Unfaded

by Sarah Ripley

  “Mai!”

  Through the crowd I could see Seito’s white bangs. He was fighting against the horde but it was a losing battle. Every time he managed to move a few steps forwards, students would crowd him, forcing him back.

  “I’m here!” I called to him. I wasn’t sure if he’d actually seen me or not.

  Fingers closed around my arm and yanked me backwards. Struggling not to fall, I tried to right my feet but I was being shoved around. My head smashed against the side of the lockers, forcing stars into my eyes. I caught a flash of blonde hair as a hand wrapped itself around my throat. I opened my mouth to scream but I was pulled off my feet and slammed into the locker again. The last of the air left my lungs and I gasped several times as my legs stopped working and I started to slide along the smooth metal and towards the floor.

  No one noticed. They continued to race down the halls and for daylight. I couldn’t scream for help, my mouth wouldn’t open. It wasn’t hard for Anique to pluck me off the ground and drag me into the women’s bathroom.

  Please, please, let Seito have seen, I begged just in case someone was listening.

  The door closed, separating us from all those people that might have been able to do something if they’d only seen.

  “No one to help you now,” Anique said, reading my mind. She kept her hand closed over my throat although it was pointless. I could barely breathe. Even if I were to scream it was doubtful that anyone would hear me.

  She tossed me again, just like a ragdoll and my body hit the side of a sink, sending white hot fire into my hip. I rolled off the enamel counter and hit the floor; barely managing to bring my arms up before my head cracked against the ground.

  “Whoops,” she said. “That must have hurt.” When I didn’t respond she kicked me hard in the stomach. I doubled up, my arms covering my chest as a measly form of protection.

  Somewhere in the darkest realms of my mind, a voice screamed at me to fight back. Haven’t you suffered enough? Get up! You’re stronger than this. Fight! Prove to her that you’re worthy of living. I knew that voice. It was me but not me. Voices being whispered on the wind. Somewhere my sister was trying to reach me. If I died, I’d never find her again.

  And Kian would be doing penance until the day in which I would be reborn.

  I kicked out at her with my leg, catching her in the stomach and throwing her back against the wall. She hadn’t been expecting it, the surprise was evident on her face. Grabbing hold of the sink, I pulled myself up. But something was wrong, my eyes were blurry, I couldn’t make them focus. The back of my skull was throbbing from where it crashed into the locker. Taking an awkward step forward, I kept one hand on the sink for balance. I tried to stand up straighter to hide my handicap but Anique’s eyes were sharp.

  “What’s the matter? Feeling a little lightheaded?” She held up her hand. “How many fingers am I holding up?” Without waiting for an answer, she threw a punch straight at my nose. I barely managed to bring my hand up to block it. I stepped to the left, tightening my hand around her arm, and I got behind her, just as Kian had shown me and stuck out my foot. Tripping, she sailed forwards and I shoved her to give a bit more momentum. Her body slammed against the sinks, sending cracks along the wall and breaking the mirror into a million pieces.

  “I beat you once,” I said. “I can do it again.”

  A big piece of glass was sticking out of her arm. Grabbing it between fingers, she pulled out the shard and dropped it on the floor. Blood dripped from the wound, snaking down her arm. Her eyes glowed with excitement. She was enjoying the challenge. Wiping a strand of hair from her eyes, she brushed some of the glass and plaster from her shirt.

  “I killed you several times, I can do it again.”

  Pushing at me, her arms caught my shoulders. I brought my hand up and she caught my fingers, gripping them hard. I tried to pull back but my foot slipped on the broken glass, sending my legs flying in different directions. Anique caught my shirt and yanked me forwards and I went down on one knee. My fingers bent backwards and I heard the snap as they broke. This time I managed to scream and I did a pretty good job until Anique’s foot stomped against my stomach, cutting off my air once again and forcing me to curl into a foetal position while I struggled to breathe.

