Empowered Elements

Chapter two- The dissapearing act (Part One)

Authors note:
Okay so I have to apologise for the really longer chapter, but I wanted it to capture and display everything about the specific characters in order to give insight for the later chapters :) Enjoy!! (I'll have to dedicate three chapters to this section, as describing all 6 character's journeys is gonna be a lot).
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The 16th of June, 5:48 pm.
Draven (18)
It's been a week since those exams, and I'm still doing coursework? Doesn't sit right with me, I mean, I expected a break at least. I picked up the book Id just started, "They Both Die At The End", and strolled towards the balcony door at the end of my bedroom.

The world can be pretty I guess, if you take the time to look. But that's the issue nowadays: There's so little time to do the things that please us so easily and so naturally, stuff as simple as observing and appreciating what we already have have. For example, before I yank the door open I spot the slight red tinge of a Robin. You never really notice them in the middle of the year, but it rested, perched upon the dark brown framing outside. As it flew off, I pulled the door open, tugging slightly as it sticks and refuse to glide across and open smoothly. The breeze wasn't too chilly, but I didn't mind the freshness on my pale, pink-toned skin (especially since I only really go outside if I have to). Brushing off the pillow placed wonkily on the chair, I sat and began turning the pages and looking out at the houses and the park and the road and the cars and the children playing. I was never really the sociable type, and that's not because I didn't want to be, but it's because I preferred the silence. The silence was enough company for me.

*******

Cold.

The mid-summer air quickly became colder as what little light there was to begin with had faded. It was so sudden, almost as if someone had just chucked liquid nitrogen across my body and left me in the snow to freeze. My breathe created that steamy fog. I'd say I was being dramatic but I've never dog tailed a page so fast and headed inside...Except that comfortable silence of my own company had vanished.

As soon as I turned back around from pushing the door shut, I didn't feel as alone. I sensed something else, someone else.

My breathing stayed surprisingly relaxed as i moved my foot slightly to the side, just thinking I was paranoid. Peering behind me, the slight light from the hallway edged in through my bedroom door, revealing the shadowing figure from their story's; its towering stance began to move closer.

It displayed a black mask and what seemed to be a thick sash going around one shoulder and under the other, bearing a logo I couldn't quite make out.

It let me observe.

My breathing began to pick up as I noticed the details blended within all of the black fabric. Black boots, black trousers, a black jacket which appeared padded, and more black fabric covering the neck, head and hands. It almost looked a ninja, except I didn't get the sense it wanted to karate chop me? One thing did stand out though...It wore a crystal. It was tied to string around its neck, a deep grey shade. It didn't glisten and it didn't shine, but it stood out.

Despite the anonymity of it all, for some odd reason as it presented me its hand, and I took it. I took its hand. I don't know why I did it, but something about the stranger gave me peace, a wreaking sense of sympathy. It comforted me: every smile it didn't make, every sigh it didn't take, every word it didn't say. It comforted me. It reminded me of...well, myself? Just minus the 'kidnaps kids' element. The silence has always seemed to tell me the truth; I've trusted it this far.

The stranger, still hand in hand, led me back out to the balcony I was only just sat so naïve on. Only this time, floating effortlessly at the edge, welcoming, was a dark carriage, swirl-patterned, surrounded by darker smoke. Or was it smoke? At the front held by reigns was horses hovering proudly in the same deep colour. I don't think I understand anything about this situation, other then it's quite the opposite of Santa Claus.

Eden (17)
5:27 pm.
I fiddled the keys in the lock, my backpack sliding off my shoulder as I grab the bundle of keychains and shove them in the front pocket. It seemed to be a nice day, but the grey clouds forming in the distance didn't look promising. Not that I didn't mind the calmness of rain, but I had paper and paints in my bag I didn't want to dampen.

The daily walk to the woods was short and simple, giving me time to pick a few of the different coloured flowers blooming at the entrance; natural paints makes the best art. I sat down after walking a tad further, my palms dirty and filled with a rainbow bouquet. I placed the bag on the familiar wooden log, and sat resting against it. The vivid green surroundings cleared my frantic mind.

I sighed because I knew drawing would be stressful, but maybe that's why it always is. The thick sketch paper I grabbed from my backpack had delicate and barely noticeable grey lines within it. I grounded my thoughts, once again, and grabbed the bluebells from my pile I had placed and ordered into colours. Sketching the outline of a face, I hummed away at time.

*******

I heard the snap of a twig again, coming from further ahead this time. Jolting my attention in the direction, I was relieved of the sense of panic I so easily feel when I realised it was just a squirrel. A grey, fluffy and harmless squirrel. I reached across for my backpack to pull out some nuts in order to feed it, only the bag wasn't where I'd left it...and the squirrel had silently scurried off.

But the nerves were back. They filled every flooding thought as a sense of freezing paranoia washed over me. I gradually stoop up, dropping the current flower I was holding. I felt my fingertips shaking, this panic spreading across my hands as I felt the presence of something watching me from behind. With my breathing getting heavy, I battled the right move as to whether to run or turn around.

And I ran.

I ran, leaving the backpack and fleeing whatever was staring right at me, invisible. The colours of trees and the sky mixing into a blur. Greens and blues and browns, all flashing violently past me. I'm not very athletic, but in these circumstances I felt the need to encourage that fear for once. It encouraged me to keep running from whatever potential threat was there. My chest rose at a heavy pace, gasping for any air I could get as my feet carried me. But as I was sprinting to the entrance once more, I realised the date.

Its the 16th. What chance did I really have to get away?

I slowed to a stop, tears streaming down my face and I turned around, only to find it was stood as still as rock right behind me. Umbraportation: the ability to teleport through shadows. It was directly face-to-face as my heavy breathing kept its strong pace. The dark shadow was the complete opposite of me: calm, steady, tall, strong, still and most of all, it was open. I felt as though I knew everything about the figure just from its stance and stare.

I can tell it didn't want me to feel so fearful anymore. It wiped my tear. The strangers hand, wrapped in a leather black glove, lifted against my rosy cheek and began wiping the wetness off away. I didn't resist. But it was no use; more began to fall from my brown, hooded and extremely afraid eyes. I couldn't stop the anxiety flooding out, even though I no longer felt threatened. Still, I continued struggling to breathe properly, but they grabbed my hand and led me to the entrance of the woodland, which was only a few steps away. As we turned the corner of the bush, entering the slight darkness of dawn, I was overcome with a strong sense of...well I'm not even sure I can explain it. It's as if the plot to my life no longer felt so simple, this chapter so sudden and unthinkable.

Grabbing my attention from above, so casually floating was a perfectly detailed carriage, a precious black shade with big, deep wheels and swirls. It was being pulled by defined yet elegant horses, appearing even darker then the wood work they were attached to. The figure placed its hands under my arms and lifted me up, a steady jump giving height as tall as the treetops. This is mad.

As I got lost in taking it all in, it placed me reassuringly into the carriage. I turned around to thank it for not being as scary as I anticipated, but it was gone. That's when in realised I wasn't left alone. There was Draven, peering up from across where he's sat. He was sat so still and comfortable, not an ounce of stress to be detected in his fragile body. I smiled and his lips formed a smaller curve back in response.

Did that really just happen?