Legacy

Chapter II

Once I got into the elevator, I pushed to button for the first floor. The elevator music started to play as it started to go to the first floor. I got out my phone to see what time it was. It was 1 in the morning and I don't know what time we'd be getting back on the road. When the elevator stopped on the first floor and the doors opened, I saw Julian standing there on his phone.
"Julian, you haven't gotten your room yet?" I ask in a confused manner.
"I have, it just took a little longer than expected. I'm guessing you're headed to the pool, huh?" Julian says as he puts his phone in his back pocket.
"Yea, I don't sleep that much, so I do other things to pass the time," I say.
"Like swimming at one in the morning?" he asks as I stepped out of the elevator.
"Yea, like swimming at one in the morning, things like that helps," I say.
"Well, don't stay in the pool for too long, it closes at 3 a.m." Julian says as he gets into the elevator.
"Uhm, hey do you remember where the pool is exactly? I don't remember," I say. The elevator door was about to shut when Julian stopped the doors and stepped back out onto the main floor.
"I'll show you," He says. He starts to lead me towards the pool as I followed. We walked past the elevators and turned into a hallway leading to the pool. As we arrived at the pool, the door to get in was locked. I used my room key to unlock it and opened the door.
"Thanks, Julian," I say. He nods his head and leaves to go back to his room.
As I enter the room, the smell of chlorine filled the air. I walked over to the closest lounge chair and sat my towel, phone and room key on it. I walked over to the pool, it was rectangular, and it took up most of the room. I walked to the steps going into the pool, and slowly descend into it.
The pool water felt like ice against my skin, a chill went through my spine. As I got fully into the pool the coldness surrounded me, as I got used to the coldness I started to swim towards the deep end. As I reached the deep end I dove down and stayed at the bottom of the pool. I sat in Indian style and closed my eyes to let myself calm down, to be at ease.
  As I sat at the bottom of the hotel's pool, I kept wanting to know who the man was in my dreams. Although it scares me to see the man, he also seemed to put my senses at ease. It was scary yet intriguing. I had to know more.  I let my thoughts drift away again, as soon as I did so everything seemed to be at peace again. I let myself drift to sleep, still underwater.
As I stood up in the complete darkness, I faced the man again. He was straight in front of me, I looked him in the eyes, trying to think of who he could be. Have I met him before? Was he a friend of my mother's? Did he use to know my father? Was he my family?
Nevertheless, the man gripped onto my shoulders and stared me directly in my face... he kept wording something, I couldn't depict what he was saying. I almost immediately felt a sharp pain in my side. I traced the pain in my side with the tips of my fingers... I looked down there was scarlet red blood dripping off my fingers. I was injured, I don't even know who could've done so.
I felt my eyes jolted open, I held my side in pain. I squeezed my eyes shut from the result of the excruciating pain. I used my legs to push myself above the water. I gasped for air, I used my remaining hand and tried to swim my way to the ladder. I tried not to succumb to the pain, but I couldn't handle any more of it, I let go.  I succumbed to the pain and just stopped trying to swim. I just sunk back to the bottom of the pool, only to drift into darkness as soon as I hit the bottom.
*Julian's P.O.V*
I was still waiting for the elevator to open when I decided to go check up on Aurora. I headed towards the pool and as I neared the glass door, I noticed dark scarlet red liquid coming from the deep end of the pool....... AURORA!!
I fumbled to find my room key, I quickly opened the door, threw my towel, key, and phone to the side and dove into the deep end. There I found her, laying on her back, her hand on her side. I swam over to her and picked her up. I pushed my legs off the bottom of the pool and swam to the edge of the pool. I lifted her and sat her gently on the concrete floor. As I lifted myself out of the pool, I moved her hand off her side. Only to reveal that there was a gaping cut on her side as if someone had stabbed her.
She was pale as snow, I tried finding a pulse, she had none. I started doing CPR on her immediately. I wasn't letting another person I care about die in front of me. After two minutes of doing CPR, she slowly opened her eyes. She sat up and coughed up water.
"W-what happened?" Aurora asks as she holds her side in pain.
"I am as clueless as you are, but you need stitches, I can help with that," I say. I go over to the first aid on the wall next to the sign with the pool rules. I took out the needle and thread for the stitches. I walked back over to the crouched over Aurora.
"This is going to hurt, just a fair warning," I say. She nods at me, gesturing for me to start stitching. As I started stitching her up, she made no sudden movements, she stood still as if she had done this before.
After 6 minutes of stitching and cleaning up the wound, I was finished aiding her wound. I just hope nothing like this happens on the journey again. I stood up and offered Aurora a hand.
"Thank you, Julian, you didn't have to do that," Aurora said as she grabbed ahold of my hand and I pull her to her feet.
