Down End Road

It was four o’clock and I had made plans to have a sleepover at my place with the girls at nine. That had given me five hours to find out the truth about, well everything strange that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. It was borderline disorienting how many inexplicable events had occurred in the past day.

I ran fast and nimbly. I did not want to get caught. I tugged on my lettuce hem t-shirt, it was getting a little too small. As were the jeans. I felt like my body had been put in clothing that’s just that one inch smaller than your actual size, which is always annoying.

My riding boots slapped against the ground at a steady pace at first, then they quickened then they were completely erratic. That was when I looked down it wasn’t my feet but indeed something else, something coming from the dense cluster of trees.

I looked over, mesmerized by the sound. I started to change my course turning my body the slightest bit left, that’s when I remembered about the wolves that resided in the forest and my experience with the dreadful creatures.

I steered my body toward the manner again. That’s when I had a thought. End Road manor was old and tired but had always had that sense of nobility and nostalgia. The warm red brick and white stone chimneys. The wide door that was planted in the center of the building.

The door was hidden behind what looked like nine pillars that supported the white stone porch. It was by far the grandest house in all of Florida. It was like a mini-Hampton court, except it was much better kept and had no tourists which was a relief. I stopped in front of the gravel path that encircled the building and stared at the ominously loud gravel road.

I decided to rely on my ballet skills from when I was eight [yet another extra-curricular] and tiptoe across the wide path. I stood on my tip toe and stepped fearfully onto the path. It was painfully slow physically and mentally.

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief that I didn’t make too much noise and give away that I was here. However, a noisy path was the least of my problems. I needed to get inside not stay outside. I did know how to pick a lock, however, when I had interned at the locksmiths, he had told me that sometimes instead of picking a lock you broke it.

I hadn’t successfully picked a lock since I was sixteen. Two years had passed,and I was desperately out of practice. I took the paper clip out of my pocket and reached for the wrench inside my other pocket. I first put my wrench in the lock and then I slotted in my paper clip.

Listening for each click I slotted up each pin inside the lock. I heard a faint click and squealed silently in celebration. I had wondered why a locksmith would teach a sixteen-year-old child to pick a lock. It was very foolish.

I stepped cautiously inside the alarmingly silent mansion. The foyer was decorated with salmons and golds, in my mind it resembled the palace of Versailles. The foyer stretched on for what seemed like forever.

A mountainous wide staircase was in the corner of the foyer. It had a bronze tint and a black and white checked tile floor. I slowly took a step toward the royal looking staircase. However, I immediately shrank back and cringed at the thundering boom my foot made when it stepped forward on the tile floor. The foyer was annoyingly loud.

I stood frozen in place, when I had a thought. I wrestled my riding boots of my feet leaving only my socks on my feet. This way my bare feet wouldn’t slap against the tile floor. I held my boots in my hands scanning the room for a suitable hiding place for them. I saw a small grate underneath the window seat that was littered with extensively embroidered cushions.

I pried the intricate bronze grate frame open and slid my boots inside, sensitive to any noise it may carry upstairs. I screwed the grate loosely in place and began wandering through the house. I tip toeddown the left hall, drawn to the heat emanating from that direction. My eyes widened at the sight of firelight dancing along the walls.

The faint orange glow flickered and gleamed on the gold and navy-blue wallpaper. I stroked the wall lightly with my fingertips. A dark oak door stood proudly in the middle of a wide hallway.

It was open and the crackle and snap of a fire carried through the open door and into the hall. I stared, hypnotized by the carvings on the wide oak door. It was deep brown and had a tree carved into it. The gnarled roots began halfway up and it climbed up and about a half a meter later the branches started to take form and fanned out across the wood.

It was the exact same symbol on my necklace. My eyes were drawn to the seven emerald stones that encircled the tree carving. It was an exact replica of my necklace. My fingertips groped at my collar bone trying to find my missing necklace. My breathing quickned and my lungs suddenly felt heavy.

My chest heaved and my heart pounded against my chest so hard I thought it would rip a whole through me. My head felt dizzy and that was when I started to regain control. If I fell now no one would catch me and I would just land on the hard tile, most likely cracking my skull.

I started breathing slower, deliberately taking deeper breaths. I was determined to not faint before I could find out why my necklace was so important. My mind drifted to happier times instinctively.

