The Child Out For Revenge

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Jezebel’s POV

Gripping Ryder’s hand in both of mine I thought back to the very first time I met Kyle, before closing my eyes. I wasn’t entirely sure how to show another person my memories, but it had happened once before when Ryder and I had been fighting in the Principal’s office. So I imagined that the same thing was happening and ran through every memory I had of Kyle. I somehow knew deep down that to project it for Ryder to see, I also had to see it along with him.

When I was sure I was ready to show Ryder what his father was like in my eyes, I squeezed Ryder’s hand lightly before falling into the first memory.

Ryder’s POV

The blackness of having my eyes shut suddenly burst forth with colour as Jezebel’s magic washed over me. The scene that erupted into bright clarity around me was of a beach. It felt as if I were truly in the memory. I could feel the sting of sand on my legs as the breeze blew. I could hear the seagulls squawking in the sky. I could smell the salt of the ocean. But what sent shivers down my spine was what I could see.

I was standing just beside where Jezebel sat on a small grassy knoll with earphones in her ears. I took a few steps forward so I was standing in the sand and had a better view of her. It was strange but somehow I knew something was off with Jezebel as if she were really tired or distracted.  I knew she couldn’t see me or hear my rapid breathing, but the whole thing felt so real. I wasn’t sure how the beach scene had any relevance to my father, but then I heard it.

Jezebel.

Somehow I knew the word wasn’t spoken out loud, but was whispered in the mind. I had the suspicion that had I not been experiencing this memory through Jezebel, I wouldn’t have heard her name being called.

She reacted by pulling out her phone and pausing the music. With her earphones out she looked around searching for the source just like I was. Then it came again.

Jezebel.

The second time she paled significantly, after realising that she wasn’t hearing things and someone was calling her name. Still searching for the source of the whisper she put her phone in her pocket. Again I had the feeling that something wasn’t right with her because the Jezebel I knew wasn’t at all this skittish.

Jezebel.

This time she shot up and made as if to leave but froze the second she heard a branch snap. The dread and fear in the air was palpable. Then a figure appeared from the shadows.

“Wait,” a completely different voice to the one that had been calling Jezebel’s name said.

She frowned not recognising the voice before she turned around slowly. She had her back to me so I couldn’t see her expression when she saw, none other than Kyle, my father. I’d known it was him the minute he appeared out of the shadows. At the moment he was trying not to freak her out, holding up his hands and only taking a small step towards her.

“Woah, just calm down I’m not going to hurt you. I just wanna talk,” Kyle said in a reassuring voice.

I had moved from where I had been standing to get a better view of both their faces. Jezebel looked conflicted as if she wanted to stay but then also wanted to run like hell. She settled for taking a big step back from Kyle.

“Can you sit down for me? Just a quick chat, yeah,” he said soothingly.

Jezebel looked so uncertain, again so unlike her usual confidence. I don’t know what possessed her to stay around seeing as she didn’t seem to know who Kyle was, but she sat down like he asked; though she did sit down a fair way away from Kyle.