Chapter 7 part 1

Pixie juice? They gave me pixie juice?  I come up with all kinds of insults to scream at them. But of course only a giggles excape my lips. The world rocks like a ship tipping over. I reach down to the ground to find something that's not rocking. I don't make it. Brooke  catches my arm before I can protest.

A bright light shimmers. No not one, three lights burn brighter and brighter. It's the pixies. They're on... fire?  I try to look for Zailor, for some kind of fireball that would set them off. But then the light burns down as quickly as it came on. Replacing the small pixies into full grown women.  Literally breathtaking beautiful women.
All three of them run to me; lifting me into the air.

"No." I cry out.

But they don't stop. I close my eyes trying to steading myself, as they lift me onto a cloud where I flout upward and onward.

The next thing I know. I'm sitting in front of a mirror, waring a yellow and white dress. My hair is pulled back and curls frame my face. Delicate fingers intertwine with my hair, as the woman behinds me, tosses and teases the curls into a shape.  I gasp. It's a memory before...  I'm swimming through a memory before Macy's. I'm the same age, the same hight, even the same bright green eyes looking back at me.

I notice the dressing table I'm siting in front of, has wedding flowers resting on the side. A picture of me, holding the hand of a small girl rest on the other side. There's a necklace infront of the mirror, waiting to be placed around my neck. I want to reach out to it. Look at the flower that is laid inside of the stone. But I don't dare more. My thumbs fidget together as I rest my hands neatly in my lap.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" The woman fixing my hair says.

I can't see her face in the mirror. But, her long brown hair brushes against my neck as she reaches for small glass flowers. Somehow, she's managing getting the flowers to stay in my hair. Making them look like they grew there on their own. I smile at her through the mirror.

"Of course I am. I've never been more sure of anything in my life. His heart sings to mine."

I grap her hand and hold it close to my cheek.
"He is my nightingale, without a doubt."

Her thumb glides back and forth on my cheek as she thinks about what I just said. I hold my breath as my smile falls ever so slightly. I'm worried she'll say no. Or jump us to a place where I can't reach him.  My starlit eyes fall the longer she takes.

Finely, she leans down resting her head on my shoulder. Her eyes meet mine through the mirror. Her bright green eyes. My eyes.

"Very well." She says in a breath. "I can't really blame you, since I met my nightingale at your age."

My heart leaps with joy as she hugs me and returns to fixing my hair. "But don't expect to be running off. You're still my daughter."

"Lada dee lada" the voice sings from above me. "Lada dee"

"She dark." Naomi says and snaps me out of the memory. Naomi paces back and forth at the bottom of my feet. My head is resting on Aubrey lap as she combs through my hair softly. Aubrey is the one singing and without opening my eyes, I know exactly where each one of them is.

I'm not sure how long I was out for. It appears to be for a while. The pixies are still in their human form. Somehow I always knew they had two forms. My mind posses everything I know about pixies like a speeding bullet.

"She's not Dark." Grace says from the right of me. "I just gave her too much."

A pixie has two forms. Human and butterfly. Each pixie has an individual power. Calm, power, and forsite. Pixie travel in a pack. Take one out and all three will die. They're weakest in their human form. Weak, vonerable, flawed.

How do I know this? Why do I know this? Naomi's frustration that drips off each word she says, tells me one thing.

"No one that is light, reacts to pixie juice that way!" Naomi says with power dripping from her lips.  She's power, through and through.

"She has the star" Grace retorts. "She's not dark"

Grace gave me the pixie juice, which means she's calmness. That leaves Aubry with the gift of forsite.
Aubry fingers tickle down my cheeks. I still have my eyes closed, but, I feel her smile beam through. She knows I'm awake. Yet she says nothing.

"She said Jayden" Naomi argues. "She knows him and more importantly she wants him back."

She's got that right. I do want him back. I want to make sure he's safe, alive and most importantly, with me.

"That doesn't mean she's dark." Grace says.

Naomi returns to her pacing. The air from her "humm" feels cold by the time it touches my legs. "We should ask Mitch."

"No!" Brooke yells from a distance. "Mitch is not allowed back in this forest."

"But he knows Jayden. Maybe he knows her too." 

Brooke walks closer to me. "He's the one who brought Jayden here. He can't be trusted."

I don't realize I'm holding my breath. But every inch of me sparks. This Mitch knows Jayden. Maybe he know how I can get back to him.

"Yeah." Grace's voice pulls me back. "What were thinking?"

Naomi lets out another puff and folds her arms. "I don't know." She shacks her head. "But that creatures is not light"

Aubrey's fingers trace the lines on my face. My lips, my noise, my eye lids. "I agree with Grace." She says sweetly. "And I agree with Naomi."
Her fingers comb through hair. "She's not exactly light." 

Heat rushes up my body as Aubrey studies my face. "But, she hasn't come into any dark magic yet."

"See!" Naomi chimes

Brooke kneels down next to me. "That's means she may never find dark magic."

Both Aubrey and Brooke smile at each other.

"How did she get the star?" Naomi leans over me. "I bet that's not even hers."

Three things happen all at once. First, Brooke reaches for my star. Second, Aubrey starts to protest and third, I reach and grap Brooke's wrist. I couldn't stand it any more. I've heard enough, and there's no way I'm going to let them even touch my star.

I startle everyone except Aubrey of course. Naomi has her arrow out in heartbeat. Grace backs away on her bottom.

"Don't" I say carefully. "Don't even dare touch it."

I get up still holding Brooke's wrist. Brooke trys to help me up in a way. But I hesitate and glear at her until  she stops

"Don't touch my star. Don't touch me." I say as I toss Brooke her arm.

Chapter 6 part 5

Meet someone?  Did I hear that right? They have been waiting a long time?  How long and why? My voice come rushing out of me before I can stop myself.

"How long? And why do you think I was here before? Why would I..." I forget the last question before has its chance.

Brooke tilts her head as she studies me.
"You're very strange." She says as she walks over to the stream of water.  "You where here. Kissing a boy."

Kissing a boy? I took a moment as my mind worked through my memories. Jayden. I was here with Jayden. He was safe. I remember now. It was before he said "Hi beautiful" and melted my heart. I heard the water, felt the grass tickeling my legs. I even smelt the cherry blossoms. Why didn't we stay here, out of the reach of Zilor?

"Brooke? I say hesitantly. Can I even trust her? I'm not really sure what I'm going to ask her. But she doesn't seem to notice the worrisome tone in my voice.

The third tree wrestles around, and I'm reminded, someone else is here. If by chance they kicked Jayden and I out before. I don't really want to give then a reason to do it again. At least not without Jayden. Who knows? Maybe he's the reason why we weren't hurt in the process. When I jumped, or whatever, without him, I lost my memories. But that didn't happen with Jayden. My memories were fully intact when I left him and ran.

My heart sinks. I left him and ran. I left him behind.

That third tree is wrestling in wind that's not there. It roars as if that one tree alone is being tossed around in a storm. Horror runs through my bones, as I realize whoever or whatever that wants to meet me. Is in that tree.

I turn back to Brooke and open my mouth but nothing comes. she guesses my question for me.

“They’re in the tree.” She confirms and points over to the third tree. “There.”

What the heck? What could possibly make a tree roar like that and still not be able to see them? If I didn't know any better. I would say an invisible giant is shacking it. The tree cracks under the presser and branches break off. My stomach drops again at just the thought of them coming out to shack my hand. If they could do that to the tree, what could they do to me? 

“Grace, Aubrey, Naomi. Come out so…” Brooke stops and whispers in my ear.

“What do they call you?” –She’s right behind me. Like a supernatural ghost, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

“Um… Jazlyn.” I breathe.

“So Um… Jazlyn can meet you.” Brooke’s voice is clear and calming. She must have notice my nerves screaming inside. She said my name perfectly to how I said it. But before I could correct her, a world-wind swirls around me. Tossing my hair like a wild hair dryer.

I grap my star and gard my face. I want to scream, but, the moment I think of it the wind suddenly stops. -a little too fast. I linger there with my hands covering my face for a moment, trying to catch my breath.  I have a feeling the minute I look up the tornado will swollow me. But the longer I linger there, the more ridiculous I feel.

The wind doesn't come back. Not even a small breeze creeps through my hair. I only hear delightful giggles from the other side of my hands. I lift my head as another giggle rings in my ears. My eyes rest on two large butterflies; or rater very small people with butterfly wings?  No. I think. Pixies. They're pixies.  Memories instantly try to find a moment with pixies, but, I can't find any. I have no idea how I know they're pixies. I just do.

The pixie on the right has beautiful midnight blue wings with tiny purple diamonds on the tips of each wing.  Specks of gold inline between each color. Her wings move so brisk that I don’t think my old eye would have been able to see the gold. But now, once again I’m shock to see everything so bold and bright. Her tiny blue shorts are shredding at the bottom and her top is ripped off her right shoulder. Her long black hair is pulled back into ponytail. 

She giggles a little at me, as she stands in mid-air. She covers her smile with her fingers. Then in a flash, she’s close to my face, making me go cross-eyed. I lean back a little to get a better view but she follows me, putting her hands on my nose and gazing into my eyes. My nerves smooth into a calm sleep-like feeling. I feel –happy, instantly happy. 

