It Takes a While to Understand
Chapter Four
Accepted, but Then Again, Maybe Not
Amie stared at the trail on their way back, trying not to make eye contact with Coty, knowing he might say something rude to her or something. Sure, he had "accepted" her right then when she got Violacion, but how long would it be before he started yelling at her or telling her she couldn't go on missions? Most likely not very long. But what shocked Amie most, was when she heard the voice of Coty talking, and her heart froze, listening intently on what he was saying.
Coty: Look...
He said, his voice becoming very serious.
Coty: I'm really sorry for all of this, I'm just not... Used to being with new people and I didn't trust you. But what you did back there... That was awesome. I thought you were a psychic, how could you have...?
Amie: Don't...
Coty glanced at her, his hands in his jacket pockets, looking sorry, but Amie ignored it, not even looking at him.
Amie: You've been terrible to me, and this is a forced apology.
Coty looked at the ground, and stopped walking, as Amie continued, walking up to the metal house, opening the door, and closing it behind her.
Coty: Argh...
Making his way in, he tried to catch up with her, but heard a door close right as he turned the corner towards the hall of doors, where all their rooms were.
Coty: Snap.
He turned towards the Buca Depeple door, opening it and closing it behind him, and entering a room full of celebration, Kim passing out drinks to Tyler, Eric, and Natalie. As Coty walked through, she even handed one to him. Red wine, dandy. He was old enough, anyway.
Coty: Thanks, Kim.
Kim: No problem, Hun.
Though it seemed like this place was filled with witch hunting, serious members, they fooled around a lot, too... And there was a lot of tension between the group, unknown to Amie yet.
Natalie: Hey... Where's Amie?
They all exchanged worried glances.
Natalie: I figured she'd be back by now.
Eric and Kim got back to talking about something and laughing, while Tyler went back to research, but Natalie stared at Coty.
Natalie: Coty? Do you know where she is?
Coty: Yeah... She went to her room.
Natalie's face seemed to turn red.
Natalie: Now what did you do?
She shouted, turning towards the door and slamming it, while walking down the hall and into her own room, closing the door behind her and spotting Amie lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Natalie: Amie?
Amie: Yeah?
Natalie: Everything okay?
Amie: Sure.
Natalie sat down on the bed next to her.
Natalie: Amie... Did Coty do something?
Amie: No... It's just... I'm so fed up with his mixed personality, and I don't even know him! First I can't go on missions, then I go on one, I find Violacion, and he likes me and apologizes?
Natalie: In case you haven't noticed, this is a messed up place.
Amie sat upright on her bed, her back pressed against the wall, as she cupped her hands, concentrating hard. A noise of what seemed to be a towel being flapped into the wind was heard, and the tiniest flame appeared, hovering a few inches from her hands.
Natalie: Sorry I didn't tell you... I've discovered how to create energy.
Natalie stared at Amie, a worried look on her face, as she turned away, walking up to a bookshelf and grabbing an old, dusty book. Walking back to Amie, she flipped to a page, which had been post-noted.
Natalie: It says here that there's a special kind of witch. Born once every century. They have the ultimate power, telekinesis, fire, water, wind, Earth, anything... But it's not given to them. They study it. Many study for years and can't even conjure a flame if that's not their skill.
Natalie skimmed through the rest.
Natalie: Nothing else important here, just a few incantations...
Amie: But...
Amie whispered to herself, but Natalie overheard.
Amie: My power is telekinesis, it was the first thing given to me, and I just learned how to create fire.
Seeing that this troubled Amie a bit, Natalie comforted her.
Natalie: Maybe your mom was a witch, too? And she tried to keep it secret for your own good.
Amie: But would that really change your power ability.
Natalie: I... Don't know.
Amie thought about several things for a few seconds, and then spoke to Natalie once again.
Amie: Have you noticed fire is really like the ultimate power? What are you going to do with water, send it splashing at them and make them drown by it? What can Earth do, tangle you with vines and suffocate you? Telekinesis... Comes in handy when you're evil, but...
Amie froze, turning towards the window, slowly, very slowly. But then she stood up and walked towards the window, staring outside of it. A dark figure crept in the darkness. It seemed to... Fast forward itself from one place to a few feet away.
Amie: Natalie... Be very quiet, and go turn off the main power in the entire place.
Natalie: Huh? Why?
Amie's voice rose this time.
Amie: Now!
Natalie nodded, walking out the door, as Amie gave her a head start for about ten seconds. When Amie stood up and reached the door, the power went out, and Amie rushed towards the main quarters.
Amie: We have to head into the woods.
Grabbing a gun, she unloaded it, holding out her palm and letting the bullets fall into it, as she threw the gun back onto the table, hearing the loud metal clatter onto it, nearly falling off and onto the floor.
Kim: What is it?
Amie: Let's just say there's somebody watching us.
Amie put her clasped hand into her pocket and opened it, the bullets in the safety of her trench coat's pocket.
Coty: Who?
Amie: I'm not sure, really.
