Versus

Whispers began the next morning among the students. Emma had finally done it. What? Most weren’t exactly sure what exactly it all meant. They did know one thing. Things of this nature were never to be discussed in public or with anyone, who wasn’t a Galen. No exceptions.

With her lessons behind her, she and those held back with her, joined the others that were already canvassing the areas.

“Is it always like this.” Emma asked Aala.

“No, today is quiet,” she said, walking beside Emma.

The area was robust. A popular tourist attraction with skiing and snowtubing. The group, however, was bored. They tried to act otherwise but they were now on day three of pretending to be tourists. Window shopping was about to drive Aala stir crazy.

“Yesterday we were so busy. We even stopped a group over there.” Aala pointed.

“When the DM’s were gone, we went to stock shelves down by the food pantry.” Aala continued. “I enjoyed that.” She was clearly disappointed to not be doing that today. Today they were doing nothing but acting like tourists and they were all showing their boredom with it.

“My hand’s cold,” Abby interjected.

“Ours too,” Kelly said, looking down at her hand, holding Josh’s.

That was the downfall. Pretending to be girlfriend and boyfriend, holding hands everywhere, was making their hands feel dry and cracked in the winter air.

“How many fingers must I lose,” Abby exaggerated.

“You girls hate holding our hands that much?” Axel teased.

He was one of the few that never complained. He gave Emma’s hand a squeeze. She smiled up at him.

She wondered if people, normal humans, noticed that they never wore gloves. Most were walking around this quaint town, bundled to the ears, and some had those covered too, but this crew walked around with pending frost bite. There was mention that they wear a glove on the hand that wasn’t in contact with their match, but it was agreed that this could look suspicious. Nothing was to be done to draw attention to themselves.

Phones began to buzz from every pocket.

“Huh.” Emma muttered, looking at the group text. Confusion in her squinted expression.

“He wants us to come back,” Aala confirmed what they were all now reading.

“OK,” Axel agreed.

The group turned, walking more quickly, eager to go into a room with heat again.

As they entered the resort, some of their group stood in the lobby to motion everyone towards the restaurant.

“Everyone, eat. We’ll be getting updates in a bit.” A teacher would announce as each group entered the foyer of the resort.

It looked like everyone was back when the dean entered the restaurant. He met with the parents and staff first.

The chaperones began to disperse to different tables and began giving “private” updates. “We’re going home.”

“Home?”

“But?”

“It appears the threat is gone. We’ve canvassed the areas and are no longer feeling their presence. They aren’t causing the issues as before. We are no longer needed.”

“This doesn’t feel right,” Emma whispered to her group.

“I know,” Axel agreed with a look of worry.

“What are you thinking?” Aala whispered to Emma.

“This just sounds too good to be true. And when it seems too good to be true….” Emma paused.

“It usually is,” Aala finished.

“It may be over,” Axel stated,“but let’s all stick together. Just in case.”

“OK.” Emma agreed but thought that was already the plan without actually saying it.

The group arranged to check out by 3pm to get back to DC by bedtime. Classes had been postponed, so the dean agreed one more day off was in order. The group liked the idea of having a day to relax around their rooms, which had been the plan prior to the announcement that sent them on this unexpected journey.

Buses began loading and the mood was excitement and relief. Except for a few of them.

The day was beautiful and now that they were all in a heated bus, most could actually appreciate it for its beauty versus its biting cold.

“What?” Emma asked Aala. Not sure of what she wanted.

Aala nonchalantly replied, “I didn’t say anything,” and continued talking behind her to Kelly.

“Axel?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you say something?”

“Just now? No,” he answered seeing the confused look on her face.

He stood and looked to see if anyone else was looking Emma’s way. When he realized no one was, he lunged towards her.

She was startled, until she realized he was grabbing her hand.

“They are coming!” The Galen appeared, standing right beside of Emma.

Everyone began grabbing hands and the dean rushed towards Emma and Axel.

“What’s going on!” He asked urgently, not being able to see the Galen. His daughter had already left to go home.

“The Galen is here sir. She said ‘They’ are coming.”

“What can she tell us?” he quickly asked.

The atmosphere on the bus grew heavy. No one knew all the details, and few knew what protection Emma truly provided, so fear began to build.

The Galen instructed them to exit and form a circle around Emma and Axel. The DM’s had stopped tormenting this town, waiting this entire time while forming a larger group. Just far enough away to not be noticed or felt. They were going to try to take Emma.

The DM’s didn’t know what she could do.

“They don’t want to harm her! They want to take her?” Aala said in shock, subconsciously grabbing Emma’s arm.

