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The pain hit me square on my nose. I had been running so fast that my body practically flew face first into the dirt, rolling a couple feet, and then tumbling a couple more.
I grabbed hold of a tree to stop my rolling, feeling dizzy.
"S-Shoot…" I groaned aloud. "E-Emily! Emi…"
My words fell short. My mind started racing again, as if a weird feeling of Déjà vu was coming over me. And then, a head splitting throb made me want to close my eyes, saving my strength. The only reason I didn't was because my watch started to buzz.
"5 minutes left. Flags will move locations in 5 minutes."
I rose mechanically, trying to ignore the throbbing of my head. If that was even possible. It caused me to walk sloppily, and I couldn't even imagine if I tried to run.
A warmth running down to my lip made me purse them, tasted metal. I instantly rubbed my nose, grimacing. "Now I'm bleeding? Crap.."
Still, I gripped my pounding forhead and started walking. At this point, there was no way I would make it back to the middle in time. Emily was certainly close by, given my watch hadn't started counting down.
So, my only chances were to find the flag in five minutes. Easier said than done, though.
It felt like the world would spin with every step that I took. I nearly went barreling into the ground but leaned on a tree for support.
My nose dripped blood to the forest floor. I shuddered and squeezed my eyes shut, feeling squeamish. "Em…Emily!!! God…where is she, E-Emily! I need help! You-"
Another head splitting headache shut me right up. I sank against the tree and sat in the dirt, holding my nose and staring up at the tree lines.
The memories kept ripping into my skull. This time, I saw a face. My own, actually. I was a girl racing through a forest like this one, smiling and giggling and constantly glancing over my shoulder towards someone else. Who was it?
"M-Mom?" I wondered, my heartbeat frantic. "…what is this? What am I thinking? Did I…hit my head too hard? Ugh…."
I only had less then five minutes. I needed to get up. I needed to find out…
"!!" I glanced to my right and spotted something sticking out of the grass. A blue, pixel like stick skewered maybe three foot high and attached to it, "t-the flag!"
I shot to my feet, wincing in pain but ignoring it. Hobbling over to the flag, I reached down and grabbed it.
Suddenly, my watch let out a jingle. I thought I heard another nearby.
"Assesment complete. Flag found in one hour, seventeen minutes, and seventeen seconds. Final placement awarded, second place."
"Ha…"my body felt a little lighter, "found it…i finally—"
Suddenly, I felt the strong feeling that i should duck. But as my knees buckled, I ended up falling to the floor clumsily.
"!!"
A leg suddenly rushed over my head, landing where I would've been had I not fallen. I immediately faced Emily, unimpressed.
"You actual psychopath—"
The wind was knocked out of me by a kicked into my arm, throwing me off balance and into the dirt.
"I should really thank your sister for making this easier for me." Emily sneered vindictively. "Thanks for finding the flag, by the way."
I gritted my teeth, trying to see her through blurry vision. However, as I did, the ticking sound of a clock started to drill into my head.
Tick, tick tick,
I watched in slow motion as Emily's hand came closer towards me. Great. Just great.
It stung like crap. My nose was already feeling hot, but now, my cheek stung too.
She grabbed me by my hair, and I grabbed her hand to use as an anchor before driving my head forward as hard as I could.
"F*ck off!" I hissed back. "I can't…believe you…why is it that you hate me so much? Huh? What did I ever do to you?"
She helped and rushed backwards, holding her chin aggressively. Her eyes glowered over me in fury. "You know exactly why. Luke is mine. Vikky was never supposed to start living with you. And now, this damn assignment too?!? You've taken everything from me!"
I wanted to laugh at the irony. I forced myself to stand, although my legs were shaky. "You remember that guy, the senior graduate you were…making out with at that cafe?"
"W-What? What the hell are you—"
"That guy—no. That bastard, he was my boyfriend, then."
"!!"
"Then, I find out, that the next guy I'm interested in….who actually treats me well…you—you want him, too?"
Heat flickered to my hands like fireworks. Then, it erupted ablaze.
"Crazy bi—" Emily started. She then charged forward towards me. I grabbed her hand with mine.
"But I quickly learned it wasn't just me you took from. You hurt Ivy just to get to me. You used Garret to get to me and you…you hurt Vikky so much in the process." I curled my other hand tightly, raising it backwards. "So. F*cking. Much."
The air was cut by my fist slamming into Emily's gut. Instant satisfaction was interrupted by the pain of my fist hitting hard tree bark instead.
I was grabbed from behind, Emily's arm circled around my throat and dragged me backwards. I coughed, blindsided. I forgot she could teleport. How was this in any way a fair fight??
"You should know your place then, Bearens." Emily hissed out, choking me harder. "If you. If Ivy. If Garret. If Vikky. If Dylan—if ALL of you quit getting in my way…"
I grabbed at her arm several times, trying to slap it away. However, she only squeezed harder.
My eyes spotted my watch. I tapped the screen many times, attempting to find a voice recorder on it.
"S-So what? What's your biggest goal? T-To use…everyone you can? To get further as a hero by…h-hurting…everyone?"
Maybe my blood loss, or maybe the lack of oxygen, or maybe even the horrible fall I took to the ground before all of this. Emily's words sounded incredibly muffled.
"My biggest goal, right now, Sara?" Emily spoke with a sinister smile. "For you to die!!"
I gripped her arm with the remaining strength in my hands. At least, I thought I was. But in my dazed vision, I watched as my hands fell to my sides. My whole body felt heavy. Even my eyes.
If these really were my last moments, I couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"G-Gracelyn…you liar….what happened to these watches…sensing when we're in danger….h-huh?"
'It would be great…if she could save me…'
My eyes closed before I could think of anything else. A cold chill ran over my body.
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A cold shiver ran down my spine, prompting me to open my eyes, staring at the orange sky of a setting sun.
'Weird…' I thought inwardly.
"Professor Smith. What's Sara's location now?"
"W-What? Oh, right! I'll check where her group is right now." She cleared her throat. The professor of the powers class and I were standing right in the center of the damn construction, where the tour started. "Strange. Her bracelet is offline right now, however, Emily's bracelet shows that they are both southeast of us, though, by the stream we passed on our drive? I-It's perhaps a malfunction on our part, s-sorry."
"…" silently, I started walking in that direction. 24 students and a bracelet malfunction in one rather than a pair? "A unique malfunction, don't you think?"
"W-What? Oh I, I'm unsure…"
"If you could, Professor smith." I turned to her. "Call the students back here immediately. All of them."
"R-Right now?" Her eyes widened, and her glasses fell down her nose. "Students still have several hours until,"
"Unfortunately, Professor smith." I looked at her. Unluckily enough, my eyes were already changing into a vibrant purple. I could see their color in the reflection of her glasses. I truly disliked getting all worked up like this. However this time, I knew it was warranted. "I didn't ask. Cancel the assessment. Call everyone back. There has been a breach of conduct amongst your students."
I didn't wait for an excuse or a question on how I knew. I hated those wasteful sentences the most.
"Ultimate sixth sense…find my sister."
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(Thank you so much for reading this chapter. We have a mysterious power reveal for Gracelyn, finally! Please keep reading my story!)