Anne Morris and the Zodiac's: Arrows of the Centar

Chapter 11: star beast attack

"This isn't good." Vivi squealed. She continued showing us Elwin through the light screen she held in her hands. Mr.Norven had to be a good half mile ahead of Elwin.

"Why isn't this good?" I quivered. "Did you dad not say anything about seeing your loved ones again?" Chase whinged. Aries did write it down in the note, but why. I thought to myself

"Well, he wrote it, but he didn't explain why." I growled at Chase. Chase rolled his ice green eye like a woman fed up with her man's lies. "The touch of a child being in this world could kill a mortal." Chase explained slowly and distant tone.

My heart stopped for a second thinking about Elwin's reaction after he touches his dad and he dies. It was a painful thought. Stupid druggy had to open his mouth.

"We need to stop it." I could feel tears building up. "He has to learn the hard way." Chase replied with a cheerless expression. I was disgusted with his words. I took a step toward him and smacked him across the face as hard as I could. He barely flinched, and I didn't really react to the pain stinging my hand.

Vivi didn't bother moving her hands, understanding the pain of the situation.

"If you're not going to do anything about it I will." I snapped at the two older kids. They both sat there, looking guilty and hurt, but I just turned on my heels and head off to the area where the portal was.

The tear in space-time sat in the same spot like yesterday. I approach it and go through it with no hesitation. Instantly I'm brought to the burnt down crime scene. Up the road, I saw Elwin still catching up to his dad.

My adrenaline pumped vigorously through my veins, giving me the energy to run to Elwin. I began praying that Elwin would trip so I could have more time to get him, but fate said "no" and Elwin continued running.

"Elwin stop!" I yelled up to him. He ignored me and kept up his pace. "Stop please!" my throat tightened. My breath was running low, so I had no choice but to stop. I coughed trying to get air back into my lungs. I tried my best to walk, but my legs felt like they were cemented to the ground.

"Don't," I wheezed out.

Elwin reached out to his dad and his dad turned around. His father's face was twisted with horror seeing his supposedly dead son running toward him.

Suddenly I got a burst of energy and began a rough jog.

"Elwin!" I called to him. He still ignored me. My heart begged to jump out of my chest, and my lungs pleaded for me to stop, but I didn't want to stop.

Mr. Norven no longer looked surprised but relieved. He spread his arms apart to welcome his son with a hug. My heart pumped harder against my ribs. I feared the kind of death he would encounter. Would he burn, would he become still and fall to the ground? My thoughts raced with the horrible possibilities. My pace of jogging slowed down. I don't know why. I feel hopeless in this situation. I feel as if I'm too late.

Elwin hugged his dad and for a moment everything seemed okay. They cried in each other's arms. It made it seem like Chase was just bluffing. But then Mr. Norven's face went limp on one side like he was having a stroke.

"ELWIN!" Kyla's voice zoomed past me followed by a breeze. He turned around and was tackled by a smaller child. Mr. Norven fell to the ground, stiff as a board.

I began walking up to them feeling my heart sinking deep into my chest.

"Kyla, what are you doing here?" Elwin whined. "You could've killed him." Kyla cried back at him. She was sitting on Elwin's chest so he couldn't get up.

As I got closer I could see Mr.Norven was still breathing. Elwin looked at his dad and tears brimmed his gun steel-blue eye. "Dad, are you okay?" Elwin said softly with a sense of disbelief in his voice. There was no response.

"He needs a hospital right away." Kyla moved off of Elwin. He was tempted to touch his dad but pulled his hand back. "How? None of us can touch him." I said remembering Chase's words. We all looked at each other with the hope that some one could come up with something.

All the sudden in the Wheatgrass, I heard a rustle. Kyla backed away from the Wheatgrass like a scared kitten. While Elwin just looked at it with curiosity. 

A Puma's head arose from the long grass. It looked like someone had taken part in the night sky and make an animal. Not only was it Puma, but when it took a step out of the grass you could see it had a Scorpion's tail and the horns of a ram.

"Kyla what is that." my hands trembled. "A star beast. Ever since the disappearance of the arrows, Andromeda sent out these beasts of various planets, and the universes to find the arrows." Kyla said defensively.

I've never felt this scared in my life, not even when faking our deaths. Sure I was a little nervous but, because I was in control of the situation. Now I can't do anything. What can I even do?

Elwin came to my side and gripped my arm tightly. "Will we get out of this?" Elwin asked me. I couldn't respond. I don't know how to... I just kept looking at the beast.

Aries where are you, I thought to myself.

The beast looked at Mr.Norven and stepped toward him. Kyla hissed while Elwin looked away knowing he couldn't do anything.

Kyla bared her nails at the beast and leaped at it. The beast swung its tail at her, but she maneuvered around it. The two them jumped and spared while Elwin and I watch hopelessly.

"We should leave, or do something." Elwin flinched as the beast struck Kyla on the neck with it's tail. She responded with an impressive jump in the air and a slash to it's face.

After a couple minutes of fighting, I could see Kyla was getting tired. Her movements were slower than before, and when she had a moment to rest she breathed heavily like she had been running a 2k race with no stopping.

Kyla halted her fighting, and the beast took the opportunity, by ramming into Kyla with its horns. The Puma roared with about the victory as Kyla slumped to the ground weakly. I wanted to run but I was to paralyzed with fear.

The beast looked at Mr.Norven once more and pounced on the motionless man. Elwin lets go of my arm and screams, "NO!"