Girl Possessed (Book 1 of The Girl Trilogy)

by Reussie Miliardario

  “I was just noticing your buck teeth,” I said.

  For a second, Shaul laughed, but then he looked down at his book and started reading to Jezebel.

  Tomaru huffed. “You’re so stupid.”

  “Am I?” I said sarcastically. “We’ll see about that.” I picked up my notes and read to myself until we were dismissed.

  A week later, while I was eating breakfast in the crowded dining hall, Jezebel Bradeere sat down next to me with her tray of food.

  She leaned into me. “I heard you and your mum came to the community with Shaul Hainsworth. Is that true?”

  I shrugged. “Yeah, why?”

  “Were you dating him?” There was a jealous streak of hatred in her eyes.

  “Not at all,” I said, feeling embarrassed. “He would never like me.”

  She laughed. “Don’t be so sure of that.” Her voice was haughty. “Look over there.” She motioned with her chin.

  I turned to see Shaul gazing at me from across the room with those intense silver eyes. When I met his stare, he smiled at me softly. Then he stood up and walked out of the room.

  “Stay away from him,” she threatened. “He just wants to use you. He’s sleeping with some of the girls in the community and he told them that you were his sex toy back in Los Angeles.”

  “What?” I was shocked. “I’ve never even kissed him, let alone done that!”

  “Well, I’m just telling you what I heard.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You should just know that he doesn’t really like you.

  8

  After what Jezebel said about Shaul, I wasn’t able to finish my breakfast. I was so furious that he would tell such lies about me.

  I had some time before work, so I went for a walk in the woods hoping to assuage my angry feelings.

  It was a hot morning. Thick, dry heat surrounded me, so I headed toward the pond where I planned to take a nice refreshing swim. But, along the way, I heard an enchanting voice at a distance singing the same song that was playing in my mind. My emotions rose up in me.

  Then an odd thing happened. I got dizzy and light headed and the next thing I remember, I tumbled right over the singer. It was Shaul. He laughed and caught me as I fell. I was utterly embarrassed, but he was good humored about it.

  After he stopped laughing, he released me from his strong arms and asked me to sit beside him on the boulder by the stream.

  “No,” I said. “I don’t want to.” I brushed my hair out of my eyes with my fingers.

  He chuckled wryly at my denial of him. “Please?” he looked up at me through his dark lashes.

  My mind fluttered in frustrated arousal. “You’ve been avoiding me for weeks and now suddenly, you want me to sit next to you?”

  His lips turned up part way in that evil crooked grin that sent unexpected fireworks through my body. “I’m tired of avoiding you,” he said wickedly.

  That angered me. “Why do you avoid me?”

  It was the strangest thing—he looked at me tenderly, like he felt some sort of affection for me. It wasn’t possible and I knew it was just my mind playing tricks on me. A boy as good looking and charismatic as he was wouldn’t like a humpback like me.

  “Cordellia.” His expression was amused as he pointed at my face. “You have something on your nose.”

  I blushed, now feeling even angrier in my humiliation. I brushed the tip of my nose with my finger. “Any better?” I asked in an indignant tone.

  “Yeah.” He smirked.

  I stood there awkwardly wondering if I should leave, but unable to get myself to walk away from this gorgeous boy who consumed my thoughts even when I hated him.

  “What do you want from me?”

  “I don’t know.” His stare was more intense now. “That’s the problem.”

  I felt like his eyes were boring into me. I wanted to touch his perfect face and this infuriated me even more.

  “I can’t stay away from you anymore, Cordellia. I just can’t.”

  “Then why do you?” I responded in a frustrated tone.

  “You should stay away from me though.” He squeezed his eyelids shut.

  “I don’t understand you.” I shook my head. “Why did you bring me here if you want me to avoid you? Am I so repulsive to you that you can’t have me as a friend?”

  “Friend?” He laughed. “You’re not my friend, Cordellia.”

