2024-12-04 19:02:53••••••
The bell rang, signaling school was over.
I go meet Ashlyn who was waiting for me at the school's football field.
"Hey, Ashyln!" I waved while approaching her.
"North! Hey" she smiled.
"Did I keep you waiting?"
"Oh, no. I just got here"
"Okay"
"So remember when you saved me, you dropped something" she said, her voice laced with excitement.
"Uhmm..." I hummed, thinking of what she meant.
She grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure you must be worried, so I have it!"
*Is she talking about my violin? Please let it be my violin.*
"I took it home with me after you got taken to the hospital" she said, then squat to take something from a bag I had just notice.
"It's your violin!" She smiled. "You dropped it on the roof when you saved me. So I figured I would be the one to keep it save for you. So here! It had a crack but I fixed it, hope you like it"
"Ashlyn! Thank you so much! This means alot!" I exclaimed as my heart eased up with relief to finally see it. To see the violin I got from my dad.
"Yeah, no problem. I know it must be special to you" she said with a warm smile.
"It is. It belonged to my dad. He use to play it for me when I was little. He was really good" I said with a smile, but my voice laced with sadness.
"Oh waw! Does he still? I would love to listen"
"No. He died when I was 9"
"Oh. I'm sorry!"
"Yeah, it's okay. I have my mom and this violin which is a piece of him he left behind. That's why I am relieved it's safe" I said while noticing what she meant by 'fixed it', which made me smile a little.
"Do you normally play it on the roof alone?" She asked.
"Sometimes, yes. I learnt how to play, so I could play it for my mom just as my dad use to play it for us" I said as I moved my fingers through the sticker she placed over the crack.
"How sweet! Can I be one of the people you play it for. I would love to listen to you play"
"Yeah. Of course!" I exclaimed as my chicks turned red.
She chuckled.
"Great! Here's my number. I need to go now. Call me" she said as she wrote her number on a paper she brought out.
"Oh, okay"
"Here! Alright bye" she said, then left.
"Okay, bye" I muttered while holding the violin on my left hand, and the paper on my right.
The school had ended so I needed to get home. I went through the alley I usually go through to reach the bus stop. But something didn't feel right.
"Hey, Birdie" Jake said as he, Nate and Max approached me.
I sighed. "Hey, Jake"
"Now what did I say about Ashlyn? Huh?!" He asked, his tone laced with mischief.
"I don't think he heard you the first time. Maybe he needs to be taught a lesson for it to stick" Nate added.
"Look, I do not want any trouble, just let me pass"
"Oh, okay, sure, you can pass" Jake uttered as he took a side step to make me pass their middle.
After walking by, he grabbed my violin case and immediately brought out my violin.
"Hey! Give that back!" I exclaimed trying to reach, but Max pushed me back.
"You play this!" Jake sneered. " Ah.... You must be in Mr Alfred's class then. And from what I remember, all his students got injured in some way recently. So what happened to you?!" He said while pointing the bow towards me.
"Give it back! I won't ask again!" I exclaimed.
"Oh... little Birdie wants to spread his wings now, he thinks he is now tough and can take to the sky. I see, you were the cause of what happened that day right?! You came back from the dead and now you want to hunt us all. Do you know how much my dad had to pay for the fixing of your mess!" he said. "Well, I don't, but I am sure it was a lot of money. So, go on, pay it back, right now, common! Pay back what you owe my dad. Gimme the cash!"
I stared at him while my hands turned into a fist.
"Or what? You are poor.... And can't afford anything for yourself. I know all.... about you. Your mom works all the time just to feed you. Huh! A loser mom who raised a loser kid!" He sneered as he stood behind Max and Nate, who were acting as a wall.
Immediately, I pushed the both of them and landed my fist on his face, forcing him to fall backwards. After I had hit him, Nate and Max grabbed both my hands and forced me down to my kneels, which stopped me from moving.
"You little shit!" Jake voiced, touching his injured lips.
"You broke my tooth!" He sneered while spitting out a tooth.
His brows farrow. "Now I'm gonna break you!"
He then threw a punch that landed on my face, another that hit my gut, then another on my left chick.
"You know what! I have something else to break" he said while taking few steps back to grab my violin.
"Don't!" I muttered.
"What?"
I looked up and uttered, "Don't!"
"Oh is this special to you? Oh well, too bad, I am gonna break it! Maybe when I break it, you are gonna know who not to mess with next time" he said while taking few steps towards me.
"Know you place, Birdie!" He voiced as he took few steps back, rose it high above his head and smashed it to the ground.
"Stop!" I yelled, struggling to break loss from Nate and Max's grip.
"Damn, it is really strong! Maybe the second try will do" he said, raising it high above his head and hitting it harder on the ground.
"Stop!" I yelled again, as he smashed it the second time, making the crack that had been there bigger.
"Maybe one last try will do" he grinned, swinging it from below this time to above his head, to make it more impactful.
Few seconds before it hit the ground, I felt a surge of energy from within as I tried to break loose.
Then I yelled, "I SAID STOP!!"
My eyes immediately glowed, resulting in blasting everything around me by the wave that left my body.