  Scooping me up off the ground, she pressed me up against the wall, using her body to make sure I couldn’t escape.

  “No one here, pretty girlie,” Anique hissed. “No white knight to save you now.” From behind her back she pulled out a long dagger and waved it in front of my face. “This might hurt a bit. I hope you don’t mind.”

  The knife plunged into my body, just below my ribcage, tearing through my skin, bringing forth a wave of blinding pain that paralyzed my entire body. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t even see anymore, all I could do was focus on the pain as it travelled through my central nervous system and every single nerve. I opened my mouth and a blast of energy pulsated from my body, powerful enough to toss both Anique and I backwards and onto the floor. All the mirrors above the sinks shattered, sending a shower of broken glass down on us. I landed hard, spraying blood across the tiled floor. Anique hit a bathroom stall. The dagger dropped from her hands and skidded across the floor and between the toilets.

  “Ug.” she sat up and spat out blood. “How the hell did you do that?”

  Good question.

  I managed to roll over onto my back but I couldn’t do much more than that. My shirt was damp with blood. It trickled across my stomach and down my sides, dripping onto the floor. Staring up at the ceiling I wondered who’d find my body when this was over. How long would it take me to come back? Would my new brain have flashbacks of me lying on this floor?

  “One’s not enough,” Anique mumbled as she searched around for the dagger. When she couldn’t find it she slammed her fist against the tile, cracking it into several pieces.

  I realised that this might be my only chance for escape but it required more energy than I had left. But I was so close to the door, so close to freedom, and whoever might be left inside the building. The voices were softer and fewer. There couldn’t be many in the halls now, the majority were probably outside in the parking lot, waiting for the fire trucks to arrive. The alarm continued to ring but the noise was softer now, further away. Where was Seito? Did he rush past me without even knowing where I was? How many minutes had passed since Anique grabbed me?

  I concentrated on trying to gather the energy to roll over onto my side. If I could get to my knees I might be able to get to the door while she was distracted. But when I tried moving, pain flared through me and all I could do was squeeze my eyes closed and try not to pass out. My vision was beginning to blur, how long till I faded out completely?

  None of that mattered. Anique squealed in delight and I heard the dagger scrap against the floor as she reached out and picked it up.

  “Any last words?” She crawled back over to me, using one hand to pin my shoulder against the floor while the other raised the blade up high. Shards of glass clung to her hair.

  Seito crashed through the door. He didn’t even pause to look at me, his eyes were on Anique only. Taking a flying leap, he tackled her hard as she brought the dagger down. It missed me by inches, stabbing at air and falling from her hand as Seito dragged her across the floor. Her head hit the wall and she crumbled into a heap beside the garbage bin.

  Then Seito was at my side and his hands were wrapping themselves around my body, pulling me close and then lifting me up in the air.

  “Hold on, Mai,” he said. “Don’t leave me.”

  He carried me out into the empty hallway. The students had long since vacated. The air was still thick with smoke and I could hear the flames crackling as we rushed through the building. We were heading in the direction of the theatre, towards the flames and away from the parking lot. There was an exit door there. It was there where I’d first met Seito, meditating on the stage. My eyes grew heavy and I thought about how it hadn’t b
een that long ago. What a shame we’d only known each other such a short time. I was going to miss them all.

  “Look at me, Mai, don’t close your eyes. Look at me.”

  I opened my eyes and caught the profile of his face as he ran. He really was a great looking guy, I could see why Claire and Amber were both attracted to him. Those white bangs were pretty cool. His lips were soft. He probably was an amazing kisser.

  Lina caught up with us just outside the theatre.

  “Come on,” she said, opening the door so we could pass through. “Hurry. We can sneak out the back. I’ve got the car waiting.”

  “We’re almost there, Mai,” Seito said. He sounded so very anxious the way he kept saying my name. I tried to tell him not to worry but it was too much effort. All I wanted to do was sleep.

