Uprooted

“You are in danger.”

Wren jumped at the whisper in her ear, looking around the street for its source.

“Please, come with me. ~Now.~ Before others get hurt.”

Wren turned to see an older gentleman standing next to her. He was too close, and Wren immediately jumped away from him, her instinct to fight kicking in.

The gentleman nodded. “Good. You will need those reflexes soon. Come.” He gestured toward a four-door sedan that was parked next to them.

“Not. A. Chance,” Wren responded.

The gentleman did not seem surprised at her answer. He merely glanced around and then turned his attention back to her.

“Please forgive my rudeness, but time is of the essence. I do not know how they found you, but you are being hunted as we speak. If the Beings arrive here before we leave, I fear others will be hurt. I ask for your trust and cooperation in this moment.”

Wren let out a short laugh. This man was a certified lunatic.

Just as she turned to duck into the coffee shop to escape him, she felt a strong force hit her, lifting her off the ground and flinging her into the very door she was planning to make her escape through.

Noise erupted around her as she shook her head and tried to stand up. She felt wet liquid run down the side of her face, watching drops of blood splash onto the concrete steps.

~Well now. That is not good,~ Wren thought as she began to assess the rest of her body for damage. She finally got her feet to hold her weight.

Turning, she froze once more as a creature not of this world—and the man she was just speaking with—were locked in a battle before her eyes.

Wren looked around to see if anyone else was seeing what she was. The people who had been there mere seconds ago were gone.

~What is going on?~

Wren watched as the older gentleman continued to fight the creature—no, he had called it a Being. The Being got a hit in, and the older gentleman went flying across the street, his body collapsing as it hit the building with a solid crunch.

~He is not recovering from that.~

Wren looked at the Being before her, fear settling in, and froze as the creature’s eyes landed on her.

It easily stood ten feet tall, its skin radiating a purplish hue. It had the body of a lanky teenager who had grown too fast for its body to keep up.

As it moved toward her, a forked tail waved lazily behind it, spikes protruding along its spine and over the Being’s shoulders. It stalked forward. She became its next target.

Wren searched for a weapon—any weapon—as it reached out toward her, its dagger-sharp nails extending from its oversized hands in slow motion. The Being reeked of decay and blood.

Its mouth opened wide to display not one, but two sets of jagged teeth, green ooze dripping from the various ragged edges. Its tongue slowly snaked forward, licking at the ooze as the empty eye sockets peered at her.

The creature’s claws wrapped around her neck and squeezed. Wren fought the darkness that overwhelmed her, clawing at the cold and rough skin of the Being that held her tightly in its grasp.

Just as the darkness overtook her consciousness, she saw a bright light fill the air.

~So this is my end.~

^TWO DAYS LATER^

Wren followed the gentleman into the mansion before her. Forty-eight hours earlier, her life had been turned upside down when this strange man appeared next to her.

He had proceeded to save her from being killed before telling her she would become part of an elite group of people that would identify and defeat creatures known only as “Beings” that threatened the people of the world.

Now she found herself in front of this old mansion, on an island in the middle of a sea. She had no idea where she was or what was in store for her, but she felt ready for anything.

“Are you coming, Ms. Wren?” the gentleman, having introduced himself to her as Mr. Lee, asked as he stood before the door.

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

She stepped over the threshold of the building and looked around, immediately taking in the two people coming down a grand staircase toward them.

Mr. Lee spoke in his quiet voice. “This will be your new home.”

She had already figured that part out, but who was she to contradict the man who had saved her life only two days ago?

“It is split into different suites so each person may have their own space,” he continued, gesturing toward various doors as he spoke.

“The main study, with desks for each person, is through the door on the left. Through the second door, there is a library.” He turned, gesturing to the other side of the great hall.

“Through the first door on the right, you will find a lounge for entertaining company. The second door leads to the dining room and kitchen.” He stopped, turning to face her.

“You will eat your meals together, and once a month, you and your partner are required to meet with the director.”

Wren listened to Mr. Lee ramble as she watched the couple descend from the staircase and approach them. They stopped to wait while Mr. Lee continued speaking, not attempting to hide their perusal of her.

