by Rue Volley
We stepped inside. The large entryway was dimly lit. It matched the creepiness of the exterior. We moved forward and saw Josh and Sam standing in the middle of the large room. They were staring at the ceiling. I looked up to see that the entire ceiling was mirrored. I had noticed it a thousand times before, but I had never thought that it would take on the importance that it had now.
Sam and Josh faced each other and took each other’s hands. They lowered their heads and started to chant in Latin. White light started to form around their feet in rings. Each ring started to rise one by one heading towards the mirrors above us. I looked up and as the rings would reach the mirrors they would spread out into a larger ring. They increased in speed and intensity until I could start to see symbols glowing on the surface. Josh and Sam threw their heads back and started to chant loudly and a flash of light rose from them, slamming into the mirrors overhead. The reflection started to roll like ripples of water, distorting our images. I looked to Sam and they both started to back away from each other. Josh looked in our direction and yelled, “Back up!”
Johnathan grabbed my arm and pulled me with him, toward the front door. I jerked my arm out of his grip and screamed at him, “I am not leaving!” Kai flashed to Sam's side. She grinned at him. We heard a metal bending sound. I had to put my hands up, to cover my ears. It sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard. I looked towards the ceiling and I saw the first feet start to come through. The body fell in a flash, crouching to the floor, blades drawn. Blood speckled the bright white leather she wore. She stood up and I realized it was my mom. I screamed out and tried to run to her. Johnathan stopped me.
Grace looked in the direction of the scream and she yelled out, “Get her out of here!”
I looked at Johnathan and he had a look of terror on his face. I knew he would try to drag me out, so I concentrated on my energy, light started to glow in my hands and I whispered, “I'm sorry.”
I threw him off of me with a flash and started to run towards my mom. She looked at me for a moment and then quickly looked upward. I looked up too, not knowing what to expect.
Bodies started to fall through the ceiling, dropping one by one to the floor. They landed so effortlessly that for a moment, I froze like I was watching a movie. Mom looked at me and threw her blades together above her head. A bubble of white light engulfed us just a blade came crashing down against it. I dropped to the floor, but the blade did not penetrate. She strained to hold it and I looked into her face. She looked down at me, “You have always been so stubborn Rue, I should have known you would be here!”
“Mom… I'm sorry, I couldn't...” She reached down and grabbed me around the waist, tossing me out of the way. I slid across the glossed floor, almost to the sidewall.
I looked up and saw Sam fighting off a man who towered over her. She had a gleam in her eye, one I had never seen. Her blades were glowing in both hands and she jumped up into the air, coming down toward his chest. She crossed her blades and slashed them across his torso. He fell on the floor at her feet. He looked up at her and raised his hands. She held one hand out in front of her and a bright light flashed from her palm. It hit him in the chest and he flew across the floor, hitting the wall on the other side. He didn't get up. Sam spun around just in time to stop a blade from coming down on her, she spun around his back and sliced her blade in deep. He groaned and fell to the floor. She jumped on top of him and brought both blades down into his chest. Once again a light flashed from her and again another protector lay still.
I pushed myself up off of the floor and started to run, flashes of light were flying past my body. I felt a vibration and before I knew it, I was on the other side of the room. I had flashed to a new spot, glad that I stopped before I slammed into the wall. I turned around and a girl dressed in white had spotted me. I backed up against the wall as she flashed toward me. In a blur she was knocked to the side, I tried to focus on who had tackled her, but they rolled away from me. They stopped and rose from the floor. Josh stood in front of her. He looked back at me and grinned. Blood stained his face and the front of his clothes. He looked back at her and raised his blades. She jumped forward thrusting her blades at him. He dodged her and sank his blade into her side. She cried out and fell to one knee. Josh raised his blades above her and jerked them down in one fluid motion. Light began to glow from his palms and he placed them on her, she slumped to the side. He turned to look at me. I had a look of shock on my face.
His grin faded and his eyes went wide and he came running towards me.
“Rue!” he called out to me. I turned my head just in time to see a blade coming through the air at me. In a flash Josh jumped in front of me and I heard him groan. The blade had cut through his upper arm. He fell to one knee. I looked up and saw the face of a girl in front of me. I reached down and grabbed the blade from Josh's hand and put it up in front of me, the blade came down and almost knocked it out of my hand. I gripped it and stepped out in front of Josh, holding it towards her. She smiled at me. I didn't know if this was a good idea or not, but I decided at that moment that Josh was not going to die at my feet.
“Listen, we don't have to…” I said to her. She sliced her blade at me and I held my ground, it struck against the blade and I felt a vibration in my body, not from the strike.
I stumbled backward, just a step and looked down at Josh. He was holding his arm and he said to me, “Give me the blade Rue!”
“I got this,” I said to him.
He jumped up and grabbed it out of my hand. In one throw, he slammed it in the center of her chest and she stood there and looked at us. Josh held his hand out in front of him and a light flashed hitting her. She slid across the floor away from us. He looked at me, “You did not have that.”
I wanted to argue, but I looked out into the room and saw Johnathan, a red glow whipping at his feet. He had a boy coming at him, blades drawn.
