Flight

Chapter 4: Fear

-- ~ ~ --

I stared at the beautiful creature in front of me. She smiled a breath taking smile at me. "Hello," she said in the most beautiful voice I've ever heard, "You must be Tylor."

I nodded slowly still gawking at her.

"Hi, I'm Marylin, your guardian. Its nice to meet you."

"You just came back to this world so you can be with his brother, huh, Marylin?" Elliot laughed.

"Why would you say that, Elliot? I would—Ok, yeah, I did. But he's just so irresistible." She smiled like a young girl at a Jesse McCartney (ew) concert.

"He scares me," I blurted. I covered my mouth quickly.

Marylin grinned ear to ear. "I know! That's why I like him so much! He'll be so protective as a father! Wouldn't have to do a thing!"

"And you hate being a guardian, and he's the farthest thing from a saint you could find besides a drunkard," Jude said boredly.

"Shush! Ok, Elliot, Jude, you two scram....I've got to learn about Tylor, alright? Shoo, shoo!" She fluttered her hands and the two boys left.

"See ya, Ty-Ty," Elliot said before he left.

"Bye, Tylor," Jude said in his flawless voice and then shut the dorm door. I turned back to the beautiful, angelic Marylin.

"So your name's Tylor Trafford....that's a beautiful, tomboy-ish name."

"Uh....yes....thanks for the complement and not calling me Tylor Panni."

"Panni? What the hell kind of name is Panni?"

"My stepfather's last name...I don't really like him."

"Yeah? Well, you won't have to worry about him at Flight, I bet."

"Yeah...hopefully." I looked around. "Uhm....do you mind if I go for a walk? Everything that's happened today has made me feel a little--"

"Uneasy? Too much at once? Yeah, that's normal." She glanced toward the window and got up. She looked behind the drapes. "Its against the rules to let awakening ones out when its this dark out."

"Why?" I got up to look. "I've walked around at night before by myself. I'll be fine. You could go see Leyton."

Her coffee brown eyes glistened with joy. "Alright! Stay on school grounds though!" She skipped off. I smirked. So simple to get her to go away. I opened the window and jumped out (I jumped out of high windows before when I tried to run away from my mom and Roger) into the darkness of the night. When I landed on the cold, deserted ground I looked around. Why would we not be aloud out at night?

I stepped away from the school and looked at all the twinkling lights of Orange County's city. It was so nice to see them from the other side of the gates. I walked around the grounds and after a while, I felt some cold chill run up and down my spin. I turned really fast. My eyes searched the darkened space around me for anything in vain. I couldn't see. I felt eyes watching me, like someone was fallowing me. I laughed nervously. Maybe I'm just imagining things. The busy city's on the other side of the building over there....so I don't need to worry. I thought.

I turned back around and walked quickly in the direction I was going. I could hear my heart beating loudly in my chest and it seemed like all my senses were turned all the way up. I heard wings flap in the cold, desert night sky and I didn't think about, I just kept walking. I stopped when something caught my eye. I walked over to a small bench. My hand went along the arm of it. Little diamonds glistened. I smiled as my fingers went over them. I heard someone—or something—stop in their tracks behind me.

I turned still smiling towards where I heard the footsteps and quickly gasped in terror.

An enormous raven....thing stood before me. It had feathers as dark as the night, and its too human eyes stared at me with....I think hunger. Its long, hideous arms reached out for me. I felt cold. As cold as Michigan (I've been there since my Aunt Ilene lives up there) snow. I stared at its long, sharp nails—or should I call them talons? A scream wanted to force its way out of my throat, but a lump in my throat made me silent. Suddenly, two more fluttered to the ground behind the first one. What are these things?

My eyes looked from one raven-bird-thing to another. When the lump in my throat vanished somehow and I was about to scream, the first one raised its hand (seriously, its hand) and swiped at me and when I turned and put my arm up to block me, I felt a piercing pain threw my upper arm, all the way down to my wrist. I smelt blood as a horrible pain pierced threw my whole arm. A lot of blood. I heard a sound like falling metal and rubber hit the wet ground and then a bird scratch far away. My vision was getting blurry and slowly darkening.

I looked up and saw the bird-things flying away quickly and a giant dog....no....that's not a dog. Its....its a wolf. A black and green wolf. Well, only some of its fur on its head was colored green. And Ryan was there, too. He seemed to be talking to me, then turn and curse at something. I saw the wolf thing turn to me and look at me with familiar green eyes and start to change to a human figure. That was the last thing I saw before total darkness.

-- --

"Well, she's a trouble maker, huh, Ryan?" a laughing voice said. "First rams into a truck head on, then gets attacked by Raven Mockers. What an interesting girl."

"That's not funny, Ericka," a more serious voice said, "And stop making that face. Now's not the time to laugh." The voice cracked up a bit. "Stop it!"

