Ivy Olivia and the one winged tower

chapter two- Captured

Chapter two
Captured
         




I wasn’t so sure what woke me first.
         It could have been the howling wind that caused ice and snow pellets to thrust my window with such force that my window rattled. But it also could have been the intense pain that throbbed in the back of my head like a percussion band. I gasped as the pain got more intense. The air hit my mouth and I tasted blood probably from biting my tongue on the fall. But my mouth felt like sandpaper now and my saliva was pasty and sticky under and around my tongue.
         I opened my unwilling eyes to my dark room and walked to the window. The only light was from outside, the glow from the moon and the fluffy white snow that was thundering down leaving sheets of white.
         I stood up and ignored the pain that stormed wildly in the back of my mind like the weather that stormed outside my rattling window. I closed my eyes to block out the pain but the pain was too intense I had to grab and grip the dresser beside me so tightly my hands began to shake. I let go when the pain faded a bit and rubbed my eyes so they could adjust again.
         I needed water; my dry pasty mouth ached for it. I walked slowly to my bathroom and ran the tap to sip the cold water that ran out of the silver tap. I let the water run while I put on my old t-shirt, shorts that I had thrown on the floor the morning before. Then I put on my ice boots on my freezing feet.
         I went over to the running sink that now ran warm water and took a wash cloth to wash the hard crusty blood of my temple. My temple seared with pain but after I scrubbed the crusty blood off it uncovered a big plum sized wound. I scrunched my face at the bloody wash cloth and threw it in the sink. The sight of blood made my stomach turn but I ignored it.
         I pulled out my bathroom drawer and took out my vial of orange herbs. I ate them greedily and felt a billion times better. I wondered how long I had been out for. Obviously a few hours, I thought to myself because it was now dark and it looked like it had been snowing outside for quite a while.
         And the only sound I heard was the wind and the creaks from the house.
         “Everyone must be asleep” I concluded.
         I walked back to the window to take another peak outside. The sky was black with a grayish pink glow. The ground was covered in white but two sets of foot prints were fresh in the snow that weren’t there before. I shivered and remembered what happened before I fell. I wrapped my arms around myself as panic dripped down the back of my throat and into my stomach. What If that pervert was inside the orphanage!
         I whirled around and ran to my door just to stop abruptly in front. I pressed my  ear to the old wooden door and listened, all I could hear were creaks and the window rattling, so I opened the door and peaked out. No pervert, I assured myself and slid out to shuffle down the hall and into the ‘boys down’. I stopped in front of Bradley’s door and knocked lightly but when no one answered I opened the door and stepped inside.
         His room was dark but my eyes had already adjusted to the darkness so I could make out his empty made bed and dirty laundry. His clothes from today were not there, so he obviously wasn’t in here today. I closed the door softly and walked back to the stairs. Anxiety was heavy in my chest and I felt my stomach turn. What if something happened at the game or those horsemen got to them? The thought of it made it hard to breath and I knew an anxiety attack was coming.
         I ordered myself to stay calm. I’m sure everyone is just downstairs huddled around the fire or sleeping in the living room because of the storm, and the red headed pervert was just a figure of my imagination because my head was fizzy from getting hit by a snowball.
         I tipped toed down the stairs trying to keep as silent as possible but my teeth wouldn’t stop chattering and the stairs wouldn’t stop creaking. Down the hall at the bottom of the stairs I saw a light on in Sister Maggie’s room so I tip toed down the hall and walked in her room. The sight made me jump.
         The room was ripped apart. Her forget me not blue wallpaper was in shreds, it looked like claw marks. Her single four poster bed was in ruins and her mattress was up against the wall. Her book shelf was tipped over lying face down and her books we’re scattered all over the floor with pages ripped out. In the corner of the room there were several picture frames scattered on the floor beside a big box of papers that flew around from the smashed window.
         I wrapped my arms around myself as I shivered from the hard cold wind and walked over to the picture frames. I knelt down in front of the box and saw a several children looking up at me from the picture frames.