I thought of my fifth birthday and how my parents had bought me a foal. To this very day he was still standing in his stall. He was a black Fresian stallion with a mane as white as snow. He was stubborn, regal and utterly majestic.

My parents had said that he was just like me. At first, I had been saddened at the thought of being compared to a horse. I had named the gorgeous creature Mercury because if you mixed his white main and black body it would be silver.

And just like mercury when angered or heated things always escalated. I thought back to when I had ridden him through the grassy fields at our Ranch in Michigan. The wind sailing through my hair the long grass brushing the ankles of my black leather riding boots.

The rosy pinkness of my cheeks and the tip of my nose after riding through the fields. It was almost as if I could feel the cool Michigan air slicing against my cheeks. I was snapped back to reality by the faint humming of a bee.

I had always feared the vile and vicious insects. Out of instinct I ran through the door and shut it behind me, caging myself in a seemingly safe space. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as I came to understand the enormity of my idiocy.

A juvenile fear of bees and a wanderlust to be back in Michigan had almost put my search for much needed answers in jeopardy. I slapped my soft palm against my warm forehead. I decided to not dwell on my [hopefully] one-time mistake.

I brushed my unruly strands of frizz back into place. My hair was still in the half up half down braided crown that I had worn to graduation. I lifted the hair off my neck hoping that it would cool and calm me down.

I looked around the dark and daunting room. The wallpaper was a red silk that had a shimmering sheen to it in the warm glow of the firelight. The wall on the left side of the room had a built-in fireplace that spanned at least a meter across. On either side of the fireplace were window seats embedded into the wall.

The glass panes were cut into diamond shapes and gleamed like crystals, as the sun sauntered into the room bathing the ten-foot-long sofa in a bright white light. The sofa had a wooden back that had ornate carvings of magical myths etched into the deep mahogany wood.

The couch too was red and was embroidered with a different shade of red thread. There was Persian rug on the floor that spanned across most of the room leaving the tiled edges of the Victorian style room exposed.

The tile was the same black and white checkered floor that made up hallway and staircase. There was an iron chandelier that held lit candles.

The candles flickered and flinched as the summer breeze coming from the open windows circulated through the room. It struck me as odd that they had a fire lit in the middle of a Florida summer. I decided to ignore the odd ways of the Landon’s, and continue with my search.

My eyes scanned the room and were drawn to the tapestry with the same tree as my necklace embroidered on it, that was hanging on another oak door.

I carefully stepped toward the rotting oak door, hyper-aware of the faint tap of my feet against the worn carpet. I shuddered when I came face to face with the sinister door. My spine shivered, my mind raced with the possibilities of what could be behind the door. I extended my dainty hand toward the door knob.

It was a worn brass that had a shine to it that gave the impression it was cleaned regularly. An ornate key was inserted into the equally intricate patterned key hole.

I tugged lightly on the colorful strings that were collected and tied together to make a tassel. It hung pendulously in the air. My hand lightly clenched the key and turned it.

My heart began to race and my mouth was instantly dry. My brows were dampening and my eyes widened as I opened the creaking door.

My heart stopped, the fire froze, my mouth fell open. I saw a meadow; it was perfectly still and tranquilly vibrant. The sky was a baby blue and tufts of white clouds moved placidly across the sky.

A large willow tree stood regally over a still pond that was galactic looking. It was as dark as obsidian and was dotted with white lights and streaked with white lines.

The branches of the willow reached the ground and swayed in the soft summer breeze. Blades of green grass stood tall and proud in the meadow. The base of the tree was surrounded by pink wild daisies.

The rest of the field was dotted with the pink flower as well. It was a serene scene and it hypnotized me. I impulsively reached out to touch the water like picture. I lightly tapped it and the picture rippled like a pond.

I gasped at the sight, and then it seemed like everything was set back into motion. The fire crackled loudly, and the door swung open. I twirled around and saw Maverick Landon, his face was not pale and ghostly like the night before but rather astonished and amazed. Two men came into the room behind him.

Maverick was wearing black skinny jeans with a grey t-shirt and a sleeveless zip-up jumper that came down to around his knees. His hair was shaggy and had additional volume.

His hair was short around the sides of his head but thick and fluffy on the top. His medallion hung loosely around his neck. The old man who had been called Haris the other night stood behind maverick. His eyes piercing my soul with his scrutinizing glare. He was wearing yet another argyle sweater with a bow tie and a checked collared shirt.

