Phantom Thunder

Chapter 13

Lilian sprinted across the grass towards them. The three boys still stood starring in complete shock. I followed Lilian in a heavy jog, the weight of reality weighing me down.

Lilian was supporting the limp body the other girl as she stumbled forwards. Her entire right leg was covered in sticky blood so it was impossible to tell where the actual injury was. The other two boys were were dirty, beaten corpses dragging themselves towards safety.

Spark, Seth and Blake came up beside me. "You guys need to get to the infirmary" Blake said.

One of the boys shook his head. "Just Amber" he managed. "We're not injured. But she needs serious help."
Blake walked over to Lilian and the other blood covered girl. Whispered words passed in murmuring voices between them. Then, Lilian stepped away, and the girl almost collapsed. Blake caught her, and picked her up in his arms. He carried her like a prince carries a princess in the fairy tales. "I'm fine" the girl protested, but she was struggling to keep her eyes open, and her voice had barely any volume.

Now that the girl was taken care of, both the boys seamed to loose any energy they had left. One of them stumbled, and Spark caught him and stabled him.

"Seriously bro" Seth said, "you need to get to the infirmary."

"There were so many of them. I've never seen so many in one place. We were so outnumbered. We tried to fight. I should've saved her. I should've been able to. She'd still be here. I couldn't do anything. I should've been able to. I should've."

"Shut up" Spark said firmly. "You're going to the infirmary."

The boy seamed to loose all will to live. The cracked look in his fading eyes seamed to be the cause of his destruction. I should've saved her. I couldn't do anything. It sounded painfully familiar.

Lilian stood with her arms crossed and chewed her lip in concern as the boys entered the building. Finally, she seamed to shock herself out of her own little world. "Come on" she said to me, and I followed her across the lawn, feeling useless.

-

Stunned shock fell across the Academy like a stifling blanket. The chatter at dinner that night was underlined with nervous whispers. No one could joke, and the occasional laughter was tense, and drowned out quickly by the apprehension. The two boys, Nicolas and Granite sat in the corner and silently devoured their meals. No one sat near them, but every few seconds someone with give them a sideways glance.

They ignored everyone. No one dared approach them, but everyone was itching to know what happened. The two boys displayed no emotion for their fallen comrades, but strength in their upright shoulders seamed forced, straight and rigid like a medieval soldier's shield. Loss cracks everyone, some choose to show it, some hide it, and some people think that if they can convince themselves they are stronger than the pain, they will somehow mend. Despite the fact that I'd never known the two silverbloods that had died, I felt a stab of grief, which seamed to reopen the half forgotten wound of Laura's death which I'd attempted to push away into the back corner of my mind. But this time, it wasn't just Laura. I was drowning in the ache of loss. The personal pain of death, and the distant yet no less real current situation. I'd always known these waters, and tiredly attempted to stay afloat, but I felt as though I suddenly couldn't remember how to swim. Now, I felt as if I was slowly bleeding out from a dull, non fatal wound, but I was helpless, and I couldn't stop the life slowly draining from me.

The five of us left the banquet hall together.

"Ghost" Spark stopped me.

I turned and looked at him. He no longer seamed like that full of life boy with that playful smile. He seamed small in comparison to everything that was happening.