         A smiling Bradley looked up at me and I picked up the frame. He must have 4 or 5, but I knew it was him because of his bright eyes and happy grin. I rubbed my finger over his face and felt a need for him it made me teary eyes. I took out his picture and claimed it for my own, I turned it over and writing caught my eye. In sister Angela’s neatest handwriting wrote:
                   Bradley Murray Tease
                   Cayden Castle
                   Cassidy Lou Tease and Murray Cian Tease
                   Nurse                                deceased
         Weird, I thought to myself and reread it again. Cassidy and Murray must be Bradley’s parents, and even weirder, it said he was from Cayden castle. Hm.
         I pocked his picture and picked up another frame. Not looking at the picture I took it out and turned the photo around and saw sister Angela’s neat handwriting again.
                   Brooklyn Bag
                   September 1st
                   Morris Bag and Bubric Bag
         Deceased                      missing
         Just as I put the photo down and went to grab another I heard a loud hissing sound that came from the other side of the window. I picked up the frame and ducked behind the bed. From there I could see the window. Two skinny naked figures stood outside peering into the window. One of the figures put a hand on the window. The hand was pale and skinny. Long fingernails like needles reached out and scratched the window.
         Dark draggers. I started to panic and tucked myself between the mattress and the wall.  That when my own picture caught my eye.
         I knew it was me because of my unnatural green eyes that caught my eyes. I remembered taking this picture; Sister Angela had made us all take pictures for ‘safety reasons’. Why they in were boxes, I wasn’t sure. I took the picture out of the simple black frame and skimmed the smooth picture with my finger. I turned around it and read Sister Angela’s neat hand writing.
                   Ivy Olivia xxxxxxx
                   Xxxxxx xxxxxx
                   Victoria xxxxx    Malachy xxxxxxxx
                   Xxxxxxxxx                              xxxxxxxxxx
         I lifted the picture up to the light and scratched the scribble marks on my picture but I could only make out one word that spelt ‘Cayden’.
         I was lost in thought, my parents were named Victoria and Malachy. I had never known anything about my parents because sister Angela had told all the children that she got us from a town over, the only other town on this island and it had burned down when we were only little. Why hadn’t she told us the truth about Cayden?
         A loud hiss broke my concentration and made me jump. The dark draggers we’re now in St. Amos’s orphanage. I could hear them crawling upstairs, their nails scratching the walls beside them, I took the opportunity and ran from my hiding spot to book it to the basement where there was a secret room.
         There was a secret room down there that no one would find unless they had the password and I knew my family would be down there. Sister Angela had told us about it a long time ago. It would be our safe haven, in case something like this even happened.
         I entered the tiny one roomed basement just as I heard the dark draggers come back down the stairs hissing and screeching.  I walked up the wall on the east side and stopped. I put my hand against the wall and then my head.
         “My name” I whispered into the wall like it was a secret lover. “is Ivy Olivia of St. Amos’s orphanage.”
         I leaned up closer, my lips almost touching the wall. “And the password is Banana cookie.”          
         I had always laughed at the password.  Sister Angela has made Bradley and I each pick the most random word we can think off. And those words, joined together, would be our password. I always pick banana.
         I waited for the wall to change but it was too late, the dark draggers were descending down into the basement and I don’t think I was going to make it. I couldn’t give the others away.
         I looked into the wall, feeling Bradley on the other side. I didn’t move my lips to whisper.
         “Bradley I love you” I said into the wall knowing he was on the other side as close to the wall as I was. “But it’s my turn to save you.”
         I looked into the wall that was starting to clean could faintly see Bradley’s beautiful eyes pleading with me not to do what I was about to do. I felt the fear sink in my stomach, but I had to ignore it and be brave. I had to be brave for my family though, they needed me to be brave. I knew that they would have done the same for me.
         I turned around and ran towards the dark draggers. My adrenaline was pumping and I ran towards them with fists swinging. Just as I collided with them I could hear Bradley’s pleas but it was too late. Big scaly white hands wrapped around my wrist slicing my skin with needle thin fingernails. I screamed at the scorching pain and tried to run into the opposite direction of my family but the grip was to strong.          
         The dark dragger that wasn’t holding me came close to my face. White skin and yellow eyes was all I could see. The smell was horrible, like sour milk and dead animals. A low hissing sound came from its throat and it sounded like a chuckle. It was mocking me.
         I tried to think, but I didn’t need to. My body was already moving before I dismissed my thoughts. My free hand lifted up and punched the dark dragger in the face. But this did nothing except entertain him.
