Epilogue

Ravager

***Beaver bluff, Harp City 2:20 PM***

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“Okay, Ravager, it’s time to face the music!” I say, my royal blue eyes blazing, as I create a royal blue power ball in my hands.

I can feel my wavy black hair lift up a little as the wind picks up. It’s a nice spring day, and I am anxious to get rid of Ravager so I can get back to Chosen HQ, which is where my friends, the Chosen Ones, and I live. Ravager is on the edge of a cliff, and I can see the blue water down below. I remember going to the Harp City Beach with Momma, and I can still hear her telling me about all the fish down in the water. Momma taught me how to swim, and was my role model. Sometimes, I close my eyes and wish she hadn’t left the house that Monday night. She never came back. I suddenly hear a spell being shouted as Ravager throws a boulder at Mel, who sees it and uses her terra-kinetic powers to throw it back at him. I shake my head. I used to have a mother. She left. This is my life now.

From the corner of my eye, I can see Kori, the most powerful Chosen One and the leader of the American Division (AD) of Chosen Ones, is currently sharing my impatience, because she tosses her red hair and say, “Father, you just don’t know when to stop, don’t you? We can kick your butt so hard it’s pathetic! Chosen Ones, ATTACK!”

Kori leads the way, turning into a black panther, as I turn into a mountain lion. I can hear Andrew, who I am currently going steady with, flapping his wings as he turns into a golden eagle. Mel uses her terra-kinesis to cause the ground beneath Ravager to crumble. He curses and flies up to get Andrew. I telepathically beam to Andrew a warning, and he darts out of the way of Ravager’s power ball. Andrew turns back into a human and creates a light blue power ball and shoots it at Ravager. Ravager didn’t see it coming, and it hits. Adam sees this and creates a portal that sends Ravager into a black hole. Problem solved. For now.

Andrew flies down and says, “Thanks for warning me. I would have been dead.”

I shrug and reply, “What are friends for?”

The rest of the Chosen Ones look back and forth suspiciously. As Chosens, we have the power to read other people’s mind, and I can tell that my friends are using that now. I mentally block them, enough that they can’t fathom anything other than the fact Andrew and I are very close friends, but not enough for them to know I’m blocking them. Andy and I have decided to keep our relationship secret, just until we get a little bit more comfortable with having everyone knowing. We’ve known each other longest, as after I ran from my abusive father, I had nowhere to go. Andrew and I found each other, and as Andrew had been on the streets since he was ten, he had a ton more street smarts than me. I needed to stay safe, so I stuck close to him.

Eventually they are satisfied with the things they could access, and Kori looks at us, her emerald eyes sparkling.

“Hey, want to go to The Ice Creamery? I promised Mark I’d meet him there after school got out at 2:30.”

Mark Grayson is Kori’s boyfriend, and is fifteen, one year older than Kori. They met after she acquired her Chosen powers. They hit off and their relationship has been for as long as we have had our powers. We all approved of him, mostly because we saw they truly cared for each other, but also we knew that Kori would hurt us if we didn’t like him.

“Why not? After Ravager came and left, I’ve suddenly become very, very hungry.” Says Mel, her blond ponytail bouncing as her deep blue eyes smile. She is very expressive, in words as well as body language. She also eats more than most girls her age, which is fifteen. Then again, not a lot of girls her age fight wizards and sorcerers. But it’s surprising that she’s as tiny as she is.

Her boyfriend, Adam, who is also a Chosen One, is sixteen, Hispanic, with his brown eyes and black hair. He is very flirtatious, and often flirts with Kori and I, even though he is with Mel. It’s clear he would never go too far and cheat, and everyone enjoys teasing him about it. He shrugs it off knowing we’re all just playing, even that one time Mel threw a pail of ice water on him when I yelled for her to come down because her boyfriend was flirting with me. He was freezing. It was funny.

Andrew is fifteen, is a little taller than average height, with red hair and light blue eyes (all Chosen power balls are the color of the person’s eyes. Kori’s PB’s are green, Adam’s are brown, Mel’s are deep blue, etc, etc.). His parents died when he was ten, and since he heard rumors that foster homes were terrible, he hit the streets. Andrew is funny in strange ways, for example, instead of calling himself homeless, he called himself a hobo. Love him, love the creativity. He understands my dilemma a little better, as we were once in the park and we saw my father. I practically dragged him out of that park. We laughed over it later, but at the moment it happened, I felt sheer panic. If Father would’ve seen me, I would have been beaten black and blue. He understood and never made me uncomfortable about it. I feel so lucky to have him.

