The Rosewood Prophecy

Chapter 3

                                                                                               Indigo

I went to find Aaron as soon as I finished changing for our PE--- physical education---class.

"You'll never guess what happened in language arts class today," I said as I approached him. He looked at me, his eyes playful and curious.

"You did something weird, and then instead of getting angry or freaking out the teacher acted all suspicious and awed," he said, much to my surprise. My eyes grew wide.

"How did you---?"

"Then, they gave you a book, right? Told you to study it."

"Yes, but...How did you know?" I demanded. He shrugged.

"Happened to me in science," Aaron replied. "Mr. Felton gave Katherine, Lucian, Ashley, and me a book each."

He then told me how he and Katherine blew a hole in their Petri dishes and the bizarre things that happened to Lucian and Ashley. I listened with wide eyes, hardly believing and relieved.

I had thought I was hallucinating when I saw the ink from my pen started gushing out. Then I realized it was spilling everywhere. I couldn't control it; it got all over my clothes, the table, the essay I was supposed to writing, and the girl next to me. My teacher, Mrs. Johnson, rushed over, her mouth open. I cringed, bracing myself for the scolding and outburst that was sure to come. But it never came. Instead, she told me to clean it up, and then sat back down at her desk, staring into space. Her face portrayed shock, then disbelief, awe, and fear.

As class was dismissed, she called me over to her desk. I started to apologize, but Mrs. Johnson waved it aside and handed me an ancient book. She told me to read it and study it, then shooed me away. The book was blood-red, and the title read Mastermind: Tactics, Strategies, and Plans in Battle. It sounded like something Katherine would like; but since Mrs. Johnson gave it to me, I was going to read it from cover to cover.

I told Aaron all of this. He looked at me straight in the eye. "I know something's up," he said. "Katherine and I overheard Mr. Felton and Ms. Wilson talking. I think there's some prophecy and some how we're all in it."

"The Rosewood Prophecy?" I suddenly remembered. The really old prophecy that every man, woman, and child knows; the one where seven are fated to go on a journey, and three makes it till the very end. "Do you think...?"

"I don't know; it might be..." said Aaron, looking thoughtful. "But I really doubt it...why us? We're not special; we're just kids. Kids that happen to stumble upon weird things."

"We can't eliminate the possibility," I argued. "There's only one prophecy that we've heard of---and it's the most well-known one there is. I doubt anyone knows any other prophecies."

Aaron opened his mouth to argue, but just then, the teacher blew the whistle.

"Line up!" cried Mr. Watts, our PE teacher. We reluctantly went to our respective lines. From the mass of people in this period, I saw Ashley chatting Rachel, Lucian laughing with his buddy Jason, and Katherine talking to Aaron. My gaze lingered on them for a second. They looked so happy together, and so carefree. Katherine was smiling, and Aaron was laughing at something she had said. He looked so dashing, even wearing our PE outfits. And Katherine---well, she looked beautiful when she's smiling like that. My heart gave a twinge of jealousy.

"Chase her away", the devil in me whispered. "Separate them. That should be you, not her." I shook my head and looked away. I had a crush on Aaron ever since two years ago. And rumor has it he likes me too. We work together a lot, and are in the same clubs. He's smart, polite, and really nice. Not to mention cute, handsome, and really dreamy. A lot of girls in the academy has a crush on him.

What am I thinking? I silently scolded myself. Katherine is a nice girl. We're friends. Who cares if they talk? She can talk and laugh with him all she likes. I don't really care. She can have a crush on him too. It's natural. "But", whispered the devil gleefully, "Aaron likes me, not you. So ha!"

"Alright class, listen up," called Mr. Watts. I jolted back to the present, awake from my thoughts. "Today, we will be practicing our hand-to-hand combat skills. Now who's excited?"

"Yeeeaahhhhh!!" cheered a lot of people. Katherine was one of them. She beamed at Aaron, who grinned back.

"Great! I love it too! Now, please go to the racks over there and get your combat outfits, then pick up your weapons. Remember, these are real, so don't kill anyone!" There was a stampede as people rushed to get their beloved clothes and weapons.

I pulled an armored shirt over my normal PE clothes, and tugged on my combat boots. After tying a cloak around my shoulders, I looked in the full-body mirror next to the rack. I was never the "warrior" one. That was Katherine. Yes, I do like sword fighting, but wearing these clothes made me look and feel weird. Katherine, on the other hand, looked right at home. Every swish of her cloak, every step of her boots...it all fit right in. She looked like she had just stepped out of some fantasy novel. Me? I tried to act and look the part, but it never worked.

I pulled out my sword. It was a family heirloom, passed down for centuries. It was still as sharp and shiny as day one. Etched on the scabbard were the words Courage and Loyalty. The two traits that my family valued most. I suppose it all started here. Holding the sword made me feel better; it gave me a sense of calm and security. Hey, after being trained to protect yourselves and fight against the Evils all your life, you can't blame me for feeling safer when holding my sword.

"Find your partners, and go to your places!" shouted Mr. Watts. Lucian appeared by my side.

"I'm with you today," he announced.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Jason?" I asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, but Watts told him to be with the new girl Anna today, and somehow I ended up with you," he explained. I shrugged.

"Sure, then." Magic circles appeared on the blacktop floor. We stood face to face, in our own circles. The rest of the class did the same.

"Weapons out!" came Mr. Watts' shout. "Bow towards your opponent! And let the dueling.....BEGIN!!!"

The air filled with the clanging of metal on metal and shouts of the kids. I didn't know how good Lucian was, so I was cautious at first. His moves were good ones, but were kind of hasty. They weren't measured and calculated like Katherine's, or quick and sharp like Aaron's. Lucian's was, well, different. He was fast to change and fast to strike, and every move screamed Trap! to me. I couldn't figure him out. He seemed to try to figure me out too.

I started with the things we learned in class, then added in a few tricks my parents taught me. I sped up, going faster and faster, finally pulling off the grand finale: the set of moves passed down from generation to generation in my family. The Clay Skills. No one else knows how to do it except those of the Clay family. Lucian changed tactics. He switched to something I'd never seen before, and that's a first.

Clang! Someone's sword clattered to the floor. That was normal. What was not normal was the sudden gust of wind, cold and chilly to the bone. And an inhuman shriek. Dust swirled around us, blocking out the sun and our lines of vision. I could dimly hear Mr. Watts yelling; what, I have no idea. I saw Katherine running towards someone on the floor, Aaron following. From the back and where he is at, I'm pretty sure that's Jason lying on the blacktop. Instinctively, I ran towards him, despite Mr. Watts distant shouts of "Stay back! Stay put!". I heard Lucian behind me, also racing towards his best buddy.

It was like a dust storm; sand and dirt struck my clothes, and for once, I was glad I was wearing the armor. A howl reached my ears. It sounded evil and menacing. I felt that bone-chill wind again. What was happening?