“This is Grace” Brooke speaks for her.

Grace smiles and flitters back to her place in the air. The other pixie's wings have different tones of pink. She looks much daintier than Grace. Her short brown hair looks like it never moves out of place. Her white dress flows in the wind of her wings and her head is tilted down as she looks up with a sheepish smile.

“That’s Aubrey.” Brooke says.

The pixies features sparkle in the sunlight. I can see nothing else but them. -They captured me, like so many things here do. I know I should feel confused or frustrated or at the very least bewildered by everything here. But whatever Grace did when she touched my noise, I feel nothing but joy. Pure Christmas morning blissful joy. I would stay here forever if they let me. My lips turn to a smile.  I can’t help myself. They’re too adorable for words. From their rugged, dainty clothes to their glorious wings. How could they move a tree? I decided in an instant, they couldn't. There too t precious for something like that.

“And that’s Naomi.” Brooke continued.

I know without a doubt, I'm not really in the position to say whats real or not real. But, I only see two pixies. Two adorable dancing butterflies that couldn't be more perfect if they tried. That is, I only see two until a shadow shimmers between them.  I turn around and find Naomi, fearce , strong and powerful .

She's floating just behind my left shoulder. Her wings are yellow with small flickers of greens. She wares a small green one-peace. Unlike Aubrey, her hair is wild and moves freely in the wind of her wings. I can’t see much of her, becouse, of the tinny large bow that covers her body.   An arrow rests high off her shoulder, pointed at me as she bites her lower lip.

“Don’t worry about Naomi.” Brooke chimes in. “She doesn’t trust anyone.”

“I get that.” I shrug my shoulders.
Naomi rolls her eyes at me, but doesn’t take her arrow down. In that moment, I see it. I see it in Naomi’s eyes, in her jagged muscles that hold to the arrow. The sure power that she holds fast too. That all three must all have. She could break me in two seconds, and smile doing it.

“You’re the North Star.” Grace swoops in between Naomi and I. “You have the North Star.” She flies in close to my necklace. “You must be the North Star.”

I lean back again as she buzzes  around me. Trying to keep as still as I can, so I don't startle Naomi.

“I wouldn’t say I’m the North Star.” My voice is more cheerful then I expect, but I'm grateful it finally is starting to work.

Grace bounces over to me and dance around me like a bee with a flower. She flitters though my hair, tickling my neck. She bobs over to my arms and touches my wrist, then to my hands, stomach, and legs.  With each touch of her little hands, I feel more and more of that blissful happiness. My headache smoothes out and every inch of my body begins to relax. So much that by the time Grace gets to my feet. I couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle of my own.

“That’s enough.” Brooke whispers.
I let out another snicker.

Aubrey pops over to my right ear. “You must be the North Star.” Her voice tickle inside my eardrum and I giggle.

I feel drunk. I’ve never been drunk before, but I’ve seen it. My old foster Mother would get drunk every Friday night with her friends. She always came home smelling of liquor, stumbling and laughing like a buffoon. I never understood why she did it, and now I don’t think I ever will. I hate being out of control of my own self. Yet here I am. Standing in a strange place, Zailor  on the brinks of killing me, Jayden hurt or possibly dead and Stephanie and Wade in possible  danger and I’m… laughing?

My head swirls, I put my head in my hands and let out a giggle. I try to stop myself from laughing with my hands.  But I can’t stop.

Brooke sighs, “I think you gave her too much.”

“Too much of what?” I laugh.
Brooke smiles as I peek between my fingers. All three of the creatures were staying a little away from me. -Looking at me in astonishment.  

“They gave you a little pixie juice.” Brooke answers.

Chapter 6 part 4

"The second time?" I mutter. My eyebrows burrow downward. I came here before? When?

"I did think you were going to bring someone with you. But then, poof you two were gone and only you came back.” She turns quickly and heads over to the trees near by.

My head clears as I remember everything. Zailor running after me, Jayden on the ground. Jayden's kiss. Images get stuck inside my mind. I wonder about Stephanie and Wade, would they worry about me?  Would they even care? Did anyone come out to see what happen? My mind doesn't stop. Flashes of memories shoot through my head, like photographs on a spinning wheel.

I remember the first night I’d been in a foster home. The kids faces as I walked through the door. I remember the clothes I wore last week and what I eat for lunch two weeks ago. The photos flash again like firecrackers.-Blasting inside my head. I remember everything that happened in the last five years. But my memory stops in the Macy’s department store. I want to know more. I want to know before Macy’s. My heart pounds as I push the photos further. But it only makes my head hurt and the harder I push the slower the memories come.

I relax and let the memories flash on their own. Stupid memories like the homework assignments that never got done, or the overcast sky of Seattle, flitter my mind.  Even if I can’t remember past Macy’s it's refreshing to remember anything at all.

I instantly know, I am not in Kennewick anymore. I don't even think I'm in Washington. Maybe not even earth. Wherever I am, I have never been here before. I know this because of wind that brushes past me. It feels foreign and comforting at the same time. A stranger and yet a controllable stranger.  I only have one question for the girl that lingers near.  Where am I?

“Where? Who?” My words stumble out of my lips as if forming a complete sentence is too difficult to say.

“You’re in my forest.” She answers perfectly.  “I’m Brooke, the East Star, and you."  She poses to grin. "You must be the North.” Brooke bends down to pick up some twigs off the ground. 

Her words bounce inside my head. I frown. I'm still having trouble keeping up. I want to ask her why she thinks I've been here before. But, getting that thought from my brain to my lips, is more than I can handle. 

“I wondered if the North Star would be a jumper.” Brooke continues  “How else would you have found  me? Although I did consider having to go find you. But my power is to protect and I didn’t see how I could possibly find someone with that."

Brooke’s voice slips away as I notice for the first time why she doesn’t make any noise. When she walks, the grass moves out of her way. She also doesn’t just walk. She glides across the grass like water. **She’s the East star? ** Thoms’s voice rings in. “Find the East star.” my mind flashes back to Brooke.

“I’m not… a… jumper.” my voice quivers.

“Really? What are you than?” Brooke squeals with delight. Her big eyes smile at me like a child.

“Nothing. I'm a girl.” just a plain human girl with no magic or abilities to figure out how to get outta here.

“Well, a girl must be very powerful if you can find me.” She bends down and sticks the twig strait into the grown. Then takes a step back to marvels at her work. 

Great. I think.  She’s insane. Of course, insane people tend to recognize their own. So I am crazy after all.

The wind blows again and dances with the treetops near by. Small little giggles dance with the wind. Almost as if the trees are laughing. But that can’t be, could it? I shift up onto my knees and stare down the treetops. But my perfect new eyes can’t see anyone in the trees, although my ears can hear them. Whispers and small voices. “The North Star. The North Star! You’re the North Star.” I’m not sure if the trees are whispering or someone, or something. For all I know of this land, it could be all three.

I stand up, my knees buckle a little, but I manage to keep standing, -with a little help from the rock. By the time I look back to Brooke, she’s standing next to a white tree with cherry blossoms. The twig she planted is gone, and replaced with a full grown tree.

Bewildered, I gaps, and questions fill my face.  How could this be? And why am I not running from it?

I watch her take two steps over to the right, bend down and plant another twig standing strait up into the ground. More giggles echo from the trees. But my eyes are fixed on Brooke. She doesn’t seem to notice the giggles as I do. She keeps her eyes on the twig she just planted and places two fingers on her lips. She smiles a little and kisses her fingers. Still leaning down, she touches the twig and stands back. The twig suddenly shoots up. – Growing taller and taller. Stretching into the sky like a bullet, creating an instant tree, with leaves and flowers. I think I even hear birds singing from the branches.

Brooke’s face is beaming as she looks over at me. But her eyes turn a concerned when she notices my face.

“Their pixies and I’m a nymph.” Her voice is so soft. If I wasn't watching her every move. I wouldn't have known it was her talking.

I must look more shocked then I think. Because she slowly walks over to me, with her arms out wide. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

My crazy self is in full force at the moment. My right hand wraps around my star and my other hand grabs the moss on the rock. Everything in my body freezes again. Everything but my eyes, which dart from the tree that Brooke just planted, to Brooke, to the invisible giggles from the forest.  My heart pounds as I take it all in.
Brook stops short and puts her hands on her hip.

“Honesty!  If I was going to hurt you, it would have been a lot easier to do when you were blind and had no memories. Besides, my forest is the safest place in Narmolyna. We have never been invaded by dark magic.” 

Narmolyna. My thoughts hone in on that word. Narmolyna.  That’s the word Thoms said, and Jayden…. Jayden said it too.

“What did you say?” I had to make sure I’m truly inside my crazy self. I know I already feel crazy, but I just want to make sure I really am.

“We haven’t been detected by dark magic?” Brooke questioned.

“No.. The Narm…?”

“Narmolyna? You’re in the safest place in all the land.” She twills around like a child. “We weren’t always safe, and a few monz ago we almost had a run-in.” Brooke took a breath in.  “So now they send spies.” She rolls her eyes.  “but we’ve still manage to stay away from them.”

“Right.” It’s all I could say. But my heart drops into the pit of my stomach. My head pounding like a steal train. The realization that I really am inside my crazy head haunts me.  Zailor most have caught me and instead of letting myself believe it. I escaped into my own head. It's the only possible conclusion.
I let go of the rock and hold my star with both hands.

