by Rue Volley
“I was desperate and I don’t know any others,” she muttered. She looked at him.
“Theodore… the rest are asleep and I need them woken up immediately; not only because of the obvious danger to them, but Rue is in trouble,” Elin said to him.
Theodore flashed up and into Sam and Kai’s room. Elin followed him. He grabbed a blade and sliced his hand. Elin watched him. He glanced at her.
“Today you learn another way, one in which does not include suicide on the savior’s part.”
Elin watched as he rolled them both onto their backs and took his hand and pressed it over each one of their hearts. It left two bloody handprints on them. He backed up and raised his hands over his head. He looked at Elin.
“Do not be surprised at their anger when they wake,” he said as he grinned at her.
She backed up, knowing Sam’s temper. Theodore closed his eyes and chanted one word over and over, the Latin word for “to set free”. Theodore hands started glow brightly. The wind kicked up in the room and the white light swirled over him above his head. It rolled and started to collect together.
“Liberoatum,” he cried out over and over.
Suddenly the light hit them both in the chest and it radiated through their bodies. They both rose from the bed, floating above it. Theodore continued to chant. They both shook violently and then they dropped to the bed, hard enough to bounce them both from it and to the floor. Sam rolled on her side and groaned. Kai pushed himself up on his knees and shook his head. Sam stood up quickly and caught her balance by placing her hand on the side of the bed. She glared at Theodore.
“What the fuck?” she yelled at him. Theodore grinned.
“You were both dying, I had to pull you out,” he said, very calmly.
Sam rubbed her chest and sucked in her breath. She looked down and saw the remains of the burn in her chest, in the form of a hand. She looked up at him.
“You set us free?” she asked him. Theodore nodded and looked at Elin.
“We would have been gone by nightfall if it were not for Elin coming to my aide,” he said.
Sam looked at her.
“I don’t believe it,” she said as she looked at Kai.
“Where is Josh?” she asked him. Theodore smiled.
“Oh I saved him for last. He will be the most aggressive… I am sure.”
Sam nodded and sat down on the bed. Kai pulled himself up and looked at her.
“What the hell happened?” he asked her. She shook her head and cracked her neck.
Theodore flashed to Josh’s room. He slammed the door open and Josh started to sit up; he looked at him and blinked a few times. Theodore tilted his head at him.
“Joshua Barrington… how did you wake up?” he asked him.
Josh pushed himself to the edge of the bed.
“I got pissed,” he muttered as he leaned over and held his face. Theodore walked to his side.
“You got pissed?” he asked him. Josh looked up at him.
“Yea… I started to figure out where I was and it pissed me off. I don’t like memory, it sucks.”
Theodore shook his head. “You are a mystery,” he said to him as he sat down next to him.
Josh stood up and looked at Elin.
“What are you doing here?” he asked her.
Elin bit her lip. She knew as soon as she told him he would be on a rampage to find Rue.
“We have a situation,” Elin said. She looked at Theodore and then back to Josh.
“Oh my god, I am in no mood for games, spit it the hell out, Elin.”
“Rue is gone… with Sara I would suspect.”
Josh stood up in a blur.
“Where?” he asked her.
“Well, from what I can guess, she is on a train… north.”
Josh flashed to his leather and started to strip his clothing.
Elin watched him and stepped forward.
“There is more,” she said. Josh stopped and looked at her.
“Tell me it’s good,” he said as he laughed.
“Sara is like me,” she said as she took one step back. Josh stopped moving.
“Like you as in, she is feeding?” he said. “Son of a...”
Theodore interrupted him.
“It’s much more than that, I am afraid.”
Josh stood up and flashed to Elin. He grabbed her head and she groaned as he sucked the memory from her in a flash. Josh stepped back from her.
“Oh… that is just fantastic,” he said to her. Elin stepped back and grumbled at him.
“So… Rue is hanging out with Sara and doesn’t know that her friend is out to get her. You have made some stupid pact with rogues… of all creatures, and Johnathan is wandering around with two freaks that will probably eat him. Is that all?” he asked her.
She shrugged her shoulders and Josh shook his head. Theodore headed for the stairs. Elin started to follow him. Josh flashed to her and grabbed her arm. He leaned in to her.
“They told you that they could change you?” he asked her.
She started to pull her arm from him.
“Yes,” she said. Josh shook his head.
“And you believe that?” he asked her.
“I have no choice but to believe,” she said, as she flashed from him.
Josh quickly changed and grabbed his blades. He held them up and stared at them.
“Please,” he whispered and then he flashed downstairs.
Everyone looked haggard. They had all changed, but the hangover from being put to sleep by a sloppy amateur had caused exhaustion. Theodore flipped through the book and stared at the pages as Kai and Sam sat on the couch with their heads leaning back on the cushion. Elin stood by the window. Josh scanned the room and took control.
“Get up,” he said as he glanced at Sam and Kai. He then looked at Theodore.
“Put the book in something; we are leaving now,” he said to him.
Kai pushed up from the couch and held his hand out to Sam. She grabbed it and he pulled her up to him. She grinned at him. Josh walked quickly to the door.