"Did that damned creature hurt her, Ryan?" a beautiful and familiar voice said in a concerned, over-protective tone."

"Yes, but not as much as it wanted to," a calm, father-like voice said.

The beautiful and protective voice growled like an animal. I heard something shatter. "I'm going to find that thing and rip its heart out and.....and....and....!!"

"Calm down, Jude," a gentle, angelic voice said, "We don't need graphics. Besides, I'LL kill that thing, ok? Its my duty."

I was drifting again....and I had a memory of the past. Of my father. Of Travis.

--*--

"Tylor Val Trafford," Travis's laughing voice said to me. I thought he was angry at me. My mom only called me by my whole name when I made her angry. Travis picked the three year-old me up and poked my little stubby nose. "Who's my baby girl?"

I giggled, but inside I was nervous since I still thought I did something. "I am," I said in a squeaky, child-ish voice.

"Yep! Who's my little witch?"

"I am!" I giggled more. I guess I didn't make him cross.

The memory changed then. Travis's pretty scary, soul-digging, ice blue eyes turned into Ryan's beautiful green ones and Travis's messy, light blonde hair turned into Ryan's flowing, but still messy-ish, red hair. After a while, Travis looked exactly like Ryan. I stared at him.

"Daddy....?" I whispered.

"Its ok, daughter," Ryan's voice said. Travis totally transformed into Ryan. What the flipping hamburger snapple! He put his forehead on my tiny one and brushed his nose with mine. "You're in the right arms."

I giggled and I felt my small, chubby cheeks turn a little pink and my short ponytails bob on my head. I reached for his cheeks and he let me touch them. He laughed as my little, tiny fingers tickled his cheeks.

I then snapped awake. In my new bed in the dorm room. Lydia was sitting in Ericka's lap and Ericka was holding Lydia. Jude was pacing in the space at the end of the bed, and Ryan had his eyes shut and he looked stressed. No one realized I was awake. I noticed an unopened, lonely Coke can on one of the nightstands near my bed, and I glanced around at everyone. Ericka was busy whispering comforting words to Lydia, and Lydia was busy listening. Ryan hadn't opened his eyes yet, and Jude just stopped to look out the window. I turned slowly and quietly and grabbed it, the can was still cold, that's good, and slowly brought it to my chest.

I glanced around when my free hand slowly went to the tab. Still no one noticed me. I grabbed the cold tab and slowly opened it. It made a loud HISSSSSS sound when I pulled on the tab making everyone jump a bit. "Oops," I muttered. Ericka pretty much threw Dia aside and lunged at me.

"YOUR AWAKE! WELCOME BACK TO REALITY!" she giggled. I made a hurt sound when her bony hands hit my bare shoulder. For some reason, it felt like it burned.

Ryan looked at me and then looked to the nightstand the Coke wasn't on then back to me. He picked up one of my bracelets. "These fell off when you got attacked," he said. "You have interesting wounds, Tylor...." One of my hands went to my occupied wrist. Ok, unoccupied. No wonder my wrist felt lighter. "Some of your scars were infected, you know.....but I'm not here to pester you about wearing band-aids or putting on neosporin..." I took off the Coke's tab and took a sip from it. The cool soda rushed down my dry throat.

"Do you feel alright, Tylor?" Jude asked coming to my bed side. "Any nausea...or....or.....hurting...or--"

"Jude, dude, take a chill pill.....and that rhymed," Ericka said smiling. "Go me. Anyway, people don't get sick from a Raven Mocker attack."

"Chill? Ok, I'll tell you to chill when either Ryan or Michael gets attacked by a Raven Mocker and you're freaking out!" Jude hissed.

"Meanie-butt-head-poo-person."

"Jude, son, calm down," Ryan said putting his hand on Jude's shoulder.

"I feel fine, Jude," I said taking another sip of Coke. Then what he said hit me. Raven Mocker. "Wait....what's a Raven Mocker? That big, huge, ugly, funky, creepy, almost-as-creepy-as-your-brother, bird-raven-human-person-thing with the funky claw-talon-nails?"

"Yes, Tylor," Ryan looked back to me. "When Jude and I got to you, the Raven Mocker already tried to kill you....hence the scars on your right arm." I glanced at my right arm, the one that didn't have my Coke, and saw 4 huge, deep scars in my arm. I stopped breathing. "I'm sorry....we were too slow...tracking you down was really hard. Your scent mixed with others' scents, Jude says, and I couldn't concentrate enough to find your individual thoughts."

"Next time I see one of those things, I'll bite a huge chunk out of it," Jude grumbled. My fingers went along the red, now throbbing, deep scars. I heard Jude shift. He was probably looking at me. "Those will take a long time to heal."

"How long?" I asked still taken by the wounds.

"As long as six months at most." I looked up to him and our eyes locked. His beautiful but pained green eyes stared into my curious, innocent, funky green eyes.

