Chapter 14

Itching to fight

     All I could do was stare. My breathing became rugged; my heart began to beat fast. She was asking—no--ordering me to help find her brother. This wasn’t a mission to safely bring him back. Her intentions were way more sadistic. I wondered if she had ever seen her brother smile; if as children, they played together. And as I thought of this her grip became less severe, until she had finally let go. I felt over the warm print she had left, feeling the rush of blood come back. What was I suppose to say to her?
              “You think too much,” she said softly. She folded a piece of hair behind her ear.
       “You let go, didn’t you?” I replied. I winced, remembering my broken leg and how she had twisted it. Using my arms, I slowly made me way to the other side of the couch, stretching my sore leg.
       “You’re still going to help me find him,” she commented, getting up. There was no delightment in her voice. It was as if she were trying to poison me with her words.
              I didn’t have to respond because she already knew.
              “Listen, he broke the rules.”
              “And so did you,” I replied, angered. “You weren’t assigned to me either, yet here…you…are.”
              “Here I am...” she spat back. Her eyes darted to the ground.
              “What?” I asked. Something didn’t seem right…
              “I never planned on this, but you’re making me do things I would never want to do.”
              “Like what?”
              “Hope,” She said. Her eyes came back to me, this time grey. “If you don’t help me….I swear you and your family will regret it.”
              I instantly froze. Was this a threat?
              “Oh and that wish,” she laughed, “what a bunch of bull. There is no such thing--”
              “Shut up…” I demanded her quietly.
              “He just said that so he could stick around—
              “Shut up.”
              “But I can’t figure out why though—
       “Shut up!” I yelled furious. “You’re a bunch of bull, you know that! You think you’re better than me?! I would have to say, you are lower than anything that has ever lived! You may have control over me now, but when we do find Angelo, I hope you’re prepared to say goodbye…” I had never before felt so much hatred, so much disgust.
              She looked at me sternly.
       “I hit a nerve, didn’t I?” she smirked. She knew I was outrageously annoyed and she was trying to push it even further. “My brother was such a worthless being, always sucking up to Mother. Maybe that’s why she entrusted her job to him.”
              “You’re mother was right...” I spat back.
       “No, she was stupid. Just like Angelo. Deep down in your heart, you know I’m right. You know that everything that I have said has been the truth. The man you love has run away, yet you still try to defend him.”
              She knew.
       “Of course, I know. You practically wear it one your sleeve.” She crossed her arms. “Do you think, no one would notice? I know how you think about him: with that ‘admiring love’” She grimaced in disgust.
       “So you know…” I stated. She was making this hard on me. She wanted to hurt me so I would give in. And I think she was winning. I peered down, too hurt to say anything. She had hit me right in the spot that I had frantically tried to hide; the spot in which I would never admit it to anyone. The spot where I contained my yearning love for Angelo.
       “Disgusting…” she complained, faking a puking noise. My forehead became pinched as I stared up at her. Her eyes had become hazel again. “I just can’t believe out of every guy on this planet, you’d choose my brother. How pathetic.” She laughed, twirling around. She began to prance around the room, mocking me.
       “I’m in love with a loser!” she called out, giggling. All I could do was sit there and bare it. Then she suddenly stopped, biting her lip.
              “Awww am I hurting your feelings?” she asked playfully.
              “Not one bit,” I lied, pissed off. “There will come a time when this will come back to bite you in the a*s.” I smirked.
              She frowned. “Someone’s got a prissy attitude…”
              “Well, when your legs broken and you’re dieing to punch someone, it tends to set you off.”  
              Ignoring my comment, she said, “Enough with the idle chit chat. Down to business...”
      I sat straight up, aware of what was at stake now. I knew she was going to force me to do something I would regret later. Facing the TV, and then turning to me, she smiled. And I gulped. Counting her paces, she casually strolled to me, trying to emphasize her appearance. At first, I had thought she was beautiful, but now, all I saw was bitter ugliness and stupidity. I thought this clearly, noticing her wince slightly. Getting down on her knees once more, with her mystifying eyes; she laid her hands down on my cast.  
       “What are you doing?” I asked with sudden urgency. Her smile began to creep. I wanted to move those hands. Even through the plastic material, I could feel them. They weren’t gentle now, trying to tear there way inside. “Stop!” I ordered, frantic. I scrambled to pull her off, but she just kept on staring at me and smiling. As her nails sank deeper, I could feel dizziness resume its place.
       “No,” I mumbled. My scratches at her hands began to stop as I began to melt away. My eyes became droopy; I found it almost unbearable to keep them open. “What—
              “Just taking care of things,” I heard her say, as my head slumped back.