“Hey… what’s the plan?” Kai asked him. Josh turned back to them.
“First we get Rue, and then we grab Johnathan,” he said as he turned back to the door.
Elin flashed up behind him. Josh closed his eyes, he turned to her.
“Thank you,” he muttered to her. She stared at him and he flashed out of the house.
“You are welcome, Josh,” she whispered.
***
I was up and I was in a pissy mood. Today is the day! Sara was going to stop being an ass to me. I didn’t care if she did have you know with some guy, it didn’t excuse her attitude. I also had my doubts that she did anything with Josh. If so, I am kicking her ass and then his for sure.
I couldn’t guarantee survival, and I didn’t care at that point. I was not a victim. That messed up dream had put things back into perspective for me. I had experienced too much, endured too much, accepted too much. I felt stronger… the magic cookie was gone and the muffin had faded. I guess I was in anger mode, which was not a good place to be.
I got up and didn’t even consider taking a shower, which was odd for me. I walked down the hallway and came to cabin 37. The door was open. I peeked in and Blake stood there talking to one of the security guards on the train. He glanced at me and didn’t smile.
“I went to bed and he was there, I get up and he is not here. I don’t know what happened.” Blake said to the ‘wanna be’ cop, who was scribbling down every word he said.
“Did you and Colin have words last night?” he asked him.
Blake ran his hand through his hair and I thought of Josh for a moment.
“No… I told you, he spent a lot of time with her friend before he lay down,” he said as he looked at me. I cleared my throat, realizing that whatever was going on now included me.
The security guard looked at me and then flipped his notepad.
“And you are?” he asked me. I looked at Bl
ake.
“I am ummm, Rue. Rue Volley,” I said to him as I messed with my hands.
“Okay Miss. Volley, what is your friend’s name?”
I looked at Blake and he raised his eyebrows at me.
“Sara,” I said to him.
“Sara what?” he asked.
“Sara Reece,” I said to him.
“Where is she now?” he asked me. I looked at Blake.
“I don’t know. I went to bed… I kicked her out of the cabin last night,” I said as I walked towards the booth.
I glanced at Colin’s bed and noticed drops of red on it. It was so minimal that I would guess that Officer Nosey Pants had not even seen it yet. I veered towards the bed, on my way to the table, and grabbed his sheet. I popped it up and covered the blood. I looked over at Blake and shrugged my shoulders.
“He’s not in the bed,” I said, well aware that I would look silly to them both.
“Uh huh,” Officer Nosey Pants said to me.
I walked to the booth and sat down, I looked out the window.
“So what are you and your friend doing on the train?” he said to me.
His sleuthing abilities are starting to irritate the crap out of me. Colin is missing, and from the looks of it, so is Sara. I just love the fact that he thinks that I have all the answers. I sighed.
“I was upset and Sara wanted to make me have some fun. I always wanted to ride this train, she knew that,” I said to him as I watched trees go by the window.
“Upset about what?” he said. I looked at him.
“I don’t think that it’s any of your business really. Shouldn’t you be dusting things or taking pictures?” I asked him.
He grumbled as he wrote something down in his notepad. I looked at it and then at Blake. Blake grinned at me. I was glad that at least one person in the room didn’t think that I did something to Colin. I looked at Nosey Pants. He closed his notepad.
“Well, do you think that the two of them were getting romantic?” he asked me.
“Oh god,” I said as I touched my head. Blake leaned into him.
“I would guess that they got along pretty well,” he said, as he glanced at me.
“Well.” The guy looked at me.” I only asked because the train made one stop last night and I wondered if they could have gotten off at that stop.” I held out my hand.
“Why didn’t you say that in the beginning?” I asked him. He grinned.
“I have to make sure I ask all the right questions, to ensure a thorough investigation.”
I sighed and laughed.
“Where did the train stop?” I asked him.
“About thirty miles back. It was early morning,” he said as he walked towards the door.
“Wait,” I said to him as I stood up.
“When do we stop again?” I asked him. He turned to me.
“Oh, we ride straight through, another three hours.”
“Are you kidding me? The train has to stop, I have to get off,” I said to him.
He shook his head. “No, sorry.”
“What? You guys have two passengers missing; you have to make a stop.”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“Kids hormonal urges do not warrant throwing off a schedule. When we stop, you can leave and find them,” he said. He opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him.
I stood there with my mouth open and my hand held up. I dropped it and looked at Blake.
“Unfreakinbelieveable,” I said.
He walked to me and sat down at the table. I looked at him.
“What are you doing?” I asked him. He picked up the menu and started to read it.
“I am looking at the breakfast menu,” he said.
I took it from him and folded it. I held it in my hand.
“No. We have to get off of this train like yesterday,” I said. He looked up at me.
“You are kidding me right?” he said. I shook my head at him.
“No… Listen, Sara is being a turd and I won’t lie, your buddy Colin, is a tool, but I am not going to wait another three hours to get off this train and then go looking for them,” I said.
I dropped the menu on the table in front of him. He looked at it sadly. I think that he realized that breakfast was a pipe dream at that point. He looked up at me.
