Eyera (The Eyera Series Book 1) Read online

  An acrid smoke rises from the floor and fills my lungs, fits of coughing spurts and my eyes water. I put my nose and mouth in the crook of my arm. A hiss behind makes me turn around and a monstrous fire gyrates out of control, the fire crackles and lashes boisterously against the walls. The fire turns into liquid like lava and swallows the corridor coming towards me, howling hungrily. I look ahead for an escape route and a door shuns, and I make no hesitations. I scurry to the door avoiding the splashes of fire. I grab the doorknob twisting, but it doesn’t budge. I take a step backwards and sprint; ramming my shoulder and I’m sent to the floor. A heavy pain torrents in my shoulder and I hold it, biting my tongue. The heat intoxicates and it’s harder to breath. Sweat is pouring and the fire is inches away and my head is unclear. I don’t know what else to do. I stand prepared to let the fire swallow me hole, I accept my fate. I hear the door creak and I dart to see it open, I take no chances and shoot through. The fire catches my right leg causing me to scream as I hit the ground. Smacking the fire out, my trousers melt into my skin causing a gooey texture, and unbearable pain sizzles; a strong unpleasant smell burns my throat. I tear off my sleeve and wrap it around my leg tightly. I lay for a few minutes biting my lip; the pain is too much. I look around and familiarity surrounds. Bags and coats hung up and shoes on the rack, I see my father’s boots. I heave up my sore body and pain jolts, I inhale the coat and my mother’s perfume lingers.

  I am home.

  A smile creeps on my face and I limp to the kitchen, food is on the table. It’s the food I stole. I stumble upstairs running my fingers along the pictures that are framed neatly on the cream wall, pictures of my parents, Hadrian and I smiling. I catch a glimpse of something moving upstairs; a shadow moving briskly. I hurry up the navy carpet, legs agonise in pain holding me back. I make it to the top and see a figure, back towards me staring at the wall, he turns around and we look at each other.

  “Hadrian?” I shout astonished.

  I move closer and he runs into the wall vanishing. I put my weight on the varnished bannister stringing along. I put my hands on the wall and it ripples. I walk into it and a scintillating light blinds my vision. I lift my arms to protect myself, and I hear birds singing and the wind whistling. I remove my arms to see the sky and grass swaying. I’m in the field.

  CHAPTER thirty-seven

  A small breeze blows and the sun is warm and birds fly high, not a cloud in sight. Trees stands in the distance and hills are beyond reach, a beautiful robin flies in front twirling and dancing showing off its miraculous colours.

  “Hadrian!” I shout, hoping to hear his voice but only mine echoes across the lands. I walk through the field going down a small dip, carefully, limping with pain. I see a tunnel with branches and leaves overlapping each other. I move the branches and step into the dark tunnel, twigs snap underneath and roots crawl on the wall. A royal blue stream flows peacefully, snaking past objects and over boulders. The trees talk to one another swaying their thriving branches; chartreuse leaves dangling. I hobble along the fresh grass, little flowers planted randomly, and I grow restlessly after a while. I sit down playing with grass and sit in awe admiring nature’s beauty, it’s so warm and magnificent. The birds jump from one branch to another, butterflies flutter and bees buzzing on flowers; everything feels so real.

  Suddenly, the birds stop whistling and tweet loudly, hundreds of them fly off the tree and into the sky like something scared them. The clouds cover the sun, and it gets chilly, a hard noise rustles and hurts my ears. I use my hands to protect my ears from the sound, but it gets loader, soaking through my fingers, I panic but too sore to move, or fight. It’s getting colder by the second the wind is knocking me over, a hand curls on my shoulder and I shriek.

  “Whoa, Acelyn, hey, hey, look it’s me.”

  I hear a silky and mellow voice.

  I almost forgot what he sounded like. That’s all it takes to calm me down, he cups my hand removing them from my eyes, and I see him kneeling.

  “Hunter?” I say breathlessly.

  A smile springs, it’s him. I can’t believe it. It’s really Hunter. I leap into his arms ignoring the excruciating pains that fathomless follow. He holds me tight and protectively, hands locked. I melt in his grace, my head rests on his chest and his heart flutters gently. I inhale, he still smells the same, ash. Tears break and my body trembles, he holds tighter stroking my hair.