      ______________________________________________________________________________        
       I didn’t know how long I had slept, but in my dreams all I could think of was Gella. Her menacing eyes and the way she smiled. It was all I could remember. Yet those eyes and that smile seemed to present danger to everyone. Even to Angelo.  And in all my dreams, I ended up killing him. But it wasn’t me. No, it was Gella. It was as if she had taken my body, but I was left out. And so, as me, she killed him. I could see his eyes, and the sheer terror that filled them to the brim. How terrified he had been and how he had called out my name, “Hope—please…” And then the tears fell and I couldn’t stop them. For the first time, I was deeply afraid of her.
              “Wake up, sleepy head!” A female’s voice rang in my ears.
       I squinted my eyes, grumbling, “Huh? What?” Slowly opening my eyes, I noticed my head was resting on the couch cushion. Sitting up, I expected to lag from my leg. But something weird happened and all I could feel was the normality of having 2 perfectly working legs.
              “What the—
              “Isn’t it great?” Gella rhetorically asked, “I bet you didn’t think we could do that? Healing, I mean.”
              “Why?” I asked soberly.
       “You’re no use to me with a broken leg. How in the world would you be able to move? Think of it as a favor. I healed your leg, now you help me.”
       I warily got up, trying to ease the pressure on my leg slowly. Finally, I could stand straight up. Glancing down, my leg looked as if it had never been smashed. I smiled in relief, but not because I could walk, but because I would be able to move with agility if I were to ever attack Gella.
       “You wouldn’t dare…” She growled. She walked over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder, just like Angelo had done. Only this time, it was with authority. Shrugging it off, I looked at her, uneasiness settling at the bottom of my stomach. She was going to control me when the time came, I knew it. But when that time came, would I be able to shrug her off like I had done her hand?
       “It’s not that easy, Hope,” she answered my question. “You already know it; I’m way more powerful than my brother. Mot of what I’m doing, he hasn’t even learned.”
              “I thought Mother Nature was supposed to be gentle,” I smirked.
              “Yes, well you’re forgetting that Angelo became Mother Nature, not me.” She grimaced from annoyance.
       “How come you have your own name, but I had to give Angelo his?” I suddenly asked. Curiosity had never been one to overcome me, but things weren’t making sense.
       “He did have a name: Mother Nature. You just changed it. Mother named him that way, already deciding from birth who would take over her job. I was named Gella. But he’s such a pansy that he didn’t object to you insulting him, so he just went along.”
              “Sometimes it’s better to be a pansy then be an arrogant little— I didn’t have to say it because she already knew.
              “I’m starting not to like you…” she growled.
              “You’re joining a program already in progress…” I said, strolling upstairs.
       “Where are you going?!” she asked with urgency. Before I could turn around, she appeared right next to me. “I didn’t say you could leave…”
              “And I didn’t say you could follow me,” I hissed back. Pushing her away, I strolled up the stairs, biting my lip.
              “Just because your leg works now, doesn’t mean you can go anywhere!” she called after me.
       “Damn, because the bathroom is such a good place to escape too,” I sarcastically whined. Within a second, she appeared behind me, grabbing my arm. I winced.
       “If you try anything, I promise you, you’re little brother will be the first to go,” she coldly threatened. Turing around, my heart thumped aggressively.
              “You wouldn’t…”
       “Watch me,” she toyed, twirling her pointer finger in the air. “I’ve got you by strings. And there’s no way to cut them.” She evilly laughed. All I could do was stare. At times like this, it sucked to be human.
              “Do you ever shut up with the metaphors?” I asked. I grinned slightly.
              “Why you—
       “Hey, I’ve been in these clothes for a while now, mind if I change?” I thought of what my wardrobe would be, trying to block my true intentions. I guess she bought it because she let slip by.
              “Just remember, Hope, your brother is at the top of my list.” She smiled.
       Quickly scampering to my bedroom, I threw it closed, heaving heavily. Locking it tight, I peered into my closet. I wondered if she could see what I was thinking without eye contact. I didn’t feel dizzy, so I guess my question was answered. Maybe that was why she had threatened me just before. She knew she was powerless without personal contact. She wouldn’t know if I was in here or not—
       Quickly changing into shorts and a t-shirt, I went to my desk. I tore out a piece of paper from a notebook and started to messily scribble.
       Kevin, stay at Rick’s house. Do not go home. I repeat: I do not want you going home. Actually, get as far away as you can from this neighborhood. Ask Rick’s mom if you can go to Grandma’s or something…I’ll explain this all later, but you HAVE to stay away from our house. I love you…
       I scribbled the last part, not knowing if things would turn out the way I had planned. What I was dealing with was probably more than I could handle. Glancing around nervously, things were quiet. Too quiet. It was as if she knew what I was planning.
       Get a hold of yourself, I ordered myself. I was becoming paranoid. Slipping on sneakers, I treaded to the window, trying to seem casual in case she was by the door. Any sudden movements would give me away. Just like that night, I slipped gently onto the edge of the gutter, trying to hold back the fear. I was grateful it was sunny outside and that there was no sign of a disastrous storm.