  “Thanks a lot.” I turned to the tree beside me and leaned against it. My emotions were such a jumble that I wanted to cry, but I was way too proud to do that in front of him. I was too embarrassed to ask him about what Jezebel told me.

  “I’m not a good friend for you,” he mumbled as if he was trying to convince the both of us.

  It took everything within me to gather my strength, but with that, I walked away.

  “Wait.” He climbed off the boulder and chased after me. When he caught up to me, he placed his hand on my shoulder.

  Electricity shot up though my body. I turned to him and looked at his face. Our bodies were close enough that I could feel his breath on me.

  “I shouldn’t have brought you here,” he whispered. His musical voice was genuine.

  “I don’t understand you. I really don’t. Nothing you do or say makes any sense to me.”

  “I wasn’t expecting to feel the way I feel.” He grasped his head in his hands and turned away brooding. “Run away from this place, Cordellia.” He faced me now, terror in his eyes. “Run as fast as you can.” He turned and ran through the woods toward the boundary line.

  “Wait, Shaul,” I screamed. “Wait.” I ran after him, pleading with him, but I was too late. He had already crossed the boundary.

  9

  I stood there at the edge of the woods as Shaul climbed over the side of the cliff and down the mountain. My heart beat so fast that I thought it was going to explode out of my chest.

  How could I stop him? If I yelled out to him anymore, someone else might hear me and discover that Shaul had crossed the boundary line. But, I had to stop him. If he got caught, he would be imprisoned for life. Or even worse the serpent people might spot him with their military air scouts that flew over the lake below.

  I couldn’t let that happen to him; I just couldn’t. Even if it was true what Jezebel said, I couldn’t let him destroy his life. I paced back and forth for a few minutes trying to figure out what to do.

  The music got louder and louder in my mind. It was calling me. The force was greater than it had ever been.

  And Shaul was in danger. He had saved my life once before. And he had saved my mother’s life. I owed him; I had to stop him.

  No—he had betrayed me. He said ugly things about me to girls I hardly knew. It would be foolish to risk my life for someone so horrible despite my intensely desirous feelings for him.

  I turned away from the cliff and started running back toward the community. It took all of the self-control I could draw up in my mind to turn my back on Shaul and go the other way. It was his fault, I reasoned, and I had to let him go.

  But, then the music turned soulful and endearing in my mind. It filled my essence, warmed my heart, and seduced me entirely out of my wits.

  I HAD TO BE WITH SHAUL.

  I HAD TO GO TO THE LAKE.

  Completely out of control now, I turned around in pursuit of the lake, in pursuit of Shaul.

  I was running now through the woods back toward the lake, panting in the hot summer wind that rushed across my face. And then something changed within me that surprised me. Now that I had given in to the music’s callings, the thought of this adventure excited me to my very core! I was charged!

  The music massaged my mind and it became louder, even more beautiful and varied. I stepped across the boundary past the safety of the trees and slowed at the edge of the cliff. Nobody had seen me—at least, that was my hope.

  At the sublime sight before my eyes, the words just rushed out of my mouth like a waterfall, “Oh, God.” I gasped. “How beautiful is Your lake
.” The water glistened in radiant sparkle from afar. I wanted to dive off the cliff right into it, but it was too far of a drop. Only a crazy person would do such a thing.

  Never before had I seen such a vision so glorious indeed. I began to edge my way down the steep mountain, the music caressing my mind, lifting me to the euphoric realm of the sheer magical bliss that awaited me.

  But, Shaul was nowhere in sight. He must already be in the lake swimming beneath the waters. Or maybe he was hiding behind a boulder or behind a cluster of trees.

  The deer below grazing in the lush green field beside the lake raised their heads at my descent and galloped away. My intensity of thoughts must have scared them.

  I stopped, still barely beneath the upper edge of the cliff. My foot caught on a rock along the side of the mountain. At that, I gazed again down below. What a shock! I saw a delicate woman with the longest wet hair draped over her naked body stepping out of the lake. Who was it? Certainly, she wasn’t anyone from our village hidden in the woods. I was frightened, but I couldn’t help but stare.

