Here's the next section of chapter six!

Chapter Six

When I began to open my eyes, I didn’t want to come back as myself. I silently wished that I would wake up in my bed in my mom’s old house. Mom and dad would still be together. I wouldn’t be Guardian. None of this ever would have happened.

But as my vision grew clear and clear, and lights began to seem less blinding, I knew that I was coming back as myself, Grey Mendoza, 14-year-old Guardian of Darkness.

I opened my eyes completely. I was lying on my back on the floor of the library, near the chair I had been sitting in before. Arivas, Chloé, and Caleb --Caleb-- were crouched on the floor at my sides. I groaned.

“Help me get her sitting,” Arivas said.

Caleb extended his hands to help lift my back so I could sit when suddenly I didn’t need help anymore. In one motion, I sat up so I was on my knees and punched Caleb in the gut. He landed on his back.

“What was that for?!” He said, wincing in pain.

“You keep your nose in your own business, Caleb Peterson!” I shouted. “If you just hadn’t come to the library, everything would be a lot simpler right now, for both of us!”

Especially you, I thought, but I didn’t say it. 

Arivas grabbed my arm. “Grey! It’s okay. Stop.”

I turned to her. “No, it’s not okay. You know what’s going to happen? He’s going to lose his memory, too.”

“Wait, what?” Caleb said.

I didn’t pay attention, I went on, still talking to Arivas. “And it’s my fault. Chloé, don’t say it’s your fault because you asked me a question. It’s my fault because I couldn’t hold myself together.”

“No it’s not--” Chloé began, but I cut her off.

“Yes, it is!” I wrenched my arm from Arivas’s grasp and turned my gaze back to Caleb. “Have you told him?” I asked angrily.

“Yes. He already had guessed that there was something going on, because his cousin is an Elemental, too.” Chloé said.

“Let’s… get into a circle so we can all see each other,” said Arivas.

“Fine,” I said hotly.

I scooted back and Caleb picked himself up from the floor. We ended up next to each other in the circle we made.

Suddenly all the anger I had just been feeling burnt off, and I was exhausted. I uncrossed my arms and sighed, my back slumping. I glanced at Arivas and Chloé. “Did you explain everything?” I asked.

“Yes… except for the fact that you're a Guardian. You woke up just as we were about to.”

“Wait, you’re a Guardian?!” Caleb said, excited, pointing at me.

“Yes, I am,” I said.

“That’s crazy!” He said.

“No, it’s not. Come here,” I said, grabbing him and pulling him closer.

I reached my hand up and pulled my neckline down just a few inches, which was more than enough to see the stone. “See? That’s the stone that we use to symbolize that we’re Guardians.”

“It’s so… dark.” He whispered, reaching his hand out to touch it. I let go of my neckline and it snapped into place. I smacked his hand away. 

“Personal space,” I said.

“Sorry,” He said. “It’s was just… really, really dark. I was expecting something light, blue, maybe.”

I thought of the stone. Swirling, dark purple center with everything else black. It was oval and smooth. Almost too smooth, too perfect.

“Why was it so dark?” Caleb asked. I wondered why it’s being dark bothered him so much.

“Because I’m the Guardian of Darkness,” I said.

Caleb lurched back. “Oh. They said that Darkness was kind of evil…”

“What?” I whirled around to face Chloé and Arivas. “Why did you say that?”

“We didn’t say that…” Arivas said.

“Yeah, we just said that Darkness was the Element of shadows and death,” Chloé explained.

I turned back to Caleb, exasperated. “Well, you can be assured that I’m not evil. Sometimes I may be dangerous. Like what you just saw before I fainted. But I’m not evil.”

“Okay, I can believe that,” Caleb said shakily.

“Now that that’s cleared up,” I said. “Time for the bad news.” My face darkened.

“One of you going to tell him?” I asked.

Chloé shook her head and Arivas pretended to be checking her nails, which obviously meant no.

“Okay, Caleb… Bad news.” I said, turning to him.

“What bad news?” Said Caleb, his face darkening. 

“Well… non-elemental humans aren’t supposed to know about elementals.” 

I could tell Caleb was getting nervous.

“Well, the Guardians--that is, the ones eighteen and older--they found a way to keep people from learning about us. They destroy memories.”

Caleb’s face showed fear and shock and disbelief.

“They come and they wipe your mind so that you don’t remember anything about elementals. I don’t know how, but they do. After years and years of not remembering anything, memories usually come back. But until then, it’s like you never had a life in your mind.” I looked at him, sadly. “You have three days at the most. I’m sorry,”

For a second, there was silence. 

“I don’t believe you,” He said shakily.

“What?” I said.

“I don’t believe that. That… that’s not true.” He said. “It can’t be.”

“Caleb, I think you--” I stopped. “Listen,” I whispered.

“Listen for what?” Arivas said, but I shh-ed her.

“You’re creeping me out. I must be dreaming. I don’t believe any of this.” Caleb said.

“Shh, Caleb! Listen!” I said, trying to block him out.

I could just barely pick it up. The faint sound of wind chimes. Sweet, bright, twinkling wind chimes. I reached across the circle and grabbed Chloé’s hands. I looked right into her face. “Thank you. I love you. They’re coming.”

She nodded, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. She knew what I was talking about. We stood up, Arivas following our lead. Caleb was standing now, too.

“What’s going on?” He said.

