Seven
Going to the House of Night
  
Age : 32
Posts : 120
Location : Moving again!!!
Join date : 2010-07-16
Character sheet
Name: Simon Cornelius
Age: 17
Affinities : Fire, Darkness
 | | Subject: Lost: An Emerald Academy Novella Sat Jul 17, 2010 12:58 pm | |
| So I'm gonna be brief before I get to the story. This short story, or Novella, is based on the second summer of my characters' academy years. However, this is unofficially official, and I am not sure yet as to whether it will be Canon to the series or not, but all the same, it is a very interesting story, in my opinion, and allowed me to play around with different situations and problems for my characters outside of their academy lives. So here it is, the second chapter in Lost.
*I will have the first chapter included as soon as I figure out how I want to end it lol
**As per rules of this site, many sections of dialogue had to be edited or taken out all together due to language violations. That said, some parts may not flow well or sound right.
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"Dude," Spike whispered near my ear, "Do something about your girlfriends."
I glanced away down the corridoor, where Kari and Bre seemed to be in a heated arguement. Even through the dim light, I could tell that Kari was furious. I sighed and shook my head. "I'll take care of it," I muttered.
Spike grinned sardonically and patted me once on the shoulder, before catching up with the group. I steeled myself and approached the girls. They're arguement stopped at once when they saw me.
"Oh, no, don't stop on my account," I said sarcastically, shoving my hands in my pockets. Then I dropped the pretense, "What the hell are you arguing about now?"
"None of your business, Hiro," Kari snapped, glaring at Bre, who snorted. Kari gritted her teeth and spat, "What are you laughing at?"
"The sheer hypocracy of the situation," Bre said, taking a stride over to me. She draped her arms around my shoulders, lacing her fingers behind my neck and kissed me lightly on the cheek. "Come on, Kari, tell Hiro what your problem is."
"My problem? You're the one who threw a fit because I was standing too close to your precious boyfriend!"
"That's what you two are going on about? Again?" I asked, the familiar frustation building up inside me.
"It wouldn't be an arguement if she wasn't so shallow all the time!" Kari snapped. "And he's my best friend, so I can be near him if I want."
She approached my other side and laced her fingers in mine. Bre leered menacingly at her. I jerked my hand away from Kari and pushed Bre off me. I wasn't going to put up with this rivalry bullshit.
"Look, why don't the two of you grow the hell up? I'm fed up with all this competition and jealousy between you guys!"
"Then tell your friend to back off!" Bre sneered, taking a step near me, but I cut her off, raising a hand.
"No, both of you need to cut this *edit your post and this will go away* out. Bre, I'm fed up with you always going at it with her! Why don't you just--"
"You're blaming me?" she cried, ther anger in her voice almost palpable.
"I didn't say that, Bre."
"Like hell! You just can't stand to ever put the blame on her!"
"Because I'm his best friend, not his little plaything," Kari jeered.
"Says you..." Bre murmured, looking away.
I was vaguely aware of Spike, Chase, and the others watching us. Face burning, I took the two girls by the hand and dragged them futher down the corridoor. When the others were safely out of site, I turned and glared at the girls.
"Look, I'm fed up with this. Completely. I'm not putting up with it anymore. Got it? Bre, if you don't stop your *edit your post and this will go away*, we're done," I said with a tone of finality. Bre stared at me in disbelief, seemingly speechless. I turned to Kari, who was trying to hide a triumphant smile. I raised a fnger at her. "You too, Kari. If you keep this *edit your post and this will go away* up, consider me out of your life for good."
"Why the hell are you--" she started, but Bre cut her off.
"Fine...Forget it," she whispered in a voice that was obviously on the verge of tears. "We're done...Happy? We're finished..."
She walked away, out of the range of my flashlight, but I could still hear her muffled sobs.
"Bre, I didn't mean it like that," I muttered, following her. Kari followed behind me. I had to give her credit. She and Bre may fight like cats over every little thing, but she could accept responsibility and admit when she was at fault. We exhanged a look and I clearly read the apology on her face. She may have wanted me and Bre to break up, but not like this. "Bre, come on...you know I didn't mean it," I said when we reached her. She was crouched down against the wall, arms wrapped around her legs, face buried in her lap, her long brown hair curtaining her face. My heart sank.
