anything seemed to be broken or out of place. “I think you're done for today. I'll call your mom to come and get you."
"I can take her. We drove together. Besides, my car is at her house anyway,” I interrupted.
Larry paused, staring at me for a moment. “Okay, but you better come in tomorrow prepared to work. I didn't like what I saw today. This coming season isn't going to be like last year. You're going to have to actually work."
I sighed. “I will."
After I slipped on my pajama pants over my leo and pulled on my hoodie, I slid my arms back through the sleeves and slipped the shoulders of my leo off. I rolled it down to my hips and put my arms back through the hoodie—a Flashdance kind of move. Leos are so uncomfortable. I helped Mandy up, and we gathered our stuff to leave.
"I don't get it. These are brand new cables and the bars were in fine shape yesterday,” Larry said as he studied the mess of bars and cables scattered on the floor.
That's because it wasn't an accident.
As we headed out of the gym, creepy laughter followed, reminding me of the hidden danger and how it could've severely injured Mandy, or even ended her life. The accident had been meant for me, not her.
I posed a danger to everyone around me.
The stakes had just gotten higher. I had to do something. What, I didn't know. Wasn't I supposed to be some kind of hunter of ... evil? The entity following me would most definitely fit into the evil category. I didn't need any special abilities to figure that one out, although no one else noticed but me.
Why didn't I know what to do? Maybe the ancients figured wrong, and I wasn't really a Vanator . I mean, I couldn't even protect my best friend.
No longer would I be able to pretend that everything hadn't changed. No burying my head in the sand, hoping my new life wouldn't collide with my old. My destiny had been sealed a long time ago, whether I liked it or not.
My two biggest concerns used to be making good grades, so I could get into a good college and working hard in the gym, so I could make it to Nationals and maybe get a scholarship. Now, I had to deal with life and death issues. Kind of puts things in perspective. A perspective I shouldn't have to deal with until I was much older. So much for enjoying my youth. Life for me would never be the same—a reality I had to accept.
"Give me your keys.” I extended my hand toward Mandy.
"I'm fine. I can drive."
"No, I'll drive. You got a pretty good bump on your head.” I curled my fingers toward myself, motioning for her to hand me the keys.
She rolled her eyes and dropped them into my palm. “You're such a pain."
"I know and that's why you love me."
After helping Mandy into the car along with all her crap, I walked around to the driver's side. Bam! A suffocating presence surrounded me. Before I could react, I was knocked to the ground, my face shoved to the asphalt.
"I told you I could have you whenever I wanted. Too bad your little friend got in the way,” the male voice snarled.
He hooked his thumb under the leo, jerking down my pants and baring the upper part of my butt. Adrenaline burst through my veins as I frantically fought back. The unknown intentions of my attacker sent me into a full out panic.
On my lower back near my right hip, two sharp objects plunged into my flesh, radiating pain through the area. Then, something warm and wet slid across my skin.
All at once, the entity evaporated, leaving me shaking and completely freaked out.
"Cheyenne, what are you doing?” Mandy's muffled voice reached me from inside the car, throwing me back into reality.
I pulled myself up off the ground and adjusted my clothes. With a shaking hand, I opened the car door.
"I dropped the keys under the car and couldn't find them,” I said, trying to hide the quiver in my voice.
"And you think you should be the one driving? You can't even hold onto the keys."
Or protect a friend. Or know how to be the ‘hunter’ I was supposed to be.
"I can take her. We drove together. Besides, my car is at her house anyway,” I interrupted.
Larry paused, staring at me for a moment. “Okay, but you better come in tomorrow prepared to work. I didn't like what I saw today. This coming season isn't going to be like last year. You're going to have to actually work."
I sighed. “I will."
After I slipped on my pajama pants over my leo and pulled on my hoodie, I slid my arms back through the sleeves and slipped the shoulders of my leo off. I rolled it down to my hips and put my arms back through the hoodie—a Flashdance kind of move. Leos are so uncomfortable. I helped Mandy up, and we gathered our stuff to leave.
"I don't get it. These are brand new cables and the bars were in fine shape yesterday,” Larry said as he studied the mess of bars and cables scattered on the floor.
That's because it wasn't an accident.
As we headed out of the gym, creepy laughter followed, reminding me of the hidden danger and how it could've severely injured Mandy, or even ended her life. The accident had been meant for me, not her.
I posed a danger to everyone around me.
The stakes had just gotten higher. I had to do something. What, I didn't know. Wasn't I supposed to be some kind of hunter of ... evil? The entity following me would most definitely fit into the evil category. I didn't need any special abilities to figure that one out, although no one else noticed but me.
Why didn't I know what to do? Maybe the ancients figured wrong, and I wasn't really a Vanator . I mean, I couldn't even protect my best friend.
No longer would I be able to pretend that everything hadn't changed. No burying my head in the sand, hoping my new life wouldn't collide with my old. My destiny had been sealed a long time ago, whether I liked it or not.
My two biggest concerns used to be making good grades, so I could get into a good college and working hard in the gym, so I could make it to Nationals and maybe get a scholarship. Now, I had to deal with life and death issues. Kind of puts things in perspective. A perspective I shouldn't have to deal with until I was much older. So much for enjoying my youth. Life for me would never be the same—a reality I had to accept.
"Give me your keys.” I extended my hand toward Mandy.
"I'm fine. I can drive."
"No, I'll drive. You got a pretty good bump on your head.” I curled my fingers toward myself, motioning for her to hand me the keys.
She rolled her eyes and dropped them into my palm. “You're such a pain."
"I know and that's why you love me."
After helping Mandy into the car along with all her crap, I walked around to the driver's side. Bam! A suffocating presence surrounded me. Before I could react, I was knocked to the ground, my face shoved to the asphalt.
"I told you I could have you whenever I wanted. Too bad your little friend got in the way,” the male voice snarled.
He hooked his thumb under the leo, jerking down my pants and baring the upper part of my butt. Adrenaline burst through my veins as I frantically fought back. The unknown intentions of my attacker sent me into a full out panic.
On my lower back near my right hip, two sharp objects plunged into my flesh, radiating pain through the area. Then, something warm and wet slid across my skin.
All at once, the entity evaporated, leaving me shaking and completely freaked out.
"Cheyenne, what are you doing?” Mandy's muffled voice reached me from inside the car, throwing me back into reality.
I pulled myself up off the ground and adjusted my clothes. With a shaking hand, I opened the car door.
"I dropped the keys under the car and couldn't find them,” I said, trying to hide the quiver in my voice.
"And you think you should be the one driving? You can't even hold onto the keys."
Or protect a friend. Or know how to be the ‘hunter’ I was supposed to be.
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