Contest: Keeper Exams

Host: THGF1234

I twirl my fingers anxiously around the silver tipped strands of my blonde hair and subconsciously scuff the heel of my shoe along the floor. Thunder rumbles outside and several streaks of lightning dance before the open window. I watch the rain beat down against the pavement and listen to the rhythmic humming of the droplets colliding with the earth. A chilling breeze swirls through the screen-less window and whooshes past my still form. A sense of dread comes over me and I cross my arms over my chest.

Maybe this was mother nature telling me not to go. To stay here, in the safety of my tiny makeshift home. Perhaps the storm was a sign, a testament that I didn't need Everett to make it through this. That I'd be okay. Then again...

I was out of options.

Two bright lights pull up along the side of the road out front the house and I push away from the wall. The yellow taxi cab glistens within the cyclone of frenzied raindrops. A loud honk bellows through the already polluted air and a thunderous boom answers the taxi's cry of impatience. Sighing heavily, I pull my light jacket around myself and step out into the unforgiving storm.

Cold water slithers over my exposed skin and sinks into the flouncy material of my jacket instantly. I shake the blonde curls that tumble into my face away and break out into a light jog. Tucking my hands into my pockets, I duck my head and dash through the wet grass toward the unhappy cabby driver who was content to rest his hand on the horn until I had my body halfway inside the backseat. Slamming the door shut, I brush stray, wet curls away from my face and peel the soaked through jacket away from my flesh.

"Took you long enough." The cabby driver mutters, glancing back at me in his rearview mirror. He was a middle aged man with a receding hair line and greasy skin. Creepish grey-blue eyes watch me as I strap the seatbelt across my waist and lean back into the seat.

"Same to you." I snap back, scowling at the disgusting man. He grunts and raises an impatient eyebrow, shifting anxiously in his seat.

"Where to honey?" He asks as a flash of lightning touches the earth somewhere to the right of the taxi cab. I jerk back at the flash, feeling a numbing sense of terror coming over me.

"Um, 18th Sterling Avenue. ASAP." I tell the man who nods and shifts the taxi into drive. The cab lurches forward, sliding on a patch of wet asphalt and swerving into the grass before the man is able to regain control of the vehicle. I shriek and grasp ahold of the door handle with white knuckled fingers, remembering vividly the moment my grandmother died in a tragic car accident on a night just like this one.

"Hell!" I yelp at no one in particular, the man sends me a devilish glare through the rearview mirror.

"Hush up." He grumbles and sets the cab straight on the road. Taking several deep breaths, I attempt to steady my racing heart by dropping my head between my knees and wrapping my hands around my stomach. The overwhelming urge to hurl slams into me like a freight train and the cabby driver's terrible driving does nothing to calm the sudden nausea. An unbelievable boom of thunder cracks overhead and the nausea increases.

"Are you almost there?" I question the cabby driver, desperately pressing my forehead against the cool window. Lifting my eyes to the rear window, I see the man look back at me and scrunch up his nose in displeasure.

"We're here, get out of my cab." He barks, violently pulling up along side the familiar looking building. Sighing, I shakily undo the seatbelt and stumble out of the cab and out into the fresh air where I collapse against the pavement, completely forgetting my jacket in the cab. The man yells something unrecognizable and rolls the front window down. With great effort, I climb to my feet and pull a wad of money from my back pocket. Unraveling a fifty and a twenty, I hand the bills to the man who speeds off into the stormy night with barely a moment's pause. Shaking like a leaf in the stormy weather, I turn toward the dark haunting building hovering above me and shiver, a trail of uncertainty running along my spine.

"I should just go home." I mutter to myself and take a step down the sidewalk, away from the building. But a blurry figure in the night catches my eye and I pause, watching a woman in all black race down the sidewalk after something. On instinct, I press close to the wall and hide within the darkness, avoiding the streetlights that scatter the wet ground.

"She found me." I whisper, a tremor of anxiety traveling through me. The two disappear into a hidden alleyway and I breathe out shallowly. Then, the small flicker of a light pulls my attention and sucks the air from my lungs. Hesitantly, I walk toward the alleyway, against my better judgement. I was sick of it though, this woman had been following me for days now. I'd only narrowly escaped her and now she was here, I had to put an end to it.