It was a variation of lasts nights outfit he had worn. The man with the curly salt and pepper hair came into the room and closed the door that had shown me the meadow. I had stepped away from it when Maverick had burst through the door.

The man with the curly hair, who I assumed was Maverick’s father, was wearing a white pollo shirt and dress trousers with a shining pair of brown leather Italian loafers.

My face fell when Cassandra came in. Her seemingly kind green eyes looking heavy and curious. Her blonde hair was tucked in a series of twists at the base of her head, blonde hair going grey at the roots and making her seem even more kind and lighthearted.

Her cheeks were a pale rose shade. accentuating her features even further, adding to her beauty. She was wearing a camel-colored shirt and a darker shade of camel pencil skirt.

Her shirt was loosely tucked in and all in all you had to give the woman points for style, however you had to deduct twice as many for drugging me. Her flat slippers were gorgeous and tied the whole outfit together.

I flinched feeling uncomfortable with three pairs of eyes staring at me inquisitively. “Why don’t you come with me to my office, and we shall have a chat about all of this.” I glared at Mavericks father and much to my dismay, ended up nodding timidly.

“Brilliant Cass, would you mind bringing up some refreshments and the book to the study please.” The man said in his deep baritone like voice, if I had not been so scared and fearful of him his voice might have been alluring and even comforting.

I walked with the group in my socks across the tiled floor. I shivered at the difference in temperature. My feet walked across the cool tiled floor, shivering ever so slightly. I veered to the right while the group went to the right.

I bent down and unscrewed the grate with my wrench. I reached inside and took out my riding boots. I tried to gracefully put on my riding boots, however my riding shoes had always been a struggle to put on.

So much to my apprehension, I wrestled my shoes on. I stood gracefully and tugged nervously at the cuffs of my shirt. I looked down at the grate and bent down to screw it back into place once again.

When I stood the second time Maverick's amused smile had widened into a toothy grin, it wasn’t ugly it actually suited him. Cassandra was chewing her lip to try and stop her laughter, however Harris and the man with the curly hair were just staring at me judgmentally and astonished.

“My boots were loud, and I did not want to carry them so I hid them in the vent so you wouldn’t know I am here.” I explained as plainly as I could.

Harris rolled his eyes youthfully and the curly haired man pinched the bridge of his nose. Cassandra made a noise that was between a snort and a delicate laugh. “Oh, come on Ben it was actually incredibly clever, don’t get so wound up.” Cassandra said turning slightly pink as she tried to suppress her amused laughter.

I felt slightly triumphant at learning the curly haired mans name. I knew it was a trivial and juvenile response but I let it go.I walked toward the group once again and made my way to the stairs.

I motioned for Ben to lead the way and we all started walking again. We wound our way up the checked tile stairs and veered left down a wide and spacious hallway. Our footsteps echoed through the mansion and I had the sudden overwhelming feeling that I was extremely small and out of my depth here.

My nervousness must have betrayed my calm demeanor because Maverick’s fingers brushed my knuckles in comforting and discreet way. I grabbed my had and fiddled with the charm bracelet that me and my friends had just bought.

I felt Cassandra's curious gaze settle on my hand, however as soon as she saw that I had noticed she settled her gaze on the seventeenth-century painting of a battle. We walked down to the end of the hall and turned right.

So far most of the doors had been closed and although they were intricately carved they were not as fascinating and opulent as the ball room. It had no doors, rather just a long stretched wall and cased openings. The room was decorated with a navy blue wallpaper and gold trimmings.

It was ostentatious, opulent and utterly lavish. I stopped and stared, dazed by the beauty of the interior. I had always loved the idea of seventeenth-century ball dancing and ballrooms. My favorite books were all periodical romances.

It was why the idea of attending an affluent party in a full on ball gown had appealed to me so much. My mouth gaped at the gorgeous room, I had the sudden urge to twirl around and do my tenth grade ballet recital.

However, I suppressed it and tried to remain cool, calm and seemingly collected. I felt Maverick tug my elbow and try to steer me back to the office.

We made walked to the end of the hall and Ben opened a dark mahogany door with an extremely large key that also had a tassel however it was white instead of multi-colored.

We filed into the large office and one by one took our seats. Harris took a seat in a large leather chair in the corner whilst maverick took a seat on the couch that had been wedged between to extremely tall bookcases that were also mahogany.

