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AJ’s eyes grew wide in utter horror as he stared at the piece of paper that Natalie furiously scribbled on. He listened to Summer gasp in complete surprise. AJ frowned, not understanding. Adam and Eve weren’t the only ones first created in God’s eyes? God had other plans of protection for His people? Life was more than just being God’s child? Guardians of God’s creations?

“Is this really true?” Brian whispered, looking at his bloodied hands. He had woken up a few hours ago from his restless sleep. His body ached with a newfound pain. No one had told him of Nick’s escape. No one really knew anything about Nick’s escape, so they decided not to mention it. Natalie’s eyes grew wide as Brian stared at her. “We’re really descendants of God’s Guardians?”

“In so many words,” Natalie replied.

“Don’t tell me you’re falling for this crap!” AJ scoffed, jumping up from their depleting circle. His eyes were raging with fury and frustration. AJ paced around in the dingy cell, pulling at his scattered locks. His mind was whirling with complete confusion. Everyone watched him as he continued to pace like a rampant tiger aching for freedom.

“J?” Brian finally called out meekly.

“What?” AJ snapped. He watched Brian wince. AJ immediately felt guilt plague his heart. “This is insane! We’re God’s Guardians? If we are, why are we here? It’s complete crap, Bri! Think about this! We should be in Heaven playing around and having fun if we belonged to His group of watchers! You’re the most religious person I know, but you were made to be one of the Devil’s jerks? Let’s think about this! Bri, you’re Christian, how could you possibly be created by the Devil?”

“Didn’t you listen to the whole story?” Summer sighed, standing up from the floor. She grabbed the piece of paper and slammed it against the metal wall. She tugged AJ over and made him stare at the scrap of paper. Natalie helped Brian up toward the wall so he could also listen. Summer pointed at the various bubbles that Natalie had created. “God made six Guardians to watch over the Earth. They needed to be on the Earth to protect it, hence why you’re not up in Heaven screwing off. Five guardians were made for each symbol of the Earth. Guardian of the Earth is Kimberly. Guardian of the Water is Paige. The Guardian of Fire is Nick. The Guardian of Wind is Rose. The Guardian of Ice is Ana—”

“Who’s Guardian of the Sun?” Brian suddenly questioned.

“I’m starting to believe that Howie is the Guardian of the Sun,” Natalie voiced.

AJ gave Natalie an incredulous look. “Howie has electricity currents in his body, not UV rays!”

“Just because he has electric currents don’t mean he doesn’t control the sun. There are many other parts to his abilities that we don’t know yet, and there are other comparisons. The sun controls all the powers in the world, and powers a lot of factories. Without the sun, we would die. The sun builds and stores huge amounts of electricity, hence Howie’s first power. For now, I’m assuming that he is the main source,” Natalie explained, frowning at AJ’s pessimistic attitude.

“You’re completely insane,” AJ murmured.

“And you’re not considering the obvious! It’s true, whether you want to believe it or not. No matter what you think, I know what Cyrus is trying to accomplish. Do you realize that if he opens the Gates of Hell, your friends will die? You all will die horrible deaths and be forced to submit to the cruel intentions of Lucifer. And Ana’s fate…” Natalie let her voice drop.

Summer’s eyebrows rose in complete surprise. She had known the story, but not the entire details. Brian held his heart as he watched Natalie stare at the floor. AJ blew a large amount of air out of his nose, causing a snort. Natalie glared at him. AJ finally went ballistic. He growled and slammed his fist into the wall, causing everyone to jump. “If what you’re saying is true, tell me why CAPPA was invented. If this is all somewhere in the Bible, why would CAPPA be made? Why would a company producing mental stimulus drugs for something predestined! TELL ME!”

“Cyrus and Steeles were manipulated by the Devil himself. They were told the story by a serpent, and wanted the power. They found a man with two sick daughters. The daughters had a rare form of a blood disease. They manipulated the man into believing that testing certain drug stimulus on certain children might prove beneficial. CAPPA developed with Sanchez. He didn’t realize what he was getting into. He harbored the secret powers of the Guardian Angels and fed them into the children who were ancestors to these rare angels. When Sanchez was faced with the truth that his daughter’s couldn’t be cured, he took the girls. The boys were given back to their families. Sanchez went mad with rage when his first daughter died. He decided to lock the girls up and do more tests to develop the evil inside. The girls revolted like their natural instincts. Jamelet had hoped that with some manipulation the guardians could heal her with the powers, but she never had a chance to test it out when the boys were brought back,” Natalie explained softly.

