Creative Writing Guardian Xan (An original short story)

This is my first short story. I hope you all like it. It's kind of a long short story lol so I'm posting it in three parts.

Guardian Xan
By: Crystal L.
Part 1

Michael Verts glanced up from the file his secretary was showing him as a young man in his early twenties strolled into the spotless office. The man was wearing a black suit coat and dress pants but his sleeveless plain white shirt, black chocker with a metal cross hanging in the center, and disheveled, sandy-brown hair showed his carefree attitude through the formal atmosphere of the office.

“Good afternoon Mr. Lindova.”

“Good afternoon Sir.” The young man politely replied with a casual salute.
Mr. Verts, with his firm belief in a professional attitude, would have never hired Alexander Lindova, commonly known as Xan, had he not known of his many talents and sharp mind. Mr. Verts himself was a polar opposite to the young man in appearance and attitude, wearing a perfectly pressed navy blue suit with matching tie. Even his gray hair was perfectly combed in place. His stern, serious look contrasted sharply to the grin on the man standing before him.

“I was just showing Mr. Verts the file report,” the secretary began, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose with a manicured hand. She had on a white blouse with a gray suit coat and skirt. Her long black hair was tied back neatly in a ponytail. “We’ve finally found what we were looking for. Information is very scarce though.”

“It’s about time.” Xan said relieved. “This has already been going on too long. We’re lucky any of us are still alive. What did you find? Or should I say who?”

“The victim discovered the cure to the virus,” she replied referring to Virus 10-86. It was a deadly air-born virus that could be contained but was so powerful that it could never be weakened or killed, at least not with any modern technology. Vaccination was therefore impossible. Once in the body, it immediately latched onto DNA and mutated it, making each strand become unstable and collapse while the virus multiplied. It took only one to three days to kill its victim. With the virus in the air, no one could go outside without a facemask and extreme measures were taken to keep the virus from being carried inside. Almost a million people had died already. This rapidly expanding epidemic showed no signs of stopping on its own until every last living thing was destroyed.

Xan’s smile disappeared as his eyebrows shot up. “How is that possible?!”

“The victim somehow found a way to add something to DNA safely to prevent the virus from ever even being able to affect the human body.”
The secretary gave a helpless shrug. “But it’s so complex and so much information is missing that we can’t figure it out how. We just don’t have the time anymore.”

How old is the death?” Xan asked, still hardly believing what he was hearing. If this source was legitimate, they could keep this war from ever even happening and save millions of lives.

“57 years.” Mr. Verts said finally speaking up.

“57?!” Xan shouted. He had never heard of a case being so old before! “Are you sure this file is correct?”

“The S.P. has never made mistakes before. It has taken us 2 years, since the Viral Wars started, to track down what little info we have. We just found out the place and time of death yesterday. We wouldn’t have called you if we hadn’t been completely sure.”

The S.P., or Save the Past, was an ingenious invention created by Dr. Girmond in 2051. It was a machine that could search through the possible fates of early deaths, had the victims survived. Finding what these people could have accomplished, meant a way to change fate for the better and save hundreds to millions of lives.

Because of all the millions of early deaths and sometimes seldom info, trying to trace accomplishments to help the world took months, sometimes years to find. The task was harder than looking for 1/10 of a needle in a haystack. As technology improved, researching had become easier but not much. And with the help of the first working time machine in 2042, an organization was started by the UN called World Preservation to help change catastrophic events in the present.

However, a counter group, Fate Protection, was also started and led by a man under the alias of Dr. Michael Lee. When his plans to take over Europe were discovered and destroyed with the help of someone being saved in the past, he plotted for revenge and developed a brand new, and thought to be unstoppable, virus. With his vast wealth and political power he had no trouble gathering an army of his own. Radicals who opposed messing with fate, even for good, also joined his side to punish those playing God. All of them together started the Viral Wars to destroy everyone against their ideas and make sure those meant to die in the past, did.

Because of this, those who died in the past and were to be saved, were appointed “Guardians” from the present World Preservation group. That’s where Xan came in. He and the other Guardians were to protect those saved until they accomplished what they were meant to do. The severity of the case decided what Guardian would go on what mission. Xan was the top ranked Guardian and was therefore automatically assigned to this job.

