writergirl1's Diaryland Diary

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Chapters 7 and 8

Chapter 7
Weeks dragged on and Raya sat in the house all day, everyday. She was too scared to leave the house and too tired to even attempt going out. There was a constant stream of people coming and going, but Raya was bored and tired of her surroundings. After seven weeks of not leaving the house, she finally decided to get out and get some air.
Her stomach was growing and getting around was starting to get tricky. Her belly led her wherever she wanted to go. And today, she just wanted to take a walk. She threw on a pair of jeans and a blue tank top and headed down the stairs. Jake and Grandma had gone into town to find her some maternity clothes so she was home alone. Kind of. She was never truly alone. Grandma�s friends were everywhere. Not usually in the house, but somewhere very close by.
Raya walked outside and looked around the house. She didn�t see anyone but knew they were there somewhere. So, she headed off towards the forest and the clearing she had found a few months before.
She had been wandering for about fifteen minutes before stumbling upon a clearing in the trees that was covered with flowers. The sun shone right down on it and made it the perfect place to get away. Raya knew that it was the only place to truly be alone. She was pretty sure it was outside of Grandma�s land and not protected, but with so many people watching over her, Raya did not worry.
She unfolded the blanket she had brought with her and laid down on the ground. She placed a hand on her growing belly and listened to the sounds of nature. Raya concentrated on communicating with Giana and listening for any hint of a conversation. She found that when she concentrated on things, they tended to happen. She just wanted to know that everything was okay. Grandma didn�t believe in doctors, she figured she could heal anything they could and do it naturally. Raya was scared something would go wrong and was constantly checking on her daughter.
The communication was all based on feelings and emotions. Raya could sense when Giana was happy or tired or stressed. At this moment, she was relaxed. It was as if Giana could sense her surroundings. She was relaxed knowing that her mother had finally been able to relax and breath. When Raya got upset, she felt her baby getting upset as well. But now, in the clearing, they both let go of all their worries and concerns. They took in the smells and sounds and felt at one with everything around them.
Raya had been lying in the sun for two hours when she suddenly felt every muscle in her body tense up. Her stomach was twisting and knotting and she screamed in pain and hugged her knees to her chest. She started to feel herself losing consciousness. She was seeing grey spots and couldn�t focus on anything in front of her. Then she heard it. A noise that sent chills through her entire body. Twigs breaking, someone approaching. Amari and his brothers didn�t make a sound when they came into a room, and Jake couldn�t possibly know where she was. This was danger, the baby was scared and acting out.
Raya concentrated on the sounds, they were definitely getting closer. She cleared her mind and focused on Jake. She tried to call to him for help but lost her concentration when she felt a hand on her arm.
�Get up! You�re not getting away from me again,� Raya�s father shouted.
�Let me go,� She screamed back.
He wrapped his arms around her and hoisted her to her feet. She felt the baby kicking, wildly. She was scared.
�You are not gonna get away with this,� She warned him.
�Raya, you are unholy. Your mother was unholy. You are not a natural family. You are a child of the devil. You are not holy, Raya and you do not deserve to be alive.�
�They won�t let you kill me. There are people here who want nothing more than to get rid of you forever. And they will. If I�m dead or alive, they will not let you continue to breath.�
He was dragging her away from the clearing. She tried to pay attention to her surrounding and where he was taking her, but she was still having trouble focusing. She tried to soothe the baby and tell her it was okay. She tried to calm herself and steady her breathing, but she was too scared. She knew that her dad would kill her, as soon as he could. She knew he was dragging her to her death and there was no way to calm herself down. She screamed and squirmed, trying to draw attention to herself or get away from this monster. No one seemed to hear her. She should never have gone out alone.
�That baby inside of you is a monster. Neither of you should ever have been given the opportunity to live. Soon, you will no longer be a danger to the world.�
�Dad, I�m not a monster! I�M YOUR DAUGHTER! And Giana is your grand daughter. How can you even think about murdering us?�
�You are not my child. Your mother was pregnant when I met her. And she lied to me about what she was. She tricked me into raising a demon as my own. You nearly killed us when you were born and a being with that much power can not be from God,� He explained.
