I started trembling, this is what I had been waiting for.
“Since you were a good friend, I'll make it quick and fast. You won't feel a thing,” she said as she stood up, looking pleased with herself. “Any last words?”
I couldn't say anything, I was frozen. Oddly enough, all I could think of was Sam. Where was he and why wasnt he here?
“I have a few: Touch her and it's the end of your life,” someone else said warningly.
I snapped my head up and it was Sam, I had never been happier in my life to see him, I think I even smiled a little.
Suddenly thousands of knives were whooshing through the air at Rosetta beside me. I looked up at her face and she looked terrified.
It was happening so fast, but I could see everything so clearly. I felt Rosetta grab me and pull me in front of her in the path of the knives. My eyes widened in shock as I stared past them at Sam, his expression was mortified, it was like time had slowed through my eyes. I could hear each beat my heart was giving out, I could hear my uneven breathing, it was as if those sounds were amplified.
I shifted my focused back to the knives and most of them started pulling away, but one. It kept coming and coming, and then it hit me.
I felt the cold metal of the blade pierce into my stomach and it was like I instantly turned cold.
“Ow?” I whispered in shock, my hands flying to my stomach.
Rosetta loosened her grip on me and I fell to the ground. I couldn't hear anything now except my pulse in my ears. I felt a thud behind me but I couldnt move, every time I did the sharp pain in my stomach got worse, so I just helplessly laid on the ground, watching everything happen around me. It was all a rush, and the last thing I heard was screaming and thrashing.
Some people came and crowded around me but I couldnt see any of them except for Sam; his face was twisted in pain.
I wanted to tell him not to worry about me and that I was going to be fine, and it wasnt his fault. But I couldnt, I couldnt find my body, I was numb. All I could do was watch like a spectator of my life.
Hunter was up and standing fairly close to me, but he was concentrating again. Fredric was also concentrating and so was Peter. Elane, Jane, Summer and Sam were around me. I looked into Sams face again, it seemed to keep me calm and my heart rate steady.
He was talking to Peter, then his hand touched my side, I could feel it now, and he was gently tugging on the knife. My hearing started to come back and I could recognize screams from behind me, along with the ringing in my ears.
“Peter it's in there good, if I remove it she could die,” I heard Sam say, agonized.
“No, she does not die,” Elane said, shaking her head. “I can see her, she lives.” Elane was focusing on something far away.
There was still Rosetta screaming in the background but I couldnt careless. I was shocked at how Sam was near me and that there was a knife sticking out of my stomach.
“But how, I cannot remove it,” Sam said, I could hear his voice crack.
He shouldn't feel this way, he hates me, doesnt he? Yet I could detect so much emotion in his voice when I heard him speak, I wasn't so sure if he did hate me anymore.
I felt him pick me up easily and I could feel a light swaying motion, then I felt I was put down on something soft.
I started to sob, I could really feel it now. It was like a hot hard pressure was jabbed inside of me, squishing my insides together.
“Elane,” I whimpered, trying to breathe but it sounded shallow.
“Layla, I'm here. Try not worry, everything is going to be fine.” She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than me.
Sam bent his head in towards my face, his light green eyes were searching into mine. “Layla, I am so sorry,” he whispered to me.
I felt his thumb start to stroke my cheek, it left my skin tingly from where his warm fingers touched my face.
I felt another sharp pain and flinched, it was like the knife was moving inside of me.
I looked into his face and his beautiful features were twisted in agony and guilt.
“It hurts,” I whimpered again, taking a lungful of air in.
“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should have been more careful. Please, stay with me,” Sam said in a rush.
I felt a very final sharp pain and closed my eyes with my last deep breath. I was scared of what was happening. I lay very still and I heard a small thud on the ground, and amazingly the screaming had stopped, so it was silent. My stomach started to feel cold where the knife was and the pressure was relieved.
“What was that?” I heard Jane and Elane ask, befuddled.
“Did you do that Samuel?” I think Summer asked, shocked.
“No... I don't know how this happened,” Sam whispered, taken aback.
I opened my eyes in a flash. “Please, help me up,” I asked quietly.
Sam was marvelling and astounded, but helped me up nether the less.
I felt his warm hands under my arms as he helped me stand and I winced a little at the movement, though he continued supporting me with his arms under my shoulders.
I looked around and everyone was looking at me strangely. I felt my stomach with my hands and it wasnt sore where the hole through my jacket and shirt was when I touched it, and the knife wasnt where it was suppose to be. My shirt was no doubt blood soaked, and even a little piece of carpet. I lifted my jacket and shirt up to get a better look, but there was only a pinkish mark where a big gaping flesh hole should have been, and it only hurt on the inside slightly.
I looked up at everybodys stunned faces. “It's gone,” I whispered.
“Sam, are you sure-” Summer started to say, but she got cut off.
“It was not me, if I had pulled it out in any way it would have killed her from blood loss, and I wouldn't have been able to heal her,” Sam said, staring at me speechless.
