To Survive without the Guardians

Chapter 23: The Curse

Haven woke up the morning after the L.E.R.'s third "Fearling hunt," about a week after the first, and noticed a strange discoloration of the back of her leg. There was a long gray spot beneath her knee that looked lifeless. When she touched it, her finger went through it about half an inch, causing an odd tingling sensation in the abnormal area. But when she immediately pulled it back out, it looked like nothing had happened, like the gray skin was simply a hologram over her bones and muscles. She almost screamed. What was this thing? It reminded her of her once-red fingernail, but that wasn't good.

She ran her fingers through her honey blond hair and did her best to calm down, then got dressed and went downstairs. Her parents and sister had already left for work and school, respectively, as usual. She would have to tell them about the gray skin later. Certainly it wasn't something life-threatening. Hopefully. She had hidden the red nail from them, but this was different. This discoloration seemed more dangerous, and she wanted any help she could get to stay safe.

That day at school, when Beth Howard made her late to lunch due to yet another one of her hallway campaigns, Haven nearly got out of the lunch line to go find her and smack her across the face. The L.E.R. member's morals had been getting rather shady lately, and it freaked her out. Bothered her even in her dreams. Would there come a point when she could no longer recognize the difference between right and wrong?

After school, Angelia took her to Matt's grandpa's house as usual. Haven rolled up her pant leg and showed the grayness to everyone as soon as they got there.

"I don't know what it is or what it's from," she said. "I just woke up and saw it. I'm afraid that it might have something to do with the doom." Garvit crouched down, examining the area.

"It could've been there before, and you might not have noticed it until now."

"It still had to come from somewhere, though," Haven said.

Matt poked it and shivered as his finger passed through the skin.

"It also might have something to do with the Fearlings," Garvit said, his voice quieting. "Their true plan." Haven resisted the urge to scream in fear and in anger that he was probably right. She couldn't think of any other explanation. Duran nodded solemnly, but Matt glared at Garvit.

"And how could they be doing this? They haven't even touched her in a long time! The closest thing to contact she's had with them lately is last night when one of their swords just barely cut her face. How could that turn her...like this?" His eyes scanned the room with hostile fire. Haven noticed how infuriated he was and couldn't help but feel a little warm inside, happiness peeking out from under the fear. He cared about her.

Angelia's fingers brushed the gray spot. "Something's definitely happening." Her voice had an unsteadiness to it. "But I don't know what it is." A sudden unnatural silence and fear filled the room, but the L.E.R. didn't stop talking. They had gotten used to it.

"No more Fearling hunts," Duran said. "Not unless we find out for sure that they're not doing this."

Haven frowned but knew it was only best.

Matt raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. "If they're causing this, then why isn't it happening to us, too?"

"I don't know. They might be targeting Haven for some reason," Duran replied, scratching his head.

This guess proved to be true, for the Fearlings started attacking her much more frequently during the next four weeks. The grayness that had been only on a single site on her right leg spread to its entirety, the complete other one, and up her torso. Doctors couldn't figure out what it was. Her parents took her to see multiple, and none could make much sense of it. Her mom considered putting her in a hospital, but since the gray seemed to have no adverse effects, Haven's parents decided against it.