********

“Come on, Claire Bear. Don’t you want to go to the Justin Timberlake concert? You used to love him!” Says Jody, looking at me.

We’re at the Harp City Coliseum, looking at the upcoming concerts. Jo has just found a Justin Timberlake concert poster. She’s trying to persuade me to go to the concert.

The truth is, I haven’t listened to a Timberlake song in a long time. I also haven’t watched Big Bang Theory for the same amount of time, either.

All because Charity loved Justin Timberlake and Big Bang Theory just as much as I did. Maybe more. I can still remember the fight she had with Dad. Her scream as he twisted her arm. His shout as he is mysteriously thrown back against the dining room wall. Her footsteps as she grabs me, shoves me into my room and tells me to lock the door. The sound of the doorknob as she tests the door. The sound of her door closing and locking. The strange sounds that came from her room.

Dad cooled down enough for me to come down. Charity didn’t come down when I knocked on her door twice, which was our code for Dad cooled. I went downstairs to finish dinner, which had been interrupted by Dad, who got mad because I spilled spaghetti sauce on my shirt. Charity stepped in and pushed me out of the way.

As I sat there, I could swear I heard a door open upstairs. I waited for Charity to come down and finish dinner. I turn, just in time to see the front door closing. I should of gone to see who came. Or left.

I went up into Charity’s room and it looked like she went insane. Drawers open, closet empty. There was a note on the desk:

“I’m sorry, Claire Bear, I can’t do this any more. I will always remember you.”

Your sister.

Charity

Chapter One

Mel’s precognition

***The Ice Creamery, Harp City, 2:38 PM***

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“Hey guys! Hey, Kori!” Says Mark, his turquoise eyes sparkling. He and I are the only people in this little circle of people with unique eye colors. We don’t know why.

Mark has black hair, which he doesn’t style very often. He usually just combs it and is done. He loves working out, and when we swim in the little pond behind Chosen HQ, we always teased him about his 8-pack. He just grinned. Kori thinks she scored him by luck, not because she deserves him. I personally think Kori deserves him though and through. He goes to Harp City High School. He’s actually from England, and traveled here to study at HCH because it is known for its archery program. His parents don’t know he is dating. At all. They’re living in England.

I honestly think there’s a little something something Kori and Mark aren’t telling, but I won’t force it out of them. I will TRY not to, anyway.

We had just sat down after getting our ice cream when Mel’s blue eyes widen and cloud over.

We Chosen Ones are gifted generally and specifically. We have elements in our favor and supernatural powers. My special power is healing exceptionally fast. Kori’s is, well, everything. Andrew’s the most perceptive to people’s thoughts and feelings. Adam’s able to help mentally traumatized people find their way. Mel’s able to see the past and future. That is particularly helpful at a crime scene, where she taps in and can see what happened and who did it.

I order peanut butter ice cream with chocolate drizzle. We’re sitting in the back, which is surprisingly open. Ever since Kori, Andrew, and I created the Court of Chosens, we ate here regularly. We loved sitting in the back, which had a nook, partially hidden. The COC became popular, fast, and people wanted to be able to say they had sat where a Chosen had sat. So that meant the nook was usually taken.

That nook has history, man. That was where I found out Kori was not of this dimension. Like, at all. Seriously, she’s from this dimension called Tamria. She got shoved through a portal. That was where Kori ordered an espresso and we all found out that Kori + caffeine = Bad Idea. She went bonkers. I still have that barbecue stain on my shirt.

So, we sat down and Mel’s eyes got all glassy, which usually happens when her clairvoyance kicks in.

“Ravager, Virtue Warriors, Ravager, Virtue Warriors…..” Says Mel. Adam, Andrew, Kori, and I look at each other, alarmed.

Virtue Warriors are the best of the best. Fight till the end. Never give up. Have faith in God. Love conquers all. Kill them with kindness. There are five of them. They’re known by the virtue they represent. Faith, Courage, Determination, Love, and Kindness. Some of them don’t even know they’re Virtue Warriors until they’re called to fight for what they believe in.

The one sure way to identify a Virtue is to observe one. They usually have a strong sense of the virtue they represent. For instance, if you act cowardly about doing something in front of Courage, they’ll look you straight in the face and tell you to toughen up. If you pour out your relationship problems to Love, they’ll tell you to follow your heart. The Virtues can appear in gem form, and, as you can imagine, they are completely vulnerable if caught in that form.