“Shut up, Caleb!” I said. “I’m trying to listen.”

The sound of windchimes grew louder, and soon I could feel a slight breeze on my cheek. Then the wind picked up, the wind, inside a library, and blew my hair into my face.

“Keanu! Stop showing off!” I shouted into the wind.

The sound of the wind grew so loud I couldn’t hear myself, and I closed my eyes so they wouldn’t sting. Then the wind stopped as fast as it had come. I opened my eyes and saw her standing there.

She was tall and thin. She was wearing jeans and an a-shirt, and her long black curls seemed to be blowing in a slight breeze. Her eyes landed immediately on Caleb.

“Another? Ugh! Why do I always get this job?” She complained to no one.

“Keanu! Stop!” I said.

“Oh, Mendoza, you’re here. I already knew that but I thought that I’d be allowed to do my job in peace for the most part.” She said, rolling her eyes. 

I scowled. “Guys, this is Clara Keanu, Guardian of Air. Caleb, she’s the one with the light blue stone that you were looking for.”

No one spoke, besides Caleb who just mumbled something like, “I still don’t believe you,”

Keanu bowed. “Yeah, I’m what she said. And I’m here to take you, and you, and you, with me.” She jabbed a finger in Chloé, Caleb and my direction as she said “you”. 

Arivas frowned. “What about me?” She said.

“I can take you, too. But you better stay out of the way.” Keanu said. “Though I don’t know why you’d like to come to this.”

I glanced at Chloé. She was fighting back tears. 

“Keanu, please. Please don’t do this.” I said, pushing back questions of why I was supposed to come with everyone else.

“Sorry, Mendoza. But we don’t make exceptions. They’re getting their memories wiped whether you like it or not. You let one person go, and then they’re all asking, and pretty soon everyone knows about us.” Keanu said, scowling.

“But please! For me. I’m a Guardian! Just one exception!” I pleaded.

“No. If you want, you can ask Ciel once we get there.” Keanu said.

I would have kept persisting, but I saw that every time I asked the less likely it would be for her to say yes.

Keanu raised her arms and closed her eyes. The wind picked up again, and the sound of windchimes filled the air. I stepped back, but the wind swirled around in a kind of ball, keeping me from leaving. I ended up pressed to the bookshelf with Caleb.

The wind was so loud I could hardly hear. Keanu raised a few inches from the ground.

Caleb leaned closer and whispered into my ear, “I believe you,”

There was a flash of bright light, and I closed my eyes.

Wow! This is a really good story, in fact it's one of the only reasons I check the CB. Keep writing!

The last part of Chapter Three! It's a little long and it sounds kind of awkward since I had to cut the chapter so much. 

Chapter Three 

Slowly, the light faded, and the sound of windchimes disappeared suddenly. The wind vanished, and I realized that I was holding Caleb’s hand. I let go quickly and stepped forward.

We were in a cave. The floor was smooth from eons of people walking across it, the ceiling was covered with stalactites. The cave was like a tunnel, opening out into a forest full of towering pine trees. I heard birds tweeting and a woodpecker pecking a tree, somewhere in the forest. I turned to look the other way and saw the tunnel continuing deep into… whatever it continued into. A mountain? Probably. The cave was lit with torches all along the walls that cast wavering shadows on the walls.

I looked around and saw Arivas and Chloé standing together, Arivas grasping Chloé’s hand tightly. Caleb was staring out of the cave into the woods. Keanu was standing in the center of the cave, brushing some feathers out of her hair that hadn’t even been there a second ago.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“You’ve never been here?” Keanu said. “I guess that makes sense, though, since this will be your first official Guardian Meeting. This is our headquarters, so to speak. We meet here. We erase memories here. We discuss problems. That sort of thing.”

She dropped the last feather from her hair onto the cave floor. “Come on. We have to walk deeper.”

I went over to Chloé and Arivas. I grabbed Chloé’s hand and she held on tightly. Caleb came over and stood next to me awkwardly. After a moment’s hesitation, I reached out and took his hand, too. 

Keanu began to walk farther down through the cave, and we followed quickly, in one line.

We walked for a while, always going down. About halfway to our destination Chloé began to cry silently. Arivas wrapped her arm around her shoulder and I squeezed her hand comfortingly.

I kept glancing at Caleb out of the corner of my eye. He was holding onto my hand so tightly I thought he might pull it off. He didn’t cry, but his eyes shimmered with the wetness of hidden tears. I realized how often my eyes shimmered like that. How often I held back my tears. I leaned closer to Caleb’s ear and I whispered to him quietly,

“You can cry.” 

“I’m not crying,” Caleb said. “I’m just scared.”

“We’re here,” Keanu called from up ahead. We turned a corner in the cave, which had been straight up until this point. The cave opened up into a huge cavern with a towering ceiling. The cavern was lit by huge braziers along the walls, and on the floor was painted a design I had never seen before, at least not in my memory, but seemed familiar.

It was a circle, and inside the circle blue, brown, white, yellow, and black swirled together to meet at the center. The blue looked so much like water I thought it would be wet if I touched it. The brown looked so much like rich dark earth, I could almost smell it. The white looked like a hazy cloud, lazily lying on the cavern floor. Yellow looked like the golden morning light, flooding from the sky onto the ground and into the onlooker’s eyes. The black, pure, deep black, reminded me of a huge chasm hiding in the shadows, just waiting for you to take a wrong step and fall into its depths forever.