“It’s alright your safe.” Brooke confirms.
The last thing I feel is safe.
“I'm in Narmolyna?” I whisper.

Surprise flashes across Brookes face. “Where else would we be?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t even look at her. The trees toss around and more giggles come from the flowers. I don’t feel like looking over at them. I already know I’m in some kind of comma or something. The only thing missing is Jayden… why isn’t Jayden in my comma? If I were safe from Zailor, wouldn’t Jayden naturally be here?  Wouldn’t I dream of some kind of love story, where his arms wrap around me forever? I know I just met him. But it seems much more than that. It seems like we’ve always been together. Like we were connected and torn apart. Why wouldn’t I dream of him?

“Brooke… Where’s Jayden?” I sound calmer than I feel.

Her eyes squint as she looks at me. She reaches over and twists her ring around her finger, the purple in her star, flickers on each turn.  Her head tilts down as the wind runs through her hair.

“Only you jumped.” Her voice is steady and careful. I realize. She's being careful on what she says to me.

I have nothing to give back to her to win her trust.  First of all, I'm not even sure I want it. But understanding her isn’t as simple as she makes it  out to be. Although my mind is clear, I’m still having trouble making sense of what she means.  Jumped? Jumped from where? When? Did she mean when I jumped into my head? Or jumped into the air only to hit my head?

She slowly tilts her head back to me. I feel the heat of her stare as she zooms in on my star, and a smile appears across her face. Somehow my star has won her over for me.

“But you made it. That’s all that counts.”

I'm starting to get frustrated with everything she says. I know, as soon as I asked about Jayden something went wrong. Either something is wrong with Jayden, or something is wrong with me asking about him. Either way, she no longer has the beaming bright childlike look in her eyes. But, the way she said "I made it", was cheerful as if it’s a time for celebrating. If this is real and Jayden is with Zailor, this isn’t a time to be cheerful. It’s a time to fight, scream or at the very least be afraid.

Then there are the giggles from the trees, babyish giggles. Like small children having a slumber party in the background. I can’t take it anymore. This place whether in my head or real, is just plain stupid. I take my eyes off of Brooke, so she won’t be able to see my irritation with everything. I stare into the tree where the giggles come from.

“Brooke” I breathe in to make sure my voice is steady. “How do I get back?” I watch the trees dance in the wind again. This should bring me peace, like it always has in the past. But it doesn’t.

“Get back?” Brooke questions.  “Why would you want to do that?”

My eyes focus on the third tree. Watching it twist and twirl. Brooke’s voice is clattering in the background.

“I’m not sure how jumpers jump. One minute you’re not there and next you’re falling from the sky.”

“I fell from the sky?” I trail off as the third tree starts to rustle around like a storm passing through it, but with no wind this time. Not even a small breeze went by, and yet the tree is going berserk.

“Do you mind if they meet you?” Brooke says. “They’ve been waiting so long.

Chapter 6 , part 3

Brooke says nothing. I hardly notice she's even there, but I feel her presence. She hovers above me, watching me whimper. She doesn’t offer any relief. I don't really expect her to, but come on! How can you create such agony, and not say or do anything?
I try to think of something horrible to yell at Brooke. But, my stupid brain won't think of anything useful.

Sparks shoot straight through my eyes to the center of my brain. I shriek in pain. I scrap at the foam that covers my eyes as hard and as fast as I can. But it doesn't seem to help or worsen the pain.  My head wrenches back as I scrap. Hitting  my head agents the rock, but, I keep scraping.

When the pain deepens, I hear a scream excape from my mouth. I hope, with everything I've got. That Brooke knows the pain she’s caused. That she can somehow feel it. But as soon as my breath leaves me, there's another sharp blade of lighting and the pain smooths. The foam over my eyes melts into water, leaving my eyes swishing around in the remaining water.

As the water runs down my cheeks I slowly open my eyes. I’m surprised they even work after such pain. But they not only work, they’re perfect, maybe a little too perfect. 

I see the fresh thick grass dazzling in the sunlight. A ladybug catches my eyes and rushes towards some small white trees with little white flowers. The flowers have a touch of coral in the pedals. My old eyes would have never been able to see the pink in the flowers. But now, they zero in on each cherry blossom.

Each one has a slightly different tone of pink. Another thing my old eyes wouldn’t have been able to see. The trees go on for miles, the colors white, pink and a touch of brown dance around together in a cherry blossom parade as far as I can see. -Which is surprisingly far.

A small river escapes over to the right of us. The water glides over rocks and nestles in a small bank.  The smell of lily overwhelms the air like cheap perfume. I take a breath and look around to the left of me.

There’s a small hill with all kinds of lilies. They blanket the hill so well, that I almost miss the hill interly. But my new eyes don’t let me miss anything. The rock I lean against, has a carpet of moss that almost blends the rock into the hill. If the lilies grew on rock, I don’t think even my new eye would have realized there was a rock there.

Brooke still stands above me. Her long blond soft curls rests near her picky face. Little white flowers weave in and out of her hair. Her dress looks like a fresh green leaf that was just picked off the tree. The leaf seems to attach to her body with vines and flowers. The grass covers her feet.- making her look like she’s planted into the grown like the cherry trees. On the vines that hold her dress together, there are little leaves that dance in the breeze that races across my body.

The only thing on her that isn’t from the earth is a ring on her right hand. A ring with a star. It sparkles of soft violet from the center. – It transfixes me.

My head is still swimming with questions when Brooke bends down. -breaking my trance from her ring.

“I’m guessing you don’t have one of these.” She holds up a long red leaf and with her soft sweet voice she says. “Here. Eat this.”

I'm not really understand her words, but I watch her in slow motion put the leaf inside my hand. The leaf feels like nothing I’ve ever felt before. At least nothing I can remember feeling. Which when I think about it, not much comes to my mind. Who am I?  I think for a moment, I feel the crease in my forehead beat upon my head. But nothing enters inside me brain. I don’t spend too much time on this question. I know it’s important, but the leaf inside my hand captures me. The delicate scales on the leaf is ruff and fluffy at the same time. My fingers float across the scales easily. 

“It will help you remember.” Brooke’s voice comes from the background of my head.

I wonder for a moment if the leaf is some kind of poison, but I don't really care. My mouth waters for it. Even longs for it. I slowly guide leaf to my noise and breathe it in. My head swirls with the smell of berries and lemons. I lick my lips. My eyes close as I breathe the sweet luscious leaf in again. My stomach moans in response and my lips quiver. I don’t even notice, when the leaf moves closer to my lips. My taste buds lite up with electrifying warmth.-Bliss, thrilling, velvet, warmth. The silky leaf slips down my throat as if it belongs there. It's finely home for the first time in years.

I sit glossy eyes looking at the grass. I feel a smile crease on my face and a small giggle escapes from my lips. I chuck it back and smile bigger. But then it happens. My brain instantly kicks into rapid force. Memories rush like a waterfall into my brain. Stephanie’s smile first comes. Then Jayden's kiss.  But, then it shoots to Zailor’s eyes piercing my brain like a laser. I gasp and turn around so fast I almost lose my balance. The rock is still behind me. I slowly lift my head above the rock. But the street, the school, the kids, everything, is gone.  I only see more cherry blossoms.

“What’s wrong?” Brooke’s voice comes from beside me.

I jump. -She moves like a freaken ninja.

I can’t make any words come out of my mouth to answer her. But, my star feels like a ten-pound weight daggling around my neck. I wrap my fingers around it with a sigh of relief.** It's still here. **

Brooke is standing beside
me, looking past the rock the same way I am. Well almost like me. Her body molds into the rock as if she’s apart of it.

“What is it?” She worries.

“Zailor.” I look at her, hoping she understands what I'm trying to say. I hope somehow her ring can talk to my necklace and there's some kind of connection that binds us together. That can tell her what I saw, how I feel and just how much in trouble we are.

Brooke takes a moment, stepping  backwards a little. She breathes in a deep breath as she rest her hand on the rock.

“No.” She says. “You’re the only one who jumped.”  She smiles with her big blue eyes. "At least the only one who came back the second time."

Chapter 6, part 2

I'm not sure how long I wait. Manly because I suddenly can't remember why I'm waiting.  With every minute that goes by, my memory slips. The only thing that keeps me here, is the fear that's pumping through my vanes.

I try to focus. I was running.  and Jay....  what was his name?

my heart hammers inside my chest. He was on the ground. I'm alone. All alone.  a sinking feeling drops inside my stomach. I'm alone.

Images flash inside my head, trying to remember anything useful. But as soon as I find something, it’s lost.  My body on the other hand, feels everything. The rock’s edges are as sharp as knives. The ground underneath me is sinking slowly. It's cageing me in and without being able to see, full out panic sets in. I take a deep breath only to cough it out.
I'm going to die here, and no one cares.

Just as that thought enters my mind, a slit sensual breeze crosses my arm. It tickles and toys with my hair. It feels warm, even natural.

