"I heard you won the dodge ball game. Powers are already kicking in." he laughed a rusty laugh. "Your Cyd?" My eyes were kind of wide. "Hey, don't take him lightly." Kalila sauntered over beside me. "He actually was my mentor you know." "Exactly, so, how does it feel to be the chosen Malachi?" I shrugged. "I can't really tell you honestly." even though I couldn't see his eyes from under the hood I could tell he felt some kind of sympathy for me. "I understand. Being the chosen is not at all very pleasant. It can be frightening, but that's only the fear talking to you. In time you'll learn to push that fear away from you." It sounded subtle and I didn't really take it to heart.
I mean, how would he know what it felt like to be the chosen one in the first place? In my eyes I saw a dirty looking aged man who could have his business digging in trashes or sitting at a corner on the street begging for a coin. Not teaching a shy young boy who only knew how to make good grades and get by with smarts all the while brooding about how he had a huge crush on this girl that would never like him. Finding about all these odd monsters running around and being this sort of leader trying to figure out how to stop them all just made my teen life even worse.
"So, are you ready to begin today's training?" He asked. "I guess so." instead of sensing my uneasiness like the first time, Kalila followed Cyd to the center of the gym. "Malachi, do you know how to fight?" "No, I never really fought to begin with." "He landed a hit on the Betsalel that attacked us though," Kalila added. "Yeah, but it was just instinct that's all." Cyd nodded and placed his hand under his chin as if to think. "What about dodge ball Malachi? Was it instinct when you got Carlos?" "Yeah. I guess." "What was going through your mind when you fought that Betsalel?" He asked me. Was this some kind of quiz or something. I shifted my feet thinking of what went through my head when I saw that monster attack Kalila. Honestly, I was angry, or at least that's what I remember. I didn't want her to get hurt and, if I didn't do anything she would have- and then I just had to do something. It was all automatic. I guess it was instinct, in my opinion. "I just didn't want her to get severely hurt." I answered dryly. "I just did what I had to do." "Protecting your loved ones. That's what went through your mind." "Not like everyone." "But her at the moment. You didn't want to stand there and watch her die, did you?" I shook my head. "It was someone you cared about Malachi." My face heated up. It was kind of embarrassing talking about that in front of the girl that rejected me. 'What about dodge ball then?" I asked. "That's pretty simple to answer- I even think you could've answered that on your own." he chuckled.
He was going to hit me and get me out of the game, but I also didn't want to be the disappointment. I was also angry at him. I hated him. I hated him alot. It felt good to know that I hit him hard in the gut. Even though I had the explanation, I didn't say it. "Determination and anger Malachi. You had determination to get him out of the game. With that determination you were driven. You were angry because of how he treated you. You wanted to show him. When your a chosen you have to be driven. You have to put anger in it too because these are what goes after mankind to destroy us. They want the whole world at their fingertips. Fear is not an option." That seemed pretty obvious. Kalila placed herself on the bench and watched us carefully. "We're going to do the basics today." "Swinging a sword? Hand to hand combat?" "No." Cyd walked over to the weights and work out equipment. "Ever worked out before?" My heart sank. I hated anything that involved sports or work outs, it was dreadful. My feet were weighted down as drug myself over to the equipment. This was going to be a long afternoon.
