[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Howie sighed heavily as he watched the thick black clouds forming against the sky. The mountains surrounding him echoed with the shrill screams of anger radiating from the large castle. The anger spreading over the castle almost settled like a thick fog. The rumbling of thickening clouds quickened Howie’s pace as he darted toward the farthest reaches of the woods. He had already killed a man at the gate while the thick clouds created a sheet of darkness. Bitter clouds of fog swept against the floor of the forest. Howie’s skin prickled as the temperatures dropped significantly. He was near the sensors setting up the parameters of the home; he would need to short-circuit them quickly.

Howie felt awful as he stopped at the widening gate. Ana’s cries grew desperate within the howling winds of a storm. Howie knew that the emotions swirling within Ana’s soul would create a disastrous storm. Howie couldn’t risk the chance of going back, although he died to do so. He wanted to protect her, but it would mean suicide. He sighed wearily as he fixed his gaze upon the blinking sensors. The electrical sensors began to beep erratically as Howie drew closer. He touched his fingertips together, slowly creating a large bubble of electricity.

Instantly the sensors fried against the charges of Howie’s essence. He smiled gleefully as he stepped through the sensors, and nothing happened. The wind whipped against his bare arms, threatening him. Howie glanced up to see a large cloud rip to shreds and large snowflakes burst in a sea of white. Other clouds rumbled as large hailstones pierced the flesh of the Earth. Howie stumbled against a root and watched as a large boulder of ice fell inches from his legs.

Howie scrambled upward as the blizzard of chaos rattled the chains of Hell. He watched his breath exit his lungs as he darted through the woods quicker than before. His teeth chattered as the snow packed against the ground heavily. Several inches accumulated in mere minutes. The hail continued to pound against his back in tinier doses as the large boulders rained closer to the castle.

Hours began to pass as Howie’s body system dropped in several life threatening degrees. His legs numbed as he watched sunlight flood against his eyes. Howie squinted, stumbling toward the opening of light. His legs were cyanotic and barely keeping him standing as he traveled toward the warmth. He glanced backward, several feet of snow packed tightly against the trees. There was nothing left for him to return to. Ana had sealed her fate within the blizzard.

Howie sighed softly, feeling sadness wash over his soul. ‘Keep Ana safe. Give me time to rescue her and not break my promise. I need her to have faith, Lord. Please keep her away from Mr. Steeles hands, Lord,’ he prayed.

The light beckoned him closer, swaying his thoughts to warmth. The closer he inched toward the warmth, the farther away it seemed to flee. Howie blessed God as he finally stumbled onto warm grass. He tumbled into what seemed like a bed of roses. His eyes fluttered as his systems slowed. Death began to claim Howie’s life as brilliant beams of sunshine kissed his skin. Too many hours in the snow had left Howie defenseless. He heard cars roaring past his body, blowing a gentle breeze. Howie gasped for air.

His eyes blurred as he glanced at the large sign above him – LEAVING MASSACHUSETTES, WELCOME TO RHODE ISLAND!

*~*~*

Alison whimpered softly as she was dragged into a large building. She had spent hours in a dark space of a plane, and then several minutes in a van blindfolded and gagged. Rose and Paige had been taken in a separate vehicle, which was hours late. Alison had listened to the men complain about their counter-parts being slower than normal. Alison said nothing as she was thrust into a cold room. Her nerves were shattered from the abrupt capture. She wondered if Kevin knew anything about their attack. She sniffled softly as she settled in a corner.

“You got us caught, so stop whining,” Kimberly’s voice growled. Alison glanced up to see Kimberly glaring at her. The dark amber pools of Kimberly’s soul obviously cast blame upon the small teenager. Kimberly crossed her arms tightly across her chest. Something scared Alison as she crouched in the corner. Kimberly glared. “If you wouldn’t have run off, and if you wouldn’t have tried to defend Ana, we wouldn’t be here Ali. We would have had a normal life. A NORMAL LIFE! Can’t you understand that?”

“I wanted a normal life, Kimberly, and this wasn’t my fault!” Alison defended, shivering terribly.

“Sure, Alison. You got all the special attention in this hellhole. You were never locked up. You didn’t have to live down near Ana’s freezing cell. Constantly caged like some kind of animal until they took you out and allowed you to show them your abilities. You were free! You never suffered like I did,” Kimberly hissed, growing agitated with Alison’s behaviors. The child had changed far more than anticipated when they ran. Kimberly hated the new person forming from Alison’s personality. Alison cared more for the abandoners than those that stuck through the hard times.

“All you do is whine!” Alison groaned.

“And all you do is stick up for a person that wouldn’t save you if your life depended on it!”

“Ana is braver than you will ever be!”

“She’s sadistic! That ice power manipulated her emotions. She doesn’t care for you, Ali. She never did. She left the first chance she had. Don’t you remember when she left? She just snuck out the door and never said a word. We thought she was dead. All those months of worrying! She doesn’t care about you, Ali. Nor does she think of you!”