My soaked through shoes step on something squishy and I glance downward, feeling a knot tighten in my gut. Bending down, I brush the fabric of a drenched sweatshirt and my stomach lurches. It was the color of blood with the same stain of marker along the sleeves. A hole the size of my pinky nail showed in the pocket and I knew the owner instantly. Everett.

Taking a lucky guess, I pull a silver key on an old rope chain from the sweatshirt pocket. Smiling to myself, I tuck the key in my jeans pocket and stand to my full height. Brushing my blonde hair away from my face, I jog toward the alleyway and peak in. An eerie darkness greets me and the occasional flash of lightning exposes it to be completely empty and void of any human life.

Until I see her.

The woman in black stands under an awning with her arms crossed over her chest and a grim look on her face as she observes the alleyway. Frozen in place, I continue to stare at her as my heart begins a terribly unsteady thumping against my chest. I forget to breathe and dizziness comes over me. Then I hear them.

A boy with blonde and black hair pops up from behind the dumpster, his arms dripping with blood and a grimace of pain on his face. He steps cautiously out into the middle of the alleyway and flashes his gaze along the area, but he fails to see the woman under the awning. With haste, he stumbles across the alleyway toward a rusted old fire escape. I flash my gaze back toward the awning only to find the space empty.

Anxiously, I watch Everett pull himself up several flights of stairs and disappear within a red door. Feeling panicked in the sudden dead of night, I lurch into the alley and follow up the fire escape, jumping agilely from platform to platform. Once at the top, I press my palms against my face and feel the rain travel along my wet body. Inhaling sharply, I creak the red door open and step into a dark hallway.

Holding my breath, I allow the door to close with a whiny creak and stay extremely still in the dimness of the lone light dangling from the ceiling. I wait, breathing in shallow breaths in an attempt to call myself against the whirling of my stomach for what I'm about to do. Placing my arm around my waist protectively, I step into the hallway and pull the abandoned key from my pocket.

Trudging out into the hall, I let my eyes adjust to the poor lighting and stumble down the dank hall. A gut wrenching stench overwhelms my nose and I quickly suck in a gulp of air, refusing to exhale. The oxygenated air sits in my lungs comfortably as the effects of my abnormality begin to kick in. And I stop breathing. Somewhere up the hall, I hear the mumblings of a boy and squint into the darkness. The same boy from before stands before a door with his body tensed and his head against his chest.

"Everett Reese?" I question, hurrying down the hall until I'm only a few feet from him. Everett jerks, lifting his head and sliding efficiently into a fighting stance. I feel the tingling of alarm spread through me and grasp my wrist only moments before he quirks his head to the side and the bones inside my hand snap. Yelping, I press the fractured bone against my chest and breathe in tensely, reversing the process just as quickly as it'd happened.

"Who are you?" He growls, glaring cautiously at me as I rub my wrist and clench my teeth in dulled annoyance. Naturally.

"The girl with your room key, so before you go breaking down doors I think you'll want to listen to me." I snap, holding up the silver key. Everett narrows his eyes and tenses, watching me like a hawk for several breathless moments before straightening up stiffly.

"Give me the key." He demands, lacking any shred of gratitude. I huff and allow my hand to fall by my side. Raising an eyebrow, I stomp my foot and square my shoulders.

"Do you remember me?" I ask, deflecting his order with nonchalance, tapping the toe of my foot against the ground. Everett frowns and shakes his head, a weary look slipping into his eyes as he runs his palms over his face.

"Look, I don't have time to play games. Would you just give me the key?" He barks, crossing his arms and glaring. I sigh heavily and roll my eyes, giving in I toss the key on the floor between us.

"You are such a jerk. You know that?" I snap, jerking my finger at him. Everett smirks as he bends down toward the key.

"Yeah." He snarks, plucking the silver object from the ground. I wrinkle my nose with disgust, feeling my stomach twist violently.

"I wish I'd known that before I slept with you." I growl beneath my breath, sending an accusatory glare his way. A flash of surprise crosses Everett's face and he smiles devilishly.

