Hero Mark :.Chapter 2.:

Chapter 2://
Bass flowed through the room, indulging everyone in an intoxication of wildness. Music, complimented with overwhelming beats that consumed everyone in dance in the tall, blue-walled room. Dancing, kissing, touching, everyone was part of one of those three. However, I wasn’t one of them. Instead, I followed Lacey, who danced her way through the pulsing mass. A few people tried to push me out of their space, but I kept trudging along behind my much cooler friend. Even more so, I tried to imitate her. That, unfortunately, was something I was disastrous at. So after a few odd looks, my shoulders slumped over and I continued to walk.
Finally, we had reached a stop in the long, teeming room. Lacey was switching from dancing to touching, embracing a tall, young woman, obviously the hostess of this festivity. The young woman was dressed in an assortment of colors, all bright and neon. Her oddly matched outfit matched her insane hair, dyed rainbow.
“Lacey,” rainbow girl called, a wide smile on her pink lips. “I’m so glad you made it!”
The more rationally dressed Lacey beamed in return. “I know. I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Mandy!” She called above the music, towing me forward to miss rainbow. “Have you met my best friend, Theresa?”
She wagged her finger, pondering. “I think I’ve seen her before at the mall,” she recalled. “But, whatever,” her ecstatic face came back. “Hi, I’m Mandy,”
A composed wave was given in return, a small grin on my face. “Hi, Mandy,” I greeted. “Nice party you got going on,”
Mandy took my hands into hers enthusiastically. “Thank you, so much!”
I tried to give the same amount of zeal, but tonight, it was hard for me. Trying to plaster a fake smile on my face was just infuriating. It was like someone poking you over and over, and trying to ignore it. Still, I swallowed my agitation and beamed. “Yeah,”
“Theresa,” Lacey interjected. “Why don’t you go and grab a beer or something? I’m going to keep an eye out for Fuyuki.”
My shoulders shrugged. That seemed healthy for my irritability. With one final glance at Lacey and Miss Rainbow, I turned and left for the kitchen. To my surprise, there were people in there, too. A few guys stood by the fridge, chatting and drinking. One tall man had a woman on his arm, calmly laughing and drinking. Her gaze kept locked on me, scrutinizing me as I grabbed a beer from the cooler on the counter and stood silently.
Two of the guys gawked at me, too, with smooth, full body stare. Butterflies filled my stomach, heat flushing in my cheeks as I turned my face away from them. The irritable sensation was washed over with subtraction and replaced with a mortified flare. Even though the anger was gone, I wasn’t too sure if I preferred this nervous sputter. My hand touched my stomach, trying to soothe the flutter of the rampant butterflies. Oh how I detested being stared at…
“Hey,” called out a girl.
I jumped, suddenly becoming alert to reality. How long was I zoned out? I looked up, finding the group gone, replaced by a single person.
She was so exotic looking. Her long, tight curls flowed down her back and over her shoulder, framing her tanned, heart-shaped face. Her eyes were a glossy emerald, watching me, kindly. Her full lips were curved into a perfect smile, complimenting her perfect face. Curvy and thin, her body leaned against the counter, a beer in her thin, tanned hand.
My cheeks turned hot. “Hi,” Modestly, I waved briefly.
The gorgeous woman giggled adorably, waving back. “How’re you?”
My shoulders shrugged while my jaw was unwilling to work. My fingers tightened on my beer can, my lips twitching in self-hatred.
“I take it as a bad, then,” she chuckled again.
Finally, I mustered up the strength to look up at her. “No, I’m okay,” coughed out hoarsely.
With a wide smile, she waved her hand dismissingly. “I see, I see, so what’re you up to, then?”
Hating myself, I thought cruelly. But of course, I plastered on that fake smile and pretended as if I didn’t wish I was as beautiful as the exotic angel before me. “Just sipping on a beer,”
“Cool, me too,” she responded, taking a sip of her own beer. “So what’s your name? I’m Cecilia Valdez, the one and only!” It was like a planned introduction, like she thought of herself as a super star. Her hand touched her cheek, her eyes shut gently and her smile tendered.
I grimaced confusedly, shocks of astonishment sending shivers throughout my body. “Yeah,” I mumbled. “I’m Theresa Bruce, nice to meet you, Cecilia.”
She composed herself, winking at me with a smile. “Yup, like my intro?”
How it could be that someone like her existed was beyond me. She seemed more like a character from a TV show than a real person. Oddly enough, I had a hard time deciding whether meeting her was a blessing or a curse. “It was really something, I have to admit.” I mumbled, composing my posture.
“Oh! By the way,” she said, standing straight and tall. “Have you seen my friend Fuyuki? I’ve seemed to lost him,”
Oh of course she’d be linked to Fuyuki. “I haven’t, but I bet you my friend, Lacey, has.”