  I closed my eyes again, blinking once when Lina opened the back door and sunlight and cold air hit my face. There were other hands, reaching out and helping me along. They carefully managed to get me inside the car where Kian reached out and took me in his arms. Soft energy flowed over my body, warming my skin which was rapidly cooling. I couldn’t feel my feet anymore, they’d gone numb.

  “Don’t die, Mai,” he said and I almost managed to smile because his words rhymed.

  “Kian...” I needed to tell him something but I couldn’t remember.

  “Don’t leave me.”

  But I was too tired. I closed my eyes again and unconsciousness claimed me.

  Twenty

  Everything was soft and peaceful. Sunlight warmed my skin. I was back in the field where the wildflowers grew and the two little girls played in the big ancient tree. I was wearing a lovely dress that trailed down to my ankles. It was a pale blue, the colour of my eyes. A summer breeze blew against the fabric, and long wisps of silk danced around my legs and arms. My hair was styled and ringlet’s fell from my shoulders and across my chest.

  I moved towards the tree, my bare feet warmed against the soft earth. As I drew near, one of the girls waved at me.

  “You came back,” she said.

  I looked up into the tree and spotted the second girl. She was still sitting on her branch, the same butterfly twittered on her finger. Just off in the distance something moved. A deer, beautiful and elegant, twitched her ears and sniffed the air for danger.

  “Am I dead?”

  The girl giggled and shook her head. “Not dead. Just resting. It’s always nice to come here when you need to sleep, don’t you think?”

  “I guess so.”

  The doe stamped her hoof against the ground and bent down to gather up some of the sweet grass in her mouth. She watched me carefully with big brown eyes as she chewed.

  “It’s a good place to be,” the girl said. “Think of it as your own private heaven, a place of joy and beauty. You can come here anytime you need to escape. This world can be anything you want it to be, all you have to do is dream it.”

  Anything I wanted? That sounded too complicated.

  “You’re very pretty,” the girl said. “I can see why he loves you.”

  “Who? Kian?” I glanced around the field. “Is he here?”

  “No, just us.”

  “Oh.”

  “But it’s his energy that’s helping you right now. The both of them. They’re trying desperately to give you the strength you need to recover. You’ll need to go back to them soon, otherwise they’ll miss you.”

  I frowned. “Do you mean if I stay here too long I won’t go back?”

  “Something like that.” The little girl looked up at the tree where her sister picked a daisy from her hair. “But you’re alone. You’re missing someone. Your other half. You heard her calling to you out of the darkness. They haven’t found her yet. It’s probably best that you wait for her.”

  “Do you know where she is?”

  “Uh-uh.”

  The doe finally finished eating and sniffed the air again. With a graceful leap, she turned and ran off through the fields. I watched her until the tall grass swallowed her up. I turned back to the childhood versions of Apani and Dialexa with their soft dresses and flowers woven in their hair.

  “How do I get back?”

  “You wish it with all your heart.”

  Little Apani grinned and ran off across the field. Jumping from the branch, Dialexa hit the ground, chasing after her. I watched them disappear into the tall grass and wildflowers just as the doe had before them.

  “Wait,” I yelled after them. “How do I make a wish?”

  But I must have done something right because the field was fading and I was being pulled back into the present, riding along the wave of energy as it tingled through my body, bringing me back to the one I loved.

  I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling of the motel room. I was in Kian’s bed, the blankets were wrapped around me and he was sitting in the chair, holding my hand and staring off into nothing at all. Seito sat beside him, looking at the ground, lost in his own thoughts. Everything was quiet and dark. The bedside lamp was on but it didn’t give off much light. Outside the sky was black.

  I tried moving my head but stabbing pain across my temples stopped me. I squeezed my eyes closed and a moan escaped my lips.

  “Mai?”

  They were both off their chairs and hovering over me in an instant.