  “Shh, Acelyn you’re safe now,” he whispers.

  Hunter takes my hands and looks at my injuries.

  “What happened?” he says.

  “It doesn’t matter.” I say, I don’t want to ruin this moment.

  He lifts my weight on his shoulders, allowing little pressure, he holds me upright. Hunter and I walk to the field slowly; the sun comes back out brightening the land. We hobble further down the field with Hunter attached to my side. We get to a beautiful horse chestnut tree, a flare of white candles lighting up, I’m amazed.

  “You like it?” Hunter says.

  I love it.

  Hunter and I sit under the tree, and he reaches for his satchel pulling out a soft fabric, he unfolds it revealing two small loafs of brown bread, red grapes and tender, succulent cherries. My mouth waters and stomach begs. Hunter gives me a handful of grapes, and I take a bite into the small pulpy grape and sweet juice fills my mouth.

  “I want to show you something,” he says ardently.

  He reaches for my hand and we connect like magnets, twirling as we walk through the field. In the distance, I hear a crash of waves. The field becomes steep and I find myself climbing it, Hunter runs to the top.

  “Your favourite place is the river; this is my favourite place,” he says proudly.

  I finally get to the top to see a bright coruscating ocean immerses. I leap forward seeing the waves crash at the rocks, it smells fresh and salty.

  “I will escape from here and venture the ocean, you’ll come with me, we can build a boat for us,” Hunter says.

  “What about our families?” I say.

  “Then we will build a boat big enough to hold us,” he replies.

  Hunter and I sit down listening to the ocean and birds chirping. I feel so safe with him, and I miss talking to him about anything. Hunter is someone that makes me smile. I look at Hunter with a huge grin glued.

  “I got you something,” he says, in his hand is a yellow ribbon.

  “I know how much the ribbon means to you,”

  “Thanks, Hunter but I already have—” I look down to see my ribbon is gone.

  “Maybe not, thank you,”

  He wraps it around my leg.

  I look at the ocean again; the sun glistening, making the water crystallise.

  “Don’t days like this make you Happy,” Hunter says joyfully.

  “Yeah,” I say.

  I look back at Hunter in horror as his face melts and skin becomes mushy and breaks. Colours drip down his face, and I scream, backing away. Hunter crawls on his side, his left eye liquefies down his cheeks like wax, and his lips break from his jaw.

  “What’s the matter, Acelyn?” he says droopy as his body begins to dissolve into the ground. The ocean gets louder and my fingers crawl to the edge. What is happening? Everything was fine.

  “Get away from me.” I howl, but he doesn’t listen.

  Hunter slops and places his finger underneath my chin, I forcefully snap away falling off the cliff.

  “No, no, no!” I cry as gravity hurls me down. I scream as I fall from the 80ft cliff, the wind presses my shoulders, weighing me down, and I hit the ocean with force. Water sinks my body to the cold, bottomless pit and my lungs fill, and chest tightens. The sun shines across my face and fishes swim by, and I continue to fall deeper. I hit the ground and bubbles escape from my nose, the temperature drops. I can’t move as the energy has been sucked out. A shadow hovers and I can’t see it clearly as water causing blurriness. I stare at the shadows movements, alluring brown eyes bore and blond hair is swaying magically, it’s H
adrian. I throw energy into my arms and reach out, but they poise back and lungs close off. Hadrian extends his hand closer to mine, and we lock together. Suddenly, I am shot out of the ocean and into the sky, sending me into blinding white clouds.

  CHAPTER thirty-eight

  It’s so confusing. Why do I keep seeing Hadrian?

  I’m not in the ocean anymore; pain etches as I sit up. Little yellow and purple bruises prickle my arms and eyes are sore every time I blink. I use the sink to help me up and four walls greet closing me into a box, nothing else but a mirror hangs. I don’t know what is going on. I keep getting sent into random surroundings. Steadily, I look in the mirror and my reflection stares back with an eerie smile, dark blue malicious eyes and platinum blonde hair pinned back with no red fringe, she looks more sinister; she is scarred and burnt, it makes her look frightening. I touch my face, but the mirror doesn’t copy. She pulls out a blade and twists it on her finger chuckling, she puts pressure on her index and blood drips. She stabs the knife deeper slicing down and writes on the mirror. I look at the dark red cursive letters ‘Blood on your hands.’

