Prophesied

Eight

Acacia's knees wobbled dangerously beneath her. Her head spun. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth and she spat into the dense green bush. She fled past a sign that said 'Waiheke Bush' in bold letters. Everything was burning, the flames licked at her feet. Red lit up the night. Acacia ran further, past the sign and further into the trees. She screamed and fell backwards into the mud as the biggest man came into her view. He was pure muscle and held a glinting silver axe in his left hand. In his eyes was a moving picture of fires burning and children crying. Acacia shivered from the horrors she saw in the pits where his eyes should have been. "What are you?" She chocked out, the smoke getting to her lungs. The giant chuckled and advanced, the weapon swinging in his weapon.

He tsked and shook his wild head. "Little girl you have no idea how my family was shamed because of something my grandfather did. It's paining me to say this but you're-" he stopped speaking and shook his head. "I won't procrastinate and monologue just so you can escape."

Acacia crawled backwards, mud coated her back but as if he knew, the man smirked and advanced. The blade swung in his grip. Just as he launched his arm and the blade touched her throat-

"Ahh!" She sat up, sweat drenched her pillow and there were tear marks down her face. Something wet coated her neck and she placed her finger on the substance. Wen she drew her finger away again, she let out another blood-curdling scream. Donovan came rushing into the room and tried to help her. He grabbed her hands but she yanked them away. "Get away from me!" Acacia shrieked and teared her arms away, "what am I doing here?" She noticed the open door and made a mad dash. She hurtled out and fled down the stairs and passed a blue-eyed boy who stared at her mid-walk.

Charlie? Where was is he? Acacia thought murderously. I'm going to kill him! She curled her fists and skidded to a stop. She looked around, the hallway split into two. Acacia bent her neck upwards but her body screamed in protest and white hot pain lashed from her neck. She groaned and crumpled to the ground, clasping her neck between her hands. Donovan ran into the room, Ryder not far behind. He swore and yelled at Ryder,

"Fetch me some healing salve and antibiotic bandages!"

Ryder nodded and skipped out the room backwards before turning and sprinting away, yelling. "Where's Nat? Nat!"

A beautiful girl with blonde hair that tumbled to her waist and stunning blue eyes stepped out of an open doorway, chains shackled to her wrists. She was covered in bruises and dry blood outlined her lips where she chewed on them nervously. "Yes? Do you need to complete more tests?"

Ryder grimaced and smiled slightly, "no. Actually we have found the girl the prophecy is about but we're were wondering if you could look at her. She's injured and we don't know how."
He looked at her pleadingly, "please, Nat," She sighed and held out her hands. The chains rattled and Ryder fished some keys from his pocket. "I'll make sure Donovan has you out of the chains. I have so idea why you're tied up anyway?"

She exhaled and rubbed her sore, red wrists. "Thanks Ryd'," she said, "show me to the new girl," Ryder led her through the corridor but when they passed a doorway with a name engraved in the brass she stopped suddenly. He noticed her absence and turned around, Ryder motioned with his finger for her to follow. She stole one last glance at the room before picking up pace again. She tied her hair up with a dull, pink scrunchy and grabbed a first-aid bag from a cupboard. She knelt down at Acacia's side, pushing Donovan out of the way. He snarled, his features became animalistic.

"What's she doing here?" Nat flinched at his voice. "Get out!" He raised his hand but Ryder was instantly at Nat's side and holding Don's hand airborne.

"Mate, she's here to help Acacia," he whispered frantically, "listen, if you don't let the past go, you'll end up hurting everybody. Including Acacia." Ryder nodded at Nat to keep going and she immediately got to work, wiping the blood away with a wet towel. Ryder glared slightly at Donovan and he took the look as 'get out of it'. He stood up and leant against the bench.

"Make sure you take her interface ring off, Natalie, we don't want the Seniors busting down our door," he reminded but his voice was dripping with heavy hatred. Nat had done something to him, something that the past refused to let Donovan forget. Nat nodded absentmindedly and kept dabbing away at the blood.

A couple of minutes later Acacia's neck was clean. Too clean. "Hey, Ryd'?"

"Hmm? Yes?" Ryder snapped out of his trance and bobbed down next to Nat.

"Look at Acacia's neck, what do you notice?" Nat said and wiped her forehead clean of sweat.

Ryder peered at Acacia's neck and saw nothing. "Nothing," he muttered, "it's bare."

Nat stood up and placed her hands I her hips, "exactly. There's nothing there. Where did all that blood come from? It was enough blood it could have been from a slit throat but she's fine."

Ryder scratched his chin. It had been a while since he shaved and stubble was starting to show. He stroked her soft skin and hummed, deep in thought. "I have no idea."

Acacia moaned and curled into a ball. The pain had been unbearable but it seemed to have left her behind. Her hair was matted to her back but the blood that she remembered to be coated like paint on her neck was gone. She felt around with her hands and knew she was back on a bed again but it wasn't the same one she woke in earlier. She sighed in relief. The man that had been with her had looked dangerous and even though he was trying to help her his touch sent shivers up her spine. She was repulsed by him yet she didn't yet know his name. Soon however, Acacia noticed the presence of another and prepared herself for that man but a blonde came through the door instead.

"Hey," she said softly and sat next to Acacia on the bed, "how are you feeling?"

Acacia caught a glimpse of bruising below he collarbone when the girl bent down to place her cool palm on Acacia's forehead but kept her mouth shut. "Fine thank you. What happened to me?" she asked, hoping the girl would give her the truth and only the truth.

The girl held onto Acacia's hand and answered, "I'm not sure. There was so much blood but no sign on injury anywhere. Do you have any idea how
It could have happened?"

Flashbacks of the giant man and the silver axe appeared in her mind. "No," Acacia said. She remembered the feeling of the blade hitting her. "I don't know anything."

The girl looked doubtful but let it slide. "I'm Natasha but most people round here call me Nat," she smiled at Acacia warmly.

"I'm Acacia. Do you have my phone?"

Sooooo? What do you think of Nat? Goods or bad?
I tried to make this longer for you guys because of my last crap short chapters.
Please don't forget to comment and vote!
Love you,

Alessandra