Angels and Magic

by E. J. Bennett

"Kay, stop!" I recognize the voice. It was Chris, which infuriates me more.

  How dare he protect this evil bitch?

  Sarah recoils back. I feel a burning sensation rise inside my body. My hands shake. The wind whips around me, biting into my skin. Dirt, plants, and other small objects spin around me in a circle, creating a small twister.

  Instinct tells me to put my hand out, palm facing up. I slowly raise my arm when a hand firmly holds onto my wrist. An electrical current runs up my arm, starting from the large scar on my palm. The current stops at my heart but leaves a slight vibration and tingling sensation. The static increases to an alarming rate.

  The situation is spiraling out of control, like a tornado picking up speed and power before unleashing its fury.

  I try to pull my arm free. Without warning I kick and claw at Chris, making contact a dozen times. He does not budge or let go, he places his hands on my shoulders and forces me to look at him. My anger quickly disappears, turning into shame. He shows compassion and sympathy in his eyes. His face is soft and caring, like he has dropped his shield, giving me a peek into his heart.

  "She is not worth it," he whispers, dropping his hands. My skin is hot where he has been touching me. Looking around, I notice the wind has stopped and a crowd of students have gathered.

  "Some people are like clouds; when they go away it is a better day." Sarah's words cut deep.

  I bolt. Clara will be so disappointed in me.

  For hours I wander around the unfamiliar village, not knowing where I'm going, but not caring. So much has happened within the last few days. My mind is a mess. I don't know what is real and what is not anymore.

  My heart swells with a sea of tears for my Mom - who I cannot remember, for Clara and David - who I miss dearly, for myself, and for the life that I have just been thrown into. My hope is a fragile seed, the hope of getting to my eighteenth birthday with my insanity intact. Hope to return to Clara and David. Even if I can return I would return a different girl. The last few days have changed me in ways I never thought possible.

  I avoid my Grandmother like the plague. I sit in my room, reading a book I found from the large library within the house. The book is about dreams, a bit like the one I lost in the bookshop back home.

  "Dreams are an impression of the soul. Events from your past, day to day life and thoughts and feelings, all connect to your dreams. If you think bad things will happen, then your mind and soul will reflect this in your dreams. Think happy thoughts, look for the rainbow." Yeah, this book is not helping anything.

  When James arrives, I refuse to go down and take part in another exercise. Although I have seen for myself the powers I possess, still I find it hard to believe, or maybe I just do not want to believe.

  Life does not have any hands, but it can sure give you a slap sometimes. I feel like I have been slapped, punched and kicked until my body is numb with pain.

  My life has changed dramatically. Who would have thought that one innocent trip to the mall would result in me being here, surrounded by supernatural people.

  If I could go back to my old life I would in a heartbeat. I miss Clara and David terribly. My phone calls to them are short. I have never lied to them. Okay, maybe I have told them little lies. But it always made me feel uncomfortable. Plus I was always ashamed of myself for weeks.

  What can I tell them? My life here sucks. I don't want them to think I am happy here as I don't want them to feel as though they have been replaced. I also don't want to tell them that I am not happy here, as I don't want them to worry. There is nothing they can do to help me anyway. In the eyes of the law I am a minor, and the law gets to decide where I stay and whom I can live with.

  Chapter 14- Kayla

  As I walk into the main part of the school, (Misty calls it the lobby) I'm a ball of nerves. Misty smiles and waves me over. She is seated on a plush black leather couch beside James. They look to be in deep discussion their heads bent slightly forward.

  "Hey, we need to go shopping for the dance next Friday," Misty gushes as I take a seat. She waves her hands in the air as she speaks with excitement.

  "I don't think I am going to go." The dance sounds like a bad idea. I cannot make it through a lesson without something going wrong.

  "You have to come, it will be great. Please," she gives me her puppy dog eyes and pulls at my heart strings until I relent.

  "OK, fine, maybe just for half hour or so." I inwardly kick myself for yet again letting Misty persuade me. I can be a pushover at times.