“So what was the cause of death?” Xan asked, now very excited about this mission. No case had ever been anywhere close to as old as 57 years before.

“Suicide. The victim is an eighteen year old female.” Mr. Verts replied.

Xan groaned. Suicides were one of the hardest to stop. Especially when the victim was a female because they tended to be more emotional. Without any will to live, the victim would not be very helpful against attacks. “Just my luck. Caused by spur-of-the-moment or long-term depression?”

“That’s one of the many details that remain to be discovered.” The secretary answered. “This is all we have.” She turned the file around to face Xan. It contained only a few sparse papers.

“Wow.” Xan said when he saw small color photograph. “She’s beautiful. Why would someone who looks like that want to commit suicide?” Something wasn’t right here. She didn’t look anything like the type of person who would kill herself. The smile on her face was an honest one and her eyes seemed to sparkle with a strong spirit, even though it was just a photograph.

Mr. Verts cleared his throat sternly and Xan shook his head, temporarily dismissing his thoughts to focus on the task at hand.

“When do I leave?”

“Tomorrow at 9:00 hours. We’ll have everything you will or may need then. Report to the teleportation room and keep us updated on your mission once you’re in the past.”

 

******************
“I swear we were twins in a past life.” Kiya laughed as she waded through the tall wheat-like grass towards her best friend, Mckayla in the moonlight. The field looked like a ghostly ocean, slight breezes keeping the grass constantly moving in gentle waves. Kiya loved the silver light rapidly dancing from blade to blade of grass as it swayed.

Kiya and Mckayla used to play here by the train tracks almost every day when they were little. It was the perfect playground with nobody to invade their little world and if they waited long enough, they could always see the diesel train come. It always came at the same times everyday: 10 am, 5 pm, and midnight. Mckayla especially loved to watch the train. She was always transfixed by its size, speed, and power. Whatever the two of them were doing, she would stop and silently watch with admiring deep brown eyes.

As they grew older, they played less and less there but they would still occasionally come for long talks. Every time one of them had something bothering her and wanted to talk, she would come to the field and wait. Somehow the other one always knew to come and was there in a short while.

Mckayla, had been sitting in the grass in her school uniform, even though it was almost midnight Friday evening, while she waited. The grass was so tall that only her shoulders and head could be seen in the distance. Kiya was wearing yellow pajama pants with tiny lavender stars and a white tank top, the ensemble matching her short brown hair and bright blue eyes nicely. Mckayla didn’t bother turning around when she heard Kiya’s cheery voice. Her normally perfect long black hair looked like it hadn’t been combed for a day or two.

Kiya’s smile faded. This had to be something big for her to not even turn around. “What’s wrong?”

“I failed the exam...” Mckayla mumbled as she tore a blade of grass up from the ground and began to methodically rip into smaller and smaller pieces. “And with my current grades, there’s no way I can pass... They say I have to repeat next school year.”

“I’m sorry.” Kiya whispered shocked.

“It’s not your fault. I’m the one who’s an idiot.”

“Please don’t say that.” Kiya asked growing even more concerned.

“Well it’s true!” Mckayla snapped, turning her head to glare at Kiya. Kiya could see a look of complete helplessness in her eyes.

“What did your parents say?” Kiya asked not knowing what else to say.

A somewhat choked laugh escaped from Mckayla’s lips. “For the first time in my life my parents were yelling at me instead of each other. I don’t understand why they don’t get a divorce. They obviously hate each other. I think they’re just staying together for me. They’d be happier if I wasn’t in the picture.”

“They must love you if they want to stay together for you.” Kiya countered. “You’re their happiness.” She had never heard Mckayla talk like this before...though, Mckayla did seem to have a sad expression on her face every time she thought Kiya wasn’t looking lately.

Mckayla pulled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. “Don’t give me empty promises.” She sat there silently for a moment and then stood up, brushed herself off, and faced Kiya. “Anyways, I just wanted to thank you before I go.”

Her face displayed a wide range of emotions at once. It was as if she couldn’t make up her mind whether to smile or cry.

“Thank me for what?” Kiya asked, a strange sinking feeling beginning to weigh down on her heart. She could see the headlight of the train nearing in the corner of her eye.