I reach my hand out and away from the rock. Sliding my fingers through the grass. Suddenly the grass sways around me. I snap up hitting my head on the rock. I don’t think about the pain.  I just listen. But, my ears only hear the wind in the distance, the rushing water near by, and the sweat dripping from my forehead. There’s nothing else. Whoever or whatever that moved the grass doesn’t make a sound. I hold my breath for a moment, just to make sure.

Something light as air touches my hand.  My body starts to shack deep within me. But, I keep my arm strached out. I can't seem to move it anyways. Besides, the shacking, every other muscle in my body feels sluggish.  Almost like I've forgoten how to move as well.

After a moment, I realize. It's just a leaf that touches my hand. But as soon as I breathe in deeply and calm my shacks. The leaf moves into delicate fingers and wraps around my hand.

“Shhhh. It’s okay.” A sweet high pitch voice comes from above me. I flinch. she’s so close to me, too close. How did she get that close without me hearing her?

The air picks up with excitement but it whispers, I can trust her. I'm okay.  I think. I'm going to live. I am safe from .... who?

“What?” My voice brakes.

“I’m Brooke.” She says. "You landed in my forest.”

My mind twists and turns. I wasn't in a forest. “No… I was…” What was I doing?

“Are you alright?  You landed pretty hard.” She says in a matter of fact way. “How come you didn’t use your feet?” 

I can’t think of a response for her. I’m not quite sure if I am all right, let alone if I can use my feet. I can’t even imagine how I got here, wherever here is. 

“You’re a world skipper aren’t you? Aren’t you supposed to use tilly after you skip?”

Every word Brooke says bounces in my head. I can’t make sense of any it. Skip?  Tilly?  I can’t grab onto the meaning for them. But I feel without a doubt, they're important words.

“I have tilly.  Did you run out?” She says.

I look up toward her voice, hoping that will slow her words down for a moment. She suddenly makes a sound in the grass for the first time. As she takes a small step backwards. 

“Oh my hiccups” She gasps . “Your eyes.”

I must look as horrible as I feel. because with a gust of wind, I know she’s gone. Her voice mutters in the distance. I can only make out one thing. 

“She needs this!” her voice is sharp as if she's fighting with someone. Maybe it's herself? I can only hope. I have no idea how I would deal with more people talking to me.

I slowly move my body away from the opening of the rock and wrench upright. I lean up against the rock, for support.  My heart picks up, hot flashes rush through my vanes and I’m dripping with sweat once more. I can’t help but wonder what Brooke saw in my eyes.  But she’s back before I can even stress too long.

“Here. Look up at me and keep your eyes open as much as you can.”

I lose focus. The colors around her swim inside my vision. I can’t tell if I looking up, down, left or right. I feel her cold leafish hand under my chin. My head moves easily with her and a rush of cold water drips over my eyes. I gasp and try to pull away, but Brooke holds her grip tight. The water burns like fire in a barrel. I scream as I close my eyes tight, trying pull away. But it doesn’t help, Brooke keeps pouring. 
“If you close your eyes I’ll have to get more water.”

I shake my head no. 
Brooke grabs my chin harder.

“I don't want to open your eyes for you. It will only hurt more.”

The water slows to a drip and with each drop it hurts ten times more than the fast pour.  My eyes flash open in pain. The water rushes over my eyes quickly.  The burning is still there but less painful. As soon as the water stops my head starts to shakes in agony. Brooke gently lets go.

  “Sorry” slips out of her lips, but I don’t give her the satisfaction of forgiving her.

I shriek back into the rock as fast as I can. Why? Why would she?  My eyes scream for relief.  But only flashes and flickers of yellow and red flames come. I want to rub them, but what if I make it worse? The fire is already blazing, could it end up burning the rest of me?

Chapter 6, part 1

When I was younger, I would lay in the grass watching the clouds shift and swirl into shapes. I'd feel the wind brush across my body. Feel it surge into a force deep inside of me and instantly know it was there for me.  To carry me away, to protect me, to fight for me, if only.
If only I could make myself small enough. If only I could hold onto it.

I never did figure out how to drift away with the wind. My body always felt glued to the earth, in a way that couldn't be broken. It was, unnatural and unforgiving.  But now, spinning and twisting with each movement of the wind. I no longer believe it's about making myself light or small or even holding on to it. It's a willingness of giving myself over to it. Of losing myself and giving up all of me.
All that I have been, all that I am, All that I'll become. I am the wind, screaming through the world as I make my path through it.

I no longer can tell which way is up or down.  Brilliant bright colors almost blinding in a way, twist with me. Somehow, I can't take my eyes off of them, no matter how bright they are. Blues, yellows and greens flash vibrantly and cruel. They tease with hope and possibilities that when I finely connect to the earth; every last inch of me wants to fall into tiny paces just for unnaturally gluing itself to the earth again. I don't  belong here, or tied down to this earth. My body knows it, I know it.

When the spring did stop, Or more like when the ground smacks me in the face, my legs are numb. The air inside of my lungs is suddenly suffocating me. I gasp for new air, but it feels like I've forgotten how to breathe. My heart is pounding too fast, and the rest of my body is screaming in agony.

A thick film covers my eyes, I can barely see through it. It feels like a distant memory, I can’t pull out of my head. My breathing slowly catches up to my heart. Or rather my heart slows. Either way, I can breathe again.- Slowly.

I scramble to my knees and move to the side.  The side of what, I'm not sure.  But by the way the grass moves freely throught my fingers, I  can only guess,  I'm in someone's yard. But which lawn?  This grass seems soft and manicured. Every lawn in the area, is still brown from the winter. It also feels like a cool spring day. There’s a soft sound of water rushing in the background -the same water that I heard when Jayden kissed me.

But where is it? My mind jumps to the areas of Kennewick that I know. I can’t be far.  Nothing comes to mind that could feel and sound like this. Wherever I landed, it's no where I've been.

I rub my eyes, hoping it would help me see again. But, it only makes it worse. I keep following the grass backwards, on my knees, until my back hits the side of a large rock. I feel around the rock, and find a small opening between the ground and the rock.  I squeeze myself into the opening until it hurts. – I don’t get very far. 

I’ll wait here. I think.  Panting, catching my breath and my heart.

Drops of sweat slide down the side of my face, as I wait. I wait for Zailor to find me, to kill me.  I wait for Jayden’s soft touch as his arms encircle me again and I wait for my eyes to work. – None of which come.

Chapter 5 part 5

There's a load ringing from the hallway bells. It almost beats with my heart. As I stand there shocked. Did he just say...

"Run" Jayden says again, but louder this time. He pushes me backwards and turns to face Zailor.

Zailor is picking himself off the ground wiping the blood from his face. The daggers coming from his eyes cut deep inside of me and chill in his voice cuts even deeper.
"What are you doing Jayden?"

"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"  Jayden gestures to me. "Its Raynee."

I realize with a soul sucking reassurance, they know each other and not as good vs evil knowing. Or 'hey watch out for the bad guy.' No.  They're talking like friends. Really pissed off friends, but still.

"That." Zailor points to me. "Is not Raynee."  For once I'm in agreement with Zailor. Although I don't quite understand his sudden shift of view.

Jayden's arms reach outward and I  feel a slit twinge of air leaving from the space between us. He encircled me in some kind of bubble. I curl up behide him as if its the most natural thing to do. The smell of his sweat and mashed up concrete, has my head spinning and spinning until all I can do is stand there with a dumb smile on my face.  I've done this a thousand times before, somewhere, sometime.

Zailor grinding his teeth as he watches us intensity. I can't tell for sure, but his eyes almost resemble betrayal. He lifts his right hand.  "Can Raynee sing to the wind?" His hand curls around slowly giving away to sparks that flash from his fingertips. Jayden wraps his arms around me carefully pulling me towards his back. I grab his shirt, barely remembering how to breathe.

"When has the precious Raynee ever have that kind of power?"

Jayden's grip on the edge of my jeans gets tighter and somehow sends goosebumps down my arm. I feel him lean back towards me.  "It's time for you to go." He says. But I can't move. I can't leave him. Which is probably the stupidest thing I've ever thought in my life.

Zailor's sparks turn cold and dance their way into a neatly ball of fire . I should be afraid, I should be running. But I'm not. I hold tighter to Jayden letting my head rest on this back. Behind me, Thoms shuffles around the gravel. Yelling. "Jazlyn run."
But I still ignore.

"Get out of the way, Jayden." Zailor screams. I jump and close my eyes tight as the fireball burns its way through the air, through the bubble and connects to Jayden's chest.
Terror rushes through me, as my mind clears up. That was a fireball and it's probably burning through Jayden.  I grip Jayden’s back as tightly as I can. – waiting for him to fall. But he doesn’t. He hold his grip around me strong. He leans his head back closer to me.

“You have to go now. I can't hold him off for long.” His voice chimes inside my ears like a melody that only he can sing.

He releases his hands with a light push on my hip.  He stretches his arms out wide to his sides.

"I won't let you hart her."

Thoms is still yelling in the background, but I can’t think about him. The wind picks put around us and I... I am one of those stupid girls that I hate. I pull my body closer to Jayden, just in time as another force hits him. We both stumble back.  Zailor is saying something but I can’t hear over the howling wind thats stirring around us.

“Stop!”  Jayden’s voice shake me into reality for a moment. “Stop the wind Ray! I can't distinguish between your powers and his.”