“Why do you insist that! You didn’t see into her mind like I did! You don’t know where she is! You don’t even care! You’re the most heartless person that I’ve ever met! I hope you get what you deserve! That hateful mouth of yours is going to be sore for ages once God scolds you!” Alison raged as the door was opened. She continued to spout hateful words until a hand was laid upon her shoulder. Alison jumped with fright as she stared up at an elderly man.

“You don’t remember me, child?” he asked with a small smirk.

“No, sir,” Alison answered, scrambling away from him. She made sure to stand far away from Kimberly. She shot Kimberly a dark glare. Kimberly said nothing as she stood there, clutching her hands into fists at her side.

“My name is Cyrus.”

“You…” Kimberly’s breath caught in her throat. She remembered that he was the man to coax her away from her family. He had convinced her family that she would be better taken care of in the hospital. Kimberly’s eyes burst into the color of the muddy earth. Her fingers tingled as the floor trembled slightly.

“None of that, child,” Cyrus warned as a guard seized her arms, pinching the nerves in her arms. The power vanished quickly. Kimberly sighed with defeat, knowing that the slightest tremble of the Earth was all the power that remained in her since the first battles with the previous guards. She bowed her head as Cyrus pulled up a large TV on a stand. “I would like to show you the consequences of fighting myself and my workers.”

“Mr. Cyrus—”

“Watch the video, Alison,” he warned, cutting off her question.

The TV flickered as a video was played. Alison watched as the camera focused on a bloody and battered woman. She was chained high above the rest as a whip snapped. Alison jerked in complete surprise as the camera zoomed on the desperate woman’s face. Instantly the sorrowful blue-green eyes caught the glare of the camera. Alison choked back a sob – it was Ana.

Instantly, a hammer connected with Ana’s leg. The crack blared against the speakers, causing Alison to cringe. Blood splattered against the camera and at different angles of the floor. Kimberly paled as she sank to the floor in complete horror. Ana never screamed. She felt beads of cool sweat cling to her skin. “Oh, God…” Kimberly whispered.

“She fought me every step of the way,” Cyrus answered as he continued to replay the torture. Alison trembled violently as Cyrus’ voice became calm and unemotional. “The child was too hard to contain, and I taught her a lesson. I taught everyone a lesson that decided to fight. You will be gone in the morning, so I suggest you do not try my patience. Stay here, behave, and you’ll enjoy the transfer. Stay here, cause havoc, and you’ll feel immeasurable pain.”

He left just as quickly as he had arrived. Alison watched as Ana’s face was placed upon the scream. Tears fell down Ana’s pale cheeks as the knives were drawn against her skin. Alison burst into fresh tears as she stared at Ana. Her heart ached as she called upon Ana’s emotions. Pity, depression, loneliness, fear, and anger called against Alison’s body. More tears fell as Alison traced her fingers across Ana’s frozen face. “You’ll watch over us all one day,” Alison promised softly.

*~*~*

Kevin hurried into the hospital, everything around him a cold blur. He hadn’t a clue what to do as he rushed forward to a nurse. Jamelet continued to convulse within his arms. Her skin had turned a dark blue as she gasped every few minutes for air. Kevin’s emerald eyes grew wide with horror as he held the woman close to his chest. He rushed forward. “Please! Help her! She’s really sick!” Kevin begged the nurse.

“What’s the problem?” the nurse asked as she motioned a gurney to be placed before her.

“She’s really sick. She has this blood disease, I f-f-forget what it’s called,” Kevin blurted as he held the nurse lay Jamelet upon the small wheeled bed. Jamelet’s body twitched as the nurse examined her eyes and checked for a pulse. There was a quick nod from the woman, and then two doctors began to wheel Jamelet down the long corridor. Kevin was completely shocked as the nurse glanced up at him.

“What’s her name?”

“Jamelet,” he answered softly.

“I need her last name also, sir,” the nurse answered, clicking a pen that she held. She was staring at a small chart, waiting for his answer. Kevin sighed, struggling to remember her last name. He knew the dangers of giving it, and the chances that she might make newspapers for her rare blood condition. “Sir, I need her last name.”

“Oh, right! I’m sorry. Her name is Jamelet, Jamelet Richardson. She’s my sister.”

*~*~*

Natalie sighed softly as she waited in the large dining hall. She had finally won Cyrus’s trust. She had known him before he took over the company. He had been one of her colleagues working on the girls’ DNA. She paced back and forth, smoothing her fire-red skirt. She prayed that he wouldn’t see through her false mask. So much rode upon Natalie’s actions. She hoped to gain Cyrus’s trust so she could check upon the boys and her other colleague, Summer. If she could make Summer follow suite, then they had a chance at escaping.

“Good evening, Natalie,” Cyrus called out.

Natalie jumped with surprise. She turned around, brushing away the curls of her hair. She gave a flustered smile, crossing the room. She clasped her hands against Cyrus’s hands, and kissed his cheek. She offered a charming smile. “I’m so glad that you invited me to dinner, Cyrus. We have so much to catch up on. It seems like ages. I forgot how handsome you were.”

“Indeed,” Cyrus answered, pulling out her chair from the large banquet table. Natalie nodded as he helped her be seated. Then he sat down next to her. He took a large drink from his wine before speaking. His dark eyes glittered against the reflections of the candles set about the room. “It’s quite amusing to find your sudden change in personality, Natalie. I had my assumptions that you loathed this facility.”

