by Rue Volley
“Rue, listen to me…” He whispered.
“Don’t say my name Josh. You cannot talk to me anymore.”
He reached towards me and I felt a vibration in my hands, I swung them out and my bed turned and hit the wall. My vanity chair flew across the room and hit the wall. I stood there feeling like I could just kill him where he stood.
“I hate you… I will never talk to you again,” I said to him.
He lowered his hand and I watched his facial expression change.
“You don’t mean that Rue.”
“Oh, but I do… you can bet on it Josh,” I said as I raised my hands in front of me. A light started to glow in my palms and I pushed it towards him.
He rolled to the side as he yelled out, “Oh shit!”
I missed him, kind of on purpose. It would not have hurt my feelings if I had hit him with the light. I raised my hands again and he looked up as the light started to glow brightly in my palm. He scrambled to his feet and out my door, the light hit the wall just as he passed out of my sight. The wall had a hole in it where the light had hit it. Josh flashed down the stairs and Sam looked at him and grinned as he ran past her.
“She is crazy!” he yelled to her. She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. I ran down the steps and looked at her, Kai stood by her side.
“Did he go outside?” I asked them.
Sam nodded and Kai hit her on the arm. She hit him back. I flashed out the door and concentrated. I closed my eyes and I heard Theodore’s voice.
“Could I offer some advice?” he said to me.
“Shut up Theo,” I said as I kept my eyes closed.
I started to hear a heartbeat in my ears. I opened my eyes up and a trail opened up in front of me, leading into the woods. I looked towards it as Theodore stepped in front of me.
“He did it against his will Rue,” Theodore said to me. I looked past him and into the woods.
“Uh huh,” I said. He tried to block my view.
“Elin knew how to find Johnathan and you, Josh only wanted to find the both of you. She wanted a trade, disgusting as it is, she would not tell him otherwise.”
“Yep… gotcha,” I said, as I stepped forward.
“He cares for you Rue,” Theo said. I closed my eyes and clinched my fists. I sighed.
“Well, I am going to show him how much I appreciate what he did for me,” I said.
Theodore placed his hand on my shoulder and quickly took his hand off of me. He tilted his head.
“Rue… I am sorry for what you have been through,” he said with compassion in his voice.
I looked at him; he must have read my memory. It made me furious.
“I did not tell you to read my thoughts Theodore,” I said as I looked down.
He stepped to me and tried to hug me. I stood there feeling like I was getting a hug from a relative I never saw, but once every Christmas. I pushed him off of me. He stared into my eyes.
“You must let Josh see what you have endured, love.”
I looked towards the forest.
“Oh you bet,” I said.
Theodore placed his hand on my face. “You had a glamour on you. You were not with Johnathan in Valon, that was Caine.”
I looked at him and my eyes started to cloud up.
“What? Where is Johnathan then?” I asked.
“He is trapped in memory. Elin is going to help us retrieve him.”
“Oh god,” I muttered.
“You see, sometimes things appear different than what they really are,” Theodore said to me.
“Tell me about it,” I muttered.
I turned and sat down on the swing. He looked at me and stepped inside. I stared out into the forest and wished that I could just go to sleep and wake up with none of the madness… with nothing at all.
Chapter Three
New Bed
Johnathan looked around and pushed himself up from the ground. He felt weak and sick all at the same time. Rue could not be his sister, no way. No, no way. They had… he leaned over and hurled into the grass at his feet. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stumbled forward. He looked up and Rue was standing before him. She tilted her head and grinned. He looked at her and his stomach churned.
“What do you want?” he asked her.
She tilted her head again and held out her hand. He looked at it and decided to take it. She squeezed his hand and he straightened up. She led him towards a house. Not his old house, but a different one, Rue’s house. He stopped and looked at it. The front door opened and Rue stepped out, the Rue he remembered. He looked up and wanted to go to her, to hold her in his arms but he held himself back. It’s wrong, it’s all wrong.
Rue looked up at him and then at her.
“Go and talk to her Johnathan, she misses you,” she said as she let his hand go.
He stared at her and then up at Rue on the porch swing. He looked back at his side and she was gone. Rue stood up on the porch and looked at him. She walked to the steps and ran down them. She stopped right in front of him and he looked at her, fighting the urge to grab her and hug her.
“This isn’t real,” he muttered. Rue looked at him and grinned.
“What do you mean Johnathan?” she asked him.
He looked up at her and tried to grin. He felt a splitting pain in his head and his stomach was killing him. He must look like he was in pain, but she looked at him like she had no idea that anything was wrong with him at all. She lifted her hand and placed it on his face. He closed his eyes and sighed. If this was only real it would be awesome, but it’s not… it can’t be. He opened his eyes and her eyes were swirling with blue and silver. He grinned and stepped back from her.
“I know that you are not real,” he said. Rue stepped forward and looked up at him. She smiled.
“You are acting very weird,” she said.
He squinted his eyes, as a swell of pain went through his brain. He stumbled and she caught his arm. He felt a vibration in his chest and tried to stand on his own.
“What is it Johnathan?” Rue asked him.