Jake, Nate, Max, and the two dumpsters that were close by, all got lifted up and pushed by the wave.
This made Jake lose my violin in the air, which I noticed, because while it all were happening, it felt like my speed and senses increased.
I looked up and ran towards my violin before it hit the ground, while everything else fell.
I exhaled while my eyes turned back to normal. Next thing I saw was Jake, Nate and Max laying on the ground unconscious.
Immediately, I heard a car pulled up, I turn around and saw two guys and a girl approaching me.
Before I could blink, one of them dashed towards me with great speed, it was in an instant like a flash.
Suddenly, he whispered in my ear, 'Sleep', catching me off guard.
Right there, I fell on his shoulders and lost consciousness.
••••••
•NEXT TIME•
I Remember
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••••••"Hey, dude, wake up. Hey wake up!" Someone yelled as my eyes gently opened."Tengen, he's waking up" someone exclaimed with a lax tone, now certain was a girl."Hey... Nice to meet you" a man said as my eyes adjusted to the surrounding."Who are you people, where am I?" I asked, sitting up straight."Well, I'm Tengen, and this is Claire. And you're in one of our safe house" he replied as he placed down a seat to the left side of the bed I was laying on. He stands tall atleast 6'3", his athletic physique exuding an aura of quiet confidence. His striking features are accentuated by an unruly mess of black hair, which falls across his forehead in soft, wispy strands. He is wearing shades, so I don't see his eyes.He wears a sleek, dark blue jacket with a simple, streamlined design. The jacket's left lapel bears a subtle, silver pin, while the right side features a crisp, buttoned closure.He pairs the jacket with tailored, dark blue trouser of same material. It looks like it's m
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SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 7• I Remember: Three
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SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 8• I Remember: Four
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SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 10• Confession: Two
•••••Immediately she uttered those words, it felt like my heart skipped a beat, and all senses were gone. I then shift my gaze toward her, my eyes meet hers. It took a second to reply, then I said,"Yes""Oh" she uttered, her eyes now towards some distant point."Since when?" She asked."Since the 6th grade" I replied."Why didn't you say anything?""I tried. There were times I wanted telling you, but I was scared. Scared you would say no, and that could put any form of relationship we have or could have in jurperdy. Or scared you would say yes, cause if you do say yes, then what's next? what would be after that. I did not see myself good enough. What was my worth anyways. So I kept a distance, a distance that made me love you from afar""North, we are graduating next week, and after that, we get into a college. When did you plan on telling me?"I slowly turned my gaze towards the clouds, and then towards some distant point, and sighed."When I found worth"Everywhere went silent fo
SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 11 • Michael
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SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 12• Michael: ii
•••••"Alright, I'm on my way" I exclaimed while turning off the TV to grab my house keys."No wait! Stan is on his way to get you. He'll be there soon""Yeah.... I see him now" I said while locking the door behind me and seeing Mr Stan's black E200 Benz roll in next to the tree."Great, see you later""Yeah... later" I replied ending the call."How did you get here so fast? The hospital is like 40 blocks away" I whispered as I watched him open the back door for me."Hello, Mr North. Your lift is ready" Mr Stan in his sweet professional voice."Hey, Mr Stan" I said while walking down the stairs to get in. "Fancy ride. Thanks" I voiced as I got in.He entered and we drive off.About 11 minutes later we reach the hospital. 11 minutes of torture I'd say."Thanks, Mr Stan. But could you please slow down next time" I said while exiting the car, my voiced laced with distress."Sorry Mr North. But I did go slow because that was our first ride. I normally go faster than that""Oh, okay. Great
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35• The Exams: vi
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34• The Exams: v
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33• The Exams: iv
•••••"Alright, kindly step into the circle. The timer will start 5 seconds after you're in"I take a deep breath.*I got this.*I step into the circle, grab the floating staff. The suit makes it feel real, the gloves have some magnetic properties, so my hands does not close completely.I stand 5 feets away from the holographic trainer, and wait for it to begin. Suddenly, it flickers and takes my form, then a staff forms on his hand.*Oh.*A drop of sweat forms on my face as the clock goes down to 3 seconds before the session starts. I stare at Diana, then back at the trainer.It then begins.I hesitate, unsure to move. The trainer charges forward, its staff flashing in a blur of light. I flinch, raising my staff in defense. The impact shudders through my arms, and I stumble back.Breathing heavily, I know I have to fight with everything I have.••••••"Time elapsed: 5 minutes" the AI announces.I force myself to move, swinging my staff widely. The trainer parries each strick with eas
32• The Exams: iii
