Hello everyone! I have decided to completely rewrite all of Elle from scratch. I have changed a lot from the first one. So, I hope you enjoy!(:
Chapter 1:
I gaze through the undergrowth, peering between two ferns. My hair is tucked in my hood, helping me blend in. In my chest, my heart beats slowly, calmly despite my situation. Ahead of me, my home sits, servants guarding it. A loud scream erupts over the meadow.
A servant, clad in metal armor with an insignia traced along the front, walks out with my grandmother in his grasp. Her frail, small body cringes as he yanks at her. He throws her to the ground, her whine echoing through the meadow. I use all my strength to stay put.
They pull my grandmother’s sleeve up, revealing her Mark, signifying her as a Earth Mover. It stands out dark and green against her white, translucent skin. With a reason to do so, they rip her off the ground, Grandmother’s hands yanking on the grass, pulling some up with her. The servants tie her hands behind her back and throw a hood over her head. Without difficulty, they heave my grandmother on a horse’s back, ready to leave.
I shouldn’t have left... I should have stayed... I creep backwards, prepared to jolt. My foot feels the ground for the slight downfall in the earth. Carefully, I stretch my leg as far as it can go. My hands hold onto a root in a death grip. Convinced that the ground is not too far away from my feet, I let go. My legs buckle and I tumble in the dirt and twigs.
Galloping horses start coming in my direction as I stumble and I start climbing up the side of the ditch. On the other side, I see the servants coming at me full speed. I begin running, dodging every tree and log, stray branches nicking me. I turn my head, seeing the horses jump and land. My feet go faster.
The servants’ yells bounce around, urging their horses to go faster. Soon, my feet barely touch the ground, just skimming over. The yells become a background noise, far away, but I don’t stop. Out of nowhere, another servant comes along side of me. Out of instinct, I throw a wall of water at him, bringing the liquid up from underground. The instant splash confuses him for a moment, but he keeps coming.
I try another tactic. This time, I block his path with newly fallen trees. His horse stops abruptly, neighing out of fright. The servant shoots off the horse’s back, falling in the dirt. I smile at my success.
Ahead of me, I see an opening in the trees. I must be getting close to the town... The road breaks through, and I stumble off the little ledge. My hands come out in front of me, smashing into the gravel and clay.
“Move!”
I look up and see two horses coming at me, full speed. Behind me, the shouts get closer and closer. I dart out of the middle of the road, landing near an old cottage style home. I glance at the driver of the wagon, seeing an elder man steering while a young man in the passenger. The younger of the two stares at me, completely awed.
On my shoulder, I see my pure blonde, somewhat white, hair hanging around my face. I know why he was staring. In a flash, I pull up my hood, tying it tightly around my face. Grandmother told me to always keep my hair hidden in public places.
Making sure nothing else shows, I walk into the town. Immediately, I am in the hustle of the towns people. Everyone seems to be going in a different direction, and soon I find myself confused and at a loss of direction.
Above me are lanterns, lit a brilliant orange, pink, yellow and even blue. They bob up and down from the gently breezes. I have never seen anything like it. I stare, mouth gaping open at the great design of this pyrotechnics. Grandmother never brought me to town because of us being Movers. What I know of is that it’s not safe for me. That’s why I have spent my life hiding in the woods, away from civilizations.
I feel a great power knocking into me, causing me to stumble. Ready to defend, I get into a fighting position, staring down my attacker. Looking back at me, a round, plump man flushes with embarrassment.
“I’m dearly sorry, Miss. I didn’t mean to startle you. Just been busy, getting ready for the festival,” the man says, his black beard moving with every syllable.
I turn my head slightly, accusingly, cautious. “What’s this festival?”
“The Summer Festival of course It’s the largest one in Harrington ” the man bellows.
A festival... What’s a festival? I didn’t think they were real... I have read about festivals, but I never knew that they are real, until now.
“I must go. Again, I apologize for startling you.” The man waddles away. I watch him, making sure he won’t come back, wait for me to turn so he can capture me.
I begin to make my way through the crowd, looking for the servants. My eyes scan while my feet navigate through the mass amounts of people. The sun is nearly down, the moon ready to take it’s place in the sky. Everything is dappled with a orange tint.
A glint of metal catches my gaze, and I turn my attention to it. The servants... I search for an opening of escape. Luckily, they haven’t spotted me yet. I shoot through a gap between a women and a child, right before the rejoice. To my left is an alley, and I dart into it. The shade hides me well.
I slouch against the wall, watching people bustling by. They don’t know anything. Their lives are perfect, while mine isn’t. They have choices, I don’t have many options to choose from. It feels like my life has been made up for me without my consent.
A servant trots by on a horse, scanning the area. I huddle close to the wall, waiting for him to go by. Soon, he is gone. I let out a sigh of relief. Why didn’t Grandmother tell me more about this? Whatever it is, it must be important if I’m being hunted down.
Grandmother. She had always told me that if something happens to her, run away. Leave her behind. I’m guessing this is the kind of emergency she was speaking of. A stab of guilt digs into my stomach, tears sliding down my cheek.
I shouldn’t have listened to her. She could be with me if I didn’t listen. Or would I be the one that was taken? I don’t answer that question.
The sun is now gone, the moon at it’s proudest moment, rising up, full of power and grace. In the dark, the lanterns flicker and glow, each one looking like the Sun’s child. I creep out of the alley, ready for an attack. None comes. Gentle beats play, people dance in a beautiful twirling motion. I hug myself, feeling awkward and out of my comfort area. Some people bump into me, jostling me a little.