He looked at her and at her mouth. It was so inviting. She leaned up and pressed her lips against his. He moaned and pushed away from him. She stood there looking at him like he had hit her.
“Why are you acting this way?” she asked him. He bit his lip and looked at her.
“Rue, we cannot kiss each other… it’s not right, we are brother and sister.”
She smiled at him. “I know,” she said to him.
He tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. “What?” he asked her.
“I love you Johnathan. We were made for each other, not for anyone else in the world. The fact that you are my brother does not change how I feel for you.”
Johnathan stumbled backward.
“Well, it should!” he yelled at her.
She stepped forward and he fell onto the ground. She leaned down and started to climb on top of him. Johnathan scrambled to his feet away from her.
“No, no… no Rue, don’t please, I can’t bear it!” he said as he held his hand out towards her. She looked at him and grinned.
“Why do you think you want me so badly Johnathan? It is because I am yours, made for you… only for you,” she said and grinned. She started to unbutton her top and Johnathan grabbed her hand to stop her.
“Okay, listen, this…” he stirred his hand in the air at her. “…is wrong. Brothers and sisters do not make out and do things, it isn’t right.” Rue stared at him and frowned.
“Why not?” she asked him.
“Because, it’s gross,” he said.
She turned away and he watched her shrink in front of him. She turned around and she was twelve again. He blinked a couple times as he stared at her.
“What the hell Rue?” he asked her. She smiled and raised her hands up.
“I thought that you would like me better if I was your age,” she said.
“Oh my god, you are twelve, Rue! And my sister! Oh god, I’m going to.
..” Johnathan leaned over and threw up again. She smiled at him.
“I just thought it would be funny,” she said, as she laughed.
Johnathan looked up at her and crinkled his eyebrows.
“What?” he asked her, as his voice cracked. “Oh yea… this is just hilarious… Ha ha!”
She laughed at him. “Don’t be silly,” she said.
Johnathan held out his hand and pointed a finger at her.
“You are messed up in the head,” he said as he held his stomach. She laughed more.
“I think you are lying to me,” Johnathan said as he grabbed his stomach. She started to walk away from him.
“I like to play,” she said with no emotion. “We didn’t get to play when we were little.”
“No… no good, I don’t like your games at all,” Johnathan said as he stared at the back of her head.
“Kitty, kitty!” Rue yelled out.
A cat came through the grass and she picked it up. Johnathan watched as she broke its neck and dropped it to the ground.
“What the hell!” he yelled at her. She turned to him and her eyes swirled black. She stepped towards him and he stepped back.
“You need to come up with a game Johnathan. I am tired of coming up with everything.”
She lunged at him and knocked him onto his back. He pushed on her as she leaned forward.
“What are you?” he asked her as he pushed her off of him and scrambled to his feet.
She stood up and stared at him.
“I am Rue Valon, Johnathan.”
He backed away from her. “No, you are Rue Volley. You don’t use the name Valon.”
She grinned and sighed.
“You don’t know me at all,” she whispered.
He stared at her as the color started to swirl on her skin.
“Were you sent here Rue, because you are bad?” he asked her.
She laughed and held her stomach.
“I was sent here because I will consume the earth and everything in it. I was sent here because I figured out who you were and Grace wanted this memory buried, deep underground... away from you… away from William… away from the world.”
The ground started to shake under Johnathan’s feet and he tried to keep his balance. He watched as the earth started to split and the sky blackened. He held his hand out to her and pleaded.
“Listen, I will come up with the rest of the games okay?” he asked her. She held her hands out in front of her.
“No… I think we will play ‘How long can Johnathan survive?’ now,” she said as her eyes started to glow bright blue.
He looked at her and muttered, “SHIT!” He turned and started to run.
The earth split under his feet at almost every step, he jumped from one side to the other across the field until the end of the field fell off into nothingness. He skidded to a stop and teetered on the edge. He looked down as dirt, rock and trees fell into blackness. He turned around and Rue stood there, her hair flying up around her head. He grinned at her.
“I guess that ‘sorry’ wouldn’t help here?” he said to her.
She raised her hands and placed them in front of her, an orb started to form. He looked behind him and screamed out, “I love you Rue Volley,” as he jumped into the darkness. Rue leaned over the edge and stared, grinning as she watched him fall out of site.
“I love you too, brother,” she whispered.
***
I sat on the porch forever. I stood up many times, rubbing my hands only to then then sat back down, not knowing what I would say to Josh. Knowing that Johnathan had not hurt me, knowing that I felt what I did for Josh. It all had my head spinning. I stood up for the tenth time and looked out into the trees. I ran into the house and up to my room. I held my hand up to my mouth when I stepped in.
“Oh, you are going to buy me a new bed you ass,” I muttered to myself.
I looked around until I found my battle gear and I shed my clothes and put it on. It felt different to me somehow. I held my hands out and immediately felt a vibration. I ran my hand across my chest and felt something vibrate inside the leather. I couldn’t understand why. I turned and Sam stood in my doorway, staring at me. I sighed and placed my blades in the holders on my back. I looked up at her and tried to grin. She crinkled her eyebrows.
