Marked

Chapter 2

"Ugh." Esperanza grunted. 

She opened her eyes. She found herself lying on the floor. 

"Where am I?" She thought. "Am I dead?"  

She looked around. She knew once she set her eyes on the view was not heaven. 

Her head started spinning again. And the last thing she remembered, was black. 

~~~

Someone was clearing their throat. 

Esperanza squinted. The light was shining into her eyes. 

She used her hand to block the light. 

"Ah hem." The voice said. 

She removed her hand from her sight. She opened her eyes completely and saw a man, hovering over her. 

"What?"  Esperanza said. She got up quickly. 

"Slow down." The man said. 

"Who are you? And where am I?" Esperanza demanded. Then she remembered something. "Where's my Mom and Uncle Tom?" She said softly. 

She couldn't see the man's face clearly, for it was covered by his hood.

"Didn't you hear me? Where am I and where is my Mom and Uncle Tom!" Esperanza yelled. 

The man looked away. He put his hand in a flowing liquid. 

He scooped the liquid in his hand. He brought his hand, closer and closer to her. 

Esperanza backed away, inch by inch. 

"What is that?" She asked. 

The man sprinkled the liquid all over her. And Esperanza passed out.

~~~

"Who am I?" The thought swirled around her brain. 

"I am Esperanza Woods." She answered in her mind. 

She opened her eyes and got up slowly. 

She was lying down on a table. 

She was in a place full of books, lined up neatly on the shelves. A library. 

She looked around, confused. 

"Hello?" She called. 

No one answered. 

"Hello?" She called again. 

This time, a boy was walked, with a book in his hand. 

He was cute. He had black hair, blue eyes, and a chiseled face.

He saw her, lying on a table. 

"You're awake." He said, simply. 

"Who are you?" Esperanza asked. 

"Details later. Let me go get Master Benjamin." He said and ran off. 

Esperanza was puzzled. So she lied down on her table again once more. 

~~~

"Hello again." A voice called. 

Esperanza opened her eyes. Again.She hadn't realized that she fell asleep. 

She got up from the table and jumped down, landing on the floor. Her knees buckled. 

The man helped her from falling. 

"Thanks."Esperanza said. "But, who are you?" 

The man took his hood off. He had pale skin, with dark brown eyes, and brown hair. He had eye bags hanging under his eyes. 

"I am Master Benjamin. I am the leader." He replied. 

"Leader of what?" Esperanza asked. 

"The Guardian of Angels." 

There were long moments of silence. 

Esperanza broke the silence. 

She chuckled. 

"Do not laugh, little one. You are one too." Master Benjamin warned. 

Esperanza stopped. 

"You're lying." She said. 

Master Benjamin shook his head. 

"You are! There's no such thing as Guardian of the Angels." Esperanza exclaimed. 

"You can also call them Angel Guardians." Master Benjamin said simply. 

"I don't care! I know as a fact that there is no such thing!" 

"Do you remember anything? Anything besides your name." Master Benjamin asked. 

"No. All I remember is that this place is a library." Esperanza said. 

Master Benjamin sighed. 

"You have a lot of explaining to do Master-" 

Esperanza was interrupted by the boy who she saw with the book. 

"Master Benjamin, there is someone to see-" The boy stopped and saw Master Benjamin talking to Esperanza. 

"Sorry." The boy said. 

Master Benjamin waved his apology off. "I'll be right there, Zane. 

Zane. 

Zane bowed and left the library. 

Master Benjamin turned back to me. "Explanation later. Right now, I have some important work to do. I'll send one of my pupils over and she'll show you around." 

And without another word, he left.