  “Can I have some water?” My throat was burning from all the smoke and my mouth had the consistency of sawdust. Seito nodded and rushed to the bathroom to grab a glass. Kian squeezed my hand gently and ran his fingers across my forehead, checking whether I was feverish. Seito returned quickly, bringing the glass up to my lips where cool liquid rolled across my tongue and soothed my throat. I drank half the glass before he took it away.

  “You’d better stop or you’ll get sick.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Anytime.” He placed the glass on the table beside me and stepped backwards to give me room.

  My whole body ached, it was almost impossible to tell which part of me hurt more. I tried moving a little bit to try and see whether or not I could. The fingers on my right hand were bandaged with a splint. In my mind I could remember Anique bending them back until they snapped. They didn’t hurt much as broken fingers should, it was more of an itching tingle than anything else.

  My stomach still felt as if someone had stuck a spoon inside of me and stirred everything around. There were bandages too and when I tried to move, my muscles constricted, sending a tsunami of pain and nausea throughout my system. The water I’d drank earlier gurgled at my throat, threatening to force its way back up.

  “How are you feeling?” Kian placed a cool hand against my cheek. There was a spark of uncertainty, guilt and fear poured off him in waves.

  “I’ve felt better,” I said and gave him a feeble grin. “But I think I’m healing. I can feel it. My skin is itchy. It’s like I can feel the cells moving around in my stomach, fusing parts of me back together. My body’s warm, like a heating pad. Is that normal?”

  Both Seito and Kian nodded.

  “You’ve both been helping me, sharing your energy. It speeds things up.”

  The both nodded again.

  “Thank you.” I turned my attention to Seito. He was sitting on the edge of the bed by my feet. “I owe you my life. She would have killed me if you hadn’t found me.”

  “I wouldn’t have done it without your help,” he said. “You set off a burst of energy that could have been seen from Australia. It shattered every single window in the school. Of course the fire department thinks it was because of the fire but it was your energy that led me to you. I never would have thought to check the toilets.”

  “I still owe you.”

  “Good,” he said. “Remember what I told you. I’m always getting myself into trouble. I can use the help.”

  “What happened to Anique?”

  Seito and Kian exchanged glances.

  “We couldn’t find her,” Seito said. “By the time Lina went back to look she was gone. But Micah and
Lina are out searching right now. They’ll find her, Sobek, too.”

  “Will they kill them?”

  “Maybe,” Seito said. “And don’t go giving me that guilty look. Don’t you dare feel sorry for them! They deserve it. They’re not going to quit on their own and we can’t have them running off to find backup. We’ve had enough trouble dealing with two of them. Imagine if fifty more show up?”

  I smiled. “You’re not nearly as impartial as you want people to think.”

  “Neutral’s got nothing to do with it,” Seito said. Placing his hand on my toes, he gave me a quick squeeze before getting to his feet. “It’s more to do with what’s right and proper. Speaking of which, I’m going to go find something to do for a bit and give the two of you some alone time. I think you need to talk.”

  He was out the door before I could protest.

  Seito’s sudden disappearance only made Kian tenser. He sat by the side of the bed, tapping his foot nervously against the carpet. I could see that he wanted to talk but he didn’t want my rejection. He was terrified that I was still going to refuse him, even after everything that happened.

  Watching the agony on his face, feeling the emotions as they coursed from his fingers into mine, I knew he was truly sorry even if he couldn’t say it. But I still wanted an explanation, I deserved that much.

  “Kian, I need to know the truth.”

  “I should have been there,” he said. “I’m such an idiot. If I hadn’t screwed things up so badly this never would have happened. I should have been honest with you. I shouldn’t have given you a reason to push me away.”

  “Now’s your chance.” It took a lot of effort but I managed to pull myself up into a sitting position. My stomach burned and protested but I ignored it. I needed to be looking him straight in the eyes when he told me.

  “I should have warned you,” he said. “I should have explained things.”