Like usual, I shivered. I mean that's all I could. Curl up in a ball, run away from everyone, and each and every day, build my walls stronger. But among all of these, the worst thing that I ever did was what I did to her.
As I pulled her out of the lake, I thrust my hands on her chest to take the water out, but nothing good occurred. All I wanted was the reality to not make this pond any sort of a poisonous breed. My heart was pounding even harder than it was when I was in front of La Llorona. Fresh terror reared up within me as I watched the sleeping beauty.
At that time, I wished I had studied medical science rather than physics and geometry. What could I do?
My breathing quickened as time passed by. CPR- that was my last option. I didn't hesitate to connect our lips and even though it melted my insides to feel her touch again, it was necessary to take her out alive.
I blew out oxygen and parted waiting till she burst out coughing water.
I couldn't be any much happier.
She looked rather furious with her lips tightened and a scowled vehemence but I couldn't resist the urge to hug her. I bent down to reach her level, wrapped my arms around her,, and stuttered blithely, "OH heavens above! I'm so glad you are alright!"
Without another second passing, she pushed me back so hard, I almost hit my head on the ground.
"STAY AWAY YOU FREAK! What do you think you are doing! Don't behave I owe you anything!" She seething with pure noticeable fury, almost breathless.
"I didn't tell you anything like that!"
"Oh cut the crap!"
I lowered my gaze and however, got up, shaking away the dirt from my outfit.
We were about to go up, but when we saw a saggy body make a thud noise after hitting the ground, we were shaken. It was she.
Involuntarily, I grabbed her forearm and ran behind a tree. Using her telekinesis, she vanished from the area near us and I exhaled for relief. But my muscles tensed when I wasn't able to see the others on the top. I got out of my hiding place and tiptoed just a few inches away to see if they came down. And they were right there searching for us standing near the pond. I wanted to go and make a rendezvous only if she hadn't appeared again.
---
I eyed Beca's moves as she sneaked back into the mansion. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion but even in those little time, I knew she wouldn't abandon us to die. Surely she had something in mind which included my support since I believe I was the last she blinked at before slunk off into the mansion.
But I didn't have enough time to find her from my sight as La Llorona was making her next assaults. She brought out those same flamed daggers and chanting something under her breath, the floating weapons swiftly moved towards Clay and the other girl, presumably Adeline.
I couldn't just stand there watching my mates die, especially when I could be some help.
Vigorously, I looked hither and thither and picked up a few hard pebbles. Geometric angles could be of some use. Before the first dagger could hit Adeline's button nose, I tossed one pebble exactly on the point of it, further omitting the strike. I glanced at Joey and we both gave a small, wonder-filled smile.
I continued to protect them using the method, steadily increasing my pace with both myhadns together while Joey handed me each of the pebbles. I was so engrossed in protecting both of them, I didn't realize she attempted to hit me.
I flinched back as Joey embraced me. I dropped the rock and held my left, blood-filled forearm. It wasn't even a dull ache to start with. Electric shocks ran through my body and the throbbing intensified each second along with the feeling of having fire burst all over my body, but I tried not to react much to remain strong. Or even pretence would be alright to convince Llorona that she didn't hurt me that hard.
She next made us her next target since with me being a weak dove, she will be able to slay both of us like a child's play. Except if Austin didn't come in front of us with his sword as a guardian. It sounded quite amusing however, to see the school's popular jerk risking his own life to save a nerd and an outcast- though Joey's rank served her higher than me, it was still a peculiar thought.
My eyes however switched to Beca, who was standing there beside the bell. Her plan somehow came into me. She gestured with showing an invisible bow and arrow with action and swinging the bell a bit forward. I immediately comprehended her scheme. But...but with my miserable state of affairs, I feared my abilities. But for all of our lives to be extricated from that witch, I had to give a try.
At first, we needed to rally Llorona and bring her closer to the mansion. I would've communicated with Austin but in case she heard that, I told my parents to communicate with Austin's spirit pronto to inform him about the plan.
Austin tilted his head for the talk with his spirit and he gave a side smile. It was bizarre to see the speed of the communication process, but as far as things go as planned, nothing else matters.
"So I heard you are one of the most prestigious stewardess of the so-called dark lord?" He put his sword down and he reclined against the tree beside him. he seemed quite oblivious though.
"Stewardess?! what tush tush art thee blabb'ring about? i s'rve that gent greatly! i am the most pow'rful 'mongst the oth'r impotent meiny!"
"Then you might as well aware of fencing- you know fighting with swords, sticks excetra." Austin stated, but it sounded rather as a mock.
"Of course I knoweth what 't means. Fie! Fine, I accepteth thy dare, thee distemperate daw!And then I'll gobble all of thee liketh a cuppeth of tea!" She seemed quite tempted, and nevertheless, we barely understood what she said, it was obvious she accepted Austin's challenge.
"Uh well then. Let's not delay your doom, and go there."
"But if 't be true thy cater-cousins leaveth, then-"
"Yeah yeah whatever." Austin rolled his eyes.
Austin did his job well by bringing Llorona over where it would be easy to drop the bell which put me in ease but the thought of me doing the next step was mortifying.
I whispered to Joey about our plan and she nudged forward, leaning towards mewith a concerned look, "Are you sure you can do this? I mean your arm-"
"Yeah, I guess I'll be alright." I plunged my hands into my pocket to bring out the mini arrow- which could basically maximize but it was empty. Totally empty.
"Shit."
"What? Where's your-"
"I don't know. It's not where i kept."
