Leah's Story

The first bit of a story I am currently writing. It started out as just a short story for my Creative Writing Class. Now I want to continue it.

“Leah, No!” Jenz leapt forward but was instantly blasted backwards by the powerful thrust of a dragon wing. I tried to stay calm, tried to keep the blood from pumping through my veins and drowning out everything but the sound of the creature’s breath in my face.
How was I supposed to get out of this?! If only I wasn’t so stupid! Jenz tried to come at me again, but there were more of them. Dozens of the creatures were flying through the air, chasing down the others. They of course immediately went on the defensive. I could see Miriah whip her hands out and shove a ball of energy directly into heart of one of the beasts. Zack simply vanished, reappearing on a dragon’s back and thrusting his sword into the unprotected ridge between its neck and shoulder blade. It screamed in agony, dropping from the sky and crashing into the thick desert dust.
Everyone was fighting for their lives. Jenz was fighting three of them at once, moving faster and with more precision than I had ever seen in another human being.
But then, Jenz wasn’t exactly [I]human.[/I]
“Okay,” I whispered to myself, licking my dry lips, “Okay. . .” why wasn’t I dead? The beast was just staring at me. Huge brown eyes that reflected my entire upper body. It was actually one of the smaller beasts, only about the size of a killer whale. The deep red of the setting sun was absorbed in its black scales, the heat radiating off it in waves. I backed up slowly, trying to decide what to do. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Caleb get thrown into the air, Pheobe launched herself after him and caught him before he slammed into the ground. The fight was getting heated. Even Jenz’s group couldn’t contend against so many of the creatures.
Were we all going to die tonight?
“Jenz!” Faye screamed. My head whipped around, startled by the urgency in her voice. The sudden movement made the dragon start, swinging a long, sharp talon at me. I screamed as it connected with my shoulder, sending me flying. I couldn’t see what Jenz or Faye were doing. The coarse, dry sand pressed up against my back, grinding into my skin. We were going to die. After everything that had happened. After I had followed Jenz, followed him until I had found the others and then continued to follow them until I’d accidentally fallen into this world. This totally messed up world. Now they were stuck with me. Jenz had been so furious. . . Funny that it was his furious face that I pictured, instead of the caring one. I guess I didn’t want to think of him when he looked at me tenderly. I wanted to think of him angry, because when he was angry he could get out of any situation.
Except the ones I put him in.
The beast placed its talon on my chest, digging the nails into my skin. A cry of agony escaped my lips as I felt the blood begin to flow. I wasn’t even strong enough to keep my own screams inside me. Why had I ever thought that I was strong or able enough to come into this world with Jenz? He’d been right all along. I’d just been so determined to show him that I wasn’t useless.
And yet here I was.
“Do it,” I growled. The dragon’s face was inches from my own. Its hot breath drying out my skin and making my hair fly. I could see myself in its eyes. I looked very small. “Come on!” I yelled, “Do it!” The dragon snorted. Its claw pulled back, red blotches of blood on the nails. I gasped for breath, staring at it in shock. But I didn’t break eye contact.
Why was I so angry? The beast held my gaze, shaking its face back and forth. Ignoring the pain, I pushed myself up, first into a sitting position, then slowly to my feet. The dragon took a step back.
Why was it scared of me? I didn’t have any powers. Unlike Jenz, Miriah, Zack, Caleb, Pheobe, and Faye, I didn’t have any abilities. I didn’t have powers that would make this great beast back away. And yet it did.
Maybe there was a way for me to be useful.
I stepped forward, still staring it in the eye, “Why are you afraid?” I whispered. It snorted again.
“Leah!” The dragon reached out its snout. I held out my hand. “DON’T!!”
Four inch long fangs sunk into my arm. Thick gooey saliva dripped into the wound, drenching it and engulfing it in fire. I opened my mouth to scream, but couldn’t get out a sound. My gaze was locked with that of the dragon. [I]You can’t beat me,[/I] it seemed to be thinking.
“Watch me,” I tried to speak through clenched teeth, my eyes watering around the pain. “Just you watch me!” My other hand whipped out, gripping the dragon’s upper jaw and pulled. My strength wasn’t nearly enough of course, but the creature’s eyes widened at the sudden resistence. I twisted, shoving the free elbow directly into the monster’s eye.
This time the scream wasn’t my own.
***
“Shut up Faye,”
“Weren’t we just talking last night about how we wanted to get rid of her?”
“I wasn’t talking about leaving her to the buzzards.”
“She’s not going to survive, Jenz, you know that.”
“I said [I]shut up.[/I]” Everything hurt. My arm was throbbing and my head felt like it had just had a run in with a sledgehammer. Someone had me pulled into their lap, a hand was stroking my sweat covered forehead. My eyes fluttered open, feeling heavy and sticky. “Leah?” Jenz whispered, whipping some of the sweat out from under my swollen eyes.
“Jenz?” And then I could see him. His gray-blue eyes looked over me cautiously, lingering on the thick blood-stained bandage around my arm. “What happened?”