The elements.

Once I could tear my eyes from the floor, I saw a long stone table across the room from me, with the longer side facing me. Around the table were five thrones, one for each Guardian. I would say chairs, but there was no other word to describe these.

They were tall-backed, each with a different color velvet seat. Blue, brown, white, yellow, and black. Each was decorated with items from their element. In the blue chair, for the Guardian of Water, mother of pear and seashells were embedded in the glass armrests which glistened like light on water. The yellow chair for the Guardian of light had golden velvet and glistening yellow stones. 

In each chair, the Guardians were sitting. My eyes met with each Guardian’s eyes, one by one, each time making me feel more and more self-conscious. 

Light, Argider Díaz, a tall man with a small beard and dark hair. Water, Jake Ayers, a kind young man with chocolate hair and healing hands, literally. And Earth, Fox Ciel. Basically the ‘leader’ of all of the Guardians. Shocking red hair and green eyes, and a voice so strong and commanding hardly anyone dared disobey her. 

My eyes glanced over the next throne, where Keanu, the sharp, determined woman standing behind me would sit. Then they came to rest on the next and last throne. My throne. It’s black velvet and dull purple stones seemed to give off a feeling of coldness. As I stared at it, I thought I might have heard the quiet whispering to ghosts grow louder.

Ciel stood. She was twenty years old, and already a natural leader. Her voice rang out as she spoke, echoing through the cavern. “Grey Mendoza, Guardian of Darkness, welcome. Please, take your seat,” She gestured to my throne.

I almost took a step forward, but then I stopped. I let go of Chloé and Caleb’s hands. “Thanks, but I’d rather stand.”

Ciel shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

I tried to act as confident as possible, and I met her eyes with defiance and courage.

She continued. “We’re here today to do many things. Firstly, to erase the memory of these two--” She gestured dismissively to Chloé and Caleb.

“No,” I said loudly.

She stopped. “What?”

“I said no. I won’t let you take their memories.” I said.

“Grey, it’s for the best, no matter how much we wish it wasn’t,” Ayers said to me. 

“This time it’s not for the best!” I shouted. “They’re my friends! My best friends! They’re not going to tell anyone!”

“I’m sorry, Mendoza, but we can’t make exceptions. Please have a seat so we can get to work.” Ciel insisted.

“No! I won’t let you!” I shouted at her. “Do whatever you want, but you’re not coming a step closer to them until you promise to leave them alone.”

“You’re not serious, Mendoza?” Ciel said. 

“Yes, I am,” I said. “Completely.”

Ciel stood up in her chair and leaped onto the table. She strode across its surface and jumped down. As soon as her feet hit the ground the earth changed shape around her, lifting itself up and enveloping her up to her waist. Then she began to move forward quickly, the earth carrying her.

She halted, stepping out of the rock’s embrace so that she was just inches from my face.

“Think for a second, Mendoza. You, an inexperienced 14-year-old, who’s never even been taught how to use her abilities, against me, a 20-year-old Guardian who can crush metal with one fist.”

“I’ve thought,” I said, looking right back into the eyes. “And I know I can do it.”

“Prove it,” She said suddenly.

“Fine!” I shouted, and suddenly a huge wall of shadows shot up from the ground, forming a ball around me and my friends, knocking Ciel back and cracking the floor beneath it.

I could see through the wall of shadow. I saw Ciel, on her back, staring at me with amazement and fear in her eyes.

“Incredible.” She whispered.

I took a deep breath and the shadows melted away, leaving me still standing where I had been a moment ago, not a centimeter farther back.

Somebody’s hand touched my shoulder and I turned my head to see Chloé.

“Grey. Make sure you stay under control. Don’t get carried away.” She whispered.

“I’m not letting her touch you,” I said angrily. For once in my life, all my fear about losing control and hurting my friends was gone. Instead, I just wanted to protect them.

Ciel got to her feet with the help of a pillar of rock. Then she turned and went back to the table, sitting down on her throne. She looked at me for a second, then she raised her hand and lifted one of her fingers.

A huge rock dome erupted from the ground, closing around the table and the other Guardians, blocking them from sight.

I stared at it. What was going on in there? Were they talking about whether they should let Chloé and Caleb go?

I turned around to face my friends. They all looked terrified. 

“Somehow, what you just did was scarier then what happened in the library. Maybe because this was on purpose.” Caleb said, in awe.

I felt awkward with Caleb around, to be honest. Maybe it was how he had told me I was pretty. Maybe it was how he was kind of scared of me. Maybe it was how I kept catching him staring at me, and then our eyes would meet, and his would dart away. He kept blushing for no reason.

“Caleb, what on earth is wrong with you?” I said. For some reason, it never occurred to me that getting straight to the point may have been a little rude.

“Um, what do you mean?” Caleb asked, looking at me from the corner of his eye and blushing again.

“Well, you keep staring at me, and you keep blushing, and you won’t meet my eyes,” I said.

Suddenly Arivas was there, giggling and smiling. “Because he has a crush on you!” She said. Then she stopped, realized what she had just said, and stopped giggling. “Sorry,” She whispered, melting into the background.

I glanced around and saw that Chloé and Arivas were walking away from us and pretending not to be watching. Well, Chloé wasn’t watching. Arivas kept peeking over Chloé’s shoulder as they talked and then averting her gaze when she realized I saw her.