  She was so elegant and graceful with the air of sensual charms that nobody I knew possessed. Her body exuded the most dazzling fragrance that wafted up the mountain. I felt I was in a daze, the music playing in my mind, the odors of transcendence surrounding me like a sheer cloud of pleasure.

  She reached to the branch of a golden tree in surreal blossom, which hardly seemed possible in the blaze of summer. How could a tree bloom in this heat? From one of its branches she picked one of its odd diaphanous flowers and stepped into it. On her body now, I realized it wasn’t a blossom, but a gown of the sheerest silk gauze. In walking she seemed to float, her light steps invisible beneath the airy fabric.

  Then, at once, she was in flight—grand, magnificent, jeweled wings sprouted from her back and she fluttered like a faerie with a shimmer of sparkles trailing behind her above the silver lake.

  What a sight! I was in awe of her majesty. How could this be possible? Fairies aren’t real. Or are they? But, at the same time as I was intrigued with this being, I was disappointed. How could I swim in the waters that called for me after what I had just seen? She would see me. And where was Shaul? Was it safe down there?

  My emotions were so intense and unbalanced. It must have been an effect of the ethereal symphony playing in my mind. I just needed to calm down, I told myself. My foot still caught in the side of the mountain, I began to drift off in thought.

  But, then, suddenly I was ripped from the mountainside.

  “Oh, no!” I yelped.

  At once, I felt extreme pain at the top of my scalp as someone violently yanked me back toward the edge of the cliff by my hair. I had been found past the boundary! I bit my lip to keep myself from screaming. Blood gushed from my face. I must have bitten down too hard.

  10

  The pain was excruciating. I felt like my scalp was being ripped right off my head. My legs dangled in the air, knocking against the rocky mountainside which also hurt, but not as much as the hair being ripped from my head.

  Who would pull a girl up from the side of a mountain by her hair? My neck could break. Whoever it was was evil.

  At that thought, I was thrown to the ground atop the cliff. When I glimpsed the face of my attacker, I saw she was evil. It was Jezebel Bradeere.

  She kicked me hard in the stomach with her long, muscular legs. I crouched into a ball. My head ached. My belly ached. Dust from the dry earth below me was in my eyes. I wanted to kill her.

  “You’re not allowed to cross the boundary,” she grunted and then kicked me again, this time in the back.

  I flinched and then moaned in agony.

  She was breathing heavy as she continued her stream of fire, “Are you crazy?” she kicked dirt at me. “The serpent people might spot you from their air scouts past the boundary. There’re not enough trees to hide you from their line of vision.”

  I looked up at her, covered in dirt, trying my damnedest to keep the tears from welling out of my eyes.

  She had an excited look on her face, a glint of fire in each amber iris. The scar across her cheek burned red.

  I stood up and side swiped her legs with my foot. She fell to the ground. With my small victory, I started to run across the boundary line and into the forest.

  She chased after me and threw me to the ground in the leaves. Her body was so muscular and strong, but I struggled to get away anyhow. To my defeat, she pinned me down with her knees over my arms. The weight of her muscular body was so heavy upon me. I was afraid the force of her weight might crush my delicate bones. The hump on my back hurt something awful.

  I spit in her face. She slapped me across the cheek. My skin burned and I tried to wrestle out of her grip. She was too strong for me and this infuriated me further. She laughed and then tore open my shirt. I tried to knee her in the stomach, but she had me pinned so tightly I could hardly move.

  Reaching into her pocket, she took out a knife. My eyes widened in terror. I couldn’t even move to get away. She quickly carved a word into my upper chest. “Slut,” she grinned.

  Blood gushed from the wounds. The pain was torturous, but the fear was worse. I could hardly believe what was happening. My thin body was too weak to get away. She coughed up nasal mucus from her throat and spit it into my gasping mouth. I vomited in my throat. The bile from my stomach leaked from the corners of my lips and mixed with the dirt and dried blood on my face from before.