"Do you need help getting back to your room?" I ask.
"I got it, but thanks. Can you grab my phone, towel and room key for me please?" Aurora asks. I nod and I go and grab her towel, phone and room key. I walk back over to her as I did, I noticed she had a little grin on her face.  I handed her, her stuff and was about to help her walk when her phone went off.
"Sorry, it's Molly. She's asking where I'm at and if I'm okay," Aurora replies. She leaned against me for support as she replied to Molly.
  *Aurora's P.O.V*
I shut off my phone and looked back up at Julian. He looked concerned like he wanted to know exactly what happened. I shake my head, replying to his curiosity. He took ahold of my left hand, his touch made me flinch. I never really let anyone help me with anything, not since I was a child.
"Julian, please, I'd rather not talk about it," I say as I head for the pool's exit. I use my key to open the door and leave the room. I no longer wanted to stay in this hotel, it made me feel unsafe, I walked to the elevators. By the time I got there, I could hear the pool door slam.  I push the up arrow, then waited for the elevator doors to open. Hoping it be quickly. I could feel someone's presence close in on me. I held father's pendant tighter, hoping it makes me feel a little better.
  As the elevator doors opened, I quickly unhesitantly got in without a second thought. I pushed the diamond-studded button and waited in the elevator.  I patiently waited for the elevator doors to open on my floor. My grasp on my father's pendant let go and ran out of the elevator as the doors opened. I ran to my room and fumbled for the room key, I quickly grabbed ahold of the key and opened the room door. I threw the towel to the side. I sat down my phone and room key on my bed.  I went to my suitcase and opened it. I got out a pair of grey joggers, my LA crop top, my Calvin Klein underwear, and my Calvin Klein bra.
     I calmly went to the bathroom and closed the door. I took off the maroon bikini I was wearing, dried myself off, then put on my clothes I had picked out. I pulled the spare hair tie off my wrist and pulled up my hair in a messy bun.  I wrap up my bloody swimsuit in a towel and set it next to the sink.
I walked back out of the bathroom and went and sat on the edge of my king-sized bed. I looked over at Molly, only to find her fast asleep comfortably wrapped up in her blanket. I got back up and walked over to my suitcase. I crouched down and looked for father's bow, quiver, and arrows. I picked up the bow and put the quiver over my shoulder. I went to the balcony, grabbed a lounge chair and placed it close to the railing. I sat on the chair and looked out over the horizon of Kansas. I looked over the railing of the balcony and saw a girl Molly's age walk up to the hotel's entrance. I got an arrow out of my quiver and drew it back on my bow. I aimed for her face, making sure I stayed with her movement. 
     I let go of the bowstring and let the arrow fly down to its ongoing target. I held my bow to my side, ducking behind the lounge chair making sure I was out of sight. I peeked over the chair and over the railing to see if the arrow hit the girl. I was in shock at what I was seeing, she caught my arrow with her bare hands. She broke it in two and tossed it to the ground. Who is she?  I walked back inside the room and walked over to Molly. I shook her trying to wake her up. She sat up and nearly slapped me in the process.
"WHAT? WHAT! WHO GOT KILLED?"Molly yells as she bolts up from her slumber.
"No one, I shot an arrow at a girl entering the Marriott and she caught it," I say as I sit on the edge of her bed.
"And?" Molly says as she rubs her eyes.
"She caught it with her bare hands," I say as I place my bow and quiver on the bed. Molly was about to touch the bow when I gave her the death glare. She knows better than to touch my father's bow.
"Don't even think about it. Who could she be? She knew I was up here, ready to fire whenever I was ready, she must have been trained, because my arrows never miss their intended target, never once have I missed," I say as I get up and pace back and forth.
"Stop, stop pacing, your going to give me a headache. One: we don't know for sure if she is trained or not, we have to wait and see with Julian. Also...W.T.F HAPPENED WITH YOUR SIDE?!" Molly says as she gets up and lifts my shirt to examine my wound.
"It's nothing, I'm fine," I say as I pull my shirt back down forcefully.
"Rori, that's something. You always tell me these types of things. Now I won't ask again, what happened?" Molly asks as she places her hand on my shoulder in reassurance. All of a sudden we heard a knock on the door. I grab my bow and quiver off the bed and walk up to the door, looked through the peephole and looked to see who it was.
"Open up Aurora, it's Julian," Julian says as he looks back through the peephole. I open the door and let Julian in. I walk over to Molly and stood next to her, crossing my arms.
"Who's the girl?" I ask as I tap my foot on the floor waiting for an answer.
"Her name is Scarlett Knight," Julian says.
"How'd she know I was up here on the balcony?" I ask as I get in Julian's face.
