《Guardians》


 ? Chapter 1.1 ?

    Emily


    ¡°Come on Emily, you¡¯ve gotta wake up. You have to be at school in thirty minutes!¡±


    I could faintly hear my mom¡¯s voice from the other room over the sound of my alarm. My eyes felt puffy and tired and all I really wanted to do was stay under the warm covers and drift back to sleep. But I knew I couldn¡¯t do that. So, reluctantly, I started to get out of bed.


    The morning sun filtering through my window made me squint as my eyes slowly adjusted to the increase in light. While trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes, I groggily reached over to my nightstand and turned off my alarm. I didn¡¯t want to go to school but I knew I had to. So after getting out of bed I walked over to my closet and picked out clothes for the day: navy jeans, a pale blue t-shirt and my usual black leather jacket which was worn after so much use. I quickly slipped the clothes on and then darted down the hall to the bathroom.


    The reflection that greeted me in the mirror showed my violet-dyed hair in a rat¡¯s nest, sticking out in many odd directions. I was unlucky when it came to having cooperative hair in the morning so it took me a solid eight minutes of tugging at knots that had formed in my sleep in order to fix it. After my hair was tamed and my makeup was done, I rushed down the stairs.


    Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, my mom¡ªwho was in the kitchen¡ªsaw me and announced, ¡°I made you breakfast. It¡¯s right there on the counter,¡± while pointing at the end of the kitchen island. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m not able to make you lunch today, I¡¯m almost late for work. Here¡¯s some money for lunch at school¡± she said, handing me two, neatly folded ten dollar bills.


    ¡°S¡¯okay mom. Thanks for breakfast¡± I replied, picking up the toasted bagel with cream cheese and then making my way to the front door. As I got to the door I stopped and turned back to my mom, ¡°Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I¡¯ll be home a bit later today since I have an important club meeting¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay, what time do you think you¡¯ll be home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure but it¡¯ll probably be sometime around 5:00 or 5:30pm I think¡±


    ¡°Alright, sounds good honey.¡± And then glancing at her watch, she said, ¡°Oh gosh, you really have to get going or you¡¯ll be late¡± and ushered me towards the door.


    Picking up my school bag in the foyer I said ¡°Alright, bye mom.¡± and stepped outside.


    ¡°Bye sweetie, I¡¯ll see you later tonight!¡±


    ¡°Yup¡±


    ¡­


    The walk from my house to my school was a relatively short stroll through the neighborhood. Today the weather outside was cold and cloudy, but it didn¡¯t particularly feel like it was going to rain. There was a chilly breeze in the air that made me regret not bringing another jacket.


    Apartments lined the streets of my neighborhood. Most were small two-story complexes that had textured beige, white, or yellow walls with red tiled roofs. Many were also adorned with arch-shaped windows and modern style columns that added to the overall neo-mediterranean style of the buildings.


    Sidewalks were lined with numerous species of trees and plants. Bright orange poppies stubbornly grew in every garden they could find and eucalyptus and oak trees cast assuming shadows over the sidewalk. I loved the sound the wind made in the trees and turned an ear to listen.


    As I was stepping over a section of the sidewalk that had been pushed up by tree roots, I heard the snap of a twig behind me. Turning around I glanced warily for what could have made the noise but nothing was there. In fact, I didn¡¯t see a single soul on the entire street.


    Looking back at the snapped branch on the ground, I felt a bit uneasy. Unable to find any other answer, I convinced myself that I must have been mistaken. The twig was probably already broken like that, I told myself, I must have misheard. However even after turning back around and continuing my walk to school, an unsettling feeling still stuck with me.


    ¡­This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    It took me about ten minutes to get to school after leaving the house. Upon arriving at school, I was greeted by the familiar sight of the tall three-story school building, its facade painted with cream and deep red in blocky shapes giving it a contemporary look. A wide concrete pathway, lined on either side with patches of grass and small oak trees, ran up to the entrance of the structure.