Raya felt tears filling her eyes. She had taken the worst beatings of her life at the hand of this man who was not even her real father. Her mother was dead and no one knew who her father may be. She was officially an orphan and would die before having the chance to find her true father.
They reached another opening in the forest. This time, they stopped and the stranger put her down on the ground. He leaned her against a tree and dug a rope out of the backpack he had been carrying. Without saying a word, he tied Raya�s hands and feet together then looped the rope around her stomach and tied her, tightly, to the tree. She kicked and wiggled and tried to get out, but the rope was too tight.
�Please,� she begged. �Robert, you don�t have to do this! Just let me go and we�ll never have to see another again.�
�I cannot allow such evil to stay in this world,� He told her.
�I�m not evil! I don�t even know any magic, I didn�t even know I was a witch!�
He stopped talking and went back to his backpack. He took out a bottle and what looked like fireplace matches. Fear took over Raya�s mind and she knew that she would die. She and her baby would be burned to death. When she focused on what Robert was doing, she saw the had spread liquid in a circle behind her. It smelt like gasoline. He looked at her for a brief moment before dropping a flaming match right in front of her.
Fire roared up all around her. The flames made a perfect circle around her and through the flames, she saw Robert walking away. He left her for dead. The flames got bigger and Raya noticed that the grass around her was very dry, it would not be long before she would be burned by the fire. He was going to kill her the way witches had been killed for centuries. Every time humans found out about them, they set them aflame and forgot about their troubles. Raya was just one of many victims to have been killed in this manner. But Giana. Poor, innocent Giana had not even had a chance at life and Robert had ruined it for her.
Raya tried not to breath in the smoke, but it was all around her. She felt the burning in the back of her throat. Her lungs were filling up and she could not get a good breath. She felt her arm hair singeing and saw her skin bubbling all over. She was burning on the inside as well. Her blood was heated and warming her entire body. She closed her eyes and waited for death. The lack of oxygen made her pass out before she could do anything more to get away.

Jake and Grandma arrived home to an empty house. Jake called for Raya and searched the house when she did not answer him. His heart raced as he searched fro her. He knew she had left, but he kept looking, trying to convince himself he may find her. Nothing.
�Grandma!� he screamed. �Grandma! She�s gone! She�s not here!�
He reached Grandma right as Amari walked into the house.
�She�s gone! She isn�t here! We need to find her,� Jake demanded.
Amari replied, �How could she leave? We were watching the house.�
�Someone blinked, I don�t know, but she�s not here. Let�s find her, NOW.�
Amari concentrated on his brothers, he called to them, mentally. They began searching the woods without a second thought. Jake grabbed Amari� arm and dragged him out the door.
�I am much faster than you, Jake. You stay here and I will go after her,� Amari ordered.
�Like hell I�m staying here. I want to be there. I am going to rip her dad�s head off when I see him.�
�You will only slow me down.�
Jake yelled, �I am coming with you!�
�Alright. If you get on my back, I will run and we will find her quicker,� instructed Amari.
�Look!� Jake said, pointing off into the woods. �Smoke. That�s gotta be where she is.�
Amari hoisted Jake on to his back and ran into the woods. The scenery flew past Jake and he realized they were running faster than he had ever moved before. In a split second, they were nearing the area where the smoke was rising. It was probably almost a mile from the house. They suddenly came to a stop.
�We�ll walk the rest of the way, in case he is there,� Amari instructed. The surprise will take him off guard.�
They climbed through the thick brush and headed towards the smoke. As they got closer, they saw flames shooting up taller than either of them. The fire was strongest in a small circle around a tree, but it was swiftly spreading itself over the clearing. Jake smelled burning flesh. He rushed through the flames and found Raya, tied to the tree in the middle of the fire. He rushed to her and tried to pull her away, she was tied, tight. He struggled with the knots but they would not budge. Amari appeared out of nowhere and without a sound. He grabbed the ropes and ripped them to shreds. Then, he scooped up Raya and Jake and took off for the house.