She smiled again. “Good, because we’re kind of looking for a certain person,”
My head tilted to the side, curious. I hated to ask, but I couldn’t resist the bubble of wonder. “Oh? Who would that be?”
Cecilia chuckled again, waving her hand dismissingly like before. “Oh, it’s nothing for you to worry about! But you’ll have to excuse me while I go find him,” spinning on a heel, she turned and gracefully stepped out of the room.
Thoughtlessly, I followed her. Something inside of my mind yearned to see Fuyuki, no matter how eccentric this woman may be. My pursuing footsteps were drowned out by the pulsing music that still beat through the room like a heart. Oddly enough, I knew this song. Very well, actually! But that was beside the point. I tried to stay focused. I carefully looked over. But, to my surprise, I saw Lacey. My flirtatious friend was having a conversation with a lovely looking Goth boy on a couch. He was beautiful!
But, in my distraction, Cecilia turned and pointed her finger at me, only a few centimeters away from my face. “I wanna take you to my room!” she sang in perfect harmony.
Shocked and speechless, I stood with my hands up in surrender. I felt my eyes wide and my mouth hanging open.
Still, Cecilia stood with a grin, laughter breaking her harmonious singing. “You’re so fun, Theresa!”
My shoulders relaxed, a huff of air brushed my lips. “How did you know I was behind you?”
Cecilia composed herself and pondered my question for a moment. “I just knew,”
She just knew? “Well, whatever…” I murmured, still dazed. “Is that Fuyuki over there?” I pointed over to Lacey.
“Oh, so it is!” she smiled, picking up speed in their direction. “Fuyu!” she called, flailing her arms.
The Goth boy with Lacey slapped his hand to her forehead, embarrassedly. His lips curled over his teeth in a snarl. So, this was Fuyuki?
He lived up to the expectations. He was beautiful, with choppy, sprayed, black hair that looked so soft, so amazing, almost like a black, fluffy pillow. A perfect, pale face matched with the legendary grey eyes was the vision I’d been waiting for, and oh how it was worth the wait! He had the kind of face you wanted to hold in your hands for hours, and the kind of body you wanted to be pressed against, what with that slender form, complimented in black skinny jeans. I envied Cecilia to an endless extent for knowing this person so personally. Unable to resist, I nervously followed her.
“Fuyu,” Cecilia scolded when we made it to Fuyuki and Lacey’s seat on the couch. “Weren’t you told not to wonder off? How do you think Haze and Boss will feel about this? You’re so reckless!” she went on. Such a person like Fuyuki, this dark angel of perfection, would be scolded by such a silly woman? How odd…
Fuyuki snarled under his breath behind clenched teeth. “Didn’t I tell you I was going to do my own investigating?”
“Investigating?” Lacey interrupted. “What? Wait, I’m confused.”
“It’s nothing,” He said, not even looking at my friend. Okay, he’d be perfect if it weren’t for his cold personality I was seeing.
“Hmm…” Cecilia thought, placing her index finger on her chin. “I don’t recall you saying that.”
Fuyuki stood from the couch. “That’s because you’re stupid,”
“Whatever, Fuyuki, you jerk,” She whined, folding her thin arms across her chest.
Fuyuki ran his fingers through his hair with a look of insufferable agitation came into his eyes. The ends of his lips twitched into a grimace as he slapped his palm to his forehead again. “Where’s Haze?”
Cecilia pointed at the front door of the house. “I see her standing over there,” she said, her voice suddenly sober. My gaze followed her gesture, resting on the oddly set person by the door. She just stood there with a distant, dead glare.
“Yup,” Fuyuki murmured, pulling my attention back to our little foursome. “That’s her,”
Lacey pressed her hand against his chest, pushing away from the couch to join Cecilia and me in a stand. Her hands were placed on her hips in a fuming manner. “You need to explain exactly what’s going on,” she hollered over the pulsing music. I felt a few eyes land on us.
Fuyuki stayed seated, unfazed by us towering over him. “I came with three of my friends, Cecilia over here,” he paused to gesture towards the exotic giggle fest next to me. “And Haze,” His hand shifted over to the door to the eccentric woman.
“Oh, well thank you for telling me, you jerk,” she folded her arms across her chest, turning and storming off. I knew how this looked to everyone else. It must’ve looked like this gorgeous Goth cheated on the sexy partygoer. But that didn’t happen, and Lacey would still get all the pity she wanted. Even if she did twist the story into a messed up lie, she was the victim.
“I think you upset her,” Cecilia said, plopping down on the couch next to her friend. She looked over to me with a wide smile, patting down on the seat next to her.
I took her up on her offer and sat next to her, warily. I didn’t quite understand these two, but it was obvious that they were rather interesting characters. And, as odd it was to admit, I was curious of these two, Haze, too. Something clicked around them, like a deep, long lost voice in my head telling me to hang around and attend this conversation. I didn’t care how mad Lacey would be. I’d deal with her later.
