Joey sat and stared at city. "I've always wanted to live in the city. It's so beautiful!" Joey claimed.
Joey got up and opened the jar of his grandmother's ashes. "You've always wanted to go to the city too! Now your free, grandma! You don't have to be in this little town anymore." Joey said as he released the ashes.
Joey had snuck out of the zone area and smelled his way towards the city. The town was still on lockdown from the attack at the high school.
Joey was walking towards him when he noticed a girl standing in front of his house.
(Ahana or a jinn?) Joey asked himself. When he approached the girl, he noticed it was Elizabeth.
"You doing ok? I've been texting you." She said.
Joey walked right past her and opened his door. "You should go home, Elizabeth." He said in a dry tone.
"I know about your grandmother. I'm sorry that happened to you!" She said.
Joey grabbed the door knob, but was stopped by Elizabeth's hand. "You can always talk to me, you know that…right?" She asked.
Joey turned his head and looked Elizabeth in the eyes. "I appreciate that. But…right now I just need some time alone. I haven't spoken to anyone for the past four days or eaten anything, I barley even feel like moving from my bed, and what's worse…I don't feel like I belong." Joey explained.
Elizabeth grabbed him by the hand and pulled him off the porch. "Follow me!" She said.
Not long after, Joey was at his fast-food restaurant.
Elizabeth set up a nice dinner for the both of them. "Can we please talk?" She asked.
"Elizabeth…"
On the table was a nice dinner, there was steak,mash potatoes,and a glass of water.
Joey took a seat, but didn't take a bite of anything. "I know what it's like to lose someone too, Joey. It doesn't feel good,not at all. And you don't want to talk to anyone." Elizabeth explained.
Joey had a dead look in his eyes. "Everyone knows that feeling…that's part of life. At least, that's what I've told myself. But the more I look at it… I just can't understand why bad things happen to good people." Joey said.
"Well, bad things happen to everyone. Not just good people."
"Not true." Joey whispered.
Elizabeth had a confused look on her face. "What do you mean not true?" She asked.
"My whole life…people have been running over me,my sister, and my family. All because we had no money or food. Everyone only picked on me, but no one else? Why is that? All I did was go to school, take care of a sick mom. Jackson isn't a good person,but lots of people adore him. But when you see someone like me, someone who's in the gutter…you people shit on them." Joey said.
"Well I've always been there for you. You'll always have me, your sister, and your mother." Elizabeth said.
"You were there for me?" Joey asked.
"Yeah? I always have!"
"Do you remember my friend Ty?" Joey asked.
Elizabeth nodded her head slowly.
"Why didn't you tell me he wasn't real? I know you thought I was crazy." Joey said.
"When you like someone you'll do anything to get with them." She said.
"Like someone? Are you saying that you like me?" Joey asked.
Before Elizabeth could answer, Joey opened his mouth once again.
"Last I remember, last summer you hooked up with Jackson…am I right? You were close to me only because he picked on me and you used me to get closer to him." Joey explained.
"I-"
"You don't have to explain. No one in this whole town could ever love or like someone like me. You all judge and use me without even knowing a thing about me. Which also means…this dinner is pointless, along with even trying to fit in with you people." Joey said as he got up from the table.
"How much did you spend on this?" He asked Elizabeth, without turning around.
"Just leave." She said.
Joey threw a twenty-dollar bill on the table and walked away. "Thanks." He whispered.
Joey left the restaurant, as Elizabeth sat alone in the dark at the table. "Shit." She whispered.
"Are you hurting?" A little girls voice whispered in the pitch black.
"Who's there!?" Elizabeth asked frantically.
She could see a shadow of a person standing in the hall. "How did you get in here?" She asked as she walked towards the person.
Elizabeth froze when she noticed the little girl gone. "Relax…I'm here to help you!" The girl said.
"Help me? Help me with what?"
The girl laughed in a uncontrollable manner. "I know your upset…and most of all, I know your little secret!"