“You attacked the dragon with your bare hands you. . .” he grit his teeth and looked away. Obviously unable to find a word bad enough for what I was.
“And then?” my throat felt raspy.
“And then a giant white light surrounded you and you passed out. The dragon flew away and the others started chasing it.” His arms tightened around me, the memory obviously stressing him. He worried so much. . .
“What about the others?” I asked, suddenly panicked, “Are they okay?” I remembered Faye’s agonized cry, “Is Faye okay?” He snorted.
“They’re all fine. The only one who came off with anything more than a scratch is you.” He glared at me, “Do you believe me now? Do you believe that you should have [I]never, ever[/I] come here?!” I looked away.
I wasn’t even sure entirely where “here” was. I knew we weren’t on Earth anymore, at least not in the strictest sense. I also knew that Jenz was supposed to do something here that could possibly end with his death, and there was no way I was going to let that happen. He was probably beating himself up over ever having told me anything, considering that it led to me being here. But I was glad he had. It would have been so much worse if I’d been sitting at home wondering where he was and if he was okay. I hated that, it was pure agony.
But then again, so was my arm. That stung really badly too.
“Oy,” Miriah called, I jerked my neck, almost cricking it. It was only then that I even registered my surroundings. It was night, we were still in the desert and everyone but Jenz and I were gathered around a small glowing fire. Miriah had long red hair, hair that was currently pulled back in a pony tail, an annoyed expression on her freckled, green eyed face. “Your whore awake Jenz?” Jenz chucked a knife at her. It missed, though barely.
“Nice shot,” Zack said in appreciation. Jenz grunted. Faye looked over at us, and I felt myself stiffen under her gaze. She had brown hair with piercing, seeking blue eyes. I tried to untangle myself from Jenz, but he just pushed me down.
“Don’t move,” he said quietly, “You’ll only hurt yourself worse.” No more than Faye would. I knew that she felt like they would move faster and more efficiently if I wasn’t with them. She thought I was a waste of time, effort, resources, and that I always needed a baby sitter.
I only wished she was wrong.
A dull throbbing was beginning in my left temple. I rubbed it, silently praying that the headache would go away. In response, the pain spread across my forehead and into the other side of my head as well. I groaned, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Jenz spoke quietly, but his voice sounded like a million drums pounding on my skull. [I]Where are you?[/I]
“What?” I asked groggily. Red pulses were shooting through my brain. Someone was trying to crush my skull with something large and heavy. I pushed against it with my hands, as though that would keep it from shattering into a million pieces. [I]I’m looking for you, where are you? [/I]
“Leah? Are you okay?” [I]Where are you?![/I]
“My. . .My Head!” I yelled, my own voice shattering the darkness and increasing the thumpings in my mind. “Oh bloody. . .” I tried to keep myself from cursing. There you are. The pain vanished. My mind became blank, like a sheet of paper. Everything froze over and cooled, it was only then that I realized I’d been shaking.
“Leave her alone, she’ll get over it,” Caleb smiled at me as I raised my eyes. I wasn’t sure what to make of him. He just never made himself front and center usually.
“Leah?” Jenz’s voice was tight, but controlled. He was always in control. I sighed, shaking my head.
“Sorry. . .” I began, “I don’t. . .”
“So you’re Leah.” It was a new voice. A voice that was smooth, but harsh at the same time. A figure stood at the edge of the fire light. He had shaggy black hair and deep eyes, in the faint light they looked black. He was tall, lithe and dangerous looking. Without thinking, I bolted upright, feeling my pulse thud in my ears. Jenz was up in an instant. He grabbed my arm, partially to keep me from falling over, and partially so he could pull me behind him protectively.
“Who are you?” he growled.
“I don’t need to talk to you, boy,” the newcomer growled, “Everyone else on this forsaken blanket may be whispering your name, but you are none of my concern.”
“What?”
“Surely you’ve heard it? The chosen one, the ruler, the savior and guardian,” the boy snorted, “They say you’ll save this world even though you couldn’t save your own.” Jenz’s teeth clenched. He reached for his knives, obviously ready to lob them through the newcomers throat.
“Don’t!” I cried, gripping his wrists. Everyone looked at me in surprise. I gulped, unable to explain my sudden exclamation. “Uh. . .I’m. . .” Why did I care if he killed the stranger?
Because despite everything, I was still human and the thought of killing in cold blood was wrong. Why was it that here that made me the freak?
“Yeah, you might not want to kill me, chosen boy,” startlingly white teeth flashed across the space between us, “You kill me and she’ll follow soon enough.”
“What do you want with Leah?” Jenz hissed.
“I’m going to take her away from you,” the stranger said simply, “She’s mine.” Five heads snapped from the stranger to Jenz and back again. Jenz’s face had gone very hard.
“Who are you?” I snapped, before Jenz could open his mouth.
“I’m Daryl.” the boy replied, looking at me. For the first time, his near black eyes seemed to soften as he looked at me. Which made me bare my teeth and glare. Who did this creep think he was? “I’m the dragon who sank his teeth into your arm and claimed your life with my venom.”