         The dark dragger that held my wrist squealed with glee as the other one I had just hit open its mouth bearing teeth full of needles. I screamed and stomped on the dark draggers sensitive foot with my spiky ice shoes.
         The dark dragger hissed in pain and let my wrist go. I bolted up the stairs with all the force I had. Scaly white hands made a grab for my shoulder, but missed and sliced open my shoulder blade. I screamed as the pain seared white hot on my back and ran through the rest of my body like poison. I clenched my fists and continued to run up the stairs as fast as I could. I didn’t even look back to see the two dark draggers chasing me on four legs, but I knew I didn’t stand a chance against them.
         I ran into the living room with all my strength but I tripped over our pretty purple rug that Laura (a twelve year old girl from the orphanage) made her from all of us years ago. I hit the ground with a big thump. I coughed and felt hot blood sizzle in my nose and drip into my mouth. But I knew I couldn’t give up.
         I rolled onto my back just in time for the two dark draggers to catch up to me. One pounced onto my wrists slicing them open with its needle fingers. I screamed with pain but just before the other dragger pounced on me for the kill I lifted my leg up and kicked him with my spiky ice shoes.
         The dark dragger fell back screaming and holding its stomach with pain. This didn’t make the other one happy at all. He let go of my wrists’ and circled around me ready incased I kicked up.  He was on my left side now and sprung up to attack but something pounced at it first. The foxy red dog from the window. 
         The dragger screamed in pain as it struggled under the dog but in seconds the screaming stopped and the dog looked up at me with its tongue longing out of the side of its mouth and its tail wagging. The dog looked so proud of itself as it looked at me with his shinny yellow eyes, so proud it didn’t even see the second dark dragger leaped to pounce on him.
         Just before the dragger landed on the dog a metal spear flew through the neck of dragger. With a big bang, the dragger flew into the side of the wall and fell flat. Dead still.
         “Zeppelin you sly dog you.” A creamy accented voice from behind me chirped. “Stop looking at pretty girl’s and pay more attention.”          
         A green robe flashed by my eyes and I could see shaggy red hair. He turned to me and bright green eyes we’re smiling at me. “You okay Ivy Olivia my darling?”
         

‘It was the pervert from the window!’I shrieked in horror and jumped up to back up against the wall.
         “Get away from me!” I screamed at him.
         His eyes weren’t smiling anymore and he was waving his arms around in protest walking towards. “No Ivy Olivia I’m here to help you!”
         “Ewe no get away from me you pervert!” I shouted at him edged my way right against the wall. When I had a chance I was going to run away and hiding. I could probably run away from the pervert and the dog looked too occupied in Sister Angela’s fake cat statue. So I had a chance.
         “I’m not a pervert!” He said looking offended. “I’m here to save you, I swear!”
         “You were outside my window!”
         “I was looking out for draggers is all!” He said keeping his hands in the air. “We knew they were coming for you, that’s why we’re here.”
         I looked at him in disbelief. “We’ll you did a wonderful job but now I have to go to my family.”
         Just on cue Bradley ran into the room pulling me into a sore embrace.
         “Oh god Livy” He said holding me tightly and pulling my face into his shoulder. “Don’t ever do that to me again”
         He pulled me back and looked at me in the eyes. “Okay?”
         I nodded. Emotion now catching up to me I started to cry in pain and in fear.  My body ached all over, and white hot pain burned along my back. It was so painful that I could barely stand up straight. Bradley was almost carrying me and he was brushing my hair back with his hand.
         I felt something brush my side and saw Zeppelin the dog sitting snug against me, looking up at me wagging its tail. That’s when I felt Bradley turn to the red head and spoke.
         “Are all the draggers gone?” He asked him.
         “No Devon’s outside taking care of the last of them.”
         “So what do we do now?” Bradley asked him now massaging the back of my neck.
         “Aye we should carry on shouldn’t we?” I heard him speak to us. “I was attempting to, but Ivy Olivia here just thinks I’m a big pervert.”
         Bradley let out a laugh and I felt him give me a squeeze then whisper in my ear. “They saved us Liv, everyone in the town is safe because of them.”
         I looked up at the red head who was now staring at me with a odd expression on his face. But when he saw that I was looking at him he smiled and put out his hand.
         “I’m Phifer Fitzgerald.” I reached out to his head shakily and shook it. This seemed to please him because he was now beaming and looking at his hand. “But now we seriously have to get a move on.”