Eric: Damn it!
Tyler: Why are the lights off?
He was clearly scared.
Amie: Get your guns, load them, and let's go.
Coty was about to protest, but Amie was opening the door, pulling herself outside and into the darkness, as Kim followed her as she loaded her gun. Distinct clicks were heard, the guns being loaded with three full clips of ammo.
Coty's POV: Let's just hope we don't need this.
Natalie was the last out, grabbing her gloves and a gun also, just in case something backfired.
Amie: Now listen...
Coty: I thought I was calling the shots?
Amie: No. I'm skilled in this kind of operation.
Coty raised his eyebrow, but Amie brushed it off.
Amie: This is a witch hunter, but not a witch himself. There's bound to be more of them coming, but we're going to surround this guy in a circular fashion, and remember to be quiet... Also, he's moving south, so he'll be close to headquarters... Now, good luck.
Amie waited for Kim, Eric, and Natalie to move out and she stared at Coty, who was glaring at her.
Coty: What the hell, I'm the leader here.
Amie: Stop it with the attitude and go, you have to learn to work as a group and if you don't? Maybe you're not all that suitable for this.
Amie turned to the left, soundlessly creeping into the woods, not a leaf crumbling beneath her feet. She left Coty standing there, but he quickly moved to the right, following her directions. A small smile crossed Amie's face.
Amie's POV: I guess I'm not so bad at being leader am I?
Amie grinned, and stopped moving when she reached a clearing, the trees somewhat taller and wider here. The man was in the middle, she could feel it in her veins.
Voice: Amie...
Amie turned, thinking one of the members.
Voice: Wrong way, Amie.
And then she was standing in the middle of the clearing, it looking bigger than it already was.
Voice: Amie... Look in front of you.
Amie was too afraid to look up, so she turned to her sides instead, noticing that nobody else was with her, and it was... Surprisingly, bright outside. As if the afternoon or something.
Voice: Amie.
It was right in front of her now, and she slowly stared forward, a black cloud of darkness in front of her, two eyes bloodshot red, a terribly pale face, stringy, locks of black hair right next to his eyes, his body so frail and skinny it looked as if it was him lying in a casket. Blood was smeared on his face, a thick line going straight from an inch above his eyebrow down to his lip, the scar going right through the eye, and at that moment Amie realized he was blind in that eye. The scar was red now, though, and blood was seeping out of it, out of his very own EYE.
Voice: Will you be my FRIEND?
The voice was scratchy, and at that moment, the man moved back, his black clothing somewhat jerking up and down violently as he disappeared in a flash, leaving Amie confused.
Voice: Amie... Over here.
Amie quickly turned around, a flash of silver in front of her face, as she was scratched across the head with a sharp blade.
And then it was silence, as she noticed no one was there. It was the dark setting again, nighttime. But she was in the clearing, and it looked darker now. A terrible, throbbing pain was on her forehead, but she pushed it aside.
Voice: Leaving so soon?
A cold finger was pressed against her cheek as she saw hideous face, staring into the eyes of doom, as he once again, disappeared. But this time... She was ready. Fifteen objects were at both of her sides, all bullets... Though, they were surrounded by flames, almost fully engulfed by them. Amie turned around, the bullets shooting out from her side, faster than a normal bullet, but... Going in slow motion right before it hit the figure straight in the chest.
Amie: Burn.
And then everything turned fast, flames trailing up his body, as blood seeped out, the smell of blood burning... And other bullets, too, hitting his chest. But then one was in his forehead, and the man collapsed to the ground, burning to ash now.
Amie: Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
With that, she walked up to the creature's remains, the others walking next to her and joining her.
Amie: Surprisingly enough? That was Violacion.
The others laughed, but Amie was the only one who's face remained serious.
Amie: The other was a decoy, sent so that Violacion could come here and attempt to break in... But you guys were here and his lucky had faded... But once the decoy was destroyed, he knew our guard would be down... Mine wasn't. And if we hadn't taken action, we would be blown to bits right now.
As if on cue, a ticking noise was heard.
Natalie: How do you know so much?
The ticking continued, and then it stopped for about a second... Then a click.
Amie: I just do.
And the second Amie's sentence was finished; an explosion filled the nighttime air, the others being blown back from the force of the explosion, fire engulfing the dry grass of the woods.
The explosion was a bright color of red, oranges, yellows, and blacks... To Amie at least. Maybe to the others it was different, but as she was thrown back several feet, she was unconscious, the last thing she saw was the explosion hitting her chest, black charring a bit of her face and clothing.
--
Kim: Ah! Shit! That hurt! What the hell?
She pushed herself off the forest floor, dirt on her back and smoke on her front. Kim had escaped the explosion injury free, except for maybe an aching back, but that was okay, most of them had that probably.
Kim: Eric? Coty? Natalie?
There was no answer.
Kim: Amie? You there?
She stared at the crater in the ground; it was probably six feet deep, and ten feet around the entire thing. Peering inside, she noticed no bones were in there, and just the tiniest flame was in there, signifying that she most have been out of it for a little bit.