"Bre?" Kari whispered, kneeling down and placing a hand on her back. "Bre, I'm really sorry...I didn't mean to make you cry..."
"Leave...me a-alone," she stammered. "Just go...I'll h-head back...to the house and wait f-for you guys..."
"No, come with us, Bre," I insisted softly, taking my place beside her. "I want you with me."
"No you don't..." she whispered, her voice steadying. "You want to break up...I understand completely. I'm a royal pain, anyway..."
"No, you're not--"
"Yes she is," Kari interjected.
"Kari!" I snapped, glaring up at the girl.
"I'm just being honest." She shrugged.
"How is that helping?!"
"Because she deserves the truth, and I know you won't tell her."
"What are you talking about?!"
She turned her attention back to Bre and began rubbing her back gently. "Breann, it's true that you're obnoxious most of the time. So much so that I want to claw your eyes out and rip out your hair, but that's part of what makes you so attractive to Hiro. He loves that side of you just as much as everything else."
I aimed the flashlight lower, as to hide my reddening face. Dang, Kari was intuitive.
"He also loves you, no matter what."
I rolled my eyes, grinning in spite of myself. Kari certainly had a way with words.
"And besides, if you and him break up, who's going to keep him in line? He needs a mean person to straighten him out. We all know I can't do it," she said with a grin.
At this, Bre snickered. She looked up at us with red eyes, smiling sweetly. It was a relief to see her smile. Everything was okay. I looked up at Kari to thank her, but was surprised to see the hurt look on her face, her eyes dark with a deep sadness. Maybe everything wasn't okay...
I bit back my bitter feelings and helped Bre to her feet. "Thanks," she whispered. She raised her head and pushed her hair out of her face. "I just need something for my headache and I'll be okay."
She leaned against the wall, sighing deeply. That's when it happened. There was a loud sound of stone scraping against stone and a low rumble under out feet. Just as I shined my flashlight on Bre, I saw the gaping hole form behind her. She began to fall backwards, into the abyss.
"Bre!" Kari and I cried out at the same time as we both lunged out to grab her as she fell. I just barely managed to grasp her wrist, but she had already lost her footing and was falling into the hole. I had no leverage at the angle I was in and fell in as well. I reacted and reached for Kari and we locked wrists. However, I was far to heavy for her small frame and pulled her down with us.
It may have only been several feet, or maybe several meters, but all I know is that I hit the ground below us hard on my back, knocking the air right out of my lungs. I was disntinctly aware of a loud smashing sound as the hole in the wall above us resealed. It took several minutes for the painful stabbing sensation in my back to fade and for my breathing to return to normal. I writhed, my back arched slightly, digging my elbows into the stone floor. My head also felt like it had been split with an ax, and I knew a nasty bump would have already formed on the back of my skull.
"Hiro?" Kari gasped in a choked breath, sounding as hurt as I was. "Hiro, where are you?"
"I'm right here," I called, slowly forcing my shallow breaths to deepen. "Are you okay?"
"I...I don't know...I landed on my arm...I...I think it's broke."
"What about Bre? She fell before us."
Kari didn't answer, and for a moment, the horrifying possibility surged through me. Fear welled up inside me and I began to shout, "Bre?! Breann, answer me! Bre!"
"I," Bre suddenly choked. "I'm right h-" she choked again. "right here..."
"Thank god..." I murmured, aware of my heart hammering in my chest. I heard her the sound of churning water as she approached us. "Is that water?"
"I-I think so...I fell inside some kind of pool. The water is really warm.
"How deep is it?"
"I don't know...I fell in and didn't hit the bottom. But I almost drowned. I hadn't been expecting it and I had almost no breath...I really thought I was going to drown. I had no idea how far from the surface I was."
"Can we stop talking about you getting wet and help me?" Kari interrupted, her voice tense, sounding as if she was on the verge of tears. "Seriously, I think my arm is broke! I need help!"
