The Keeper Exams

Chapter Nine - Free Falling

Zander

A groan is pulled out of me as I wake. Rubbing my eyes, I shake my head trying to get my bearings, when I do take a look at my surroundings however, I yelp in shock. I’m on a small island of land about a yard in diameter hovering hundreds of feet in the air. A couple hundred feet in front of me are a series of smaller islands leading to another larger island, the pattern continues all around me: several small islands leading up to a big one.

Standing up shakily, I prepare myself for the first leap. My muscles bunch, and I land on one foot throwing my arms out to steady myself. I sigh. Why can’t anything be easy? I hop steadily forward not quite sure where I’m going but I’ll probably figure it out eventually.

Glancing around, I accidently look down and my head whirls at the sight. I flick my head up and am greeted with a sight not much better. A girl is leaping towards me with determined spirit, and a look in her eyes that is anything but friendly. I heave an exasperated groan. I know instinctively that there are three people here, but of course the first person she would go for is me.

I fling myself off my island hopping now with renewed haste. I can hear her behind me and now a sudden shock of danger causes me to look up. I hear her do the same behind me. We’ve both sensed it. A shape is growing in the distance hopping toward us. It’s the third person. He stops an island away and the three of us stand there regarding each other. The girl, dark skinned with pretty brown hair, the other boy, blond and green eyed, and me, blond and blue eyed.

They’re dangerous. I know. It’s kill or be killed.

“So how are you guys?” I ask sarcastically.
“About to kill you! Mister,” the girl answers. Another jab of danger pricks at me and I spring away just in time to escape the girl’s lunge. Suddenly, the three of us whirl into action.
“Invisibility,” I whisper. Immediately, I’m gone. I leap sideways zigzagging from island to island trying to get as far away as I can from them I can in thirty seconds. Pointing my fingers toward the boy, I say, “Blindness.” he cries out stumbling around, but he senses where I am and a moment later, I’m frozen. My invisibility spell slowly fades off and the girl lunges toward me again, but I choke her with a single word. Eventually all of the spells wear off, and we’re standing once more regarding each other. We all have our forcefields up now. Mine blue, hers violet and his is green. 

The girl and the boy come hopping towards and I stand firm with my fingers up. I stare into the girl’s eyes trying to hypnotise her but her shield is strong. She lunges toward me her hands around my neck. “Take away breath,” she says.

I gasp for air and try to throw her off. We roll, fighting each other and all of a sudden the islands not there. She screams, but I can’t. I try to tell her to fly but she’s panicking, at last my breath comes back.

“FLY!” I yell, and we stop falling. She takes deep calming breaths. And mimics my spell until we’re both rising upwards, but she doesn’t release her hold on me. She claws at me  trying to force me down towards the abyss.

“Do you mind?!” I scream at her. “Will you stop trying to kill me?!”

“No! You know we have to kill each other. It’s what we’re supposed to do!” her voice is fearful, and a spark of sympathy alights inside me, but it’s gone quickly as she lashes out punching me in the nose. “I have to survive!”

 “So do I,” I reply sadly.

“Bleed!” she commands pointing at me. Blood starts leaking out of my pores and a surge of fear takes over me. I kick out at her pushing her away.
“Paralysis!” I yell at her. She freezes midair mouth open. My blood continues to flow out of me in waves and my vision blurs and I feel lightheaded. Clawing my way upwards, I heave myself onto an island. A long drawn out, scream echoes from beneath me and I know the flight spell had finally come to an end.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I say, but it’s too late, she’s already gone.

I tell myself, that I’m too manly to cry  but it doesn’t work. I had killed someone. I was a monster, a despicable creature. I don’t deserve to live, and I consider jumping off the island. I would be so easy. One step… But I don’t. Something stops me although I don’t know what.
My bleeding stops eventually, although I still feel lightheaded and dizzy. I see the other boy standing a few islands away. Concentrating on his eyes, I dive into his brain forcing him to walk away and leave me in peace. He obeys and I close my eyes falling asleep.

My dreams are haunted by her scream. Faceless members of her family yell, and scream fro revenge. They hate me, but not as much as I hate myself.