Avery sprinted down the alleyway, her breathing not yet caught up with her long legs.
She may as well have been a triathlon runner, considering how often life found her a need to escape from a particular situation and use her now aching feet. Connor ran alongside Avery, claiming to have been taught combat at the Queen's palace and that fitness was key to survival and to avoid shame.
Still, both of them looked like herds of elephants had tramped them, hair ripping out of Avery's braid as her thirst grew. Mila's face had shown this upon seeing them, and Sam had given them a low whistle.
"God, you guys look like shit," said Clyde, giving them a once over, frowning.
Connor shrugged, "We feel like it, too." Clyde only chuckled, but too soon it turned into a coughing fit. They really needed water, and fast.
"I think the real question is, what made them look like shit." Avery sighed, shaking her head. Mila squealed and the rest of the group, besides Avery, stiffened considerably. Avery crossed her arms against her chest, "Besides scaring the life out of my friends, what the hell are you doing here?"
The group gaped and Clyde stuttered, "Y-you know who this is?" All Clyde's former courage gone in the presence of the Dark Creature. Avery shook her head as if to deny it, and Clyde narrowed his eyes slightly. But Avery said, "I think it's more like what it is." The Dark Creature hummed its agreement and looked to the now unconscious Mila.
It had taken all but one word to exit the creature's mouth before Mila's vision had gone black. Her side looked seized up and she seemed in enough pain that her breathing hitched. She remained disoriented as the creature made a move towards her.
Clyde threw his hands out, standing protectively in front of Mila's limp body. Little did he know the Dark Creature could just float through him. Still, it was a sweet gesture between the two humans. Yes, the Dark Creature could read Clyde's mind even with his mental shields up, a perk of being magical. But the creature didn't care for love, such a foreign human concept that most things similar to it ignored it, and it merely swam through the human's body.
"Chill, boy, I wasn't going to kill her but since you gave me the idea..." Avery glared at the Dark Creature, giving a look that said don't even try it chuckled. "Only a suggestion." Not a joke.
The creature placed an onyx swirl on Mila's forehead. Sweats broke out on Mila's face and she trembled viciously. Clyde got all up in the Dark Creature's essence and snarled, "What are you doing?" He gestured to the violently shaking Mila. Streams of spirals circulated her head and rested peacefully on her chest.
The Dark Creature ignored Clyde's comment, much to the boy's luck, and it said, "The human hit her head hard, but she'll be fine in a couple of hours. Now onto why I am here." Avery opened her mouth but shut it, to her credit, once the creature raised his hand as if to say, shut up and listen. "I need you all to go back to your cave and stay there for now."
Clyde snapped. "That was the bloody plan before you disrupted our once-clean," he gestured to the blacked-out Mila, continuing, "And swift journey." Will watched silently, the only one not flinching at the Dark Creature's actions, the only one not opening his mouth–not even a slight twitch of the mouth. The Dark Creature noticed this and had to refrain from nodding its head in appreciation. It wasn't that bad, was it?
The Dark Creature's magic, once in massive spread-out whirls, retreated back into one smooth sphere and up above the sky darkened. Even the universe couldn't handle the creature's colossal power. It grumbled, "It was vital for you six to meet me before several future events. Now that this is done, we need to separate. Go, now. I'm sure you've been told this before by Portal but it isn't safe here." And that was that. Avery and Connor inclined their heads in understanding whilst the rest of the group, besides the unfathomable Will, furrowed their brows in confusion.
As the Dark Creature vanished into an ebony puff of smoke, probably to sulk in some dark part of hell, Sam asked, "Who's Portal, the bright light from Mila's house that some of us wisely ran away from?"
Avery waved him off, "You just answered your own question." Sam mumbled something along the lines of smart ass before turning to the now-stirring Mila. She opened her drowsy eyes, waking earlier than predicted. Perhaps the Dark Creature wasn't so all perfect, or maybe he wanted the group to think that. Either way, Sam didn't dig deep into it as they all lowered their eyes to Mila.