"Scarlett was trained to be well aware of her surroundings, as well as fighting. She's here because she is coming with us." Julian adds as he rubs his forehead in frustration.  He walks back over to the door and opens it, propping it open with his foot.
"Yall talking 'bout me?" the girl says as she leans up against the doorway.
"Why would we?" I ask as I put my bow on my shoulder.
"Because, I  know you're curious as to why and how I caught you arrow," Scarlett says as her blood-red eyes locked onto my hazel eyes.
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," I say in a frustrated tone.
"You are, I can tell you are, I also know that those arrows you use were designed to never miss their intended target," Scarlett says as she walks closer to me. She was a few inches away from my face. She took out one of my arrows and twirled in with her fingers.  I was infuriated, I never let a single soul touch my father's arrows and or quiver.
"Give back the arrow," I say as I try and grab the arrow from her hand. She pulls back.
"Easy, no need to freak out, it's just an arrow from a  quiver, right?" Scarlett remarks, a snarky grin plastered on her face.
"That was her deceased father's bow, quiver, and arrows. She never let anyone touch them, or the pendant," Molly says as she steps forward.  I nudge Molly. In the corner of my eye, I could see that Molly was looking at me.  I did not need someone to know my past or my values, I walk up to Scarlett and grab the arrow from her tight grasp.
She knew I was annoyed, how I could tell was by the way the devilish grin subtly grew across her face. Her eyes followed my every movement. I could tell she only saw me as competition and I didn't mind. Competition is like practice, it only makes you work harder.
"So it holds a sentimental value to you?  Objects of sentimental value can hold you back, it restrains you," she says as she walks over to Julian and stands next to him.
"What would you know about sentimental value?," I ask in a frustrated tone.
" I know exactly what sentimental value does to you......... it restrains you, causes you pain from the loss, remembrance of the emptiness, it causes you to be caught off guard, it can get you killed," Scarlett says as she steps towards me.
"And that's why that arrow broke in two instead of killing me. Your sentimental memory of this bow and quiver is holding you back. It'll get you killed because you don't stay focused, you're more focused on how your dead father would've done it," she said as she's inches away from my face. I was on the verge of knocking this girl on her a**. I look over at Molly, she had a jarring look on her face. Julian just stood in his spot, not moving. I look back at Scarlett. I just start to laugh from amusement.
" Y-you think, my sentimental value towards this bow and quiver is holding me back? You're hilarious, but nothing holds me back." I say with confidence.
"Of course, I mean look at you, you'll never truly be as strong, as agile, as strategic, or as brilliant as I, because you are a weak, pathetic, puny, broken, and lonely little girl who just wants to make her dead father proud when in rea-" she says when she gets interrupted by Julian.
" SCARLETT ENOUGH!!" Julian demands.
"NO! I'm not finished. When in honest reality he'll never get to see you succeed because you'll be too weak to prove anything to the Council let alone your father. And frankly, I'm not impressed by you honey," she finishes.
"Scarlett! I said, 'enough!" Julian demands once more.
"Nah, Julian she's right. If she thinks I'm weak, broken puny and pathetic, that's her opinion. Honestly, how can she say anything when she's just like me." I say as I take my bow and quiver off my shoulder and go and pack them back into my suitcase. 
I pick up my blanket, neck pillow, messenger bag and grab my suitcase. I walk towards the door but Julian stops me.
"Aurora, please, she won't do any harm" Julian pleads.
"Its Ms. Jones to you," I say infuriated.
"Rori! Wait please, c'mon, it's just another three-day drive. We can make it, do it for your mom, she cares to believe it or not." Molly says as I feel her grip tightened around my wrist. I put down my messenger bag and let go of my suitcase. As I turn around Molly pulled me into one of her signature 'you'll thank me later' hugs.
"You owe me big time Molly," I say as I pick up my suitcase and messenger bag and go back to my side of the room.
"At least she's not running away from her problems now," Scarlett says. I put down my suitcase and messenger bag. I felt rage bubbling up inside of me, she barely knows me yet she thinks she can insult me. I turn around and walk up to her, I was centimeters away from her face. I grabbed her by her neck and slammed her against the wall. I felt my grip tightened as she tried to get free.
"I suggest you shut your mouth before we do have problems.." I say as  I get in her face.
"AJ! Put her down!" Molly demands. I loosen my grip, but not loose enough to where she could get free.
"But if we do have any problems on this trip, I am not afraid to put an arrow between your eyes," I threatened. As I let her go, she gasps for air.
"I don't think...we will" Scarlett says as she tries to catch her breath.
"Good, now that's established, I'm going to bed," I say as I walk over to my king-sized bed near the balcony. I grab my soft brown blanket, pull back the bedsheets,  put my blanket over me, and place my head on the neatly placed pillows and drift off to sleep.