Beyond

Chapter 2

Listen while reading: Stephan Moccio- Ow

Night fall brings out my musical side, or so I tell everyone. I play a soft piano piece and sing along softly trying to create something new. I miss a note, as a loud knock comes on my door. I continue to play, and when I do not answer the door swings violently open and Archimedes comes in with a stride of anger. He stops abruptly in front of me.

“Ari,” he says trying to contain his anger. I keep playing.

“Ari..” He repeats with anger, this time. I ignore him. He then comes up to me and grabs my wrists.

“Ari! This is serious! You left the city again! I told you never to leave the city!” I look at him, anger filling my veins. “Do you understand what position this puts me in?!?” I glare at him finally willing myself to speak.

“Position?” I say, spitting the words out as if they are poison. “Is that the only thing you ever care about? How about my freedom? How about how trapped I feel here?!? I do not have to answer to you!” My voice has now risen to a shout and tears threaten me, but I do not cry, not in front of anyone.

“Ari! You could have been hurt! You know the danger! Especially after the attack yesterday! You have to learn to be more responsible!” At this I rip my wrists free and begin to storm off towards the door. Archimedes catches my hand before I can get too far and pulls me into an embrace. I can hear his heart beating hard and fast.

“When I heard the alarm, I thought something had happen to you. It made me sick with worry. I thought my heart was going to drop from my chest.” He says, burying his face in my hair. He pulls away and looks at me, his face so close, I can feel his breath on my lips. He leans in closer, but before he can get too close there is another knock at the door and I quickly detach myself from him. Unable to understand what I am feeling, Archimedes rushes to open the door. My parents march in with infuriating looks, I know all too well.

“Sir, It..” My father’s hand goes up, never glancing away from me; Archimedes falls silent.

“You set an alarm off today,” He pauses “And you left the city.” Another pause, but this one longer “What were you thinking?!?!?” He finishes with the last words almost at a shout. “Ariella! Answer me!!” I wince at his loud voice, but hold myself together and fight back.

“I was thinking that I can’t stand being boxed up here like I am a doll and you are just picking me up and placing me where you want me to be! I want to be..” He interrupts.

“What free?? Yes let us examine the glory of being free out in that word where the rebels are! Shall we? When Mary your best friend left the city and was never heard from again?!? Do you remember that? Where was it she went.. oh yes! The woods! And who was it that took her out? O yes, you! You endangered yourself and her safely and she was taken, because of your recklessness.’’ His voice was full of amusing anger. I hated when he got like this. It hurt to be reminded of my best friends disappearance and how I was the cause of it. Everything inside me begged to run, but I stood my ground. A soldier never ran away from a fight.

“She did not know how to fight and nor would she! She hated fighting! She knew what she was getting herself into! Look dad, I am not a little girl anymore! I am almost 18!”

“Exactly! Almost! Until you're 18 you live under my rule! You do as I command you! Do you understand me?!?” I look at my father with fierce eyes.

“Yes father, or should I just call you captain all the time?” I say pushing past my father and brush my mother’s hand away as she tries to grab me to stay.

* * * * * * *

Late at night, I lay in my bed, restless. Thoughts of the argument linger as well as the dreams I have been having lately. Blaze.. what did it.. or he, mean? Did I know him? Do I know him? I cannot stand to lay in bed a moment longer, so I throw my legs over the side of the bed and put on my boots. The training room is empty. It usually is, this late at night. Once I make it down there I look at the clock and see that is it 2 in the morning. I walk up and take a bow and arrow quietly analyzing the weapon with careful thought. The bow is steady; it keeps the arrow from failing to hit its target, yet the arrow has freedom after it is released. Without the bow there is no arrow. I take my position I begin to pull the bow back. Images of the black-haired, blue-eyed boy linger in my head. I let go of the arrow and it hits the target, but it misses the bullseye. I never miss. I pull the bow up to my shoulder again. Determined this time to make my target. I pull the bow back breathing in deeply and slowly closing my eyes for a second to take in my surroundings and concentrate. All of a sudden I see a face, the little boy I saw before in my dream. He is leaning over me crying “wake up, get up, we need to go! They are coming!!” his last words fading in the distance as I open my eyes and fall to my knees after which a flush of pain comes to my head like pins and needles. “What was that?” I try to remember again. Nothing. I close my eyes, but I am only left with bits and pieces which I feel already fading away. I get up again to take my bow and hit the target hoping I will remember again. Remember? Is this a memory? But of what and when? Before I can make my shot Archimedes comes in with a worried look on his face I know too well.

“Ari,” he sighs and walks over to me his chest and shoulders easing up. His eyes bearing concern. He reaches for my hands and pulls me up “I worry about you.” I need to drown out every thought in my head. I look up at him and hug him.

I look at him. "I am sorry. I just can't help but want to feel like I am in control of something. I do not mean to worry you or my parents. I just..."Before I can finish my sentence I feel his lips are on mine; anxiously trying to bring me closer, but I push him back abruptly.

“I am sorry Archi, please—‘’ I search his eyes pleading him to forgive me and hoping he understands. “I am sorry,” I run out of the training room.

