TARGET FOR DEMISE

35

35

Margot watched Crystal like a hawk. The classes she went to, Margot was at the back. The sessions with the teacher she had requested, Margot was there. Margot went as far as sit with the girl at lunch. The table was more than uncomfortable with the intrusion but Crystal was quiet. That day at school she spent it with Luke, studying. She came to him so determined that she had Luke sweating in frustration.

They had finished maths due to Luke's surprise and had moved on to Physics. The library had become their oyster and Margot made sure she was not far behind. She watched them like the watch dog she was, waiting to get something worth reporting

"I remember heat capacity being much easier." Crystal noted grabbing her calculator.

"As you advance things get harder, I tell you," He replied doing his own notes. Crystal sighed but continued with the work. If she had to fight to live, she needed to make sure she at least finished high school with the rest of her class.

"Your friend has been watching us for hours." Luke whispered gesturing behind Crystal.

"Ignore her," she replied, "and she is not my friend."

Margot felt herself wince when she heard that. She hated how rejected that made her feel especially since she had no idea why she felt that way. She had no desire to be Crystal's real friend but how bluntly she had the girl vocalise her dislike of her did dent a huge chunk of her ego.

What was wrong with her?

"Why is she living with you then?" Luke asked.

Crystal put the calculator down.

"She is not living with me," she said, "she is living in Felix's house, down the hall a whole five rooms away."

Luke shrugged, "Okay, if you hate her that much."

Crystal didn't explain further. She wanted Luke to understand that the only thing Margot wanted was bring her pain along with her mother Carmen. She will be damned before she let her guard down with the little witch again.

Margot backed away from the two and kept a distance where she could not hear their conversation or their thoughts. She couldn't explain it but the thought of Crystal hating her, hurt her for some reason.

Hours later.

There was bustling the second she walked in the front door. She ignored the witches that were staring at her and walked up the stairs in the direction of the library. Not surprisingly Margot was close behind her, she didn't spare the little witch a glance when she passed by her room and threw her belongings inside, and continuing her path to Blake's new home.

She had this feeling that she couldn't quite place and that feeling was leading her to the library.

She threw the large doors open and Blake fell back into the pile of books he was reading in shock.

The second Margot made it to the door, Crystal made sure to shut the doors in her face.

**

"Crystal?"

"Blake." I greeted, "Jordan."

Jordan didn't spare me a glance. This was the first time I had never seen a smile on his face. Blake looked at him like I had caught him reading porn and smiled uncomfortably.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. I shrugged.

"There is something here that I need." I told him, "I don't know what it is yet but I need to find It." she said.

There had been this feeling all day that felt like anxiety. Something was gonna happen to me that I knew very well. I was going to be prepared for it whatever it may be.

"I am here to be prepared," I announced, "Whatever it is you are reading pass me a copy." I smiled.

Jordan scoffed and Blake stood protectively in front of his pile of books.

"I can't let you do that." He said apologetically.

I rolled my eyes and charged toward him.

Unfortunately for me the scene changed. I wasn't charging toward Blake any more. There was a man, or a silhouette of a man standing where Blake was standing. We were outside on what looked like an edge of a cliff. My body felt different. It didn't feel like mine any more. The man took a step in front to me, his hand reached out but there was a blast and he went falling off the cliff. A laugh resounded behind me and I was made to face a city on fire. There were hard hands on my shoulders keeping me in place and a heavy metal belt around my waist and ankles.

"Now for the finale."

I gasped and my hands fell on white tiled floors. My breath was in even and my heart felt heavy. I looked up to see Blake looking down at me confused. Jordan put his book down and walked toward me slowly.

I tried to understand what I saw but the pictures started changing again. That damn clock gonged again then it was broken on the floor. There was a scream and lots of thuds.

I felt myself shuffle backwards to my bottom and pull my knees to my chest trying my hardest to hide from the chaos. Then there was the yellow eyes staring right me. A snarl left the creatures mouth and its mouth opened revealing its bloody fangs just about to sink in to my...

"Crystal?"

There I was back in the library with four eyes scrutinizing me. Jordan crouched down to my level and slowly brought a finger to my nose.

"Crystal, you are bleeding," He noticed and indeed I saw his finger covered in a patch of red. My body shook with fear as I backed away from him. My hand found my nose and I felt the blood leave my body.

Something was happening to me. Whatever it was, was warning me of a worse fate.

"Crystal?" Jordan got to his knees to try to get to me but I moved away further turning to the door. There stood Margot her eyes as golden as her mother's the other day. With the blood dripping down my nose, I glared at her with everything I had left in me and she stumbled back in shock.

My body was still shaking and I couldn't find it in me to share what I saw. What Margot made me see?

The head ache returned this time with a gift. I was in that place with the cross bows again.

They were not loaded this time. But they were still pointing at me.

"I found you."

My heart beat out of my chest as I searched for the source of that voice. The cross bows disappeared one by one until I was the only thing left in the darkness. I tried running to find the way out but the room went on and on and on.

My chest ached in fear and my head felt like it was about to the burst. I bumped into a hard chest and smelt the rain. The tears flowed down my cheeks as I held on to the fig-mental imagination of Felix.

"Don't let them take me," I cried, "Please don't let them take me!"

I felt defeated. No matter how tough I tried to act, no matter how strong I wanted to be, there was something or someone that had the power to break me. That was a very terrifying thought.