Amari dropped Jake at the porch and hurried in the house with Raya in his arms. Once inside, he gently set her down on the kitchen table. She was burned head to toe and didn�t appear to be breathing. Amari opened her mouth and began CPR and mouth to mouth. Jake heard her ribs crushing as Amari pushed down, hard, on her chest. He worked until he was sweating and she was still not breathing. Jake took her hand and cried. He held his hand to her stomach and felt Giana moving.
�She�s still alive, Giana�s moving around.�
�She�s a strong child,� Grandma stated, from the doorway.
�Raya can�t die, Gram. Can�t you do anything? A spell or something?�
�There is nothing I can do to bring her back. If she comes back, it has to be naturally. She is in good hands.�
Just as Grandma finished the sentence, Jake heard Raya cough. He lifted his head to look at her. She was gasping for air. She curled in on herself and trying to clear her airways. Then, she suddenly stiffened, as if it hurt her to move at all. Grandma rushed in and dumped the contents of a small vile into her mouth. She put her hands on Raya�s temples and muttered what sounded like a prayer under her breath. Raya�s body relaxed, almost instantly and her breathing slowed to a normal pace.
Jake relaxed, knowing that Raya was going to survive.
�She�ll be okay, right Gram?� He asked.
�She�ll be just fine. What I can do for her is better than any doctor ever could,� She told him.
�And my baby?�
�She�s strong, Jacob.� She assured him, �She will be just fine. They need to rest. And I want to treat these wounds. Amari, can you take her to her bedroom and lay her on the bed?�
�Yes, ma�am,� replied Amari.
Raya came to for an instant. Her voice came out as a whisper and she struggled to get anything out.
�Is the baby alive?� asked Raya.
Jake kissed her forehead and told her, �She�s fine. You�re both gonna be okay.�
�Did you find him?�
Jake looked at Amari. He had some telepathic thing going on with his brothers. Jake knew he�s be told the second anything happened.
Amari thought for a minute before answering her. �He has been caught. His heart no longer beats.�
Raya smiled and drifted back to unconsciousness.

Chapter 8

Raya could feel the blisters on every inch of her body. Every time she moved, she felt one pop and shift. Her blood still felt like it was boiling and it was immensely hard to breath. But, she was still unconscious. She could hear everyone talking around her and felt gentle touches once in a while. Jake was near her, every minute of every day. Raya was very aware of her surroundings, but the potions Grandma kept giving to her kept her from waking up or interacting with her many visitors. Raya could still sense the baby and knew that she was alive. They were both weak, but they were alive.
Raya had been trying to communicate for days. She could not move her lips, much less speak. She waited for potions to wear off, but Grandma thought she was easing the pain. But, nothing helped the pain. She was just knocked out and unable to wake up. She finally felt as though she might be able to move. She felt that Jake�s hand was on hers. She fought with all of her muscles to turn her hand over and squeeze Jake�s. He gasped and began to cry.
�Raya,� he whispered in her ear. �Baby, I�m here. Can you hear me?�
�Uh huh,� she groaned.
�Okay. Okay, I�m gonna get your grandma,� he said, standing up.
�NO!� She tried to yell.
�What? What is it?�
She had more energy now and started to explain. �I can feel everything. Her spells just make it so I cant talk or move. I just want to be awake.�
�Okay. We�ll keep you awake. Are you feeling okay? Does it still hurt?�
She answered, with tears in her eyes. �It hurts so bad.� She was weeping.
�Baby, don�t move. Please, just stay still.�
�It doesn�t matter, Jakey. It hurts. Everything hurts. I just want it to stop. Baby, I need some other kind of spell. I don�t want to be knocked out, I can still feel the pain. Only, its worse �cause I cant say or do anything. It doesn�t seem right, why would she knock me out but not cure my pain?�
�Maybe that�s all she can do. Or maybe she thought the pain would go away,� Jake suggested.
�She�s powerful enough to know better. I think I can do something myself. Can you just leave me for a minute? I just need to concentrate.�
�Alright, but I�ll be right outside the door,� Jake replied.
He left the room and closed the door, gently, behind him.
Raya forced herself to relax. She centered herself and focused on where her pain was the worst. She hadn�t been taught to use magic, but something told her she didn�t need spells or potions. She knew that she could just do it. She thought about her blisters healing and just going away. She concentrated on soothing her own pain. She imagined ice water running over her entire body and felt the cooling of her skin. She knew she had done it. It hadn�t been very hard. She just thought about it and healed herself. Now, why was Grandma only able to knock her out? Or had her grandmother even really tried to heal her.