Her mouth didn't itch and her lips weren't tingly. The most she felt were the pins-and-needles in her half-awake foot. By some miracle, she remained healthy, only slightly tired. Her voice was groggy as she managed a light smile and said, "Anyone care to fill me in?"
Clyde grinned.
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"So," said Will as he brushed his midnight black hair out of his maroon eyes. The group were walking back to the cave, already halfway there and too exhausted to bother jogging, let alone running. Sam continued Will's comment, "Soap opera." He smirked as Will rose his eyebrows, staring at him side-long as if to say really?
Will soon smirked too and Sam dropped his smile. Suspicious, too suspicious. He usually enjoyed joking around with Will because he did a damn good job at reacting but it was a lot less fun when Will enjoyed it too. As if confirming Sam's thoughts Will said, "It's a pundemic!"
Sam shook his head in disbelief and chuckled receiving a triumphant grin on Will's face. Will: 1. Sam: 0. Oh, it's so on. Will's smile faded as he said, "I need to tell you about something. And I need you to take me seriously," he paused and took a shaky breath in. Sam feigned hurt and gasped dramatically, "I would never joke about you." Will gave him a look and Sam sighed, nodding for him to explain further.
"I've been having these...hallucinations, recently. Back at the cave, I had them of meeting a bright light, which came true when we met the Portal. It was also part of the reason I ran away, I didn't want to face it. Sometimes they happen in my dreams, that's when they morph into nightmares."
"So you're saying," said Sam, "you can foresee the near future?" A nod of confirmation from Will had Sam puffing out a long breath. "That is certainly not what I thought you'd say..." Will chuckled half-heartedly and asked what Sam thought he'd say. Sam blushed and muttered something along the lines of, "Doesn't matter," followed by, "Had any more recent hallucinations?"
Will shifted his weight from one foot to another and chewed his lip. He avoided sharing eye-contact with Sam, looking to the horizon blooming over the hills. It held an ominous feel like it was watching, waiting to strike when the iron was hot. Almost like one slip up of Will would make it pounce. Despite this, Will felt relaxed, less alone and clouded by his thoughts. It was a distraction, for once.
He furrowed his brow, looking to the ground as he spoke, "This recent one was different but I don't remember the details. I think that's a good thing considering this one particular element I can't forget."
"What. What is it?" asked Will with renewed curiosity and interest, his earlier apprehension gone.
Will shivered, "It was of Avery's face, though it wasn't her. It was a wolf." Sam sucked in a shallow breath and gasped with seriousness edged in his voice, contrasted to his usual joking mood. Will nodded in understanding and confirmation. If his hallucinations could indeed tell the future, then they were all damned. What was to soon happen to the group, Will didn't know, but he'd make sure they all remained as safe as possible until fate killed them all. Literally.
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Avery's brisk walk slowed down as she watched Will and Sam from a distance. No, she did not like either of them in that way, but she did like shipping pairs when opportunities peeked, or rather, sailed. This ship was far across the sea, well on its way to America. A chance to be taken for granted.
At first, Will had seemed...troubled, worried even and Avery had the right mind to drag him out of the conversation, especially if it was causing him that much stress...but soon the boys' conversation had somehow eased down and the tension in the airlifted.
The pair had no idea how perfect they were for each other, how well their personality's complemented each other. Or if they did, they didn't show it. Will's intelligent, charismatic character compared to Sam's fun-to-be-around vibe. Avery knew they must have some idea of their feelings for each other, so why the wait?
Avery couldn't linger on the idea as soon a burdening menace stormed over to her and said, "They can hear you, you left your barriers open."
Indeed. Both the boys were blushing profusely, now, sending glares her way. She grinned as guilt flooded through her. But she didn't let it control her nor regret it as much as she should have. Will and Sam should have known sooner, teenage love is inevitable anyway. It might not even work out, so waiting could prolong a hurt-filled future.
