to do something. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. The wind begins to die down. I can’t let Liam die because I’m too scared to do anything. Opening my eyes, I stand up and take off running towards the tree and grab Liam’s sword. I turn and move towards the beast with the sword pointed ahead. For Narnia, I guess.
The beast has his attention focused on Liam lying on the ground, so it doesn’t notice me coming towards it. I reach the beast and jump on its back plunging the knife into its thick and scaly skin, causing it to screech out in pain and fall to the ground. I look at Liam and see him smiling at me. It is a good look for him. I watch as his features quickly transform from a smile into a grimace of shock.
“No, Ryanne. Watch out!” Liam shouts as an immense pain shoots through my abdomen. My eyes widen and mouth opens as I try to gasp for breath. The beast pulls its spiked tale out of my back as it falls to the ground dead. I land beside it and try to remain calm as blood begins to seep from the wound onto the grass. Panicking will not help anything. My body becomes cold and my vision starts to blur. The colors around me collide into one another, creating a swirling vortex of color masses. Liam jumps up and runs towards me. When he gets to me, my eyes are already closing. He starts yelling something at me, but I can’t hear anything and am quickly losing consciousness.
I open my eyes and look around. I am back in my bedroom, lying on my bed. The book is lying open on my stomach. What? What just happened? How did I get back?
Rubbing my eyes, I look around my room, searching for anything out of the ordinary. A sharp pain shoots through my abdomen as I sit up. The rain outside starts beating against the glass window; the loud sound echoing through the empty house. It is a slow steady rain, as if Mother Earth was crying—sad about a sudden change. Tearing my gaze from the window, I yelp as I glance at my pillow. For lying on my pillow is the flame shaped pendent that Liam had been wearing.
Chapter Five
Ever since that dream, I’ve worn Liam’s pendant around my neck. For some reason, I believe that it is going to protect me like Liam did. Protect me from what though? I’m not really sure. I still don’t understand what actually happened while I was…there, but I’m taking the pendent as a sign.
I finished reading the book and spent the rest of the weekend studying like I used to before mom passed away. I could have been at the top of my class, but I stopped caring. Mom loved that I was doing so well in school. When she died, I no longer felt the need to try anymore. A part of me left when she did and I still haven’t gotten it back.
Beep. Beep. Beep. I roll over and turn my alarm off. I swear I just laid down to sleep; it can’t be time to get ready for school already. I slowly get out of bed and walk across the hall to the bathroom. I don’t hear Jane, so she probably already left for work this morning.
I can feel the excitement in the air as I walk through the doors of the building. I only have to survive three more days. Three days until the end of school. Three more days to bring up my English grade. Oh dear.
The bell rings after second block signaling the time for first lunch. I despise lunch time. Everyone crowds in the cafeteria, gets their lunches, and then separates into their cliques: the stereotypical cheerleaders, the jocks, the nerds, etc. These cliques have been formed since middle school. Now in high school, everyone has a place. They’re sitting together, laughing, and discussing the latest gossip. Those who don’t have a place are the loners and outcasts. That’s where I fit in. I didn’t fit in at any table and never really have, so I eat lunch in the library.
“Good afternoon, Ryanne. How are you today?” the librarian, Mrs. Templesmith, asks politely.
“I’m good. A little worried. I have to pass a test during fourth block if I want to pass the class.”