Ravager is extremely dangerous. In fact, only Chosens really have a chance of surviving against him. Anyone else, it’s a suicide mission. It’s basically the Joker of Harp City.

Suddenly, Mel looks up and says “We need to keep and eye out for gemstones, particularly amber, turquoise, diamond, amethyst, and emerald.”

Mark looks at us quizzically. He doesn’t know about Virtue Warriors. He does know that he’s in love with the leader of the Chosens. He doesn’t brag about it. Absolutely no one in HCH knows he’s dating.

No sooner does Mel say that does she goes right back into a trance.

“Mark, HCH, Mark, Jonas, Mark, Kori….” she says.

Mark’s eyes become the size of saucers “What does she mean?”

“Hon, do you know anyone named Jonas?” Says Kori, looking a little nervous. She’s probably getting the signal too.

“Jonas Harden. Not only is he the only Jonas I know, he absolutely hates me! He’s always like ‘Mark, you’re a piece of trash!’ Rumor has it he spent time in juvie for robbing a bank. Then he transferred over to HCH because he killed a girl in his last school.”

Mark looks a little desolate, and Kori gives him a little kiss on the cheek. That gets him to smile, and he grabs her and gives her a big smooch on the lips. Like, make out kiss. She giggles. Oh, God, she’s flirting. She lays her head on his chest and smiles.

Mark suddenly jerks up and says, “Oh man! Jonas is here! Hide me!”

I was the first to respond, using my powers to make Mark look like someone else. I then turn and see who Jonas is.

Jonas was in the line, and I could tell who was right away. He looked like someone who would spend time in juvie. He doesn’t see us. My mind says: Trouble!

********

“Claire, are you all right?” Says Mia. We’re in science class. The teacher was talking about constellations. I’m having a hard time with it because of my probably dead sister Charity. We both loved constellations and stars, and my favorite constellation was Gemini, so she called me that. I called her Aquarius because her favorite constellation was Aquarius.

“Gemini is a zodiac, and is composed of stars that, when connected, is in the shape of twins. In Greek mythology the twins names were Castor and Pollux.” Says the teacher, Ms. Hera. I’m about ready to cry, because it reminds me of my sister.

“Another zodiac sign is Aquarius, the Water-Bearer….” continues Ms. Hera.

I lose it. I begin to cry, and Ms. Hera stops and turns to look at me. I can fell everyone’s eyes on me, but I do not care. I can’t stop myself from crying anyway.

“Um, is there a problem?” Inquires Ms. Hera

“Sorry, grief. That’s all.”responds Mia, and gives me a hug.

“Oh, but what does grief have to do with Aquarius?” Asks Ms. Hera.

“M-my sister and I l-loved constellations. A-A-Aquarius was her favorite.”

I sob, “She ran away when I was ten. She was thirteen. I haven’t heard from her since.”

Mia looks at me, surprised. I usually don’t open up like this to people. I guess I needed to let it out. I get up and run to the nearest girls bathroom. I had put my phone into my pocket, and it vibrated.

I had text alerts for news, and this was it. I looked at the headline: CHOSENS STOP ARMED ROBBERY: VICTIM OF SHOOTER IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Underneath was a photo. I looked at it. There was a redhead leading a rough looking guy into a police car, two boys beside her talking to police, a blondegirl smiling at the camera. These were the Chosens. Another photo pops up. I gasp.

There’s a girl healing the victim. She looks exactly like Charity.

Chapter Two

Jonas Harden

***The Ice Creamery, Harp City, 2:55 PM***

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“THAT’S Jonas Harden?” Exclaims Andrew. He looks a little surprised. “We went to grade school together. He was a nice guy. But now…… but now he has a bald head, with all those piercings. WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM!?”

“Whoa, Andrew, chill,” says Adam “You used to know this guy?”

“Yes,” says an impatient Andrew “I just said I went to elementary with him!”

“I’m sorry Andy, but you went to school?” Says Mel, having come out of her trance.

“Ouch! I was orphaned when I was twelve, Moron.” Says Andrew, “And DON’t call me Andy!!”

Mark had gone up and gone to the bathroom, and he was looking at the baked goods.

Suddenly Jonas pulls out a gun and says, “You are being robbed. Give me some money or this piece of trash will get his head blown off.”

He grabs Mark and points the barrel at his head. Kori instantly acts.

“GET YOUR HANDS off of him, NOW!” Says Kori. Oh man, she’s MAD. Jonas should really watch out. A furious Kori, mixed with four Chosens who aren’t half as mad as Kori (no one can be half as mad as Kori when it comes to her boyfriend being held hostage. No. One.), but still mad. In this state, we could rip his head off in a time span of 0.00001 seconds. No kidding.

