I see home. My village, my eyes widen, I try to scream, but nothing comes out, I can't do anything, my fingers are slowly turning to stone, and it's traveling quickly to my hands. I know exactly what's happening. Jaxon had told me that if she control's you for too long, you'll disappear, once you disappear, the body's hers. We of course never really knew what happened but the person inside her will be gone for good.
Jaxon, I think. Please be okay. Please, please be okay. I have to get out of here, or soon, my home will be gone. Not just home, but everyone there innocent women and children. and Graham. He'll die too.
The stone has now spread to my wrists. I try again to yell out but I can't, behind Cora, are hundreds of her soldiers, not a single human one in sight though.
A guard see's Cora, "Hey, y-your that missing girl! The one-" he walks to the fence right as Cora explodes a huge section of the fence. Soon, the Amaury village will be no more. My heart drops. "Stop! Cora, stop!" I say. But it's no use and I know it.
A few people hear the explosion and look out their windows. Several guards walk towards her. No I think go! Cora marches through the fence. "Go have fun." she says to her minions, a smirk crosses her face that sends a shiver up my spine.
People all around are screaming, a few of them try to fight the minions, but it's no use, they don't know how and even if they did, they don't have the supplies.
The stone now is to my shoulders and quickly moving to my chest and stomach. Cora continues to march through the village, occasionally touching houses and setting them on fire. Cora marches straight to Graham's and the door blows in off the hinges.
The stone is covering my legs, not letting me move. Cora steps over the door. "Overon?" he asks. "Not quite," Cora says. He looks at Cora confused. Cora moves her finger and slams him against the wall and he groans. "Stop!" I scream again.
The stone makes my throat tickle as it moves towards my head slowly. Cora pulls out a knife. And slowly walks towards Graham. I try to scream again but I can't.
I think of all our memories together, try to save them, I imagine saving him, wishing I could. I imagine Jaxon, who's probably dead because of her. Because of me. No. This isn't my fault, it's her's, I have to believe this. I imagine saving him too.
The stone is to my lips, but then it quickly disappears, all of it. I look at my hands which are now their normal color. I wiggle my fingers, just to make sure it's all real. I'm free. I turn to the mirror. Cora's standing in front of Graham, but she's not doing a thing. "Hello hun," Cora says, and she's right behind me.
"See, honey, whatever you did, sorda messed things up for me out there," she says. Cora looks angrier than ever. She wears no smile. "You aren't even supposed to be here still," she says, "And of course not me either." I begin to smile.
"What, do you think this is some kind of joke?" she asks coming towards me, but then she stops. Not willingly but she does, and I did it. I wanted her to stop and she did.
"Remember when you talked to me in my dream and we could both do whatever because it was in both of our minds?" I ask. "Well, this is my mind," I say. "And I don't want you here,"
About twenty knives stab her at all parts of her body and she slowly falls to her knees. Each of the knives are different, hunting knives, different kitchen knives, and even a pocket knife, which are really rare now. I slowly start to disappear. Disappear to the real world. and my vision changes from the cave, to the burning village.
My whole body hurts as I thud on the ground. But it's real, everything around me is real. I sit up and my back begins to ache a little. I look outside and see each and every one of Cora's minions get set on fire and turned to ash. I scoff as the people begin to cheer, thinking they won, thinking their fighting paid off.
I hear some noises behind me. "Graham!" I say.
"I'm so sorry! That- that wasn't me I would never-" I try to tell him. Maybe he'll find it in his heart to forgive me. "I know," he says, cutting me off. "I've looked into your eyes enough times to know those weren't yours."
I smile, and I'm a mess of crying and laughing. Graham pulls me into his arms and I bury my head into his chest. "Shhh it's okay, it's all over now." he says, leaning his head onto mine. "Shhh,"
◈◈◈
"Kayden!" I yell. "Thank god you're here! You can fix this right?"
"Fix it? No. Help? Yes," he said and smiled. "Oh! Just spit it out old man!" I yell, angrily.
"Okay, fine. I can make Mr. Charming only have down to three years instead of life or a death sentence, but, you can't stop working for us or I'll," he looked at me. "Find more information on the case,"
"For how long?" I asked, not that it mattered, I knew I'd accept no matter what. "Oh, that's the best part! Your time won't change at all! You'll do the time we originally agreed to!"
"Yes." I say, barely giving him time to finish. "I'll do it." I know I sound desperate but I don't care. I'd do anything for Graham.
A few years later, I'd messed up again. There was no way I could take another beating though, they were slowly driving me insane. So, I took the easy way out, I ran. I'm sure from there you can figure out the rest of the story, I met a boy, and I fell in love. I also met Cora who wouldn't ;et us leave, but I found a way and came home.
◈◈◈
"Jaxon," I say, finally coming to my senses, "Who?" Graham asked. "He's a boy- he and I were sorda- partners out there, I need to know what happened to him, if he-"
"Let me come with, I can't lose you again, besides there were all those crazy things out there-" he says. I smile a little. "Okay," I say, even though I know they're gone.
A crowd has gathered around the large opening in the fence. There are murmurs and they all stare when they see me. But I don't care. I only care about Jaxon.
As we near the edge of the forest, I see no sign of Jaxon. I take a deep breath. "I'm going back," I say. "No, you're not," Graham said. "You don't even know if he's alive or not! Or if whatever was controlling you is alive."
"I don't care! I owe him this and so much more, you couldn't possibly understand, you weren't there, you don't understand!"
He grabs my hand, "Look, I know that. I know I don't understand anything, but this time, you might not come back! Please! You were gone for so long last time and I know it wasn't by choice!" he says, desperately.
"I'm sorry," I say. I pull my hand away and near the forest's edge. I hear footsteps and a meow. "Willow?" I say, but I can't see anything through the smoke. Then I see a person's silhouette through the thick smoke. Jaxon comes running out of the forest holding Willow.
Jaxon jumps into the dich and then climbs back up. He puts Willow down and I run up to him and swing my arms around him. "Jaxon!" I say. He almost topples over when I hug him.
Graham shakes his hand, "Thank you," he said. "For keeping her safe," Jaxon smiled, "It was nothing," he says. I can tell they both want to know about our relationships, but that's not what I want to worry about, I only want a moment alone with them, a moment when I don't have to worry.
"We should go to the market and talk," I say. They both nod and we all turn away from the forest, our clothes ripped, and our bodies battered Willow follows closely behind us. We're finally out hoping to never go back.
Soon, we built a wall around our community, they're nearly impossible to get past, but I'll always know what's beyond the walls. And what happened to me? Well, I still don't know what's gonna happen, but I know I can make it through whatever they have coming.