Penumbrae: The origin

CHAPTER 10: WHY CAN'T THEY LEAVE ME ALONE

When I woke up in the morning, I didn’t know I would be going away on vacation. Well not really vacation. It was more like a marathon but whatever. I didn’t know I will do that either.

I was too tired to wake up and open my eyes but there was this stupid fly that kept on buzzing around my ear. Well I thought it was a fly, but it wasn’t cause as soon as I woke up the bracelet in my hands started to get tremendously warm. I woke up as soon as I felt an electric shock go through my body.

“What the?” I got up and looked around to see no one around. I glanced towards the clock in the living room and it was 9:00 am. I got up and stretched my body only to yelp in pain. I raised my shirt to look at the claw marks and saw blue and black bruises around the marks. I went to the bathroom to freshen up and to apply ointment on my bruises. I was doing my business when suddenly someone knocked on the door impatiently.

“Occupied!” I screamed but the door was continuously being banged at. I finished my business quickly and opened the door.

“What?” I yelled at the person who apparently was Alexander.

“Come out now.”

“I bet 100 bucks that you have more bathroom in this enormous house of yours. Why not go and use them?” I asked coming out, but Alexander didn’t give reply he just held my hand and dragged me towards the sliding door.

“Are you kicking me out?”

As we reached the sliding door, I saw the purple streaks that created the magic wall to protect us from the creatures had hole in them indicating that someone broke through.

“Isn’t that wall supposed to keep every creature in my book out?” I asked looking around to see which monster broke through. Alexander left my hand and just looked around to find the monsters with determination.

“And hey you have Ezra here to help with any situation. I am not saving you this time so why are you showing me this?” I added feeling really scared and out of place because I don’t think I can have another fight. Last time I had Ophelia’s help. She went all macho and defeated that wentiko, but me? I slipped on a peel of banana. I didn’t think that Ophelia will come out and defeat people for me whenever I piss someone off and most importantly, I couldn’t even see the problem we were having.

“What problem are we having though? I don’t see it.” And just by saying that I jinxed us. When it comes to jinxing, I am best at that. If you want to get jinx go on and hire me. I will do that in seconds. Up in front of me where there was a hole in the purple magic wall all the shadows had gathered, and they were rushing towards the wall. As they smacked in the wall I stumbled and fell on my butt.

“What happened?” Alex came beside me and unsheathed his sword. “What do you see Lysander?”

“Whatever she sees we can’t. What we can’t see we can’t fight.” Ezra said. He was in fighting stance. He was bending a bit and moving in circle with his sword extended.

“I have to run.”

“Oh, thank God you read your book.” Ezra said slashing empty air.

“They aren’t inside yet so you can chill.”

“Ezra what is happening?” Alexander looked around with wide eyes. The boy who once fearlessly charged a 9 feet wentiko was gone and the boy who stood in front of me at this moment, the hand he used to wield his sword was shaking. I could tell fighting someone you can’t see is scary. I saw the dark watchers charge again and I ran inside the house. I ran and removed the useless stuff from my backpack and kept my two books in it. I took a paper and pen and wrote a brief note for Carter and put it on top of him and went back outside. The hole was bigger than before indicating that now it was dangerous for me to be here. The more I stay here the more I put people in danger; people who helped me with food, gave me a place to sleep and most importantly healed Carter back to health.

“Thanks guys, for the food and the place. I will be on my way and I will pray that I don’t meet you again.” I said farewell and ran out of the front door.

Behind Me I heard someone come after me. At first, I thought I was a girl seconds before her death, so I crossed by fingers and turned around only to find it was Ezra running after me.  Without stopping for a chat, He just screamed a simple order for me, “follow the ley lines Isabelle!” And ran back inside the house probably to calm down a scared boy.

Right now, distance was the only thing that mattered. I wasn’t stopping for anything and I sure as hell wasn’t stopping for food. I wanted to look back so see if I was being followed but I knew that if I looked back, I will fall and just give time for those dark watchers to catch me. I wasn’t much of a runner and I also knew that I can be outrun by shadows very easily but that didn’t stop me. I bolted at my full speed like an Olympian champion at the start g*n, quicken my pace to an all-out sprint. The pounding noise of my sneakers could be heard in the silence of this neighborhood at this time. I just imagined that I was flash and ran. Once I am safe, I will call my friends and tell them that I am okay.

I was running nonstop for continuous 45 minutes so, being tired was understatement. I wheezed as my burning lungs gasp for air. My legs felt numb, unsteady and painfully sore. My throat feels dry, so uncomfortably dry. Clothes and long red hair clung to my form, no different that of running through a rainstorm. I probably looked like a panting dog right now. All I knew was that I had to focus on the ley lines and follow them. The ley line that was the most visible was the one I was following, and it took me out of the city. Due to the absences of Dark watchers I was simply jogging but stopped abruptly when I saw a gas station. I ran to the bathroom first and splashed some water on my face and rushed outside and went to the Mart to buy water.