“For everything. Without you, I couldn’t have even lasted this long...but everybody’s got to go sometime. I’d be jealous, watching you go on without me. I’ll see you someday again. By then I hope you’ll understand.”

“Understand what? What are you talking about?!” Kiya was beginning to get scared. This was the first time Mckayla hadn’t turned to watch the train but something else was very wrong. “Where are you going?”

Mckayla hugged her best friend, ignoring all of the questions. “Good-bye Kiya.”

The train’s huge headlight beam cast sharp eerie shadows as everything began to glow in its light.

Mckayla let go of Kiya and waited for the train to get a little closer as she smiled. Suddenly she looked over Kiya’s shoulder with fear and gasped.

Kiya spun around and squinted, quickly trying to scan the area, her eyes unable to adjust with the strong headlight so close. Mckayla quickly jumped up on the tracks and grinned. Kiya had always been incredibly gullible. Far too trusting. That worked out perfect because she didn’t want Kiya to see what was about to happen but she wanted her to be with her.

There was no way the train could stop before it reached her. She had learned that a long time ago in a book somewhere. In a couple of seconds it would hit. She stared up at the huge machine coming closer as it bathed her in glorious light. So powerful. So beautiful. She spread her arms a little as if to embrace her fate.

The train whistle blew, its deafening shrill making Kiya cover her ears and shudder. Suddenly the realization hit her and her eyes snapped open as everything that had just happened came together. She spun back around with numb shock just in time to see Mckayla smiling a split second before the train smacked into her with a sickening crack and she disappeared from sight. Kiya screamed.

She shouted Mckayla’s name again and again, panicking. “This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening!” Her mind begged. Hot tears began to stream down her face as she waited, trembling uncontrollably, as the rest of the cars passed. Maybe Mckayla just jumped to the other side and this was just some sick joke. But Kiya knew inside that wasn’t true.

After what seemed like years, the last car passed and Kiya shakily stepped up onto the tracks. In the moonlight, she could see through the blurriness of her tears, the tracks stained red with fresh blood. She began to feel sick and finally spotted the truth she was hoping never to find. A bit of unrecognizable flesh, run over to a pulp and a severed hand that had probably been separated from its body when Mckayla “embraced” the train. Kiya couldn’t hold it in any longer and vomited before passing out beside what was left of her best friend.

 

Well considering this forum only allows a certain number of characters for each post, this is going to be posted in more then three parts lol. This fan fic section is kind of dead isn't it? Doesn't seem like ANYONE is really getting many replies on their stuff. Bummer. Anyways, here's the next part.
****************
“Today’s the big day.” Xan smiled to himself, excited about this mission. The more at cost, the more his adrenaline pumped as it was beginning to do now. He breathed in the fresh country air deeply. He wouldn’t need a facemask here. The blue sky looked so much better in the past too. There wasn’t any country that wasn’t a tiny park or used for agricultural purposes left in the future anymore. Pollution was less dense in the past as well. He pulled out the victim’s file as he walked towards his hotel, a suitcase in his free hand and a black backpack on his back.

According to this file, he had to be at the Inland Valley about three miles south of town and near some train tracks. It really wasn’t much to go by but it was all he had to work with. Within the next 24 hours he was going to save the future.

****************

“The doctors think Mckayla may have had long-term depression. If only we had known.”

“If we had known? Think about how hard this is for Kiya!”

“I heard from her mom that she barely sleeps at all and when she does, she wakes up screaming.”

“Well wouldn’t you? How horrible. She’s going to start seeing a psychiatrist on Wednesday.”

The voices faded as Kiya walked into the living room, the expression on her face cold and empty. She heard them but didn’t bother responding as they stared at her in pity. It didn’t matter. Nothing really did anymore.

They were all wearing black. Who ever came up with the rule that people should wear black at wakes and funerals? She glanced down at her own plain, spaghetti strapped white linen dress. The dress fit her well at the top and flowed out a little past her hips, down to a couple of inches above her knees. Her mother had disapproved but Kiya and Mckayla had agreed that white should be worn at these sort of things to bring some brightness to dark times. Kiya was beginning to regret that promise. All she wanted to do right now was fade into the background. Somehow though, she didn’t think the color of her dress would have kept her from sticking out though.