For a moment there was silence between Caleb and me. 

“Do you really have a crush on me?” I said suddenly, putting one hand on my hip and brushing some of my hair from my eyes.

“...Yes,” Caleb said after a pause, and he said it slowly, like it hurt to choke out.

“How long? How long have you liked me?” I asked, a little exasperated.

“Since the day you dropped that paper.” He shrugged. “I started to think, ‘what’s likable about Grey Mendoza? Why would I like her?’ and so I started to notice you more, and I realized how much I… liked you.” Caleb paused. “This is awkward,” he said.

“It doesn’t have to be,” I said. “Listen, Caleb. I can’t… Well, number one, I’m not going to date anyone until I’m 15, at the earliest. I think it’s pretty much pointless to date before then because everyone’s still immature and the boys are still acting dumb. It’s scientifically proven that boys don’t mature until they’re 15. Number two, I can’t. If I let anyone get too close to me, I could hurt them. It’s better if you stay away, you’ll be safer.” I crossed my arms, looking down. 

Here I was, doing just what Chloé had accused me of. But I wasn’t doing it just because I was scared! That’s what I thought, anyway.

“But… I really like you, Grey!” Caleb said.

“You can like me if you have to, Caleb. But like me from afar.” I said. I turned away and began to walk to one of the braziers against the wall. 

I found a shadowy corner and let myself be covered by the darkness’s blanket as I waited for the earth dome around the Guardians to open.

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Merry Christmas everyone! 

The next chapter (Also cut in half... oh well, my chapters are hopelessly long)!

Chapter Seven 

I don’t know how long we waited. A couple of times the earth would start rumbling and it would feel like a mini earthquake was causing the whole world to shiver. Then the earth would calm and everything would be still again. I assumed that when things started to shake it meant that Ciel was getting angry.

I stayed by the brazier, watching the fire. It flickered in little tongues, giving off light and warmth that somehow never seemed to touch me. I reached out my hand once to feel the warmth more, but the flames seemed to shirk from my fingers, and the shadows on my hand got no lighter.

Caleb didn’t move after I left him. He stayed standing, just staring at the ground. I felt bad. But I knew it was to protect him.

Once again I was caught in the loop, needing comfort but knowing that everyone who would comfort me would be in huge danger.

Eventually, I got tired of waiting for the other Guardians. I stared at the dome of earth and scowled. It shouldn’t be taking this long.

“I wish I could be in there,” I whispered under my breath.

I stood up easily, but I had the strange feeling of being pulled from something. I looked down and almost screamed. I wasn’t solid. I was whispy white, transparent, like the ghosts I saw sometimes.

I whirled around and saw something even scarier. There, sitting on the ground, was me. My body. For a moment all I could think was, I must be dead. I must have died right there an now I’m a ghost.

Then I calmed myself, just enough. Hold on, Grey. Keep it together.

I looked down at myself again. My eyes were closed gently, and when I looked closer I saw my chest rising and falling. I was breathing. Good. I wasn’t dead.

Maybe this was another one of those weird powers that came with being a Guardian. I stared at myself, sitting by the base of the brazier.

Pale, angular face. Short. Thin. My hair was black and straight and hung down to my waist in a waterfall of smoothness.

I looked at myself for a little longer. Then I experimentally held out my hand to touch myself. As my finger got closer, I had the sense of being pulled into myself, being sucked back into my body. I resisted, trying to stay standing, and I yanked my finger back. The pulling stopped immediately.

Strange.

I turned to the brazier. I reached out a finger and this time there was no effect. Hesitantly, I brushed the brazier with my finger. Normal. But then I pushed on the brazier, and my hand melted through it. I couldn’t see my fingers, they were passing through the metal.

I gasped and pulled my hand back. So I could go through solid objects? I smiled.

I walked around the edge of the chamber, not wanting my friends to see me and ask any questions. When I reached the dome, I held out my hand and touched its surface. Another odd thing, I couldn’t feel anything under my hand. I couldn’t feel anything physical at all. Like a ghost. I couldn’t stop comparing myself to the dead. I called up the image of my body, breathing. I was alive. I couldn’t be a ghost!

I pushed against the earth dome and immediately fell through it like it was nothing. I found myself standing by the table. The Guardians were all seated in their thrones. They were talking quietly, but I could guess they were split in half. Earth and Air wanting to erase Chloé and Caleb’s memories, Water and Light wanting to let them keep their memories. 

For a second I wondered if I should just watch and listen. Then I thought it would be better to intervene, add another to the side that wanted to let them keep their memories. After all, I was a Guardian. Shouldn’t I be allowed to give input, too? I opened my mouth to speak, but then stopped. Could I even make noise in this weird ghost-ish state I was in?

“I think you’re missing someone,” I said, loudly.

The other Guardians stopped talking, and all heads turned to look at me.

Keanu gasped. Ciel looked shocked. Díaz’s face showed surprise and a little bit of smugness. Ayers looked happy and confused at the same time, if that was even possible.

Ciel pulled herself together quickly. “You… are transparent.” She said.

I could tell she was trying not to let her voice shake, and even with her best efforts, her tone wavered just a little as she finished speaking.

“Yes, I am,” I said, trying to sound like I knew what was going on.

Ayers stood up and walked over to me. “Fascinating…” He murmured.