  She stands proud and deviously, eyes boring into mine, a little flame of evilness, she flicks her thumb across the blade.

  “You like the new look?” she says twirling, revealing a bokken on her back.

  I touch my face again, do I look like that?

  “That’s what you would have looked like if Officer Slevic didn’t stop those guards, trust me, Acey, they didn’t go easy, it was a blood bath, or should I say an acid bath,” she says.

  What is going on? Why am I here? Why won’t this stop? The image of Hunter’s face flashes in my head making me sick. I’m afraid to see what else Eyera has in store, I don’t know if I can handle it.

  Is Hadrian helping me?

  “Shame you couldn’t help him,” she says as she heard me talk inside my head, of course she did, she is me.

  “Leave me alone,” I growl.

  “Oh, someone is touchy, so tell me Acey, what do you think of this so far?” she says.

  I don’t respond.

  “Come on, it’s quite fascinating right, they are very, very colourful with what they do and this drug tops it off, kudos to them,” she laughs clapping her hands and saluting.

  What is wrong with her?

  “I’m perfectly fine. Question is, what is wrong with you?” she says.

  “I see it, that little spark, a flame. Shall we ignite that?” Her laughter sends a shiver.

  “I want to tell you something,” she sings and I send a death stare, she throws her hands in the air.

  “Well then, I shall show you.”

  And she clicks her fingers transforming the room into the Elspeth City. I am so confused on what is real and what is not. I limp to the dome to find it’s empty; no sign of guards, citizens and the train track is empty. I enter under the letter S finding everything is trashed, markets burnt, food destroyed, and clothes everywhere. In the distance, I hear an uprising of noise and I immediately follow. My face drops as I see Eyera guards pulling children by their hair and throwing them to the ground, they hit them with their clubs. I watch the kids fall into blood and tears, the adults stand at the side heads up, shoulders apart with a blank look on their faces not showing any emotions. My mirror-self comes into picture inhaling and exhaling loudly, she stretches her arms high letting out a relief sigh.

  “Ah, what a glorious view,” she whistles.

  A little boy runs, and she takes out her bokken and trips him.

  “Oh no,” she says dramatically cupping her cheeks.

  “Look at these poor children, who is going to help them? Oh my God,” she mocks winking at me.

  A guard grabs the boy from the floor and tosses him in the middle of everyone; his face is blotched with tears. The guard reaches to his waist unfastening his buckle, he slithers the belt from his hips and snaps it, making the boy cower. The guard whips the belt across his face and he screams, all I see is Hadrian, and I’m running towards the boy. My mirror-self runs with me shaking her head.

  “Nope, I’m not letting you use your anger here because that won’t be good for the both of us,” she says snapping her fingers sending me flying back to the bathroom.

  I stand furiously, and she taps her fingers puffing her cheeks.

  “What the hell did you do?” I snap.

  “I saved you, what did it look like,” she says eyebrows raised.

  “Saved me? You let them beat those kids, what is wrong with you?” I vex.

  “Hey, missy, I did you a favour, I think you should be thanking me.” she pouts.

  God, what the hell is going on here, am I losing my mind? Is this what it feels like to snap, is this what Eyera wants, messing with me till I break.

  “Relax, Acey,” she says which riles me.

  “Don’t you call me that,” I spit.

  She rolls her eyes and takes out her bokken, tapping it on the mirror, pitying me.

  “You’ve got a lot to learn,” she says.

  “What do you want from me?” I yell, sick of playing games. I throw my hands banging the mirror, and a crack forms over my reflection, I hit it again and shards fly off.

  “Only having some fun,” she says.

  “Please, just leave me alone,” I say restlessly sliding down the cold wall.

  “This is what I’m trying to show you, this is what they want, Acelyn. They want you to give in, break into pieces and you’re doing a mighty fine job letting them,” she yells.

  “They are inside your head messing around with you, are you going to allow that? I know I wouldn’t. They beat our brother, and you are sitting here, crying? Oh please, pick yourself up, this mirror doesn’t lie,” she shouts twisting a finger on her temple. Every word she says drips malignant, truthful of words.

  “Can’t you feel that anger burning inside of you, don’t ever lose that, hold on to it because you’re going to need that for the future,” she says.

