Silent But Deadly

Chapter Eight ~Jewel~

   My eyes were glued to the pages of the journal. Spells that were in my father's handwriting filled the pages. I put them in my long-term memory. Some were for me, some for Katy, and others for the both of us combined. They were fire and water spells, spells that were for making bread and other crazy things. I heard a twig snap and turned around quickly, my braids hitting me in the face.

   I closed the journal quickly and threw it in my game bag, taking out my knife. I ducked behind the stump and looked above it. There was a girl with green, feathery hair, a feather dress, mostly everything she had was made of green feathers. She was my age, looking out from behind a tree, looking around me.

   She was the girl from my dream. Sue.

   I opened my mouth to call for Sue when I heard somebody shout.

"Jewel Elizabeth Wonders! Jew! J!"

   I turned toward the sound, forgetting all about the girl named Sue, and stood up, rushing towards my sister.

What if it's a trap? Maybe that's not your sister. C'mon, think clearly.

   But I couldn't. I was blinded. Blinded by my sister. Blinded by everything in my entire life that caused me to get into this mess.

   For the first time ever, I realized I missed my old life. The slow life with my mother and father, always safe in their arms. Always going out to the forest that seemed like my sister's and my sanctuary. Our mom always telling us not to go.

   I tripped on a tree root and my face hit moss. There were tears on my face and I clutched my stomach.

I'm not strong enough to do this. I can't save anyone. Not my father. Not my sister. My mother...

   I clutched my stomach and cried into the moss. I felt someone touch my arm and I turn my head to look up. Expecting THOTBT... or... or... something. But, that's not what I saw. I saw Sue. As a girl. Standing right in front of me.

"Jewel," she whispered carefully.

"Sue?" I choked out.

   She nodded and sat down in the moss next to me, messing with my braids. I could see a sad look in her eyes as she undid my braids and brushed through my hair with her fingers. She had a look of youngness in her face and her body.

   She rebraided my hair and I noticed it shining in the sunlight, between the branches of the trees. She redid the next braid and I looked at her face.

"Why are you here?" I asked quietly.

"I... don't know. I had to check on you. I was afraid... afraid that maybe... that maybe..."

   I waited for her to answer. I needed an answer just like I needed my sister. After about a couple minutes I was becoming restless. But finally, she spoke.

"I was afraid that maybe... the THOTBT had gotten you. Killed you. They're ruthless like that," she answered.

   But somehow, I knew, there was more to the story than that. I could basically hear her say it. But her lips didn't move. I studied her lips to make sure I wasn't going crazy and that they actually were moving. But they weren't.

"You have more than one power Jewel," she said. Wait. No she didn't. Her lips never moved. I jerked back, hitting my head against a tree trunk. I put my hand on the back of my head and stared at her. "You can read my mind, Jewel." This time her lips moved.

"What?" I asked.

"That's how you heard me. You can read minds."

   I just stared at her, dumbfounded. Tears stung my eyes and anger suddenly pulsed through me.

"Why did you abandon me?!" I exclaimed. Her eyes widened, she wasn't expecting that. "I trusted you! Then you left my sister and I to die there! You said that-that the THOTBT were coming. We believed you. We left that camp! We didn't turn around! You don't realize what I've been through. Along with my sister. I don't need another lie from you."

"What?" she asked.

"Sue, you abandoned my sister and I and told us to leave. We walked right into the trap. We thought you died. We saw you die."

"I did. I did die. But, your godmother brought me to the castle and had a witch by the name of Josephina heal me. I saw you guys enter. I tried to protect you but was thrown into the THOTBT's jail. I only escaped by changing into a bird. I flew out between the bars and through the front door. Nobody noticed my bright green feathers except a girl. She stared at me like I was the only thing she saw that ever came down there made of color. I can't remember her name. But I think the point is, you should trust me. I know a lot more than you do about this world."

What choice did I have? I mean, why shouldn't I? My father told me to trust Sue. I had to believe him. I would trust him.

"Sue... I trust you. Now bring me to Katy. Please."

"K?" I asked. She was lying on the forest floor, passed out what seemed.

"J?!" she said. She turned toward me and clamored up.

"Katy, what happened?!" I asked.

"The-the THOTBT appeared and I said 'oppugnare', which means 'attack', and then they were gone," she panted.

My eyes widened. It was them. The ones who left me there to die...

"J! Behind you!!" Katy shouted.

We start to run away from them but split paths. I could see her through the blurry trees and she tripped over a tree root. I could hear THOTBT behind us as I ran through the small mohawk part of the woods. I reached for Katy and stood her up.

"Oppugnare," she whispered. I looked behind her and they all disappeared. K fell through my arms and almost hit the ground but Sue appeared out of nowhere and caught her.

"Sue!" I shout. "Where did you come from?!"

"No time for that! This spell won't last long. The spell makes them unable to see us and us unable to see them. GO!" 

   She sprouted green wings from her back that were human sized and offered me a ride. I took her hand and she flew us to the palace.

I saw K's eyes start to open and I rushed over to her.

"J?" she asked.

"Yes?" I said.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two hours," I said quietly.

"Oh."

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Okay... I guess. My ankle hurts though," she said, making a face.

"You sprained it"

"How long until I can walk again?" she asked, concern flooding her voice.

"One week," I mumbled.

"Repeat that."

"One week," I said louder.

"... Let's get ready for the dance then," she said. I helped her up.

"Fine."

  I climbed the net to my top bunk and found the box. I carefully opened it and felt the cloth. It was a dress that my mom had helped me make. It just reminded me of her every time I saw something like it.

   I put it on and let my blonde, curly hair cascade down past my shoulders. I carefully slid down the pole and walked over to K. She looked beautiful in her blue dress. I noticed that a tear ran down my cheek and she wiped it away, putting an arm around me.

Just then, the door bursted open.