  "Thank you, we are going to have so much fun." She hugs me, bouncing up and down. I can't help but laugh, my anxiety disappearing.

  "Have you got a date, Misty?" James asks. I never thought of that, and I don't want to be the third wheel.

  "Yes, Ethan has asked me." Her cheeks blush slightly.

  "You told Chris." James lifts his eyebrows in amusement.

  "No, and you're not going. After Chris finds out, all my dates suddenly they can't make it, and walk the other way in the halls when they see me." She makes quotation marks when using Chris's name.

  James burst out laughing. "You know he loves you and is just looking out for you." She rolls her eyes. Misty is every bit a teenager.

  The day goes by fine, no incidents of any kind but the other students avoid me like the plague.

  Once school is over I take a walk to the meadow which holds the beautiful horses. As I approach the wooden fence, Faraway strolls over. He bows his head over the fence. I gently pat and stroke his head. He lets out a snort.

  My bravery, or maybe my stupidity, gets the better of me. I open the gate and enter the horse's home. Holding onto Faraway's mane, I pull myself up. Gently, I tap my heel against him and he sets off in a steady walk.

  We walk past beautiful rivers where the water sparkles from the sun's rays. Exotic flowers in full bloom give off their sweet scent. Lush green hill tops stand out against the magical countryside. I feel like a fairy, floating on air, lost in a magical world.

  Suddenly Faraway stands on his hind legs, snorting. With all my strength I grip on as tight as I can. We shoot forward. The sound of his hooves pounding on the ground match my heart, strong and wild. Branches whip at my skin. Clouds of dust follow us. The horse runs out of control. We weave down a narrow dirt lane. My heart leaps as I struggle to control the horse. A huge drop appears to my left, inches away from the horse's feet.

  I scream, showing the world my terror. Faraway skids to the side his back leg just misses going over the cliff. Another scream rises from the depth of my stomach. The land narrows, a drop is meters before us. Faraway shows no signs of stopping. He speeds up. Out of fear and desperation I cover my eyes as he leaps high into the air. I am sure this horse is going to kill us both.

  We come crashing back down to solid land. I thank my lucky stars. He doesn't stop there. Before I can even push air into my lungs, he sets of again.

  In the distance a black shadow rushes towards us. My panic rises. That is either a twister or Shadow.

  The black shadow draws closer, taking the shape of a horse with a man atop. I let out a breath. I did not realize I was holding in.

  Once Shadow becomes level with Faraway, Chris whips me off the horse, quicker than I can blink.

  He places me in front of him. Faraway continues to run.

  I sit taking short deep breaths. My body shakes from the adrenaline.

  Chris stops the horse beside a crystal clear lake. He jumps off. He grips my waist hard and I wince. He places me on the ground roughly. His arms are crossed and a look of anger flashes in his eyes.

  Shadow walks away slowly to a nearby field. Shaking his head and baring his teeth while looking back.

  I am sure that horse is laughing at me.

  I put on my best innocent face, waiting for him to yell or give me a lecture.

  "What the hell is wrong with you? First, you use your powers on Sarah. Then you go get on a wild horse. Not any wild horse but one of the most dangerous horses here.
Faraway refuses to be tamed. He will not allow anyone to ride him." He steps closer pointing his finger at me. I let out a shaky breath.

  "Do you want to get yourself killed, because you are going the right way about it? Not only are you irresponsible, but you are stupid," he rants.

  "I don't expect you to understand what happened with Sarah. And I am not stupid!" I yell back at him.

  "What do you call this little adventure of yours, smart?" He shakes his head, and runs his hands through his hair. I walk away, sitting at the lake's edge.

  Water ripples slightly as it flows, the lake is calm, the opposite of how I feel right now. A tear lands on my hand. I quickly wipe it away before he can see. I don't want him to think he has got to me.

  He sits beside me, staring blankly at the water.

  "I never asked to come here. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be a part of this world. I just want to go home." My tears flow freely with each word I utter.

