She once again finds herself on an overgrown road. This drive leads to the home she shared with her adopted family. With hope in her heart, she starts to run through the brush. Her heart begins to beat in anticipation of feeling her Mothers’ arms around her once more.
As she gets closer to the house, Elina can just make out the roof, but something else catches her eye. By the tree in the front yard, stands a cross. She skids to a stop and moves closer. It is not just an ordinary cross, but a giant blackened cross standing at least ten feet tall.
She moves closer and to her disgust she sees the skeleton of a body, but something is not right. The cross is upside down, and the body was crucified that way. Its mouth still hangs open in an eternal scream. Elina becomes unaware of her surroundings as she steps closer to investigate. Human bones are scattered around the base of the cross. True shock filters through Elina’s mind once she gets a closer look. What she thought was a human, has decomposed wings!
“An angel!” she whispers repulsed by such cruelty.
“Not an angel, a demon.” A voice says from behind her. Elina turns slowly to find six people staring with various weapons pointed at her.
“Mrs. Francis?” Elina asks stunned to see her childhood teacher. “What is going on here?”
“Not here, Elina. It is not safe, obviously. You can follow us.” The older woman leads her group silently back into the thick brush, towards the woods.
“I need to see my family!” Elina states turning back to the house.
“Your family?” Janet Francis stares at Elina with a contemptuous look on her face. She turns to the others and gestures for them to leave.
“Elina, I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re playing, but I will not be a part of it. Your family died ten years ago, thanks to you.”
Janet turns away walking slowly to the cross and ignores the gasp of outrage from Elina. She strokes the wasted wing of the demon which crumbles like a dried up leaf.
“They came in waves killing as many as they could capture. Those who were strong enough hid or found a way to survive. We lost everything and some lost everyone. You are not welcome here, Keeper!” she sneers at her.
“That’s not possible! I was just with them this morning…” Elina snarls with tears rolling down her cheeks.
She turns and runs to the house, she called home and finds it in total disrepair. Windows are broken out, and the wood is rotted. In a hurry she runs up the porch and steps through the broken door. The house has been stripped of everything valuable. What is left is broken and covered in dust and debris. Elina kicks through trash and finds a broken picture, she squats down and picks it up.
“No,” she whispers as she dusts off the broken picture of her family. Elina is trembling in shock. Ten years! It can’t be, she thinks as she looks around. Could Malach have pushed her ten years into the future?
“The rest of humanity has had to fight tooth and nail to survive, where were you?” Janet demands. “You were supposed to be the key to our protection.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Janet. I am struggling to understand, none of this makes sense. How many of you survived?” Elina implores, dropping her picture and standing up to face her.
“Why would I tell you that? You couldn’t even protect your own family. I will not allow you to kill the rest of us. They hunt for humans, and watchers are a special treat. You can stay one night. I want you gone by morning.” She steps closer, not bothering to hide her hatred for Elina. “Give me a reason to let them know where you are, and I won’t hesitate.” She leans close and whispers, “I may even stay to watch what they do to you.” With a nasty smile on her face she turns and walks out.
Elina hurries to follow her out of the house, feeling she has no other choice. As she passes by the demon she glances one last time at it before she continues.
“Why are you staying here on our property?” Elina asks Janet as she follows along into the woods.
“The caves protect us, for now. We move from place to place. Some of us are watchers and some are not.” She pauses and turns to look at Elina. “You will not tell them you are the Keeper. I don’t want them to think you are special.” Janet snaps at her.
Now staring into the wrinkled face of her aged teacher, she states, “You never treated me like I was anything but a bug. Why is that, Janet? Why should I trust you?” Elina asks, beginning to let her own anger grow.
“Well you proved me right, didn’t you? What good did it do our people to trust in the false prophecy of the Keeper?” Janet laughs and Elina realizes she may be walking into a trap. The older woman steps close and whispers low, “Your village trusted in you to protect them, and so did your adopted family. Where are they now? Dead, that’s where!”
Elina looks in dismay at Janet. It’s true! They are all dead. And what of Malach? Ten years! Panic begins to fill her heart and she begins to hyperventilate. “No! No! I can fix this, I can!” Her voice begins to grow louder and her power begins to hum.
Janet steps closer in alarm and grabs Elina’s arm, “Shut-up girl! You will draw them to us!”
Elina turns and draws her breath to scream for Malach, as pain explodes in the back of her head and the ground rushes up to meet her.
Chapter 4
Floating on a sea of pain, Elina hears the sound of dripping water and smells food. Her stomach