"What do you mean?" She whisper-yelled.
"I thi-think I dropped it somewhere- I..."
"No-no, what will we do now? Ho-how can you be so-so careless? Its always because of you! You can't do anything right! I- you can't handle anything, can you? A small piece of metal, our relationship, everything! You-" She paused, resting her head on her hands. I could witness her panicking- kind of for the first time after - nevermind.
I averted my sight from her, unable to bear her disappointment, again. I looked at Austin-trying to keep up a fight with her. He started off well but the phantom definitely had flairs of action.
I lowered my gaze, unable to think anything properly. My whole body was throbbing from the previous anguish and my emotions, feelings and thoughts partying by themselves only made things worse. Everybody was gonna die because of me, and well I couldn't even experience the proper guilt since I was going to die myself.
I heard Austin grunt in agony but i couldnt afford to look at that either. After a few seeconds, I felt a poke but i didn't even nudge. Then that poking altered to stinging pinches and I looked up, exasperated.
"Ow, what? What do yo-" I became speechess when I looked down at what Joey's hands held. It was an exemplary model similar to my bow and arrow fabricated from wooden sticks with a stack of leaves at a certain end.
"Did you- did you form a bow and arrow fro-from-"
"Yes, odd way to say thanks, but yeah I did. But you need to do the next thing." she reminded.
I didnt hesitate to position myself and Beca looked quite fatigued up there. I mouthed a sorry for the delay but she just began to oscillate the bell. All I had to do is hit the bell at the right place, at the right time. It was an exquisite, detailed moment. I decided to fortify the arrow by chanting the only spell I remembered properly- the one of fire. In this dark, we surely needed to brighten things a bit.
Once i uttered the spell, all the arrows burst into flames and I cringed. However I put my scrutiny on leaving the arrow from the bow. I made position and my fingers at full tilt, removed its touch from the arrow. My heart pounded and I felt like there was nothing except me, my bow and the accuracy of the throw.
It missed.
It freaking missed.
"Ugh, try again." Joey ordered in a shushed tone.
I nodded and gathered up my courage again. I released the arrow once again, but it missed. The timing was perfect everytime since my proficiency in physics helped me grasp the average speed of everything necessary. So i worried only about my precision skills. And on the other side, the others tried to rally our enemy, so she didn't notice us.
Everytime I missed, the stinging words of people haunted my thoughts and motivation. Their words echoed in my head, and it hurt like the cut of a whip-or even abominable. In a sense, Joey was right- I was utterly ridiculous, broken turd, and totally useless who couldn't do anything right.
My hands trembled worse than before and I knew I couldn't do this. Until- until she grabbed onto my hand and tightened her grip, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. Look, you know you can't do this. But I know you can and you will. Never doubt what you can do, cause...cause you can do anything you set your mind to, and whatever you dream of. I know we don't have time for this, but close your eyes and look at the most beautiful, precious thing in this world. And that beautiful thing is telling you, your mind to do it. So won't you?"
I grasped onto what she was saying, regarding my panicking heart that was screaming to get put of this dark.
But I didn't need to close my eyes to see that. Nor did I used my wild imagination for it to 'pep talk' me. I simply turned my sight towards the girl beside me and curved up a smile etched to my cheeks.
Once again, I pivoted towards Rebeca and angled the arrow in bow. I inhaled the air and breathed out. I can do it, I thought with as much self-motivation i could provide.
Slow but steady, I released the arrow as the bell oscillated forward. It hit right, cutting the rope which held the bell and set the metal bell on fire. I presumed the metal it was made from to be aluminium since it seemed to absorb the flames.
"Austin, move!" We wailed to warn Austin about the massive chime's fall and though wounded, he grabbed Llorona's arm, escaping her strike somehow- and before everything fell in place, he jumped away.
"Clay, bang the bell with your hammer lickety-split!" Rebecca yelled from upstairs.
Yet panicking, Clay managed to bring out his little hammer and maximised it. He did his utmost effort to pick the hammer up but anything ceased to function.
Addy went forward and suddenly held his arms from behind and cupped his hands inside hers probably with an attempt to help him pick it up. It seemed howbeit romantic.
Clay cringed but quite remarkably Adeline's strength aided him to glean the hammer and bang it on the bell. The chime's sound echoed throughout the area. Even faraway, I was sure to hear Llorona growl in pain.
"Leave! I can- I can do it!" Clay harshly demanded and Adeline backed. She really looked eager to help him out but Clay's imprudent frown stopped her from doing so. She shook her finger and murmured something to him which I couldn't hear but Clay only rolled his eyes as a response.
He minimised his weapon which then made me hesitate on his decision. He swung his hands with the tiny hammer and as he swayed it forward to the bell, the hammer ratcheted up and well, that hit the bell with another loud thud. It continued for a few more times till we could no longer hear her einas and groans.
I went forward with my injured arm but Joey stopped me. She strongly ripped off a cloth from her voluminous pullover and tied it around my bruise. While she was at it, I couldn't help staring at her midnight blue hair covered one of her eye as she lowered her head and her gunmetal gray eyes shining. Not to forget her pale skin which was a natural intoxicating beauty, burning through my soul every single time.
She snapped her fingers and I realized it was time to wake up from my daydreams.
We ran towards the group and awkwardly smiled. The victory had been glorious, but the terror, bruises, wounds and these peculiar events brought a small cry of lamentation within us. So we could barely let out any words from our dry lips. And the next thing we knew was to immediately hit the road.