Chapter 3
It didn't work. The wind blew harder than ever before that night. It was as though every leaf in the trees along the river had decided to take up residence in that particular corner. The water splashed against the shore and I shivered violently despite being wrapped in my blankets. I looked at my grandfather next to me, hoping I could read something in his expression, but there wasn't even a hint of recognition. It made sense, of course, that he hadn't noticed the change. He had always been busy designing gadgets, and it was just another thing he'd been working on in secret. Still, it had bothered me, like the sudden appearance of rain or fog in the middle of July. I wanted him to say something. I wanted him to smile. I wished there was some way for us to talk – even if it was only in our minds - to understand each other.
My father was the next person I saw. He was standing in front of the window, staring outside. He turned around when he heard me approaching. 'Hey,' he said. 'How are you doing?' I shrugged. 'Not good,' I admitted. 'The wind is really strong tonight.' 'Yeah,'