Fortunately, we meditate to keep ourselves for being that violent. Kori’s eyes are glowing a vivid green. I am about to use my powers to disable the gun when Jonas pulls the trigger. BANG! Mark falls to the ground, blood gushing out of his shoulder. At the last second he jerked

“Crystal, do your thing. Before my boyfriend DIES of blood loss!” Kori’s panic shines through her telepathic message. “Andrew, Adam get everyone out of here. Now! Mel, disable the gun. I’ll take on Jonas. GO!”

All of this was said in the span of a nanosecond. See how useful telepathy is?

I leap forward. By now I’ve done this so many times it’s second nature. I check Mark’s wrist for a pulse. It’s loud and clear. Thank God. I check his wound. Judging from the way the gun was positioned and the way mark jerked, the exit hole should be right by his spine. Hmmmm…. no exit. I cant close the hole until the bullet’s out. I look around. I had covered the entrance wound with my hand, which is always clean (I’m kind of a germaphobe). My hand will only staunch the bleeding foot so long I need to find a cloth or something to cover the wound.

“Kiii-aah!” Kori yells as she karate kicks Jonas right in the gut. Ow.

I see a boy running toward me. He looks about my age. I says fourteen. He has hair the color of Cookie Monster. He is wearing a short sleeve T-shirt that reads HARP CITY: HOME OF THE COURT OF CHOSENS. Tourist, maybe?

“Will this help the bleeding?” He asks. He holds up a white colored jacket. I can make out the words HARP CITY HIGH: HOME OF THE TITANS. Maybe he goes to the same school as Mark.

“Yes, that would work. Thank You” I say, thankful.

Our cloaks can store thousands of things, and I really need to organize mine. I grab a pair of medical scissors and start cutting the jacket into strips. I stop. Cookie Monster boy is still standing there.

The Ice Creamery is empty. Everyone except me and the Cookie Monster are outside. The chosen are doing their own thing, still in their assigned roles.

“Ummm…WHY are you not outside with everyone else?” I wonder.

“My name is Milo Sanchez. I’m Mark’s friend.” The boy says “I want to make sure that Mark is going to be all right”

******

I had been talking to Mark before school. He had been acting weird lately, and I wondered why. When I asked him what the matter was and he said he was fine and went to the banquet hall for breakfast. I decided to snoop around in his stuff, unauthorized. I wanted to know what was wrong. In his dresser, there was not a lot. I was about to give up when I bumped his trapper, and something came tumbling out. It was his birthday the day before, and, as usual, he was out until 10, coming in and almost scaring the crap out of me. I found a card

On the front it had the words Happy Birthday… and a little birthday cake. I opened the card. Inside it said to my most favorite person ever. It was signed Kori. I picture had fallen out when I opened the card. It was of a red haired girl, with the greenest eyes I have ever seen. She’s smiling at the camera. I had no idea what was goin on until I flipped it over. On the back it said,

“Mark,

I wish you a happy birthday. I understand your homesickness very well. I love you”

Okay. That explains it. Mark did meet someone. He was very close to her. I put the photo back, a million things running through my mind. First of all, I felt a little upset, because we both promised that we would tell each other immediately when we got a date with someone. That did explain why he had been out till midnight. One thing is clear: Mark is going to have a lot of explaining to do.

Chapter Three

What Could’ve Been

***Chosen HQ, Harp City 3:20 PM***

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“Kori?” Mark says quietly. He has just opened his eyes.

Kori, who had not moved since we put him on the IV, stood up and looked at him. It’s clear that she relieved that he woke up so soon after a bullet entered his body. I go over and check him

He looks like he’s recovering well. Chosen healing powers include speeding up the process of recovering. So, Mark is recovering at the normal rate that people healed by Chosens do. His heart rate’s loud and clear. Judging by the vital signs, he need to get off the IV now. I reach over and (gently!) yank the needle out of his wrist.

“Kori, I can tell you’ve been crying. Like, a lot” are the first words out of his mouth. How adorable. I give Kori a little smile and she glares at me. I didn’t need to say anything. She knows what I was teasing her about.

“Well, I better leave you two alone. I sure you have some…talking to do.” I say with a mischievous smile.

“SHUT UP!” Says Kori. She know what I’m suggesting.

