~ Power ~

Chapter 15 - Lightning Strikes

‘Oh god. What was that?’ Wendy said as a loud crack rang through the air. Freya propped herself up a little bit, still looking very pale and groggy. She didn’t say anything.

‘It sounded like…lightning,’ Robbie said, fear filling his eyes.

‘I agree,’ Wendy replied. ‘But was it natural or–’ Wendy trailed off, unable to finish her thought. Maybe it’s just a regular old storm, she rationalised to herself. Why wouldn’t it be? I’m sure it storms in these parts just like everywhere else.

Another loud crack rang through the air and some of the rock covering their divot crumbled away. Robbie flinched in shock. Wendy grimaced.

‘Okay so it’s definitely them…What should we do?’ Wendy looked to Freya again who was still mute and still barely getting her bearings. ‘What would Freya do?’ she whispered to herself. She would probably seal the divot off and tunnel through the earth someplace. But I am nowhere near as skilled as her. I would most likely collapse those rocks on top of us and that would be the end of it. What then? Think!

Wendy peered outside the divot. The sky was dark, which was one thing in their favour. She looked down at the baby hawk nibbling away at some of the food they had brought back. She considered sending it out to try and get a glimpse of their pursuers, but then she instantly decided against it. They would strike the poor thing down without a second thought. She looked around the cave some more but time was running out. She grabbed Freya’s stone pouch and skimmed through the rocks frantically, she frowned, she didn’t know how to use any of them. She placed the pouch in her pocket and decided on a course of action. Freya was incapacitated and Robbie was paralysed by fear, it was her decision, succeed or fail.

She removed the Quartz necklace she made for the hawk and clasped it in her hand. She bit her lip and took a deep breath. She threw the necklace as high up in the air as she could and then quickly shut her eyes and located its signal. She found it instantly and saw out over the landscape behind where their rock and divot was situated. What she saw was two of the women advancing towards the divot together, both holding their yellow gemstones in their hands. And then the necklace hit the ground. Luckily it was close to her so she grabbed it again and placed it back around the little hawk’s neck. As far as she could tell, they were still at least four hundred yards away. Maybe enough time to sneak away unnoticed. But where was the third one? Oh well, she couldn’t worry about that now, it is leave now or wait until they find us and kill us. Wendy shuddered a little.

‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Robbie, I know you’re scared…but I really need you right now.’

‘Mhmm,’ he said, nodding unconvincingly.

‘I need you to pick up Freya. Can you do that?’

Robbie was staring at the ground.

‘Robbie. Can you do that?’ Wendy patted him on the back.

‘Hmm? Yes. Yes of course.’

Robbie bent down and lifted Freya over his shoulder.

‘Let’s get out of here,’ Wendy said. She lead the way out of the divot and up on to the grass. She crouched there and reached her hand out for Robbie. She hoisted him up, still carrying Freya. Wendy led them around, past a copse of trees and down the hill, towards the village where she found food. Another loud crack of electricity rang through the air. Robbie was running at full speed now, overtaking Wendy. The hawk was keep pace with Wendy in the air. Wendy stole a quick look behind her; more of the rock formation was crumbling away. They must not know we have left, Wendy thought hopefully. She turned back around and kept running. She soon caught up with Robbie and started leading the way again.

When they eventually reached the stream Wendy led them off of the main path. Robbie, who was exhausted, set Freya down beside some bamboo. Wendy leaned up again a large rock and the hawk perched on her knee.

‘I think we did it!’ Wendy smiled.

‘Not quite…’ came a voice from behind them. Wendy turned around to find that it was the third woman. ‘You can’t run forever.’

The woman had a menacing look on her face and she removed her yellow gemstone from her a belt-strap. Wendy looked to Freya and Robbie. Robbie was almost crying and Freya had fallen asleep again. Wendy looked back at the woman with a mean look on her face.

‘What exactly do you bitches want?’

The woman looked surprised. ‘That’s not very nice language for a young girl such as yourself.’

‘Shut up. What do you want with us?’

‘We just want to ask you some questions…’

‘Oh, so that’s why you’ve been trying to strike us with lightning these past few days?’

The woman smiled creepily and advanced on Wendy. Wendy was feeling highly intimidated now. She rummaged around in her pockets for something to help her but all she had was the Quartz.

‘God damn it,’ she whispered to herself.

The woman was close now and she reached to touch poor little Wendy but she lashed out against her. She slapped her in the face.

‘That wasn’t very nice you little brat.’

The woman raised the stone menacingly at Wendy but before anything else happened there was a loud clunk and the woman fell to the ground. Robbie stood behind her with the large stick that Wendy had picked up to hit him with the day before.

‘Thank you Robbie, thank you!’ Wendy ran up to him and embraced him tightly.

‘No problem,’ he smiled. ‘I finally came to my senses. Sorry it took so long.’

‘Better now than never,’ Wendy said smiling.

Just then Freya made a noise from over near the bamboo.

‘We should go check on her,’ Wendy said. Robbie nodded and they went over to her and crouched beside her.

‘Hey,’ Wendy said smiling and stroking Freya’s hair. ‘How are you doing?’

‘Mmm. Okay I guess. I’m really sleepy.’ Freya yawned.

‘I can only imagine. You’ve used a lot of gemstone power over the last few days. It must have really taken it out of you.’

‘It’s a shame we’re so far away from my village,’ Robbie said, ‘There’s a guy there called Tilden and he harvests these beans that he calls Senshi beans and I swear to god, they restore your energy almost instantly.’

Freya propped herself up and widened her eyes a bit. ‘So. What did I miss?’

‘Oh, not much,’ Wendy said. ‘Just knocked out one of those crazy bitches who was after us. No biggie.’

‘Wendy. Language.’

‘But why, you–’

Wendy saw the smirk on Freya’s face and they both burst out laughing. Robbie sat there awkwardly.

‘So where are the other two?’ Freya asked.

‘Last we saw them they were by the divot striking everything in sight with lightning. So we probably shouldn’t stay here.’

‘Yeah,’ Freya said. ‘We probably shouldn’t.’ But as she said it, a slight smile appeared on her face.

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Option 1: Freya decides that they should stay by the stream where she can regain some more strength. But there is a large risk of the other two women showing up.

Option 2: Wendy decides that they should journey into the woods further. But the woods are unknown to all of them.

Option 3: Robbie says that he knows a guy that lives nearby. The girls trust him enough by now so they go with him.

Option 4: Everyone decides that they should try their luck in the village.