“Oh my,” Brian found his words lost within the mess of his mind.

“This is outrageous!” AJ hissed.

“What, the fact that you don’t want to believe the truth?” Summer scorned.

“You’ve been cocky ever sense that man was killed,” AJ concluded, staring at Summer with complete shock. During the siege at the first CAPPA building, she had been warm and loving with him. Now she developed a cold attitude toward him? AJ was confused. He watched Natalie and Summer exchange knowing glances. He became frustrated again. “What’s the big deal?”

“Excuse us?” Summer asked primly.

Before AJ could continue, the front cell door slammed open. He had hoped to find Nick behind the door, but found a guard. A gun was pointed at Natalie’s chest. She rose quickly. The guard tugged at her arm. Natalie stared back at the two boys. They were the only ones remaining. She frowned before she was dragged from the room. “AJ, please believe. It’s your friends’ only hope.”

*~*~*

Nick’s eyes fluttered heavily against the weariness of his body. He moaned softly as a flood of bright lights invaded his vision. He squinted, rubbing his eyes. Slowly his vision cleared to meet a set of large cerulean eyes. He screeched in surprise, pulling himself backward on the bed. He trembled, unable to keep his balance as he jumped up from the noisy cot. His feet became entangled within the sheets, causing him to fall to the cold floor. He groaned in pain as four sets of curious eyes gazed upon him.

“Are you okay?” a young woman giggled.

“Alison?” Nick murmured, cringing in pain from his head.

“The one and only!” Alison chirped with glee.

“Hey!” Rose growled, causing Alison, Kimberly, and Paige to burst into fits of laughter. They scurried back to the opposite side of the cell. Nick groaned as he sat up, bracing his aching back against the wall. His mind began to cloud as Rose sat down next to him. She pushed her blonde locks behind her shoulders in a flirty manner. “How are you feeling, Nicky?”

“Honestly, this reminds me of the time you broke my cell and made me fall into yours,” Nick muttered as he rubbed his throbbing temples. He listened to Rose laugh. It sounded like an unchained melody. He smiled softly, finally gazing at his arms. He felt his breath catch – he was covered with dried blood. He scrunched his nose in distaste, hurriedly rubbing the flaking bits of blood away from his raw skin.

“Are you okay?” Rose asked with fear.

“I—I’m fine,” Nick hesitated.

Kimberly stood up from the other side of the cell. She watched as Nick hurriedly tried to peel the blood from his skin. Something didn’t seem right. He had no serious injuries besides a few bruises. Her mind began to spin with the ideas of placing a puzzle together. She gathered Paige and Alison to her side. Kimberly’s eyes grew wide as she crouched down next to Nick. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yeah, looks like I got time,” Nick muttered, still working on cleaning his skin.

“But Kimberly doesn’t,” Rose hissed, arching her eyebrows with annoyance to make a full effect. Paige and Alison rolled their eyes, understanding Rose’s actions. Rose wanted some time alone with Nick, which seemed impossible. The other girls would always be in the room. It’s not like they could scurry away unannounced.

“Shut up, Rose,” Alison and Paige announced with innocent smiles upon their faces.

“Glad you two can be optimistic during this time,” Nick answered with a small smile. He was glad that he had gotten away from Brian and AJ for a while. The two men just knew how to manipulate his buttons. He was becoming agitated with being trapped, but thanked God for his life.

“You’re welcome!” Paige giggled.

“So, what was the question?” Nick asked, glancing back at Kimberly.

“Oh, yes, why are you covered in blood?” Kimberly questioned, her mind being relocated.

Nick frowned, the lines of tension deepening in his young face. He hated the idea of explaining to the girls about what he saw. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to relive it. Nick trembled slightly as the girls scooted closer to him. Nick stared at his tainted hands. His eyes began to prickle with tears.

“You can tell us, Nicky,” Rose soothed, reaching out to hold his bloody hands.

“It was so bizarre,” he whispered.

“We’ll understand,” Kimberly encouraged.

