Overnight II

"You have two minutes, Jesse," Jen said as she plopped back to the ground and stared Jesse down. Jen was not what one would describe as patient. Furthermore, she did not appreciate being interrupted in her sleep. Not that any of them were but Jen, being a musical theater major was the most expressive about this. 

"Well, I may need more than that, there's kind of a lot I need to tell you. The gist is that I am an appointed watcher from the order oh Ahri, sent to watch over you five because you all have shown the promise. Each of you has a gift and it's my job to help you find it and train. Also, there are some bad guys but that's not important right now," he finished with a smirk.

Dillon put his hands on his hips and puffed out his scrawny chest and made a face of narcissistic calculation, "behold, bi@#$es, I am superior to all others."

"Shut up," all three girls said in unison.

Jesse seemed to be holding back a comment that Bethany could only assume was an innuendo intended to make Dillon feel uncomfortable, but then composed himself and glanced around at each of his compatriots. "So I imagine you have some questions?"

After a moment of silence, Dillon asked, "so what do you mean we show promise? What can we do?" He half squinted and pursed his lips as he does when he concentrates.

"I'm going to be really upset if you're lying. This still seems like a really elaborate prank," Jen grumbled. Her voice was very forceful but this did not seem to phase Jesse. He was used to her being a grump. Plus it was hard to take her upset seriously with her dark blonde hair so hastily put up. 

He opened his mouth to respond but before he could, Minelli spoke. "It's not a joke." She was staring right in front of her but not at anything in particular. She didn't look at anyone as she spoke. "This is real. And there's more."

Jesse watched Minelli with a concerned look but then nodded, "She's right. I swear this isn't a joke. you may not believe me now but you'll understand soon. Please, you have to trust me." He looked around, making eye contact with everyone but Nick who had his arms folded over his chest with a solemn look on his face as he simply watched. Looking over at the street or one of the three buildings on the quad every once in a while. Bethany didn't like it. She was starting to feel anxious.

Her thought was interrupted by Dillon, who made it very evident that he wanted attention, by saying, "right, but what can we do?" He drew out the last word while making that same face.. "More specifically and more importantly, what can I do?" Minelli stared him down and he simply hissed in response. Bethany shook her head at this and Jen, at this point, was asleep on the ground. Minelli started to put on her crazy eyes, which usually convinced people to listen, but Dillon didn't seem to be terribly affected by this. He just stared back. Nick was smirking  and was about to contribute when he and Bethany turned their heads in unison towards the street. 

As Nick turned he went for something on his left hip with his right hand. He didn't do anything, he simply put his hand his hip  and waited. "What is it?" Jesse asked. Nick didn't respond. He just kept staring. "Bethany," she turned towards him as if she was coming out of a daze. "What did you see?" His voice was calm. It was gentle and nurturing now. He had a soft spot for the girl; The two had become close the past week or two. They were 'kindred spirits' as he said, almost as if they were connected. He was clearly concerned but he wanted to help her.

"I...I didn't see anything. I just...I didn't...I..." She had no response. She felt confused and disoriented. This was soon followed by an overwhelming dizziness.

"Why did you turn like that, hon?" Jesse put a hand on her shoulder and she turned to face him but her dizziness grew. She started to lose balance and her eyes began to flutter.

"Are you okay?" Minelli put her hand on Bethany's other shoulder as she asked. Bethany then fell but suddenly Nick was there to catch her. With the help of Minelli, he layed her on the ground. They waited for her to come back around. But she didn't. They waited at least a minute continuing to talk (mostly about how this was nothing new or uncommon) but then realized she should have woken by that point. She had been having fainting spells for the past year or so but this seemed different. Usually the girl woke immediately and seemed unharmed aside from a bump or two from the fall, but this time she was truly unconscious. 

"I was afraid of that," Jesse said sullenly.

"Of what?" Nick said as he knelt next to Bethany. "You figure her out?"

