The World Unknown
Chapter Five
Danger Lurking

"Ah! She's awake at last!" I heard a girl exclaim.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, upon opening them, I saw I was at the park, laying down on the shorter yet wider slide.

The girl walked over, she had on a funny cloak looking outfit and had large glasses that complimented her frizzy brown hair. I had never seen her before, "My friends and I were walking around when we saw you laying here, you must've fallen asleep!"

Panic hit me as she spoke and I stood up and looked around, "Did you see two kids around anywhere?" I blurted out.

"No kids, did you have kids with you?" She asked.

"Yes! Two!" I exclaimed, pushing past her and the other three boys with her, "We came to the park this morning, their names are Melissa and Zyan, they're eight and ten and have blonde hair." I said so quickly that my words seemed to blend together.

"No, no, but..." the girl turned towards her friends for a split second before turning back towards me, "We'd love to help you find them!"

"What?" A brunette exclaimed, "No, we wouldn't actually, we have to get back to sch-work." He stared on as his friends abandoned his side however and walked over to help me look.

"Maybe they went home?" A blonde haired boy suggested, his blue eyes sparkled as he looked around.

"Maybe, but if I fell asleep here, and they saw me sleeping here, why would they leave?" I wondered. My imagination started to take off and I pondered the thought of them being kidnapped under my nose. Did the kidnappers by chance ambush me and knock me out? That would have given them the opportunity to kidnap the kids without my knowing.

"How long was I out?" I wondered aloud.

"About four hours, give or take." The girl replied.

"How did you--" I didn't have the chance to finish my question before the tall blonde boy interrupted, "I'll wait here, if I see the kids, I'll call you all."

Of course, I knew I couldn't trust a bunch of strangers who were watching me sleep to look out for the kids I should've watched over better, but in my panic, I felt I had no other choice, "Alright. Here's my number—" I began, but he shook his head as the girl wrapped her arm around me to get me walking, "I'll call Amber, she'll go with you."

The girls name was Amber, although I didn't know her at all, her smile wasn't a malicious one, but one which I felt some sort of familiar connection. I felt I had no other choice but to put my faith in these people since finding Zyan and Melissa was now my top priority.

"This is a bad idea, we really need to leave." The brunette with greenish eyes protested again, causing the other brunette to exclaim, "Then you leave, but you're leaving alone, Lovino!"

Lovino rolled his eyes, "I can't believe the levels of stupidity surrounding me--" He continued mumbling, but it became inaudible.

"Okay, then let's go," I said to Amber as she, and the two brunettes all followed behind me as I lead the way to my house.

It took about ten minutes until we finally arrived at my house, everyone seemed to be wildly out of breath, I disregarded them and went to open the door of my house, only to find it locked. I reached into my pockets and couldn't feel my house keys or anything in my pockets and resorted to knocking loudly on the door to try to get my family's attention.

"Come on, come on..." I mumbled desperately until finally, the lock was heard turning. I stood back and found some nervous old woman slowly peering through the slightly opened door.

"Who are you?" I hissed, not knowing if perhaps my parents invited someone over.

"Debra... who are you?" Her voice cracked.

I was scared for the kids and pushed through, causing her to panic as she watched me enter the house, "Get out of here or I'll call the police!" Her voice shook fearfully.

I took one look around the house and quickly saw that this wasn't my house, "MOM? DAD?" I shouted down the halls, but there was no response. I took in a deep breath, "It's okay, maybe this is the wrong house." I said, trying to calm myself as I looked at the family pictures that hung on the wall, family pictures of a different family.

I pushed past the others as I ran outside to look at the house number, as my eyes read the "1002" I felt my heart drop, this is my house but that isn't my family, the brunette approached me, "______, what's wrong?"

I didn't even care that this stranger knew my name even though I hadn't told him my name yet, I just wanted to get out of there, I didn't know what was happening.

"Wait!" I shouted, turning to run to my neighbor's house, "Maybe they're still here!" I didn't wait for anyone to respond to my idea before I had already made my way to their door and began knocking on the door.

It took a minute before finally, a kid about my age opened the door with a bored expression on his face, "Ya?" He muttered.

"Is Zyan and Melissa here?" I asked, panicked.

"Uh, who?" The boy asked, looking past me towards the others.

"Two little kids, they're both blonde, and eight and ten years old, please!" I exclaimed.