The room was covered in flowers of all different colors and types. The strong floral scent was making Kiya feel lightheaded. She silently mused at how horrible this would be for anyone with pollen allergies. There were so many people crammed throughout Mckayla’s home. A large school picture of Mckayla was centered on a table surrounded by many smaller photographs. Kiya was sure she was in at least half of them but she didn’t want to look at it. She spotted Mckayla’s parents sitting on a couch holding hands as they cried together.

“That figures.” Kiya scoffed inwardly. Usually when she saw other’s crying, her eyes misted up too. But she had nothing left to cry now. There was nothing left of her feelings but a bitter empty shell.

“She’s safe and happy now sweetie.” Kiya’s mother said gently as she wrapped her arms around her daughter in a hug. Kiya hadn’t even noticed her come over.

Instead of embracing her back, Kiya looked at her mother with disgust. “Have you ever died before?”

“Wha— no...I—” Kiya’s mother stammered in surprise.

“Then how do you know what happened to her?” Kiya seemed to recall something in the Bible about people who take their own lives going to Hell but she didn’t dare say that out loud. “Don’t give me empty promises.” She muttered quoting Mckayla as she brushed past her mother and out the entryway door. She couldn’t take anymore of this. And she knew exactly where she had to go without even thinking about it.
***************

 

I love it! You are a very talented writer! You should really think of writing other stories aswell! Good Job :anime:

 

Yay! A reader! Thanks but the story's not done yet! There's one more part after this one. Enjoy ^^

Xan checked his watch as he leisurely walked down the hill by the road into the field. 14:58. According to the file, the suicide would take place at 15:15 but it was always good to come early, especially if the case was a suicide and he needed time to talk the victim out of it.

Just then, he heard a train whistle blow and his head snapped up to see the train coming in the distance. A few hundred feet down he could see a young girl dressed in white, standing by the tracks.

Xan swore and his stroll broke into an all out run as he raced across the field towards her. As the train neared, she calmly stepped onto the tracks.

“Get off the tracks!” He shouted. “No! I’m not going to make it!” The train was moving too fast. The girl didn’t even turn to him at all. Either she was ignoring him or she was too caught up in her own thoughts to hear him. The noise of the frantic whistle, engine, and sound of wheels on tracks grew louder to a deafening roar. Only 10 more feet. Xan was closer than the train but the train was faster.

“Get off the tracks!” He shouted again and this time she turned in surprise at his voice. Xan dived and shoved her and himself off the tracks, everything seeming to move in slow motion as the train went by. Xan could feel the edge of the train tear a gash into the rubble heal of his left shoe. He and the girl rolled a few times as they slammed into the ground, Xan using his body to shield her from the hardest blows. Finally they stopped, both on their backs staring up at the sky next to each other. Xan sat up right away, ignoring the searing pain in his upper right arm and leaned over the girl.

“Are you ok?!” If she wasn’t, he was going to be in huge trouble.

Kiya sat up. “I’m fine.” She mumbled a sad look replacing her shocked expression again as she stared down at the grass.

Xan heaved a sigh of relief and let himself fall back into the grass. He put his hand over his heart, feeling it pounding hard against his rib cage. “That was way too close,” he thought, trying to catch his breath as his thoughts went back to what had just happened. He’d never been so close to failing before. Xan cursed whoever got the time of death wrong on the file. Then his mouth slowly changed into a grin. That was pretty cool though. That dive was like something out of a movie.

Xan sat up again, the pain slowly ebbing away, and glanced at his shoe. Just a centimeter closer and the train would have sliced a gash in his heel as well as his shoe. “You owe me a new pair of shoes.” He mumbled.

“Why did you save me?” Kiya asked finally looking at Xan.

“Because, like it or not, I was given the job to be your guardian.”

“By who?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out in about 50 years.”

“Are you an angel?” Kiya asked looking at him skeptically.

Xan’s grin spread. “Do you want me to be?”

“I don’t believe in angels.” She mumbled looking back at the ground.

“Then I guess I’m not one.” Xan shrugged and stood up, dusting his signature suit off. “C’mon,” he said offering a hand to pull her up.

“Where are we going?” Kiya asked suspiciously as she eyed his hand a second before taking it and standing up.

“Someplace where you can’t cause bodily harm to yourself.”

**************