Potent

Chapter 10

Enveloped in a dim light, I walk cautiously down the dark alleyway. Tin cans, bottles, wrappers and random rubbish litter the area. Graffiti plasters the grey, concrete walls that tower above me. This place is infested with scavenging rats which makes me shiver. The air around me reeks of alcohol, rat urine and rotting waste. Reaching my arms out, I feel the walls graze my fingertips. Drawing my arms back in, I feel more claustrophobic than ever.

Behind me, I hear the ‘stomp, stomp, THUD, THUD’ of footsteps echoing down the open roofed tunnel. I am being followed. Gasping, I look behind me and see a dark shadow approaching. Fear knots in my stomach and infiltrates my mind, on instinct, I choose flight. I run and run as fast as I can away from my predator, but not fast enough. Despite being fuelled by adrenaline, my legs and lungs are burning from exertion and the dark figure is gaining on me.

As I round the next corner another man dressed from head to toe in black, jumps out of the shadows and takes me to the ground.

I scream and struggle flailing my limbs, but my efforts are in vain. They are too strong. I am bound with a special rope that not only constricts my movement but stops me from burning them to a cinder.

Before they gag me, I scream ‘Dylan’ at the top of my voice, praying for him to magically appear from nowhere like he usually does…he doesn’t.

 Violently, they grab me by my untameable, frizzy hair and trail me across the ground. I groan as my arms and legs scrap against the sandpaper concrete, carving painful, bloody gashes, scratches and bruises.

Hearing a car engine start up, I realise what they are going to do. They are going to kidnap me. Losing hope, tear drops begin to drip down my freckled face as I silently weep. Suddenly, I hear a thwacking sound and then a ‘thud’. Subsequently, my head crashes to the ground as the guy dragging me lets go. Kneeling up awkwardly, my head throbbing, I look around. Two dark men lie on the ground unconscious and the car I thought I’d heard is nowhere to be seen.

With difficultly, I rise to my feet and sense that someone is behind me. I try to turn around but their strong hand on mine prevents me.

“Don’t worry, it’s just me,” Dylan reassures. Breathing a sigh of relief, I allow him to untie my bonds and then I rip off my gag. Turning around, I throw my bleeding arms around him and hold onto him for support as my shaking legs threaten to give out. Fresh tears of happiness spill from my eyes and onto his dark blue polo shirt.

“Thank you so much,” I mumble into his shoulder. Dylan pulls me back and looks into my distraught face.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get here soon enough,” he whispers, his handsome face twisting with regret.

“Don’t be,” I tell him. Closing the small distance between our faces, I cover his cool lips with mine. He kisses me back immediately and holds me close as I feel my troubles and pain disappear. I pour all my love into the kiss and I feel our souls join. I can taste my salty tears on his lips and I pull away to look into his eyes.

“Don’t you dare leave me,” I order.

“Never,” he promises.                              

Reluctantly, we let go of each other and I prepare myself for the headache onslaught; it doesn’t come.

“Hey, why isn’t my head hurting anymore?” I ask confused.

“Because we kissed, fire girl, now you can’t ever be far away from me.”

“What?!”

“I’ll explain later but first, we need to go now.” He says urgently.

I sigh. “To where? Fairyland?”

“Yes, come on,” he says impatiently, leading me out of the alley and into the bright sunlight.

“Why now?” I ask.

Dylan looks at me; his blond hair ashen. “Those people back there were Dark Potents. They’d intended to take you back to their evil lair where you would be tortured and every last drop of your power would’ve been drained from your body. We can’t risk another attack. You’re not safe here in the human realm and I can’t always be around to protect you. It’s only a matter of time before they strike again and by staying you could put your loved ones in danger. Is that what you want?” He challenges with his hard, cold eyes.

“Of course not, but can’t I…”

“NO,” he interrupts, snapping at me, then seeing the hurt look in my eyes, his voice softens, “I’m sorry, but I can’t let anything happen to you, okay? Do you trust me?”

Biting my lip, I hesitate and slowly nod.

“Good.” Then he entwines our fingers and closing his eyes, he creates a shimmering wall of clear water in front of us.

Turning to me he asks: “You ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be…” I reply.

Together we walk, hand in hand into the water wall portal and come out the other side in a completely new world.