shocked to learn that I am not helpless with my
offensive kicks either. Then at the last minute he tells me it is time to start
fighting for my life, he grabs my legs and before I know it twists me
backwards. I surprise him by going limp like I learned in self-defense class
and I quickly spin around and throw a few punches his way, I land one or two
and am shocked to see that it really hurts me, I secretly wonder if it even
hurts him at all, but I can’t show any weakness.
I know
it is a low blow, but I was starting to feel desperate and at the last second I
change my methods and go in to kick him where it counts. He knows what I am
doing as soon as I realize it and he spins and kicks the back of my other
kneecap so I fall backwards – it actually hurt and I can’t believe he did it! I
am completely outraged. He extends his hand to pull me up and I refuse to work
with him, instead like a child I yell at him “How dare you! This is only our
first time training and the first time you even are acting like I exist in two
weeks and now you are kicking me and throwing me to the ground? Who does that,
Ephraim?” I ask as I get up off the ground and begin to storm off “You can’t go
around kissing girls one week and then disappearing and kicking them another.
That’s not fair and you know it!” he looks confused and scratches his head
while chasing behind me “How is fighting ever fair? I am training you, I
wouldn’t have injured you, but you will find when you are fighting the demons
that the damsel in distress act doesn’t really do much for them. You knew what
you were doing far better than I thought and I wanted to challenge you!”
I stop
walking and turn around slowly to face him and in the calmest voice I can find
I address him “Fine, Ephraim. You are right. Fighting is not fair, Life is not
fair and men are not fair. But this game playing of yours has to stop. I need
some time to be by myself, I’m going to walk away now and you are going to let
me.” When I look up, I expect him to be calm, but he is clearly insulted that I
talked to him like he is an angry dog “Hell no you aren’t going anywhere! We
are just getting started! This isn’t about your childish moods, PMS or your
little crushes, when someone is really fighting you it is going to be life or
death!” Without so much as hesitating I charge him, I don’t know what I intend
to do, but as I am running with the singular goal in mind of hurting him I can
feel my powers beginning to overflow, everything is illuminated around me and I
see his grayish blue aura, I can’t stop myself, before I ever even reach his
chest the force of my anger and my abilities send him flying backwards.
For a
moment I am left shocked and feeling guilty, my powers fade and I clumsily run
over to him “are you okay? I am so sorry, Ephraim! I don’t know what I was
doing – I didn’t mean to do anything like that!” he looks up at me in awe as he
slowly begins to get up “I think I am okay.” He stares at his feet confused and
looks up at me “I think you can take some time to yourself now though, do you
know your way back?” I nod at him and begin to slowly walk backwards, horrified
at what I just did. My walk turns to a run and before I know it I am at the
edge of the island on a beach that I have never even seen. All I can do is run.
I am running to escape Ephraim, running to escape this prophecy and running to
try and convince myself that I can still escape, that this is not who I am
becoming. I stop myself when I realize that I can’t outrun this, I am becoming
a monster and I don’t even have any control over it.
I feel
the tears stinging at my eyes and begin to look around for shelter, it is
getting late in the afternoon and I can tell the rain is about to set in, the
last thing I need is to be crying alone in the rain. I spot a cave facing away
from the water, close to the shore and head that way.
CHAPTER 12
Ilyana:
As I
reach the cave I am