Seraphina: Initiation (12 page)

I open the basement door to see Nate in the
dining room, staring out the glass wall towards the forest. I come
up beside him and put my hand on his shoulder. “I
’
m ready to learn how to control my powers,” I state
definitively.

He turns to me with hurt in his eyes, I can
see he hates holding me back as much as I do. “I
’
m sorry,” is all he has time to say before I
interrupt him.

“There
’
s nothing
to be sorry about, let
’
s begin,” he starts motioning for me to head back towards
the basement.

As I descend the stairs I notice the cement
floor now is all black, the lighting is so dim I can only see that
across the room are targets set up along the back wall. I can’t
even make out the ceiling or the floor other than a white line
painted on the ground across the width of the room. The only other
light emanating from the room is the one shining on the wall of the
stairs. On that wall, where the rows of knives and daggers used to
sit, now holds guns. A whole ton of guns! More guns that I have
even seen at a hunting store! From riffles to 9 mms, shotguns and
revolvers, but what catches my eye is this tiny little gun that
looks like it could fit into a purse.

“Now, I’m not a fan of guns,” Nate begins as
he comes beside me as I admire the various weaponry, “But we don’t
know what kind of attack we are going up against, so I feel it’s
best if you are fully trained.”

“Covering every base—got it!” I tell him
picking up the tiny gun and facing one of the targets on the far
end the one with a black circle inside of a smaller white circle
and then finally the tiny red circle inside that. I’ve always
wanted to shoot a gun, taking a deep breath in, I squeeze the
trigger. My hand jerks back automatically and I have to take a few
steps before I catch myself. I throw the gun on the table next to
me as I shake out the vibrations from my hands. Once I collect
myself again I turn to see that the bullet has lodged itself into
the dark wall a foot above the target, “Whoa, I need some
training…”

Nate smirks, “Use your eyes, visualize your
target, aim the gun with your eye level and let it um have it!”

I know I can do this, I repeat inside my
head as I pick up the tiny gun again. With more determination, I
line up my eye with the barrel of the tiny silver gun between my
fingers. My eyes focus in on the target ahead and my eyes click
closer and closer. Like I’m zooming in a camera my mind focuses on
the target and the world around becomes a blur. I exhale and
squeeze my finger around the trigger again. This time my body is
prepared for the recoil and I watch as the bullet spirals through
the air and lodges itself directly in the center of the target.

Without a word I drop my arms and in a
second Nate is tossing me a revolver. I catch it with one had and
throw the tiny pistol down on the table. I close my hands around
the larger gun handle, aim it up with my eye and let one fly. It
lodges itself in the exact same spot as the bullet before. I see
one of Nate’s eyebrows raise, but he never lets the compliment slip
his lips. He just points to another target, this one further away
and it’s in the outline of a human. I nod in acknowledgement before
take a few steps into place. I toss my weight from foot to foot
adjusting myself before raising my hands and squeezing the trigger.
The bullet corkscrews out of the edge of the pistol and flies
across the room and into the center of the human target, where
their heart would have been. Without waiting for a response I let
four more rounds off before tossing the gun onto the table with the
other one. I glance over to Nate taking in the two holes in the
paper, the one for the heart and the one directly in the brain.
Nate’s blue eyes look back to mine and I can tell he doesn’t want
to make me too confident, but I’m pretty sure he’s impressed.

Nate turns around and tosses me a shotgun,
it’s so long I have to catch it with two hands.

“I don’t think you’ll have to use this,
but—”

“All bases…” I cut him off understanding his
meaning.

“Right,” he smirks looking me dead in the
eyes before pointing to another target.

I cock the gun in between my hands clicking
the bullets into position before lining up my shot. I grip it tight
before squeezing the trigger. My body absorbs the kick-back like a
pro as the bullet lodges itself into the center of the target.

“I think we can proceed to Level Two
training,” some excitement playing behind his eyes as I place the
shot gun back in his hands.

“Ooh, Level Two, sounds …dangerous,” I tease
back at him over my shoulder because I have already turned to see
what he is talking about.

“You have no idea…” I hear him flirt back
from behind me.

