Bloom: The Kingdom of Archer Series: Book I

by J Rose

  “How interesting would it be to see you burn,” He said, before letting go forcibly throwing me across the room. I can feel my knees sting from hitting the hard concrete of the basement floor but I can’t manage to get up.

  He throws gasoline on the walls surrounding me with it in a circle while I struggled to get up.

  “Your mother didn’t last long. Not after what I did,” He says smiling, his words slurring as he speaks.

  “Let’s make sure you can’t escape either,” He says. I feel a harsh punch to my head that makes my head bounce back so hard there was a beeping sound in my ears. I can feel the sting of his fist instantly and the blood inside my mouth as well. I try to stand up but my body feels too heavy, and he laughs. I manage to sit up weakly my body shaking and head spinning as I crawl away from him.

  “Let’s begin shall we?” He says taking a lighter out of his pocket. He grips it tightly in his hand as it comes to life with a flame.

  He doesn’t say anymore then, instead, he tosses the lighter into the gasoline. Like a quick gust of wind, it begins to light a fire. Spreading across the room while his laughter echoes across the darkness.

  “Please don’t let his voice be the last thing I hear,” I plead in my head. I try to move away to back away from the growing angry flames that are now behind me as well. I can see it. He’s gone so mad his eyes are no longer of any color except pitch black. There is no depth in them only darkness.

  He begins to shake and I can see it. The transformation from human to Nova wolf. He jumps landing on his four paws. A large black old wolf is growling at me. Its mouth is foaming and its eyes are dark with rage. He seems to be saying something but I can’t tell unable to hear him. He tries to swipe his paw at me in a rage. I only just avoid it by backing away hastily, only for my right shoulder to hit the flames sending a pain throughout my entire arm. My only reaction is to scream while the wolf howls back at me. I move away trying to avoid the flames that are now circling around me just like my father is now. Awaiting to capture me trapping me like a prey. He pounces as do the flames and I close my eyes waiting for the pain. Not knowing which death would be less painful but wishing for it. I don’t hear the door burst open nor do I see someone barge in, I only hear a harsh smash that interrupts my panic. When I finally do open my eyes my father is trying to get up. He’s been smashed against the wall at the front where the stairs once were, the flames are still burning while I lay there unable to move. I hear a feral growl and I turn my head. He’s standing there a large chocolate brown wolf. Tall, large but young. They both growl as my father gets up shaking off the attack.

  He’s much taller than the other wolf and for a second I wonder if they’re going to kill me together. But then the smaller wolf turns to look at me and I can’t help but feel unafraid of his eyes. They keep growling and somehow I can hear facets of phrases that fade in an out my still spinning head. The loud ring in my head makes it useless for me to try to hear clearly. They circle around each other growling before they attack. There’s so much going on that I can’t help but feel lightheaded. I can no longer breathe my tired body finally gives out and I fall. I hear a painful howl before darkness consumes me.

  I’m floating. Deep within the beautiful sky. It’s waiting for me. I want to reach it. I’m so close to it. So close to peace. So close to happiness. I outstretch my hand trying to reach it only to feel life kick back in and I fall. I scream flailing around trying to grasp a string of hope to keep me here. But there’s nothing here for me.

  “You’re going to be okay I promise.” His voice is soft. I can feel a body pressed against mine. It’s warm and comfortable. I can smell the rusted smoke on his skin. My eyes feel heavy but I open them. Penetrating hazel eyes. Dark hair. Parker.

  “No. Please… Please don’t hurt me… Please. Don’t say anything… Please.”

  There he was. Parker Archer. The guy that could see past all my walls. The one that knew how ugly I was inside and out. How unworthy of anything I felt. I couldn’t move. As much as I tried my body was far too weak. All along he had been right. He had known the truth about how worthless I truly was. And now he had seen this. He was seeing all of me. It was as if, through my eyes, he could see everything about me. I had to look away from him. I couldn’t do it anymore. He knew everything now. He knew what I was. He knew all of it. Why was fate so cruel to me?

