The Shadows Within by faze1315 (reading strategies book .txt) 📖

me about your... specialty."
"I have seen it with my own eyes," Neal grabbed my hand. It was twice as big as mine and surround my whole hand. The courage I needed flooded from him and into me. The tingles that shot up my arm and the sparks from our touch.
"I have only done it once, I haven't tried on any plants or humans... yet." The principle stood from his chair and walked to the window sill. He came back and set a small plant in front of me.
"It would be an honor if you could show me?" I nodded my head and pulled the knife out of my boot. My knife, long thin and silver, always was in my boot. I have learned to walk with a knife poking at my foot and it is actually felt weird without it in my boot.
The knife plunged in my forearm. It hurt like hell, but I held it over the plant. I watched as blood slide across the plant's thin leaves, leaving a trail of yellow after it. My blood seeped into the soil and in second the whole plant, withered up and turned to dust. "Remarkable."
"Yeah she is," Neal winked at me and looked back at the plant. "So what grade will she be put in?"
"Since your power is pretty easy to use, I will put you in third year. You already now what to do with your power, now you need to learn to combine your strength and your demons. Welcome to Demon's School of Learning."
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"You really don't need to do this," I was dragged into a store. "I could just wear this."
Neal looked me up and down, disgust written all over his face. I looked down at my yellow goop stained shirt, torn jeans, and muddy boots. "It will be my treat. Anyways you can't wear that stuff everyday."
Neal walked up to the cash register and handed the women behind the counter a credit card. "Everything me and my lovely friend put on this counter, ring it up for us please."
"Yes, sir," she came around the counter and grabbed me by the hand. It was a plump it lady, greying hair wound up in a tight bun, short skinny figure and fingers that dung into my wrist. "I know the perfect outfits for you."
I came out each time I tried on a new out, flaunting around for Neal and giving him a pose here and there. I agreed on anything with black or green in it, and Neal agreed with anything that showed skin. We argued over many choices, but ended up buying mostly everything I bought, for choices as Neal said.
"This is just way to much," I looked down at the twenty bags in my hands. "I mean, there is only four months left of school."
"Yeah, but what about the summer and next year," Neal popped the trunk and placed the bags in his hand in the trunk. I haven't told him I was planning to leave the first day of summer. I truly was thankful for what he was doing for me, but I needed to see my family and figure what happened last week.
"Neal I don't-"
"Are you hungry?" Neal's face lightened up as he led me through the streets. "I was thinking we could go to the zoo or a circus. Maybe we could go to the ice cream shop afterwards?"
In till the time came, I would let Neal have the childhood he never had, "I would love to go to the zoo."
"Good because it is only a couple of blocks over," Neal grabbed hold of my hand and we ran across the street, we ran till we could see the elephants and the large iron gate. We walked up to the booth to buy our tickets.
"One adult-"
"Actually two adults," Neal's arm stretched around me and paid the man with a twenty dollar bill. "Just being a gentleman."
I smiled and accepted my ticket and we walked into the zoo. "You didn't have to do that, I could have paid for myself."
"Yeah, but what kind of man would let the lady pay for her ticket? Hopefully non that went out with you," Neal's eyes lightened up as he saw the lions. He pulled me towards the fence that ran along the lion exhibit. "They are truly beautiful."
"You could say that," I leaned my head against his shoulder as he pointed out which ones were female and which ones were male. Neal was very excited to see the other animal and dragged me along behind him.
We stopped by the tigers, "I think they are my favorite."
"Why is that?"
"Look how beautiful they are. They attract the eyes without trying, yet if you get close to them they could be very dangerous. They are like an illusion, waiting for there prey, tempting them to walk towards them," Neal looked down and a deep shade of red crossed his cheeks. "You must think I sound like a wuss."
"No not at all, you sounded very... poetic, beautiful even." I shrugged my shoulder and wrapped my arms around his think one. "Most people look at these animals for entertainment, I think you look at them for inspiration. You see deeper within than most."
"You know you do the same," Neal rested his chin on top of my head, "You are like the tiger. Something so beautiful, but I know I should not get close to or I will get hurt." A tear slipped from his eye and he turned away from me.
"Neal, I sorry," I touched his shoulder, but when he turned around again a smile was plastered on his face. No sign of sadness on his face, but I could see he was trying to bury it within his eyes.
"Ice cream, shall we?"
Chapter Three

I dive to the side as a boulder lands feet from where I just stood. Struggling to get back on my feet, I run into a field of wheat just as another boulder hits the ground. From a distance I could hear people screaming. I look up to see a tree sail through the air. What the fuck is happening?
A couple of days ago Neal dropped my off at my school. Sadly it is a boarding school and could only see Neal on the weekends, but he promised that when I see him a room would already be set up for me. For the past three days I have walked around the school, not really knowing where to go.
I have seen some students, but mostly the halls are empty. The school consists of two buildings. The main building is a three story made of brick. The first level is the lobby, cafeteria, and a gym. The second floor is classrooms only and the third floor is the main gym. It has wooden floor panels and sleek light floorings. One wall is literally a wall just for weapons. Guns, swords, maces, tomahawks, and others that look really complicated and dangerous.
My first day here a teacher gave me a whole wardrobe full of tight blue jumpsuits. I am not complaining, but you see everything in these suits. The muscles, the curves, the muscles! Did I forget to mention the muscles? I haven't seen many people, but I have seen a few guys and lets just say, I really don't mind the tight jumpsuits.
Anyways today I was exploring the outside grounds when a bag was placed over my head. I was cuffed and dragged for awhile. Eventually I was pushed into the room I am presently in.
Many other kids my age stood around, some banging the walls, others lying on the ground. It wasn't long until a loud screech was heard from above us. "Welcome third years, this is your test. Show us what you could do, impress us," a deep voice echoed around us. "Your challenge is to use your powers against your foes, which is everyone. Don't kill, only hurt. You may began."
Everyone looked between each other and hell broke out around us.
I crawled through the dirt shoving my bangs out of my face to make sure I could see in front of me. I heard many different sound around me, all screams from others. Sadly I could feel the desire in me, the desire to run out and cause some of those screams, but I pushed that away and crawled on.
I crawled toward a rock that hid in the wheat fields. I sat down and counted in my head to twenty to calm myself down.
How do you expect me to harm anyone? My power is literally killing, I can't kill right now. I poked my head out of the field to look around. Even though it said everyone is our enemy, many people formed groups already. Many more people laid at their feet bleeding.
I ducked back down. Damn school. I felt finger brush at my arm and I jumped back ready to attack if needed. In front of my sat a pretty girl around my age. She had blonde hair that was up in a bun, a beautiful set of blue eyes. She was pretty pale, but I noticed many demons are. She had scratches all up her arms and on her face. "They are ruthless."
"You could say that again," I relaxed a little at the girls small frame and knew she didn't have a thing on me.
"I saw you from where I was hiding, I am sorry if I scared you."
"it is cool, I was getting kind of lonely anyways," I chuckled, but let it flatter at the small girl's expression. "I'm Alex."
"Emily," she lifted her head a little. Showing me the bruise on the side of her face. An explosion was heard a couple of feet away from us and a fire started to burn the wheat.
"Come on, Emily, we need to find a safer place," I grabbed her hand and ran out of the field. Screams were heard behind us, but I ran faster than I have ever before, dragging poor Emily behind me.
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We sat in a cave starring at each other. Emily and I have been in here for an hour, neither one of us had enough courage to speak. Many people ran past us, but the bushes and trees covers us from the naked eye. I not sure how Emily even found it.
When it started to get dark, I crawled towards