Rising Smoke

Chapter Seven

My scream cuts off when one of the things loudly snarls at me. I'm trembling. What did I do to deserve this? Nothing. Nothing at all. I get kidnapped, shoved into a whole new world, forced to put on some medieval type dress, meet two hunky guys who somehow know me, and now this? Whoever or whatever calls the shots on my life, I would personally like to have a nice talk with them. Because things are getting out of hand.

They snarl again and creep toward me, bringing my attention back to reality. Oh, right.

They are ugly creatures. Oily, black, and fanged, they hissed and crawled towards me. They used their arms to slide their...bottom half towards me. They had a deformed head with two beady, black eyes, staring at me, filled with hate and malice. At me. What did I ever do to these creatures? Why are they after me? Shouldn't they be running towards Arlen? Or Conran? Aren't they the guys in charge? So why little ole me?

I try reaching for the door, but realize they have been guiding me away from it. All I feel behind me is a brick wall. I'm trapped.

The surround me on all sides.

I gulp. I'm dead.

"Come with us, Princess." They speak! The one to the right of me spoke! Surprise mixes with my fear. But what did he say? That I'm a princes? No, he called you a princess, I tell myself. But why? I'm no princess. But you could be, a voice in my head says, you never know.

"We will not harm you," another one says. But it's slurred... Like they can't form the words clearly. It's like a snake talking, with forked tongues and everything. But I can still understand them. Of course they will harm me! They are evil! I can feel that. I can see that. I'm already shaking my head no. I don't trust myself to speak, afraid I will start screaming again. No one is coming to my rescue.

"We must take you to our master," the first one who spoke says this, sliding closer to me. What am I to do? I glance up and down the hall. No one is coming. I'm all alone with these things. No Arlen. No Conran. Where are they?

I know Arlen left to lead them away. But shouldn't he have figured out by now that they aren't following him? Surely, he has to know. Then where is he?

I shake my head no and stammer out, "I'm not coming with you!" No way am I going to their 'master'. Whoever he is. These things are evil enough, I can't even imagine what their 'master' is like.

That's when they pounce, all at once. They scratch, pull, and yank on me, trying to drag me away with them. I fight. I fight with everything I've got. But I'm still just in my nightgown, which has gotten tangled up in my legs. My hair that was braided up is coming undone, getting caught up in my face, and making it difficult to see. Their claws burn, wherever they stratch. Pain radiates thorought my body--arms, legs, chest, face. It hurts. I feel my strength, my life force leaving me. My energy is being taking away. Leaving my very essence... No. They are trying to make me weak to drag me to their master.

I'm screaming again, but I stop when I hear a voice say, This isn't what you are meant for. I didn't hear this with my ears. But in my head. In my head! It was an older, wiser voice. An anciet one filled with power. What is happening to me? Why am I hearing voices in my head? This power...it feels familiar.

Things in my body start changing. I feel power rising within me, erasing the pain, renewing my strength. I feel invincible.I don't know what it is, yet. But I feel it in my soul that it is a good thing. Something that was meant to happen to me. I don't know why or how, I just know it is meant to be. So I let it in slowly filling me up with it.

They scratch and pull me some more when the power explodes inside of me. I stop thrashing and become calm. The monsters stop too, after feeling my reaction. An ancient power swirls and coils inside me, waiting to be released. I keep a firm grasp on it. It doesn't need to be released, yet. I know this. I know this power. Me. The real Laila. The one who is not human. Oh yes, I remember.

"Release me," I say in a commanding tone. I feel my body start rising, becoming vertical, making the monsters fall off my body. When some don't, I take my hand, face my palm to them, and a stream of pure white light smacks them, making them hiss in pain and fall off. My body is becoming lighter, almost like smoke. My body is like rising smoke, rising high above the floor in the wide hallway. The small part of my brain that is just Leila, the human, is confused and shocked. I shove her into a dark part of my brain, slam the door, and lock it. I don't need her distracting me. 

But the rest of me is commanding and thrumming with power. I start zapping the creatures with my light. I feel my hair whipping around. Light is glowing out around my body. I think back through my memories as I kill off the monsters. This was my home, this castle. I grew up here. With Arlen and Conran. Then something happened by a tree and a pond. Arlen and I were playing at our spot. This big tree, with leaves swooping over the pond, just barely touching the water, was our spot. It wasn't a tree you'd find on Earth. It had too much beauty to be on Earth. My home, my true home, is more beautiful than Earth. And I am finally back where I am supposed to be.

That's when I realize that the last of the monsters are gone. Slickes, they are called. A lesser form of Slithes, an enemy of my kind. More like minions to that horrible species. Yes, I remember. I remember my childhood and I remember what happened to me. But I don't need to think about that now.

My body slowly looses its light and starts becoming solid again. It lowers itself to the ground and my feet touch the ground. I stand tall, take a deep breath, and close my eyes. A bittersweet smile takes over my face. How could I have forgotten my life? How could I have thought I was just like humans? They are a disgusting race, always wanting more and more. I have alwasy enjoyed the simpler lifestyle. It's more peaceful. Earth can be peaceful too, Leila, the human, softly says, coming out of the place I locked her in. I scowl, You know nothing, human. I shove her back again, harder, and slam the door. Why is she still a part of me?

"Leila!" My eyes snap open. It's Arlen running towards me. "You remember! Oh, I'm so relieved! I knew it would work! I was fighting them, knowing that there was too many of them and I was thinking of ways to save you when--!" He keeps rambling, but I tune him out. Did he leave me here, knowing the Slithes didn't follow him? As I continue to listen to him, my eyes go round with surprise then narrow with anger. He did know; he did leave me. I slap him across the face, shutting him up. Shock colors his face, taking away the happy expression that was there a minute ago.

"You could have killed me!" I practically scream, "What if I hadn't come into my powers? What if I hadn't remembered? I would have been dragged off to their 'master'! You know who their 'master' is, Arlen. That horrible Slithe. You know he would have killed me, if he got his hands on me."

He just stands there, mouth agape. "I wouldn't have let you be taken away or killed! I was right around the corner, watching!" Then he gets a steely, deadly look in his eyes. His fists clench. "I know who he is, Leila. I know he has been looking all over this kingdom, sending his minions out, looking for you. I heard he was even crossing through the dimensions to find you. He started looking harder when he recieved word on what happened to you." This calms me down a bit on the outside, but I'm still simmering with anger inside. How foolish could he have been? He hasn't changed a bit. He has always gone with the first plan that comes along. Action then thought has been his motto. Hopefully, I can correct that.

"I bet he did. That greedy little bastard. Have you seen him recently? I bet he hasn't changed a stitch since the last time I've seen him." I say this while striding back to the room, the same room where I grew up in. They remembered. Arlen shakes his head to my question as we reach my door.

"Leila! Arlen!" Conran says, striding towards us. I have completely forgotten about him. How could I have forgotten about Conran? He comes up to us and looks over us, mostly me. When he reaches my eyes, he squints a little and smiles. He knows I know. The next thing I know, I've got a face full of Conran's lapels. I breath him in. Oh, how I have missed you.

"It's been too long, huh, old friend?" I mumble into his jacket. His arms are wrapped securely around my waist, like he wasn't every going to let go. His arms tightens, then pull apart, slowly. I shiver.

He pulls away, "You have no idea." He touches my face with his hands, pushing the hair away from my face. I bet it's a mess, tangled and unkempt. Arlen clears his throat. I jump a little and step away. Arlen's face is controlled rage. Confused, I look down. I take a deep breath. Focus. Squaring my shoulders, I look at them.

"So I know now. I remember." I say this, confidently. "What has happened since I have been gone?"