"Oh, like when I broke my leg when playing soccer. Alright."

Marylin came into the room. "She's awake?" Leyton fallowed her, holding her hand. Marylin looked so concerned. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ryan. Jude. Ericka. Lydia. And especially sorry for you, Tylor, dear. I shouldn't have let you go by yourself. This is all my fault."

"Its my fault for having the idea," I blurted. "Don't beat yourself up. All my wounds are my fault alone. Self-inflicted or not."

"But I'm your guardian. Going to see Leyton isn't a good reason to leave you alone to defend for yourself. Especially one so young in awakening."

"I'm fine! Seriously.....I've protected myself and my two younger siblings and Roger's children for 5 years now. When it was myself and my two younger sibling, its been....13 years now. You don't need to guard me." My free hand went limp in the air as I explained. Marylin's beautiful forehead wrinkled and she looked at Leyton's scary face. He looked even scarier next to her. Like he was a demon or something.

"You sure? Its my duty," Marylin said looking back to me. I nodded with a smile.

"Besides, I'll get hurt no matter what. I fall walking across a clean, smooth, dance-studio floor. I did when I was 5 and my mom wanted me to be a talented dancer like Alexia.....that dream died quick."

"....alright.....but I'll still check up on you, just in case." I smiled and nodded, but inside I cursed that. I hated being watched after. Made me feel like a little kid.

"What were you doing outside anyway, Tylor? Didn't Marylin tell you awakening ones aren't supposed to be outside when its dark?" Leyton asked leaning on the wall near the door. He pulled Marylin to him.

"Yeah, she did, but I like taking walks at night. The cool night air feels good, I think....and I wanted to explore the school grounds a bit. I didn't know why we weren't.....I guess I'd be stupid not to now." I gestured to the loud wound decorating my arm.

"Very," Ericka said pulling Dia to her again.

"Yeah...I never heard of Raven—Oh, yes I have. My Native American friend, Adahy, told me about them last year....a week before he got into that car crash." That car crash wasn't my fault.

"They are of Native American legend," Ryan said getting up. "They are here preying on awakening ones since you all are the weakest creatures and humans aren't that much fun to hunt here when there's an ancient to prey on. Even Jude was at risk when he and I went out. I can only hold off a number of those blasted things."

"I'm sorry to cause you any trouble, Ryan," I whispered looking down at the covers. "I didn't mean to." I sounded like when I almost killed myself when I was 4 and my mom was freaking out.

Ryan took a big breath and let out a gust. "Its alright. No need to say sorry." I looked down at my now neglected stolen Coke solemnly. Jude looked to Ryan then back to me.

"Uh....if it'll help any--"

"Jude, don't get her heart beating too fast. The scars could start bleeding again. And with Ericka here, I'm not sure if that's the best thing."

Ericka made an offended sound. "I hate this morning! I fed off of Ryan. He liked it."

"Ugh," Jude gagged. He looked at Ryan. "Is it alright if I ask, though?"

"When I'm done dressing the wound." Ryan turned to the nightstand. I looked then. A bottle of alcohol and bandages and some cotton balls sat on the small table. Ryan grabbed one cotton ball and put some alcohol on it. "This'll sting, Tylor, but its helping so it doesn't get infected." He dabbed on the wounds and I winced as it stung.

* * *

After a few hours of dabbing and wincing and wrapping, my arm was a mummy's arm. And I could barely feel it attached to the rest of my body. Jude, the whole time, seemed distant, flinching as I winced. Did he feel what I feel? Did all ancients do that?

"Ok, Jude," Ryan said smiling at his work, "You can ask now." I looked at both of them curiously. Ask me what?

Jude took a deep breath and for a second looked like a cute, scared little school boy. Just sexier. No pedo. "Uhm....Tylor? Would you like to go on a date with me? I mean, not like a date-date, I mean...like a guy-friend-girl-friend-date—Did I say girlfriend? I meant...you know.....a girl....that's a friend," his tan cheeks turned more and more red as he stumbled more over his words. "I mean, like....well....you know. Would you like to?"

"Sure, Jude," I said smiling widely. Inside I was giggling my head off at him. It was so cute. Jude smiled.

"Alright....I could come by your dorm to get you at 7-ish tomorrow," he said fidgeting with his coat sleeves, "Is that good?"

"Sure." He smiled a cheeky smile. I couldn't smile but smile. He looked so cute.

Ericka got up then and started to flutter her hands at everyone else besides Dia and me. "Ok, you all, go now. Shoo, shoo. Roommate time!" Everyone rolled their eyes and left. Dia got up and locked the dorm door. Ericka and her looked at me and smirked. "Alright, Dia, you get on your bed, I got mine. You ready to tell secrets, Tylor?" I stared at her. I blinked once. "Ok, we're ready!" She clasped her hands together.

I gulped. Ericka scares me now.

End of Chapter