“Yeah,” Fuyuki replied, leaning back into his seat. “So, who’s your new friend?”
Cecilia beamed, tugging on my hand to get closer. “This is Theresa! Isn’t she so cute?” she cooed, poking my cheeks.
“No,” he said, soberly. “Wait, aren’t you that one angry chick’s friend? I mean, Lacey.”
I pushed away Cecilia’s hand, afraid to stay in her grasp, although I did feel complimented. The lump in my throat couldn’t be swallowed, so after a second of struggling and quiet stuttering, I nodded timidly. My cheeks flamed in apologetic embarrassment.
But just like that, something happened.
A blood-curdling scream came from the kitchen, devouring the party in utter silence, even the music shut off. Everything stopped, nobody moved. We were all looking towards the kitchen, unsure. After a few moments of silence, they all looked at each other. Confusion swept all of us under a puzzling uproar of questioning. This wasn’t the kind of scream you normally hear unless someone is being attacked. No one saw it coming and no one knew what to do.
Widened with terror, my eyes looked over to Cecilia and Fuyuki.
The two were expressionless, quietly looking at each other. I didn’t know what they were thinking, but it was obvious they were in sync.
Finally, Fuyuki spoke. “Theresa, stay here,” The two got up and ran for the kitchen, leaving me behind on the sofa.
My gaze kept watch on them, not quite sure what to think. I was a bit anxious, a feeling I haven’t felt before accompanying my anxiety. It was kind of like a power of some sort was suppressed in my chest, trying it’s hardest to break free from the cage that was my horror.
Something black consumed my vision, gripping me in an unbreakable hold. Darkness blinded me, pinning me to the couch. I tried to scream, but my voice was lost in the sea of panic. My arms and legs bashed about, struggling to break me free from this terrifying abduction. But alas, it was worthless. Regret filled my mind, all other thoughts evaporated into nothing. I could faintly feel my blinded eyes wet with tears. I regretted coming here. I regretted not following Lacey. I regretted not talking to my parents as much. A yearning to tell them how much I loved them filled me. I regretted not doing that, too. It felt like hours that I struggled for freedom. Why wasn’t anyone helping me? Didn’t someone see me, being held against the couch? More tears filled my eyes. In my heart, a feeling of abandonment lingered. The tears dripped down my cheeks, hitting the hand that held me down.
But then, I heard a voice. “Theresa, stay still,” she whispered. It was a beautiful voice, sweet and velvety.
Sobbing and shivering, I obeyed. It wasn’t very clear what was going on, but the darkness evaporated into a grey smoke, vanishing in the air, and a brown haired beauty came into view. Her face was pale, complimented by a pair of hazel eyes. Her full, pink lips were in a pressed line, her mind focused and attentive.
“Fuyuki,” she called out, still staring into my eyes. “I found the last one,”
My mouth opened, but my voice still wasn’t able to make words of it. My gaze searched around, finally piecing together that I wasn’t on the couch anymore. Haze sat over me, her hands pressed against my stomach, as I lay on the floor with a wet face.
“Theresa,” she continued. “This won’t make much sense, but you are a goddess.”
Well, she was right. That didn’t make sense. Finally, my hoarse voice made words. “What the hell are you talking about?”
She sighed. “Fuyuki is the god of snow. Cecilia is the goddess of earth, I’m the goddess of illusions, and you, Ms. Bruce, are the goddess of water.” A loud crash came from the kitchen, followed by an unnaturally cold sensation.
My vision faded in and out of focus, my eyes still blurred from the wetness of my tears. I heard what sounded like someone patting my chest rhythmically, but from what could be seen, Haze was still and focused. Weakly, my hand moved to my chest. Nothing was there, just my damn shirt. Why was it wet? The strength needed to move my head up couldn’t be found. Blood, maybe? Panic aroused inside of me. The thought of my death stirred inside of my mind. I didn’t want to die. I wasn’t ready. A loud sob escaped my clenched teeth.
Cecilia called out, her voice shrill and panicked. “Haze, unlock her!”
Haze growled. “I’m working on it,”
My hand reached up and touched her face. Nothing made sense. All I wanted was an answer to this madness, and I wanted it to be truthful. No way was I a goddess. My body wasn’t perfect enough, my thoughts weren’t smart enough, everything about me was just average. How could someone like me be even remotely similar to a deity?
But then, something washed over me. Water flowed over me, consuming in the waves. Only, there was no water. Before my eyes, I could see images I’ve dreamed before. A large man, a beautiful woman with silvery hair, a cloaked man, and other odd things, they all came over me like a wave. Then, that suppressed feeling of power was gone. Only, it wasn’t gone. Instead, it shifted to a feeling of freedom, like I was finally wide awake after a long sleep. Maybe…this wasn’t so crazy…
Then, the image of a woman, perfect in every manner, came to view. Her hair was blond and flowing down her robes. Her eyes were a sapphire blue, just like mine. This was the first water goddess, and I was the new one.