The boy gave an unhelpful yawn, "Look lady, I haven't seen anything, and I just woke up, can ya leave already?"

"No, wait!" I tried one last time, but he had already shut the door on my face.

The panic was worse than before now, I wouldn't know what to tell the police once I've called them, I could tell them how these strangers somehow knew I was out for four hours, or how I was stupid enough to trust some strangers to help me search for kids I should've been keeping a better eye on.

"________!" Amber shouted at me, I turned towards her, "Alfred's said to go to the park, quickly!"

"He found them?" I asked, cheering up immediately.

"He says there's something in the woods, running around, we need to get there right now." She said, sounding a bit concerned.

"It's a ten minute walk." I remembered.

The brunette boy who's name I still haven't caught walked up to me quickly, "Then we'd better run, Amber and Lovino are going to take a shortcut."

I nodded, and the two of us began to sprint in the direction of the park once again.

By the time we got there, the boy was devastatingly out of breath, he muttered something on the lines of, "Fucking nogift laws..." To which, I assumed he was upset that he didn't have the 'running' gift where he could run long distances without getting tired.

We entered the park area and finally could see the others in the distance. I was honestly surprised to see Amber and Lovino were already there with Alfred. They were all holding sticks and aiming it towards the trees, "Are they playing some sort of game?" I asked, turning towards the boy. He, however, had reached into his red coat and pulled out a stick also.

"I sure hope so, otherwise, I didn't exactly come prepared." He said, but it sounded serious, "Please stay near me, _______." He spoke as we walked closer towards the others.

I couldn't yet figure out what the problem was, or if this was some sort of elaborate joke, but feeling dismay from my previous emotions, I just followed behind him.

"Alfred?" The boy called out quietly, "What's the matter?"

Alfred shrugged, "You tell us, Vlad. What's out there?" He motioned the stick in his hands and pointed it towards the trees. 

Vlad, the boy who I was standing by, motioned me to stand in the middle of the circle, in between the others, so I did so, meanwhile, he looked into the trees and tried to pry out what was lurking within.

I began to pay attention also, noting that the trees were shaking all around us. It was as if there were a few giant bears moving around and shaking the trees as they ran.

I was watching over Vlad's shoulder as he stared ahead, and as he did, I saw him take a step back, "If I'm right, those are Bloodlavers. Don't let their tongues hit you."

"At slight curiosity... What if their tongues hit you?" Amber asked, to which Vlad took in a deep breath, "Paralysis or um death."

"Death? Fucking brilliant." Lovino hissed, "So what hurts them?"

"If I remember right, I think it's light? Or maybe the stunning spells could hurt them?" Vlad said uncertainly.

"You mean, you don't know?" Lovino spat.

"It's not like I've studied these creatures in their entirety yet!" Vlad defended.

"You're a fourth year, aren't you? You specially signed up for TWO creatures classes this year!" Lovino continued until finally, Amber interrupted, "Alfred and I will try the stunning spells, Lovino and Vlad, you two try the light spells, we're about to find out who's right."

"Vlad--" Alfred called out, "How many do you reckon there are?"

"I thought it was one at first, but now I think there might be three out there." He said.

"Should I call the police?" I spoke up, becoming increasingly concerned. What if these bloodlavers have kidnapped the kids? Or worse, eaten them!

"Your stupid police won't be able to do anything against these things." Lovino hissed at me, "Just stand back and shut up already."

"Lovino!" Vlad shot a glare back in his direction, "If worse comes to surface, Alfred, I need you to make sure ______ and the others get out of here. Got it?"

"The faster I can get out of here, the better, so sure, dude." Alfred responded

"Right. Then I'll lure them out now. Everyone, ready?" Vlad asked as he walked foreword a few steps and rose the stick in his hand up, "VENO!"

I couldn't tell what was happening after he shouted that, but suddenly, the trees stopped shaking and whatever was in them had come to a stop. It was so eerie, I could only watch.

Surrounding us, three giant, dark, one eyed bug-like creatures came crawling towards us from within the trees. My mouth dropped as I stared at them and though I wanted to scream, nothing came out, I felt frozen in place.

Lovino didn't skip a beat to raise his wand at them, "LUSIO!" He shouted, casting a bright light at one of the bloodlavers. Although it hit it, the creature seemed to become attracted by the light.

Amber was currently focused on one herself, she however shouted something different, "PEGO," and a red shot flew out of the stick she had at the monster. It seemed to cause it to stumble back, however, it stretched out two large wings and flew up in the air.

