$35.83
Chapter 2
"Isla! Put it away! Next time, I'm taking it!" a voice tore her sourly from her thoughts. The voice belonged to Ms. Magna, Isla's hHistory teacher. Confused, Isla looked down at her desk, surprised to find she'ds been drawing. She didn't even remember taking out her journal. She slipped the book back into her bag. "Now, Isla, since you seem to be paying such great attention, would you care to answer this question please?" she asked, a clearly fake smile on her lips. Isla stared at the question.
In what state did England first settle in the U.S.?
Isla rolled her eyes., "California,." sShe said mockingly. A snicker came from the girl next to her, Abby. Her teacher sighed.
"No, Isla. Abby, don't encourage wrong answers. Isla is incorrect, can anyone explain to her why she was wrong?" asked Ms. Magna. A boy in the back of the class raised his hand.
"Virginia. The English landed in Virginia by accident,." sSaid the know-it-all.
"Correct, Jason. Good job." The teacher praised. "Do you understand now, Isla?" Isla rolled her eyes under Ms. Magna's stare.
"What makes you think I care?" Isla spat. "This class is so stupid."
"Isla, see me after class." The teacher sighed, irritation clear.
"What!" Isla sprang up straight. "What did I do!" she glared up at the woman with an ice- cold glare.
"Defiance, Isla! How many times have I told you to be quiet today?" Ms. Magna snapped with a challenging tone.
"When! When did you tell me to—"" the bell rang before she could finish. Irritated, she slumped back in to her chair, arms folded over her chest. She held her glare to the teacher as the class quickly evacuated.
When the last student had left, the teacher stepped forward and leaned softly on Isla's desk. "Isla, why do you do this? I've seen you in other classes. I've seen you in the halls. Only in here do you act with that attitude,." sShe lectured. Isla sighed loudly.
"So what, you stalk me?" Isla growled darkly.
"Isla, I'm asking you to at least try to follow instructions, History may not be interesting to you, but it might be to someone else. And you ignorantly talking in that manner is highly rude and distracting,." Ms. Magna continued, ignoring Isla's input.
"Isla?" a new voice said from the doorway. Isla winced and slowly turned her head, resting her gaze on Emily. "What did you do now?" she sighed, leaning against the door frame. She glowered at Isla questioningly.
"Nothing,." Isla snapped.
"Okay? Hey, why was Ryan not here today?" Emily asked after glancing at the teacher.
"Excuse me, but I am in the middle of a—""
"He wasn't here?" Isla choked, worry clear in her eyes as she leaped to her feet, not caring that Ms. Magna had spoken.
"You didn't know? Aren't you neighbors?" Emily inquired, shocked at Isla's reaction.
"Yes, but we leave at different times!" Isla spat, grabbing her bag.
"Isla, come back here, I was not done speaking to you!" Ms. Magna yelled as Isla dragged Emily, loudly protesting, down the hall at top speed.
"Isla, what's going on?, Mmaybe he's just sick!" Emily shrieked. as Tthe front entrance doors of the school opened with a loud bang as Isla slammed her hand into them. Isla shook her head sharply.
"No, Emily, you don't understand! He would tell me if he were sick,." Isla answered, her voice tight. Emily harshly pulled her to a halt. By now, they had run through the parking lot of the school and onto the main road that lead to the neighborhood.
"Isla, why are you freaking out? What is it?" Emily demanded curtly. Isla hung her head.
"His father. He's abusive. Ryan… he could be hurt;, he's been hospitalized before!" Isla squeaked quickly through gasps of breath.
"Why haven't you called Social Services then, if you know? They could help him,." Emily suggested, her expression startled.
"I hate the police. And Ryan doesn't want me to,." Isla said hesitantly.
"Why?"
"Because he's almost eighteen. What's the point of calling them now when he's already almost free?. He doesn't see the point,." Isla mumbled, looking down.
"That's stupid., Hhe can get free now! Um… Isla…. Turn around…."
"No, I'm not going to turn around!" Isla snapped, shaking her head sharply. She cried out in protest when a hand seized her wrist and dragged her backwards. Emily screamed and ran when Isla saw the flash of a dagger and the ice- cold chill of a blade threaten to pierce her neck. Isla struggled, trying not to cut herself and tilt her head to get a look at her attacker. Working up a scream, she took a deep breath, but was cut off when her attacker struck her hard on the back of the head. Isla gave a small, hardly audible cry as her knees gave out from under her, her vision black along the edges. The last thing she was aware of was a single blade of grass in her sight as everything began to fade to black.
Emily was breathing heavily and crying lightly by the time she mounted the porch to Ryan's house. She had tried Isla's house, but no one had answered. Fighting back panic, she banged heavily on the door. Too impatient to stand still and wait, she hopped from foot to foot, fiddling with her necklace, an old habit she did when nervous. After waiting for about a minute, she began to run down the street, towards her house. "Dad!" she screamed, slamming the front door into the wall as she ran in. The man who had been sitting in a dark blue recliner jumped as she charged into the house.
"Emily? Dear, are you all right?, Wwhat is it?" he demanded, striding over to her. Emily shook her head, fighting back a sob.
"Isla…! I don't know what happened., Wwe were talking, and… and this man ran up behind her., I tried to… I tried to warn her, but she wouldn't listen. Hhe hit her., I didn't know what to do;, I was so scared, I couldn't do anything., I ran and… and I left Isla! I left her with that creep!, Sshe could be hurt, or kidnapped, or…- or dying, or worse, and I left her., Iit's all my fault;, if I had only tried to—"-"
"Emily! Dear, breathe; I can hardly understand what you're saying. Now where were you?" her father demanded, lightly shaking her shoulders.
"Near the park…." sShe managed through ragged breaths.
"Come along, Dear, we'll go look for her,." hHe soothed, picking his car keys up as he ushered her out the door.
Isla groaned as her eyes opened slowly., Hher head was throbbing sharply, and her vision was still alarmingly blurry. It took her a few moments to realize see the shoes tapping rapidly in front of her. She snapped her head up and regretted it instantly at the responding stab of pain. "Stupid brat,." aA deep, husky voice snapped in response to her groan of pain.
"What—"" Sshe winced at the pain that came from speaking., "Wwhat do you want from me?" Isla demanded, slowly raising her head to glare at him. He was a tall man with short blonde hair and dark green eyes. He wore an expensive- looking black suit with a tie tucked into the jacket. He didn't look like any kidnappers Isla had heard about on the news or anything. Of course, Isla had a different opinion now that he really had kidnapped her.
"I think you know what I want,." he chuckled through straight white teeth. Instantly, Isla crossed her legs tightly, and leaned back, as if trying to melt into the wall behind her. "Don't worry, Brat, that's not what I want,." hHe snapped.
"Stop calling me that., Wwhat do you want, and who are you!" Isla demanded feverishly. She gave a little squeak of shock when a blade touched her cheek.
"You needn't know who I am, Brat,." hHe snapped, spitting out the last word like poison. "What I want," he continued, kneeling in front of her, causing the blade to cut her cheek, "is a little ball of energy hidden inside you. Called a Foré. My master needs it,." hHe hissed.
"I don't have any weird fort, or whatever;, I have no idea what you're talking about., Llet me go;, you've got the wrong person!" Isla pleaded quickly, wincing as the blade dug into her cheek. She felt hot blood running down her jaw.
"You do have what I need. And I will get it from you, Isla,." hHe growled slowly. She met his eyes, startled. He looked at her as if trying to tell her something.
"How do you—"" her breath caught when his free hand brushed her uninjured cheek. For some reason, she couldn't make herself pull away.
"I will not fail him."