“I believe you,” I whispered, shutting my eyes. And it was true, I did believe her now. Why this assurance in my heart was so strong was beyond me, but I’d never been so sure of anything in my entire life. Even though this situation didn’t make any sense and probably never scientifically will, I wasn’t about to give up and pretend this never happened. This stranger, spitting insanity into me, came to my rescue. And who knows? Maybe… Maybe science can’t explain everything?
“Theresa?” I heard Cecilia say, her voice soft and concerned. She was close now. Really close.
My eyes opened, my vision clear, seeing the other two joining Haze in sitting over me, watching me. Looking away, a loud, distressed groan escaped me. Still, I couldn’t find my talking voice.
Cecilia took my face into her hands, making me look up at her. “Theresa,” she said delicately. Her eyes were sympathetic and concerned as she moved her hand away from me. “You’re bleeding. Rather badly, actually. But Haze put a spell on everyone so we look like we’re just talking while they’re still partying, so don’t worry.” That was the least of my worries.
Fuyuki sighed out a puff of air, distastefully. “I don’t think she cares about that,”
Haze pushed away the other two, gesturing them away. “We need to get her to Eri,”
My hand reached out for Cecilia, feelings of deep apprehension bubbling up in my chest. Pain erupted, forcing me to recoil back into my limp lay. This feeling, this throbbing, sent shock through my body, and it was then I decided that I no longer cared where I was, who these people were. I just wanted this antagonizing pain to be lifted.
“Let me carry her,” Cecilia suggested, trying to push closer to me. All the sympathy in her eyes was gone, replaced with blunt fret.
Haze tucked her long, brown hair behind her ear, standing up from her neat sit on the floor beside me. Tidily, she flattened her turquoise shirt of creases. She shut her eyes, thinking deeply from what I saw. We all waited in silence.
“No,” she finally replied, opening her deep, hazel eyes. “Fuyuki’s stronger, and blood won’t show on his clothes. He should carry her.”
Unquestioning, Fuyuki swooped me into his arms, swiftly. His eyes still reflected his lack of emotion, challenged by his objecting frown. With a grunt of loathing, he looked down at me. “She’s fat and smells like blood.”
“Hey!” I shouted. The confusion leaving my face could be felt as it shifted to protest. “I’m not fat!”
Fuyuki shook his head silently and began walking towards the front door.
My head rested on my carrier’s chest. Not surprisingly, he smelled marvelous. His minty fragrance lifted off of his jacket, hugging my senses. He was most definitely an ass hole, but he sure was pretty to look at. Now that I was this Hero or whatever, did that mean I had to work with this boy? The thought made me giggle, but I held it back. Lacey would kill me if she knew that I was spending time with her boy-toy.
Fuyuki stopped, seating me in a sleek, expensive looking car. The movement hurt my body, making me whine in protest. “Oh shut up and deal with it,” he hissed back.
“Shut up, Light!” Cecilia spat. “You know being unlocked hurts!”
A slight, barely noticeable sense of relief washed over me. The optimist in me was glad that I wasn’t alone, and that someone would be at my side, but every other fiber in my body was just wishing I’d stayed home. With a heavy sigh, I looked down at my chest for the first time, and it was horrible.
Dark maroon dampened my black shirt. It seemed my whole midsection had been hosed down with a hose full of blood. The rustic stench lifted off of my clothes, too, making my nose crinkle at the newly recognized odor.
“Relax,” Haze whispered as she leaned over me in a shielding crouch. The rest of the car was silent, only her soothing murmur cascaded through the darkness.
“Haze…?” I hummed, looking over to the astonishing splendor beside me. “What’s going to happen next?”
Fuyuki was the one who answered, this time, to my surprise. “Simple,” he started. “You’re going to receive medical attention and then we’ll fill you in on being a Hero.”
His agenda seemed simple enough, but the distraught feeling inside of me didn’t soothe any. Was I ready for such an ordeal? I haven’t even decided on what college I’d go to, let alone how I was going to be a goddess! “There has to be some kind of mistake,” I mumbled.
“No ma’am,” the gothic driver assured. “It’s rather difficult to mess these kinds of things up. Regardless, those four lines on your ankle prove you’re the water deity.”
“How the hell…” I tried to argue, but gave up, clenching onto my throbbing abdomen.
“All of the Heroes have a similar mark placed somewhere on their body.” Haze explained, moving the brown locks out of the way and pointing to her forehead. There, a small fixture of four lines sat. “They’re called Hero Marks,”
How original, I thought, shifting my troubled gaze out the darkly tinted windows.