I walk out giving Kori another smile. I am going to go see Andrew. I use my magic to see if anyone is near Andrew. There isn’t. I walk over and knock on the forensic door.

“Hey.” He says when he opens the door. He enjoys forensic and was checking out the gun. In Harp City minors are not allowed to own firearms. Jonas is a minor, he had a gun. Andrew is checking the gun for fingerprints.

“I can’t really tell who gave this to Jonas. I can clearly see Jonas’ fingerprints on the trigger, but not much else.”

“Andrew, that is not why I’m here. I need to vent. You know, about Father and everything.”

Andrew got my cue and asked me what was the matter. I started my rant

“Oh My God. I am so scared. I really don’t to face Father. He abused me. He abused my sister. He’s probably abusing Beth. I feel so guilty. I got myself out of that mess, but not my sister, not Beth. She was Momma’s best friend. I don’t want to let them see how good a life I’ve got, when they are being hurt every day. I just can’t do that.

But, in a way, I do want to see Father. Show him a thing or two. Show him I’m not helpless. I want to shove my boot up his sneering face. Make him feel what he makes my family feel. Show him that he isn’t going to get away with hurting anyone. That if he does kill someone, he is going to face my wrath.”

I look at Andrew. He kinda looks bored. “I’m sorry. I’m probably wasting your time.”

“No, no. You are fine. At least you have a family. You know I was orphaned.” He says.

Andrew’s parents died in a hit-and-run when he was eight. When he got this powers, the first thing he did was use them to figure out if the accident was on purpose. It was. When he found that out, it hurt him so much. He cried a lot. The rest of us tried to comfort him. He eventually got over it, and his quest is to find the driver of the semi that hit his parents’ truck when they were coming back from a wedding and avenge them.

“Do…you ever think about what might’ve happened if they hadn’t gone to that wedding that Saturday afternoon?” I wonder.

“Yes. I think that I might’ve had parents a little bit longer, but in the end, if they were targeted, they would’ve been murdered, sooner or later. I might’ve died as well. I might’ve even had to watch them be killed.” He says. “Do you wonder what might’ve happened if your mother hadn’t disappeared?”

“Yes. I would be at home, talking with my sister, doing my homework. Maybe Father wouldn’t be abusive. But, the thing is, Momma did leave. Father did get abusive. And I did run away. And now I’m here. With you.” That last bit got a smile out of him

Andrew was about to say something when I gave him a hug and we just stood there, and I suddenly began to cry. Began to cry because I was surrounded by people who loved me, countless people who rooted me on. I am so touched by their kindness. I don’t deserve them. I ran away. I have this guilt of leaving behind people. I took a rice cooker that my father threw at my sister. But I ran away. I left her behind. I betrayed her overall. I feel terrible. I lay my head on his chest and cry. Mascara’s runnng down my cheeks.

“How vain can you be?” Andrew jokes “You wear makeup?! What’s next, stuffing your outfit?”

“Hey, I am NOT the one wearing colored contacts.” I say slyly.

Andrew pretends to look hurt “Ouch! Cold hearted temptress in the house!”

“Sorry not sorry!” I laugh. Andrew, like the good boyfriend he is, cheered me up. That’s why I love him. So kind and thoughtful. Oh, great, I am getting way mushy. Rewind. I really need to work on this.

Chapter Four

Robin Hood

***Harp City High School, Harp City 3:20 PM***

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“Mark, you lied!” Milo rages. “How could you?”

I sigh. I have been in my dorm room for the last half an hour listening to Milo’s tirade. He’s absolutely livid.

“Mark, I did not actually lie. You asked me if I mat someone on Thursday night. I technically did not meet someone on Thursday night!” I correct him.

“Shut your smart mouth, Mark Willam Grayson!” Milo snaps

Just then, my phone rings. It’s my mother.

“Sorry dude. I have to take this one. It’s my mother.” I tell him

“Um, you’re not going anywhere.” Milo’s face is beet red.

I push past him and walk into the bathroom, and lock it. The door is thick, so that means he can’t hear what I say. I answer the phone.

“Hey, Mark, sweetie. How have you been? You weren’t answering our texts, we would like to Skype you.” My mother says

“Well, um, Mom, I’m kinda afraid to go out into my dorm room. My roommates on a rant right now.” I tell her.

“Oh, what for?” My mom asks

“Oh, well…um” I can’t form actual words.

“What is it, Mark William Grayson? What did you do?” My mother’s getting indignant.

“Well, um, I have a girlfriend, and I forgot to tell him.” I say.

TO BE CONTINUED!