A chuckle is all that has time to escape my
lips as I begin to see the darkness of the room shift slightly.
Clicking of machinery is all my ears can comprehend before the last
piece clinks into place and a dummy comes sliding across the floor
towards me. Without hesitation I grab for the closest gun and whip
my arms back around and lodge two bullets in its head. Before I
have time to recover a trap door opens from the ceiling and I see a
dummy fall down. It only takes seconds for me to adjust myself and
shoot him off his string and he falls to the floor where I fire two
more into him.

It seems like hours have passed, my
adrenaline is spiking and I almost never want this to end. The
excitement of the chase, my heart throbbing in my ear waiting for
the next one to pop out, the feeling is indescribable. The targets
are popping up, swaying back and forth, and some even fire rounds
back at me now.

I shoot off a few rounds towards the one in
the corner before throwing the empty gun and diving before tucking
under and rolling across the floor. I grasp a 9mm in my hand and
let off two shots from the ground. Coming back to my feet, I duck
behind the table before shooting the last moving target. All of
them were direct hits! I twirl around in excitement to watch as
Nate approaches me with his face looking determinedly at me. I
lower my hands and take a step toward him before his lips are on
mine. I wrap my arm still holding my pistol around his neck and
pull him closer to me. At that moment, I hear a target pull lose
from somewhere and come sliding down, without thinking I pull my
arm back and instinctively aim it with out looking. I let off two
more shots never breaking from the lip lock I have with Nate.

Nate is the one that pulls away first. His
head twists to the final target and I follow his gaze to the direct
hit. Smiling at my talent I turn back full of pride when I begin to
take in Nate’s face. His face is white, his eyes staring downward.
As if in a dramatic movie, I follow his eyes downward in slow
motion. I suck in a deep breath and only then do I feel the pain.
Blood is beginning to trickle down my abdomen before I feel my
knees go weak and Nate collapses with me to the floor. I stare up
at his face trying to get my mind off the pain that has begun to
make my entire body contract. I feel as his fingers explore inside
me, that’s nothing compared to the pain I see behind his eyes. They
meet mine once as if apologizing a million times for this. The
guilt behind them is unspeakable and I think he feels as if this is
his fault for distracting me. Even with the state of chaos my mind
is in right now, I can still see it’s my fault for allowing myself
to be distracted.

Finally, I feel him pull his hand back out
and I vaguely hear a clink as the bullet is thrown across the
floor. That’s when I feel the pressure and heat from his hands on
my stomach. I suddenly feel it grow hotter and hotter until I’m in
scalding pain. I scream out loud finally unable to take it
anymore.

“Hold on Sera,” he whispers with his eyes
still closed, “It’ll all be over soon…” I hear between my panic
screams as I try and pull away from the pain. I scratch and claw at
his arm trying to release myself. Just as fast as it had come,
suddenly the pain is gone. My skin peels over like a zipper sliding
back into place.

Opening my eyes, I blink the tears down my
cheeks as I lock eyes with Nate. I’m in his lap with one of his
hands behind my head and the other still on my stomach. He reaches
up and wipes what looks like blood from the corner of my lip.
Before pulling me to his chest. I take a deep breath of his woodsy
smell and finally let the rest of the tears fall.

We sit like this for a while, without words
just appreciation. Finally, I sigh when I realize I’m going to have
to be the one to break this little party up. I lean backwards
slightly and he loosens his grip on me.

“I should have been paying attention…” I
finally whisper.

“No it’s my fault, I …”

“No, I can’t be so cocky with my abilities,
I have to focus no matter what is going on around me! It’s not like
you won’t be there… I can’t let even you distract me.” I finish
finding the strength the climb to my feet. Nate helps me when I
almost topple over, but then I get myself back into check. I take a
deep breath and head for the stairs. Once my feet are on the
landing I look back towards the targets, how could I have missed? I
guess no one is perfect. Stupid ricochet.

Once I get to the top of the stairs, I begin
to feel faint. I brace myself against the wood paneled wall before
feeling the blood rush out of me and my knees go weak once again.
Nate must sense it because he has me in his arms before I hit the
floor. My head bobs against his shoulder as he carries me up the
stairs and kicks the door to my room open. He places me on my bed
and glances at me a few times before he speaks, “You don’t look
well, I’m going to get you something to eat,” and he disappears so
fast my eyes can’t seem to keep up.