  “I’m not going to tell on you, Cordellia Dressemme,” she whispered. “But, you better watch your step around me or you’ll be sorry.”

  The musty aroma of her body and the slice of her words sickened me further. I gagged and threw up again.

  She laughed. And then stood up, kicking me hard in the side. “Clean yourself up. She winked at me, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.” And then she walked away.

  In horror, I hurried over to the waterbed beneath the shade of the trees. My upper chest burned and bled down my body. The wounds weren’t too deep, so they would heal on their own. Even my stomach and the side of my body ached from Jezebel’s brutality. I hated her and felt utterly humiliated that she had violated me the way she had.

  She was the slut and certainly not me—I was a virgin. Somehow, I would make her pay for that. But, at least, she had discovered me instead of the community leaders. I didn’t think she would tell on me.

  I wondered nervously what had happened to Shaul. I didn’t see him at the lake while I was climbing down the mountain. Where could he have gone? There was no time to save him now though. Soon the work day would start and if I didn’t show up, the guards would come looking for me.

  I quickly stripped out of my clothes and bathed in the pond. Despite the pain I felt in my body and mind, I loved these moments alone in the serenity of the water. Lying on my back, I gazed up at the leafy branches overhead, tiny streams of sunlight breaking through upon my face and the water.

  Water was my life force. My long black hair spread out upon the surface of the pond. It was fifteen years of shiny waves as my mother had never let me cut it. A half a year from now would be my birthday; on that day puberty might start, as my mother warned. I had no idea what she meant exactly—she said a lot of strange things, always full of secrets. But, I didn’t want to clutter my mind with thoughts about that right now.

  As I floated on my back, trying to get a grip on reality before I went to work, I thought about the faerie I had seen below the cliff. Nothing made sense to me. I wondered if Shaul had seen the faerie. And then I thought about how my mother said she used to go to that lake when she was young. Did she know about the faerie? Was that why she said I couldn’t go there? And if so, why not?

  It all seemed so surreal. I felt like I was living in some sort of science fiction dome cinema show, kind of the way I felt when I first learned that the serpent people had taken over the United States.

  Then I started getting worried again. The stinging i
n my chest was bitter. My thoughts were negative. What if the serpent people’s air scouts discovered Shaul at the lake or what if he got caught by someone in our community? I was filled with fear.

  I stepped out of the pond. My upper chest looked clean. The bleeding had stopped. I could see the word “slut” set in my chest in pink lines. It would leave scars, but I could hide them with my shirt.

  Though I was completely naked, the private parts of my body were covered by my long wet hair. I quickly washed the bloody spots on my clothes in the waterbed and hung them to dry on a branch under a thick stream of sunlight. It was hot out, so they would be dry enough in no time.

  I was starting to get anxious, afraid that more time might have passed than I guessed and that maybe work had already started, but I had to clean off the blood stains or the guard might ask questions.

  Then a sudden shock overtook me, I felt a warm hand grab me at my naked waist. I turned around and it was Wardo, President Tratzel’s guard!

  11

  The guard didn’t even let me dress. Instead he pulled me along roughly through the woods. His shiny head sweated in the heat.

  “Get in there,” Wardo commanded. His voice was gruff and threatening.

  I was forced into the head quarter cabin and put in a tiny pitch black holding space.

  “Wait!” I begged. “Please let me out.”

  He didn’t respond. Instead, I heard the padlock thump against the box as he locked me inside.

  Darkness surrounded me. I hardly had enough room to shift my crouched body position. I thought the summer heat was intense outside, but inside this box, it was excruciating. I wondered if I would suffocate. I felt around the walls with my hands. There was no way out.

  But, just when I thought I was a goner for sure, the guard must have opened a small vent at the top of the box because a thin stream of air entered in computer generated vibration. To my dismay, neither the darkness nor the heat altered, but the gentle hum of the generator and the air gave me hope of survival at least.