  CHAPTER 4:

  SHAME

  (Parker)

  *Beep, Beep, Beep*

  The sound of the heart monitor was the only thing that could be heard inside the hospital room. She was so weak... so fragile. The girl I had wanted to break so bad was now laying in front of me. Her hair is gently sticking to her sides. Her face is so pale. There are so many bruises on her face, arms, and legs. Her entire body bears the tortures that life has hit her with. I shut my eyes to prevent tears from falling, wondering just how broken her soul was. I don’t need to wonder how much of that pain I have caused her because I know the truth about it. I want to touch her. I want to hold her hand and make her feel better but every time I try to reach out to her that bandage on her right shoulder stops me.

  “I’ve cursed her. Everything that’s happened to her has all been my fault.”

  I know it’s irrational of me to think that way but I know that whatever hell she’s going through I’ve only added to it.

  “What are you doing here Parker?”

  Before I know it Crystal has slammed me against the wall, something she shouldn’t be able to do but somehow my strength has been drained. She’s screaming at me but none of that matters at the moment. I can only focus on Lyric and the guilt I’m feeling. I won’t forget that look. The way she looked at me….

  #

  “She’s in trouble.”

  Those had been the only words needed for me to run out of my room and out the front door of the castle. My instincts immediately took over. Everything in my body was telling me I needed to rescue her. I didn’t know where I was going only that my heart was racing and I felt a surge of protection with each leap I took. It was like my head and my heart were in sync both chanting her name over and over.

  “Lyric, Lyric, Lyric.”

  The streets were filled with people, some screamed and moved out of the way afraid to be trampled, but I didn’t care. All I wanted to do was save her. I don’t know which direction to go along the streets but my heart tells me to go left so I do. It’s almost like in my dream, I can smell it. Gasoline burning and then I can see a small tattered house slowly being consumed by flames.

  “Somebody please” I hear someone plead. When I look up where the voice is coming from I can see a woman banging on the second-floor window a terrorized look in her eyes. Though I want nothing more than to find Lyric first, I also know I need to help this woman. With a harsh leap, I manage to jump through the second story window smashing it to bits hardly giving the woman any time to move away. Somehow she manages to move in time falling to the floor shaking.

  Her face is completely covered in bruises. Both eyes are to the point of being completely shut from how swollen they are, black and purple cover her eyes and her hair is completely matted. Her clothes are torn and there are bruises covering every inch of her. Reminding me of someone who had been mangled by a wild beast. Still, there’s something about this woman that tells me this is Lyrics mother.

  “Please,” She speaks up, her voice shaky with fear and worry. She struggles up, stumbling slightly as the flames beginning to increase around us moving toward her. I help steady her as best I can and she takes hold of my fur for support.

  “Please. You have to help her. My daughter. She’s downstairs. Please,” The woman struggles to say, and it’s all it takes to make my instinct kick into overdrive. Leaping back out of the burning house the way I came in I turn back to the woman my mind screaming at me to find her.

  “Where? Where is she?” I want to say but I know she can’t hear me. Though somehow she manages to understand when she looks at me.

&
nbsp; “The basement. Please. Save her,” The woman pleads and I don’t think twice before going back into the burning house.

  The house is dirty and reeking of alcohol. The empty bottles around me begin to pop from the heat. But it’s that blood-curdling scream that awakens me to the reality of that nightmare. I can see the flames already swallowing the door but I don’t care. Instead, I burst through it ignoring the pain that I should feel from the fire burning at my fur quickly, only concentrating on Lyric. When I finally do see her I don’t have time to take her in only to act. There’s a much larger older black wolf in front of her. He doesn’t seem to notice me and neither does she but I can hear him.

