Forgiveness (Under revision)

Chapter Ten

My name flowed through the air.

"Eila, Eila, Eila," they said. I felt tears fill my eyes at the sight. Their voices were dark. Evil. Murderous. And they were moving toward me. Everything went fast from there.

I let out a gasp. They advanced toward me. I was frozen in place. I felt Finn grab my arm and shove me behind him. The other fifth elementals formed a circle around me. I stared ahead in shock. Only once blood is drawn did I take action.

My blood drips on the floor and I looked up to face who cut me. A doll. I screamed and held my bow posed to shoot it. Before I let the arrow fly, a flying knife cuts through the air and stabbed the doll through the eye, killing it. Finn's knife. I turned to thank him but he was already off stabbing the other dolls. I turned back and busy myself with my bow. I set an arrow in it and pointed it at the dolls.

They aren't real things, just things made by the curse

I told myself. I let the arrow fly. I held my breath and didn't even bother to check if my arrow hits anything. I turned away and fire again. I heard blood splatter the floor. I let myself shudder before turning away to shoot another. People were killing left and right. I was panting from shooting for so long. My arms were tired. This had been going on for thirty minutes non- stop.

Finally I felt Finn's arms at my shoulder. A majority of the dolls laid dead in pools of blood at the floor. People were scattered around me. Most alive. I didn't count the dead. Because I knew the truth. They were dead because of me. I let myself go limp as Finn dragged me out of the room. I saw Audrey and Brooklyn trail behind. I didn't hear anything but I knew that Finn was talking. His mouth was moving and he was looking me in the eye, a worried expression on his face.

Finn was starting to yell so I forced myself to listen.

"Eila! Eila, are you okay?" he practically screamed in my face. I heard Audrey snort behind me. Brooklyn nudged her and walked over to me.

"I'm fine. Just dazed," I managed to get out. Finn looked more worried, but Brooklyn looked relieved.

"We should get her to the medics," Finn said and he attempts to scoop me up. I limped away.

"She's okay. Just dazed," Brooklyn repeated for me. And I forgive her when Finn finally agreed. They walked me back to my room. I had a twisted ankle and a few cuts but besides that I was fine. Audrey was the one who was hurt. She broke her wrist trying to hit the dolls. Brooklyn seemed fine. So did Finn.

I got into my room and Finn lifted me into bed, although I insisted I didn't need help.

Finn spotted the piano beside my bed.

"Do you play?" he asked me.

"Yes," I answered. He smiled back at me.

"So do I,"

I heard Audrey grunt. Finn smiled at her before he went over to the piano. I closed my eyes as he began to play for me. And I knew the song. My parent's funeral song. The one I played when I got here. Brooklyn was the first to speak.

"Eila played that song," she said. Finn stopped and turns to me.

"May I see?" he said. I looked at Audrey's expression. She folded her arms and smirked at me.

"I dare you both to go into a piano competition," she said. I sat up in the bed to study her.

"Audrey. No. People are dying now. We were just under attack. Not today," Brooklyn pushed.

"I want to see her play," Audrey insisted. I looked at Finn.

"I... want to see Eila play too," he admitted. I sighed a little as I pushed myself of the bed. I stumbled, with the help of Brooklyn, over to the piano.

"Play the one that you played when you got here," Brooklyn whispered to me. I nodded. My hands found the keys and I played. My fingers moved on instinct.

"That was beautiful," Brooklyn said. Audrey, always herself folded her arms and glared.

"I bet Finn can play better," she sneered.

"Hey it's not a competition,"Brooklyn told her. But Finn, being his competitive self took my place at the piano. 

I stood by with Brooklyn. I finally understood why they were doing this. They were trying to distract me from thinking of the dying people. And it was working. I sat there as I stared at Finn's fingers moving with lightning speed. The song was intense. Audrey smiled at me. Brooklyn glared at her. She didn't understand what they were doing.

"Do you know any other songs that you can play to beat Finn?" she asked me. I never knew Brooklyn had a competitive side. I supposed it could just be the fifth elemental. Maybe our personalities were competitive.

"I... might," I whispered back. Finn was done playing and I took my place at the piano. I positioned my hands. This was one of the songs that Everest had taught me.

I remembered that he rented a piano for christmas one time so he could teach me the song. It was one of the hardest songs I knew so I hoped that it would beat Finn.

Heart Of Courage. It was said to be a very old ancient song. It was played in all the movies. I've never seen a movie before. Those were things for people in Aurum.  I learned it with him. Thinking about it made me sad. I started playing. Slowly at first. Audrey snorted.

"Anyone could play that," she whispered to Finn. I became determined. I played a little faster. Soon enough my hands were jumping around.

Everest would be proud.

I continued to play until the end. Finn  and Brooklyn clapped and Audrey glared. I expected as much.

"Anyone can play that?" I asked Audrey. She turned away.

"You win," I heard Finn say with a smile. I turned towards him.

"Thank you,"

"Better get to bed now," Brooklyn told me. I nodded.

"They're moving us right now," Finn said. I stared at him in confusion.

"What?" I asked.

"Vanessa is moving our location so the dolls won't find us again," Finn explained.

"Oh."

Next thing I know, I'm alone. Brooklyn and Audrey are in their beds and Finn has returned to his room. I retreated to the bathroom to get ready for bed. It was way past lights out.   I moved to the shower and washed myself. I scrubbed my skin clean of dirt and blood. My hair had tangles in them and I took my time running my hand through my hair to get them out. Once they were, I stood in the hot waters of my shower for awhile. Letting the warmth heal me.

When I got out I covered myself in a soft towel. I dried my hair and tried something new. I braided a side piece of my hair into a dutch braid and made a ponytail. My mother loved braiding hair and taught me how to braid all the time. She called this one a "Viking braid ponytail". I liked it. It suited my new life. Eila. The warrior. I would love to think of myself that way. Think of myself as a fighter. A hero. A warrior.

If I couldn't be one. I could try to look one.

I changed into my black jumpsuit and looked at my reflection. I looked like a fighter. And maybe one day I could be one. Like Finn. Like Everest. They were both fighters in different ways.

I turned off the lights and retreat to bed. Today was tiring. A long day. And I knew tonight would be restless. Full of dolls. Dead people. Blood. And I hated that. I didn't want to have to see what my mind puts together in my dreams. But I was tired. I needed rest. So that's what I got. I slept.

I was right. My dreams were full of creepy images. Dolls. Surrounding me. Blood drowning me. And Everest. Everest was there. So was Liam. Dolls were attacking Everest. Liam was drowning in blood. I would only have time to save one. I had to decide now or both would die. I went with instinct. I ran as fast as I could. And the next thing I knew I was standing next to Everest, my bow poised to shoot.