The Rands (Older Chapters)

Chapter 3

-R E C A P-

"I was brought back to the forest, and I too was shocked. I needed to find these two Rands, I needed to find them soon."

-The Rands-

I picked up my bag, walking slowly to what I assumed was the east. I searched around, my eyes scanning the forest around me. All I saw was trees. Trees. Trees. And guess what?

Trees.

After an hour of aimlessly wondering around, I sat on a boulder. My feet pleaded for salvation and my stomach craved for my attention. I sighed in exhaustion, wishing that I had my bed. And my home. And my parents.

My eyes began to water, my heart ached in my chest. I wanted my parents. I yearned for their hugs and for my mom to whisper "I love you" into my ear. I craved for the constant jokes that me and my dad threw at each other. I wanted them back.

But it was impossible.

I felt my body shake as I sobbed. I wiped the tears with my blood encrusted hands, crying even more when I saw them.

A snap of a branch diverted my attention. I stood up, searching for the source of the noise. My heart began pounding in my chest. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. A few crunches of leaves cued me off that there was more than one. I braced myself, ready to kill if I had to.

I found myself face-to-face with the two people in my vision.

The girl stared at me, her dark green eyes studying my disgruntled figure. Her shoulder length blonde hair flowed gently in the cool breeze. She clutched her black t-shirt in her hand, unsure of what to do.

The boy was beautiful. His long, black hair blew all over his face, covering up his sparkling green eyes. He stared back at me, his mouth open, but words didn't escape his lips.

My heart raced.

"You're-" I began, my words catching in my throat. The boy stepped closer. I stepped back.

"A Rand?" I nodded slowly. His eyes dropped from my face to my neck. His eyes widened slightly. "She's one of us," he whispered to the girl.

"What?" I asked. My head spun. It felt like I was in some psychotic dream or something. I would have never thought that any of this could ever happen. Not even in my wildest nightmare.

"You're a Rand," the girl repeated, a smile slowly creeping to her pretty face. "You're one of us," she said, mystified. I just stared at her. "What happened to you?" That question seemed to snap me back into the reality that I really wanted to escape. I felt the tears began to spill over. My heart began to explode in my chest, and I felt a darkness over take my emotions. I collapsed to the ground, my shoulders shaking.

"They-" I began. "They killed them." The boy dropped to my level, placing a warm hand on my arm.

"Who killed who?" He asked. Authority over took his once curious voice. I took in a shuddering breath.

"A guy. He killed my parents," I managed to choke out.

"Do you know his name?" The boy's eyes almost bugged out of his head. I looked up at him.

"Troy. His name was Troy." He closed his eyes, his hand balling up together in a fist.

"Come with us," the girl motioned. She stretched out her hand. I gawked at it, not knowing whether to trust her or not. "We're not going to hurt you," she whispered. Hesitantly, I took her hand. She pulled me to my feet. The boy swung my bag over his shoulder, walking a few steps behind us.

"By the way," the girl chimed. "I'm Jillian. Jill for short." She turned a little to look at the boy. "That's Seth."

"I'm Juliet," I croaked. My throat was way to dry. I cleared it. "Do you have any water?" Jill shook her head.

"We'll get you some once we get to the cabin."

"Cabin?"

"Its where we and the others stay. You know, to relax."

"Others?" She sighed with a smile.

"Yes, others. There's more than three of us, you know." I looked down at my feet. "Don't worry, Juliet. You'll be perfectly safe. This necklace," she said, playing with her necklace, "it'll protect you." I nodded, playing with my own necklace. We walked in silence for about an hour. My legs felt like jelly and my stomach screamed in protest. Finally, I spotted a small, wood cabin near a small stream. The small cabin was made of aging red bricks. The widows were spray painted black and the door was a very thick wood. The vegetation around the house was dead, due to the lack of sunlight beaming through the canopy of trees. The cabin gave off a depressing feeling, only making my emotions worst.

"Come on," Jill urged. I followed unwillingly behind her. We made our way to the door of the cabin, sneaking into the heavy door. Seth entered the house last, dead bolting the lock, and walking into a corridor in the farther left of the house.

The interior was better than the exterior. Mahogany tile laid evenly on the floor. A small table sat in the middle,  trash and empty fast food wrappers lay askew on the tabletop. Jill scurried to clear away the garbage, her pale skin turning a slight pink. "Sorry for the mess," she squeaked. "Gavin and Misty doesn't like to clean." She pushed all of the trash into a bin and tucked it back into its corner. A loud bang behind me made me jump. I turned towards the noise and saw as Seth ran from a tall stranger.

"You brought a stranger into our house?" The boy asked angrily. His smoldering silver eyes found my face. His face softened a little, but he still looked angry.

"Gavin, geez man! Calm down," Seth pleaded. "She's one of us. Look at her necklace!" I felt Gavin's eyes scan my body. I felt a slight blush creep onto my cheeks and I instantly felt self-conscious. I tried to be invisible, but today, it didn't work.

"How can we trust you?" He asked me. His deep, smooth voice echoed through my ears, sending a chill down my spine. "Hello?" I looked up at him. I looked at Seth. His eyes widened at my hesitance.

"I need my bag," I croaked, clearing my throat. Seth walked past Gavin, bumping his shoulder. I felt Jill's cold hand graze my wrist. She took hold of it, rubbing my wrist in comfort.

Truth is, I was very uncomfortable.

Seth rushed back into the small room, my bag in tow. He set it on the table and I dug through it, finding what I was looking for. I handed Gavin the letter. He snatched it away from me, pulling it out of the envelope.

We waited for a few minutes as he read. With a sigh, he exclaimed, "Get her cleaned up."

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