Tall bookcases lined the walls of the room covering most of the wall space. Meanwhile I had taken a seat opposite Ben who had sat behind his desk looking severe and rugged. My tub chair was lined with leather and was a deep mahogany.

Each room had a theme I had noticed. Ben planted his fingers sternly against the desk. My eyes wandered over to his ring that was on his index finger. It was large, but as small as it allowed, with an ornate symbol of an aloe vera plant with seven emeralds encircling it.

The ring was a polished bronze metal.He caught me blatantly starring at his ornate ring. He grabbed his finger and took it off, his wedding band clinked against his other ring as he wrestled to get the ring off.

He placed the ring in front of me on the desk and began to pace behind it. “I am not going to ask you trivial questions only to have you tediously be clueless about the answer to every single one of my questions, so I shall just get into it then.”

He pulled my necklace from his drawer and I reached to grab it, but he immediately took it away. “That trick must run in your family,” I muttered maliciously.

Maverick snickered at my snide comment. I bowed my head slightly and started nervously picking at my cuffs again. “So, your necklace is of great importance to us because of the symbol on it. It represents the order of Hamilton.

The order is one of seven which makes up the society of the civil, that door you opened is just one of seven portals that are guarded by our society. The reason why I am telling you this is because to be able to see it you have to have ancestors who were apart of the original seventy-seven.

You see the seventy-seven were all apart of different orders there are seven in total each named after their founding father. They were founded by Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, James Maddison, John Adams and George Washington.” He paused and carefully considered his next words.

“However, John Adams’ order defected in seventeen seventy six. People apart of the society are gifted because of the portals and because they passed through them. It is passed down through the generations however some bloodlines are stronger than others because they only had Children within the society and rarely if it at all mixed with ordinary humans.”

He paused again and studied my reaction to this shocking news. My jaw was completely dropped. The smell of shrimp and toasted sandwiches wafted into the room. My mouth watered and my stomach growled.

It was five thirty and I hadn’t eaten anything since around one and even then I had only had one cookie. My stomach roared again and Ben Lifted his eyebrow and cocked his head to the right. Cassandra bustled into the room with a buffet cart of food and a large brown leather-bound book.

Maverick immediately stood up and raced over to the gold cart. A plump woman in a maids uniform stood at the end of the cart. She had caramel colored skin and lines in the corner of her eyes. She looked severe and sturdy.

Maverick reached for a sandwich but the maid immediately swatted his hand away and looked over to me. “Ladies first especially if the lady is a guest, you were taught better.” She said in a thick and velvety Espanic voice.

She gestured for me to try a sandwich. I declined, feeling overly cautious of everything that I consumed in End Road manner. Maverick bowed mockingly and said in a fake thick English accent. “Thank you, milady I am forever, grateful for your decline.” Mocked Maverick.

I was not amused, and judging by the way the maid swatted the back of his head neither was she. I bit back my smile, failing to hide my cheeriness at Maverick being swatted like a child. The maid winked at me and smiled in a comforting way.

She reminded me of our family housekeeper. Maverick reached for a seafood sandwich and strawberry parfait. He put the sandwich in his mouth and took a glass of lemonade. He looked absolutely comedic with food briming out of his arms.

I quietly laughed at his piggish eating habit. This invited another loud stomach grumble from me. Harris peered over at me, and his familiar blue eyes looked at me with kindness and severity, it was as if he sympathized with my situation, but I was disturbing his peace and it was irking him.

Cassandra looked at me with her kind emerald eyes and talked to me gently. “I know that you don't trust us, but I really think that you should eat something.” She said in a gentle and maternal tone. I reacted very childishly.

“Sorry, I’m on a strict no Hallucinogenic drugs diet.” I said sarcastically, my voice dripping with bitterness. Ben looked at me disappointed, but Harris almost looked proud.

My head spun every time I tried to decipher the bitter old man’s passive aggressive yet kind and paternal ways toward me. “That was uncalled for.” Ben said coming to the aid and defence of his wife. Harris snorted in disagreement but I ignored him.

This made me furious I was ready to yell scream and burst into tears all at once. “Really, in the past twenty-four hours I have been surrounded by wolves, had my family heirloom stolen, had my grad party ruined, had my grad ceremony ruined, almost caught pneumonia, been drugged and on top of all that had to spend what is supposed to be a very nostalgic time of my life worrying and trying to decipher your families strange passive and secretive ways, and I have had to do all this on my own. So, if that was uncalled for, I don’t know what isn’t” I glowered at the couple who stood there in shock.

