Krystal Tears

Chapter Five - Jade

Myla turned to me with a smile. Blood dripped down her chin as she turned to show the rest of her face. It was eaten away by acid, the skin gone and only blood and bone remained. Her hollow eye socket glowed with a red light, dripping with endless blood.

"Come on, Jade, let's go have some fun before we're summoned back for our duties," She cooed, her voice scratchy and fractured.

"Myla- Stop- Get away from me-" I stepped away, but my back hit a wall that hadn't been there before.

"Jade, what's wrong? Don't you want to-ha-have-some-ome-me-fun-nn-n-" Her voice broke and gurgled with a surge of blood oozing from her mouth. She started to judder, until the wall behind me shattered like glass. I turned on my heel and sprinted away with all my strength, terror biting my heels as I fled. Myla followed me, and no matter how fast I ran, she was always gaining on me.

"Don't run-un awa-ay-ay-Jade-"

I kept running. Running until-

"Gotcha."

•~•~•~•~•~•

I jerked up with a gasp. My tank top and cargo pants were stuck to my skin with sweat, my hair plastered to my scalp. I was panting, as if I had just felt fingernails long and sharp as claws rip themselves into my shoulders.

I shook my head and got up, throwing my blanket aside and grabbing my black leather jacket.

That dream, that nightmare, was a memory from my childhood. From when Myla and I were growing up. But now my stupid brain had made that happy memory into a nightmare.

I pushed the tent flap away and stepped out into the cool night air. The camp was lit by silvery starlight, bathing the clearing in a celestial aura. I held my jacket around me, but didn't put my arms through the sleeves, staring up into the sky and letting myself calm.

"Hey, Jade," I jumped, then relaxed to see it was only Tay. He wore cargo pants and a T-shirt, both in shades of gray and black.

"Geez, you scared me," I shook my head at him. "What are you doing out here after curfew?"

"I could ask you the same question," He raised an eyebrow teasingly.

I sighed, pulling my jacket a little tighter around me. His smile faded.

"I think I know, Jay," He looked down, using the nickname he had always called me since we were kids. We'd been friends for so long. Myla, Tay, and I. How could that three way friendship shatter so quickly?

Tay changed the subject. "How did your talk with May go?"

At this, I cracked a wry smile. "As expected. Thankfully I had a rag to stuff in her mouth while she screamed, though she fought hard to let the world hear her anger."

Tay smiled faintly as well. "Well, it's good to hear that she's acting like normal." He looked up at me, seriousness in his eyes. "Did you hear the report after your patrol last night?"

"No..." I trailed off. "What happened?"

Tay breathed out through his teeth. "We got a report from the first legion. In the Knowledge Realm they're starting to send children out on the battlefield."

"What's weird about that? We've spent our whole lives preparing for this," I said, but Tay shook his head.

"Their children haven't been trained at all. They're putting weapons in the hands of kids who have never seen them in their life. We're going to crush them easily, and they're not going to have many people left to continue their realm. It'll be interesting. And brutal."