“Oh my god Josh!”
Josh looked out and flashed to his side. He locked his arm to his and spun Johnathan around behind him. “Get out of here...! Take Rue with you!” Johnathan flashed to me, “We have to get you out of here Rue!”
I took his hand and we started to run towards the door. I felt my body get jerked back and I slammed against the floor so hard that it knocked the wind out of me. I rolled to my side, holding my shoulder… a sharp pain was telling me that I probably dislocated it. I felt a hand reach around my waist and lift me into the air.
A booming voice echoed through the library. “STOP!”
A hot wind of energy whipped through the room. If I wasn't already trying to catch my breath, I'm sure it would have stolen it from me. The room stopped dead. Everyone lowered their blades and stared in my direction. I tried to struggle, but the grip around my waist tightened. I looked up behind me and recognized the face. It was Caine who had me in a tight hold.
I looked out into the room and saw my Mother’s face, it was filled with anger. Caine looked at her, “Seems I have something you want.”
Grace started to walk towards us, “You will let her go.”
Caine laughed and dropped me to the floor. He lowered his hand to me. “Bind,” he said.
I felt a heavy weight lock me in place.
He pulled out his blades and pointed them towards me.
“I would suggest that you realize that I have the upper hand in this situation Grace.”
Grace stopped and laid her blades on the floor.
He grinned at her, “Very tricky… leaving my mirrored room Grace.”
“I felt that we had spent enough time together Caine.”
Caine scanned the room. “Oh, of course it was you Theodore, always so middle of the road. I am sure you protested this, but I see that Grace has swayed you.”
Theodore shifted his weight, “I cannot turn down a chance to wear such a flattering outfit as this.”
“I doubt a change of dress is your true intention. You seem to have forfeited your pass to Valon.”
Theodore sighed. “
Something’s are worth the sacrifice, Caine.”
Grace looked at the ceiling, “How did you enter this place?”
“Oh, that, well you see Noble has many places to come and go. I simply swayed him with the promise of power.”
Grace looked around the room. “Well, where is that Judas hiding?”
“Oh… seems that we didn't get a long, as well as I would have liked. He is no longer with us.”
Grace smirked, “You don't like to share.”
“You don't like to share either Grace.” He looked down at me, “This is a new beginning at my feet.”
Grace stepped forward, “She does not belong to you or to Valon. She belongs to the creator Caine.”
“Oh, I have every intention of showing her what she is capable of Grace. I will take care of her very well. Of course, it will take me some time to find her a suitable mate, since Johnathan was a failure.”
Johnathan ran from behind him and Caine raised his hand. Johnathan flew back and hit the doors, crashing through them, falling onto the concrete steps out in front of the library.
I yelled Johnathan's name. Caine looked down to me.
“Ahhh, young love, you must know he is not suitable for you, my dear.”
He looked towards the front doors.
“Tedious mistake,” Caine muttered.
Grace stood her ground, “That is no way to treat your son Caine.”
“Oh, he is not mine. Just an experiment I tried.”
Josh stepped toward him, “What do you mean?”
“Oh.” Caine waved a hand in Johnathan's direction, “He is human, and I simply gave him some of our power. I called upon the creator to infuse our power in him, at birth. I thought it would work, but obviously he doesn't have the will of our people. He would have taken her already, if he did.”
Suddenly we heard a cracking coming from above us. Everyone turned their gaze toward the ceiling. A body came falling through, hitting the ground with a thud. The mirrors above us rolled violently and started to shatter. I threw my hands over my head and saw everyone shield themselves from the falling shards. The figure stood up in the middle of the room and I looked in his face. It was my dad.
Grace ran to his side and he held her close to him, never taking his eyes off of Caine. He looked down at me and grinned.
“Dad!” I yelled.
“Are you alright Rue?” he asked me.
Caine started to laugh, “So glad you could join us, William.”
I tried to stand, but I got pulled back down. I reached for my shoulder, it was throbbing so badly it made my eyes water. Caine flashed light down on me and I cried out in pain. “You need to sit still.”
Grace turned to William. “I thought you had fallen my love.”
He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.
Josh raised his blades and ran towards Caine. Caine raised his hands, glowing bright white, and threw white light in his direction. Josh jumped over him and brought his blades down in his direction, Caine grabbed him in midair and threw him towards the doors. Josh hit the concrete in front of the library and rolled down the steps. I screamed out and Caine looked down at me.
“I'm growing tired of you and your emotional friends.”
“Screw you,” I said.
“I see you have no manners either. We will have to work on that.”
William started to move forward.
Caine placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. I cried out in pain. “I wouldn't suggest that.”
William stopped in place.
The pain was overwhelming. I started to feel a strong vibration in my body, stronger than anything I had ever felt. I looked down and blue flames started to rise all around me. I felt the energy building up in my body and I wanted to expel it, but I let it build. Caine looked down at me, with a look of surprise on his face. “Blue?” He gasped
I started to stand up. I could feel the binding trying to pull me back down, but I fought through it and continued to rise. I straightened up and looked at Caine. He backed away from me. I wanted to kill him, I could taste metal in my mouth and I could see energy pulsating through Caine’s body. I was so hungry and he suddenly looked like a meal. I looked at my mom and dad and around the room. Everyone was frozen in place. I had no idea how I looked and I didn't care. Suddenly a large mirror came sliding along the floor from behind me. It knocked Caine off his feet. I looked back and saw Johnathan and Josh standing in the doorway.
