by Rue Volley
Bad To Worse
Gracie sighed and flipped a page, reading through as quickly as she could. She then laughed and closed the book and looked at Elijah, who was leafing through another book, bound in black leather just like all the others in the room. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Gracie, who stood up and walked to the multiple shelves. She reached up high and Elijah watched the long line of her body as it strained and she stood on her tip toes, she turned and caught him staring at her and held yet another book in her hands.
“How many times can one girl kill one boy?” she asked out loud.
“What?” Elijah asked her.
“My Mom… she met my Dad over and over and every single time she killed him.”
Elijah shook his head and laughed.
“She sounds like fun.” He muttered.
Gracie looked up and smiled.
“Well, there has to be a reason she did it over and over again, it has to be in one of these books.”
“Every book I have picked up starts out in progress.”
“Me too.” Gracie said as she opened the book and sat down, adjusting it in front of her.
“We have to find out why she did it… I think if we find the first book, we can maybe figure out how to get the hell out of here.” Gracie said as she read the first words of the book she had grabbed.
“Wait.” Elijah said as he looked at the book in his hand and then up at her.
“Did you find something?”
“No… I am hungry, are you hungry?” he said.
Gracie rolled her eyes.
“There are more important things than food right now.”
“Not to me, my stomach is growling.” He said as he rubbed.
Gracie let her hand drop on the book she was trying to read and stared at him.
“Seriously, can you help me figure out how to get out of here?” she said.
“I could focus if my stomach was not all funky.”
Gracie closed her book slowly and stared at him.
“What? I have to eat, I am not like you.”
“Like me in what way?” she said.
“Well, you made it clear that we are completely different, I have to eat.”
“I like to eat too Elijah.”
“Right.” He muttered as he looked at his book and started to leaf through the pages too fast.
“Fine.” She said as she stood up.
Elijah smiled at her and she did not smile back.
“I guess we have to go out there.” She said to him as she looked out the window.
“No dragons, I think it’s safe.”
“Memory is never safe, it just is.” She said as she walked to the door. Elijah watched her and she turned back to him.
“Are you coming or what?”
Elijah dropped the book and Gracie placed a hand on her hip and watched the dust fly up from the floor. Elijah looked at it and smiled.
“What?”
Gracie rolled her eyes and he followed without her saying a word.
They walked for what seemed like an hour, seeing nothing but grass in open fields and blue sky stretching out before them. Gracie stopped and looked in every direction and then to Elijah.
“I told you we should have been looking for a solution.”
“There has to be something to eat here.” He said as he walked by her and up yet another hill that looked the same as the last. He then stopped and looked down at her and smiled big. She ran up next to him and looked across the field and they both stared at a large and majestic white tree, standing alone with no companions. Elijah started to walk towards it and Gracie ran up next to him and touched his arm. He stopped and looked at her as she stared at the tree with a slight nervousness on her face.
“What?” he asked her.
“I don’t think we should go to that tree.” She whispered.
“Why? Look at it! It has fruit all over it!” he said as he ran towards it and she ran after him, not seeing anything on the tree at all.
“Elijah! There is nothing on that tree!” she yelled out to him and suddenly the tree started to move away from her as well as Elijah. He reached the tree and smiled as he looked up and saw all of the plump and inviting fruit it held. Gracie yelled out to him as the tree and Elijah continued to move away from her.
“Elijah!” she yelled to him but he could not hear her, and honestly the tree had him completely consumed with hunger.
“Shit.” Gracie yelled out as she looked all around her and then she spotted a rock at her feet, dark and black and shiny in color. She snatched it up into her hand and threw it, as hard as she could and it traveled as if in slow motion until she closed her eyes and wished for it to connect with him. It hit Elijah and he yelled out and grabbed the back of his head and stopped staring at the tree… it suddenly moved away from him and Gracie started to run until she reached out and grabbed his arm, just in time to stop him from walking towards it again. He looked at her, still rubbing his head and narrowed his eyes.
“Why the hell did you do that?” he said to her.
Then they both looked up as the tree started to twist and creak and it slammed its long white branches into the ground. They both swayed on their feet as the vibration of the tree’s massive hit rolled through the ground and reached their feet. Then it started to move, pulling its roots from the ground and blood rolled from its white tentacles… Gracie shook her head and grabbed Elijah’s hand and they started to run as it pursued them.
One large white tentacle swung through the air and Gracie ducked, pulling Elijah down with her, it barely missed them both and then she yelled out as yet another branch of the tree came barreling at them, she jumped and Elijah dropped to the ground. Gracie rolled in the air and gracefully landed about ten feet from Elijah who rolled onto his back and raised his hands up as the tree raised its thickest branch, rearing back and then started to bring it down with force. Gracie started to run, as fast as she could and jumped onto Elijah, rolling them out of the way. She landed under him and Elijah stared down at her for a moment and smiled.
“Get off of me!” she yelled as they both split apart, rolling to their feet and the branch hit the ground and caused them to both stumble. Gracie looked at Elijah and tried to regain her balance.