Mr. Lee ignored them as he continued speaking directly to her. “You are free to roam the grounds as much as you like.” Mr. Lee gave a nod to the couple—at least, she thought they were a couple.

“The building next to the house on the left is the combat building, and the one on the right is where the director is located. You will be taken to him after you have had time to settle in.”

He turned his full attention to the couple. “I assume you received my message?”

“Yes. All the preparations are in motion.” The lady spoke in a soft, gentle voice.

Mr. Lee turned back to the young lady beside him. He had yanked the rug out from underneath her and knew she was scared.

However, there was no time for him to consider her feelings. They were running out of time as it was.

“Once you have met your partner and completed the required training, you will be assigned a job, and then you will be given more freedom. For now, though, all your movements are confined to the compound.” He finished, waiting for the questions that always came.

“How long does that usually take?” Wren asked quietly, feeling all eyes, seen and unseen, on her.

Not the question he had expected, but a valid one nonetheless. “It depends on the person, but…usually around three months.”

Wren looked at Mr. Lee, taking in his three-piece suit, bowler hat, and cane, still a bit dazed by everything that had happened in the last couple of days.

Now he told her she was confined here for the next three months? What had happened to her serene life?

At twenty-six years of age, she had built herself a life; it was not a grand life, but it was her own. She had a stable job, a good income, and a home she had just bought.

She had overcome so much to find that peace, and now she would be starting all over. More than whatever that creature was, starting over with nothing was far scarier.

~Enough! Life sucks, get over it.~

Wren gave herself a mental shake, trying to keep herself grounded in reality despite wishing, deep down in the dark parts of her soul, this was a dream that she would wake from soon. Finally, she had to admit she was not dreaming and this was her new reality.

Once she accepted that, she would assess her situation and see what her real options were moving forward. She thought back to the conversation that they had had on the plane.

She had been staring at the ocean, trying to organize and make sense of the information Mr. Lee had imparted to her about the Beings, her having some special power, needing to move to this compound, and that there was no time for her to say goodbye to the life she had.

***

“Are you sure that I have this…power in me? I mean, it could just be an accident that I saw it. Right?”

“There is no mistake, Ms. Wren. It is there, or you would not be able to see it,” Mr. Lee assured her. “Come now, do not fret. The others will be waiting when we get there. You are not alone.”

“Others?”

“Yes. There are more like you, and they will help you through the process. Now, try to get some rest.”

Wren nodded and tried to do as he had suggested.

***

Now she was here, and it was all she could do not to run, screaming, from the hall. Instead, she took a deep breath and focused on the two people standing before her.

They were both tall, blond, and what could only be described as beautiful, with classic features that you only read about in romance novels. Wren wanted to roll her eyes.

She did not belong here next to them with her short, round stature, dark eyes, and glasses. This was such a waste of everyone’s time.

She turned around to leave. She was done.

She was going home. To hell with this.

She would forget what she saw, and over time, her life would go back to the normal, boring, safe space she had built for herself. Wren froze as a man shut the door and leaned against it, blocking the only escape route she knew of.

He seemed to know her thoughts as he stared at her before giving her a humorless smile. He was shorter than the others but was still quite tall compared to Wren’s five-foot frame.

She really wanted to let out that scream now. He, too, looked like he had stepped out of a romance novel with his long, black, flowing—there was no other way to put it—hair.

At least it was well kept as it hung loosely around his shoulders. Her eyes scanned his well-defined muscles and broad shoulders.

~Seriously, the man is built like a tank~, she thought to herself as her eyes met his once more. It was his eyes that got to her.

They were golden, like a hawk’s, and seemed to see right into her very thoughts. She was waaaay out of her league here.

“Are you done?” he asked in a dry yet smooth baritone voice, causing Wren to take a step back from him instinctively.

This man radiated danger, and it was directed her way.

“What?”

“Are you done with your perusal?” he asked. His voice was deep and silky smooth. He continued holding her gaze with his. “Do you like what you see?”