"We slept together?" He questions and I suppress a comment, swirling my tongue over my teeth in annoyance. Everett relaxes, his entire demeanor shifting into one of seduction as he draws his fingers through his wet hair and smirks.

"Now I remember you. Bliss." I squirm as his eyes ravage my body, my gut clenching at the way he says my name. Everett jerks his head toward his apartment door and quirks one eyebrow. "You want to come in?" He asks, voice gruff. The overwhelming urge to smack him suddenly rears its ugly head and I clench my fists by my sides as a torrent of emotion surges with me.

What was I doing coming here?

How stupid could I possibly be?

Suffocating weariness comes over me and I sag forward under it's weight, covering my face with my hands as tears begin to trail down my cheeks.

"What am I doing here?" I mutter, holding back the urge to cry more.

Everett wouldn't care.

I was stupid.

So incredibly stupid to come here.

A loud commotion jerks me from my thoughts and I tear my fingers from my face, apprehension flooding my nervous system. The door to Everett's apartment is wide open and light pours from the opening.

"Everett?" I say, placing myself in the doorway with barely a second thought. A woman in black lunges at me, lashing out with an odd shaped weapon. I jerk back and cover my stomach instinctively with one hand, using the other to block as she charges forward. In my peripheral, I catch a glance of Everett across the room curled up on the floor, attempting to gather his feet beneath him.

In my moment of distraction, the woman nails a punch to my cheek and knocks my head sideways. The air rushes from my lungs as my forehead collides with the doorframe. Pain shoots through my skull and blood travels down the side of my face.

"Bliss!" He shouts as I gather my frazzled thoughts. A thunderous boom resonates throughout my skull as I steady myself, using the mysterious power within me to numb the wounds. Within a few seconds, the pain lessens and my vision clears. A terrible shriek echoes behind me as the woman curls forward, wrapping myself around her midsection. Without a moment to waste, I use the wall for support and whirl around, kicking my foot out and nailing the woman in the stomach. She grunts and tumbles back against the floor, a grimace of pain contorting her face.

Sighing, I touch my fingers to the wounds along my face and breathe out in relief. Everett comes toward me, a worried look in his silver gaze as he stares at me.

"How bad?" I wonder bitterly, Everett's eyes pass along my face and I suddenly feel very vulnerable under his gaze. Pain electrocutes half of my face and a wet sticky substance slithers along my skin rather unpleasantly.

"You'll need stitches." Everett says quietly, lifting his hand to press it against the wound on my forehead. I flinch at the feel of his touch, alarmed by the tingling sensation that jumps between our skin. I meet his silver eyes for a moment and become transfixed, lost within the depths of a silver sea. Then, a streak of fear comes over me and I look down, clearing my throat in shock.

"Dually noted." I mutter as Everett jerks too, pulling away and allowing his hand to fall away from my face. I miss his touch instantly. However, a loud pained moan comes from the woman behind him and his demeanor shifts in an instant.

"What the hell do you want?" Everett barks, turning away from him in a flash of blind anger. He stomps toward the woman with the knife still in his grasp. I leap forward, standing at Everett's left and slipping down into a defensive position. A wave of nausea slams into me and it's all I can do to stay on my feet.

"Why did you follow me here?" I ask the woman, desperately pushing the queasiness to the back of my mind. Everett turns to me, a confused expression clouding his features.

"She was following me." He states, gesturing slightly to the cuts going up and down his arms. I frown, staring into his eyes as if they might tell if he's teasing me.

"What? No, she's been after me for a week or so now." I counter, suspicion creeping into my mind.

"I've been following both of you." The woman finally announces, lifting herself from the ground slowly. Everett jerks, turning back to the woman and gripping the knife tighter.

"Why?" Everett questions causing the woman to emit a loud, heavy sigh.

"My name is Zarah Mendez, I am the Scout for the Hybrid Keeper and the magick of the Keeper has drawn me here. The Keeper is dying and we must find a new one before the magick overwhelms him. You both hold the potential to win, I am here to take you to participate in the Keeper Exams." Zarah says. Instantly I drop my stance, feeling for once that I might be meant for something greater than this.