He reached a hand out to me to touch me, and I jerked back. “Don’t touch me. Ever,”

He recoiled, a little surprised. “Yes… of course. I was just wondering if you were… solid.” He said.

“I’m not,” I reached out my hand and touched the table, pushing and showing him how my fingers passed through the dark, shining wood.

“Amazing! I haven’t seen anything like this… ever, actually.” Ayers smiled.

I noticed Díaz was looking at me, an expression of deep thought on his face.

“Anyway, I noticed that only four of the five Guardians were invited to this little conference,” I said. I tried to act confident and strode over to my throne. I sat down, desperately hoping that I wouldn’t fall through. At first, I felt myself sinking through the velvet, and I held my breath and silently thought to myself, Don’t fall, don’t fall,

I felt myself level out, stop sinking, and then spring back to the top of the cushion. I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and looked around the table.

Everyone was staring at me. Díaz had returned to his seat next to Keanu, who he glared at. Ayers had also returned to his seat, giving Keanu a withering glare as he sat down. 

Ciel sighed. “We weren’t talking about your friends anymore, Mendoza,” She said, exasperated.

“You weren’t?” I said, all my confidence disappeared. Suddenly I felt small and unsure, sitting in this huge throne.

“No. We were already outvoted. Ayers and Díaz voted your friends be left alone, and we had to agree because we knew that you would be on their side, too. We always go by votes.” Keanu said.

“Good. What were you talking about, then? It sure was taking a while.” I asked. I was glad that the problem was so easily solved, but I was a little annoyed that they hadn’t wanted to get my vote in person. It was like they just thought of me as a little kid and not a real Guardian.

When I asked my question, all the other Guardian’s faces visibly darkened, and I got worried. 

“Does it concern me?” I said nervously.

“Very much,” Ayers said gravely.

“Oh,” I said, trying not to let my voice shake. “Should my friends be around right now?” 

“Oh, fine,” Ciel said. She closed her eyes and snapped her fingers.

The dome above me split from the wall, contracting back into the ground and making the loudest rumbling sound I’d ever heard. I looked out and saw all my friend’s heads turning. Caleb was still where I had left him, and I felt a pang of guilt. It was obvious Arivas and Chloé had been crying. I hoped they were okay.

“Um, Mendoza… would you mind… returning to your body? Perhaps?” Ayers asked a little awkwardly.

“Oh, uh, sure,” I said, realizing I didn’t quite know how to do that. 

I got up and quickly began to walk to where I had left my body. What an odd thing to think. Where on earth did I leave my body? I was sure I had it here somewhere…

As I passed Arivas she whispered to me, “How on earth did you get in there, and are you dead?” She added the last part after noticing my condition, and the shock and fear in her voice was clear.

“Um, no. I’m not dead. I’ll tell you later. Can you bring Caleb and Chloé over there?” I said, jerking my transparent head in the direction of the table.

“Uh, sure,” Arivas said, but I was already over where I had left my body.

I looked down at my (hopefully) sleeping body. Then I reached out my finger like I had done before, wondering how on earth I was supposed to get back inside myself. I felt that strange pulling again, and this time I gave into it.

The next section! Is it weird that I cried while I wrote this? (I also cried while I wrote the next ten chapters)

Chapter Seven

I fell forward, pulled by that strange force, and gasped. I had a horrible feeling of being liquid and being pouring into a container. All my feeling disappeared for a second, and my vision went black, like a little blip in my existence.

Then everything came back. I blinked, flexed my fingers, and stood. I looked down at myself and smiled at the sight of my very intransparent body. Just to test, I touched the brazier again and pushed. This time, instead of going through it I almost knocked it over.

I caught it and sheepishly tried to make it look like nothing had happened. I turned and jogged back to the table, where Ciel had created earth chairs for my friends on the empty side of the table and everyone was already sitting.

I wanted to sit with my friends, but instead, I made, my way to my throne. I felt awkward sitting in a throne in front of my best friends, but I didn’t want to ask for Ciel to make another chair.

I sat down. “So, what did you say you were talking about?” I asked, feeling my heart begin to beat a little faster.

“I suppose Ayers should tell you since it actually happened to him,” Ciel said, gesturing to Ayers.

Ayers stood and began to wring his hands worriedly. “Well, it was just today, actually. My house was broken into.”

In the back of my head, something clicked and I remembered the words of the girls as they passed us in the hall.

“Some guy named Jake Ayers. The police said that whoever broke in didn’t steal anything. Ayers said that they came and talked to him, but he wouldn’t tell them what the burglar said.”

“Oh, yeah! I heard something about that in school. What happened?” I said suddenly.

Ayers looked at me worriedly and continued. “Well, it was kind of odd. I was in my living room. My wife and kids were out at a movie, so I was alone at the house with my dog, Pete.”

For a second, in my brain, I feel a little surprised to realize that Ayers was married and had a dog, named Pete for Pete’s sake! Sometimes to me they just seem like big powerful figures standing in misty fields and glowing with elemental ability. Really, they’re just average people. Average people with families and friends and dogs named Pete. It’s hard to believe sometimes.

“I was reading a book. Our house is a split level, so the living room is on the second level. I was just reading peacefully, with Pete sleeping next to me. I reached out a hand to pet him when I heard this crash. The sound of a window breaking. Of course, I was terrified. If you heard someone breaking into your house you’d be terrified, too. I heard someone walking around on the lower level. It was odd because their footsteps were so quiet I could hardly hear them. It was like… she was a shadow.”

