Caged

Chapter 5

I know not to pull the arrow out, I couldn't lose any more blood. I'm in such bad shape that if I were to pass out from this I don't know if I could recover. My vision blurred for just a second, opening my eyes my vision had evolved into something I had never experienced before. I could detect the heat signatures of everybody around and there were more than I could possibly count.

"There are two people to your right and another three behind you guys." They both got on their feet and took a defensive pose, they looked confident as if they could take them all down with ease. I could feel myself slipping again and I remember that feeling all too well. My breathing became heavy and I was yet again overcome with fear. The feeling was strong enough to suffocate me. As I was looking around something caught my eye and it was coming at me fast. I reached out in front of me and grasped my hand around another arrow just in time. I stared at the arrowhead mere millimeters from my eye.

It was as if a switch had flipped within me and I was filled with rage. My hand instinctively grabbed the arrow in my shoulder and ripped it out of my flesh. I didn't have time to just stand here, either I die or I get my ass to safety. I jumped to my feet and I can only explain it as an animalistic hunger for its prey. Max grabbed my forearm with a questioning look.

"I'll be fine." I shrugged off his touch. The movement of somebody near caught my attention and he hid behind some nearby shrubs. I could see everything and it's as if my world opened up. Everything was so clear and finally after so many years I began feeling hope again. Hope that I'll finally find my way out of here.

"I can see you," a laugh echoes throughout the forest and I realize it was mine. I quickly pounced the man in the bushes. With one swift movement, the arrow that was in my hand before was now lodged in his heart. The blood that stained my fingers urged me to continue the killing spree that I had on my mind, something changed inside me, something dark seeped through the apparent cracks in my heart and into my soul.

"Get that bitch," and with that, hands grasped me, they cornered me. My walls came tumbling down, the pain, the rage, and the crippling sadness hit me like a tidal wave. I was drowning and nothing could save me this time. Max was reaching out, trying to keep me above the water before it was too late. Max and his brother were helplessly tied up like animals. The stranger's hands burned my skin and it lit a raging fire, this will be the last time anybody will ever corner me again.

"Fuck you." With all the fire that burned inside, I threw the most powerful punches that my body would allow. They weren't bone crushing but it was enough for the time being. For what felt like nothing more than a second, I blacked out. When I came to I stood in the middle of a massacre, bodies littered the ground beneath my feet. Max was still tied up and the shock on his face said it all. If they didn't do this, who did? Glancing down at my fists I saw nothing but a bloody mess. A part of me was proud, that I could finally use the strength that I knew lingered beneath my skin. But I was struck with regret, how could I possibly know that a part of me was so hungry for bloodshed. I walked over to the two men that I called my friends and untied them, they both looked at me in a new light.

"I don't think staying here tonight is a good idea, let's just keep going. I think Athena will be just fine." Max kept his mouth shut, I'd want to believe that he wouldn't think of me differently but I could see it in his eyes, he wasn't happy. Why aren't they questioning me? I'm a murderer.

"What's happening to me?" Tears threatened to fall, what if this is why I was thrown in a cage? because deep down, I am an animal.

"We didn't think things could get this bad, this fast. We need to get you to a safe location and we'll tell you everything there." Max still lingered in the background, I want him to say something, to talk to me, to tell me that everything will work out and everything will be okay. I know he won't tell me lies though, we all know this will be much harder than we could ever imagine.

"We walked for a few hours before the sun began to rise in the beautiful clear sky, but just as I began to appreciate the view we came to a clearing in the middle of the woods where there stood a single small cabin. Max was leading us and he held the wooden door open for me, nodding to encourage me. Taking a deep breath I step over the threshold hoping that things will turn around for me. Max then closed the door behind me, I was alone, again. As I wandered throughout the three-room cabin, I saw a woman smiling at me. She looked very classy with elegant red hair. Her hair resembled the flames that danced in her blood red eyes.

"Hi Athena, I'm Abigail but call me Abi." Her smile was contagious and I was delighted to finally be in contact with someone the same gender as me. She extended her hand and I shook it, pleased with her manners.

"I was promised that I would be told the truth, I'm extremely confused at the moment." She took a few steps over to a leather couch the only piece of furniture in the room. Patting the cushion next to her, I sat down.

"There's a lot to say, so just hang in there alright?" I nodded and she inhaled steadily, preparing her speech I'm sure.

"Athena, your parents were killed two years after you were kidnapped. The man that kidnapped you is named David Moore, he's also the one responsible for your parent's death. Your parents made a peace deal with Mr. Moore, he was supposed to take you in and keep you safe until you learned how to safely control your powers. But he became selfish and realized that he could use you for his own good, so he kidnapped you, without your parents' knowledge. He kept his cabin surrounded by men, who had the job of diverting any people who came too close for comfort. Athena, your parents never gave up on you, and they did find you. But as soon as Mr. Moore found out, he had them killed, he didn't like the possibility of you being taken away." I was a broken mess, tears streaming down my face and my anger just grew. I'm going to kill everybody and anybody that was involved in my parent's death.

"How do you know all of this?" She wasn't looking at me anymore, her hair hid her face.

"I've kept an eye on you since you started school. I was your guardian, I was supposed to keep you safe. You're the daughter of the two most powerful hunters in the world, they gave their lives for you, Mr. Moore threatened to kill you if they took another step, but he lied, he planned to kill them anyway. There are two kinds of us, there are the hunters and the guardians. The hunters were put here to keep abnormal forces at bay, and the guardians are here to support the hunters in anything they needed."

"I-I don't understand, why haven't I been told before?" She gently put a hand on my shoulder and looked at me, with tears in her eyes.

"Your mom wanted you to have the normal life that you deserved, she wanted you to be happy. I know this is hard to take in but you knew all long that you're a little more powerful than you look. Mr. Moore was supposed to train you, to make you strong. But he betrayed all of us." Many emotions broke free, I should have tortured that disgusting man. I stood up and paced throughout the room, suddenly anger flooded within me.

"What about Maximus and Alexander?" She pulled me into a tight hug, her emotions now becoming more clear, she was devastated by the loss of my parents, as I.

"They're guardians too, your parents and theirs put you together in hopes of creating the bond between hunter and guardian, also hoping you would make a friend for life that you could always trust. Max has that bond with you, he always has. Ever since you were a little girl he protected you. When you got kidnapped he was torn in two, and he never stopped looking, he trained and gained knowledge until he finally found out who killed your parents. Then he fought until he found you." I've been so oblivious to everything, if only I knew, I could've saved my parents. She let go of me gently, walking me out of the cabin where Max and Alex stood. I took off in a sprint, crashing into Max's chest, clutching his T-shirt in my fists out of desperation. He hugged me and dug his head into the crevice of my neck, he held me tightly against his chest until my breathing and my tears ceased.

"I'll keep you safe, even if it means giving my life." His deep voice vibrated against my neck, and for once, I didn't doubt the words a man said.

~please continue to give this book a chance, it gets better as the chapters go by, trust me.~