    I was arriving later than usual, so there were already many people roaming around outside the front doors. After weaving my way through the crowd, I reached the entrance of the school and walked inside.


    The radiant red and cream-colored combination of colors seen on the facade outside continued in the halls on the inside. There were only small crowds of people in the halls at this time which was good; I wanted to get to my classroom before it got too crowded. I quickly put a few of my books in my locker and walked off to class.


    My history classroom was fairly small but was still able to accommodate about twenty-five students. After passing through the doorway, I walked to my desk in the back corner of the classroom opposite the door. Dropping my bag on the empty desk next to my desk, I settled into my seat. I enjoyed this seat because it allowed me to sit in the corner and go relatively unnoticed by the rest of the class. I was not looking forward to when we would have to change seats again.


    The teacher was out of the room at the moment so I pulled out my laptop and notebook, intending to make some progress on some of my work that had piled up.


    Just as I¡¯d written the first word of my notes for science, I heard a shout from across the room:


    ¡°Hey look guys, it¡¯s the purple-eyed freak!¡±


    I looked up quickly and upon seeing the person who threw the insult, I immediately felt a twinge of annoyance. It was Victoria.


    I had known Victoria since elementary school. Everyone had always given her so much attention that the adoration and admiration of others seemed to have become uninteresting to her. Unfortunately for me, Victoria discovered that the fix for her boredom was messing with other people and that I was the perfect target because Victoria knew something that I couldn¡¯t let anyone else find out. If people found out, they¡¯d think I was a monster.


    Flicking a lock of her straight, molasses colored hair over her shoulder, Victoria sauntered over to my desk and said ¡°Are you seriously working on schoolwork right now? What a nerd! Class hasn¡¯t even started yet.¡±


    I tried to ignore her and continue with my notes, but this just prompted Victoria to grab my notebook off my desk. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, and let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do for you Victoria?¡± I retorted, now very annoyed and barely trying to hide my passive aggressive tone.


    ¡°Yeah, you can give me your report for English. It was too annoying to actually write it but my parents won¡¯t get me a car for my birthday if my grades get any worse so just hand it over.¡± Victoria said while reaching for my bag on the desk.


    I had no patience for Victoria¡¯s antics today. Feeling a ball of stress starting to form in my chest, I sighed again and said impulsively in a sharp tone, ¡°Write your own report, it¡¯s not that hard.¡±


    Victoria looked slightly taken aback but then she schooled her expression, a vile smirk sliding onto her face.


    ¡°Why would I do that? It¡¯s so much easier to just take yours.¡± she said, laughing and continuing to reach for my bag on the desk. Again without thinking, I grabbed my bag off the table before Victoria could reach it and dropped it on the floor behind my desk.


    Victoria again seemed shocked by my irascibility. Then she began to laugh a little, ¡°Oho, feeling brave today huh?¡± Victoria took a step closer to the desk, taking on an air of intimidation that made me regret not complying. My jaw tensed and a knot wrenched in my stomach as I realized what was coming next.


    ¡°Look, Emily, honey,¡± she said with a sickly sweet tone, ¡°you already know how this goes if you don¡¯t give me what I want. Hand over the report or I tell everyone about what happened seven years ago, about what you did seven years ago.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t argue. I really wanted to but Victoria knew about my biggest regret.


    Having my past used against me was infuriating, but I couldn¡¯t do anything. I couldn¡¯t risk Victoria telling people about it so through clenched teeth I responded quietly, ¡°fine.¡±


    I got out my report and handed it to Victoria.


    ¡°Thanks freak, I better get an A.¡± she said, finally returning my notebook and then starting towards the door, the rest of her posse snickering and following loyally behind her.


    After they had left, I put my head down on my desk in frustration and thought to myself, Seriously? She went that far just for an English paper? She¡¯s horrible.