“Run! To the left!” she said as she started to run right, they passed each other and she yelled to him again.
“Circle it!” she yelled again and they both started to run in a blur. The tree tried to follow them both but with the confusion it started to twist on itself and the white bark started to splinter, then with one loud crack the tree broke, thick black lines forming up its ghost white outer shell and then it let out a terrible sound as both Elijah and Gracie covered their ears and it completely broke its trunk into shards and dropped to the ground, causing them both to jump as the weight of it shook the ground like terrible thunder.
Both Elijah and Gracie stood there, hair a mess and trying to catch their breath. Gracie placed her hands on her hips and stared him down as he brushed dirt off of himself.
“What?” he said to her.
“When I say no, just trust me.” She said.
“I was hungry!” he said to her.
“So was that tree!” she said as she started to walk away from him.
“Gracie!” he yelled out behind her, and then he caught up to her and tried to look in her face. She ignored him, completely pissed and not interested.
“Gracie.” He said as he hopped in front of her and she stopped and crossed her arms on her chest.
“Thank you.” He said and she relaxed a little and looked at him.
“You are welcome… now, will you listen to me?” she said.
He nodded and followed her, with no intention of ignoring her warnings ever again.
***
I dreamt, and dreaming is something I do not do often anymore. I had many dreams after the accident; they were strange and made my heartache and over time I willed them to stop. I know that may sound crazy,
but I believe that I did. My dreams used to consist of things that seemed so familiar, but in no way could be true. My dreams were always about swirling color, metal and a vibration that felt like home to me. I willed my dreams to stop because every single time I woke, it felt like someone had left me and my chest felt hollow and the overwhelming feeling of sorrow made me cry. I hate crying by the way, I just hate it more than anything. To me crying is a waste of energy, for whatever reason it happens, but anyway… I found myself dreaming yet again and I stood up and looked out across a black body of water in this dream. The sky was bright blue as if someone had painted it on and the colors seemed unreal as I looked around at the tree’s, all changing colors in my favorite season… that of fall.
I turned back to the water as it started to ripple and then churn, and instead of moving back, I moved forward, almost as if I never knew fear. Suddenly a figure rose from the black and he looked amazing, his muscles perfectly formed on his chest and stomach and his arms muscular, but not tilting into that weird “I work out all of the time” area.
I tried to look at his face, but it seemed shadowed as he continued to rise from the water, black streaks running down his pale and flawless skin. Then he expanded his arms and two large white wings stretched out from behind him and I was mesmerized by the beauty of it, the small strands of white light raced along the length of the wings making them shine in the sunlight.
Then suddenly the figure was behind me, and I felt the warmth of him press up against me, I gasped as it sent a feeling through me that could only be compared to a first kiss and the way your body goes into overdrive. Then the wings wrapped us both and I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as the creature bit into me and started to draw my life into itself. You would think that it would have been so painful that I would have passed out, but no… it sent a shock wave through me and I sat up, crying out and grabbing my chest, covered in sweat.
I sat there in my bed, trying to regain my composure as the last traces of that incredible feeling left me, I looked at my fingertips and they tingled, as if I had slept on my arms and they had fallen asleep. I blinked a few times and rolled out of bed, a bit dizzy from the strength of the dream and how real it seemed and I walked to my bathroom, flipped the light on and then stood there in disbelief as I inspected the bruise on my shoulder. I leaned in and touched it lightly with my fingers, and hissed as it ached to my touch.
What the hell?” I said as Johnathan hopped up behind me and I yelped as his reflection came into view. I turned and shook my head at him as I caught my breath.
“What?” Johnathan said as he smiled at me.
I walked passed him and to my closet.
“Is it just me, or is barging into someone’s room early in the morning just rude?” I asked him.
He laughed and plopped down on my bed, watching me rummage through my clothing.
“I bit her.” Johnathan said as he smiled.
I turned and stared him down. “You what?” “I bit her… Brooke, she wanted me to bite her and I did.” “I really don’t need to know about the kinky stuff.” “No.” he said as he rolled onto his back and stared at my ceiling.
“It was not weird at all… funny enough.
I rolled my eyes and walked back to my bathroom.
Biting is not normal Johnathan, and why the hell did that happen?” I asked him.
“Someone needs some bitch juice.” He muttered and I shot him a look. “I heard that and I do not appreciate it, I have not had any coffee yet… if that is what you mean.”
“Kidding.” He said as he laughed.
I stopped and looked at myself in the mirror and grabbed my toothbrush. That dream and Jonathans rude entrance had almost made me forget about Josh and the day before. I touched my stomach and felt the nausea returning to me.
I dropped my toothbrush in the sink as a vision whipped through my head of white wings expanding and Johnathan stepped up behind me as I clutched the sink. He grabbed my arm quickly and turned me to him. “You okay?” he asked me.
Yeah...fine.” I said as I regained my composure. Then I looked up at him and the dark circles were a glaring signal to him that something was wrong with me.
“You sure? You look sick.”