"Hold on, Kari," I called back to her, forcing myself to sit up. The pain had faded considerably, but I still felt a jolt as I stood up. I staggered in the direction of her voice, barely able to stand. I slipped on wet stone several times before I reached her. Her ragged breathing was interrupted only by quiet sobs every few seconds. Numbly, I fell to my knees, my head still spinning to fast to stand any longer. I bent down over her, feeling around for her backpack strap.
"What the hell are you doing?!" she gasped with a mix of pain and shock.
"I'm trying...to get your bag. I lost my flashlight. I need yours."
"Well that's not my bag!" she snapped. I was glad it was dark; my face surely must have been beat red. "It hurts, Hiro..."
"I know...hold on. I'm going to sit you back up so I can pull your bag off. Brace yourself."
"Okay," she murmured and I felt her nod her head. Slowly, I forced her into a sitting position, silent apologizing for her painful cries as I disturbed her injured arm and other possible injuries. I reached into her backpack and felt around. After a moment, I felt the familiar oblong shape and pulled it out. I held Kari up with one arm behind her back and flicked on the flashlight. I was momentarily dazed by the sudden burts of light, but my eyes adjusted.
"Light is truly the greatest invention ever," I murmured, looking down at Kari, whose eyes were clenched shut and jaw set, teeth bared in pain.
"You mean...electricity," she replied, wincing as she moved slightly.
"Hey," Bre called from behind us. "Can you shine that over my way? I have no idea where I'm going."
I obeyed and turned and shined the flashlight on her. Just in time too, for she was just a few steps away from what appeared to be another large hole, sitting in the floor, square in shape. Bre raised a hand when the beam hit her, and slowly she adjusted, saw the hole, and made her way around it and to us. She was soaked. Her dark blue jeans and red tee sagged with the weight of the water. Her hair was in tangled and matted against her face, shoulders, and back. When she reached us, she collapsed beside me and leaned against me, sending cold chills down my spine.
"You okay?" I whispered and kissed her on the top of her head. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
"No," she breathed, closing her eyes and shaking her head gently. "But I lost my bag in the pool...I don't know where it fell."
"Don't worry about it...I need to take a look at Kari's arm though, so hold on for a few."
She nodded and I turned back to Kari, who was looking down warily at her left arm. The wrist was bruised and looked like it was already begining to swell.
"Can you move it?" I asked, touching it gingerly, getting a hiss of pain in response.
"Y-yeah...it just hurts. Bad..." she said, biting back tears. "Hiro..it hurts so much!"
"I know...Let me see if there's anything in your bag--"
"There isn't. I just brought some stuff I thought I might need, like extra batteries and a change of lighter clothes in case it got too hot."
"Can I get those from you?" Bre asked, turning to look at Kari. "I'm kind of soaked here."
"They aren't your size--Ouch--but sure," Kari whimpered as I tried to lift her wrist.
I reached into Kari's bag and pulled out the wads of clothing I found and put them in Bre's lap. "Get changed," I said, laying Kari on her back and standing up to help Bre up. She took my hand and staggered to her feet. With the clothes in her hand, she walked a few paces away. I followed her with my flashlight, keeping her in view just in case. She began taking off her shirt, but stopped. She turned around and looked at me, with a mix of irritation and concern.
"Can you please not watch me change?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Eh...sorry..." I whispered. I set the flashlight down, still aimed at her, and turned back to Kari. Blindly, I pulled her so that her head rested on my lap. She gazed up at me through parted eyes.
"It hurts, Hiro..."
"I know...just...just relax," I said, sounding as unsure as I felt. I stroked her cheek gently, waiting for Bre to get changed.
"No bra?" she asked from behind me.
"Bre, you couldn't fit into my bra, so don't worry about it," Kari replied, smiling slightly.
I had to steel myself again and force the mental images that were coming to me.
"Ugh, are skirts the only thing you wear?" Bre asked in mild disgust.
"I'm wearing jeans right now, aren't I?" she shot back.
"I guess that means I'm sticking to wet jeans."