Elizabeth's heart froze as she grabbed a knife from the table. The candles blew out. "How do you know that?! It's only a legend!" She screamed.
"It's no legend! I'm really honored to meet you, Elizabeth! Do you…want to know what happened to your legendary home!?" The little girl asked.
(I can't see her anywhere! Is she even human!?)
Elizabeth took off towards the door. She poked her head out to see Joey walking away in the distance.
"JOEY!" She yelled. Joey kept walking away.
(Please…turn around and help me!)
The girl put her hand over Elizabeth's mouth. "He doesn't care about you! That's why…we're gonna kill him!"
An unknown being grabbed Elizabeth and dragged her down to the basement. The door slammed, which was covering Elizabeth's screams. It went silent as if nothing happened.
Joey turned back around to see the candle still on.
Joey turned his body around then hesitated. "She'll be fine." He said. "Looks like she's still eating."
Joey was walking down the dark streets of his town, only to see Ahana sitting on a bench. She waved him over. Joey approached her, only to walk right past her.
"Eh?" She said.
(He's energy has risen…did something happen?)
Ahana stood up and walked beside Joey.
"I've got some good news for you, Joey boy! Next week, there'll be a little tournament between pups! I want you,Jackson,and Jodi to participate in it! I think it'll be good training and experience for you all!" Ahana explained.
Joey looked at Ahana with annoyance in his eyes.
"Not interested." Joey said.
"Oh, you thought it was a question?" Ahana asked with a smile.
Joey stopped in his tracks and stared at her. "I'm my own person,I'm free, and I get to make my own decisions. So…I'll pass!" Joey said.
Ahana's eye lowered. "Free? Own decision? Joey, I don't think you understand how much your life is in danger, every single day! No one is truly free in this world! Get that through your head. I need you to get stronger, so you can protect yourself and your family from jinns." Ahana said.
"I'll be fine. You can even stop seeing me, I don want anything to do with this anymore!"
"Can't do that. I can't bare to watch another kid die, all because of my poor decisions." Ahana said.
"So you want me to go…so I can get stronger to protect the people I love?" Joey asked. "Well…I already lost one, and the other is on the verge of losing her life. Right now, I'm just trying to sped as much time with her as possible." Joey explained.
"Your talking about your mother! I know she's alive and well…so that means your grandmother must've past, right?" Ahana asked.
"Yeah."
Ahana closed her eye and put both of her hands together.
"What are you doing!?" Joey asked.
"Silence! I need to focus."
Blood shot out of Ahana's nose as she smiled as Joey. "Don't worry…she made it!" Ahana said happily.
Joey froze up, as his eyes started to get watery.
"I knew something was wrong. That's been bothering you the whole time…hasn't it?" Ahana asked.
Joey clutched his shirt tightly and collapsed to the ground. He couldn't help but cry.
(He really wanted to know if she made it past the heaven trials! Don't worry…she's at peace, Joey boy.) Ahana thought to herself.
"S-she…she gave up all her dreams…worked very hard…all for us to have a home. She dedicated most of her life to take care of my mother! I was so worried that she wouldn't make it!" Joey said tearfully.
Ahana pat him on the back. "I don't since her energy in hell or the trails. So rest assure, she's ok and happy."
Ahana got on one knee and bend down low to meet face-to-face with Joey.
"Joey, the trials are only two days long! Your an amazing child, who deserves nothing but happiness in their live! Unlike me, you have the people you love still in your life! I'm giving you the opportunity to gain strength and protect them! So, Joey. Will you enter the trials?
Joey wiped his tears and smiled with a determined look on his face.
"Yes, of course! And we'll be the ones to win!" Joey said as he shook Ahana's hand.
Joey has just agreed to enter the trail games. To compete against other pups. How will he do? What happened to Elizabeth? What jinn was Mr.Baker talking about?
Next: The Trial Arc
Coming in 3 days