How could I stop the wind? He takes two steps away from me and I pull myself closer.  I can't help myself any space between us, is too much. 
“I can’t.”  is all I could say.

He wraps his arms around me as another fireball sends a computer screen into a million different directions. Another blast explodes the table where bloodie use to hide.  Jayden follows each blast protecting me from each side. He leaned back again this time with a sweeter voice.

“It's alright, you can go now” He takes a breath “You have to go without me.”  

I shake my head. “No.” I whisper. “No. I can’t leave you.”  Jayden’s next words hit my heart like a speeding bullet.

"Do you want me to take the star for him?"

My mind spins into full force. He would take my star? Wait. What?  How? How could he be like him? Why would Jayden want the star too? My legs became weak. I can’t breath. I take a small step back and wrap my hands around my star.  Thoms’s voice grows closer to the front of my head. – He’s yelling at the top of his lungs.

“Now! Run!”

Jayden swings around towards me. His hands wrap around my face sending an electric shock to my head. I no longer could run even if I wanted to and I don’t want to. I lose myself in his deep blue eyes as he leans in close, touching his lips to mine. I melt into his hands, my arms drop from exhaustion and I lean in closer to him. Our lips crush into each other. His hands slip around me, knotting into my hair and squeezing me tighter. I twist into his body even more. He holds me up as my legs gave way.

Nothing matters anymore. Zailor doesn’t enter inside my mind and I don’t care about the star. Jayden is mine. That is all that matters. I slip into my crazy self and let the world around us change. I hear water rushes  behind us, a strong small of cherry blossoms fill my lungs. I feel tall grass tickle my legs. Jayden slowly releases my lips and slides his hands back to my face. His breath hit my face as he whispers. “Hi Beautiful.”

I slowly open my eyes. He’s studying my face carefully.

“Hi” I breathe back.

“It’s time for you to go my love.”

His face keeps close to mine.-Making me even dizzier than before.  He’s right hand leaves my face and slowly tuck my hair behind my ears.

“Okay.” I’m not quite sure what I’m saying. All I can think about is kissing him again. He leans back and looks at me thoughtfully. The crease in his forehead became more defined and he tilts his head. – making my knees go weak.
“Go Raynee. Now!”  His voice is a little too firm, for this moment. I jump about ten feet when another fireball hit Jayden's back. Forcing me back onto the classroom.

Jayden winces in agony. He grips my arms for support. My knees buckle a little, but I catch myself from letting us both fall to the ground. I can hear Zailor clearly now. His words fly like knives cutting through the sky straight into Jayden's back.

“You will pay for this!  Bring the star before I kill you both.”

Jayden's body sinks, as he grabs my waist and shoves me backwards.
“Go.”

I take two steps backwards as another fireball hits him in the back.  Jayden turns around towards Zailor without looking at me. The world spins as my body moves on its own. I turn and run as fast as I can towards Thoms.

Jayden screams behind me. But Thoms’s voice is loader now.
“Get down!”

An orange shield explodes from Thoms hands... I stumble in the broken up bricks and fall at what must have been the perfect time.  Thoms’s  shield and one of Zailor's fireball collide above me. The heat from the fireball burns into my face as it fights its way towards me. 

"Run!" Thoms orders.

I quickly obey and scramble up - trying to focus on my feet. I stumble a bit as I turn the corner into the hallway.  I glance back for a moment, Jayden is on the ground. I can’t tell if he’s moving. I only see Zailor running towards me –faster than I’m running. Thoms grabs my arm- pulling me past him. I turn  and run faster down the hall.

The bell is blaring as I pass it. Kids are hiding in rooms and I know I can't hide with them. I would only put them in danger, and whatever is making me run now. Can't stand even the thought of that. Ahead of me are doors out to the street. If I could only make it, I might get Zailor away from here.

“Go to Narmolyna! Find the East Star!”  Thoms shouts as he throws another shield up.

Zailor stops short –I hear fire blasting ageist Thoms’s shield. But not for long.  Sounds of glass braking and kids screaming come from the left side of me.  A blast of fire soars past me. I shield my face, and keep running. Fire roars all around me, hitting lockers classrooms, anything. Barely missing me each time. 

“Find the East Star! The East Star...” I chatter. darting my eyes everywhere. I suddenly realize, I no place to go. I can't go home. Stephanie is there, and I can't stay here. He would kill us all for this stupid necklace. “The East star.”

I'm  almost to the doors when the trophy cabinet next to me explodes into to flams, engulfing the hall. Kids are forced to run from their hiding places, and I know it's over. There is nothing I can do, but hand over the star. I drop to the ground, waiting for the fire to engulf me as well. But it doesn’t. I look back and Zailor is still trapped behind Thoms’s shield. They're getting closer, by each force of the fireballs. But he's still behind it.  Thoms shots again but I can’t make out his words over the fire and screaming. So much screaming.

I feel my body reacting before I can even think if it’s the right move. I frantically get to my feet and lung myself out the doors and across the street. I reach a flower bed and leap over whatever flowers I can. Another fireball escapes Thoms’s shield and transforms the street into a war zone. Fireballs come from all around me, sending sharp fire everywhere. Flams that burst on impact send massive fire knives flying through the sky. With each burst it forces me to switch directions. My feet move by themself, as I hurl myself this way or that way.  

I look back for a second, they're at the door and Thoms is almost on the ground. Zailor is firing a missile launcher at his shield to get past him. I know as soon as Zailor kills Thoms, there will be nowhere for me to run. My heart pounds hard inside my chest making me feel dizzy. But my feet won’t stop. “The East star” I breathe out.

I'm not sure what happen. -Zailor got through Thoms shield. Or maybe Thoms throw a spell at me. But the colors on the street start to spin in front of me. I feel a pull on my chest as if someone is pulling my body along.  A blast from behind, forces me to lose my feet on the ground, but I don’t hit the ground like before. I’m spinning inside of a tornado. Twisting and weaving through the street of fire. Red and yellow colors suck me in farther. This is it.  I think. The time for me to die.

But the colors don’t engulf me.  They carry me away, out of the street and away from Zailor.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!” Zailor yells in the distant.

Chapter 5 part 4

"Let him go." My voice rushes out too fast for me to really think about what I'm saying.  This is Zailor and I'm standing in front of him.  I'm not really thinking about  what comes next. I'm just giving into what my body feels, and it feels cold, edgy and almost as light as the air thats beating into my bones.

There's a tug at my jeans, pulling downward and I have a brief moment where I want to dive back underneath the table. I even try. But, my body won't give in, I can't  even take my eyes off of Zailor. 

"Finely coming out to play?" He smiles, but doesn't let go of the boy. There's an ever so slit twinge of air coming from the boy and I realize Zailor has loosen his grip, just enough to let him breathe.

I take in the room slowly, allowing each peace and person to come into my view. My table is the last standing. The computers are smashed and scattered into peaces. The chairs have made a wall in front of the door I didn't see before.  Why hadn't I seen it? The tables, cords, random books and other all out crap are twisted around the room. Forming a maze for kids to hide behind, well the kids that didn't get thrown into a wall and are now unconscious, that is.

I let Zailor study me with his eyes as I carefully listen to the unconscious in the room. There's an electronic shock that pulses from my star through my body down my legs, to my feet, casting and creating a connection between me and all of them.

"I told you." I say carefully. "Let him go."

The girl in the corner has a broken leg. But she's awake trying not to cry or move. The boy closest to her has a gash on his head, right arm and a broken rib. He's breathing but out like light.

"I was hoping you'd show me what you can do." Zailor's voice is cold.

The teacher was blast the hardest. Her brain was knocked around when she hit the wall.  She's alive, for now.

"Since your not the Raynee I used to know."

As the electric pulse leaves my feet, it glide up and down their bodies checking for wounds. As long as that body part touches the ground, the pulse can find it. There are four more students unconscious scattered along the floor. But just like the wind from their breath, the pulse tells me they're alive.

I let my voice match his tone. "Well, since my name is Jazlyn Love, I've already shown you what I can do."

I really should take a moment and analyze why and how I can even talk at the moment. But the only real desire I have is getting these kids out of here. To keep them safe. - All of them without being hurt.

Zailor comes back into view, at least I think its my view. He's a little blurry and there is a touch of blue that bounces around him. I focus on the color, realizing its not just around him. But it reaches from his hand that's stretched out and connects to the dangling boy. That's the way he's doing it. He's not pushing air to the kids, he's throwing the color. 

My eyebrows form a line, when I think just how stupid that sounds, but, I can't think of anything else.

Unsure of what to do next. I give into the next feeling my body reacts to and guide myself to the last standing table. My table with a bloode hiding underneath it and sit on top of it, crossing my legs.

Zailor's eyes go wide. Looking from me to the table he didn't see until now.
"Nice trick."

I hadn't realized he didn't seen it before now. Somehow my hideaway was really hiden. That's why didn't see the chair wall and why Blondie and I weren't thrown around like rag dalls.  We were hiden, safe and I just revealed Blondie. Crap!

Zailor releases the jock with a flip of his hand and squeezes the color around me. The air inside of me is sucked out, instant pain beats inside my head and suddenly, every light, energy and essence of who I  am. Is gone.

The hero jock scurries to safety, as my body is lifted into the air, slowly moving closer and closer to Zailor.