I entered and looked around for any lurking dangers but didn’t find anything suspicious which left me to shop in peace. I bought 3 water bottles, some chips to snack on and some cheap first aid bandages for emergency. I bought minimum things because I didn’t want to waste my money in case I had to live in a motel or something. I have been saving money from my babysitting and cashier job. Unfortunately, I haven’t earned that much. Whatever I had it will probably be over by the end of this lovely trip.

 As I stepped outside the mart, my eyes did a quick sweep of the surrounding and my eyes got stuck on a diner beside the gas station. I perceived a family leaving the diner so when they opened the door the aroma of food slipped outside the diner. I tried my best not to sniff, but I did and instantly my stomach grumbled.

“Not now tummy. We have to keep moving.” I started Jogging down the path following the most visible ley line.

 I did learn something about ley line yesterday in my light book. Ley lines are a way that we magical creature navigate. Although not many of us can see them so clearly but I guess I was an exception. The magical places have different levels of energy based on the people around it and that makes the ley lines more visible. The visible ley line could mean three things: 1) Highly magical people around. For example, people like Ophelia. 2) Highly dangerous creature around. 3) A glamoured place. I don’t know why I was following the most visible one, but my gut was telling me too and I wanted to listen to my gut this time not because I trust it to take me to safety but because I didn’t have any other plan.

As I was jogging by, I saw a kid playing with a cat and before I could protest, I was instantly pulled into my childhood.

“Get away from that filthy creature Isabelle!”

“But momma it’s a cat. It’s friendly. Its eyes are like mine!” I exclaimed happily.

“First, I am not your mother. I would never give birth to a monster like you and that cat is filthy like you. If you don’t get away, then I will throw you in dumpster.” Courtney whispered.

“But momma the cat is scared. She is going to get eaten soon. She can sense it. She says she will help me back. She wants my help. I can help her.”

“We are going. Let’s go.” Courtney started dragging me away from the cat and her grip left bruise on my wrist and definitely heard the cat hissed in Courtney’s way.

I shook my head trying to leave that memory in the deep part of my brain. I don’t want to remember that night. Courtney was a worst parent in the world. I wouldn’t wish her to be the mother of my enemy either. I was jogging when instantaneously my legs buckled and gave way causing me to fall and before I could recover from my fall my vision blackened.

When the darkness faded away and I managed to welcome some light I concluded that I was again having another vision but this time I couldn’t understand what was happening. The images were racing by without stopping. I was seeing too many things at a time and the vision was from all around the world. Different images were coming up that wouldn’t even go together. Everything was as fast as the bullet train. Thus, the more I tried to focus the more my vision got faster, and it was painful to keep my eyes open. I tried to stop but I wasn’t in control. Whatever I did was making it worse and my pain was intensifying. My eyes watered and I could my retinas were burning up. I closed my eyes giving in to whatever force was doing this, but nothing happened. I just couldn’t do anything. It felt like I was restrained and being grilled over an active volcano for like an hour. I let out a piercing scream, expressing my pain but as suddenly as I felt the pain as suddenly it subdued. I opened my once closed eyes slowly to see what was going on and found myself back on the road alone with no one in sight. However, I wasn’t standing but laying on the road. I got up and looked at the time to see that one hour did pass.

My whole body was screaming at me asking me to stop functioning, but I had to move. There were beads of sweat on my face and my palms were clammy. There is no way am I taking a break now. All my hard work will go to vain. I could see a place packed with energy from where I was standing with the help of my eyes. I wanted to go there, meet people who might know me or my biological parents. I want their insight and their help. I was so close to my destination, but does anything happen according to me?  Lord will do anything but see me succeed. I probably killed someone in my past life to get this punishment from Almighty.

My ears perked up and heard something behind me. I rolled to the side on instinct and rose to see two teenagers with swords looking at me.

“For a girl without weapon she does have good instincts.” The girl said to the boy.

Oh no. Just by looking at their physic I could tell they were good fighters. The first thought that came to my mind was, Will I have to fight these two now?

“It’s not fair! I have to fight someone who know their way around combat?” I looked at the sky screaming at nobody.

“I think she is gone crazy.” The boy whispered to the girl.

“I heard that!” I screamed. I don’t know from where this confidence came from, but I am doubting that this will go great. My confidence will be the death of me.

“what do you want?” I added and faced two kids. Let’s use my confidence, it doesn’t show every time. Even if one of them were here I would be at disadvantage but now there were two which shows that I was at double disadvantage.  

“Your death.”