Chapter 9: scent of blood

On the ground, in chains. That is where Emily's father lays as the three students, four teachers, and a principal standing over him talk about him, his past, and his daughter. He wanted to yell. He wanted to scream out to get their attention. He knows deep inside he couldn't control himself.

Something inside him burned. Not as an emotion, but as a physical burning pain inside of him wasting his soul away. This same burning made Emily's father, Dave, feel sick.

Incredibly sick. Dave had pain where there shouldn't be pain. Tasted blood flowing from his mouth when there was no blood. He felt like he was about to throw up and spew nonexistent blood everywhere. He couldn't. Dave doesn't have control of his own body.

It's this burning that is in control. He can't move. He can't speak. He can't cry. All he can do is think. That is all he ever does anymore is think. He thinks about his life, his childhood, how he got this way, but mostly about his daughter. Dave loved Emily. He always wanted to protect her from harm, and for the longest time, nobody knew. All anyone sees of him nowadays is a monster. "Maybe it's not me," he would always think to himself. "Maybe its this burning feeling, maybe I'm burning to death...it feels like it."

Everything then goes dark. He tries to call for help but there is no reply. Never a reply.

Dave, still laying on the ground, starts to fidget his hands. As his hands were fidgeting, his fingers started tapping at the ground wildly. He then groaned as he tried picking his head up. The teachers were distracted trying to call a group called SP, with Owen, Trent, and Emily in the center of their group.

Emily then noticed her father picking his head up and screamed. What she saw was disturbing. Her fathers iris and pupils were gone. Almost as if they rolled to the back of his head. His eyes were red and blood-shot. He then opened his mouth and what seemed like black blood started flowing out of his mouth. Then her father screamed back at her. All the teachers turned around to see the horrible sight.

"It's getting worse," Martha said.

"What should we do?" Thomas asked.

"Tell SP that they should send an exorcist," Martha responded.

"Do you think you can keep him at bay like that?," said Mr. Soar drawing his blade.

"I don't know. I feel really dizzy right now," Martha said. Martha was not only dizzy, her vision was blurred. She felt like she couldn't even stand. She tried the best she could to keep herself from collapsing to the ground. She drew her blade.

"Mrs. Shores, I don't think you should be doing this. A great deal of your life force seems to be gone. It doesn't seem like you even have the strength to stand. Why don't you sit this one out Mrs. Shores," Thomas said.

"No, I'm fine. I can still fight. I-I'm not out of this yet," Martha said as she stood ready to fight, but looked like she hadn't slept in months.

"Please, Martha. You must," Professor Cole said as he took out his blade.

"I can't. If I do then he will get free. I feel like I...can't...hold him anymore...," Martha said. Martha put her left hand to her forehead. There was a pounding sensation in her head. It felt like her knees were going to give way. She almost fell forward then used her blade to prop her up to her feet. The other teachers gasped and tried to help her.

"This is too much, Mrs. Shores!," Thomas exclaimed.

"I-I can d-do it...," Martha said. Then, all of a sudden she collapsed to the floor. Her body couldn't take the stain much longer. She shut her eyes and gripped her head. There was a ringing in her head. She had to release it. She couldn't take anymore. This is what forbidden magic does to its wielder. She knew this, but she had to do something. She couldn't think of having any of her students hurt, especially Owen. She took a deep breath. The chains then disappeared from around Dave.  Dave then stopped struggling. His body was fidgeting wildly. The principal looked at Owen, Emily, and Trent. She then stood in front of the three of them and lifted up her arms. She then turned around. Her arms glowing green, she spoke, "Sheilta!"

Then all of a sudden, a large green force field blanked over the three students.

"Don't worry. I will protect you three. You have nothing to worry about. You are safe with me," the principal said.

Dave put his palms to the ground in an effort to stand. He tried lifting himself up, but his arms just gave way and he collapsed back to the ground. Thomas then got up from trying to comfort his friend, and took out his blade.

"Only one who came from the depths of Hell can look the way he does. I will do what I must to protect everyone," he said as he looked to the creature, the man before him became, with disgust. Before Dave could get up again Thomas rushed at him. Thomas swung his blade at the abnormal man on the ground. To Thomas's dismay, he missed. His blade hit the ground, where the creature used to lay, with a thud. Thomas then pulled up his blade and looked around to see where this ill man went. Then all of a sudden he felt a sharp pain in his back. He heard the screams on the other teachers behind him as the pain moved through his body. When he felt the pain reach his stomach, the tip of a dark green blade ripped through his stomach. His heart started pounding.

He seemed to have trouble breathing. Blood rushed out of his stomach as the blade was thrust back through. Thomas collapsed on the ground. Martha couldn't watch as her friends died in front of her. She turned away from the sight of Thomas collapsing to the ground. All of the teachers and the principal felt tears swelling in their eyes.

"Thomas!!," Mr. Soar yelled. The three students watched in shock as the man lay motionless on the ground.

"Cole! You rush to get the nurse. And Pete, you go get the students safely away from campus. I'll stay here and buy some time for the Spiritual  Priests get here," the principal said.

"Yes mame!," both Mr. Soar and Professor Cole said at the same time before darting off in different directions.

"You three will have to stay with me," the principal said turning her attention to Owen, Trent, and Emily. Mrs. Mars then let the force field down. She took of her green blade. Emily, with tears in her eyes backed up and knelt to the ground.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Emily kept repeating to herself as she cried. Her tears hit the concrete where she was sitting. She then felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Trent's hand. She looked at him. He smiled and spoke, "It's not your fault. Don't beat yourself up. You are so much stronger than this Emily."

"I-I can't...," she said.

"Of course you can, Emily. I believe in you," Owen said kneeling in front of her. She looked at Owen then smiled.

"R-Roy...," Emily said to herself.

"Hmm?," Owen said in confusion.

"Thanks guys," she said with a smile and tears in her eyes.

"Then best thing we can do now is stay strong and do what Mrs. Mars says," Trent said to both of them.

"Yeah," both of them said at the same time.

Mrs. Mars then smiled and got ready to attack.