  “Get the hell out of my head, you are not real, you’re not,” I scream.

  “Oh, but I am, and you need to know that,” she says.

  “It’s the drug, it’s messing with me,” I screech not able to handle this.

  “Keep telling yourself that, Acey,” she snickers.

  “I told you not to call me that,” I say.

  My body heats, and rage flies. I rip the sink from the wall and throw it at the mirror breaking it into pieces. Every inch of anger rushes and warm tears fall, I turn red like the devil. She laughs through the broken pieces. I pull my hair in frustration pacing up and down, smacking the wall till my knuckle turns red and bloody. I sit on the dirty white, black diamond pattern floor, pulling my knees to my chest resting my head. It’s not real, none of this is real … or is it? I don’t know anymore.

  I hear a knuckle knocking, I stand looking for a door but only walls are visible, maybe I finally lost the plot. I listen to another knock and put my ears to the wall but nothing. Confused and annoyed, maybe I’m hearing things. It knocks again impatiently this time, I trace the sound and I’m staring at a single piece of glass on the wall, my reflection doesn’t stare back but Hadrian does. He waves gesturing to come forward, I lean closer to the shard putting my hand forward, and a grasp of white blooms swallowing me whole. I wait patiently for the light to dim, a swarm of darkness fills each corner of the room, a door stands slanting with a light shinning, telling me that’s where I need to go. I walk to the blue door, resting my hand on the golden doorknob, taking deep breaths to see what lies on the other side. I walk to the middle seeing a dark giant window, my reflection staring back. My hands arch over the window to see what is in there, I can’t see anything. A rhythmic drop of water echoes, and a chilly draft tugs my body. I look down to see a blue ribbon moving with the draft. A noise buzzes behind, and a small beam produces on the wall, black screen with bold white letters read: Director’s message. The screen fades in, and a shaded figure sits on the chair.

  “Welcome, 1444.
I have been watching you ever since you encountered with my guards, in order to protect your brother.”

  I can’t work out the Director’s appearance or voice, due to an electronic device covering it’s real voice. The famous Director, owner of Eyera Corporation, the ones that runs Elspeth.

  “I see the way people look at you. They see courage, and courage can lead to anarchy, and I won’t allow that to happen,” the Director says.

  “You have this stage to face and a few more, the final stage of the Crixgen will show you your true self. Good luck 1444, I’m looking forward to seeing you,” the Director says flashing off the wall and lighting up the room. I turn around to see what is behind the window. I gasp, seeing pictures of broken bones, flesh ripped open, and blood splattered, deep scars embed into the tissue of skin and I fall back, sick to my stomach. Throats are slit open from ear to ear. The light flickers in the middle and I see Cyren drenched in blood, he looks up through bloodshot eyes.

  “Ya need ta leave now!” he shouts.

  “Leave!” Cyren desperately cries.

  CHAPTER thirty-nine

  Cyren pleads but I don’t leave. I rest my hands on the glass helplessly. I don’t know what to say. Cyren looks up and the light turns off, and he gets sucked into darkness followed by his screams. I bang on the glass shouting. I squint for any sudden movements, nothing but pitch black. A piece of paper or what I thought flutters, I study closer to see it’s a photo. It hits the window, and it’s a doctor drilling into Parrish’s eye, his neck strained and mouth wide open. Another photo hits the window, a guard holding a knife over Cyren’s hand. Next, another picture flies of Raiya with blood dripping down her lips, an ear in her mouth. Another photo hits the window of Orin with his mouth open wide by a tool, and tongue is pulled out. A wave of Cyren, Raiya, Parrish and Orin’s scream attack me throwing me to the floor, I hear them getting beaten, bones crunching, struggling and cries. I cover my ears but their vibrations hit my hands away, so I’m unable to drown them out. Images burn in my eyelids and I scream to the top of my lungs, begging for mercy. They get louder, and more pictures fly covering up the window, their faces are bruised and stained with blood, scabs and cuts mark their faces. It lasts for hours, but suddenly they start to die down, pictures fall and light beams down on a young girl. I stand to see her long blonde hair covering her face, she uses her sleeve to wipe her runny nose, and tucks her hair behind her ear revealing herself, Avra. Avra’s bottom lip quivers and her white dress is torn showing off scabby knees.