Harris sat serene and calm in his chair and Maverick ate his sandwich bobbing his head from side to side as if considering this statement. The maid looked at me with sympathy and I had a feeling that this was not the first time she had bared witness to an argument like this.

“Yeah, and in the midst of all that chaos and secrecy you still found your way to the truth.” Maverick said his mouth half full of food.

Ben spoke up still slightly stunned by my direct argument. “He’s right, you could be an excellent contribution to the society.” Ben said a smile playing on his full pink lips. “Have some food Myra, we promise we won’t try to hurt you again. After all it is the Societies law.” He said.

I walked over to the tray of food and wedged several sandwiches into my hands when the maid pointed to a stack of golden china plates.

I thanked her with a nod and piled my food onto the plate and sauntered over to my chair. My spirits were instantly lifted by the taste of food.

“So in continuation of our story, Each order has a different role. We will discuss those roles later however for now I shall tell you your abilities. We as a people have always had enhanced speed and strength as well as an enhanced brain function and life span. Most of us live to one hundred and fifty years some a little longer, others a lot less.”

He paused and checked my face for any signs of distress. “So far you have demonstrated enhanced brain function more than enhanced speed or strength.” He said nervously.

“The original seventy-seven were all apart of different orders like I said, and the seven portals the seven orders guard, where discovered by the seven founding fathers. The one you opened today is called midnight lake.

There are six others but when the order Adam defected, they took the key with them and since the portals are guarded by Rowan wood, we can’t open the portal. To this day the key is missing. Anyway, this book is the history of the society.

We have it because this was Alexander Hamiltons secret house, this is the official meeting place for the order of Hamilton.That’s why it so big we host every single event.

Founding anniversary, the festival of knowledge not to mention general American Holidays. Actually, in three month’s time is the ball of choosing. It’s where all the students of the order are inducted into the society and choose which order they want to be in.

However, legacies like Harris here are not allowed to choose. A legacy is a descendant of one of the founding fathers. Harris is a direct descendant of Alexander Hamilton, so he gets to live in the orders official meeting place.” Ben was giddy and excited, his eyes darted from object to object explaining there historical importance.

His office grew colder and daunting all of a sudden. I was suddenly extremely careful what I touched, it was like I was in a museum. Cassandra mercifully cut in, “Dear, don’t overwhelm the poor girl why don’t you get back to the story, or see if she has any questions.” She said in her quiet and lady like voice.

My mind whirred with questions, but I decided to go with three important ones instead. “Which house was I born into”? I asked timidly. Ben was ecstatic his eyes danced with happiness. “You Myra Remington were born into...” he paused and scanned the book pages running his finger up and down the page.

A faint wheezing sound came from the corner where Harris was sitting his leathery old face turning pink. The wheezing turned into coughing which turned into a coughing fit.

Ben reached into his drawer and took out a needle filled with glowing green goop that resembled mushed up seaweed more than any modern medicines. My shocked and bewildered face made Ben pause and explain his actions before he stabbed the needle into the old man’s arm. “It’s Medela and aloe vera. Heals people and gives immune systems a boost.” He explained calmly.

Cassandra looked at me worriedly, my face still pale and aghast. She walked over to the desk and picked up the huge leather-bound manuscript. The crumbling brown glue fell silently onto the mahogany desk.

She ran her fingers across the page flicking through the chapters, when her eyes widened. She looked over to Harris who was now drowsy and semi-delirious. His head rolled on his shoulders, it almost looked like he was saying no to something, but I decided to let it go.

Cassandra pursed her lips and resumed her study of the book. “Aha here,” she said triumphant and jubilant “here it is, Medela found in midnight meadow, is a strong healing gel or vaccine [when mixed with other plants such as thistlemore and levitican]” she chorused.

Ben cast a worried glance in Cassandra’s direction. She tilted her head sympathetically and made a silent agreement with her husband. “Maverick you stay with Myra and me and your mother will take Harris to his room.” Ben slung Harris’ arm over his shoulder and picked up the old man supporting most of his weight, Cassandra went over and took the other arm and together they left.

They turned back and looked at Maverick with paternal worry and pride. “Ugh, promise to be good Ben. Now you and mom take care of Harris.” He said, sounding immature but adult at the same time.