"She's insane." Everett states, glancing at me with a pitying look. I roll my eyes and step closer to Zarah, refusing to allow Everett to crush the newfound hope blossoming within me.

"Hybrid Keeper, so like, not human? Do you have... weird powers?" I squeak, abstract terror flooding through my body. Did I even want the answer? Zarah smiles and gives me a slight nod as she finally stands up, dropping her hands by her sides.

"Yes, we call them Gifts. You both possess one of the fifteen. Everett Reese and Bliss Medici, you are both Hybrids." I emit a giddy little giggle, feeling my heart beat racing against my chest. For once though I wasn't scared, I was excited.

"No, stop." Everett snaps and we both turn to look at him. "You're insane, this is insane. Get the heck out of my apartment." He snaps, jerking his finger toward the door. A homicidal look seems to rest within the depths of Everett's silver eyes and the fear of him doing something stupid prompts me forward. I rest my palm on his bicep and he glances down sharply, alarmed by my closeness.

"Hold on, please." I whisper to him, watching his expression waver slightly before turning back to Zarah. "What's a Hybrid and why do you keep calling us that?" I demand, attempting to hide the nerves skittering along my skin. Zarah sighs and meets my gaze.

"Hybrids are humans with enhanced DNA that gives them the ability to do things humans can't. Like breaking bones with finger movements," Zarah accuses, narrowing her eyes at Everett, "or predicting a person's actions before they happen." She continues, glancing sideways at me. I shift under her gaze.

"Why us?" Everett wonders abruptly.

"Because you are considered one of the best of your Gift." Zarah says with a sigh, cracking her knuckles irritatingly loud. "I promise everything will be made clear once we've reached the Hybrid compound."

"The what?" I ask in shock, taking several steps away. She was crazy if she thought I'd go anywhere with her.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Everett growls, voicing my exact thoughts. He raises the knife and narrows his eyes and I follow suit, feeling the muscles in my body tense for the fight. But Zarah smiles a bitter smirk and shrugs her shoulder.

"I'm afraid neither one of you have a choice." Zarah announces, flourishing her fingers. Everett lunges forward, attempting to stab at her but the knife suddenly poofs from his fingers. He grunts, fisting at the air when abruptly his body jerks and spasms. A bolt of fear vibrates through me as his body hits the ground. A garbled, clenched yelp escapes him and his face turns a bright red.

"Everett! Stop!" I yelp, grasping his arm with my hands tightly. Everett jerks again before relaxing, breathing in a heavy gasp of air. I stare at his form, feeling the pulse of heart racing in my ears. Shivers run down my spine and vibrate through my body. Bile works it's way up my throat but I bring my hands to my mouth and swallow thickly, forcing the feeling away. Cool metal brushes my chin and I gasp, tugging my hands back. Secured around my wrists are a set of steel cuffs and I have no clue how they got there.

"What the-" Everett mutters, lifting his fingers before his face. He too wears bands. Confusion swirls through my buzzing brain as I help Everett to his feet, too unnerved to speak.

"They prohibit the use of your Gift." Zarah informs as Everett leans on me for support. I glance at the sweat running down his forehead and feel a zing of anger.

"Why'd they hurt him?" I growl, feeling the powerful pull of the anger buzzing hungrily beneath my skin. Zarah turns her icy gaze on Everett before zeroing in on me.

"The bracelets shock the wearer if they try to use their Gift. He tried to cause me pain and the bracelets punished him for it. The moment he stopped, so did they." Zarah explains as she turns her back and walks off. I sigh, blinking as I turn to face Everett and pull my lower lip nervously between my teeth.

Now or never.

"Well, I guess now we're stuck together." I mutter, shrugging a shoulder in defeat as some magnetic force begins to pull Everett and I after Zarah.

"It looks that way." He grumbles, turning away from me. I open my mouth, ready to explode with the news and pray he doesn't freak out. But then, my tongue gets stuck in my throat and I can't force the words out. So, instead, I close my eyes and duck my head.

Maybe he didn't need to know.