  “Worthless people like you deserve to die. Even if you are my daughter.” He says before he gets ready to pounce on her. His voice and his words anger me. I don’t have time to yell at him much less speak what I think of it because I know I only have one chance to take him out. Hopefully for good. With a leap I collide on to the much larger wolf, smashing against the left side wall causing it to collapse. Parts of the wall fall on to us. Even though a large pillar hits my head and right side, I try not to wince and shake it off trying to concentrate on her.

  “Who are you?” The much larger black wolf growls out, the impact of the crash not affecting him at all. I want to reply with something, anything, to make him know he’s going to die today for doing this to her but I don’t have time.

  In that moment Lyric opens her eyes. I know she can’t understand me but I want her to know it will be okay. Her eyes meet mine for the first time but I don’t have time to think about it. Not now. Instead, I turn my attention back to him. He’s much older and stronger than I am, that much I’m aware of.

  “I can hold my own in a fight,” I tell myself trying to size him up. The old wolf seems to be seizing me up too getting ready to attack. We circle around each other growling and I hope I can find a way to take him down as fast as I can. The walls are almost completely being swallowed by the flames.

  “If I die today and you live, I’ll feel a lot better,” I say to myself. Thinking of Lyric and knowing she won’t be able to hold on much longer unless I can save her.

  We pounce at the same time and I find myself letting my instincts take over. There’s a strong urge deep inside that tells me I have to win. Telling me that I have to protect her. He strikes with his large paw breaking my right shoulder. I cry out in pain as I fall feeling weak and stupidly young.

  “Did you honestly think a pup like you could beat me?” The older wolf gloats.

  “I’ll just kill you first. The flames will take care of her,” He says, and that’s when I turn to look at her.

  Lyric. She’s no longer conscious and the flames are about to take her in.

  “No,” I think as I close my eyes. She can’t die this way. Not after all she’s gone through. I can feel him close to me ready to attack and all I can do is close my eyes.

  “Goodbye pup,” He says, and that’s when I attack striking him down with my left paw. He falls down, the wall caving in on him and the fire swallowing him whole

  “Lyric.”

  I don’t have much time. I know this house is going to fall soon. Somehow I manage to carry her on my back. The flames are now surrounding us with no way out. The walls are now caving in. It’s boiling hot and I know there’s nowhere to turn.

  “I’m not letting you die like this,” I tell her before I leap forward, jumping past the flames and back out from where I came from.

  Everything inside the house is now falling. Searching for an exit all I can find is a window. I don’t think about it too much and I jump. The wind from outside finally causes the house to explode and it collapses in a large blast.

  Outside everyone seems to be waiting for us. Spencer is looking at me with worry as he takes Lyric off my back and places her in his arms.

  “Thank you! Thank you!” Her mother cries as she rushes toward us.

  “Paramedics will be here soon,” Spencer says to Lyrics’ mother before I shift back to my human form, Spencer is quick to toss me a pair of shorts. From a distance, I can hear the sirens and I simply take Lyric out of Spencer’s hands. She feels so light, she looks so weak.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper to her.

  It doesn’t take long for the ambulance to arrive and though the paramedics insist on taking her off my hands I refuse. Somehow I can’t help but want her to myself at a moment like this.

  “You’re going to be okay. I promise,” I say to her trying to offer her some comfort. Lost in my own thoughts I don’t realize that she’s opened her eyes until I’m gazing back at her chocolate orbs. I smile at her for comfort but she doesn’t smile back. Her body begins to shake in my arms and terror screams out in her eyes. It’s like watching a dozen thoughts running through her mind. Her eyes in that moment were like an open book.

  “No. Please…Please don’t hurt me…Please. Don’t say anything…Please.”

  In that moment I felt my own heart clench. I was ashamed of myself. She was terrified of me. She hated me, I knew it. Though it was soft, I could feel a small pressure on my chest where her hands were.

  “Get away from me,” Her eyes screamed out in horror.

  I didn’t realize that my knees had given out until the paramedics had taken her out of my arms.