"Why are you Raynee?" Zailor says slowly. "Why are you protecting these things?"

His eyes look deeply into my soul. I feel it, pushing and priding inside. As if he has every right to that space in me. I struggle and imagine pushing back. No not pushing, throwing him backwards.
He takes a small step back and I'm  instantly accelerated with power.
I did that. I think. I made him move.

I reach up to the color that's squeezing me and push back. Zailor is screaming. No I'm screaming, we're both screaming. The pain is deep inside, thrashing and ripping apart. I can't really tell where it's coming from, or which part of me is in agony. I just know, I  don't want to feel it anymore.

The classroom begins to shack and twist and just when i think i can't take it any more. The brick wall behind us crashes open and Jayden stands there with his hands stretched out.

"Run" Jayden says to no one in particular. But the students don't wait for confirmation, the ones closes to the opening run and vanish behide the halls. There's screaming, but I can't tell from where. My ears are still drowned out by my own voice.

There's a new tug around me. Like a swift wip circling the middle of my body. I'm tugged backwards and I realize if I don't let go of Zailor's color, I'll hang here. The instant I let go. Zailor's color releases it's hold and I'm swung bavkwards into Jayden's arms.

Jayden turns me around, putting his body between me and Zailor. The energy that escaped me before, returns in full force.

"Run." He says.

Chapter 5 part 3

I lower back down to the ground,  steading my hands on the carpet. It's ruff and both scratches and tickle my hands at the same time. An electric pulse surges through my hands and up my arm. Sending every nerve in my body to high alert. Not that I need more, but this connection to the floor feels like its almost impowering me. Making me stronger. Feeding my body something it's been hungry for, for years.

Computer cords tick along the side tin wall of the table with every tud I hear in the distance. And It is in the distance, i realize. Whatever was happening to the kids on the next row, or just in the room in general. Somehow, I was too far for it to reach me. I was beyond this moment, beyond the fear and panic that curls in my blood. The only thing that can reach me, is the steady "Raynee" taping along with the computer cords.

I don't stay long in this state, Blondie snaps me back into the room when she grabs my hand.
The terror in her voice takes over the echoes in my mind.  "Oh my God.." she closes her eyes around the tears.  "We're going to die." I squeeze her hand "No we're not." I say as softly as I can.

My body dose a quick survey of the room.  Every student in the room is either hiding or unconscious. I'm not sure how I know, but no one in this room is dead. I feel each and every heartbeat as if they're beating together in a band. I feel the air pulse inside my bones and I just know, we're all still breathing. For now at least, we're all alive.

Zailer comes into my view through the cracks of the tables. He moves away from the door. Throwing his hand in the air just enough to send wind colliding against, computers, tables, chairs, anything. The kids that are hiding, scramble to another place to hide. If they're not fast enough, Zailor throws them across the room with a flip of his finger.

If I could only get out of the room.  I could lead him away from them. I could save them. He doesn't want these kids. He wants me. He wants this star.  But fear creeps slowly back in. Making my lungs hyperventilate before I can stop them. I lay my head down on the carpet trying to focus on breathing as my mind flips and flips on different ways to stay alive.

At this view, I can see the football player that sat in front of me. His legs are tucked under him and he leans on this fingertips. Taking deep breaths of courage. His eyes contact with mine.

I know what he's going to do. He's going to try and be a hero. Why is it always the jock who thinks he's invincible?  I shake my head at him with the best crazy eyes I can do. But it's like he can't truly see me. He looks straight through me and the jock. The stupid, idiotic wannabe hero. Stands and faces Zailor. His arm stretch out as if he's  approaching a wild bear.
"Look man. I don't know what you want. But your like scaring everyone."

Nice. I think. He's a freaken poet too.

With a flip of Zailor's hand, the kid shoots into the air and hangs there. He kicks his legs searching for the  land.  Grabing at his neck for an invisible rope that's tied around him. I hear him gag, and thrash. Wanting to scream or say something, but unable to get past whatever is holding him there.

"I'll kill him" the voice says in my mind. "Come out or he's dead."

I don't know how to explain what happens next. It's almost like the pulse of the air inside me, rips through my body and pushes me up. I can no longer grip the carpet and I fly to my knees. I have a slight sensation of Blondie grabbing my arm. "What are you doing?"
My mind repeats her question. You don't know him. You don't care about him. But my body does care if he lives or dieds. I pull away from her grasp too fast for her to react and take my stand in front of Zailor.

Chapter 5 part 2

The voice that pulls me out of my mesmerize memory, is so deep and hushed that I almost missed it.  If he hadn't been repeating the same thing over and over, I probably would have.

"Raynee." A moment of silence, and then. "Raynee" silence "Raynee" goosebumps shiver down my arms and I suddenly realize just how royally screwed I am. This computer lab is not a safe haven. There's only one way out and that's  the door I came through. Not to mention I've trapped myself between kids and a brick wall.  I'm pretty sure Zialor won't have any trouble killing these kids to get to me. I put them in danger. I did this, the minute I walked through the door.

"Raynee"

I glance around the room. But, no one else seems to be struck with fear like I am. How can they not hear it? I listen harder, steading my breathing. "Raynee". Breathe-in "Raynee" breathe-out. I want to grab for my star that's now burning into my chest. But, now that I'm focusing on the voice. It echoes in my head. "Raynee " Like someone else has access to a back door of my mind.

The teacher doesn't skip a beat as she explains how Microsoft Excel works. The students are either following along with her or hiding their phones as they text.  For all  intents and purposes its a normal computer class with no one else  repeating Raynee in their mind.

No. I think. This message is for me alone.

When these blue eye apear in the classroom's door window. I almost knock my keyboard into the lap of blondie, as I force myself to hide under the table. I'm not sure if he saw me. But I'm not about to volunteer the information.

"What are you doing?" The girl gocked.

Shhhh. I hissed in return.

She mutters something under her breath, but I don't look up. I yank my star out from under my shirt. Sure enough, it's bright blue. Like a spotlight. I have to hind it between  my hands, just to keep the light from going everywhere.

"Can I help you." The teachers  voice chimes in.

I lower myself to the ground so I can see under the back wall of the table.

Zialor walked into the room. The classroom is instantly quite and I wonder if everyone else can hear my heart pounding. I whisper into my hands, hoping that this stupid star can suddenly hear me. "If your  suppose to do something. Now would  be a good time." 

Blondie takes a split second to look from Zialor to me and then clearlty flashes through her face.  Her eyes whip back to Zialor as I watch her hazel eyes go from fastanating to fear. I still hear the steady beat of Raynee,  Raynee, deep inside of my mind. But I let it drift off into the distance as a rush of air flows. No pushes across the classroom. For a moment, I think it's coming for me. Or that I'm bringing it here. But no. It screams past us to the teacher and sends her flying. She hits the wall with a thud and drops to the ground. 

The faces of the other students seem to blur all together. Their  voices mix like grand station central as some scurry under the tables. Some stand to run, only to be knocked down and others, like blondie, Sit there shocked unable to move or even breathe. I catch my own breath as I come out of my hiding place and grab blondie, pulling her down under the table.

"Who the hell is that?" She gasp.

I don't answer. All I can do is breathe.

Chapter 5 part 1

The AC in the computer lab is so cold my toes are shivering in protest. Despite the girl next to me, giving me the best evil eye she can muster up. I keep reading that same damn article I've been reading for years. I still can't get rid of the childhood fantasy, that lingers over my shoulders every time I read it. Hoping that the ending would change. Or there would be some clue on how I got there, who I am and where I belonged. But nothings changes and not even the security cameras could show how I got there. One minute nothing is there, and the next there I am. Looking like I just stepped out of a tsunami.

For a few years, I would lay in bed pounding the inside of my memories, trying to rack my brain of something past that blue scarf.  I probably would  have given anything, for the feeling I felt when I walked into Stephanie and Wade's house. But now, all it does is bring back that starstruck feeling. And without  even  realizing it, I am lost all over again.

Lynn Costa, the sales associate who found me. Use to keep tabs me until she moved away... New York? Florida? Indiana?  I don't know. It didn't seem that important when she told me. I was a stupid kid.

"I can't keep calling  you Macy." Lynn said after she handed me a Lusie Armstrong cd. "Let's pick a name I can call you."

I'd been called Macy for a good six months and was use to it. Or rather still holding on to my name popping  back into my head and I'd instantly demand to be called.... blah  blah. Or whatever the name is. But Lynn had a way to convince me that Macy was more of a dog's name than a girls. I'm pretty sure, I didn't put up much of a fight about  changing it.

"Let me see." She clicked her tong as she thought.  "It should be something that fits who you are. What do you like to do?"

I put in the cd into the dash of her car and let my eyes wonder past the buildings to find the ocean. A kiss to build a dream on filler the car's speakers and instantly smoothed out the rigges in my mind.  "I like nature ." My small voice came out.

"Hummm.  Can we break it up? Nat. Nate. Natalie?"

My nose scrunches and I shack my head. That didn't feel right. Whatever I was, I was not a Natalie.

"You like Jazz. Maybe I'll call Jazzie." Lynn smiles sideways and pops her hands with the beat on the steering wheel.