I shivered.

“Pete woke up and started to growl. I stood up and I guess he sensed I was nervous. I got some water from the kitchen as quietly as I could and I was ready for anything to come around the corner as I walked silently down the hall. Pete realized what I was doing and he ran ahead of me. Just as he got to the corner, someone came around, too. She was tall and pale, with long black hair and wild, electric blue eyes. She was wearing ripped up jeans that looked like they’d been run over multiple times by a truck. 

“She looked down and saw Pete, who was barking at her now. I could tell, somehow, that she was an elemental. I don’t know how, but I knew. I told her not to come a step nearer, and to leave my house at once. She looked up at me.

“Pete sensed I was scared and he snapped at her ankles. He drew blood, but she didn’t move, she didn’t even hesitate or try to get away in the slightest. Then she raised her hand, and her fingers curled in a way that reminded me of a raven’s talons. Her fingernails were so long…”

He shuddered, probably thinking back to that image. Then he took a deep breath and continued. “Suddenly, Pete stopped barking and he stood straight up, stiff as… as… he looked like he had been stuffed. Then the woman did some kind of… movement with her fingers. She flexed them, I guess. And then Pete turned around as quick as flash and suddenly he was at my throat, literally.”

He reached up his hand and touched some teeth marks on his neck I hadn’t noticed before. “I fell onto the ground, and Pete had his jaws around my throat. He could have killed me. He wasn’t growling and his hair wasn’t up, but he was so stiff. He didn’t seem like the Pete I knew. Then the woman took a step forward and looked down on me. ‘Are you Ayers?’ she asked. I nodded, too scared to say anything. Then she leaned down and got right in my face. ‘Tell death I am coming. Tell death my name, and let him feel fear. My name, Jivanta.’ Then she turned and walked away. As soon as I heard another smash of glass, Pete let go of my neck and shook his head like he was trying to get something out of his ear. Then he saw me lying there, terrified of him, and he started to lick my face.”

I felt a chill go down my spine. Someone who could control living things? That was horrifying.

“I believe that by death, the woman, Jivanta, was referring to… to you, Grey. You are the Guardian of Darkness, the element of death.” Ayers raised his eyes to meet mine, and I froze.

What? Someone was looking for me? Why? Someone who could control living things?

“I… What?” I said, whispering.

“We believe that Jivanta is ‘out to get you’, so to speak. This has happened before. Certain Guardians being stalked and threatened by elementals.” Díaz said, standing up as Ayers sunk into his chair. “Elementals who don’t like a choice we made, elementals who think they should get rid of the whole Guardian sequence and have everyone be ‘equals’... they target one of us. Of course, since we’re Guardians, they don’t really have much of a chance of ever actually harming us. We usually just change our names for a while and go to live at some close friend’s house until we stop receiving death threats.”

My eyes locked on Díaz’s. His were sparkling blue with little tiny flashing bits of yellow and gold. He continued, gravely. “Unfortunately, we cannot do that this time.”

“Why not?” Caleb asked. I had almost forgotten he was there. I subconsciously noted he had picked the chair on my right so he was sitting next to me.

“Because this time, the person who’s giving out threats is actually dangerous. Jivanta can, somehow, control living things. Ayers saw this when Pete bit him. Someone like that is amazingly dangerous. And, since you have no children at this young age, thankfully, if you die, then the Guardian cycle will be broken and there will be no Guardian of Darkness. The last time that happened, we had world war I to deal with. Of course, I wasn’t alive then, but my Great-Great-Great-Something-or-other was.”

I sat back in my chair. Why was this someone out to get me? What had I ever done to them?

Ciel stood up, and Díaz slowly sat, his penetrating gaze staying trained on me. Ciel spoke. “Another reason we can’t let you just switch names and houses is that you aren’t very powerful. You haven’t learned to get the most out of your power yet, and if you can’t defend yourself--”

I shot up in my chair. “Defend myself?” I said loudly. “You think I can’t defend myself?”

I glared into her eyes. “You’d be surprised what I can do,” I said, hoping it was true.

She glared right back. “You haven’t had any training, like most of the Guardians did, you haven’t had any way to practice your abilities, for all we know the most amazing thing you can do is that little shadow ball and turning into some kind of ghost!”

“Ask them! Ask Caleb! Ask him what he saw at the library!” I said, gesturing to him angrily.

Everyone else at the table had been watching this exchange warily, as if not sure whether it would end with smiles and friendship or a duel to the death. Once they saw that I was having other people be my witnesses, they all kind of sunk deeper into their chairs, trying to disappear so they wouldn’t be called on.

Caleb cleared his throat nervously. “Well, I don’t think Grey is helpless. I think you’re kind of maybe underestimating her.”

“Tell her what you saw at the library!” I demanded.

Caleb shivered. “That was the scariest thing I’d ever seen. Grey started to cry, and then--”

“Actually, just leave it at the fact that it was scary!” I said quickly.

Ciel sniggered. “You were crying?” She asked.

“Well--Yes, but there was a reason!” I said, trying not to sound foolish.

“Yes, there was!” Chloé stood up suddenly, coming to my defense. “Grey is more powerful than any of you. Her abilities are affected by her emotions. It’s not my liberty to say why she was crying, except that maybe it’s my fault. Sorry.” She glanced over at me.