"Why?"
"I'm not comfortable in skirts."
"Bre," I interupted. "I've seen you in skirts plenty."
"Yeah, but the ones Kari wears are way to short for me. I don't want to look like I'm giving myself away, you know."
"Bre..." I said with a warning tone. I looked at Kari through the corner of my eye and saw that she looked genuinely hurt by that remark, but in far too much pain to say aything. Then my heart jumped. Was it just me or was she getting paler? "Bre, come look at her. She's getting pale."
"Huh? Okay." Bre came back over, picked up the flashlight, and shined it on Kari from above. "Umm, Hiro...I think I see why she's so pale."
"Huh?" I glanced up at her, only to see an outstretched and and a finger pointing towards Kari's lower half. I looked at her legs and froze. Protruding from just above her knee was what looked like a stone stake. It was buried several inches in, blood seeping out from around it. It was then that I realized just how severe the situation was. An injury like that was beyond anything I could help...What was worse was the fact that Kari was still in shock...Soon enough, the pain would hit her with full force.
"Shit, Bre, what the hell am I supposed to do about that?" I asked, glancing up at her.
"About what?" Kari breathed weakly, her head lulling to the side, her eyes closed.
"Nothing, now shut up and relax, you look horrible."
"I feel horrible."
"I don't know, I'm no surgeon, but if we take it out and wrap it maybe it would heal?"
"You mean if I take it out and wrap it?"
"I'm not doing it. Blood and I don't mix well," she replied, shuddering slightly.
"What are you two going on about?" Kari asked, looking up at us weakly. Her emerald eyes betrayed fear and pain.
"Kari, you're hurt," I said, rubbing her upper arm gently. "Bad."
"How bad? I know I hurt my leg but...I don't want to look at it. If I see my bone poking out..." she trailed off, tears forming.
"No, it's not that bad, you're just...When you fell, you landed on a, umm, a spike or something or other. It's...stuck in your leg."
Relief washed over Kari's feature's and she smiled weakly. "Well, if that's all it is, I guess I can look now." Wincing and clenching her fists tight, she pulled herself into a sitting position and stared at her injured leg. She wiped a hand across her forehead and grinned. "Well, dang, that's not good, is it."
"How bad does it hurt?" I asked, moving over to her leg and shining the light directly on it. Blood had soaked her jeans, and glistened off the stone stake in the light.
"I've had worse. Broke my my femur once, busted through the skin. No pain like that. I'll be fine...but I don't think I can walk."
"Well, you sure as hell ain't gonna try either. Look, we're going to have to take this thing out." I looked up at Bre with a frown. "And by we, I mean me. So you're going to just have to stay still and let me do this. Uh...it's going to hurt..."
"Yeah, that makes me feel load better about the situation, Hiro," Kari replied giving me a look that was something between amusement and annoyance.
"Just, I dunno, squeeze my arm or something if it hurts. I'm not exactly a doctor so...here we go I guess. Bre, hold her steady for me."
Bre nodded and crouched down behind Kari, resting her hands on the girl's shoulders. Kari reached and grasped my wrist and forearm with both hands tightly. I placed my left hand on her thigh and wrapped my right hand around the stake, making sure my grip was tight.
"On the count of three, take a deep breath and bear with me, okay?" I glanced at Kari, who nodded. "Okay, one...two...three!"
I pulled the stake hard, getting only a little resistance before it slid out, quick and clean, but Kari cried out shrilly, digging her nails into my left arm, doubled over, sobbing and shaking, while Bre held tightly onto her. I looked down at the open wound and my stomach churned. The hole was gushing blood, almost like a hose on low pressure. I felt nausea overcome me and I had to look away to keep myself from puking.
"Well..." I panted, getting my stomach under control. "The worst part is over..."
Still sobbing and bent over, and still clutching onto my arm, she nodded her head and I heard a small "Mmhmm" sound from her.
"Now," I muttered, looking around with the flashlight, "we just have to find a way out of here." | |
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Always feels nice to recieve praise for hard work. I appreciate it, and more is indeed on its way.