“Send him through it!” Josh yelled.
Grace lunged forward and jumped on top of Caine. She rolled him over, light flashing from both of their bodies. William ran to the mirror and started to scribble symbols all over it. Sam ran to where Caine and Grace were fighting on the floor, she grabbed him and tossed him on top of the mirror. She started to chant, the mirror started to waver under him. He stood up on it. Grace waved her hand and started to scream “Bind!” but Caine knocked her out of the way, with his hand. He looked at me and reached out grabbing my wrist.
I released all the energy in me and he stumbled away from me. The energy left my body with a sonic boom, knocking everyone down in its path. All the Valon guards who were still standing fell where they stood. Crying out, light escaped their bodies as they slumped to the floor. Caine had shielded himself with a bubble of light. He cried out as the wave of energy from me almost penetrated through it. He stood up before me, light glowing from him. “Such a shame to waste such a creature as you Rue Volley.”
I closed my eyes expecting to die.
Grace knocked him down on the mirror and cut her palm. She sliced the blade across his chest and slammed her palm against it. She started to chant. My father cried out, “Grace!”
He lunged forward, cutting into his own palm and pressed it to Caine’s chest then he started to chant with her. They threw their heads back and Caine started to cry out in pain. I started to run to them and I was knocked down in a flash, Josh rolled on top of me. A bright flash bellowed up in the room, the wind was hot as fire, I tried to look in the direction of my parents, but the light was as bright as the sun.
I felt myself get lifted off of the ground. Josh was carrying me towards the door. Suddenly a wave of energy slammed into us and threw us forward, I hit the concrete so hard I saw stars in my eyes. I looked back, just to see all the windows blow out in the building. It rained down like water on us and I closed my eyes, I could see my mother’s face. Was it the last time? My whole body relaxed and I could hear Josh yelling my name at me, but it sounded like he was in a tunnel…then it just faded away.
I woke up lying in the grass. I sat up, no light, no blades. I had been there twice before. I stood up smelling the fresh air and looking into the blue sky. I knew it was a dream and it was so quiet and peaceful that I just wanted to stay. I started to walk. A flock of birds flew overhead. I saw their shadows race across the ground and I looked up at them. I waited for a whisper... maybe my mother or Johnathan calling me to them, but nothing. I didn't feel sorrow. I didn't feel anything. I kept walking. My stomach growled. I smiled, looked across the field and saw a girl picking apples from a tree. I started to walk towards her. She raised her hand and waved at me, I waved back. I didn't recognize her, but I felt like I knew her. I made it to the tree and saw that it was bursting with fruit. The girl turned to me. She had a kind face. She reached out and placed her hand on my face.
“You look like your Mother,” she said to me.
I smiled, “My name is Rue.”
“I'm Elin. Your Mother is a friend to me. Therefore you are a friend also.”
“My parents… where are they?” I asked her.
She placed her hand gently on my face. “They are here Rue, all around you.”
“What do you mean?”
“They are the earth you stand on and the air you breathe.”
I looked towards the sky, clouds were floating over me so slowly, white and beautiful.
“I... I don't know what you mean Elin.”
“Yo
u will Rue, in time.”
“I want to see them. Can you take me to them?” I asked.
She smiled and turned away from me and kept reaching for apples. My stomach growled again. She looked back at me and smiled, “You are hungry?”
I nodded. She reached into her basket and pulled out an apple. She handed it to me.
“Here... eat,” she said.
I raised the apple to my mouth and took a bite. Juice from it ran down my chin. I started to chew and then I stopped. It tasted like metal. I raised my hand to my mouth and wiped the juice from my chin. I looked down at my hand and it was covered in blood. I dropped the apple to the ground and looked up, Elin was gone.
I sucked in my breath and sat straight up in my bed.
“Ahh... I see we are awake.”
I focused in on a boy standing next to my bed. He looked familiar, but not, at the same time. I moved away from him.
“No need to be frightened Rue. I am Theodore, Sam and Josh’s brother.”
“Where am I?”
Theodore grinned. “Why my dear, in your room, in your house of course.”
I started to try to get up and I stumbled, almost hitting the floor. Theodore reached to me and held me steady, helping me onto the side of my bed.
“It would be best if you just take it easy for a while.”
I sighed and scooted back onto my bed and leaned against my headboard.
“How long have I been out this time?”
Theodore sat on the edge of my bed. “You make a habit of sleeping long periods of time?”
“No… no, not really... anyway how long?”
“A month... Well thirty-one days this morning.”
“Oh my god,” I whispered.
I looked up at him, “What did I eat?”
“Very odd. Your first question to me is, what did I eat?”
Theodore stood up. “Well… we had to feed you… otherwise you would have wasted away.”
“You my dear, would not take any food. None at all.”