Raya opened her eyes and sat up. She got out of bed and walked to her mirror. She was not surprised at what she saw. Her blisters were gone. Every single one of them. Her hair was still singed and she looked exhausted, but her skin looked almost perfect. It was darker than usual and it looked very dry, but there were no marks to indicate she had ever been in that fire. There was something different about her now, though.
Raya thought of herself as a pretty girl. But, now, she looked insanely gorgeous! Her golden hair was blazing with highlights. Reds and browns and blondes had appeared out of nowhere. Her hair even looked longer, it hung nearly to her butt now. And her eyes, they looked older, wiser. They almost glowed as she stared at herself. When had all these changes taken place? She wondered if Jake or Amari or any of the other vampires had noticed.
Raya shocked herself. No one had told her that they were vampires. But, somehow she just knew. Just like she knew that Grandma wasn�t doing all she could have to help her through the pain. And how she knew that the baby was doing fine and would be coming soon. There was a power in her that told her things about the world and kept her calm in tense situations.
Something was burning inside of her. Not like the flames before. This was good. Something was stirring up in her, making her feel powerful and very much alive. Raya could feel the power inside of her, she was becoming a force. She looked like an ancient goddess now and she felt as though she may be receiving the power of one as well. There was electricity in the air and she knew that she had become very powerful since the fire. It had probably been happening all along, but Raya was always the last to notice any thing that didn�t come up and hit her in the face.
Raya walked to the door and opened it a crack.
�Jake, you can come back in,� she whispered.
He walked in to the room and froze in place. His mouth hung open and he stared at her in disbelief. Raya felt her cheeks getting hot and looked at the floor to avoid his gaze.
�Baby,� was all Jake could think to say.
�I know, it�s crazy. I don�t know how I did it. I just thought about it and it all happened. All the blisters disappeared and I�m not in any pain anymore,� she told him.
�Your hair! And your eyes. Even your nails look different. You don�t look like yourself,� Jake pointed out. �I mean, you look great, just so different.�
�I�m not really sure how that all happened. I didn�t do that. Not on purpose anyway. I was hoping it wasn�t that noticeable. I don�t know what to tell the vampires. I�m sure they�ll notice right away.�
�So, that�s what they are, huh?� Asked Jake.
�Yeah. I�m not sure how I figured that out, either. It�s like I just have all this information now and this power. I don�t really understand it.�
Jake replied, �You should probably talk to your grandma about it. I�m sure she�ll know what�s going on.�
�No!� Raya practically yelled. �I don�t think we can trust her the way we thought we could.�
�What do you mean? She�s kinda like both of our grandmas.�
�I know, that, Jakey. But, something seems off to me. Her potions weren�t doing anything but keeping me asleep. I couldn�t tell you how much pain I was in because my brain was just numb. My body felt everything but I couldn�t tell you or move or do anything. If she was really on my side, she would have done something about the pain. I don�t even know any spells and I healed myself. I just don�t know why she wouldn�t. I just feel weird about her.�
�I see your point. I�m so sorry, I thought she was doing more for you. I would have taken you somewhere if I knew you were so bad.�
�Jakey, you had no way of knowing. And, I think that�s what she was counting on. No one knew, so no one did anything.�
�But, why? You�re her grand daughter. Why would she want you in pain?�
�I don�t know,� Raya answered, honestly. �I think it has something to do with these changes though. I don�t feel like the same person anymore.�
�What about the baby? How is she doing?�
�She�ll be early. Another month or two. But, she�ll be big and healthy. She�s powerful, Jake. You�re gonna have two witches on your hands soon.�
�I think I can handle it. I�m just glad you�re both okay. I thought you were gone, for a minute there.�
�I�d never leave you, babe,� she said, taking Jake in her arms and hugging him, tightly. �We�ll figure everything out together. And we�ll raise Giana together.�
�I love you, Ray,� Jake stated.
�I love you, too,� She replied.
�Will you marry me?� Jake asked her, still holding her tight.