“What?” I asked her.
“Do you need to talk?” she asked me.
I looked into my mirror and back at her. “Do you like my hair?” I asked her.
She uncrossed her arms and walked towards me.
“Your hair was the last thing on mind,” she said. I grinned as I touched it.
“I have no idea how it turned blonde,” I said, like I didn’t even hear her.
“Well,” she said as she touched my hair. “I would guess that you started to pull the glamour from Caine.” I looked at her and back at myself.
“Yea, his image started to shift, after I hit him with light,” I said.
She grinned. “Good, did you happen to kill him by any chance?”
“No… I wish I had, I really do,” I muttered.
She kept staring at me. “Well, I like it… it looks good on you.”
I turned to her and smiled. It was a small win; at least she thought it looked good. I know she wouldn’t lie. I started to walk past her and she held her hand up.
“Wait,” she said. I stopped and looked down.
“What Sam?” I said.
“My brother is an ass, it is a fact, but he cares for you,” she said.
I looked back at her. “I care about him too Sam, but I love Johnathan,” I said.
She smiled at me and I walked out of the room. I didn’t say what I needed too. I didn’t want to hear it. I thought maybe it would be better if we just left it alone.
I flashed into the forest and picked up his swirling black trail. I wanted to find him, tell him that he could do whatever he wanted, with whomever. This would solve my problem and his, I hope. He could care for me like a sister. I could care for him like a brother and we could just let this odd thing go. Things would be so much easier that way. I stopped when the trail ended and suddenly I was hit from the side. Josh and I rolled a few feet and he ended up on top of me. I looked up at him and grunted. He smiled.
“Get off of me,” I said.
He tilted his head and rolled off. I pushed myself up and stared at him.
He looked amazing, his face shimmered and black swirled on him. I breathed in and smelled his blood. My heart fluttered and he leaned in towards me.
“Your heart beat sped up,” he said. I rolled my eyes.
“Yep, listen Josh. I do not want to kiss you anymore, things have gotten weird enough,” I said.
He crossed his arms. “Who said anything about kissing?” he asked me.
I sighed again and started to pace back and forth.
“This whole ‘thing’, whatever it is… is done. I love Johnathan,” I said it and turned my back to him.
“What do you think that we have going on here, Rue?” he asked. I turned around and looked at him.
“Well… you said you loved me and we kissed each other, I would prefer that we act like that never happened,” I said as I looked into his eyes. He grinned.
“You just carved into my chest Rue. I may have been a little disoriented,” he said.
I didn’t like his tone; he might have been trying to make this whole thing look like I did it. I placed my hands on my hips and looked at him. He smiled at me.
Mistake.
“You kissed me,” I said.
He laughed. “No… you kissed me Rue, listen I have fought with this my whole life, girls like me… it’s a fact. I have to beat them off with a stick. I don’t know if it’s my irresistible charm or what,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. I suddenly started to feel like an ass for even bringing it up to begin with.
I stepped towards him. “You are an arrogant ass,” I said.
He laughed and stepped towards me. “You a
re a little girl,” he said.
I stepped towards him and lowered my arms. “I am not,” I said.
He took one more step towards me and we were face to face. Well, face to chest. I looked up and raised my hand to slap him in the face. He caught it and looked into my eyes. I felt a vibration well up in me and my skin started to swirl in blue. He looked at my hair.
“I liked you better with black hair, what possessed you to change it?” he said as he grinned.
“Shut up Josh,” I muttered. I tried to pull my hand from his and he held onto it.
I looked at him and frowned. “Let go of my hand.”
He let me go and I tried to hit him again. He caught it this time and turned me around. He wrapped his arms around me and held mine against my chest with his hands. I could feel his heart beat speed up in my ears. I tried to control my breathing and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. I sucked in air as I felt his lips on my skin. He kissed my neck gently and I tensed up. He stopped and started to release me. I spun around and stared him down, for a moment I felt furious and then I jumped on him and knocked him on his back. I pressed my lips against his so hard I think I cut my lip when my teeth hit against the inside of my mouth. He groaned under me and I pushed up off of him and started to walk away. He leaned up on his elbows.
“See what I mean?” he yelled after me.
“Shut up!” I yelled back at him.
He flashed up next to me and started to match my pace. I was trying to walk, but I kept tripping on things. He grinned and I saw it, it made my temper flair. I stopped and he turned to me.
“We are only friends, period. I do not find you irresistible. I do not want to jump on you. It’s been a weird day!” I yelled at him. He stepped up to me and raised his hand to my face.
“Well, I find you aggravating, reckless, and stubborn, three qualities that are not flattering,” he said to me. I bit my lip. He is picking a fight with me. I just know it.
“Well, you need to shower more, your humor sucks, and your taste in girls is stupid,” I said to him, not realizing until I used the word ‘stupid’, just how stupid that statement sounded. He grinned at me and I pushed past him.
“You could have done better than that,” he said to me. I stopped walking. I shouldn’t have, but I did. I turned around to him and pointed my finger at him.