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.