“O-Okay,” Nick whispered with a frown. “I ran out of the room… I wanted to escape, girls. I didn’t really know where you guys were; I just wanted to run out. I ran into this room, not thinking. It was absolutely crazy. Tons of pictures were plastered against the walls, but they were so real. The pictures…we had wings… Then there was a picture in the center of the room. It was… I can’t explain it… It was… Ana was plastered against the wall in a crucifix form like Jesus… Her body just bleeding out. I reached out against the wall, and touched her blood. My hands were sticky when I pulled back. It was real blood. I freaked and fell backward. All of a sudden all I could see was red. I had fallen into this huge pool of blood, and then everything went black… But that room… All that blood… Ana’s blood… It just…”

Nick went silent as his tears fell.

*~*~*

Ana’s heart slammed against her ribcage as she tore through the bitterly cold woods. Her body welcomed the comfort of the cold, but her soul loathed it. Her lungs ached with the crisp winter air that she had created. The distant screeches of terror pushed her to move faster. Birds circled about her head in great masses of fear. Her feet ached as she hurried within the deep pits of snow. It seemed as if she were running for days, but it had only been a mere few hours. The escape from the horrid castle had been successful, but something else had escaped with her.

Ana felt a scream burn against her throat as she twisted away from a thick brush of thorns. She would not reveal her location to that disastrous creature. Her body cried out for relief, but she persisted at the same pace. Her speed and agility had helped her away from that crass beast. She hadn’t even known that Steeles’ owned such a creature. She could hear it murmur her name through the cold woods, beckoning her to its side. Her mind continued to search for some sort of hiding. She needed relief, or she would perish.

Where was the cabin that she had seen?

“ANASTACIA,” the creature cried out.

Ana tried to ignore the beckoning of her name, but couldn’t block out the screeches. The image of the terrifying beast continued to flash against the back of her brain. Her heart skipped beats at the thought when she had run into the beast. Its face was contorted as if it had suffered years of agonizing torture. The stains of bloody tears that encrusted the beast’s murky yellow eyes churned Ana’s stomach. Huge pieces of flesh ripped open against its abdomen and chest. She could see its black heart slowly ticking against the massive bulges of flesh. Long, razor-sharp talons tore out against its massive decayed paws, threatening her existence.

“ANASTACIA!”

'Leave me alone,’ Ana pleaded as she noted the large brush of thorns. She could easily slip within them and save herself. She could feel the animal’s breath against her neck. The odor of decay wafted into her body, clenching its hold against her throat. Tears of agony spurted from her eyes, struggling for breath against the heavy stench. Its huge claws reached out to grasp her. The cabin should be just beyond the thicket of thorns. Ana screeched in terror while she pushed herself through the thorns. The huge claws dug into her flesh as the thorns tore against her legs. Ana held no remorse for her tattered body as she continued to push herself through.

Salvation!

Ana’s mind blanked as she slammed the door of the cabin. It creaked open and Ana threw herself into the threshold of the home. It took only a moment for her to slam her back against the door, encasing herself inside the safety house. Huge bursts of energy pushed against the door, splintering it. Her chest heaved with ragged breaths. Her arm ached with intense pain as a slow trickle of liquid invaded her senses. Soon the pounding ceased against the door. She let the beast return to the woods and waited until the woods went silent. Her arm continued to spurt forth huge quantities of her crimson blood, but the beast was gone. Ana offered a silly smile upon her face, feeling lightheaded.

She then collapsed against the floor.

*~*~*

“Look! The cabin!” Howie shouted with joy. Jamelet grinned as she pulled on Kevin’s hand. They laughed at the irony. The cabin glowed with warmth. Jamelet and Kevin hurried ahead of Howie. Their minds surrounded on the comforts of the newly built cabin. The idea of comfort ached against their hearts. Jamelet couldn’t contain her giddy laughter as she ran up the steps of the porch. She would lock the doors and then snuggle against the fireplace. “I’ll take the bike to beside the house,” Howie suggested as Kevin jumped up upon the porch with Jamelet.

“What’s the matter, Jamelet?” Kevin asked as Jamelet froze at the threshold of the home.