Kim: You guys! Answer, this isn't funny.
She searched around the crater, but found absolutely nothing.
Kim: Damn it!
Kim continued to look around, and when she got fed up, she went to the Buca Depeple and stopped looking, reaching her pink room, falling asleep the second she got to her bed; collapsing in it, so out of it that she didn't even notice Eric was back.
--
Coty woke up before Kim, though, and he searched around the explosion, the blasts of fire in his way, denying his search for Natalie, Kim, Eric, and Amie.
Coty: You guys? Any of you up?
He noticed Eric right away, and he noted that he was there, and walking a few feet past Eric, he found Natalie. Deciding it was best to head back to the Buca Depeple to get them there. It was hard work carrying two dead weights, but it didn't matter... He'd go back for Kim and Amie anyway.
Coty: Hey... You guys... Wake up! Go to your rooms...
Coty realized then that he was incredibly tired for some reason... Why? But Eric and Natalie were still unconscious, so Coty brought them to their rooms, and fell on the ground, asleep, halfway to his bed.
Kim and Amie were left forgotten.
--
Her body was still, except for the fact that she was being dragged back to a place that she hadn't even noticed she was being dragged to. Someone had to be taking her somewhere.... They had to be...
But the facts were all lose to Amie, she was still unconscious in the early morning air... The night had passed quickly, the Violacion incident was just a figment of yesterday. When he blew them all unconscious, time had passed before any of them woke up. It was about one in the morning now, the only sound in the breeze being Amie's body... Being dragged.
--
He stared at his watch.
Coty: Shit! You guys, wake up! Tyler?
Coty ran to his door, opening it and closing it, running towards the headquarters. Everyone was awake and bustling with energy.
Coty: Anyone notice Amie's gone?
Everybody looked at him worriedly, nodding their heads and signifying that they did, indeed know that she was missing.
Natalie: At first we figured she'd woken up and pulled herself to sleep... But when I woke up, she wasn't here...
The cool, morning air was blowing into their faces through the cracks of the windows. Tyler was even up this morning, simply 1:32am...
Tyler: I'm going to do a search on her, see if anybody reported a sighting.
Kim nodded, leaning over Tyler and watching him as he typed in "Amy" in the search bar. He didn't get any luck, though.
Tyler: What's her last name?
Natalie turned around to answer, though she was still talking to Coty.
Natalie: I'm not sure, really... I doubt there's a lot of Amie's in the world. It's spelt A-M-I-E anyway, and if there's more than one, I'll be surprised.
Tyler nodded, erasing the Y and putting I-E. The second he pressed enter, a box popped up.
Natalie: Coty, are you sure you didn't see her?
Coty: I looked all over, and I only found you and Eric, but didn't notice Kim, and said I'd get right back to her... I was so tired, though, and I collapsed right when I got back here... But she's fine, so, you know...
Natalie: Yeah, but Amie's not fine...
Coty: I know!
Tyler: I found something.
Natalie and Coty turned towards the computer, rushing over to it.
Kim: Wow...
Tyler: It says here that Amie is supposedly wanted... For killing three people. She has dark hair, wears a trench coat, and usually long, black dresses...
Coty: That's all they give on her?
Tyler: No... There's more...
Natalie: Share.
Tyler: She's been reported of being on of the most powerful wishes... Somebody spotted her with telekinesis... But also with fire.
Natalie looked around shiftily, but all of their direction was turned to the computer anyway, so no one noticed.
Tyler: You know... This might be a good thing. But... If they know about her powers, and none of us have seen it...
Natalie: And if she only uses it when she fights...
Eric suddenly sprang to action, the entire time him kind of being quiet and not talking at all.
Eric: It must have been Violacion... When Amie went to fight him at the church, the real one must have been there, too... And seen... Then reported afterward... But how could Violacion be a witch and... A witch hunter? That's the only way he could have gotten it down on here.
Natalie: Actually... That's pretty reasonable.
Coty: But where would she have gone right now?
A flash on the screen suddenly caught their attention; they hadn't noticed Coty had clicked on something.
Natalie: What is that?
Coty: It's where she is.
They stared at it... It looked like a hole in the ground, but fire was flickering in the middle, the fire seeming to grow.
Kim: I saw that earlier... I didn't see anyone down there.
Tyler: I don't see anyone down there right now... But someone's recording her, and you better watch it if you're going to save her.
Coty: I know where that crater is.
Kim: As do I...
But as they all left, gathering supplies, guns, bullets, etc... Once they were gone, Tyler was staring at the image on the screen... The fire was dying down, and Amie was lying there, her eyes closed and hair in her face... But somebody was by her... A person, their black hair in there face and it looking a bit... Unnatural.
Tyler: What the...?
And then the man's face slowly turned towards him, and it smiled, the red eyes penetrating at him, the terrible smile etching itself into his memory... And then the screen went static, as if it was a television set.