“Over my dead body,” Axel demanded. Not taking his eyes off Emma. Holding onto her more tightly.

The dean instructed the students to group tightly together.

“Do not draw attention to us,” he stressed. “We will place them in the middle, hidden. We will all face outward. Do you understand? Like a huddle. Make it look as though we are waiting to board. Keep hands held so that we can see. NO ONE looks at Emma. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” resounded all over the bus.

“We have numbers. As always, we will force them to leave.”

The group began to rush off the bus. The driver opened the hood and pretended to inspect the motor for good measure.

The group stood, again in the bitter cold. This time, no one felt its sting.

Traffic began to lessen around the resort. The group was looking at one another. Looking around, trying to make sense of something. Suddenly there was no traffic at all.

Everything became silent. Making their presence known was forbidden by both sides, good and evil. Someone was orchestrating the scene. There were suddenly no humans in sight.

DM’s suddenly became visible from every possible direction. There were more than this group had ever seen in one place. More than they could count.

The DM’s were walking towards them from the woods, from around corners, some looked as though they just appeared, but they all knew that was impossible. Some had speed that appeared to transfix time. Some jumped over large cars and walls as though they stepped over a stone. Some were dissecting the scene, analyzing each move and giving direction as though they were strategic military analysts.

The small group, that had now exited all the buses, was standing together. They did as they were told, they formed a tight group around the only person who could help them now. She would not be taken.

Axel grew defensive as the threat grew closer. Closer to her.

“Don’t wait!”

“Closer,” She said the one word. Softly. She didn’t know what they could hear or sense. She just knew, for this to work, they all needed to be close. Not just most of them. It had to be all of them, or someone could go back and tell others about what Emma could do. She would wait as long as possible.

“Emma!”

A few were so close that she could see their eyes. They had beautiful eyes. She wondered why that had to be so. Why did it bother her that they had beautiful features? She wanted them to be ugly. Hideous even. Would that make all this easier?

Their hatred was intense on their faces as they closed in on her group.

HER GROUP!

Galens began appearing all around. They began to give commands.

“Leave!” It was spoken with authority.

More and more full blooded Galens appeared, to surprise the attackers.

DM’s began instantly stopping where their last step had been before the command. But others continued on, at a faster pace.

The Galens were too few.

The students began commanding, LEAVE!”

“Please,” he pleaded. He was terrified that the group may fend off some of them, but one might get to her. It may only take one to take her. He knew that if a Galen could touch him, a DM might do something. It was the unknowns that had him scared for her. She could feel his hold tighten. He was prepared to be taken with her.

The dean was looking at her. Concern filled his eyes. A parent was giving him updates instantly, as they occurred, he was blind without his match. The parent was informing him second by second.

The DMs were screaming the most cruel and vulgar words now. At her. To distract her. It was becoming hard to hear past it.

Axel grabbed her face with both hands. “I need you.” He paused. “Now!”

Tears filled her eyes.

She embraced him. He held one hand and wrapped her as tight as he could with the other arm. No one would get her from him.

She closed her eyes and clung to him. His strength was her shelter. She now listened for his heart. Focused until that was all that she could hear. That was her peace.

She released her breath.

DM’s everywhere sensed something was wrong.

Screams filled the air as bodies fell to the ground. DM’s who had been racing towards them, rolled violently to a stop near the group. All the others dropped where they stood. Collapsed. Unnaturally in piles as some seemed to explode into one another in the sudden end.

Then, like the breath she had released, they were gone.

The silence was engulfing.

Soft cries began as the magnitude of the moment settled on the group.

Galens surrounded the group. They formed a wall, protection for this group. They waited.

And Axel held Emma. His face pressed into her.

Time was a mystery to Axel. He held her now in his arms. One arm under her weight, the other held her head against him. Protecting her, shielding her from seeing. He knew she was safe, as long as he held her.

A hole began to form in the large group surrounding them. Their Galen walked through the hole and stood beside of him. “She’s safe now. Let her go.”

He knelt among the crowd, and slowly began to shift his hold. He tried to hold her against her clothing, avoiding her skin, but it was clear, he refused to put her down.

She was somewhere else. Gasps could be heard by those who had never seen this before. Her eyes again, snow white. This terrified the youngest students and baffled the elder, trained ones.

He was looking at his hands, all over his body, desperately trying to find what part of his skin was touching her. She wasn’t waking up.

He looked deathly ill. The Galen came over and placed a hand on her head.

“She took on a lot of power today. Take her home. We have to wait.”

“Wait for what?” Axel begged.