The Stars Will Come

Chapter 7 - Blinded

        I stared at the glowing object for a few moments, before finally getting up. I tip-toed to the glow, careful not to wake my parents, but also because I was afraid of what the object was or what it might do.

        Once I reached my window, I looked down to see what was glowing. I didn't see anything.

        "What the...?" I murmured under my breath. It was as if the actual windowsill was glowing.

        I poked it, but nothing happened. I grew braver, and I began doing a thorough search. Pushing and poking the whole windowsill. In the middle of the windowsill, there was a faint, but hollow, sound that came up when I poked that spot. I poked the spot again, with the same result. I tried in different spots, but it was only in that spot.

I leaned down so I was eye to eye with the edge of the sill. I could barely see, so I grabbed a flashlight and turned it on. I looked back at the sill and noticed a small cut in the wood, no larger than than pencil. It was rectangular and in the middle of the windowsill, so I would have to pull it up. I scanned my room over my shoulder, looking for something that I could use.

        "Perfect," I said when I spotted a screwdriver. Who knows how a screwdriver ended up in my room. I wedged the edge of the screwdriver into one side of the rectangular shape. It took a while, but after some grunting and levering, I managed to pop the rectangle wood cut-out off. I hesitated before putting my hand in, and quickly pulled it out.

        In my hand was a small, thin book. I recognized my uncle's handwriting on the front cover. It read,

                                                        For my nieces eyes only!

        May, if your reading this, it means I'm dead...

I dropped the book.

        "No." I whispered at first, then stared to get steadily louder. "No, no, no , no, no, no, no, NO!!!" I quickly put my hand over my mouth in case my parents heard me. After a few moments of silence I removed my hand.

        I silently weeped while I continued reading the rest of his note.

        ...I must tell you that you mean so much to me, I wouldn't have gone down without putting up a fight. My last thoughts would have been of you, you make me proud, my dear. This book you are now holding contains everything you need to know. About my boss, the work I did, the risks involved, and what ended up killing me. Some of what you might read in here will scare you, and trust me, some of it still scares me. But, my dear May, please remember this: you are the key to the world's survival. Do what you think is right and trust your new found friends, Grift and Eden. They will help you reach your ultimate goal: to save the world. Remember that as you read this book and go on your journey. Keep this book safe, and my last word to you is this: be brave. There is nothing in this world or the next that can stop you. Believe in yourself and you just might be able to win this battle.

                                        With love, your Uncle Alfred

P.S. The last chapter is about you. Save that one for last. The best for last, I say.

        With tears still rolling down my cheeks, I quickly reread the whole note. 'How did he know about Grift and Eden? I'd only met them today.' I wondered. I went over to my closet and rifled through the clothes on the floor. Finally, finding what I wanted, I stood back up again. I wrapped the scarf around the book so it was completely covered, than wrapped it around my waist. Once it was firmly secured, I moved back over to my bed.

        As I was about to fall asleep, my door flew open. Grift and Eden burst in, looking as if they've been fighting several battles, at the same time.

        "Come on! We've got to go! Get up, get up, get up!" Eden practically threw me out of my bed.

        "What's going on?!" I asked.

        "They're back, the shooters. They have the house surrounded. LET"S GO!!!!" Grift was shifting from foot to foot, ready to start running again.

        "But, what about my parents?" I was starting to worry, "and Ryan."

        "We'll take the lion, but the parents have to stay." Eden was already out of my room and running down the hall. The three of us burst into Ryan's room, slamming the door shut behind us. Grift went over to the window to watch the attackers move about.

        I stroked Ryan's neck and quietly whispered into his ear. Once I had calmed down Ryan enough for Eden to hop on his back, I turned to Grift.

        "Ok, let's go." I was amazingly calm right now, I had no idea where I was getting it from. I touched my waist, to make sure the book was still there.

        "Yeah, alright lets's move out. Ryan's going to have to break down this wall..." Suddenly the window broke into a hundred different pieces. Grift fell to the floor while I jumped behind Ryan.

        Once the rain of bullets had stopped, I ran over to where Grift was laying. He was bleeding, from more than one place, where a bullet had hit him.

        "OH MY GOD!!!" screamed Eden. Grift was unconscious so I asked Eden to help me.

        "Help me get him onto Ryan!" I grabbed Grift's arms while Eden grabbed Grift's legs. We moved him over to where Ryan was and Eden climbed onto Ryan. I lifted Grift up as best as I could to Eden. She pulled him up and I quickly climbed onto Ryan.

        Ryan ran at the window, and jumped out, breaking some of the wall with us. We ran past the gunman and headed straight into the forest. We ran and ran, until it was the early hours of the morning, with hours to go before the sun would rise.

        When we finally did stop Eden and I pulled Grift down and laid him carefully on the ground. I moved into sitting position next to Grift's chest area. I put my hands over his wounds and closed my eyes. Eden seeing me, asked me what I was doing.

        "I'm saving your brother's life." was all I said. Eden continued to cry next to me as I focused on my task.

        I slowly faded away from the world around me, until I was in a black world. With the rest of my strength I pushed down hard on Grift's wounds and the world blasted into brightness. Blinding us all.

        Then I passed out.