       You better not fall and break anything this time, I thought. Now was not the time to be clumsy. Because of the fire, the once enormous tree was now dwindled down to a little stump. Getting down on my knees, I faced my bedroom, gently lowering myself, until my feet dangled in the air. I breathed in deeply, trying to hurry but take my time. Feeling with my shoe, I felt the slight tip of the tree. Looking down, it looked unstable, but I had no other chose. So…I let go.
       Thank god I was a girl, because if I had been a boy it would have been extremely painful. Right between the legs, I realized. In pain, I shivered.
       “Not so bad,” I squeaked. As soon, as I had regained my composure, I scrambled onto my feet and began to run as I fast as I could. And I don’t know why, but for some odd reason, I felt like a set of eyes were watching me. But I couldn’t stop now. Maybe by the time she realized I was gone, Kevin would be safely out of harms way. I would just have to pay the consequences.
       By the time I had gotten to Rick’s house, I was desperately out of breath. I didn’t stop though. Knocking furiously on the door, I couldn’t stand still. Time was running out. Yet no one answered.
       “Come on….” I pleaded, rocking back and forth. I peered everywhere around me, hoping she wasn’t here. I knocked again. No answer.
       I began to twist the doorknob, nervously shaking. Running to the side window, I peered inside. The shades blocked my view, but I could tell it was dark. I tried running to the back yard, but all was silent. Maybe they weren’t home…
       “Good,” I mumbled to myself. It gave me some time. Reaching for the letter in my pocket, I pulled it out. I was about to slip it under the door, when the revving of a van came into hearing. Swiftly turning around, a car pulled into the drive way.
       No! I cried inside. As the driver’s door opened so did the back seat, and 2 boys ran out. Kevin was one of them. They chatted wildly, laughing and pushing each other. Then they stopped seeing me.
              “Oh, hello, Hope!” Mrs. Crawford exclaimed, walking behind them.
              “Uhh, hi,” I replied. I eyed Kevin nervously.
              “What are you doing here?” she asked, surprised.
       I smiled softly. “I was just going to drop this off. But since you’re here, I’ll just give it to Kevin.” I walked over to him, grabbing him by the arm. Turning away from peering eyes, I whispered:
              “I’m serious. You better listen to what I wrote in the letter.” He looked confused, but took it hesitantly.
       “Well, I better be going,” I said, waving. Kevin just stood there, stunned, as Rick’s mother waved back. Without explaining, I started to run as fast as I could, back to my house. I knew what to expect. I had had no doubt in my mind that she would know. It was just matter of time. I had prepared myself for this.
       There she stood, in the middle of the street; her summer dress fluttering behind her. And although I tried to deny it, her beauty was breathtaking. With her arms crossed against her chest, she looked pissed off.
       “You little vermin,” she stated soberly. I was only a few feet away from her, really too close. I tried hard not to think of what I had just done. Instead, I lugged on to the feeling of Angelo. Leisurely walking towards me, she reached out.
              “Why are you doing this?” I backed up.
       “You are way more trouble than I asked for,” was all she said. I twisted around, ready to run, but I was too late. Her hand shot across the space between us and grabbed my neck, forcing me to be yanked backwards into her arms. As she firmly held me, I started to kick. All she could do was laugh.
              “You really think that’s going to work?”
              “Better than giving in,” I replied, spitting my words out.
              “You’re getting good at changing your thoughts.”
              “It’s so your prying nose won’t know what’s up.”
              “You know, I can do way more than just be a busy body and a healer. Such as take over a body…”
              I quickly stopped moving as she spoke those forbidden words. She giggled at my response.
       “That dream you had…I made that for you; just for you. I hoped you like it, because that’s exactly what’s going to happen. I wanted to give you a little insight to the future.”
       “You a*****e…” I exclaimed through clenched teeth. No matter how I moved or twisted, the pressure on my stomach only worsened as she tightened her grip.
              “For the sake of everyone you love, just give up…”
              “After you’ve successfully killed off your brother, then what?” I asked, changing the subject.
              “Then you get blamed and I get what I want.”
              “And what would that be?”
              “My revenge on my mother…”
              “Hah!” I laughed unexpectedly, “All this because you didn’t get to take care of a few trees?”
       “It’s more than that. You know how much power Angelo holds? If he were to use it, he could eventually take over this planet…but since he’s stupider than a fly, he wouldn’t know that.”
              “So you want to destroy us, is that it?”
              “No, merely create the world I dreamed of.”
              “Angelo is smarter than you think, Gella…” I tried to point out.
              “How would you know?” she hissed at me.
              It had all fit like a puzzle. Everything that had happened was all connected. It was as if he had planned this all along.
       He knew you were coming. And he knew you would come after me. That’s why he left when he did. Don’t you see? You’re playing into his little trap….”

Author's Note

Rough draft