Welcome to My World

Chapter 32 Rayla's POV {Flashback}

It's wet.

That was one of the three thoughts running through my mind as I ran after the people who took Callum. The others?

1.) It's wet.

2.) I need to find Callum.

3.) Why did those people take him?

I was just glad I didn't wear that horrible Juliet dress. Yuck.

I could see their silhouettes through the curtain of rain that separated us. I poured in the speed, going faster and faster, but those were adults. I was a teenager, albeit an unusually fast one.

For some reason, I remembered Runaan. Teaching me how to run faster, climb higher, hit harder, think smarter, and fight with two blades at the same time. But this never happened. Why do I remember this as if it's real? Does it have anything to do with the dragons I see?

They're slowing down up ahead, and I catch up to them. When I get closer, I realize one of them is a girl. They both have white hair, like I do, but not because they're old. She has jade green eyes, like Runaan, but his eyes are amythest. Like mine. Weirdly enough, little details about them are almost exactly the same for me. For a crazy second, I think they must be my parents. My parents disappeared when I was a baby, maybe this is them?

Then I think better of that because it's stupid. Callum is in danger and I'm just thinking crazy, stupid, wistful dreams?

Then I realize something else that's crazy and stupid. I intended to rescue Callum from adults with guns and knives and the only thing I brought was Ellis' Hello Kitty umbrella. Dang it.

"Why are you doing this?" Callum asks. So cliche.

"We heard that Viren sent new flesh here." The one not holding Callum hissed. "So we came."

"Yes." His partner holding Callum agreed. "They say he intends to bring back the young Moonshadow assassin. We intend to come along."

Callum and I were absolutely, positively, totally, completely confused. "What do you mean, 'Moonshadow'?" I asked.

They stare incredulously at me. "You are a Moonshadow elf." She insists.

"No, I'm not!" I argue. "I was raised here, all my life! Elves only exist in fairy tales, or novels like Eragon!"

For a moment, it's their turn to look confused. The man traces long triangles that taper off on his face, starting from under his eyes to his cheekbone. Then he clenches his hands into fists. "Those were the markings of a little girl who should have grown up with the knowledge that her parents were safe. She would have turned out like you." He mutters angrily.

Markings? Whaaaaaaaaaattttttt.

They're staring at each other. Time to make a move. I run towards them, snagging one of their knives as I go. They glance at me just in time for me to dive at them. They jump away, dragging Callum. He yelps. He's not much for the physical.

The man whirls to face me while his partner keeps Callum. I stare at him defiantly. I am not backing down. If he thinks I am, he can roast in h-e double toothpick, an expression Alesa taught me. He charges at me, and I push him aside with Ellis' umbrella. He stumbles, but quickly regains his balance. I'm holding the knife in my hand, but I hesitate to use it. However, he has no such qualms. He spins again, pulling his own knife out and pointing it at me. I ready the umbrella, and before I can think twice, he charges, shredding the umbrella into ribbons. Hello Kitties float sadly in puddles, and I toss the remaining frame aside. It won't help me now.

He charges again, but I block his next strike with my own knife. The metal clashes together with a sharp clang. And the next thing I know, we're moving faster than humanly possible. A memory comes, me slashing against Runaan on the parapet of a castle, but I push it aside. I can't afford to lose this. Unlike in the gym, I don't just lose my grades.

If I lose this, I will lose my life.

I go on the offensive, spinning and slashing. He counterattacks, forcing me backwards. I'm painfully aware of the fact that Callum has a knife to his throat. If I lose, I will not only lose my life, but Callum will lose his.

Why do I care? He's tricked me, betrayed me, said things about me that I want to slap him in the face with, but I can't just leave him. But then I remember why. Then I have to push that aside again because the knife is hurtling down towards my face. I dodge, and I nicks my hair. I slash his leg, and he roars. His partner shoved Callum towards him, then attacks me. I desperately hope that Callum wasn't grabbed, but he was. Why didn't he run?!

If it's even possible, the woman moves even faster than the man. She's a blur of slashes, kicks, and punches. I stumble back, trying to keep up with her flurry of blows. She moves so fast, I can't even hit her. I can't attack her without losing an arm. The only thing I can do is survive, and hope Callum gets away.

Speaking of which...

Callum stabbed the man with a pencil. The lead cracked against his leg wound, and he howls. I wonder if anyone at school can hear him. He loosens his grip on the knife, and Callum pushes him aside, running for the safety of the school.

The woman throws him her gun. "Take him out!"

"No!" I scream, and as he pulls the trigger, I throw my knife at him. The shot goes up into the sky. I know, without a doubt, that the knife hit him in the gut. I know because that's where I aimed to put it.u

My opponent wails, her knife clattering to the ground. She runs towards him. "No, you can't die! Remember, our girl is waiting at home for us! We promised her, on her 16th birthday! July 31! Don't you remember?" She sobs.

For the first time, I notice. Her accent sounds like mine. July 31 is my birthday. ((Mine too, actually.)) What does this mean?

He doesn't move, and she screams, shaking him, desperately trying to wake him up. "No! You can't die! Please! Don't leave me! At home, Rayla's waiting for us, please, please wake up! Runaan will be wondering why we never wrote back to her, and Viren needs to pay for what he did to our family, and I need you! Rayla needs her dad too!"

But it's too late. He's gone. Her words hit me, as if she's punching me in the gut I st and over again. Rayla. Runaan. Viren. Rayla. Dad. This can't be happening. Somewhere out there, a girl like me is waiting for her parents to write back to her. Runaan's waiting. I just killed her father.

She howls, and it's the worst sound in the world. Her grief, her anger, and her love spiral up to the sky. That's what shocks me back into reality. I turn, guilt weighing me down like a thousand stones, and run away. I'm so ashamed.

I'm not sure how far I run before I smash into Callum. He catches me before I fall. "Rayla, are you alright?"

My eyes sting, and tears start to spill out, along with words. "Callum, I killed him, I didn't mean to, but she was his wife, and he had a daughter like me, named Rayla, and it's all wrong and it's all my fault!"

Callum doesn't do anything for a moment, and I think he's mad. Then he folds his arms around me. "Rayla, it's not your fault. They would have killed you and me."

I can't say anything. I just stand there.

Eventually, he takes my hand and leads me back to the school.

With every step, his face flashes in my mind. I wonder how his daughter would react if she found out I killed her.

Maybe Genelyn's right.

Maybe I am a freak. Someone that should never have existed on this planet in the first place.

"I- I killed him."

After that , everything is just a blur. A blue of sadness, anger, amazement, confusion, shame, and guilt. There's only one word I can think right now.

Why?

Author's Note: Comment if you cried. I did. If you did, sorry. :): And I think this might be my longest chapter ever.