"Stay right beside me," Vlad said, "ETEMREUD!" He shouted at one, causing it to stumble as it ran towards us, only for it to collapse foreword.

Vlad stared in as much shock as I was in, "I can't believe that worked!" He exclaimed.

His relief, however, did not last as long as the bloodlaver stood up and stumbled towards us, "PEGO!" He shouted like Amber had, causing the monster to anger more.

I watched fearfully as the monsters all began to fly up and surround us, "Well fucking LIGHT doesn't work," Lovino spat, "WESTIN!" He shouted, casting a bright light that caused the monster he was pointing at, to turn its head to the side.

Vlad had shouted the stunning spell towards one of the monsters again and in anger, it flew foreword with its tongue out, "Just don't let it touch you."

The monster Vlad was facing his attention on immediately shot down as it tried to get near us, Vlad pushed back into me as he shouted another spell that must have cast a force field around us just in time since the monster crashed into it and flew back onto the ground, he cast the stunning spell towards it again and turned towards Alfred, "I need you to get everyone out of here!"

Alfred was too focused on the bloodlaver, however to be able to respond to Vlad's unspoken proposal of fleeing just yet, "Esasperate!" Alfred shouted, causing a loud spark, then a loud boom to shoot out of the stick until it hit the monster, causing it to explode on the spot.

There were now only two left.

I looked around as Alfred turned to help Amber out with the bloodlaver she was facing, it too seemed to fly down towards us the way the other one had, its tongue sticking out and ready to hit one of us the second it had the opening.

"PEGO! Lovino shouted as the bloodlaver flying around him flew down towards him. Alfred was busy helping Amber and Vlad was busy blocking the bloodlaver from me and keeping it as far as he could to help Lovino get rid of his.

Although he tried to stun it, the bloodlaver was still headed towards Lovino. I don't know exactly what washed over me in that moment, but all I knew is that these strangers were protecting me and I couldn't just stand back and let them endanger themselves for me. Whether it was bravery or stupidity, I shoved Lovino to the side and took the hit in his place.

As soon as its tongue hit my arm, my entire body stung for a second, then went entirely numb. I couldn't even feel the impact my body had as I crashed onto the ground as stiff as a board.

"ESASPERATE!" Alfred shouted, turning towards the monster that just hit me.

There was only one left, but everyone now had the sole intention to just get out of there. Now that there was only one left, escaping should've been a lot easier.

"I'll carry her out, but let's go, now, Vlad!" Alfred shouted as he reached into his blue coat.

"You know the explosion jinx, you help Vlad, I'll carry her." Someone said... It couldn't have been that Lovino guy though, could it? He was so against me earlier.

Alfred nodded as Lovino wrapped an arm around me and grabbed a tiny broom in his other hand, "Expand." He muttered, to which the broom expanded into a larger broom.

He wrapped his arms around me so I wouldn't fall off and the broom took off with us on it.

After a while, I could hear the sound of Amber's voice shouting, "We got it," but then it was just quiet for the remainder of the ride. I felt it becoming increasingly difficult to stay awake as I could no longer focus on anyone's voice, but instead the sound of the wind as it passed us by. My eyes slowly began to shut.

I didn't open them again until we finally arrived to a strange looking room in a place I had never seen before. A place in which the windows were narrow, tall, and pointed and the walls were so tall and made of stone. A place in which Vlad stood by my side with a concerned look on his face until finally, our eyes locked and he realized I was okay.

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Let me just say... I absolutley LOVE the "restore" setting wattpad has <3

Also, I'm going through a Harry Potter phase, and a few nights ago, I had this REALLY fun dream where I was in this place like a fair, and there were a bunch of stands selling things, so I approached one that was selling tiny brooms.

Naturally, I thought they were really cute, so I approached, and there were like 3 old ladies in the shade of the booth and one said, "Take it out for a test drive" or something.

So, I picked one up and asked how, to which they told me I already knew the answer to that. So, I shouted "expand!" and it did, and I got on, and flew around the fair and it was just SOOO fun.

I love dreams so much, even nightmares can be fun sometimes because it's like an adventure. Like, I don't know how to explain myself without sounding a bit crazy, but they're just so fun. It's a shame we can't always remember them when we wake up. I feel like a majority of my writing ideas come from dreams in some way or another.

So dream on, see you in the next update.