A Nation

Chapter 9 Training

Shining in my eyes the sun shined brightly through my windows. I slipped out of bed and put on a black tank top and sweat pants along with my hair in a pony tail. I couldn't stop smiling because all of last night came through my mind like the best thing in the universe. I ran down stairs, and tripped a few times, to get to my morning meal and skipped into the line for pancakes. They always are good but today they tasted delicious. I waited in line for about 10 minutes then stopped while getting my silverware because it felt like I was being watched. I turned around in a circle but only saw people trying to get passed me to start eating. I sat down at an empty table and felt the feeling again "It's nothing I bet I'm over exaggerating this" I thought. "Hold still" said a boy holding a knife looking at me. He had red bulgy eyes and blonde hair "I thought I got rid of you" he screamed. Then it happened I knew who he was. It was Jonathan. When he started walking toward me someone knocked him with a punch then pinned him down and took his knife away. "I'm back" said Jen "do you know this guy?" She snapped. I nodded with a blank face wondering why he would do this. "Why didn't you do anything?" She said in a low activated tone. "I don't know how to fight" I blurted out still looking at the floor. "Come with me" she whispered looking around to see if anyone noticed the incident that just happened. I nodded in agreement and followed her down a nearby hall water fountain. She knocked on a random wall three times then said peanut. All of a sudden the wall split in half and opened. In the room stood almost all of the participants of A Nation. Wildfire took my hand and started talking to me "Are you ok?" He said. I nodded my head still confused on what just happened. "What happened?" He said "Jonathan. He tried to attack me" I said standing up and dusting myself off from coming out of my fear trance "His eyes were red and he didn't use his powers." I said scarcely. "Hey come over here I know something that might help this from happening again" said Wildfire. I followed him obediently and
he lead me to a room where people were fighting dummies with knives and staffs. "How is this going to help me?" I asked. "Like this" he said lifting up a staff and twirling it around then hitting the dummie multiple times "self defense. You'll need it when we break out of this prison" he hissed "most people can use their powers but you don't have any useful ones. Sorry." I grabbed a smaller staff and said with a grin "Teach me." He lifted the staff and said "Hold it like this when hitting your target" he put his right hand higher than his left then hit the dummie. I copied his movements and smashed the dummie as hard as I could. "Nice Rookie" he said proudly "you seem determined." I laughed then started to hit it over and over again until my arms started to burn "keep practicing" he said.
Later while practicing Jay found me and said happily "When did you get here?" I turned toward him and said "After I almost got killed." His expression changed from happy to concerned real fast "Wait. What. What happened" he asked. "Jonathan at lunch. I don't really want to talk about it but you can ask Jen." I said continuing to hit the dummie. "Umm well your doing well with the staff" he said trying to change the subject. "Thanks" I said "want to join me?" He smiled and grabbed two hand wraps and a staff then walked up to me and opened my hands. They were swollen and had sores all over "How did you know that they were hurt?" I said because I was so focused on my training that I hadn't noticed. "It happened to me too" he said in a calm voice wrapping his hands. "Thank you" I said "No problem." He said hitting the dummie next to mine. I continued to hit it in unison with him to improve my skills but it only seemed to make me distracted.
"Thanks for helping me but I should go" I said an hour later. "Bye" he replied with a half smile "be careful" he pleaded softly. "I will. Goodnight" I set down my staff and started to walk away. I opened the wall and headed back to my dorm. "I'll be out soon" I promised myself "I will."