  “Parker! Parker! Are you alright?”

  “What have I done…?”

  #

  “I asked you what you’re doing here!” Crystal shouts again not letting go of her grip on my shirt.

  “Crystal! What are you doing?” Spencer says pulling her away from me. Though her fiery blue eyes glare at him she says nothing.

  “He saved her,” Spencer says quietly, and for a moment Crystal turns back to me and I’m shocked to see tears in her eyes.

  “Don’t you think I know that?” She says to Spencer.

  “Don’t you think I hate the fact that my best friend was going through so much on her own and she never said anything,” Crystal says. Her voice cracks before a sob escapes her lips. In a flash, Spencer is already at her side trying to comfort her. For a second, my chest twist and I feel envy for them, wishing that I could have been a better person towards Lyric.

  “I know what I did to her was wrong,” I hear myself say, but somehow my voice sounds too rough from lack of sleep these past few days.

  “I know that I can never take anything I said back, and I’ll have to live with what I did. Please, just let me stay here with her,", I tell her. For a second, Crystal is quiet her eyes bloodshot from crying.

  “Okay,” She says after a moment.

  “I can’t stay here because of school. And. Her mom’s still in surgery,” Crystal says, her eyes sad.

  “Just. Don’t leave her alone,” She manages to say.

  “I won’t,” I tell her.

  “I’ll take you home,” Spencer tells her gently before leading her away and once again I am left alone with her.

  The room once again is silent except for the beeping of the heart monitor. I don’t know what’ll happen when she wakes up but I know I can’t stay here. Not if she’s afraid of me. I’m selfish enough to admit that I don’t ever want to stay away from her. But I’ve done too much already for her to hate me that I know nothing will ever fix this.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell her again only this time her heart monitor does a small little beep. For a moment, I wonder if that was for me but I quickly forget that notion knowing that she would never feel anything but fear and hate towards me.

  #

  (Lyric)

  There was no one to help, no one to save me. The fire kept getting bigger and bigger, swallowing everything up in its path. I could hear him laughing at me telling me how unworthy I was. How utterly useless I am. He’s going to kill me I know it. Those dark cold dead eyes have looked at me for years but tonight, tonight I know I would die. He shifts into his wolf form and I back away only to scream in pain when my right shoulder burns. Like a flash, I can feel how fast my
skin burns. He leaps up to attack me but I can’t move, I can’t scream. I can’t do anything other than close my eyes and wait for the impact. Would I feel much pain? Or would I be gone in a flash and feel nothing but darkness and emptiness? I wait for a few minutes but nothing comes so I open my eyes. He’s gone. There’s no one here. The walls are caving in around me and I know the fire is going to take me. I know I will die and my flesh will burn while I scream.

  “Somebody, please! Somebody!”

  “Somebody, please! Somebody!”

  I can feel the fire burning me, hands are grabbing my arms and I don’t dare open my eyes. Was I in hell? Was I still trapped inside that horrible place?

  “Lyric! Lyric calm down!” It’s Crystals’ voice that finally makes me open my eyes, her own eyes are filled with concern when she looks at me and I know she’s been crying.

  “Just calm down okay,” Spencer says gently, and it’s the first time I notice him. He’s standing there his curly hair usually styled neatly is disheveled, his dark emerald eyes express concern, and his jaw is tight. Two nurses come in at that moment a redhead and a blond they have a small cart and my heart begins to race.

  “Hold her down please,” One of them says and at the look of pity that both Spencer and Crystal give me makes my stomach drop. Flashes of the fire, of my father, and of Parker cloud my mind as a needle is inserted into my arm.

  “They know. Everyone knows.”

  It’s blurry. I’m not sure if I’m awake or if I’m asleep only that I might be in and out. My eyes feel too heavy to open. I can feel someone holding my hand caressing my hair, my cheek. Their touch is so warm, so gentle I don’t want this person to stop.