Post by susan on Jul 17, 2006 14:53:59 GMT -5
The school had been on lock down for a few days. Students were getting stir crazy without the ability to go out and do what they pleased. The races, though always forbidden, weren’t just looked over. Strict threats were in place for anyone who broke the rules. A gloom seemed to hang over the school.
Lily was a serious trainee. The whole kidnapping had shaken her, though, because she knew Rose was at the race. After the dance, she’d went back to her room. She didn’t attend most of the races, terrified if she were caught she’d get kicked out of the program. Thus, the already high strung, anxious girl had become a nervous wreck when she wasn’t training. Lily had taken to bouncing a tennis ball against the wall in her room, the “thud thud thud” drawing a few snickers on the first couple of days “Someone’s getting her garden plowed” being the popular line…but by the third day it was just annoying, even to her.
A creature of habit, she didn’t let the nerves change her routine. Every night at exactly 9:15, Lily would put on her running gear and head for the trails. She’d been doing it since her first day in the training program. That night was no different—she waved at one of the agents set to watch over the students. Though he’d only been there about a week, he knew she’d be back in an hour. She was always back in an hour.
The air felt cool on her skin. After a few minutes, the sounds of the school were distance and there was just the echo of her shoes on the ground. The occasional crack of a twig under her foot was almost like music. She felt the relaxation washing over her as it always did. All of her troubles were behind her now. She could just keep running forward. She ran, drifting into her “zone” where her senses were slightly dulled and she could just relax.
It must have been why she didn’t hear them coming up on her. Someone had grabbed Lily from behind, forcing her right arm to twist painfully behind her before she knew what was happening. A crack echoed as she felt her arm break even before she had the time to react. A scream mixed of pain and anger echoed down the trail, but she was too far out for anyone to hear her. With her left foot, she stomped firmly down on her attackers same foot. They loosened their grip just long enough for her to break free. The pain from her arm was almost blinding, but her training kicked in. As she spun, delivering a slightly off balanced roundhouse kick to her attacker, she glanced around. There were four of them. They had started off seriously injuring her. This wasn’t a training.
With each punch and kick, she felt the pain in her arm less. It was either shock or endorphines released from her body but it kept her standing. At one point and time, a man had her pinned to the ground and headbutted her. The others stood around scoffing, why had so many of them been sent after one pitiful girl? It was then the man went to headbutt her again, but stopped and started screaming. The scream was cut short though by the sickening crack of bones. Her mother’s signature death grip had been passed down in training years. With blood running down her pretty face, Lily stood, falling into the stance her Aunt Keiko had been training her in. Within the next few minutes, it was just one against one, one man’s neck snapped, another laying out cold on the ground. The last man looked at her for a moment, then turned to run back off into the woods. He would return and report alive, not in a body bag. It was then Lily heard the echo of a gunshot. Agents, they’d heard her screams. They’d come to save her. She was ok…
Lily’s shoulders slumped slightly as she fought the urge to cry. Killing didn’t bother her. She’d been trained to kill her entire life. It was her stupidity…out all alone and not paying attention. Her arm hung limply at her side when she felt a hand on her opposite shoulder squeezing softly.
“Very good, my little Blossom, very good..”
“I’m not Bl…”…she turned, slightly confused, barely catching a glimpse of the old man before she was hit in the head with something. The urge to fight back was killed when the cloth slid over her mouth…the darkness she fell into was an odd relief…
When after two hours Lily hadn’t returned, agents on duty went looking for her. They found her in the garden in front of the dorms, covered in blood and unconcious. When she finally came to, all she’d say to her mother and father, a blank expression on her face was…”I’m not blossom…”….In her mind, this was all her mother’s fault. Someone had been coming after her and been mistaken. She’d never expect the truth that brought a chill to Blossom…the urge to bring her children home and hold them all close almost too strong to bear.