    Lifting my head, I put my hands on my face, covering my eyes. The day was only just beginning but I already felt like I wanted to cry.


    ? 1.1 ?


    1629 words

 ? Chapter 1.2 ?

    Emily


    ¡°You should just tell the teacher!¡±


    My friend Maya was lecturing me again. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to give her your work. It¡¯s just not fair!¡±


    Maya was always very protective of me and was always telling me to stand up for myself.


    ¡°Well my life¡¯s not fair. And I can¡¯t tell anyone, it would just make my life even worse,¡± I said dejectedly while I finished the last few lines in my sketch.


    I¡¯d only known Maya since the beginning of our freshman year of high school, but we had become pretty close the past three years. Even so, she didn¡¯t know the reason I didn¡¯t stand up to the bullying and I could never let her find out. I didn¡¯t want her to look at me like I was a monster since she¡¯s the only person I can really call a friend.


    Maya sighed sadly. ¡°I just wish you didn¡¯t have to deal with this stuff is all.¡±


    I chuckled halfheartedly. ¡°You and me both.¡±


    We sat in silence for a few moments, working on our art.


    Then Maya said, ¡°Hey, have you started thinking about what colleges you¡¯re gonna apply to next year?¡±


    I was grateful for the change in topic. I sat up straighter in my seat. ¡°I¡¯ve thought of a few, but honestly I¡¯m probably aiming too high.¡± I said a bit bashfully.


    ¡°Are you kidding? You¡¯re super smart. I¡¯m telling you, you can get into any college you want,¡± she responded enthusiastically. Then she went on a rant, listing out all the reasons a fancy college would be lucky to have me, saying that I shouldn¡¯t sell myself short. I was grateful for her constant faith in me.


    We lost track of time, laughing and talking and then the club president announced the end of the club meeting. Maya and I packed up our things and left the classroom to walk towards the school¡¯s main entrance.


    When we got to the front of the school we said goodbye.


    ¡°See you tomorrow, Em,¡± Maya said, waving as she walked away.


    ¡°Yeah, see you,¡± I responded, giving a quick wave goodbye. I turned away before she got to the far corner of the block, and then I started to walk back home. The sun was still pretty high in the sky as I walked through my neighborhood. It would start setting later and later as the season changed to summer.


    ¡­


    The walk was peaceful until I turned the corner of a block and heard what could only be described as a hissing noise from somewhere close by. It was a horrible scratching sound, and it seemed as though it was coming from behind me. I turned to look, but nothing was there.


    I started to get nervous. Is it someone''s pet? I wondered. Then, suddenly the sound vanished as quickly as it had come.


    I stood there in silence. Even the rustle of the leaves had gone quiet.


    My unease growing, I continued my walk home but now with a quicker pace. I sped up so much that I was practically running.


    Then, as I passed a gap in between two buildings, I felt something grab my arm and roughly pull me off the sidewalk. One moment I was looking at the sidewalk in front of me and then the view blurred as I was swiftly yanked into a dark alleyway.


    Instinctively, I started kicking and flailing my arms. My right foot made contact with the assailant with a loud thump and a squelch followed by tremors of pain that shot through my leg. The person released me and I fell to the ground, the rough surface scraping the skin off my elbows. I felt blood start to flow out of the cuts, but I ignored it and instead quickly started to pick myself up, adrenaline running like lightning through my veins.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    When my eyes finally adjusted to the dark alley, with help from a dim lamp on one of the brick walls, I looked around frantically for whoever attacked me. Then I saw the person¡­ but it wasn''t a person. My breath caught in my throat. My eyes went wide as I tried to comprehend what I was looking at.


    The thing that had grabbed me had the shape of a human body but that¡¯s where its human-like characteristics ended. Its skin was pale and gray and appeared to be scaly in places like its shoulders and cheekbones. Thin black horns extended from atop an unruly mop of raven hair. It had large, black, webbed wings with dark veins running through the semi-translucent skin protruding from its back. Razor sharp spines that could shred me to pieces poked out in lines down its arms and legs. A truly terrifying sight to behold.