I shrugged. Pretty much everything she had said had been the truth, even if it hurt. A lot.

Chloé continued. “Anyway, because she was feeling so upset, she… actually, I don’t really know how to describe it. A big ball of shadow formed around her, and her tears turned black, and this big wind picked up, and neither Arivas or I could stand or get close to her… All the shadow was coming from her Stone.” 

All eyes were locked on Chloé as she finished saying this. Díaz’s gaze was the first to break away and land on me. Then all the other pairs of eyes followed. 

“It’s true,” I said meekly.

Chloé sat down. 

“I knew it,” Díaz whispered suddenly. “I knew you were special.” He said, a little more loudly.

“What?” I said.

“I haven’t heard of power like this since Sophie,” He said.

A horrible jolt went through me when Díaz said my mother’s name. 

Díaz seemed to realize what he had said, and he looked at me worriedly. “I’m sorry, I won’t mention her anymore.”

“It’s fine,” I said stiffly. 

When was the last time I had spoken that name? Spoken to the owner of that name, called her my mother? My mind went searching back to the last time I spoke to her, and the scene I had tried to forget for years reappeared in my memory.

I tried to block it out, but it was insistent.

I began to shake. A small sound escaped my throat against my will, and my knees started to weaken.

Then Caleb put his arm around me in a half hug.

“Mom, don’t leave,” I whispered.

“I can’t control this, honey. I can’t stop death.” She whispered back, her one beautiful voice reduced to a hoarse whisper from all the crying.

“You’re the Guardian of Darkness, the death element! Can’t you stop it?” I said desperately.

“No, honey. I can’t.” She said back.

The whole world felt like it had shrunk so it was just her and me. I wasn’t aware of the nurses and doctors standing behind me, ready to usher me out as soon as they knew my mother was dead. I wasn’t aware of all the medical equipment standing around me, giving off quiet beeping sounds.

“Why are you dying?” I asked. “The doctors said they didn’t know. Don’t go.”

“The doctors don’t know anything. Nothing can cure me. I’m sorry, Grey.” She whispered. “I don’t have much time. Tell them to leave.” 

I turned around to face the doctors and nurses assembled there. 

“Privacy?” I asked hoarsely.

There was a moment of debate, but then they all filed out of the room. I turned back to face my mother.

She slipped her hand just below her neckline and closed it around what I knew was the Stone. “I, Sophie Mendoza, Guardian of Darkness, remove myself from the position of Guardian and pass down my Stone to Grey Mendoza. My daughter.”

There was a flash of black light, if light could be black, and then she held the stone in her hand. She held it out and placed it two inches above my heart on top of my shirt. There was another flash and then I could feel it on my skin, cold, like a broken heart.

“I love you, more than anything in the whole world. You are more special to me than anyone else is.” She whispered.

Then she went out like a light. Like a candle that someone had just pinched out, extinguished with tears.

I wrapped my arms around her lifeless body and tried to hold her near me for a little longer. Just a little longer.

why no  coca cola!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????

okay I  have to admit this is an awesome story Stupendo! Professional!

Here's the next part!!!

Chapter Eight 

When the memory ended, for a moment Caleb and I were both frozen, completely still. Then I felt myself tighten. 

“I’m sorry,” Caleb whispered, nearly silent.

The first tear tracked its way down my cheek. It wasn’t Díaz saying my mother’s name, but the memory it triggered afterward. It is unbelievably horribly hard to relive something like that. I felt so stunned and helpless. A moment ago everything was fine, and then the reality of my mother’s death thrust itself upon me. 

I didn’t know what I was doing. I wasn’t thinking, I was too surprised by how suddenly everything went wrong. I let myself cry without trying to stuff it down. I turned to face Caleb, the nearest comfort I could see, and his other arm enveloped me, and we were really hugging. He shut the whole world out and I just leaned into his chest and let tears roll down my cheek.

I didn’t hear anything from outside the hug, and I didn’t want to. Caleb rested his chin on my head, and for a moment I thought that his lips brushed my hair for a fraction of a second, though I could have imagined it.

It was strange. I didn’t have that horrible twisted feeling I usually had when I cried. I didn’t feel anxious or scared, and I didn’t feel frantic. I felt unbelievably sad, devastatingly sad, but also at peace. I didn’t feel alone.

Caleb’s arms around me gave me a warmth I hadn’t felt in a long time.

My crying began to slow. I looked up at Caleb, who hadn’t moved this whole time. 

“You okay now?” He asked, still barely audible.

“Yeah, I think so,” I said. I straightened up, removing myself from Caleb’s embrace, and wiped away my tears.

Everyone around the table immediately removed their gaze from where they had been looking -- me. 

“Are you okay?” Arivas asked me quietly. “I didn’t think that hearing your mom’s name would upset you so much,”

“It wasn’t that,” I said. “It made me remember something. Something I’ve been trying to forget. Caleb saw.” I tried my best not to start crying again.

It had been so horrible to relive that day, that moment. When I had cried into my mother’s lifeless shoulder and wished I could go back to a happier time. 

I had to stay focused. I couldn’t let my emotions get in the way. 

“Should… should we continue?” Díaz asked anxiously.

“Yes,” I said, trying to make up for suddenly breaking down by being strong and level-headed during the conversation. “You were talking about… my mother. And her power,” I said, hesitating just before I said it. 

