Dark Angel (Anak Trilogy) (19 page)

       
  8. HEADLINES 

S
OMETHING WAS CHASING ME. I WAS        
running through a forest stumbling over roots, rocks, and rotting logs. Terrified, blood pounded in my head and ears. Whatever it was; it was getting closer. I could hear it coming after me thrashing in the undergrowth. Trembling, I started to sob. Where was Zell, my protector? Why wasn’t he here? I tripped over a small boulder and hit the soft, damp earth that smelled of decaying leaves. I could feel it behind me. I turned and rolled over on my back. When I saw the monster that stood over me, it frightened me more than a hundred demons could. Zell stood over me with a sword drawn ready to plunge it in through my heart. It was the Zell of the night at the Zoo when he fought with the thugs. His cold, dark eyes and stone face revealed none of the tenderness of the past. He was huge—a killing machine. Only this time his victim was me. He raised his sword ready to plunge it into my heart.

“No, Zell, don’t,” I sobbed.

Strong arms picked me up and cradled me. Someone rocked me back and forth whispering through my hair and into my ear. I must have been having another nightmare because now I was back in my room in my bed.

“Shhhh, Annie, shhhh.”

I knew that voice. I would know it anywhere. In any dimension, in any universe, in any age past or present, I would know that voice. It was Zell. Not the stone cold Zell with dark eyes, but my Zell, the gentle giant, with the warm silver eyes. He was rocking me back and forth in his arms, like a mother does her babe. Lightly, his lips touched mine for the briefest of moments.  My breathing became more even, and I drifted back off to a dreamless sleep.

I woke with my alarm clock spouting the news.

“In a late-night car-jacking attempt, five alleged carjackers died as the car owner fought back. The lone surviving carjacker identified the potential victim as a gigantic winged creature with swords.  One carjacker was decapitated in the incident.  Police are hunting for the silver sports car owner and a blond teenage female to collaborate the survivor’s story.”

My eyes opened wide, but I was frozen. I
didn’t think about the story hitting the news. I jumped up, and ran to my closet grabbing a new blue jean skirt that I had never worn and a long-sleeve tee-shirt with the word Pink written in sequins. Yanking my drawer open, I pulled out clean underwear not bothering to shut the drawer. All I could think of was getting to school early to talk to Zell.  I showered and hurriedly pulled on my clothes.  I was in a hurry, but I didn’t want to look like a bag lady next to the perfection of Zell. I brushed my hair and went to look for a pair of shoes to match my tee-shirt when I heard the doorbell ring.  Panicking, I was sure it was the police. They have come to arrest me as an accessory to murder. I knew my dad would answer the door, and I hurried to put on my shoes. I ran to the front door where, just as I had thought, my dad stood with the door open. I heard low murmurs. I flattened against the wall in the hallway and groaned. I wondered if you were allowed to wear flip flops in prison. I just knew I would not look good in an orange prison jumpsuit. I closed my eyes trying to figure out what to say in the interrogation.

“Miss H
ayes, where were you around nine o’clock Sunday evening?”  I could hear them now.

“Annie? Annie Hayes what are you doing pressed against the wall with your eyes closed?” my dad asked.

“Nothing, just resting,” I answered cracking one eye lid a bit.

“Resting? Annie, you have been be
having in a most bizarre manner lately,” Dad related worriedly.

“Ever the drama queen,” I breathed smiling slightly.

“Pull yourself together. Zell is in the living room waiting to take you to school,” Dad stated.

“Zell?” I questioned, “Not the police?”

“The police? Annie what are you talking about?” Dad asked.

“Just kidding,” I half snorted and half laughed.

“Bizarre,” Dad mumbled shaking his head as he walked away.

I hurried into the living room where Zell was casually sprawled on the couch.

“Have you heard the news?” I whispered.

“No, but I have seen the headlines,” Zell retorted smiling
at me.

“Headlines? Oh God, we’re going to jail,
” I moaned sliding down into the nearest chair.

“We’re not going to jail, Annie.”

“Yes, we are. Yes, we are,” I moaned dropping my chin on my chest and shaking my head up and down.

“Get your books. Let’s get in the car so we can talk,” Zell said quietly pulling me to my feet.

I picked up my books and purse from the table by the door and walked silently behind Zell to the car.

Zell
started to open the door for me, but he paused laughing.

“What’s so funny?” I asked him.

“Where do you get the shoes that you wear?” he laughed barely containing himself.

“What’s wrong with them?” I replied stopping to look down at my pink sequined sneakers. “They match my tee shirt.”

“I love them. They are so Annie,” he laughed.

I
gave him a half grin and slid in.

Zell stopped at the deli down the street from school. He came out with a coffee for each of us, a bagel for me, and a newspaper. He drove to school and parked in the empty lot. We were an hour early for school. I took a bite of my bagel, and he opened the paper and read.
“Ten-Foot Foot Avenging Angel Decimates Local Hoodlums.” I groaned and slid down in my seat, but I did not ask him to stop reading.

“Atlanta's
police report that about nine thirty p.m., six carjackers accosted a couple leaving the Atlanta Zoo. An eye-witness reports that when the assailants pulled guns on the couple and fired, a winged figure killed two of the carjackers by throwing swords through their hearts. A third would be carjacker bled to death en route to a nearby hospital when his hand holding a gun on the victims was severed from his body. A fourth carjacker was thrown seventy-five feet into a brick building crushing his skull. The fifth assailant was decapitated by some unknown weapon. The lone survivor reports that the person that fought off the assailants possessed superhuman strength and was a giant man with wings. Police are looking for a female witness who left the scene in a silver sports car. The lone surviving carjacker is being held by police. This bizarre attack has police baffled and unsure of whom they are looking for in this incident—hero, villain, or creature.”