Then Connor said, "As the burdening menace, I would like to question why you didn't tell us sooner." Avery looked to grin at Connor but he didn't smile, merely grimaced. As if her presence was enough to make him hurl, she pushed this thought deep down inside her.
"About what?" Avery batted her eyelashes and gave a sheer look of pure innocence. Connor hisses and grabbed her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. The rest of the group were oblivious, far-ahead. Lucky them. Fireball had mind-linked her earlier saying he'd meet them at the cave. First, he had some business to attend to and Avery imagined this meant to hunt for dinner and didn't dwell on the matter, further. Bigger things were on her mind.
She made sure to look up her mental shields, tightly, hiding the key to her mind somewhere unknown to anyone but her. And her alone. Connor said, "Don't give me that look, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Why didn't you tell us about the Portal and Dark Creature sooner?"
Avery frowned. So many people these days jumped to conclusions at first thought. And you know what they say; to assume means to make an ass out of you and me. Connor was damn good at it but she didn't like being referred to as the behind, let alone worse, so she said, "First of all, I barely remembered the Dark Creature from when I talked to it a year ago. If I did, I didn't want to. I've never even seen the Portal, either." Connor crossed his arms but sighed.
Fucking sighed.
He let go over her shoulders and the both of them began cantering, jogging almost. The remainders of the now split group were a couple of hundred metres ahead...bloody hell, they moved fast. Connor glanced sidelong at her.
"Av, I feel very protective of you, like I have a lifelong-goal to keep you safe at all times. I don't know why, but it makes me angry when you don't trust me enough to tell me things."
"It isn't about trust..." Connor butted in before Avery could continue.
"Yes, it is. I'm sick of all these lies, you should learn to be more honest." A bubble of fury rose in Avery and her nostrils flared as she stomped her foot hard against the floor. It would have been childish if it weren't for the everlasting force that swept through the planet and flung the group spiralling into the air.
Mila's screams could be heard from miles away and it deafened Avery. Not her ears though, no, they were fine, more than fine, but the screams of terror were a dreadful reminder of what was happening to her life and what was to come. That she was a burden to all she was close to, a reminder of why she originally shut so many people out.
A wave of nausea flooded through Avery and it wasn't because of the way her body rolled through the thick air. She wasn't ready for this, just wasn't read-
Avery expected the group to hit the ground with a thud, but they didn't. Rather, they stayed alleviated for a few seconds–the most horrific few seconds of her life–before dropping to the cool grass covering the field beneath them.
Fireball came limping round a nearby tree and nuzzled Avery's neck. Are you okay? He said. Avery glanced over at the fur ball designed to kill and grinned, lightly wincing. Better than ever. Did you do that? Fireball shook his fur as if to say no and motioned to Connor who was walking over, speaking.
"I believe that power was yours, Av. The magic in you mentioned by the creatures." Avery touched her hand to her forehead, expecting a blazing hot temperature to meet her hand, expecting a fever after this exhausting, long day. Too exhausting. Too long.
So Avery didn't care when the group gathered wood in the forest, started up a fire, and settled, preparing to sleep on nature's bed for the night. All their belongings, or what was left of them–assuming the Queen had probably ran-sacked them–remained back at the cave. There was no way in hell they were going back there so Avery closed her eyes, forfeiting a battle against sleep once again.
Her dreams, in a very long time, were of peace, of watching her children running through bluebell fields and of watching the sunset slowly fade. Of watching her past disappear behind her. A fresh start, a new beginning.
A/N:
Hey guys, here is another chapter. It may seem like a filler, but it sets up a few important chapters ahead and introduces some essential sub-plots.
Song of the chapter is Alone Part II by Alan Walker. Personally, I believe Alan Walker is a great song-writer. A friend suggested this song and sang it to me. It was superb. :D
Hope you enjoyed it.
Love you all,
Ali <3