“So… how do we get off this train Rue? It just so happens to be moving.”
I smiled. I remember pulling the fire alarm at school once, to avoid a test. I got in so much trouble that I never even dared to do it again, but we were in a pinch. I needed to find the emergency button on the train. Blake snapped his fingers in my face.
“Hello?” he said. I shook my head.
“There has to be an emergency something or other on the train, right?” I asked him.
He grinned. “You wouldn’t,” he said.
I shook my head, “yes… yes I most certainly would,” I said to him.
***
Sara leaned up and whispered in Colin’s ear. He blinked his eyes and started to move and realized that he couldn’t. He opened his eyes and Sara came into focus.
“What... what is going on?” he muttered as he looked up at his hands and realized that they were tied to a bed frame. Sara smiled and paced back and forth.
Colin looked at her and moved more, trying to loosen the restraints.
“You crazy bitch!” he said to her.
Sara looked at him and rubbed her palm. The light was starting to fade in it.
She actually felt a strange tinge of guilt. Things were jumbled and she stumbled.
“Shut up,” she muttered to him. He yelled at her,
“Let me up!” He yelled at her.
She ran to him and wrapped a piece of cloth across his mouth. He struggled with her and she yelled, “Bind” at him. Nothing happened. She fought to get him gagged and then pushed off of him and paced back and forth.
“I don’t know what is wrong with me. I was fine yesterday… fine,” she whispered.
Colin raised his head up and yelled something under the gag. Sara picked up the lamp and looked at him. Things looked like static. She started to hear conversations in her head. He yelled at her again under the gag and she blinked and then hit him in the head. His head flopped back and he was silent. She stared at him and dropped what was left of the lamp.
“Oh my god,” she whispered to herself.
She continued to pace back and forth. She reached up and felt sweat on her forehead. She looked at it and it looked somewhat shimmery. She rubbed it in between her fingers and walked to the window and pulled the curtain to look out.
“What am I doing?” she asked herself.
She looked back at Colin and grabbed her coat. She ran to the door and grabbed the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign and stepped out of her room. She placed it on the door and flinched when the roaming cleaning lady said, “hello” to her. She looked up and faked a smile at her.
“Hi,” she said. The cleaning lady looked at her and then at the sign on the door.
“Do you want me to come back later?” she asked her. Sara looked at the sign.
“Yes… yes I do. My boyfriend, oh god! He is quite the drinker! Give it a couple hours, okay?” Sara asked her. The lady smiled and nodded to her.
Sara walked slowly away from the door, trying to not pick up her pace. She peeked back at the lady a couple of times. The woman glanced back at her once and then went to the next room. Sara made it around the corner and leaned against the wall. She grabbed her stomach as a sharp pain ran through it.
“Oh god,” she said, as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
She pushed off of the wall and started to run. She ran across the street to a diner and pushed the door open with a little too much force. The talking stopped in the diner and eyes looked to her. She glanced around at the few people eating and then walked to the counter. She took a seat and leaned forward, putting her hands on her face. She felt so sweaty and her stomach was getting more violent by the
minute. She looked around and tried to hear the heartbeats in the room and nothing. She turned back to the counter when a girl asked her a question.
“What?” Sara said, as she looked at the young girl in all pink and white.
Sara looked at her neck and then at her tag on her shirt.
“Do you want to order?” the girl said to her.
Sara blinked a couple of times. Things were starting to get a little blurry.
“Here,” the girl said as she handed her a menu. Sara stared at it and then at her.
“Coffee,” Sara muttered. She looked at her nametag again.
“Listen, Kim… where am I?” Sara said, as she leaned forward and tried to be quiet.
The girl grinned at her.
“Drink too much?” she asked her. Sara leaned back on her barstool.
“Yea… I think that I did… or I took something, I don’t know.” Sara said as she looked at her hands. Memories were fading in her mind. She closed her eyes when flashes of white light pulsed behind her eyes. She opened them and looked at the girl.
“I am sick,” Sara whispered.
“Do you need me to call someone for you?” she asked Sara. Sara looked at her.
“I have a phone!” Sara said like it was the greatest thing that ever happened.
Kim looked at her weird.
“Okay then,” she said as she stepped over to the coffee machine and started to pour her a cup. Sara reached into her coat and grabbed her phone. She pulled it out and smiled at it.
She pushed the button and bit her lip. It rang over and over… then finally an answer.
“Where the hell are you?”
Sara leaned up and cupped her hand.
“Josh?” she said.
Josh had stopped flashing through the woods when he felt his phone go off.
He gripped the phone in his hand and waited.
“Yes you idiot, I’m here,” he said to her.
“Oh god Josh! I woke up in a motel room with a boy and I don’t know where I am or what I am doing. I feel like I need to throw up.” Josh sighed.
“You are hungry, you needed to feed and you didn’t. You probably went into psycho mode and now you are losing your temporary power,” Josh said, like it was nothing.
“What?” Sara asked him.
“You went to the carnival didn’t you?” he asked her. Sara looked around and closed her eyes.