  "No one gets to choose the family they are born into. That is just life. You have to make the most of what you have been given. Right now you are not doing yourself any favors." He looks at me with sadness in his eyes. "Your mom once told me that. She was right though. We cannot change who we are,"

  "You knew my mom?" My eyes begin to brim with more tears, blurring my vision.

  "Yes," he whispers as he gently wipes away my tears. His fingers tingle my skin. An involuntary shiver runs down my back, betraying me.

  His eyes become darker, taking on a clouded look. His hand rests on my cheek as his face moves closer. A feeling I cannot places swells in my stomach, my skin grows hot in anticipation.

  You hate him remember, I say to myself. He is always yelling at me or looking at me like a bug he would love to squash. And yet I find myself wanting him to kiss me. A howl fills the air. Birds leap from nearby trees. Pounding on the hard dirt which vibrates the ground. A large pack of wild dogs run freely across the nearby field.

  He jumps to his feet. "I better get you back." Shadow darts towards us. The feeling of disappointment floods me as I settle in front of him on his beast of a horse. Shadow shoots forward leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.

  ***

  Saturday rolls around quickly. Climbing into the back of James's car I find myself feeling anxious. The last time I had gone shopping, it didn't end well. Still, I'm glad to be getting out of the gates and into the real world.

  The journey is shorter than I am expecting. In less than half an hour we are walking through the front doors of a large shopping center.

  This is going to be a long day.

  James leaves us at the entrance, allowing us to shop alone. Before he leaves, Misty and James stare at each other silently their heads tilting or nodding at times. Strange, I think as I watch them.

  Misty drags me from one store to the next; I never knew shopping could be so exhausting. Misty is not tiring though, shopping is her thing.

  "Oh my gosh, that is the dress, you have definitely got to buy. It's perfect" I have tried on a dozen dresses, finding something wrong with each of them.

  "I don't know, Misty, do you think it is too short?" The dress comes to just above the knees, pretty and elegant. I do secretly like it but feeling a bit conscious of revealing that much skin. The top part of the dress hugs my skin. The back dips dangerously low, showing off the small of my back. The material is a pure, crisp white satin. At the hips it flares out like a skater dress. I decide to take it. Misty hands me some white heeled shoes that I am sure I am going to break my neck in or cause serious damage.

  Slipping the shoes on my feet, something does not feel right. My nerves quickly become jittery. Temperature in the air drops dramatically and a slight buzz fills my ears. I bend down to remove my shoes. A rough hand clamps over my mouth, the smell of garbage turning my stomach.

  Terror takes hold as the scenery changes into a swirl of colors. Dizziness rushes over me as my terror turns to panic.

  I'm pushed to the floor. Cold seeps into my bones instantly. A door slamming shut echoes around me as I'm plunged into darkness.

  Standing up on shaky legs, I blindly feel my way around the room. The walls are made of rough bricks, the floor solid stone. One exit and it is locked. Sinking to the floor, I pull my knees up and tuck my chin in my body shaking with cold.

  I sit there for what feels like hours, how much time has passed I do not know. My joints are stiff from the cold. A brown rat scuttles across the floor. I scream. The rat darts through a small gap in the door.

  The sound of screeching metal alerts me. I jump to my feet.

  It is Hulk, one of my attackers who unfortunately set off all these bizarre events. He circles me. His eyes bore into mine.

  He lunges. With my face firmly in his large rough hands, he pulls the back of my dress down. He exposes my shoulders. His sour breath assaults my senses. His hand runs over my birthmark, which is located on my left shoulder. It is the shape of a rose; it looks like there is a large thorn sticking out from the stem.

  "In every generation, a girl will be born, until the girl who bares the rose's thorn.

  Rules will be disobeyed that were made to be sworn.

  The girl will rise through light and dark. She will bear the mark.

  Hell will be opened. Evil will be welcomed.

  The child from earth and light will bear the fight.

  She will end the war once and for all. With her they will all fall.

