Remember Me

Chapter II

I feel trapped.

The clan lives underground. The dorms, the training center, the arena, the war room, everything- underground. So of course that means no windows for me. Usually I'd go to the training center, where I can go to the forest section and relax or practice, but it's closed by now. Anyone who knows the effects of sleep deprivation would be in bed long before two o'clock in the morning, minus the guards. I don't sleep much most of the time, though. That's one thing Pearlstar, our clan leader, didn't look into before asking me to join. I worry too much to sleep. I do get three hours in sometimes, and somehow I manage to stay alert all day.

I'm snapped out of my internal rambling by a gentle knock on the door. I stand up, and careful not to wake up my brother, I cross the room and slowly open the door.

"Glad I found you," Dawnflame whispers.

Dawnflame is a fellow warrior of mine. She was named for her oddly colored orange and yellow hair, and has red color contacts to top off the look. She looks like a member of a flaming rock band. And then there's her personality.

"Damn," she says. "You're room's a wreck, Shadow." She runs in and jumps over Dustfire's bed, waking him up.

"Whazzabigidea," he mutters sleepily.

I roll my eyes and glance pointedly at Dawnflame. Because the big idea is clearly the hyper nuclear color bomb.

"These sheets don't match the pillowcases at all," Dawnflame says with concern, then leaps up onto the bed. "The curtains are torn in several places, you have clothing all over the floor- bad choice that dress was, by the way- your bookshelf is hardly what I'd call organized since there's a carrot wrapped in aluminum foil on it, you always miss the trash can when you throw away your tissues, Dustfire, and I swear I saw a rat eating an old brownie underneath the dresser. Furthermore, your closet-"

"Dawn!" I whisper harshly. "Did you come just to judge our housecleaning skills?"

She stares at me blankly for a moment like she forgot what she actually did come for. Then her face turns more serious.

"Oh yeah. Um... Well you see, there's this tiny little thing, really, it isn't that bad, there's really no need to worry, I just thought I'd inform you of it... Before I forgot! But I think I'll remember. Yeah, I'm sticking with that. Bye now!"

I grab the back of her shirt before she can walk out the door. "Tell me. Now."

She looks from me to Dustfire for a few moments, then she explodes.

"Scarletstar disguised herself as a student and now she's at your old school trying to find you and your friends!" Dawnfire says, and runs out the door. I zone out for who knows how long before it hits me.

I have to go back to school and protect my old friends. Fairly easy, except for one problem...

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She got away. She actually got away. She'll be back. She always comes back. Then I'll get her. She'll never hurt me or my friends. Ever. I wouldn't allow it.

"Who are you?" Ella asked me, horrified.

I was scared. What could I say? In their minds, I just killed Scarletstar.

"I'm me, Ella," I said. "Skye. Your friend."

"Our Skye wouldn't kill someone!" Kylee shouted.

Someone in the back of the room screamed with hate, "You're a monster!"

They acted as though I wasn't there for the rest of class, while at the same time keeping their distance. The bell eventually rang, and for the first time in ages, I walked to class alone.

In the halls, people either stared at me or looked away. Some ran. Some even shrieked and hid in a classroom. I'd never felt so alone. There was one constant in every class, and every hallway: the whispering. They wouldn't stop whispering. I caught my name a few times, along with the words "monster" and "crazy" and "killed". Even the teachers acted nervous when I walked by.

I was just trying to protect them.

At the end of the day, I started to head to the busses, but then I realized I couldn't go through any more of this. I was done with it. It was lonely and maddening. I decided it was time to go to the clan for good. I almost reached the woods when someone spoke. The last person in that life I heard from before I left.

"That's right," they said. "Leave!"

I turned around and looked at them, and I couldn't find the strength to answer. So I turned back towards the woods and kept walking.

"Killers don't belong here."

I heard their steps as they ran away.

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Every single one of them is terrified of me.

Ending this update on a more cheery note, you have my friend Rachel to thank for that carrot wrapped in aluminum foil on the bookshelf. I think she remembers where I got the idea. :)