I had to follow you. Here, let me help.”
The girl pulled her wand from her back pocket and approached Calvin, who was now ashore. She whipped it quickly and Calvin’s clothes dried instantly.
Then she looked back to the stream. “It’s beautiful. How does it glow?”
Calvin studied the girl as he pulled his socks back on. Her dark hair was falling loosely around the shoulders of her leather jacket. Her sharp gray eyes studied the stream with an intense curiosity that was easily warranted by the discovery of this stream.
“I don’t know,” Calvin answered. “I haven’t asked anyone.”
“I doubt anyone else knows about this. How’d you find it?”
“I don’t know. I was just exploring one day and I left the path, which I know we’re not supposed to do but I-”
“Are you kidding me?” Her focus had finally turned back to Calvin. “You think you’re the only one who’s left the path?” She scoffed. Then her attention returned to the stream. “But is it like, bioluminescent algae?”
Calvin pulled his laces tight. “I don’t know. What’s your name?”
“Olivia. But how could you not know? Haven’t you tried to find out?”
“Not really,” Calvin said. “I just took it as a blessing and tried not to ruin it.” He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “It’s almost completely dark. We need to go.”
“Wha- no! Not yet.” Olivia said quickly.
“We can’t stay out here during the night without a Torch.”
“I have to get some of this water to take back with me,” Olivia demanded.
Calvin grimaced. “No you don’t. No one else is allowed to know about this.”
“No one will.” Olivia’s wand was drawn and she was now attempting to levitate a ball of water in the air. “I won’t tell a soul.”
Calvin tore his own wand from his bag. Just as the ball of water reached Olivia hand, it fell to the ground and splashed everywhere. Olivia glared indignantly at Calvin. “What are you doing?”
“I said no one else is going to know about this. If anyone sees glowing water, won’t that be suspicious?”
“I’ll tell them it’s a new spell I’m working on! They won’t know the difference!”
“Because,” Calvin stated shortly, trying to think of a better reason.
Olivia scoffed again and levitated another orb of water into the air.
“Because it’s my stream!” Calvin snapped. “Not yours!”
The water splashed to the ground again, this time without Calvin’s help. “Excuse me?” Olivia said indignantly. “This is not your stream. No one owns it except the school. And you can’t stop me from studying it.”
“You didn’t find it. I did.”
“Because you followed me. That’s messed up.”
Whatever it wasn’t, Olivia never got to know. Suddenly, a twig behind them snapped. Both froze with their blood and didn’t dare to breathe. There was someone or something watching them from the forest.
