Oxygen

Chapter 14 - Battle Scars

The sword impacts Natalie's arm directly. The force is enough to make her scream in agony, as blood drips to her elbow. All of a sudden, a pair of hands grab my neck from behind. I am pulled backwards, the smell of cigarettes burning my nostrils.

I try my hardest to breath as the grip tightens, presumably of a man. Alec walks toward me, and kicks me in the stomach. I scream loudly as the pain travels up my spine and through my veins.

Suddenly I feel someone grabbing my shoulders, and shaking me violently.

"Fern!" The voice is yelling, "Fern!". I open my eyes, startled, and see Charlie and Georgia standing at the end of the makeshift bed. Jordan is sitting beside me, stroking my hair. I feel the sweat trickle down my neck, and I wipe it away with my hand.

"What the hell happened?" Charlie almost yells, obviously mad that he's awake. "I'm sorry, was I screaming?" I asked. I have been known to talk in my sleep.

"You weren't just screaming Fern, you were kicking your legs, pulling at your hair" Jordan sounds like he might cry. I guess my pain is his pain. "I've heard you talk, shout, curse even, but this is the worst I've seen".

Have I done this before? "What do you mean, I've heard you, has this happened before?" I ask. I must being going crazy, there is something wrong with me.

"Yea. Normally I just wait and it dies down, other times I wake you. Don't you remember?" Jordan says, worried.

"No.. " I say, and Charlie and Georgia share looks.

I sit up to breathe, and Jordan gasps. He lifts the hair from around my neck and touches the skin. I wince at the touch, realizing the area is tender. I get up from the bed and look in the mirror over the sink. And there it is, a huge black bruise.

"Oh my god" I say, and the others come to surround me. "A man did this to me, in my dream" I conclude. "We think as much" Charlie says for the group. There's more to this, I just know it. It only takes a few words from Jordan to confirm it.

"Someones here" he says, and within seconds there's a bang coming from outside. It sounds like an old car engine giving in for retirement.

We head outside, after I put on some clothes, to find an ugly old man; Martin, standing in a group with three teenage boys; the Summer's.

"Enjoyed that little dream?" the man asks me, directly. "I thought you'd like to see your future, before it's too late" he says, relaxed, hands in his pockets.

"Too late for what?" I ask, standing with one foot forward, ready to fight. Who wouldn't expect a fight from the Summers?

"If you two" he wiggles his index finger at Jordan and I, "complete the bonding process, our family, I'm sure you know who we are, will come to kill you" he says the last part with a smirk on his face.

I can hear Jordan breathing heavily beside me. Calm down, I think, and he looks at me like I was talking to him. Maybe I said it out loud?

Jordan steps in front of me, holding my hand in his. "You won't touch her!" he yells.

The men stood with Martin smirk in a dangerous way. I wince slightly at the dirty looks on their faces.

"You may as well leave now, you're no good here!" Charlie joins in, coming down the steps of the house. Georgia moves forward with him. I'm beginning to feel angry. That must have been him interrupting my dream, and I do not appreciate being choked.

Suddenly, the car engine of the old vehicle starts, and Martin looks at it in frustration, then anger. "Come on boys, let's go" he commands, and gets back in the car. The men follow him in, and they speed away, along the gravel road.

"What just happened?" I asked Charlie, referring to the car. I doubt they had a getaway driver with them.

"I don't know" Charlie frets. "It wasn't my abilities, I only have control over people" Charlie admits. "It can't have been me, my ability is even more lame than yours" Georgia adds.

"Well we don't have abilities yet" Jordan says, speaking for me and him.

"Or maybe you do" Charlie inspires.

Charlie drags Jordan and I inside, and Georgia follows. "What are you thinking?" she asks. "I'm going to test them. Fern, stand here" he points to the spot on the ground, and I move there. "Move out the way!" Charlie yells, and I step back, confused.

"Why aren't you standing on the spot?" he yells again. Charlie can be scary when he wants to be.

"What the hell, Charlie?" Georgia yells. This is making me feel agitated.

"What are you trying to do, Charlie?" Jordan yells.

"Stop it!" I scream, and the light bulb above us explodes, sending shards of glass through the air.

"See" Charlie says, and we all suddenly understand what he's doing. He thinks we have our abilities. He knows it.

"I felt something then" Georgia says, rubbing her temples. "Do it again" she commands. I try to burst another one, in the kitchen, but nothing happens. I push my brain, not really sure what to do, and nothing, again.

"I can't" I admit, with defeat in my eyes. Jordan looks at me mysteriously. "Yes, you can" he forces.

"No, I can't!" I yell, and another smashes above us. Charlie and Georgia duck to avoid the glass.

"I knew you could do it" Charlie says proudly, "That's your ability. When you get overly emotional, like that, you affect stuff". "I felt your anger when you smashed the bulb" Georgia adds.

"When we were out there, I thought you said something to me" Jordan says.

"No, I didn't say anything" I promise him. "Maybe you did" Charlie says, a light bulb practically popping from his head. What a brainiac.

"Think of something to say to Jordan" he instructs. "Don't say what it is though". I think hard, I love you, I love you, I love you.

"I heard that again!" Jordan says, excited. "You said I love you!".

"Yea" I admit, blushing. "Awwww" Georgia sings, and I blush deeper. Jordan gives me a hug, and whispers back "I love you too".

"Did you just say the l word?" I ask Jordan, unable to believe it.

"No, I was thinking it, but I didn't say anything..." He mutters.

"So you can do it too!" I say, excited for him. "Yea, I guess I can" he realizes.

"Wow, that's amazing" Charlie finally says. "I've never seen a couple that can talk to each other in their heads!" he exclaims, and I hug Jordan, jumping into his arms.

So we aren't just bonded, then. We are coming into the third stage! I squeal with happiness, and Jordan kisses me passionately. Yes, we are.

All the others Charlie told me about have abilities that compliment each other. But maybe Jordan and I are a bit different. If there are other abilities we share, then we can use them to be even stronger.

"Yea, I suppose you can" Charlie states, as I look at him over Jordan's shoulder. "Did you hear that?" I say, and Charlie smiles.

"Yea, which means you can talk to other people as well". My heart flutters with excitement. "Can you talk back?" I test him.

"No, I don't think it works that way" he says, a little disappointed.

"So we can talk to each other, and other people, without actually talking" Jordan concludes. "That's going to come in useful for battle" Charlie interjects.

I nod, proudly, and bounce up and down. Georgia joins in, and we jump around in circles together. When we stop, I suddenly feel normal again.

"Did you do that?" I ask Georgia, referring to the excitement that suddenly escaped my system. "Yea, sorry, I just wanted to see you happy" she confesses. Perhaps Georgia isn't so bad after all.