She pushed him away so that she could look at him. �What?�
�I said, will you marry me? I should be on one knee.�
He bent down to his knee and asked, again, �Will you marry me, Ray?�
�Of course!� She squealed.
Jake jumped up and wrapped his arms around Raya. He was about to kiss her when Amari came through the door.
He gasped, �Miss Raya! You look, amazing! How are you feeling?�
�I feel great, Amari,� She answered.
�I need to talk to you, both,� Amari told them.
�What about?� Asked Jake.
�Your grandmother.�
�What is it, Amari?� Raya asked.
�She�s changed,� He pointed out. �She is not the woman I once knew. There�s something off about her. We vampires are very telepathic and what I see in her mind, it�s not good anymore.�
�I feel the same thing,� Raya admitted. �Something is telling me she�s off. Her spells did nothing but keep me from talking. I wanted to scream and tell you guys how much pain I was in, but I couldn�t. She was trying to keep me quiet.�
�Miss Raya, I caught her in your room in the middle of the night. She was doing some sort of spell, it didn�t sound like a good one. I interrupted her and she quit. I think she lured you here for more than to keep you safe. I think she may have told your father where you were.�
�Really?� Asked Raya.
�There was no way he could have found you. My brothers followed him here and he never talked to anyone or asked any questions. He did not even have a map. We searched his car and he had specific directions straight to your grandma�s house. The spells of protection she claimed to have used would have protected you from him. He should not have been able to get near you. It just does not all add up. I do not think that you are safe here.�
�I think you�re right, Amari. And I have a feeling this is about whatever powers I may have. If I am as powerful as I feel, then the baby will be, too,� Said Raya.
�We need to get out of here, as soon as possible,� Jake stated.
Raya said, �We can�t. Not yet anyway. I�m too close to having the baby. I don�t wanna give birth in the backseat of a car or on the side of the road somewhere.�
�She isn�t going to do anything yet. She�s not completely sure what she�s going to do. She hasn�t come up with a plan,� Amari told them.
�Why is she going to do anything? Jake questioned.
�I can�t understand that yet. She knows that we can read her thoughts. It seems she has some kind of block on her thoughts. I can�t get very far into her mind,� explained Amari. �She is being sneaky about it and wants to keep something secret from us all. But we may all be in grave danger. She is very powerful.�
�I�m more powerful. She�s scared of my power. She knows I can beat her. I don�t need spells. And I don�t think we are related at all. I have true power and she has to use spells and potions and charms. If she were my blood, she would have the same kind of power. She seemed scared and surprised when she saw me use it. I don�t think she has any of the power I do.�
�That makes sense. If she would pretend to be my grandma all this time, then she would definitely do it again. And she never acted like she was keeping an eye on you. We were just too quick to believe everything she said,� Jake pointed out.
�Well, we�re on to her now,� Raya said. �And as long as we know that we can�t trust her, that�s all that matters for now. But why would she work with my da.. Robert. He told me he�s not really my dad. My mom was pregnant when she met him. And he�s wanted to kill me all along, knowing that I wasn�t a normal human. But, he thought that my mother was just doing spells. Anyone can do spells, but not every witch has given powers. Grandma, or whoever she is must have filled him in, too. So, they were in on it together.�
�But, she said she knew my mom. My mom would have known your real grandma. Why would she help some stranger get into our lives?� Jake asked.
�Maybe that�s not true. Maybe she is your grandma. Didn�t your dad hate your mom�s family? Maybe after she died this woman contacted your dad saying she was your mom�s mom. He�s never brought you out here, they�ve never seen each other. Maybe she weaseled her way in on her own,� Raya guessed.
�However she got into your lives, she is not a good person to know. She has been good to vampires and we are loyal to our friends. But, you may be the answer to a lot of questions, Miss Raya, and we will be even more loyal to you. My brothers and I will die to protect you from any threat, friend or foe,� Said Amari.
�Answer to questions?�
�Miss, you have been prophesied about for thousands of years. A powerful goddess will lead the night beings to a new world.�
�But, I don�t know anything about you, or any other beings.�
�I will teach you, Goddess,� stated Amari.

11:09 p.m. - 2009-09-25

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