  The sky will turn red to mourn the dead." His chanting makes no sense. His hands run down my body. His face lights up with a demented grin. Roughly he pushes me into the stone wall. Pain sears up my back.

  He presses his overly large body against mine.

  Fury wells up from the pit of my stomach. Heat flares in my chest and burns through my veins like a spark following a fuse. My body buzzes like a live wire as electrical currents race along my nerve endings spilling out. I place my hands on his chest to push him away.

  He screeches as the smell of burnt flesh floods my senses. He steps back with a look of astonishment. I follow his eyes to my hand.

  A blue ball shoots from my hand, hitting Hulk in the chest. He falls to the floor. Violently he convulses and twists. I stand stunned for a couple of minutes. My legs move on their own accord. I fly through the open door.

  The high heels that are still placed on my feet do little to help me with speed and balance.

  I walk as quietly as I can down a dimly lit grey stone corridor. Candlelight flickers, casting ghastly shadows upon the walls.

  Turning the corner, a flight of stone steps comes into view and I am soon dashing up them as gracefully as I can. I emerge through another door into what looks like an old theater hall, a group of around six men shoot to their feet, all eying me in astonishment.

  My eyes dart around furiously. I spot a sign that reads Emergency Exit. Problem is the men are approaching from that direction.

  Darting forward, a tall muscular man dives for me. I push a chair in his way, narrowly escaping his grasp. One of the men grabs me by my waist, lifting me of the ground.

  My back to him, I lift my leg a fraction before plunging my heeled foot into his thigh. He drops me upon impact.

  A shooting pain runs along my palm and a stinging sensation assaults my knees.

  No time to assess my injuries.

  I jump to my feet. The other men surround me, trapping me in place.

  Willing some power to come to me I spin around. Nothing happens.

  The mouse-like, beady-eyed man lunges for me. I dive out of the way. Another man grips my hair, pulling me towards him. A searing pain runs along my scalp, burning and pulsing.

  Gasping for breath, I throw my head back, connecting with his chin, he momentarily loosens his grip, giving me time to wriggle free.

  I look around at the sea of angry faces. I spot a leg that has snapped off one of the chairs. One of the men comes running at me but I dive to the ground. Misjudging his step he collides with another man and they both
crash to the floor.

  I pick up the stick as I get to my feet. The exit is a couple of feet away. Adrenaline courses through my veins and my heart pounds in my ears. Heat burns through my veins like a spark following a fuse. My body buzzes like a live wire as electrical currents race along my nerve endings.

  My palm begins to glow a light blue before a ball of what looks like electricity forms in my hand. Tiny white lines dance inside. I panic. I do not want to hold that thing. I shake my hand frantically. The ball flies forward hitting the man in front of me. He too drops to the floor convulsing and twitching with a deafening shriek.

  Hurling my body forward, two men come at me at once. I swing the stick wildly in the air. I trip as my heel snaps off my left shoe. I roll onto my back. One of the men trips over my broken heel, falling on top of me. An awful squelching sound makes my blood run cold. Blood drips from the corners of his mouth. His body turns a dark grey then crumbles into ash.

  The chair leg has killed him. Pushing my aching body up, a foot connects with my shins, causing me to land on the ground with a thud. Torturous pain cripples me. Refusing to give up, I drag myself to my feet once more.

  Pure anger fills every pore of my body, sick of being thrown about like a rag-doll. Wind howls as the air changes. Chairs and other objects circle us as the wind intensifies, picking up everything in its path.

  The men hold onto anything in their grasp. The wind drags them into the air as if they weigh nothing.

  Not knowing how to make the wind stop that I have created, I thrust my hand to the far wall my palm flat.

  Everything sweeps past me at lightning speed, breaking down the wall as everything goes quiet. Light shines through the gaping hole, blinding me.

  Not wasting any time, I run in the opposite direction and out of the Emergency Exit while hobbling with a broken heel.

  Chapter 15- Kayla

  The street is a skeleton, stripped of its flesh long ago, deserted buildings all boarded up and falling apart, neglected over the years, left to rot and wither away with time.