“Ari! Wait! Ariella!” He begins to run after me but I am faster and know how to lose him. I do not think, just run. I run and run until I realise I have reached the gate. Strangely, no one is at the gate. I walk out without anyone noticing and allow the darkness of the woods to swallow me. The morning air is crisp but not extremely cold. I walk up to the edge of the woods and sprint. My hair swaying behind me, tears fill my eyes. I arrived to the garden out of breath. I take a second to look at the building, taking in the ivy that has grown all over the glass window. Nature has taken it course and made the building look like a picture out of a book. I take deep breath and smell the crisp autumn air, winter is around the corner. I can feel it most while wearing my night shorts and tank top. Not the best morning to go for a walk. I open the doors to the garden and walk in. It is slightly less chill inside. I gaze at the garden in all its splendor. The roses the trees and different plants left untouched and to grow as they please. I felt a sort of connection to this place. An unexplainable connection. It felt like this place called to me. I touch a pink rose, then a red one but my favorite is the white rose. Something about the white rose seems beautiful.. seems familiar, but before I can dwell on the thought any longer I feel a lingering presence. Someone was here with me. I act like I know nothing and walk up to the pond. I am patient and wait for my prey to find me. I pick up the pitcher to fill it with water and begin to pour the water over the roses that have begun to sprout. The pitcher is made of silver and I see the reflection of a man standing next to a tree I place the pitcher back onto the ground and slowly grab the dagger from my boot. I always come prepared you can never leave unarmed. I take the dagger and fling it at the man hitting him in the shoulder. He shouts in anger and looks at me.

“You have quite a throw, for a girl.” He flashes me a sly smile and winces at the same time. I walk up to him without hesitation holding another smaller dagger. It looks small and inferior but if used properly can be a deadly weapon.

“Who are you? And what are you doing here?” he stares at me, still giving me snobby smile that makes me hate him even more. Men and their superiority; I come behind him and place my dagger on his throat. He is breathing heavily from the pain but trying to hide it.

“I asked you a question—rebel.” Trying to dig my dagger a little deeper into his throat; he clears his throat and tries to take the dagger from my hand but I quickly retaliate and hit him straight in the nose. I watch as the blood from his nose trickles down.

He grunts, “Ah, yes that hurts. You are no doubt a soldier, thought you just might be one of those girls who is ready for a thrill, if you know what I mean.” He winks at me, wiping the blood from his mouth leaving a stain on his shirt sleeve. I look at him in disgust.

“Pig, you must be a rebel. What do you want here?” I hold my dagger pointed at him. He struggles to look at me because his nose keeps bleeding and his shoulder is still suck to the tree. I remove the dagger from his shoulder but keep the knife pointing in his direction. He grabs a piece of his shirt and rips it revealing some of his hip. He ties the wound on his shoulder very tightly so the bleeding stops. When he looks up at me I notice how handsome his gold hair and the blue eyes are. I quickly dismiss my thoughts and keep my dagger close to his throat.

“Am I the pig? Your commanders are the pigs. They haven’t told you everything have they? Princess, you’re nothing to them but a girl they stole, to get back at the rebels. That’s why I am here. To tell you who you are, and I risked about everything to do that! So you better listen closely.” I cut him off.

“If you want information, I will kill you before I say anything to you!”

“You do not have it in you to kill anyone princess, I bet you have never killed anyone, have you? But I do not need information I already have all the information I need. But you don’t.” I look around to see if anyone else is with him and when I turn back around and I don’t see him, he is gone. I lost him. I look anxiously around to see if I could follow footsteps or something but there is no hope, I just lost a rebel, crap. What was he rambling about though? Not have all the information? He must be stupid. Everyone knows that the archives in the city have everything you need to know, and I have examined every one of them, well almost all of them. He is just a rebel trying to get in my head. I look to the side and see a file laying down I pick it up. It has my name on it.

Ariella Elizabeth McDevitt

Highly Confidential

I pick up the file and look around, no one in sight. I run my fingers over the file afraid of what I might find. “Why am I worried? There is nothing I do not know” I calm myself. My heart is beating so fast, I can hear it as if I were holding it out to my ear. I hear the morning alarm ring from the compound it disrupts all peace and quiet in the woods as the birds fly into the sky I begin to run back before Archimedes comes to my room. I run in between trees and dodge bushes. I make it into the open there are a new set of alert guards watching the open plain of grass that separates the woods and the compound wall. I look for a way in and I find it. It’s a side door that is locked but I have kept it unlocked and everyone has forgot about it. I quietly walk over to the door and quietly tip-toe in stopping at the entrance and looking over to see if anyone is coming just as I look out I see two soldiers coming and hide back. I wait till they walk past by me and run quickly avoiding officers and soldiers as well as people. I take halls in which I know no one is roaming and rush into my room, closing the door behind me. I feel flustered and sit on my bed. I look at the file afraid and excited at the same time. “Why am I scared? This is nothing new, and they can’t scare me.” But as I begin to open the file, I hear the door open and Archimedes comes in. I quickly throw the file under my bed. He stops and I slowly rise to avoid suspicion. His eye glimmer with compassion.

“I think we need to talk.”