•••••We follow her to a separate building. A building still connected to the main building, but had more floors. Over 15 floors. She leads us to the lobby at the ground floor."Each floor has doors labeled with a number. Kindly locate your room door, a guide is already waiting for you. From number 1-25 on Floor 1From 26-50 on Floor 2From 51-75 on Floor 3From 76-100 on Floor 4From 101-125 on Floor 5From 126-150 on Floor 6From 151-175 on Floor 7From 176-200 on Floor 8From 201-225 on Floor 9From 226-250 on Floor 10From 251-275 on Floor 11From 276-300 on Floor 12.The elevators can carry a maximum of 25 people. There are currently 5 elevators. So you guys will go in sets" she exclaims.We begin moving, locating our doors. It takes a while, but Michael and I finally reach our doors."See you on the other side" I voice, a little bit anxious."Yeah!" Michael replies.I walk into my room and a see a lady. An Avatar just like Mia.She has white long hair with light blue eyes. She w
31• The Exams: ii
••••••"So, the exams are today, huh?" Tengen utters, then fill his mouth with a spoon of ice-cream."Yeah. Over 300 Avatars and 207 Kaleekis. Both from our Sector and Sector B" Mark replies, face down on his phone."That's nice. Hope they will come out well"" 'Nice'? No, that's barely enough numbers""It's better than none. Remember, it's quality over quantity. And I feel like this generation is special""Let's hope so"Tengen smiles. "Yeah" "Your sister is taking the exams, I'm sure she'll do well""Yeah... She'll be fine. So far the newbies I met all showed potential. So, I'm sure they'll all do well" Tengen says, then fills his mouth with a bigger chuck of ice-cream."Next time, let people responsible for the first interaction, do their job. If you decide to go again, I won't follow you" Mark says, his voice laced with annoyance.Tengen smirks. "Huh? Common, it was fun""No it wasn't. Maybe for you it was. But for me it was a drag""Ugh, you're no fun! And why haven't you touche
30• The Exams
••••••As we stepped into the building, we immediately get struck by its serene atmosphere. The interior is sleek and modern, with soft and calming colors.We get greeted by a friendly receptionist with a warm smile."Welcome, your name please" she voice softly.We reply."North Davison""Michael Gadreel" "Okay! North and Michael," she says, checking through her computer. "Welcome, please come this way"She lead to us a sleek, modern desk, where we dropped our phones. Then she hand us each a small black wristband. "Please wear these wristbands at all times during the exams. They will track your progress and monitor your vital signs"We take the wristbands and place them on, feeling a slight tingling sensation as they synced with our bodies."Thank you," she says. "Now, please proceed to the examination area"We follow her directions to a large circular room filled with other new Angel Avatars. Few looks nervous, others determined, while few showed no emotions.We recognize none of t
29• Graduation Day: ii
•••••"Now, that was a cannonball!" He exclaims with a laugh."Hey, guys!" I say as I reach the pool."North...! Finally" Gabriel exclaims. "Do a bigger splash than Michael's"I grin, "Okay"I take few steps back, stare at the spot I decide to land on, then run towards the pool's edge and jump.But instead of landing into the pool, I jump over it and land in the tall bushes close to it."WHAT?!" Gabriel yells with excitement. "That was cool!""Shit! North, are you okay?" Michael exclaims, exiting the pool.Ella just stares, speechless, shocked by what just occured."Yeah.. I'm fine. I'm okay" I say, trying to get up."You're sure? Cause you went over" Michael says, trying to help me up."Yeah, I'm good. The bush broke my fall""Ah... What was that?" Ella asks."I... Play basketball. Yeah, so I work on my legs. I have strong jumps. Yeah, high verticals!" I say, trying to sound convincing."Yeah! Basketball. We get our strong jumps from that" Michael exclaims, trying to back me up.Ella
28• Graduation Day
••••••Michael and I put on our caps and gowns, taking a deep breath as we prepared to face the crowd. As we walk onto the stage, I couldn't help but think of Ashlyn.She should have been here with us, smiling and laughing as we accepted our diplomas.Mom waves from the crowd, I wave back. She blows a kiss, I smile, then turn my gaze to the principal giving his speech.I sigh. But as the day goes, I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. We made it through high school, now a new chapter begins. Not as a high school graduate, but as an Avatar."Hey, mom" I wave as I approach her."Congrats to my boy. I'm so proud of you!" Mom says as she place a kiss on my forehead, then gives me a hug."Thanks mom"She smiles."So, are you still going to work?""Yeah. I told them I'll be there by 1""Oh. So you still have 40 minutes more""Yeah""Thanks for coming" I smile. "Also, I decided I don't want to go to prom""Oh. That's fine honey. If you don't want to go, you don't need to"I give a fain
27• Meet A: v
•••••"It's okay, it's okay""No, it's not. I watched you die. I let you die. I couldn't save you""It's not your fault. What happened today wasn't your fault. And I'm sure she'll say the same. You need to be strong, okay""How? How can I be? When I couldn't do anything. I just watched as a man killed today""North, strength isn't found in people who don't know fear. Strength is found in people who know fear, but decides to face it. To move forward no matter what it may be. That's true strength. So North, don't back down now, move forward, face it. Take brave but easy steps, and you'll see how much strength is within you" she voice softly.After saying those words, everywhere goes silent. I lay there in her embrace, letting her words sink in.After a while, I ask, "So, you're my Angel, huh?""Yes. I am""And is all this about fighting to restore balance real?""Yes. It's all real""Oh. Okay""Yeah. You're beacon. A beacon of hope. My Avatar""So what should I call you?""Any name you