“Look,” Jamelet whispered, pressing her fingers against the heavy oak door. Kevin’s eyes grew wide in complete appreciation of her behavior. Thick scratches lay embedded deep within the workings of the door. Jamelet’s eyes glittered when flittering beams of light peeked through the deep hellish scratches. Something with massive power and rage had exploded against the door. Bloody handprints slammed against the middle of the door, showing signs of defeat and fear. Jamelet ran a trembling finger against the blood. She winced, immediately pulling her hand back. “Kevin, the blood is still warm…”

“Let me go in first,” Kevin commented, looping his arms protectively around Jamelet’s waist. He pulled her back behind him, shielding her with his own massive body. Jamelet shivered, pressing her face against Kevin’s back, closing her eyes tight. Kevin pushed against the door, splintering the framework. He stepped inside to be confronted with a whirlwind of snow and bitter cold.

“GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I MAKE SURE THAT YOU FREEZE FROM THE INSIDE OUT, JERK!” a terrified voice screeched against the howling wind. Kevin squinted, covering his face from the bits of hail flying from the wind. Bright white light flooded the room, making Jamelet shriek with surprise.

“ANA?!” Jamelet screamed, identifying the voice though she couldn’t see the image within the wind.

The winds ceased, dropping large balls of hail against the creaking floorboards. Jamelet felt tears prickle the corners of her eyes as she looked beyond the forgotten face. Jamelet felt her heart wrench as she took in Ana’s battered form. Wet curls of honey coloring matted against Ana’s beautifully pale face. Her lips were tinged with light blue coloring from the freezing temperatures within her body. Her gracefully lithe form was covered with a tattered lavender formal gown. Huge rips of cloth raced up against the fabric, revealing Ana’s slim and powerful legs. Blood tainted the gown with various splotches, contrasting the fading appearance of the gown. The most noticeable injury was blazing against Ana’s shoulder. Five long gashes from claws bit deeply into Ana’s soft flesh. Blood continued to run down her arm, but she said nothing about the pain. The deep gashes reminded Jamelet of the door.

“Jamelet?” Ana whispered, the clouds disappearing from outside the windows.

“Are you…” Jamelet couldn’t find the words to reveal her emotions. She just ran to Ana, embracing her in a tight hug. Jamelet heard Ana’s fleeting laughter as Jamelet caused the girl to fall to the floor. Jamelet never let go as her words ran close together in clipped sentences. “I was so afraid that Steeles had taken you. There were so many things riding upon your shoulders. I never should have let you leave me. I never should have let any of the girls leave. I’m just happy that Steeles hasn’t completed the final stages of his plan! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Ana, what can you tell me?”

“Would you let her breathe, Jamelet,” Kevin chuckled as he reached down and pulled Jamelet off Ana. Jamelet blushed faintly as she stared down at Ana’s trembling body. “Ana, are you injured?” Kevin asked, offering his hand to the intimidated woman.

“I’m fine,” Ana whispered, reaching out to grasp the man’s heavy hand.

“How’d you escape?” Jamelet hissed in surprise.

“I froze his electrical lines. He won’t be able to reach Cyrus for hours, and I plan to be long gone by then,” Ana explained simply as she was assisted to her feet. She instantly placed her hand across the wounds of her upper right arm. She winced as the blood ran warm against her trembling hand. Her small hand didn’t even cover the massive portion of the wounds. She sighed heavily as Jamelet and Kevin stared at the wound.

“What did that to you?” Kevin questioned.

Before Ana could answer, the door burst open. She jumped with fright as a figure whooped a call of joy. Her eyes narrowed, taking in the complete figure. It was obviously a man. Tight curls lay gently across his tan forehead. His face was contorted into a look of complete surprise. His hands trembled as he held the doorknob tightly. His words jumbled within his mouth. “You guys, I put the cycle along the—Ana?”

Ana’s light colored eyebrows were arched in a look of complete amazement when she admired his strong physique. Howie stood in front of her, completely healed from his injuries. Not a flaw upon his freshly glowing skin. Her heart raged with a fiery black passion. He was carrying on with complete excitement while she had lain trapped in her lonely hell. Her hands curled into fists of anger as he rambled about her.

“You low-life creep!” she finally roared – the dam of emotions breaking heavily against the toiling emotions. Ana charged and tackled Howie against the floor. She let her eyes glow a brilliant sapphire blue, preparing to hurt Howie as much as her soul had hurt for him.