The End of The Beginning

Chapter 34

Chapter 34:

 

"Okay, I know I'm coming into this really late but who's Gavin?" I asked. David looked flustered and put his hand to his face.

"You idiot, I'm Gavin!"

"Then why did you call yourself David?" I inquired.

"Long story. Rose and I have stuff to talk about. Mind leaving?" He said sweetly. Rose gave me a look that I'm fairly sure meant not to listen to him, not to believe him, and not to leave.

"Actually, Gavin, I do mind leaving!" He spat at me and stomped on my foot.

"That wasn't a question. Get out."

I sympathetically looked at Rose before I trudged out of sight and earshot. I walked to a rock at the edge of the forest and sat contemplating my life and how screwed up it is.

All of the sudden, I heard a scream that pierced my ears. (I am likely partly deaf now.) It didn't sound low enough to be David, I mean Gavin. It had to be Rose. Concerned, I ran as fast as my tired legs would carry me.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" he screamed. "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! YOU BETTER GODDAMN KNOW HOW TO SHADOW TRAVEL ON YOUR OWN BECAUSE I AIN'T HELPING YA AND AS SOON AS I CAN CATCH YOU YOU'RE DEAD!"

I didn't run. I could here Rose pleading for mercy and David/Gavin arguing with her. I contemplated what I saw and I wish I could hit my head on a rock just to erase the memory.

The man with two names was as naked as a newborn child and was beating Rose with (I presume) a stick from a nearby tree. She was almost bare but somewhat covered. I wasn't paying attention to that though. I could only see her face. Her eyes were swollen and she was bleeding. Pain was basically written across her bruised face. "Go!" She screamed at me. I wouldn't move. I charged at Gavin and he fell over. I didn't care that he wasn't wearing anything or that he was much larger than I. I am running on adrenaline. I am punching him in every available area and kicking him everywhere else. My body is charged on adrenaline and I feel high.

It feels like seconds have barely passed when Gavin is lying on the ground. He's breathing, but unconscious. I look at my hands only to find that they're bruised and bleeding almost as much as Rose. I look up at her only to see her cowering on the ground. Her arms are shaking as she carefully pulls her shirt back over her head. I'd never thought I see the day where Rose would cower in fear. I cross over Gavin's body and make my way to Rose, helping her up. The adrenaline rush is gone, and I feel my heart beating a mile a minute. Rose is barely stable enough to walk let alone run. I put my arm behind her just so I can stabilize her. She is shaking.

I don't have powers, I am a mere mortal and Rose is far too weak to shadow travel or use a fire portal. Whoa...if I'm a mortal then...

"Rose," I ask cautiously. "Did I turn you into a demon?" she shakes her head vigorously and pointed at Gavin.

"He did it." I nodded my head in understanding.

"Hey, it's okay, I'll protect you." She leaned onto my shoulder and I led her deeper into the forest.

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            We've been walking for miles and my shoulder is starting to cramp. Rose is struggling at my side, her feet almost dragging in the dirt.

            All of the sudden, a figure jumps down from a tree. A short boy covered in mud is standing in front of me. I used my free arm to rub my eyes to make sure I'm not dreaming.

"Hey loser, miss me?"

"Kyle?" I said in disbelief.

"Come on dude don't look so confused, I was bound to come back sometime." He said, smirking.

"But how?"

"Dude, don't ask. It's a long story." His eyes drifted to the side and I realized he was looking at Rose. Something tickled my brain about him saying something on the beach about his enemies. He mentioned three people: Brook, Rose, and Gavin. Damn it.

"Oh, um, her? This is..." I tried.

"Don't make excuses, I know it's Rose."

"Oh."

"Hey Kyle." She grunted. She didn't seem angry, like she was with Gavin. Just...tired.

"Rosie." He said, looking her dead in the eye. I looked at the ground, willing this awkward moment to be over.

"Kyle!" I jumped, breaking the silence. "We need to get out of here, can you help us?"

"God, I just got back from the dead and you already want to get away? Fine, go make out or something."

"Kyle!" I groaned. "Kyle, come back, that's not my point. Gavin is back there and we need to get out."

"Wait Gavin's there? I'm gonna knock him out!"

"Too late for that, bruh. I already did it."

"You did?" he exclaims. I show him my hands. "Damn, okay. I'll help you. Everyone grab one of my shoulders. Though I know you rather grab my forearm." He winked at me and I rolled my eyes at him. "Here we go."

In a second we are up in the air, flying much like I did with Rose on the beach. That seems like an eternity ago.

We land with a thump on an island. "Great going, we are in the middle of a shark infested ocean!" I said somewhat sarcastically. Rubbing his head, Kyle grunted. I walked over to Rose who was sitting on a rock, her knees pressed against her chest. She nodded towards me, an indication that I should sit down. "Are you okay?" I asked her. She merely nodded her head. I hugged her and she let me. My shirt is getting wet from her tears but I don't care.

We sat there for a few minutes until I broke the silence. "Rose," She looked up at me. I noticed a dark spot on her neck. "You...you have something on you neck." I gestured on my own neck to show her. Her hand instinctively moved up to a bruise on the middle of her neck and flinched.

"Oh, that." She said.

"What is that?" I inquired. She buried her head in her arms.

"You don't want to know."

"I do."

"Save those vows for later," she smirked.

"Come on," I begged.

"What do you think?" she sat up.

"Has it always been there?"

"No."

"Oh." I said. Seventh grade health class was starting to return to me memory. I softly touched the bruise on her neck and she flinched. "Sorry," I muttered.

"It's okay," she said, barely audible. I stood up and kissed her forehead.

"Feel better," I said, hugging her. She nodded into my shoulder and I left to go find Kyle.

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            "Kyle!" I called out. I was trudging barefoot in the hot sand. The grains of pain have already gotten into places that are unspeakable. I found the boy skipping rocks into the sparkling water. I sat down next him, picking up one of the stones he had in a pile. Weighing the pebbles in my hand, I was reminded of the time when Grace and I were skipping stones at the beach at home, right before we found out about the fire.

"We're going to be here a while." He said plainly, getting up. "I'm going to gather wood for a fire."

He trudged off into a forest of palm trees. He was speaking normally, no slang. I looked at his pile of pebbles and I realized they were in an order of some sort. I got up to get a better look. Tilting my head to one side I could see that it spelled something out.

It said one word. Okay what letter? O...W...E...M...no that's not right, N. What does that spell? Oh.