The Protectors

Toby To The Rescue

The following morning after a very uncomfortable night, i woke up in the arms of Gemma, keeping me warm through the night. The air was cold and the wind was just a wisper, i sat up and in pain, my cloths were covered in blood. I unzipped my sleeping bag trying not to wake Gemma. As i slowly got out of the bag, i pulled my injured leg out trying not to injure it more, also trying not to wake Gemma. I managed to reach my back pack and get some cloths out and managed to change my clothes whilst Gemma was sleeping. It was not easy to do.

I dragged myself out into the cold and started to light a fire, i pulled myself to the food bag and took out some sausages, eggs and bread and made Gemma and myself some breakfast.

As i put the eggs into the camping pan, Gemma crawlled out of the tent and asked "what are you up to?" Surprised she was awake i answered "oh morning, i was going to give you breakfat in bed, as a thank you for last night". She smiled and sat the other side of the camp fire. I dished up our sausges and eggs and tried to pull myself around to give it to her. Gemma stood and said "i've got it, thank you".

While eating i asked "so, what happens now?" "We need to get that chalis, theres no way your fit to carry on, if only there was" she said when suddenly struck with an idea. Gemma ate the last bit of her sandwich and rushed back to the tent. She picked up her phone, and came back and sat down "i have no signal, but i can magically contact Toby, but i need your help again" she told me.

She made a circle of sticks around me and told me to stay still. She sat on the opposit side of the circle and took my hands, she told me to close my eyes and she started to chant in another language. After i bit of chanting i saw a vision of the ancient willow tree, we slowly drifted in through the tree and down to the metal doors which seemed to have been fixed. we drifted into the main hall and down the corridor into the basement where the vampires lay. Toby was lying in his coffin, Gemma called "Toby, Toby wake up", the lid of the coffin started to slowly open. "Whose there?" Toby asked, " it's me Gemma" she responded. Confused he looked around the room but couldn't see us, "Toby don't look just listen" she commanded "we need your help, Brendon is badly injured and he can't carry on to find this chalis, we need you Toby, please" she told him "i can't go out in the daylight" he regretfully answered.

Gemma told him "go to mums office, in the desk, in the top drawer, there is a necklace in there, that is spelled to let you out in the day light, i'll explain everything later just do it, it will also guide you to where i am now". Toby got out of his coffin and we watched him go to the office. Gemma pulled us out of the vision and back to the circle.

"So what now?" I asked "we sit and wait, he'll follow the light" she replied. Gemma decided to go and collect a load more sticks ready for the fire, and kill some time.

As i sat for a while alone, my head went into a ponder, and i dazed at the yellow and orange flame that was alit from the fire, in it i could see my mums face from a memory, from when i saw her at the stair going into the haven. I remember the terrified look on her face, i also remember the deseat from Maria-Hope. But i also wondered why mothers reaction was what it was, this all played in my head like a flashback, i remembet my mums face of disbelief and worry when i told her i met Maria-Hope, but i quess it all has sunk into place.

Afyer a couple of hours Gemma and I sat around waiting, we couldn't even go for a walk, well Hemma could but i couldn't join her, i felt useless. "We could search the books to get more information on what we are actually looking for, hopfully dangers that may lay ahead" Gemma said. Gemma threw a book at me and told me to start searching. Gemma went to collect more fire wood agaon. I trawled through the book, and afyer about 15 mins of endless search, i found a picture of a chalis, i shouted to Gemma "FOUND SOMETHING", Gemma came back with the wood immediatly, as if she was only around the corner. She threw the wood on the fire, then she sat on a log, i read to her "the chalis for the damned, so called for the damned souls to gain freedom from the dead zone using a specific powerful ritual. It was said to have been lost 5000 years ago by the soul keeper when he was banished to the dead zone for eternity as punishment for crimes unimaginable. Once the blood of a virgin is drank out of the chalis, it will unlock the soul keeper from the dead zone, the person who holds the chalis to return it is only of a mortal body" getting upset i said "it keeps getting worse she needs my blood because i'm a virgin, she needs me to take it too her because i'm the mortal body" i cried. Gemma asked "but if the soul keeper is trapped in the dead zone, what the hell is Maria-Hope?" Suddenly more questions popped into my head, Gemma raised a very valid question, what is she, is she Maria-Hope or has she actually been possessed? or could she be a demon in service to the soul keeper.

Gemma took another book and read somemore for a few hours to find some answers, until interesting enough, she came across another part about the chalis being the treasure for other demons and witches to use to their advantage, once released the person whom holds the chalis can take control of the soul keeper itself.

More desperate then ever to get the chalis we started to come up with a plan for when we gain entry to the dead zone. "We need to get in by magic" Gemma said, i reminded her " i need to get in by myself to give her the chalis and dagger" other wise she'll keep my mums soul", "i've already thought of that, i will use the same spell Maria-Hope and my mother used, Toby and I wont let our presence be known, you'll go in on your own, but me and Toby will be there if theres any trouble" she reassured me. As we were discussing the plan, Toby arrived using his vampire powers to get to us quicker.

Toby shot to us just hours after we made contact with him, Gemma was over the moon to see him, so she rushed up and gave him a huge hug, the poor man didn't know what to make of her, this has never happened before, especially with Gemma being a recluse.