         “Do you want me to carry you Livy?” Bradley asked but I shook my head and follow after Phifer who was leaving the living room and heading out the front door. Bradley stopped before leaving the orphanage to grab me a jacket and as I put it on it burned the wounds on my shoulder and my back but I bit my tongue.
         We followed Phifer out into the storm. Cold wind and snow pelted me in the face but Bradley stuck out his arm to help protect me from the freezing cold. We walked around the orphanage towards the old shed that had been locked for ages. But the door was now wide open with snow blowing in.          
         Oddly enough, I was curious. I had never been in the shed because Sister Angela had always kept it locked shut with enchantments.
         We walked into the old shed and I was disappointed. It was just a big empty shed with a big old crack mirror. Phifer stopped in the middle of the room and turned to Zeppelin.
         “Why don’t you go help Devon while I try and organize this big mess.” He spoke to the dog like it understood everything he said because the dog turned and ran out into the storm, skipping away. Phifer then turned to me and rubbed his face. Exhaustion hung on his face like a curtain on a stage. “I suggest you guys sit tight for a bit until Santie and Cara come back. Then we leave.”
         I was too tired and too sore to ask what he meant by leaving. Bradley must have felt the same way because he just pulled me over to the wall and sat me down, letting me cuddle into him to keep warm.  Phifer just peaked out of the shed and started to pace.
         I shut my eyes and ignored the searing pain that throbbed down my back. I started to shake because of the pain and Bradley cuddled me harder. Against force I was starting to daze off and soon I was in a dream.
         The scenery was defiantly a place I’ve never visited nor ever dreamed off. Even though I couldn’t feel it, I knew it was cold and chilling. The place was black, white, silent, and dead. And I wasn’t afraid. The place held scenes of peace and even though it was a dark place, I felt the light somewhere yonder.
         I stood there looking down a grey path surrounded by dead forest. Withered leaves and dead flowers blew over the path that lead up to a grey stone ruin of a statue. The lack of colour and life was frightening but I knew I’d have to walk the path.
         I took in a deep breath and stepped onto the path. The scenery then turned a little more colorful and a few dead leaves floated up to the branches. A few pieces of grass sprouted between the cracks of the path and turned a light green. I heard a bird chirp from far away.
         I took another step and the same thing happened, the scenery went brighter and flowers started to bloom.  I took a few more steps closer to the statue and the place grew more alive.  I picked up the pace and started to jog down the path until I reached the ruin of the statue.
         The ruin of the statue wasn’t the same statue as it was when I was at the beginning of the path. It was now a beautiful marble masterpiece. It looked like an angel, but had what looked like moss and plants in her hair, and draped down her beautiful marble dress. Her face was also sharp and her features were pointed. I knew this wasn’t heavens angel- this was an angel who lived on the earth.
         The pose of the angel was beautiful itself. One of her wings was bent and the other was open wide. Her face was calm and but it beamed with happiness. The angel’s arms were up and opened as though it was trying to catch something from heaven. One of her legs was bent as though she was in the middle of a leap. 
         I put my hand on her bent knee and turned around to face the forest. The black, white, silent, and dead forest was now colorful and alive. There were two deer a few feet away from me grazing silently on luscious green grass. Birds flew from tree to tree chasing each other and nibbling on the plump purple barriers from the small bushes around me.
         “Ivy Olivia?” I whirled around, had the angel just whisper my name?
         I started at the angel’s face expecting it to jump alive. But it stood still in the same leaping position.
         “Livy?” I heard again.
         I took a step back from the statue and waited for something to happen. But instead of the angel coming alive, Bradley walked out. But what was he doing here in my forest?
         He reached out to me and grabbed my hand. His face was glowing and his eyes were lost in mine. There was something different about my Bradley though, he was more at peace then the Bradley I’ve always known and he had a smug look to his face.
He reached up and grabbed my cheek and brought my face close to his. “Livy, I love you, he’ll be there soon.”
         He gave me a quick kiss on the lips, a wink, then vanished leaving me there to dwell in my beautiful forest. The forest was now turning dark as though the sun was going down. Darker and darker it turned until I realized it was gone and I was just beginning to wake from my dream.
         Three figures including Phifer we’re staring down and Bradley and I with a excited look on their faces.