    The thing was hissing and flailing on the ground, grabbing at a gaping wound in its stomach. I stared at the creature on the ground. I didn¡¯t know how it had gotten hurt, but I was too terrified to dwell on it. I was paralyzed by fear, unable to do anything except watch as the monster writhed in pain.


    Then the creature stopped flailing as much. It started to pick itself up and I could see its injury healing at an impossible rate until it was just a small circular mark in the center of its abdomen. It stood tall and glared in my direction and its blood-red eyes seemed to burn a hole straight through me. The monster slowly started to shuffle forward in my direction.


    Seeing the creature lumbering towards me jolted me into action, fear temporarily overtaken by survival instincts. I tried to get up, but I felt shooting pains in my right leg. I winced and fell right back down again. ¡°Fuck, why can¡¯t I stand?¡± I said, my voice shaky and terrified.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do, the monster was getting closer. Although, it seemed to be moving slowly, like it was being hindered by something. That didn¡¯t help me though. It didn¡¯t matter if it wasn¡¯t moving as fast as before, if I couldn¡¯t find a way to be able to stand up and get away, I was screwed. I could see it in the eyes of the terrifying being making its way towards me: if I got caught, I would die.


    Breathing hard, I desperately tried to crawl away back to the sidewalk. The gravel on the ground pushed into my palms painfully as I tried to drag myself to safety. The pain in my leg was still excruciating even just dragging myself on the ground.


    My mind was racing. What should I do? What should I do? How do I get away? I don¡¯t want to die! My heartbeat kept getting faster and faster, and I started to feel a warm feeling in my chest, slowly intensifying until it felt like a small fire raging inside me. Then the fire spread to my left arm, continuing to increase in heat. It began to feel like there was fire in my veins, burning me from the inside out.


    I clutched my left arm to my chest. It hurt too much to move. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± I gasped, my voice tight.


    Suddenly, I heard the creature growl and I looked up, spots appearing in my vision. It seemed to be able to move more quickly now. It started to take a step towards me, but then it stopped and got on all fours. Its legs tensed up and a feeling of horror shot through me. In one big leap, it lunged and closed the gap between us in a matter of seconds. I put my arms out in front of me, desperately trying to shield myself.


    Then, a white-hot blue light shot forth from my left palm and forearm. It felt like my arm exploded. Blue flames engulfed the monster and sent it flying, hitting the wall in the back of the alley with a loud SMACK. The monster¡¯s charred body crumpled to the ground.


    I stared at the creature¡¯s body in the back of the alley, but I couldn¡¯t really see it. My vision was abandoning me as I barely remained conscious due to the ridiculous amount of pain in my arm. The blue fire that seemed to come from within me hadn¡¯t stopped. It began to spread around me and grow larger, a swirling blue firestorm filling the alley. My body buckled, my cells themselves feeling ready to combust. I bent down, my forehead pressing on the ground and letting out a scream that I could barely hear over the ringing in my ears and the fire raging around me. Please! Please make this stop! I pleaded as tears filled my eyes and then immediately evaporated in the heat. My vision was nearly completely clouded and I could feel I was about to pass out.


    Then I heard faint distorted voices shouting above the noise of the firestorm. They were quiet and I couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying, but then one of them cut through the sound of the chaos, ¡°MANA FREEZE!¡±


    My vision blurred as I lost consciousness. Before I blacked out completely, I could see the violent blue flames receding as I felt a cool, calming feeling wash over me. The burning in my arm began to subside, giving way to the feeling that I had just taken a dip in a nice cold pool on a hot day. My whole body relaxed.


    Right before my eyes shut, as my consciousness finally faded, I saw people running towards me. The last thing I remembered was the sound of their distorted worried voices as I drifted off to sleep.


    ? 1.2 ?


    1620 words