"so guys, whats the plan?" Toby asked. "We need that chalis, it was on a rocky surface looked as though it was in a cave" Gemma told him. Gemma gave me more books and a note pad, she told me to dig out whatever information i can and come up with a plan, but to remember what she told me about the spell and her and Toby secretly coming with me.

Gemma and Toby set off over the rocks and through the trees, they eventually went out of site. Suddenly i was alone, and it felt erie. So i sat waiting, trying to take my mind off the erieness, i syarted to do as i was told and started reading up on the chalis and what sort of ritual would be taking place. The more information i can find out on the where abouts, and the nature of this ritual the more effective plan i can hooe to achieve. But the more i read into the ritual, the more scarier it was becoming. Doubt started flitting around my head like butter flies, how can we get in and out with mum mother.

As the evening was drawing, in i cooked myself some eggs for my tea, as i was cooking i could hear sticks snapping in the woods behind me, remembering and scared of what happened last night, i armed myself with a camping knife.

The sticks carried on snapping, eventually, i convinced myself that it was just the night time animals roaming around, so i started to relax a little.

Until there was a sudden woman scream coming from further deep down in the woods, the scream was so pearcing. I jumped out of my skin, unable to go and help, the nerves raced around my body, my heart pumped so fast it could have bounced out of my chest. The scream stopped and the woods went deadly quite, not a murmur from any birds, it was like the brezze had suddenly died. As i stared into the dark i heard the same scream again. "HELLO" I shouted. As i shouted the scream stopped and i heard someone or something running up through the woods in the dark towards me. I pulled myself into the tent as quick as possible, with a scuff and scurry, and i zipped myself in.

As i sat waiting inevitable doom, i sat clutching the knife ready for an attack. I heard someone walking around the tent. I tried to control my breathing, so it couldn't hear me, my heart was beating so fast it could have bounced out of my mouth this time, after i gathered my thoughts i slowly unzipped the tent and saw the back of a young girl stood staring at the fire. She was in a dirty white night gown, she had no shoes or socks on and her feet and hands were covered in cuts, scratches and big bad blue and black bruises.

I slowly pulled myself out of the tent and asked "are you ok", obviously startling her she pinned me down to the floor with her powers, in doing so this hurt my leg again in the process. Still pinning me down she walked over to me and stood over me like i was her catch for the day, i thought i've stumbled on upon a witch or more to the point she stumbled upon me. She noticed how bas my leg was so she stopped using her powers to pin me, and i was able to sit up. She just started staring at me, pressumably thinking i was going to attack, i told her "i mean no harm i couldn't anyway even if i wanted too". She slowly crouched down towards me, needless to say i was feeling a bit defensive and worried of what she was going to do, so i clentched the knife as i tight as i could.

As she crouched down to me she said "i'm sorry something was chasing me and i thought you were the thing". I said "that's fine i'm used to it, where have you come from?". "I've been chased our of my village by the locals because i am a witch" she told me, "what's your name?" I asked, trying to comfort her. "Jessica" she nervously replied. As my eggs were burn't i decided to take them out of the pan and throw them away and start a fresh. "You hungry?" I asked, Jessica smiled and answered "starving".

I wacked on some eggs in the pan for Jessica, and gave her a drink. "What happened to your leg" she asked "werewolf attack" i replied. I dished up her eggs and past them to her, she took them from me with great gratitude. I knew she was starved as she had eaten those eggs really quick, i don't think they even touched the taste buds.

As we fell to an awchward silence, I told her "my friends are away at the moment but they shouldn't be long, we come from a place that take in people like you, who are different, to help them and to keep them safe, so you could come back with us if you want?" Jessica smiled and glady accepted my offer.

"Watch what i can do" she said with excitement, and she started to demonstrate her magic by making a little ball of light appear, she then turned it into a bouncing rabbit and then a little duck. She was so pleased, happy, some may even say proud, that she could be herself for once.

"So what's this place like?" Jessica asked. "Scary at first but you get used to it" i replied. "What are you?" She enquired. Without a thought i replied "human". With a surpirsied expression she asked "why are you out here with no protection". That's for me to worry about" I replied. Yes i maybe powerless, but in my eyes i am still the adult at this campsite at the moment, as Jessica looked only around 12 or 13 yrs old.

As it was getting later i told Jessica "you sleep in the tent i'll set up out here", she smiled and started to climb into the tent, as she got half way into the tent she turned and used her powers to make a fireball to relight the fire to keep me warm, with a smile on my face i said "thank you, good night". She zipped up the tent.

I laid down as near to the fire as i could, and zipped up my sleeping bag without hurting my leg, which was a surprise. My eyes came to a slow close, when i started to dream again, but this time it was more intense, i dreamt that this girl was the doom of Gemma, Toby and me. Still in the dream, Gemma and Toby came back, they had the biggest smiles on their faces, showing me the chalis, it was then that Jessica immerged from the tent, she pulled me over to her with her magic, and froze me so that i knew what was going on but couldn't move, and she kept me down by her legs like a hostage. Flicking her hand, the chalis flew from Gemma's hand into Jessica's, Jessica then raised her hands, which made Gemma and Toby levitate into the air, she twirled her hands which made Gemma and Toby circle in the air, before stopping them and slamming them into each other, knocking them out cold, and then finishing them off by throwing them to the floor. She then put her hand upon my head and it all went black.

Before long it was day time and with a great sigh of relief i realised it was all a dream, as Jessica came out of the tent. Suddenly trust started fail, as i couldn't help think this was more of a premanition than a dream.