I did like Jazz. It was calming and somehow, made my mind stop spinning. Which it often did those days. But I also was very fond of her. She had become an instinct hero in my mind and I wanted to be just like her. "Can't you call me Lynn?"

She blushed and let a small smile creep in the corner of her mouth. Without a ward she pulled to a stop light and turn towards me. "How about I call you Jazlyn? Then we won't get confused on who is who."

Jazlyn. Jazlyn. The name seem to roll off and tickle my tongue. I could be Jazlyn. Why not?  I could be anyone I wanted to be. Why not Jazlyn?  From that moment on I demand without a doubt. I was Jazlyn Love and I still am today. No matter what Jayden called me. No matter what. I am Jazlyn Love.

Chapter 3 part 5

Jane Doe found in Macy's

Police have been desperate to identify a young girl who was found in Macy's department store on third avenue, downtown Seattle, Friday evening.

The young girl, age between 8 and 10, has no recognition on who she is and no known injuries. She was discovered by a sales associate, Lynn Costa, who immediately call for help around 6pm. 'She looked starstruck, when I first saw her.' Costa said to reporters. 'Completely out of it.'

Police have been unable to get much information from the girl. It appears she either dose not know, or is unwilling to say who she is and how she got to the department store.

Inspector RaNell Torres said: 'This is a rare case indeed. We are trying to identify who she is, so we can inform to her family. But most importantly what she knows.'

According to witnesses the girl kept repeating the same sentence over and over 'He killed him. He killed him.'  But police have not been able to identify who she is refuring to and no bodies have been found.

Doctors are treating her in the hospital for amnesia. For the time being, she is being guarded twenty-four hours a day.  While officers trace her family.

They have reviewed security tapes and spoken to witnesses near to where she was found. 'I didn't see her walk in.' Costa confirms. 'She was just suddenly there,  and then she was screaming.'

Police have checked with hospitals, schools and missing children
service, but have drawn a blank.

'There's nothing to suggest she's been attacked.' Insp. Torres said. 'But because of her age and the suspicious circumstances surrounding her, we are not releasing a description on what she looks like. The only thing we will release to the public is, she has red hair.'

The officer added she believes the girl is in danger, and there are distinctive trademarks to her behavior.  'If you have knowledge of her. Be prepared to answer some questions, before she is released.'

The girl is currently in hospital receiving treatment for amnesia. If no one can provide proof of religion. She will be turned over to Family Services.

Chapter 4 part 1

"He's gone, he's gone." Jon pleated. "Please my Lord Jayden forgive me."

Terror tears through my blood as I picked him up with one hand.  Not terror for myself; this is fully for him. I want him to feel it. To bathe in it, as is grow like a cancer feeding off of his soul.  To feel without a doubt that he has failed me and if he dose it again.  I'll kill him. Not that I'll ever intentionally kill him. That would create two more of his kind.  But ever since the clock turned back, it's been harder to control myself.  This warm, glossy sensation drips off every word I speak and I'm too defeated to stop it.

"How could he leave? Where did he go Jon." I shake him as easily as it would be to shack a child. But Jon is not a child. No. No he is a destroyer. He was grown from the earth, the mud and blood from the wake of the dead that we killed. No not we killed. I killed. I created Jon. Out of thousands of destroyers,  this one is mine. Bond to me like the shadow he is. My destroyer, my guilt, my pain. Mine.

Jon struggles under my grip.  Clawing desperately to touch my chest. His brow turns into a line and I see the fear in his dark eyes. His air ways are being blocked by the haze. I'm sending too much. The small voice in the back of my mind says. But I don't let go. I have him now. At least I do until one of his blade toenails slices through my paints and digs into my flesh. For a blinding moment, I'm reminded why he's called a destroyer. Shooting starks of white pain explodes inside. My muscles quiver as blood gushes out from my thigh. I grind my teeth together hard.  Tossing him to the ground, before, I let the rise of passion kill him.  He shrieks down in a low bow. If he only knew. I shack my head. He controls me.

"He went after Queen Ada." His voice is muffled.  I can only imagine he's talking directly into the dirt now.

"What!" I feel my self starting to lose it now. The anger boils in my blood. Making it harder to focus on what's really important.  "He went after Ada without me?"

Jon quivers in the wave of my enchantment, and I remind myself to calm down. The last time I sent this much to him, he past out. I suck in some air. breathe.  Raynee would say. Just breathe.  But calming myself is more difficult than it should be.

"He. He. He."

"Spit it out!" I grit my teeth together.  Jaw clamped tightly.  I could kill him now so easily. If only. Only!

"He said he, he, he  cou couldn't wait."

That's it.  I slam my hands down hard on the table and send it flying across the room. Cups turn over and over as they flee for escape and the food scatters on the floor.  I hear Jon scream,  but when I shoot my eyes at him. His jaw clamps tightly shut.

"What did he do Jon. Tell me exactly what he did." Now my voice is low. My body feels stiff. Zailor that stupid pumped up, power hungry idiot.  If only I could pass on terror to him.

"He, he, went after Queen..."

"I know that! What happened after he went after Ada? I know he didn't over power her. She's stronger than he is."

"No my Lord. She sh, sh."

Ugh! I scram with frustration.  Then take a step back. Breathe. I struggle to keep my voice straight. The anger is too much now. With every word I throw at him, his fear deepen and keeps him struggling to speak.  His small body, shacking uncontrollably. Why do you do this?  The voice says. He would have told you freely. I take another deep breath as Jon stutters to obey my command.

"Qu Qu Queen Ada. She she sent her magic away. In in stars."

I slump down into the chair and grind my fist into my eyes. Breathe.  I force myself to pull back the terror, one by one. As if each of my fingers are wrapped around his throat.  With each breath,  I feel it ease from Jon. He'll be fine, I know. But if I don't control it. It will control me.

"And he couldn't wait." I shack my head. "Damn it all to hell. That idiot. He couldn't wait just one more month?"

"No my Lord, he said it was pointless."

"Pointless." I repeated.  "Pointless that now Ada's magic is missing. Pointless that she sent them into stars and cast them to who knows where."

I slam back into the chair and run my hands through my hair. "He knows better."

I close my eyes as I smooth every inch of myself. Every emotion, evey sensations, smooth as slik.  The air sweeps into my lungs, I hold it there. Remembering what Raynee would say. Control it. Breathe in and out. Slowly, slowly. Some times that woman could just creep inside my nerves.  But right now. I would give anything to have her here. Repeating the same things over and over.

After a few minutes, Jon is free from my grips and quickly shifts to picking up my mess on the floor.

"Did you."

I know what he's going to ask. I know every inch of this destroyer. "Did you have any luck my Lord?"

My blood rises again.  "Stop calling me my Lord." Breathe

"But you are my creator,  my. "

"Stop it!" I interrupt him. "I am no Lord."

Jon's body stiffens and I have to force myself to hold back again. 

"No." I say after a moment.  "Raynee wasn't in the white forest. "

Jon slowly leans out his right arm to reach for an apple.  Clearly he's still afraid to do any quick movements.

"Do you have any ideas where she could have gone next?"

"No. But, it wasn't useless.  I was able to convince a Nymph to let me use her powers, for the time being." I toss Jon a sideways grin.

Jon giggled. -With joy I realize, he's far to easy to control.  I'll have to do something about that soon.  "She did? What kind of magic dose a nymph have?"

"Shhhh"

I lean down and let my fingers touch the dirt. Feeling the earth tangle inside of me. Shimmering through my fingers, up my arm. The dirt flickers down into the center of the world and circles completely inside of me. I am the dirt. I am the trees, the mountains, the valleys and water. I am this world. Or rather I'm intricately connected to it. I'm like the nymph, apart of  this Land.  Then I am a cavern feeling the mossy air around a mabman. Standing dumbfounded as Ada dose the only thing she can do.

"He went after the North." I say calmly.

"Yes my Lor. I mean Jayden."

I followed the north deep into the sky. Past the forest,  past rivers, the red mountains,  deeper and deeper, until it jumps. Jumps out of this sky, to a world  unlike any other. 

Jon chants "You see it. You see it." I hear his hands come together with a clap. I feel the air gush from the force of it. But I don't see him.  I see Ray.

Chapter 3 part 4

“Okay that was weird.” Shelly’s voice was cloudy in my mind. “What did he say to you?”

“Ummm... nothing.” I tangled my hair with my fingers, and tried to feel the star under my shirt. It wasn’t jumping like before. It felt cold, almost icy.

“Do you know him? Is he some love affair from Seattle?” Shelly took a breath in. “Oh… that’s soo romantic. He followed you here.”

The school bell rang above us. Both Shelly and I jumped into full speed. I have History in 5 minuets; I focused on that as much as I could. That is something I can do. I'm good at that. -Avoiding reality and focusing on what I can understand. I first map out the school inside my mind which lets my feet move. Shelly is on heals, and saying something, but I don’t stop. I can't think about her right now. I have to get back to something real. Something that's plan and simple…. timeless… history class is timeless, never changing, never! What's in the past, stays there.  History, finito, gone forever. I can deal with that.

I made it to class without having to take a second thought on how to get there. I picked the first seat I could find, just as Mr. Ketchum starts the class. Shelly sits three seats behind me. I’m glad She couldn’t find a seat closer to me. I need to be in my own head for a bit. Mr. Ketchum’s lesson is on Susan B. Anthony, which is perfect, because I’ve already had this lesson about a week ago. I'm able to fully escape into my mind.