"I think so, unfortunately." Jesse knelt down next to her and touched her arm again. He shook her and said her name as if waking her. "Yeah. I can't be sure 'til she wakes up, but based on the fever and some other stuff, i think i know. As for the rest of you," he looked mostly at Dillon as he said this, "I don't know. I know you have talents, but none of them seem to have been woken. For now the best I can do is train you like i have been doing with Nick and hope your gifts manifest."

Jen (who apparently was not asleep) shot up and yelled, "Nick was being trained!"

"Ow," Minelli said to emphasize how loud Jen had been.

Jen looked apologetic, though barely, as she said, "sorry. But why Nick? Why not all of us if you knew?" At this everyone, save for the still unconscious Bethany, turned to Jesse with interest.

"He asked," Jesse shrugged. This got confused looks from Dillon and Minelli. Jen just grumbled and laid back down and Nick had stood up and was staring at the street again.

"Do you feel that?" Nick seemed on edge but everyone else just shook their heads or said something along the lines of 'feel what?' "Jesse, we don't have much -" At that he shot backwards toward the veranda of Edmonson. Everyone looked to see what had hit him but saw nothing. When they looked back at Nick, he appeared completely unharmed  though quite upset. He composed himself, then grabbed a dagger from either hip that had been hidden under his shirt, and braced himself. "Someone get Bethany." They all just stared except for jesse, who knelt and forcefully slapped Bethany. She didn't respond.

"Minelli, see if she's still alive. Dillon and Jen stay behind me."

Minelli knelt to check Bethany's pulse. she nodded to Jesse. "She has a pulse. She's burning up, though." She looked concerned.

"What is happening?!" Jen yelled and a wind seemed to sweep through the courtyard. Something caught Nick's eye as this happened and he charged towards the street. He stopped suddenly and dropped to the ground as if dodging something. He then rolled into a stance and slashed with one of his daggers. There was a sound of ripping and an arm appeared as if from nowhere. It was not human though, or at least not a live human. The arm was gray and scaly. Nick continued to fight. He slashed and wove his way around the courtyard. He stopped for a moment, closed his eyes and took a breath. He then vaulted through the air. He was suspended upside down  over the thing for second but in that moment he struck with one dagger then the other then finished by landing flawlessly on one knee. The thing fell and whatever had been making it invisible seemed to have been slashed apart. Nick was breathing heavily as he calmly stood, turned towards the group, and walked past the thing back to the group. The others stared in  disbelief as he sheathed his daggers.

"Believe me now?" Jesse asked. Silent nods. "Now we need to move. Nick can you get Bethany? Dillon help him. Jen stand up. Minelli run to your room and grab a bag. Something that can hold a fair amount. A backpack would be great." Minelli nodded and ran to Cravens. As she disappeared inside, Nick and Dillon managed to pick up Bethany. They got her into Nick's arms and he damsel-carried her to Jesse's car. Minelli returned with two bags, one over each shoulder. Jesse nodded and said, "come on." They all headed to the car in silence as they processed what had happened and tried to prepare themselves for whatever was to come.

Over night

Bethany woke with a start. Her dream had been so intense and realistic that she was out of breath. It wasn't a nightmare or anything, it was just so intense. This had been happening more and more frequently lately. Her dreams had become so vivid but seemed to stray farther and farther from reality. 'It must be a side-effect of my new meds,' she thought to herself. She had been having trouble sleeping and concentrating in class lately. Her mind would wander and daydream about more interesting things. Or she would be exhausted in class after her restless nights. It was as though her body was most awake at night the past couple of weeks. It was like her body was waiting for something, but her brain never got the memo.

She rolled over and grabbed her phone from her night stand to check the time but as she went for it, it began vibrating. She picked up her phone to see that she was being called at four in the morning by her friend, Jesse. She answered with a groggy, "hello?"

"Bethany, get dressed and meet me in the courtyard. Now." She didn't understand what was happening but she was suddenly wide awake.

"Why, what happened? Are you okay?" So many questions came to mind and there was a weird tug at the back of her mind, as if she had forgotten something.