In the crowd of humans, I find a clear table. I take a seat, watching everyone with intensity, observing their behavior. Humans are so... different. I watch them stumble across the clearing, goblets in their hands. Liquid splashes out of them onto the stone.
A large boom erupts over my head. I jump out of my seat, launching to conclusions. I get in a fighting stance, scanning the crowd. Everyone is looking up at the sky. Children are laughing in delight. Another boom.
I follow their gaze into the night sky. Above me, sparks are splitting until it creates a masterpiece, full of colors and different forms of itself. Still suspicious, I sit back down, barely on the bench. How is that possible? Humans aren’t that skilled to create such a thing.
“Excuse me, may I sit here?”
In surprise, I shoot out of my seat again, spinning to where the voice came from. Sitting across from me, a young man, must be around my age, stares back at me. Thick, auburn hair twists every which way atop his head while dark emerald eyes observe me, a friendly look to them. A crooked smile on his lips. This is the boy on the wagon from earlier. “I’m sorry to surprise you.”
“It’s fine,” I say, blocking off any emotion, hoping my flushed cheeks aren’t noticeable. Cautiously, I swing my legs under the table so that I face him. A silence falls between us.
“My name is Trenton.” He sticks out his hand.
Do I tell him my name? Maybe he isn’t an enemy... “Elle.” I glance at his hand, unsure of what he is trying to do. With a smirk, Trenton brings his hand back to him.
“What brings you to Harrington?” Trenton asks, eyeing me curiously. I glance away from his gaze.
What do I say? I need to leave... “Traveling.” My voice is shaky.
“Well, you came at a wonderful time,” Trenton says.
“I’m sorry, but I must go. It’s getting late, I must be off.” I stand, pulling on my hood tightly.
“You must stay a little while longer,” Trenton says, his voice dripping sweetly like honey.
“No, I must be going.” I look away.
“Please?”
Slowly, I glance up at him. My heart flutters. The light radiating off the lanterns plays across his face, speckling it with color. Shadows display across his face, his green eyes glowing. A breeze comes through, his hair is pulled gently to the side.
“Are you alright?” Trenton asks, bringing me back to now. His lips curl into a half smile.
“Yes,” I sigh, feeling a loss for words.
Behind Trenton, a flash of metal appears. My heart goes into panic. Soon, I see more and more servants breaking out of the crowd. Why must I be so stupid? I shouldn’t have stayed...
I begin to turn, ready to escape, until a hand grabs hold of my wrist. Shocked, I begin trying to pull away, but it’s too late. Trenton has a tight grip on my hand. He slides up my sleeve, revealing my Mark. He looks at me in astonishment, worry flickering in his eyes.
“Come on. You have to leave.” Trenton starts dragging me out of the festival.
“How can I trust you? You can be one of them,” I whisper, bringing Trenton to face me.
“Just let me get you to safety, then I will explain. Now come on ” Trenton shoves me ahead of him, watching our surroundings. He wraps an arm over me protectively, leading me in the right direction. What’s going on? I don’t understand Grandmother never told me about this.
I’m shoved into an alley, darkness holding onto me. Trenton places is palms against the wall, encasing me. I can hear his heartbeat underneath his tan shirt. On the road, horses trot by, each one has a servant on their back. My breath cuts short. Trenton watches them, holding his breath. Long after they’re gone, Trenton hurries me out of the alley.
Everything is dark, the moon casting eerie shadows across the stone on the road. Behind us, I can still see the glow of the festival. We are now on the edge of Harrington. There are signs of vacancy all around. No candles flicker, no chimneys puff out smoke. We are all alone.
Trenton stops, keeping me close. I don’t dare move. My mind is like a bees nest, thoughts zipping through, unable to land on just one. “Come on, we are almost there.” Trenton begins pulling me again.
I yank out of his grip. “How can I trust you?”
Annoyance flashes across Trenton’s face as he turns to me. “I’m hired to protect you. It’s my job to get you to Feyer.”
“Why? I don’t understand ” Anger flares up in me. I don’t understand any of it.
“Can I explain this once I get you to a safer place?”
Reluctantly, I obey. I follow him to a small cottage. Trenton knocks on the wooden door, the outside candle begins to flicker. I hug myself, still unsure of all of this. But he might have answers. The door creaks open, revealing an elder man. He looks at me, then Trenton.
“This is her,” Trenton whispers. The old man eyes me again, then nods. Trenton pushes open the door further, allowing me to enter, shutting it tightly behind him.
They both watch me intently, waiting for my next move. Voice shaking, I say, “Okay, I followed you here. Now, explain.”
Trenton tells me to sit, and I follow his orders. The elder man chooses the chair beside the crackling fire, while Trenton continues to stand. He runs his hands through his deep, auburn hair, unsure of what to say.
“Take off your hood,” the elder says.
“What?”
“Take it off.”
I glance at Trenton, astonished by the request. The hood slips off my head, my blonde hair falling out. The elder observes me, his eyes showing years of wisdom. Orange moves across his face, shadows showing the deep set wrinkles of age. His bony fingers tap on the arm rest of the chair. “Your parents are Ivory and James, am I correct?”
Frightened by his knowledge about my family, I say, “Your correct.”
“They were the last of their kind. They started this war.” The elder leans back.
Confused, I shoot glances at both of them. “What war?”
Thanks for reading!(:
I'm Truth and I shall attempt to review this. I haven't been on her in a while so forgive me for the mediocre review that's coming...