“Maybe this is one of her side abilities that bonds to her main one,” Jane suggested quietly.
I looked at her but she was staring at the floor, a calculating expression on her face.
“Maybe,” Sam whispered, still speechless.
He looked back to me, his eyes felt like they were burning through mine. “Do you mind if I…” he trailed off, but I knew he wanted to check the mark.
I lifted my Jacket and shirt up again to my belly button. I felt him very gently touch around where the knife was. When his warm fingers grazed across my skin I felt a jolt of electricity run through to my core. I think he sensed that too because he dropped his hand and I pulled my shirt down, discomfited.
“Healer,” he whispered acknowledging.
“That is only part of it though, isn't it?” Elane asked.
He nodded. “I think it is time to show her our abilities,” Sam said to everybody.
“And the tormenter?” James asked from beside me.
Gah! I jumped. Where did he come from? He wasn't there a second ago.
“Right, I will stay here and the rest of you go to the living room and show her,” Sam said, eyeing Rosetta warily who had stopped screaming and was now lying on the floor unmoving, with a blind fold on of course.
“Are you sure you can handle it son,” Peter asked, unsure.
“Yes,” he answered, I could hear the surety in his voice. “Alright, Hunter drop it on my signal.”
Sam was facing towards Rosetta now, his arm extended towards her.
“Now,” he said.
To the normal human eye it looked like nothing had changed, except maybe the lighting in the room, and Hunter looked more exhausted than before, unsteady on his feet again.
“Come on Layla,” Elane said, pulling me out of the room with Jane and James, followed by Summer and Peter.
I sat down on one of the big white couches in the living room and everyone stopped so they were standing in front of me.
“James, you first,” Peter said.
As he said that, James stepped forward, grinning at me. “Okay, hmm. Hold this in your hand,” he said,
and gave me a very expensive looking mobile phone.
“Okay,” I said slowly.
He smiled, then right in front of my eyes, the phone disappeared out of my hand.
I looked up and James, like the smart-ass he was, was waving it in front of my face, his eyes black and his palms projecting blue light.
“How did you do that?” I asked, astonished.
“Simple, I can move fast,” he said, still grinning cheekily but beautifully.
He appeared behind my left shoulder in a millisecond and then behind my right, almost giving me whiplash.
Then he appeared in front of me again.
“So thats how you swam away from me so fast on the weekend,” I said, sounding really stupid.
I heard a few chuckles from behind him but he just nodded and stepped back, grinning as his eyes and hands returned to normal. Summer stepped forward and I watched as her eyes went black like James and light was being projected. Then she just disappeared out of thin air and reappeared again right in front of my eyes.
“Invisibility?” I asked, amazed, and she smiled and nodded, returning to normal
“That's right sweetie.”
I never actually knew you could have super powers, but it was pretty awesome, not freaky at all except for when you thought about it logically.
Jane stepped forward smiling excitedly, I watched her concentrate as her eyes and hands did their thing. She turned into me, without the freaky eyes and lamp hands. That freaked me out a little but she smiled even bigger. It took me a minute to figure out what she could do, while I was doing that she kept changing from person to person, then it clicked in my head. After watching all those superhero movies and reading all the superhero books I figured it out.
“Shape shifter?” I asked.
She nodded and changed back to herself, I think.
Peter went next and what he showed me was a bit scary but it was funny the way he showed me. He said he was going to put thoughts into my head, including talking to me directly in my mind. For an example he made me stand up and hop up and down and I wasnt controlling it, thats what message my brain sent to my body.
“Cool,” I had said when he made me sit back down, and the same changes happened to him; palm and eyes abnormal stuff.
Lastly Elane. She had a bit of a hard time explaining to me so she went and got a plant out of the other room. She crushed it to show me that it wasn't a trick and as she channelled her power her eyes went black and light appeared from her palms as expected. She waved her blue light hand over the flower-pot and it grew back better than ever. I told her that that was beautiful and she laughed out of enjoyment.
“Wow. I thought this superpower stuff only existed in movies and books,” I said in amazement and astonishment.
“It's not exactly superpowers,” Jane said.
“It is family genetics, dating back to before time,” Peter added.
“So no toxic waste?” I asked.
They all laughed.
“No, there are many beings like ourselves, but yet only a limited amount,” James said, stepping forward and offering me his hand.
“Let me guess. You grew the forest outback?” I asked Elane as I took James hand to stand up.
Elane nodded. “I am a nature element,” she said, showing me that tattoo again on her wrist that meant nature. “All elementals have their true name appear on their wrist in Greek when they develop.”
Now things were making sense. “Oh, okay... But wait, how did you find me in the cemetery?” I asked, still curious as we walked towards the office doors slowly.
“I have sort of a sixth sense where I can get premonitions of the future, but only mine. And since whoever is part of my future I can see them too. But it is very complicated and I haven't quite perfected using it yet,” she said smiling.
“But how is that possible? I mean I know Hunter can sense emotions, but are you saying you can really see the future?”
