Chapter 6
Jessie caught Nick's arm to slow him down just as he was about to join the others outside. The small clan was going to hangout around a bonfire. "Hey, um, this might sound strange, but I think Daisy is hiding something...like...I don't know...maybe," Jessie stammered as she tried to think of the right words to say, "she has unordinary powers."
Nick raised his eyebrows at her. "Unordinary powers? Sure, I guess there are people from different planets, but 'powers'?" He quoted with his fingers. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Just keep your eyes on her." Jessie whispered, so Daisy wouldn't hear, as they sat around the bonfire. He glanced at her as if to say, Fine, but I think you're crazy. Jessie clenched her jaw. She did not like to be thought of as "crazy".
"So, do you see any constellations?" Jessie asked Daisy. They were both laying on the ground huddled in blankets now that the fall night became chilly. Nick and Ava had retreated into the warm "base," so it was just the two of them.
"Just the Big Dipper and Little Dipper." Daisy pointed each of them out. "My friend is better at finding them than me."
"What is your friend's name?"
"Erika."
Jessie didn't want to be nosy, but couldn't resist asking, "You said something in our little chat, this morning, about something that happened to her, but didn't finish. Can you tell me?"
Daisy took her time before answering, "She was brutally kidnapped just because she didn't give someone what they wanted. Now I don't know where she is." Jessie could barely see tears in Daisy's eyes in the fading light.
"Why are you guys so close? She's not your family." Jessie immediately felt guilty for asking.
Daisy looked a little offended. "But she was! You see, my parents were in an...accident...so Erika's family took me in. I was very angry about life. Erika helped me back up on my feet." Daisy laughed a little, but it came out more like a sigh.
Jessie stared into the fire that was glowing only from the embers now. All of a sudden, a big burst of fire came alive again.
Jessie jumped, not expecting that, and gaped at the fire. "How did that-" She watched a ribbon of fire dance and wave around away from the rest.
Daisy saw it, too, and gasped. She stood up and ran into the base calling for Ava. Jessie was confused and squinted at the dancing flames a bit harder, but ran in after Daisy. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that Daisy did.
Jessie followed Ava and Daisy to a car in the underground garage and hopped in after them. Jessie guessed that Nick caught the memo as he came to the car as well.
"Um, what are you guys doing?" Daisy asked.
"Well, it seems that there is a problem and we want to help." Jessie replied, acknowledging Nick and herself. Daisy looked at Ava, almost pleadingly.
"They might as well know." Ava responded to her expression. Then, started driving out of the garage into a tunnel that led to a "real" street.
Daisy sighed, but explained, "That big burst of fire that you saw, Jessie, was a signal of help sent to me. There are some people, five to be exact, that escaped to this world when Carmay destroyed theirs, just like how she destroyed your birth planet. This may seem strange, but they have unique...abilities. These five people can control either water, fire, wind, nature, or space." She seemed wary of what she told.
Jessie gave an I-told-you-so look at Nick, but he was fastening his seat belt and not looking up at her. On purpose, probably. Jessie rolled her eyes and fastened hers too.
"Carmay has been searching for those five people ever since, so that she may learn the different powers. She's succeeded in finding most of them. My friend, Erika, is the person who can control fire, but only when she's near the area she wants it. Since she sent me the signal, she must've escaped Carmay and probably needs help, so we are heading where the signal indicated..."
We all gasped simultaneously as Ava pulled into the grassy lot in the middle of nowhere.
Smoke ascended up from the isolated house in slithering spirals. Windowpanes were shattered and bricks were fallen out of place. The door was wrecked to bits and the grass around it was charred. Mist from the cold, dewy ground mixing with the heat from the used-to-be fire made the scene creepier.
Daisy ran inside before anyone could stop her. Ava handed each of the others a flashlight. This time Jessie took precautions and didn't run in straight away.
After checking the perimeter, Jessie crept inside the deserted-looking house with Ava and Nick trailing behind. Looks like they had an obsession with china plates. Jessie thought as she stepped over several fragments of floral, striped, animal printed, and other exotically designed china plates.
She finally found Daisy crouched, staring at a picture. Jessie heard sniffles coming from the girl as she squatted next to her.
"They were my second family and now they, too, are gone." Daisy stuffed the small picture in her jacket pocket.
"A family's love is always with you." Jessie hugged her. "Let's go see if we can find anything here to give us a clue to what happened." She said to get Daisy's attention on something else.
"Carmay did this, obviously. I have no idea why, though." Daisy stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes, then, the girls started investigating.
Jessie skimmed her hand over different books including: The Story of Fire and The Importance of Knowing Your Power while looking for clues. She let out a long, tired yawn; Jessie didn't know exactly what to look for.
Her heart jumped into her throat when her flashlight flicked across a hand on the ground. Jessie let out a startled cry when she saw an unconscious
body.
"What is it?" Ava was the first to rush over.
"There is a boy on the floor." Jessie overcame her shock and sat down next to the child to check his pulse.
"Sam!" Daisy cried out when she saw the boy. "Is he..."
"No..." Jessie let out a sigh of relief, as did the others.
Crash!
"What was that?" She yelped, jumping to her feet on instinct.
"Where's Nick?" Ava whispered, dagger in hand. She scanned the room, but didn't dare move.
There was a moment of silence as the girls tried peering into the darkness.
"Do you think it's-" Daisy started, but stopped when she heard the boy trying to utter something out of his dry lips. Ava and Jessie crouched near him to hear better.
"They're...still-" Sam coughed, licked his lips, and tried again, "They're still here."
"Who, Sam? Who's here?" Daisy gently asked.
"It's a trap!" Sam, now fully aware of what was happening, gave out a wail and hid his head behind his arms.
Jessie shrieked as, out of nowhere, someone yanked her up by her hair, his nails digging into her scalp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you enjoyed it!
(Please don't copy my writing. Thanks)
|
v
© 2014 anotherenchantedland.blogspot.com All Rights Reserved