This family had turned my world upside down, twirled my brain into an endless loop of questions all the while remaining calm cool and brilliantly dressed.

It astounded me that I had anything in common with these people let alone was in the same society with them. I ran Ben’s explanation through my head repeatedly.

In the back of my mind the big question was tugging at my steady train of thought. Why should I trust them? My thought flow was interrupted by an overly dramatic throat clearing that came from the left side of the room in between two tall mahogany bookcases that towered majestically to the ceiling.

I twisted my body so that I was facing Maverick, who was smiling contently. I stared into his bright green eyes. My gaze steadfast. I blinked and was taken out of the trance that was Maverick Landons brilliantly vibrant emerald eyes.

I walked over to the cart of gourmet food and got another glass of ice-cold Lemonade. Maverick walked over to the opposite side of the cart and reached for yet another seafood sandwich. Our fingertips brushed against each other ever so slightly and I shivered from head to toe.

His hand lingered in the air for what seemed like forever and seconds at the same time. His hand retreated and he held it like he had been wounded. He took the sandwich and retreated to his secluded corner and I to my chair.

The silence between us grew heavy and awkward, which made everything seem unnecessarily complicated. Finally, I broke the silence with a question. “What’s so special about the ball of choosing” I asked, straightening up and lengthening my spine.

I sipped at my lemonade and gazed at Maverick inquisitively. He bobbed his head from side to side swallowing his last bite of food. He piped up and answered, “Well, anyone born into the society will always go through a process of training only it takes place for three months in the summer like a summer camp. Come to think of it, next week the students of the order of Hamilton are coming to train here next week.” He said, his voice chipper and excited.

His face was astute, and his eyes squinted. He raced out of the room, on the verge of skipping down the hallway. I followed him slowly, deliberately leaving a considerable amount of distance between us.

He rounded the corner and went into a room leaving the door ajar. I heard a raspy noise and a muffled argument from Maverick. His parents’ voices were calm and deep in thought. The door moved slightly, and I sprinted down back into the office, my curiosity peeked.

The ecstatic and joyous trio glided down the extensively long hall and stepped into the office closing the tall and wide door shut behind them. I stood up slowly trying to look as clueless and innocent as possible. “We had a thought, as you know you were born apart of the society and are therefore entitled to become a fully-fledged member of an order.” Cassandra paused and bit her lip trying to bite back her squeal.

“What if you came and stayed here with us and studied as a student.” Cassandra shifted her feet from side-to-side nervously. I fell back into my seat, stunned.

My brows lifted and my mouth fell open. I considered the information I had just been given, maybe I would finally do something more with my life, maybe I could find out about my family.

Past my parents I didn’t know much about my ancestors. My parents had always said that their parents were a part of the past and that the only way to move forward is without looking back. “Um... I’ll have to think about it.” My confused gaze settled on the grand clock that was in the corner of the room.

It chimed marking that it was eight o’clock. I panicked and shot out of my seat. “Uh... I got to go, um... I’ll be back tomorrow.” I stuttered.

Thoughts started flying through my mind. What would I tell my parents? What would I tell my friends? Can I trust them? What just happened? I am special! The world is on fire!

My mind was slowly plunging into a whirlwind of thoughts. I rushed out of the office, grabbing my medallion and placing the chain over my head. I ran down the hall and rushed down the stairs, almost falling several times.

Maverick caught up with me just as I was leaving, he offered to take me home, but I declined I did not want anyone to grow suspicious. I ran home in the evening heat of Florida. It was calming, familiar, normal.

I had no idea what to do. Pieces of my childhood clicked together. The exceptional number of cars at the beginning of every summer. My mystery grandparents, there nonsensical story seemed possible maybe even true. I ran past St John Street, then Leigh Road and before I knew it my chest was heaving, and my breath was heavy.

Then I realised I wasn’t tired, I stopped huffing and puffing, and my limbs stopped their false aching and I felt fine. I started to do high knees and found that the usual burning pain that was supposed to be there wasn’t.

It was like my brain had thought that I was tired but in actual fact, I wasn’t, but my brain wouldn’t except that, so it made me think I was. It just proved the mind over matter theory more and more plausible. I started pacing in a circle and interlaced my fingers behind my head. That was it I would heavily hint this to my parents and hope for a truthful answer tonight.