My mind is fuzzy, but I can still slightly
make out the chime of my phone next to me. I pull out my arm from
the covers and shakily reach over for it. I blink a few times to
make sure I’m seeing the name I think I see. Jack.

Sera, I’m sorry, things got out of hand
last night, I just want to protect you too. Call me
. I read it
a few times not able to process it before drifting off to
sleep.

***

Sitting in my favorite chair in the coffee
house I glance out the window into the darkness as I bring my
favorite latte to my lips. I pause and savor the smell for a second
before opening my mouth to let it drip down my throat. I feel it as
it warms the ice within me. Leaning back against the plush green
chair, I watch as my boyfriend makes his way to me. His ringlets
bouncy slightly with every step he takes towards me. His blue green
eyes gleaming with happiness at the sight of me as he comes from
the back. Jack gets about half way before I’m on my feet and
running towards him.

“
Hey Baby,” he whispers picking me up in
his arms and spinning me once.

“
I missed you,” I mutter with a pout on
my face. A smile spreads its way across his face until he can’t
seem to spread it any further.

“
I missed you too,” is all he has time to
mumble before my lips are once again on his.

It’s me that has deepened our kiss and it’s
my legs that have wrapped themselves around his waist. I don’t know
what has come over me, it’s like I can finally be myself. It feels
so good to not have to worry about demon attacks or killing people
in my sleep, Jack will protect me—he always has. His lips feel like
home, like safety, I don’t have a care in the world. He plops into
the chair behind him bringing me down onto him. I giggle throwing
my hair over my shoulder.

“
Sera, I love you…” his eyes lock on mine
expressing his deepest hearts desires. What do I say to that? Can I
have this forever? Can I be home forever? I picture waking up to
the smell of his special coffee in the morning. My
white-picket-fence-American-dream piecing itself back together in
my mind. This can all be mine.

“
I love you too,” I admit before his lips
are on mine once more.

“Sera… Sera,” I blink my eyes don’t seem to
recognize the face staring back at me. “Sera, what are you doing
here?” her bright brown eyes are staring at me puzzled. Who is she?
She knows my name, but I can’t recall hers. “Give me your phone,”
she takes the phone from my dirty hand. Why am I covered in
dirt?

“Nate! Hi, It’s Amanda. Sera is here—wait!
Nate! I just have to warn you, she’s acting… funny.” The guy must
have hung up because she looks at the phone abruptly. Turning to me
still sitting on the couch in her living room she says, “Sera,
everything’s going to be okay, Nate’s coming!” in a manner she
would speak to a lost child. The trembling in her voice makes me
question whether she is truly being honest.

I feel my head tilt to one side,
Nate
. I know that name. It sounds so familiar.

Seconds later, the door to the apartment
bursts open and a man comes running in. Amanda looks startled,
before I see her eyes widen. The man pays her no attention coming
directly to me kneeling in front of me.

“Sera?” he whispers. I blink a few times,
those bright blue eyes, the way his hair is blown about his face,
those lips…
Nate!

“Nate…” I whisper my thoughts out loud.

He smiles, “Yes, that’s me! Come Sera, let’s
go home!” I look at him curiously, but I follow. I think I’d follow
this man anywhere. He finally turns to the girl, “Thanks for
calling me, I’ll take care of her.”

I watch as the girl studies us leaving, she
mouths ‘call me’ making a phone with her fingers at her ear before
shutting the door behind us. I’m silent as we get into the car and
he takes me to a place called home. The trees we pass are all a
blur as he zooms down the road like we are in a race of some sort.
Soon enough, we are pulling up to a huge log home in the middle of
the woods. It seems all the lights are on, I think as I climb out
onto the gravel driveway. I open my mouth to speak, but Nate has
already picked me up and thrown me over his shoulder before heading
inside. I giggle as walks me up the stairs and kicks the door open
before throwing me down on the couch, thinking maybe this is a
game.