The Sadian Chronicles: Book 3: Deeds of the Unforgiven

Taken: Part 3

Note: This is picture of Brian Underwood that I made with DAZ.

Despite walking up to a nightmare it was a bright sunny day on the estate in which the Drell Institute laid. Gina Morris was enjoying a quiet relaxing morning watching the sunrise. She loved the way the air smelled on this fresh new day. It had been raining constantly for the past week not giving her a chance to get out.

For some reason the rain made her sad and gloomy. Some of the other kids at the school loved playing in the rain and having mud flights and getting drenched by the water falling out of the sky, but Gina was prone to sickness, not anything serious, but her low immune system made her more susceptible to minor ailments such as colds and flues. Luckily, there was a doctor on call who put her on medication to boost her immune system, but even after ten years her situation didn't seem to get any better.

She was a Sadian, but unlike the other kids, the powers she did have remained dormant. Even at the age of seventeen they still had not come to light, she longed for the day they would come, because she truly believed that after they did she would never be sick again. It may have been wishful thinking but for now it was all she had to hold on to.

Gina sat under her favorite tree with a small basket of breakfast goodies that she had gotten up extra early to make. She had some raspberry muffins filled with cream cheese. They were her favorite, but none of the other kids liked them, including her best friend Brian Underwood. She saw this as a blessing, because when she was able to make them she didn't have to share with anyone. She also packed some French toast and a thermos of orange juice to wash it down. There was no meat present in her modest breakfast-- not that she didn't like meat, but she just wasn't in the mood for it today.

As she took a bite of her muffin her long blond hair was taken by a slight breeze and smacked her right in the face. She quickly used her free hand to push her hair out of her way to stop it from impairing her vision. She noticed a shadow blocking the sun and the world just became slightly dimmer.

She looked up to see a young man of eighteen standing over her. He had short brown hair and a slight build but not overly muscular. A smile suddenly came to her face as she saw a look of relief come across his.

"I've been looking all over for you," he said in a slightly scolding tone.

Gina just giggled at the serious expression on his face. Sometimes he sounded more like her father than her friend.

"Brian, can you just relax?" she said, taking a bite of her muffin. After swallowing it down she opened her mouth to speak again. "You worry too much."

"Well, you don't worry enough," he said and sat down on the grass facing her.

She just shook her head even though what he said was right, but she had a way of dismissing his logical thoughts. "There's no point in worrying because whatever is going to happen will happen. Call it fate."

"I know that logically, but after that premonition that Laura Demsey had..."

"How do you know about that?" Gina asked, but then she remembered how Laura was acting the night before.

"Doctor Drell told me, so I came looking for you because I was worried."

"She's always having premonitions and not all of them never come true," Gina said while rolling her eyes.

"The problem is that most of them do," he said, pointing his finger at her. That serious look that told her that he was scared out of his mind returned. His demeanor was making her nervous. She could tell he sensed it, and his voice took on a tone of concern. "I'm only worried because this one was about you."

Gina turned away for a moment. She tried to access in her mind that whatever Laura's prediction was, it couldn't be all that bad. She had to admit to herself that she was worried, but she didn't want Brian to know that. He already worried enough for the both of them.

"I already know what she said and I'm not scared," Gina requested, looking into his eyes. Now, she was the serious one.

"She had another dream," Brian said in a low voice. Then looked over to see her face go pale. "It was about you."

"Tell me what she said," Gina said in a low shaky voice. She was trying hard to hide her fear.

"No," he said slowly while shaking his head. "I don't think I should." He lifted himself off the ground and stood up.

He turned away from her and refused to look at her. That was his way. When a situation became too intense, he always turned away from it. That more than anything aggravated her.

Gina shot up to her feet. She was now annoyed with him, and she was going to let him know it.

"Tell me what she said," Gina insisted but Brian remained silent. "I have a right to know." Still he said nothing. "Brian Underwood! You better tell me right now, or I'm never speaking to you again!" She was shouting now, but still he wouldn't say anything. He wouldn't even look at her. "Okay, that's it. I'm never speaking to you ever again."

She stuffed the remaining food into her basket and attempted to stomp away in anger until she heard Brian's voice. "You're going to die," he said, which made her stop dead in her tracks.

She turned back to see the look on his face and she knew he wasn't joking.

"That's ridiculous," she said, but he wasn't putting on his usual smirk when he was trying to goad her into a fight. "Tell me that you're lying."

Brian didn't say anything which made Gina even more upset. She just wanted him to apologize to her, but she got nothing but a frightened but concerned look on his face.

"Fine," she said angrily. "Then this lunch date is over." She turned around and stomped off down the hill until she reached the small dock near the water. She couldn't believe Brian was acting like this. Laura's predictions had always upset her because the ones she had about her were always horrible, even though everything she said mostly came true.

Right now she wanted to be alone on the dock and look out on the quiet still waters of the lake. It wasn't long that she was standing there that she felt a shadow over her blocking the sunlight. She knew it was Brian and she just didn't want to deal with him right now.

"Brian, I don't..." her words dropped off as she saw a being standing over her. He had black wings and dark eyes and carried a sword at his side. It was like some character out of one of her fantasy novels. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice trembling. She was in awe of this creature but she was still petrified at seeing it standing over her.

Laura's words kept running through her head. You're going to die. She heard it over and over again. She back up until she reached the edge of the dock but the creature would not relent.

"What do you want?" she cried out as tears ran down her face.

"You." It was all the creature would say. His voice was deep and frightening. She hadn't realized how close she was to the edge and lost her footing, and fell off the dock. She screamed but her voice was cut off as the creature drove down after her and grabbed her.

Before she knew she was in the air and the experience was too much and she quickly lost consciousness. Surely this was her end. If she ever woke up from this nightmare that in itself would have been a miracle.