Hope Released

Betrayal or Savior

No words but the instant throw of a knife through tense air just above my shoulder that stuck between the bricks in the wall behind me and the hall erupted into confusing chaos.

In my shock at who I discovered I was surprised to have moved so fast to dodge, spin and kick at the next opponent that attacked me. My surprised gaze must have confused Nixon as his gaze swept to mine and then behind me as he jumped, tucked, flipped over me and dug his claws into a man from this group of people that gathered in this seemingly abandoned house.

Two strangers at my sides , one holding two broken screwdrivers, the other a large shard of glass large enough to behave like a sword , taped at the end where he held it, they lunged at me simultaneously. Instinctively I lunged back out of their aims and shot water from the moisture in the decaying walls at them in sharp pinpoints of bullet-like forms. They flinched and delayed their attack as I spotted the girl from the doorway at my first instance of shock.

Nixon passed in front of me , struggling to keep the man he fought with at a safe distance. His arms crossed before him, the man pushed him against a wall as my boyfriend growled and finally threw out his arms with claws extended once again. Relieved he could handle the situation I noticed those that first attacked me , which I pelted with the water bullets stood looking lost and defensive by the doorway.

But I had more important issues to understand.

Why was Gloria, my best friend from home, leading this band of Shadows? And Why attack us if they saw we had no glow and looked to be rebels too?

I looked to her again as she strutted towards me between Lada, Skye, Nixon, and their opponents. Her dark complexion and curly black hair made her grey eyes which used to reflect back a rainbow of colours with her glow, lifeless. That smirk she directed at me earlier sprung back onto her face and she reached behind her back and drew out a metal rod which was sharpened to recreate a sort of sword.

"Wait!" My voice rang out sharp and clear among the sounds of struggle in the small area. Nobody stopped and Gloria finally jumped forwards with a look of need in what I used to remember was a soft , delicate face. I thought she would hit from above so I ducked, almost paralyzed at my confusion of my friends turn into a Shadow. But I was wrong. She expertly landed down onto the ground in a roll and swept her weapon low and wide slicing me across my chest and shoulders. The pain shot through me instantly but panic pushed me out of the way before she drove the handmade blade through my torso. It was hopeless with three opponents to each one of the four of us Awetonians. But I was trained to strive.

With my back hitting a wall at my move away from death I clenched my fists and fought to control the moisture on Glorias skin. Her limbs looked to be pushing through mud and her face changed into confusion, then panic. A second later she stopped and her expression fell as she looked down at her unwilling body. I slumped to the ground , placing my hands across my collarbone where I bled out as she lifted her head to me in realization.

"Taseaya?" She mouthed and dropped her metal blade. Her wide eyes looked around frantically as she shouted "Stop! Stop! Please!". Dim faces in the dark looked to Gloria but continued to hold their defensive positions as their hard breaths became the only thing I could hear. Gloria looked out at them from the end of the space by the stairs we were positioned and held out her hands in a gesture of calming down wild animals which wanted to pounce on their prey; my friends and teammates.

"She's... she's... my friend!" Breathlessly she declared and faced me. All attention shifted towards me and that's when Nixon and Skye noticed my condition.

"Oh Taseaya!" Lada exhaled in her small voice as she was held against the far wall. Her opponent released her and she ran over to me. Nixon reached me first and gingerly examined my wounds even though a huge gash over his right eye bled freely into his vision. Skye knelt breathing heavily at the ground beside me as he caught his breath. He stood and turned so his back faced me in a protective stance.