The crazy part of my mind ran to Jayden first. I couldn’t help but see the pain in his eyes when he left. Why did I say that him? Why couldn’t I stop myself? As soon as i felt his touch, I wanted nothing but him. Even Zailor didn’t mean anything to me, as long as he was near.

I thought about the vision, or memory, that flashed into my mind earlier. -His warm hand brushing my cheek, as he moves my hair. His loving embrace trapped me in some magical world.  -It's painful to even think about it now. Now that he’s gone, and he is gone. I know that for sure.  Would he go after Zailor alone? I wonder. Would he come back?

When the sane part of me came around. it wonders, why Jayden even meant so much to me? I just met him, and I was willing to throw everything away for him?
I know it was the sane part of me that held my body in place when he left. It's that part of me that wants to stay here; wants to make a life here with Stephanie and Wade. Wants friends that would stick around longer then a few months. It's that part that won’t let me fully go crazy now.

By the time first hour is up, neither question is answered. But I'm not fully myself either. I stand as soon as the bell rings, grab my bookbag and dash out before Shelly has the chance to get close to me. I know she wants to ask more about Jayden. But, the crazy part of me wants to keep him all to myself, and the sane part, doesn’t want to tell her he's part of my nightmares.

I wave in between kids, not knowing where I'm heading. I'm not going to my next class,  that I know for sure. English was to the right of history.  Down the hall, make two rights and in room 211. But when I left history,  I truned left. I don't care.  I tell myself. I wouldn't be there even if I was. I'm numb by the time the bell rings and I find myself in front of a computer lab.

Just before I slip inside the room. I see Zailor in the corner of my eye. A shadow of him more like it. By the time I do a dubble take, his gone. I bult into the lab and hope the teach doesn't notice an extra kid in the mix.  I almost topple over some kids as I head to the furthest seat I can see. So much for inconspicuous, Jaz.  Somehow,  I make to the seat and hide behind a computer screen,  just as the teacher turns around. 

That's when I notice it. The shacking in my hands. The panic that oozes out of me. My heart that's about to burst out of my chest, and run away for me.
I have to calm down. People are starting to stair. 

"I hate being late." I chuckle.
All I get back from the blonde girl next to me, is a roll of her eyes. But at least she turns her focus to the teacher.

I take a deep breath and will my heart to slow its run. I can feel my star under my shirt again.  It's not burning thankfully,  but it tickles a bit. Almost saying "Hey. hey you. Let me out to play." But I smooth it over with my finger. Let my right hand search online what I always search for when I have internet and a panic attack. 

Macy's Jane Doe

Chapter 3- part 3

Ja… Words spat inside my head… Ja… Jade… Jude.. Jay... Jayden. His name is Jayden! I’m sure of it. Just as sure as I know he’s someone I need. Someone, I want. My body pulls towards him, like a puppet on a sting. I need him with every inch of my bones.  He will stand between me and Zailor.  

Ugh! Zailor. I catch my breath and break away from Jayden’s lock.  Whipping my head around to the glass doors. I can almost make out Zailor in the crowd, but there’s too many kids now. Which takes away from my view and gives me an uneasy feeling. What if he attacks here, with all these kids?  Could I? Or would...

Shelly’s rambling comes closer to the front of my head. “So, what did you do last night?”

“Nothing much.” I keep my eyes scanning back and forth between where I think Zailor is and Jayden. Hoping that Jayden will get some kind of hint. -not exactly sure what hint I'm going for. But anything is better than nothing.

“Well! I reworked my scene from yesterday… You know… the one you saw… Tom’s….” She fades back into my unconsciousness again, when I turn back to Jayden and he isn't there.

NO!  Panic rushes through me. No he can’t go. Not sure why he can't,  I'm going on full instinct now.  I take a step forward, towards where Jayden use to be and stop quickly when someone grabs my right arm.

“May I speak with you?” Jayden’s soft, silky voice whispers in my ear.

His touch sends an electric shocks up my arm. The world around us stops, and the only sound I can hear is my heart pounding inside my chest. I secretly hope he can’t hear it too.

Jayden stays close to my cheek. His breath feels warm and sweet, like lilies on a hot summer day. -It makes me a little dizzy.  I lean my head towards him and close my eyes- mesmerized by every inch of him. He's here. He's really here. I think, not knowing where the thought comes from. My insides are like Jell-O and I feel my knees give a little. He feels it too and places his other arm gently around my lower back. This is better… MUCH better. 

“What do you want?” Shelly’s soft tone had left with Tom and forces me back into reality for a moment. I tug on my eyes lids, but I’m too weak to open them.

“Just a moment with her” Jayden’s voice is more husky this time. Soft, husky, sweet voice. I wait for him to speak again. … Just breathe. I tell myself. But I'm really waiting for him to whisk me away. To keep me safe in those warm strong arms. I will follow those arms anywhere. I will follow him anywhere.

“Well, it doesn’t look like she wants a moment with you.” Shelly spat back at him.

Wait… what? My mind spins… what did she say? She couldn’t have said what I heard. Why would she think I wouldn’t want that? No! No! That’s not what I heard! I lean closer to Jayden.  But Shelly grips my left arm and pulls me away. Jayden lets go of arm. He let me go!?!  How could he let me go? It feels like we have walked across campus before my stomach drops to the floor and I ground my feet into the ground.

“NO!” My eyes fly open and the crease in my forehead is hard. “No!” it’s all I can say for a moment.

Shelly is stunned.  I could see she’s full of questions. I try to say something… but when I open my mouth, nothing comes. Shelly looks past me and focuses on Jayden. I follow her glare. He’s only a few steps away from me. His eyes are passionate, but his body is jagged in place. His right arm is rapped around to the side. – He’s grabbing for something, but must have stopped when I spoke. Horror is in his face. Cold out desperation gloomed over him, as he reaches towards me with his left hand.

“He’s weird- he’s hot, don’t get me wrong… but it’s just weird how he grabbed you. Like he owns you or something.” Shelly whispers.

Maybe he dose own me. I thought. What else would make me feel this way?

My voice loosens, just enough for me to say “It’s okay.” I take a breath in. “I want to talk to him.”

Shelly rolls her eyes and drops her hand. “Fine. But I’ll be waiting right here for you.”

I whirl myself back to Jayden and take his waiting hand. He glides me to the other side of the hall, and round the trophy cabinet. The kids move out of his way quickly, like he has the pelage or something. But he doesn’t seem to notice. His eyes keep glancing back at me. I can tell he has just as many questions as I do. But he doesn’t speak. When he pulls me to the wall, he takes my other hand.

“Raynie.” Hearing him speak again makes my heart jump, even if he did call me by the wrong name. “Are you alright?”

I open my mouth to speak, but I clamp my mouth shut. I can't speak after that. My voice would sound like a bear in pain

“Do you have the star?”

The Star? Why would he want the star? Suddenly, I feel a small burning feeling from my star, that's hiding under my shirt. But I don't take two seconds to think about it. I’m trapped inside his eyes… his smoky deep sea eyes.

“Come on Raynie, its important, my love.” My heart flitters, as He tugs on my hands a little “Zailor is here, and he’s coming for you.”

Zailor. This is a name I understand. “I know.” I finely say.

“When are you going back to Narmolyna?”

Narmolyna rings inside my head. Narmolyna.  Narmolyna.   I can’t see straight let alone understand this word. This is the second time someone has said this ward... But wait, he wants me to leave? What? Where? He’s here…. He wants me to leave him?

“I can’t…” my voice scatters like fire.

“There isn’t much time Raynie. If you have the star.” He takes a breath of frustration and grips my arms hard.
“Zailor won’t stop.”

“I don’t know…” my head is shacking.  I break our gaze and suddenly see all of the other students staring at us. My body starts to tremble, my knees are weak again, but this time I don’t lean towards Jayden, lean away. How could I leave them… defenseless?  My thoughts don’t make since to me. I tug my eyes back to Jayden. – hoping that his gaze would capture me once more.

“I can’t protect you here, not for long any ways. You know that Raynie.” His voice is braking.

“I don’t.” I want to say I don’t understand. But that’s not what came out “I don’t want you to.” I can’t believe what I’m saying. But I can’t stop myself either. “Go back Jayden. You shouldn’t be here.” My voice is stronger than I expect. It’s rugged, and painful to hear.

My mind is twisting around and around inside my head. I'm having trouble breathing, my heart burns… how could I say that? I couldn’t let him go… I just found him.  A vision tangles inside my mind. I see Jayden eyes trap me again. We're outside under a white tree with sprinkle flowers over us. He softly brushes my hair out of my face tucking it behind my ear.  I just found him, again?

Reality snaps back when Jayden drops my hands. By the time I look at him, his hands were at his sides -forming fist. His body is frozen in front of me, but he’s heating up like a steam train.

“You should probably stay around the people that you love SO much today.” His lips barely move.

He turns quickly and heads through the crowd of kids. They move out of his way again. he reaches the front doors before I can breathe again. My heart longs to run after him. I don’t even care about what everyone else thinks. But my legs grip their place, and won’t let me move. I’m trapping myself now.