Beyond Fear (Book 1 in The Element Wars) (Published on Amazon - Sample)

Chapter Four - Taken

Lizzie and Lucas walked side by side for hours, never seeming to grow any closer to the wall of trees they were heading for, the deep green taunting them, forever miles away on the horizon. The hot sun above grew higher and higher in the sky, the sweat streaming salty streaks down their faces and bodies, the breath struggling in their throats as they carried on endlessly across the sand.

Lizzie’s head was pounding; the dried blood smeared across her face and neck, matted thickly through her hair and with every step she became even lighter headed, a delirious fever taking hold as she walked on. Her bag felt like it was full of bricks as it swung steadily, beating out a rhythm against her back that matched the pulsing she felt through her body.

All she wanted to do was lie down on the sand and go to sleep. That would feel like heaven right about now. She paused trying to swallow through her dry throat and switched her bag to the other side, the movement sending another wave of nausea through her body, the dull ache turning to a sharp stabbing in her head.

“Here, let me take that for you,” Lucas said, moving and taking the bag from her.

“Well, aren’t you just my knight in shining armour,” Lizzie remarked, without thinking. Where had that come from?

The words had just blurted out before she could stop herself. She could hear the sarcasm in them. Hear the slurred tone of her voice. It felt like it was someone else talking. It wasn’t really her. She couldn’t be that spiteful. She just badly needed a drink. Her throat felt scratchy, and her chest burned with every new step. The heat was unbearable, and her head felt like it was on fire. All she wanted to do was lie down. Just for a while. Maybe she would even wake up at home. Now that would be great. She looked up at Lucas her mind struggling to focus and caught sight of the look on his face, and she suddenly felt compelled to laugh.

“What is your problem?” he snapped, throwing her bag on the ground.

Lizzie stopped, looking back at the boy who haunted her nightmares and felt the anger starting to burn. It washed over her like a tidal wave of red, filling her head with his laughter, her chest constricting, as she thought she was going to black out.  She stared at him suddenly feeling the need to hurt him as much as he had hurt her. She wanted him to know what it felt like.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she snorted. “Maybe it’s because I almost drowned. Or maybe it’s the fact that I’m stuck here, in God only knows where with you. Or maybe it’s the fact that I don’t care anymore,” she shouted, her body swaying and beginning to shake.

Lucas stood staring at her slightly taken aback by her outburst.

“What happened to you?” he asked. “It’s like you’re another person or something.”

“Why do you miss her, do you? Nice timid little Lizzie, who always kept her mouth shut. Always did what she was told. All she wanted was a chance but oh no, she wasn’t good enough,” she spat.

Lucas didn’t answer as he watched the tears start to stream down her face.

“Well, maybe she did die,” she snapped, wiping her tears away in anger. “Maybe she filled her lungs up with vile green canal water, because me, I’ve had enough. Enough of people telling me what to do! Enough of being scared. Enough of being, just Lizzie.”

 “I don’t know why I bothered,” Lucas butted in, hatred spreading across his face.

“You know what, neither do I.”

They stared at each other the anger now filling both of them. Lizzie didn’t know what she was doing; she just couldn’t stop herself. She could feel herself shaking, could see Lucas, his face now cold as ice staring at her.

“Well, the next time you’re in trouble, I won’t bother helping you then,” he said.

“Good. I don’t need your help anyway,” she said, turning to walk away from him.

“I should have just left you,” he sneered at her back.

Lizzie stopped and turned.

“Now that wouldn’t have been a surprise, would it. Seeing as it was because of your friends that I was in the water in the first place.”

Lucas looked as if she’d slapped him, the colour draining from his face as he stood frozen to the spot unable to answer.

Lizzie stopped in front of him her head bent, not wanting to look into his face.

“Have you ever been so scared that even death seems like an easier option. That anything was better that what you had to go through,” she asked, looking up at him. “Been so defeated because you know deep down inside that no matter what you do or how hard you try, it’ll never be good enough, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. No, what would you know about it, with your perfect clothes and perfect family and perfect friends.”

 She shook her head; her outburst finished, defeat on her face as she straightened up, wiping her face.

“Well, I’m done because I’m never going to let anyone make me feel like that again.”

Lucas moved forward, his face softening, and he opened his mouth to speak.

She held her hand up stopping him.

“Stay away from me Lucas,” she whispered as she turned and walked away, leaving him where he was standing.

“Right, what would I know about it,” Lucas sighed dejectedly.

He watched her walk away for a few minutes and then shouldering her bag he turned and began to walk in the opposite direction, his infuriation growing with every step as he thought about what she’d said. She had no idea what he’d been through, what his life was like. Who was she to judge him! He’d been the one trying to help her but not anymore, he was done trying to be nice.

“Well fine, if that’s how she wants it, let’s see how she does on her own,” he shouted aloud, stomping his feet in the sand with aggravation.

He had walked almost two hundred yards before he heard the scream. He turned instantly to where he had last seen Lizzie, his heart pounding in his chest, but she wasn’t there. He heard the scream again, this time from high above. He looked up and could just make out Lizzie’s long brown hair blowing madly in the wind as she hung gripped in the claws of a large orange…

No, it couldn’t be!

Lucas shut his eyes shaking his head in disbelief. Maybe he was seeing things, like a mirage or something because of the heat. Surely he was. There was no other explanation. He opened his eyes again just in time to see a large orange dragon soar into the canopy of the trees.

Lizzie clasped tightly in its talons.