Chasing Chaos

Chapter 9

9.

     I don't recall passing out, but I woke to Austin shaking me. I blinked up at him and rubbed my eyes. 

     "Geez, don't scare me like that!!!" He breathed heavily, his adrenaline was high.

I must've scared him pretty bad by passing out. 

     I sighed. How had the safety of the world suddenly landed on me? It's not fair. But nothing ever is. 

     "I know how you feel. I felt the same way. Protectors have to risk their lives too, you know?" Austins voice sounded far away now, like something in the past.

     I nodded, but my attention was no longer on Austin, it was now on the man standing behind him. 

     The man had dark brown hair and tan skin, he was the man in the photo. He must be Austin's dad. He still looked so familiar to me, I knew him from somewhere, I just couldn't recall where from. Austin realized that my attention was no longer on him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him turn and catch sight of his father. 

     "Dad!!" His voice rang through the quiet room. "I thought you weren't coming home until tonight!" Austin ran to his father and wrapped his arms around him. His father smiled, which made me smile a little. Austin had his father's smile. 

     When they were done having their little moment and realized I was sitting awkwardly on the couch Austin's dad turned towards me.

     "Hello Destine, I don't know if you remember me but my name is Danny." His voice distracted me from seeing his hand reach out, waiting for me to shake it. I looked down at it.

     Those hands were the ones that were twisting around nervously outside my front door. That voice was the one that delivered the news that my mother was dead. Danny was the one who told my father and I that my mother had been killed. Danny was my mother's protector. Danny was the one my mother saved. 

     It all hit me so hard. My head was pounding and my eyes blurry. I tried to stand but the ground pulled apart beneath me. I felt myself wheeze and gasp as I fell through the floor. Then there was darkness.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

     I woke up to a different room. The ceiling and walls were painted a light blue color, there was a coffee table to my left and I wasn't on a bed, I was on a couch. I blinked sleepily. Voices reached my ears from behind me. Austin and his dad. Austin's dad, Danny, the person who my mother saved to watch over me. I had never trusted a stranger so much before, but if my mother wanted Danny to live to help keep me safe then I trusted him with my life. 

     I sat up as Austin and Danny walked over to me.

     "You've got to stop fainting and scaring the crap out of me." The first thing to come out of Austin's mouth made me laugh.

     Danny smiled down at me, "you look just like your mother." Austin elbowed his father in the side. Danny took it back as soon as he said it. My smile faded fast and I looked down. My mother, I missed her more than anything. 

     "I bet you've got the spirit she had too." 

     Danny was right about that. I had spirit, just as much as my mother did.

     "Well, we don't have time to waste, ready to start?" Danny looked questionably at me. His eyes were just like Austin's.

     "Start what?" Austin hadn't told me we had to do anything.

     "Your training of course. You can't just get out there in plus or minus 99 days and think you can win against the creatures." Danny motioned for Austin and I to follow him and walked down the hall.