"Just what did he think I was going to learn out of all that anyways. I thought it was going to be hardcore training you know, not push ups, crunches, and weight lifting. Not to mention all those laps I ran-I thought I was gonna die." I sighed as me and Kalila had relaxed on a bench in town. It was late but I didn't feel like moving my legs anytime sooner. It was the most brutal training I have ever experienced-Well that's what I thought. "Sometimes even the most basic part of training can mean the biggest thing when your facing them. You need strength and stamina to beat these things. They're no walk in the park, I tell you that." "You know, I wonder where that one Betsalel went off to when we beat it." It never hit me until now. "Betsalel's feed of darkness of people so it might be wandering around searching for negative energy off of people right now." She shuffled her feet on the ground causing some dirt to fly up. "Um just wondering-is it possible for a Betsalel to-you know,kill someone?" Kalila sat still for a minute and said "I've only read about it and some stories from Cyd, but they drain you and leave you like an empty husk. I guess your spirit would be dead, but I think that's the worst thing you could ever be like." "What happens? Are you like a zombie or something?" "More less yeah." Wow that was actually terrifying to think about. I thought my life was boring imagine your own spirit being sucked out of you until you were just a shell. A shell. Its what I felt like all the time. just existing to fill up space and live. "I bet you like hanging out with the big group don't you." I blurted out without thinking. I don't know why I said it. I was expecting a mean and shocked expression from her but she shook her head. "Its not what its all cracked up to be. Pretending to feel like your Accepted." "Why would you feel that way. Your very-" I stopped. Should I say it? "Very what?" "Very nice and cool to hang out with." No.Your very pretty, kind, loving, cool, amazing. She cracked a small smile and stared at the ground "Thanks, but I don't feel that way." "Why not?" "I just-" She sucked in her breathe and exhaled. "feel snobby sometimes. Alot of people think I'm stuck up and unappreciative. They think the reason I join so many clubs and have a high grade is because I'm either pushed to or because I just want to show off." I found it hard to believe. "I don't want people to think that though, I do it because I can and I love to, not because somebody tells me to or because I'm trying too hard. I just want-I just want a purpose." "Purpose?" "Yeah a reason to be here. I know I'm your guardian now so that makes me feel like I'm actually fit to do something rather than just be that pretty girl that has smarts and tries to fit in."
She thought that? She really honestly thought that?! It was absurd and strange. How could she? I knew people had struggled but her? Why? Why did she feel that way? It was supposed to be me who felt that way. Feeling like no one care. I just lived because I was here to take up space. I had no purpose until now. Something I really didn't want but it was the only thing that gave me something to feel wanted. Now she, even though she was popular, she wanted a purpose and being my guardian is what made her feel like she had something to do. Kalila looked at me as if she was trying to read my thoughts. "Malachi." "Huh?" She began to act weird. Tense, and nervous all of a sudden. "I don't know why your the chosen." She played around with her fingers. "But I think- I am glad that you are." "R-really?" "Yeah I mean, it could have been anybody. He could have been the cutest guy and all but it was you. At first I thought it was weird how you could be the chosen, I guess I misjudged you though. Your strong, brave, compassionate, and sweet." I could feel the heat go to my face. "And I know you'll be more" She smiled sweetly. "Hey Malachi?" "Yeah." "I just-" She began to say but shook her head. "I'll be seeing you." She stood up and fixed her skirt. "Don't forget practice tomorrow." She reached for her bag and walked off.
It was weird. It made no sense. But most of all I wanted to know what she wanted to say. Why did she hesitate? Why did she act that way? It was confusing, but it made me feel rather close to her now seeing how she opened herself up to me like that. "Woah son, have a work out today?" Dad said as I stepped into the house. "Yeah, I decided to just get fit." "That's kinda strange. Thought you didn't like sports or exercises." "I don't but lately you know, I just wanted to try it out." "Well that's great. You could use a little toning." He chuckled. I brushed it off and headed straight to the shower.
A purpose. She felt like she needed one to exist. Like me. I felt the warm water on my head as I stood there thinking about today. It was going to be a pain tomorrow. I was going to be sore and more training to go on top of it. I wonder what Carlos would do now? Would he pick on me ten times more than he did? I caused a commotion today. What's it going to be like tomorrow. I didn't know, I dreaded it and yet at the same time was excited to see what kind of events would unfold. When I headed straight to bed I made sure the necklace was on my neck so I wouldn't have any problems tonight. I slept like a baby. I also had a dream of Kalila and me relaxing near a stream and her smiling down at me as I lay my head in her lap. If only that dream happened in real life.
