Borrowed Time

Chapter 22

"I FOUND IT!"

Chris screams at the top of his lungs, knocking heads with Marcella when they both shoot up from a corner of boxes. Clambering over mountains of pillows, walls of chairs and swerving around towers of DVDs everyone surrounds the small crescent stone.

Delicately unclasping the chain from her neck, the two halves yearn for one another as an electric shock passes between them until they fuse with a violent light. A gold foil follows the sharp edge, slithering through the deep cracks, producing supporting veins through the liquid rock as a potent smoke is released into the air.

"It's-"

"Impeccable, extraordinary, INCREDIBLE" Hazel sporadically finishes Fred's words with her face lit up with excitement.

Glowing a few times, the heated gem returns to its dull shine in the palm of Marcella's hand. Barely touching the glossy shell, she swipes the pad of her thumb over the surface, feeling the smooth fusion of the two pieces.

Nature sings peacefully as a soft wind whistles in harmony like a symphony of hope to the deaf and heartache to the hearing. The sun beams heavy on the back of their heads, striking the centre of the stone back into their eyes.

Marcella groans in annoyance with her eyes shut tight whilst others cower behind their arms and hands from the instant light. Fred shuffles the dirt beneath his feet as gasps fill his speech alerting everyone to his confusion.

"How did we get here?" He spurts out indirectly.

Spinning on their heels, Chris, Tommy, and Dylan scan the forest clearing and clear blue sky above. Hazel however locks her sight on Marcella with a satisfied grin plastered on her face, approaching her hastily.

In a matter of seconds Hazel has both of Marcella's hands clasped between hers dragging them both in a circle as Hazel skips joyfully spreading her arms wide.

"YOU DID IT!"

"Did what?" Dylan hesitantly asks, slightly dreading the answer.

Before anyone could answer a herd of horses gallop pass draped in brightly coloured cloth and heavy metal. Grabbing their arms, Marcella hurries everyone behind varies trees out of the soldier's sight, hushing their mouths close.

Peaking her ear around the trunk she balls her outstretched hand into a fist once the sound of trampling had faded into the far distance. A loud sigh comes from Dylan and Chris as they finally remember to breathe and emerge from behind the same tree. Fred and Hazel clamber through the tall grass to meet up with Marcella and Tommy as the other two race to the safety of everyone else.

"Who were they?" Chris asks curiously with his eyes darting back to where the soldiers once were.

"Elysianair soldiers, we cannot get caught looking like this," Marcella announces as she inspects her clothing, "stay close, stay quiet and most importantly stay hidden"

The sun spins west allowing Marcella to gage the direction of her travels as they avoid known roads and paths. Her heart slows down by a beat once they emerge from the middle of the forest unscathed by any stray bandits.

"Grab any clothes you can find and get out straight away back here," Marcy orders sternly outside the training grounds, "it's still light but they may still return early, do not grab anything embroidered with the royal crest"

Carefully gathering piles of fabric, they each retreat back behind the trees and discard any trace of the modern world from their person. Marcella drapes on a tatted brown cloak over her shoulders pulling the hood close to her head covering the upper half of her face from recognition.