“Oh thanks.” I muttered to him.
“No really, your skin looks paler than usual.” and he tried to touch me and I ducked him and stepped out of the bathroom suddenly feeling claustrophobic. He stared at me and shook his head.
“Did Josh upset you?” he asked me.
I sat down and looked at my hands without saying a word. He stared at me and I started to cry a little, which is a huge thing for me to do. Johnathan touched my face and I looked up at him with teary eyes.
“What did he do?” he asked me, getting irritated.
“He needed a break.” I said to him, hating to actually hear the words come out of my mouth again, but the more I say it, maybe the less it will eat away at my insides.
“What?” Johnathan said as he looked at me with disbelief.
“He said he needed a break and I agree… I do.” I said as I shook my head, trying to convince myself.
“Dick.” Johnathan said as he rose and kept watching me. I looked up at him and shook my head.
“It’s okay, I’m okay.” I said and then Johnathan spotted the nasty bruise on my shoulder and reached towards it.
“Did he do this?” he asked me.
I rubbed my shoulder and took a breath, ready to say no and he was out my door and gone in a flash. I stood up and yelled out to him, scrambling to grab my clothes, but I only managed to get my shoes on with my pajamas and a coat and I ran after Johnathan, knowing that this was bad...so very, very bad.
***
Josh woke up and cried out, grabbing his chest as he jerked out of sleep from a terrible dream of falling, it had started out similar to my own but instead of an embrace, a long blade had been shoved through his heart, then he fell and falling in a dream is a horrible feeling to anyone.
He wiped his head with the back of his hand and saw that he was drenched in sweat. He then felt his stomach turn and he ran to his bathroom and threw up, gripping at the sides of his sink. He looked up to see dark circles under his eyes and he shook his head and started to run cool water, splashing it onto his face. He grabbed a towel and started to wipe off his face and then he heard someone scream his name and he stopped and walked to his window to see Johnathan in his front yard, yelling up to his window. He shook his head and walked down the stairs as Johnathan continued to scream his name and opened his door up and stepped out with a concerned look on his face.
Johnathan started to walk towards him quickly and before Josh could say ‘what?’ Johnathan hit him as hard as he could and Josh dropped to one knee and held his jaw in his hand.
“What the fuck?” Josh muttered as he rose slowly and squared his shoulders, Johnathan looked at him and shook his head.
“You have always been a dick in my opinion, but this is the lowest of the low.”
“I don’t…”
Johnathan hit him again, knocking him back and Josh decided that the only thing to do was to defend himself, so he hit Johnathan and knocked him off of his porch and out into the grass. Johnathan fell and rubbed his jaw and it was then that I ran up and spotted them both. I yelled out and ran to Johnathan, helping him up to his feet and staring Josh down. Johnathan spit blood onto the ground and regained his composure and I looked at Josh and shook my head at him.
“What? He hit me first!” Josh said as he stepped off of his porch and into the yard.
“Doesn’t mean you have to hit back.” I said as I looked at Johnathan who glared at Josh.
“You have NEVER been good enough for her.” He said.
Josh looked at me and saw that I was in my pajamas.
“What, did we have a slumber party?” Josh asked me.
I shook my head.
Johnathan laughed and looked at him.
“I stayed all night Josh.” He said a
nd Josh jumped at him and I yelled out as Josh got another good hit in on him. Johnathan stumbled back and pointed his finger at him.
“You stay away from her.”
“You can have each other.” Josh said then he looked at me and I opened my mouth and he walked back into his house and slammed the door behind him. I turned to Johnathan and raised my hands up into the air.
“You asshole!” I yelled at him and started to walk home, with no idea what the hell just happened.
Chapter 9
Treachery
Michael stood very still, whispering as he waved his hand over earth and stone and it shimmered slightly. He smiled and looked back at Jessica who played with her hair and stared around the forest. Michael sighed and looked back at the large stone as the shimmering gave way to small sparks and then it faded.
“Well, it would seem that the glamour spun by our keeper of time is fading.” He said under his breath. Jessica walked to his side and stared at the stone before her.
“Rue Volley is a keeper?” she said.
Michael looked at her and smiled.
“It would seem so, but the threads are unraveling and things are changing… I can smell it in the air. Things are about to become very interesting and much to our favor.” He said to her as she grinned.
“What would you have me do?” Jessica asked him.
“As you are so good at doing love, charm Joshua.” He said to her.
“But Rue…”
Michael interrupted her.
“Joshua… or better yet, Gabrielle is having difficulty right now with understanding what is happening. His power is trying to return to him. It is the perfect opportunity for you to befriend him as well as for I to properly introduce myself to Rue.” He said as he grinned and leaned down to the ground and touched it.
“Can Rue not just make things go back to normal?” Jessica asked him.
Michael smiled and turned to face her.
“This keeper of time simply records truth as it is written, it would seem that our dear Rue Volley has decided to change things as she wishes them to be and that is not the way it works. Eventually reality creeps in and makes things start to change back to what they are supposed to be.”