Alone and Unafraid

Chapter Two

Things were dark, almost like I was blind, but I could hear and feel everything. I felt as if I was paralyzed, I couldn't move anything. After things went dark I had fallen to the ground, dead leaves crunched underneath me. I was being dragged. What was strange was that I wasn't dragged back into the road, or into his car, but further into the forest.

"I see you've found her." A different voice arose over the forest, moving in whispers it seemed to speak with the wind.

"Yes, my lord. 'Twas not easy.

In retrieving she tried to run. I have her for you now, my liege." The once rough voice had turned to a lighter tone, almost feminine.

"Bring her to Cespar's. I want her to be with him when she wakes."

"Yes my liege, of course my liege."

"Good, now be on your way." The wind had stopped completely when the enchanting voice disappeared, as did my consciousness.

My eyes opened to an array of colors, twinkling and shimmering from an unknown source of sunlight. Where was I? I felt splintering wood beneath my legs and back, I attempted to move my arm, but it stayed in its place. I felt a rush of air blow over me as I realized I had even stripped down to my undergarments.

The same sensation of fear I had felt in the forest had now grown to a rate that cannot be described. Cold metal shackles held my ankles and wrists, regaining feeling I tried to wrestle myself free. Clenching my teeth, I fought against my prison. "Help!! Help me! Please! I need help!" My throat ached as I screamed hoping somebody, anybody could hear me.

"Calm down there, we wouldn't want you're beautiful skin to get punctured." A young man approached the table I was strapped to. His hair was as dark as night and a soft white surrounded his deep pupils.

"Who are you? Where am I!?" I demanded.

"Oh, calm down." He picked up a strand of my red hair, " "You're safe here".

"S-safe?! Where am I!?"

"You're in The Fortress, though, I assume you don't know what that means." He dropped the hair and put his hands over my bruised stomach. How did it get like that?

"What... What is The Fortress?" I asked, keeping my eyes on his moving fingers.

"This is the place where people like US keep people like YOU safe."

"P-people like me?"

"Yes, people like you. You're an Uncommon. Now, before you ask what that is, I'm going to need you to hold perfectly still."

"Why?" I asked as he pressed his fingers against my stomach, warm sensations filled my abdomen. Spreading through my whole body, my back started to crane, and I lifted into the air and my brain was washed of all thoughts.

I dropped back onto the table to the screams of the young man, he ran into the corner an writhed. Gagging, he vomited on the floor. Sweat dripped from his head as he looked up at me and said, "You're welcome."

"W-what?"

He pointed at my stomach and repeated himself, "You're welcome." He stood up and supported himself against the nearby wall looking flushed and fevered.

I looked to my once bruised body to see that it was perfectly fine.

"Gosford had some troubles transporting you, he wasn't exactly gentle." He wiped his face, his hand now soaked.

"Are... You... How?"

"I am what's known as a Healer, and you, Annalyn are an Uncommon."

"Whats an... Uncommon?" I asked as he began to unshackle me.

"We don't know yet. We believe it is a rare group of angels with cosmic power, and right now, you're the only one."

"No... No, you're crazy." I stood up and looked around the room, dangling from the ceiling were colorful glass shards and paper cranes. I located a small wooden door and sprinted for it.

"Hey!" He shouted, gripping my arm and spinning me around to face him. "You're not leaving yet."

"Let go of me!" Wiggled in his strong grip, "Who are you??"

"I'm Cespar, the Healer Angel." All of a sudden I remembered the voice in the wind mentioning his name.

"What is all this about angels?!" He let go of me and leaned on the edge of the table I had been laying on.

"We are of a religion unheard of among The Beings, and unheard of by us. The Beings are mortals, humans if you will. Only the Elites know of our religion."

"Wait, slow down, what? What's an Elite? And... What religion is this?"

He sighed, seemingly annoyed. "There are four Classes of Angels; first is The Fallen, they are angels cast down to earth as humans sent to solve problems, that man who hit you over the head was Gosford. He was a Fallen.

"Another is The Healers. We are limited to our power, and cannot use much, otherwise we fall ill; as you saw. We do as our name suggests, heal the wounded and sick, but we can only use our power on other Angels.

"Then, there are The Lovers. They're tricky bastards who can manipulate minds and force love or feelings upon someone, weather it be good or bad. We try to keep them in Fortress." He paused.

"Why keep them here?"

"Fortress isn't just here, there are many locations all over the world. We want to keep them hidden to keep the world in order, they like to screw over people."

"Oh... And... What about The Elite?"

"The Elite are a group of Angels that rule over the rest of us. Only they are allows to know what religion we are a part of."

"But... Why?"

"No one knows, but we just go with it. What choice do we have? Anyways. They occasionally give us earthly tasks, and you were mine."

"Why me?"

"Like I said before, you're an Uncommon. My biggest mission yet, and we need to know what kind of powers you hold."

"But it can't be me, how do you know it's me?"

"Because, Zoura The Elite told me."

"And you just trust whatever these... Elites say?"

"Yes. I do. Now, put some clothes on. There should be a fitting pair in that chest over there." He pointed to the corner of the room and left. Leaving me to think, 'What the hell just happened?'