“Zell, will they find us?” I asked not looking up from the bagel I held in my lap.

“I don’t see any ten foot winged creatures around here.”

“But they know what I look like.”

“It appears to me that the only description they have is of a blonde-headed teenage female. That narrows it down to about fifty thousand potential witnesses in the Atlanta area. The only place that harbors more blonde teenagers in the United States is Southern California. Don’t worry, Annie, no one is going to come looking for us.”

I sighed, “I guess you’re right.”

“Just don’t talk about this with
anyone, Annie. Not even Kate,” Zell said seriously.

“I won’t. I can’t. I still find it hard to believe.”

“Let’s just try our best to forget it,” Zell said calmly sipping his coffee.

“I can’t forget it Zell. Five young men died last night.”

“Evil young men, Annie.”

“But still . . .
” I paused.

“Annie, it was them or us.”

“But the way they died.”

“They had guns, Annie. I had swords. They were
not at a disadvantage. They wanted the car. I tossed them the keys to a $450,000 car. Then they wanted you. Was I to toss them you, too?”

“No,
but . . .  .”

“No buts, Annie, you c
an’t have it both ways. We may not have survived. They were evil. They wanted blood.  They would take the spoils: money, jewelry, the car, your virginity, and next your life. I have seen their kind all through history. They want nothing but to destroy and kill.”

“I know you’re right, but it still feels wrong,”

“Of course, it does. It is never an easy thing to take someone’s life. You cannot combat evil with compassion though, Annie. All you can do is eradicate it. I gave them a chance to take the car and go. They chose death.  They didn’t even want a fight. They just wanted to slaughter us. If it had not been us, Annie, there would be two innocent people dead this morning at the hands of those evil men. They just happened to pick on the wrong couple. Their bad, not ours.”

“May I ask you another question?” I asked.

Zell turned looking at me, “Of course.”

“I had a nightmare last night. You were chasing me, trying to kill me.”

“It was only a dream. I would never harm you.”

“Were you in my bedroom last night?”

“Yes,” Zell replied.

“Why?” Annie asked.

“I stand guard over you every night. In fact, every night since your birth.”

“Have I always been in that much danger?”

“Yes, I have saved your life countless times. I have been
there every night of your life watching you sleep. It’s my favorite part of the day,” Zell looked at me and smiled. He reached over and cupped my face in his hand. “You are so beautiful when you sleep, and your mouth is closed.”

“I’ll show you mouth,” I raised my voice and smacked Zell’s hand away, but
I burst into tears and threw my arms around Zell’s neck. Zell held me until my tears subsided.

“
I’m sorry. I seem to be a bundle of nerves lately. I’m not going to make a very good heroine as my destiny plays out if I live that long,” I said brokenly as I wiped at my face with the napkin that came with my bagel. “Can I ask something of you Zell?”

“Of course.”

“Will you stop coming to my bedroom at night? I do need some privacy.”

“No,
I can’t,” he said simply.

“Why
not?”

“Annie, you are in danger with every breath. I don’t talk about it much because I want you
to live your life as normally as possible. I am here to take care of the ‘problems’ as they arise. The attacks are increasing that is why I have revealed myself to you. If I was not constantly around, I think the Dark Ones would be bolder, and their attacks more frequent. I don’t want you to worry. I want you to live your life. I never invade your privacy. I always wait close by until you are asleep.”

“I’ll never have a normal life again.”

“Perhaps someday you will. When you have fulfilled your destiny, the Dark Ones will no longer hunt you. They are trying to eradicate you before you expose their evil kingdom.”

“How do you get in my room?” I asked suddenly turning the conversation. “You can’t walk through walls, can you?”

“No,” Zell snorted, “I could burst through them but not walk through them. Have you ever heard of Harry Houdini?” Zell asked glad to leave the subject of the Dark Ones as well.

“The magician, or illusionist, or whatever he was?” I returned his question with a question.

“He was a friend of mine. He taught me all his escape artist tricks in exchange for a few of my swords. He taught me an invaluable skill. Sometimes, a warrior needs to be able to slip in and out of an area. Sometimes, a warrior needs to escape and live to fight another day. Harry taught me everything I needed to know about stealth and escape. He was only 5 feet 5 inches tall. He loved my height. I transformed for him once. Thinking it an illusion, he hounded me for years to teach him my secret. I could never convince him that it was real and not an illusion.”

The bell rang for students to enter the building.
Together we climbed out of the car and headed for homeroom. Luckily, Jon was not in any of my classes. The only time I saw him was at lunch.  Kate, however, was in most of them. She sat down in the seat in front of me.

“Have you heard the news?” Kate asked excitedly.

“About the beheading?” I replied.

“Uweee
, no, about Austin and I,” Kate giggled dangling her left hand in front of my face. On her ring finger was Austin’s, I presume, class ring. Kate had layered rows of tape around the ring to make it fit her finger.

“Nice,” I groaned and looked at Zell rolling my eyes.

“So,” Kate whispered conspiratorially loudly smacking her gum and leaning toward me, “What did you two do this weekend?”

Zell looked at me and cocked an eyebrow waiting for my answer.

“Do you really want to know what we did this weekend?” I whispered back leaning closer to Kate.