“That is true, I once loathed it, because I could not see my family. However, a few days of solitude loosened my appalling behaviors. CAPPA holds great promise for my future. I am only praying that you allow me to rejoin this illustrious group. I have so much to put forth into the studies.”

“I suppose,” he replied.

“I will prove my trust, Cyrus.”

“You always have, Natalie,” he answered, patting her hand. Natalie smiled as she sipped from her wine goblet. He glanced at her, giving a charming smile. Natalie smiled back, hoping that he would confess to her. He finally drew his hands together, holding his elbows upon the table. “I suppose you want the details of our current situations, Natalie?”

“If you are willing to give me the details.”

“Of course.”

“Then I would be delighted.”

“Well, you know of our first experimentations. These girls that were given injections in hopes to find a cure for the Sanchez daughter are quite the opposite of our first suspicions. We assumed they were no good, because they failed in curing the disease. Well, it turns out that this old bat down in Delaware wanted to have the girls for his own private collection. He is tickled pink with the idea of possessing each of the five women. When I consulted him, he had some sort of lusting affection for the woman the provided ice. He called her his Ice Princess. Of course, he offered several million for obtaining the capture of this woman. We were lucky, and found her when we hoped to find the others.”

“She is the most fierce of all the girls,” Natalie whispered.

“That is very true. She’s a hellion. However, she paid quite well, and now is in Delaware under the strictest of containments. We now have the girl of Earth and the girl of Heart. They’re in the containment unit, and will be shipped down tomorrow. This man is delighted, and keeps offering generous amounts of cash. The girl of Wind and the girl of Water will most likely be here within the hour.”

“So, he’ll have all of his collection then?”

“Yes, but he doesn’t just want his art collection,” Cyrus murmured. He shifted slightly, tugging at something inside his pocket. He pulled out a yellow piece of paper. Age began to eat at the corners of the small paper as he held it in his fingers. He stared at it as if it contained the fate of the world. Natalie stared at it with curiousness. “This man had several meetings in his library. He kept me waiting one day, and I searched through his books, and I found this slip of paper. It’s the most curious bit that I have ever read. It stays with me daily.”

“What does it say?” Natalie asked, her breath catching.

“It seems that these women are far more important to him than just a simple art collection.”

“How so?”

“After man first sinned against God, He was torn with anguish. He had offered the world to His creations, and they had disobeyed His simplest rules. He wanted something more tangible and more faithful than man. He wanted something to bring Him joy instead of sorrow. He set out and created these creatures in the likeness of man, but gave them special characteristics. He first created an Angel to guard the Earth. The second was the Angel of the Waters. The third was Angel of the Winds. The fourth was Angel of the Fires. The Fifth was Angel of the Sun. The Sixth was given the strongest of these powers, and given the most powerful element known to Earth - Ice. Each were created as the likeness of humans, and sent down into the world,” Cyrus first explained.

“The Devil grew jealous of these special Angels, and sent His minions out to destroy them. He created a Man of Death, a Man of Visions, a Man of the Tangible Mind, and a Woman of the Heart. He sent these creatures out to find and kill the Angels, who were the Guardians of Earth. To make a very long story short, the Devil fell and the creatures were made into Guardians of Man. The Devil was banished below the Earth into the fiery depths, and has never risen since.

“There is a greater likeness to this story. It seems that this Devil left a code to follow for another miserable man. If one man can capture five original guardians, he can open the portals of Hell and defeat God forever. He can take over the entire world for his own delight. The only catch is that this man needs to dominate and break the wild spirit of the last - Angel of Ice. I believe that our collector of the arts wants to proceed with his conquest.”

“I don’t see how our girls are anything like these guardians!” Natalie asked in disbelief.

“They are the ancestors of the guardians,” Cyrus answered.

“But we gave them the powers!”

“Indeed, we gave them the powers with the faith of God. This collector was the previous owner and starter of CAPPA. I checked into his background. He manipulated Dr. Sanchez into believe that these special medicines would cure his child. Overridden with grief, the doctor had no choice. Dr. Sanchez started the end of the world without having a clue that he was talking to the Devil.”

“No, that’s not true!”

“It is, and always will be. However, the man does not realize that he only has three of the original guardians when he ordered for the girls. The two changed guardians will only provide a muddling effect and open a portal to another world if used. When he realizes this, I will have the last of the original guardians, and the powers to subdue the sixth, which lay in this paper. I will sell each of the guardians for a higher price, and the piece of paper for more than the original sixth. This is my plan, and I will continue to produce these medicines and create my own hellions.”

“That’s brilliant,” Natalie murmured.

Cyrus’s eyes glittered with a dark ambition. His lips wetted with the salvation of hunger. The desire in his eyes made Natalie sink deeper into her large seat. Cyrus smiled with pleasure as he spoke softly. “However, there is one final plan to this. No one can reproduce the Guardian of Ice. The formula was lost within her systems. So, I must get her back, because little does she know, she’s the key to my own salvation.”