She shrugged. “I suppose, in a way. No one really knows how we develop our senses, it is just how it happens because everyone is different, to an extent though. But only few Supernatural beings have sixth senses and even few humans. I guess Hunter and I are very lucky.”
We were back in the huge office now and Peter had made Rosetta fall into an unconscious sleep so Sam could have a break.
I did find out the reason Hunter was so tired though. Turns out he was practicing his ability early this morning, pushing himself, and he really wore himself out. Its why he was exhausted after the Rosetta episode Fredric told me. It was hard to believe they all had abilities, I thought only Sam and James did, but I was wrong.
Everyone was in the room but only few of us were watching Rosetta, just in case she tried to attack us again. I think we were supposed to be thinking up some sort of plan but everyone seemed exhausted and it wasnt even 10:30am yet.
I sat alone on a couch trying to figure out what I do that drives people to want to kill me. And I had to admit, I was feeling extremely insignificant after seeing what the Archers could do. I figured that all the Supernatural abilities have an extent or limit to them. A big one that would be most common is you become exhausted when you use your ability for a long amount of time or in a huge amount, unless you train yourself. James said that and I guessed that's probably what Hunter was trying to do. I noticed their irises turn black as well and I saw light project from their hands too, so I guess thats how you can also tell if their using their ability. And thats all I figured out so far, but its still hard to wrap my head around all of it and grasp the concept. That there is actually another world within our normal world, where people like the Archers, Hunter, Fredric and apparently myself, walk amongst normal people freely and unnoticed. I would have never believed this if I hadnt seen it myself, but I had, and this is the world I somehow truly belonged to. The world of the Supernatural. I just wished I knew what else I could do, that way I wouldnt feel like the odd one out.
Sam sat down next to me without a word, I barely noticed he was there until he spoke.
“I am so sorry Layla,” he nearly whispered, but his sincerity burned in every word.
I looked at him and I could tell he really was sorry, and inside I had already forgiven him.
“That's, er… okay I guess. No harm meant, I'm still breathing right.” I smiled nervously, trying to make him feel better.
It worked, a little.
For the first time I saw him smile, it was only a little smile, and it didnt quite reach his eyes, but it was still enough to make my heart miss a beat. His smile was something pure.
“It was an unforgivable mistake, I should have thought to get you away from her first,” he said, still apologetic.
“It wasn't unforgivable.” I smiled at him shyly.
“Thank you.” He looked in my eyes, holding my gaze as he reached his hand up to stroke the length of my hair slowly down to my waist.
I looked down and he tried to keep my gaze. He made me feel lightheaded and breathless, all I could focus on was him.
“Layla,” Hunter called from the floor near the office doors.
I stood up instantly and Sam stood with me.
“Yeah?” I answered, still a bit jittery from Sam.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked, cheerful and smiling even though he was exhausted.
I turned to look at Sam. “I have to go,” I said, gesturing to Hunter.
He smiled another small breathtaking smile. “Sure,” he said.
He touched my hair again then turned and started walking towards Elane who was staring at nothing imparticularly. I started walking towards Hunter, thinking Sams perfect smile was so beautiful, it completed his angular face. Oh god I suck.
I sat down on the floor next to Hunter and smiled at him. He threw his arm around the back of my neck.
“I just wanted to tell you that it doesn't matter how powerful you are, Fredric and I will always be here for you, okay?” he said into my hair. “No matter how many people try to kill you,�
�� he added, trying to hold back a laugh.
“Thanks,” I said sarcastically.
He chuckled. “You're very impossible not to like.”
I grinned. “I dunno, but I guess it's part of my charm,” I said in a joking manor.
“Hey, can I trust you with a secret?” he whispered, a minute after us just watching everyone around us.
“You know you can,” I answered.
He paused. “Well... I think I like that Jane girl,” he whispered.
I chuckled quietly. “Don't worry, your secrets safe with me,” I whispered back, once I could stop laughing. “She's a great girl.”
“Yeah, that's why I like her.” He laughed with me this time.
When we stopped laughing and just watched everyone fuss around us. It was a peaceful moment though because I felt like I could breathe, and for once I felt well, not sad, not alone or empty, but okay.
I was looking around the room at everyone and my gaze stopped on Sam, he noticed he had caught my eye and smiled sweetly at me. I smiled back shyly and turned my head away, I didnt want to admit it but I was feeling like I had butterflies in my stomach every time I looked at him. I don't know why I was feeling this way, I had honestly never felt this way before about anybody.
“Alright, we will have to get her to the Supernatural council, they will choose how reconcile her,” Peter said aloud, speaking to everyone.
“But who will take her?” Jane asked.
Did I imagine the slightly distraught edge to her voice?
“Summer and I will,” Peter answered. “We trust you enough with the house, and you will all be needed here,” he said, looking back and fourth between Sam and I.
Like anything was going to happen there. I didn't think Sam liked me, but somehow he was tolerating me now and putting in the extra effort to be nice by the looks of it.
The Hidden Revelations: First Light Page 11