"I'm fine, but this is extremely important. I'll explain when everyone gets down here." With a click, the call ended. Bethany sat staring at her phone for a moment trying to comprehend what Jesse had said. What did he mean everyone? What was so important that he had to drive across campus at four in the morning to tell them?  She got out of her bed and threw on the closest pair of jeans. She saw her reflection and stopped to pull her long brown hair into a bun, then quickly grabbed her key and a jacket before racing down the stairs.

As she rushed out into the courtyard of Collins from her building, she saw her friends in various states of dress. Minelli looked tired but looked fairly together considering the situation. Her curly black hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. Her roommate, Jen, was lying on the ground in her pajamas. Her hair was in an extremely messy bun atop her head. She was clearly not pleased to have been roused. Jesse was staring at Bethany with a solemn and knowing look. He seemed to be observing her. She made a questioning face and he responded with a head shake and a smile as if to say never mind. He then looked around the others. His eyes lingered on each with that same expression. The last person he looked at was Nick who Bethany just noticed to be standing behind Jesse's right shoulder. Jesse mumbled something and Nick flipped his dark hair out of his eyes and disappeared into Edmonson, the middle of the three buildings on the Collins quad.

"What's going on, Jesse? Why are we here?" Bethany asked. Jen rolled over and muttered something that sounded like a curse and an agreement. Minelli just kicked her which was met with another grumble and a half-hearted attempt to hit her back.

"We are still waiting for Dillon," was all Jesse said. The next minute passed in silence save for Jen's display of upset. Suddenly, the door to Edmonson shot open and Nick came down the stairs.

He came over to Jesse with a simple, "he's coming," to which Jesse just nodded. Moments later, Dillon joined them with a "bonjour, bitches." Jen glared at him  She had managed to sit up and was starting to look more awake, though just as cranky.

"Would someone please explain to me why I am sitting on the ground in my pajamas at four in the morning?" Jen managed to say.

"Because that's where you chose to sit. Now shut up and shut your mouth, a man is talking," Jesse joked in his usual manner, though his voice did not hide the tension he clearly felt. "Now that you are all here, it's time I told you the truth. I'm not who you know me to be," he said mystically as he waved a hand in front of him. "Okay, well i am...sort of. Its kind of complicated to explain." Jesse looked to Nick as if for reassurance. Nick nodded and Jesse continued, "Something has happened. Devan was kind of...taken." Devan was another friend that lived in Collins, the dorm collection that housed Bethany, Dillon, Minelli and Jen. 

"Told you guys she was rapable," said Dillon. Bethany and Minelli simultaneously hit him from either side. He narrowed his eyes. "Like you weren't all thinking it." 

"I'm pretty sure we aren't," replied Bethany.

Behind Jesse, Nick meekly raised his hand and said, "I was."

"Not helpful." Jesse seemed more serious than usual. Bethany was realizing this seemed familiar.

"Deja Vu." Bethany didn't realized how loud she had said it until she looked up to see everyone looking at her. "Sorry. So what do you mean 'Devan was kind of taken?'"

"She was taken by the Azaradi, an ancient group of clerics," Jesse stated. This received some strange looks from the others excluding Nick, who seemed concerned by what Jesse had said. "We aren't sure what they want with her yet but we think they need her for a spell and a big one at that. Whatever it is it won't be good."

"Are you Sh@##ing me?!? You woke me up for this? I was sleeping!" Jen then muttered something involving the words 'nerdy pranks' and began to head back to her room in Cravens, another of the buildings on the Collins quad.

"I know this sounds a little ridiculous, but i'm serious. This is really happening and I need your help. All of you." Jesse seemed very assertive in this statement. He looked to Minelli for help.

Minelli sensed that Jesse was being sincere.He seemed to really believe this was happening. "Jen get back here!" She said in her 'I'm in charge' voice. Bethany smirked as Jen stared daggers at her roommate but none-the-less obeyed.

"You have two minutes, Jesse."