“Yes. Well, I was just saying that what Chloé described here does not seem like the average abilities of one as young as you.” Though his voice showed a hint of admiration, his eyes kept their steely gaze on me the whole time, and I could have sworn he never blinked once. “I am convinced you could be able to protect yourself from Jivanta… with a little training.”

When he said ‘I’ for a fraction of a second his eyes flicked to Ciel, who pretended not to care. 

“I’m not,” Ciel said, standing up. “Show me,” She glared at me with her sharp eyes that missed nothing.

“I… I can’t,” I said, trying to be strong and imposing but probably failing horribly.

“Why not? If you can do it, then you can do it now. Prove it.” Ciel insisted, and I could tell she was getting angry.

“I can’t because, because… I…” I tried to shrink into my chair but I couldn’t.

“Because it’s not a stable situation!” Arivas jumped in, saving me. “If Grey was to use all her abilities now, we’d have no way of protecting ourselves. I honestly think she needs zero protection and zero training, even from a crazy lady who can manipulate living things with her fingers.”

I smiled slightly, trying not to think too much about the ‘manipulating living things with her fingers’ part.

“Fine,” Ciel growled, and I stopped wondering why everyone said that her first name, Fox, matched her.

But she wasn’t done. “If we want to keep you safe from Jivanta, then we’ll need more than just a hope that you can protect yourself if she shows up. First of all, whether you like it or not, you’re going into hiding.”

“What?” I said.

“You’re going to go live with one of my aunts until all this Jivanta business dies down. It won’t be long, and you can go back to your school as soon as it’s safe.” Ciel said calmly.

“No! No, I can’t leave school!” I said, standing up. “I can’t leave my friends!”

“I’m sorry, Mendoza. You won’t be missing much, though. And you’ll be back before you know it.” Ciel said.

Sure, I hated school before I went. And I hated it at the beginning. But once I made friends with Arivas and Chloé, I loved it. For some reason, now that I was such good friends with them, I couldn’t imagine being without them. 

“Don’t make her leave!” Chloé broke in. “Please?” She added, a little more quietly.

“Yeah! Why can’t she just stay at school?” Arivas asked.

“Because she has no extra protection there. She’s is exposed, and it would be very easy for Jivanta to find her location.” Ciel said, scowling.

Ayers broke in. “Well… Ciel, consider this… what if we made a set of rules for Grey that she had to follow? No going out alone, no staying up late, lock your door at night, stuff like that. If she doesn’t follow the rules we can take her to your aunts’, but if everything does according to plan, she can stay at school with her friends.” He smiled at me, and I smiled back gratefully.

“I still… ugh, fine. But you have to follow these rules like your life depends on it, which it actually might. Get into your dorm with the door locked by 9:30 every night. No going out of school grounds unaccompanied, and even if you’re accompanied, never at night. If anyone… odd… comes around asking for a Grey Mendoza, pretend you don’t speak English or something, just don’t engage. And remember that I’ll know if you break a rule.” Ciel said, counting off the rules on her fingers.

I wanted to protest to the rules, but I thought it would be better to leave well enough alone. “Fine. I won’t break any of those rules.” I said, a little huffily. 

“Good,” Ciel said. “Meeting adjourned. Ayers, you can escort these four home. Mendoza, watch your step.” When she spoke to me, our eyes met and I saw an angry glint in them.

I stood up along with my friends and the other Guardians, and Ayers ushered us over to the cavern exit. We were just about to start making our way back up the cave when his hand grabbed my shoulder and he spun me to face him.

“Grey,” He said hurriedly in a quiet, under-toned voice.

“Yeah?” I said, and when I spoke my tone was average.

Ayers thrust his finger to my lips. “Sh! Keep it down.” He glanced around nervously.

“Yeah?” I repeated, this time whispering.

“First of all, Ciel is not someone whose bad side you want to be on. You offended her when you broke the rules by letting your friends go, and you made her embarrassed when Díaz said you were more powerful than anything he’d ever seen. That immediately puts you on her bad side.”

“Great,” I mumbled, looking down. Now I had to worry about bossy rule-following rock-chucking women who hated me.

“There’s more,” Ayers continued, and I groaned. “No, seriously. Grey, I know this whole Jivanta thing doesn’t seem crazy. Ciel is acting like it’s some normal event. But Grey, do not underestimate this woman. Do not ever think she won’t do something, because she will. She will do whatever it takes to get rid of you.”

“How do you know all this?” I asked, my mouth going dry.

“I don’t know. I just do. I just know that when I looked into her eyes, she did not look like someone to be messed with.” 

Ayers looked so grave, all I could do was nod.

“Good. Follow the rules. I am serious when I say your life might depend on it.” Ayers gave me a reassuring pat that did absolutely nothing to reassure me and began to lead me and my friends through the cave in front of us.

I swallowed. Jivanta, whoever she was, obviously had scared Ayers. I didn’t know if that meant I should be scared too. I resolved to follow all the rules if I could, and that I’d try to take Jivanta seriously.

But honestly, I thought to myself. What could she do?

I looked ahead and saw Chloé, Arivas, and Caleb. The three people in the world I cared most about. I felt my fear grow larger as I realized just what she could do.

Having to take someone’s life would not slow Jivanta. As I slowly began to follow my friends, I no longer feared for my life. I feared for theirs.