"Jordan, please! I don't want to have to-"
"Have to what? Are you going to kill me?"
No. I'm not. There are other options. It may be hard, but I can get away without doing anything that may be fatal for him. It's a long shot, and may not work, but however it plays out, I'll get away.
When he's close enough, I'll touch him, only for a moment, hopefully, only enough to catch him off guard.
I take a deep breath. He's getting closer. Slowly stepping towards me. He's too close. I need to do it. He's right in front of me. I grab his arm and run. I hear him scream in pain but I don't look. I just keep going. I don't hear him following me, I must have got away- this time.
I step carefully and quietly. Each step might just be my last out here. The sun's already beginning to go down and I can't be out at night. I speed up a little but the faster I go, the more noise I'll make. The sun keeps going down as I creep through the woods. I finally see the cabin. I'm so excited to get home, I run without even trying to be quiet.
Outside the door, Willow is already waiting; wondering why I haven't let him in yet. I scoop him into my arms and smile. "It's good to see you again." I whisper and kiss him on the head. I know it's only been a day, but it feels like a week. There's been far too many close calls. Though- it was good to see Graham again, even if I didn't want to.
I open the door and let Willow fall to the floor gracefully. He puffs up and begins sniffing. His tail is the size of a raccoon's. He's shaking a lot as well. I already know what this means. I think the tree minions are too tall to fit in her though. It must be a regular one or- or Cora. I haven't seen Cora for a while but I should prepare myself to see her. Just in case.
I tiptoe and slowly push the door to my bedroom open. Cora is sitting on the cot with her back towards me. She takes a moment to speak. "Do you realize…" She pauses as if she's concentrating very hard on something else. "There's no use… in being quiet around me?"
"Yeah. I know. Why are you her, Cora?"
"Oh you know… just visiting the past for a while. Oberon, come where I can see you."
I'm still standing behind her in the doorway. "Why?"
"I need to speak with you. It's much better to speak face to face." She says. "Oh, I have a few things to say too." I respond. I slowly creep to the side of the cot where she's facing. I'm against the wall to keep as far from Cora as possible. She's holding something in her had. It's thin maybe cloth or paper. She walks towards me then hands it to me. It's a picture of a young boy and her. I didn't know these could even exist anymore. "Is this a photograph?"
She smiles sadly. "No. I'm flattered you think it is though. I made it. A long time ago when Jaxon was still mine."
It has bright, vibrant colors. Jaxon looks about seven or eight. Him and Cora stand face to face. He looks so exited as he hands her some bright pink flowers. Cora is smiling. It looks so pleasant. So normal. So- happy...
She looks me straight in the eye. "Why is it… even though Graham betrayed you… you still saved him? It's not even the first time he's betrayed you." She speaks as if she's so confused and lost, she can't even understand how to get these words out.
"I- he only did what he thought was right. It may have been the wrong choice but I don't believe he deserves to die for it."
"But someone else died for it. Someone you cared for much, much more."
"Why do you care? If it were up to you, I'd be dead."
She smiles again but this time it sends chills up my spine. "Oh honey, it is up to me."
"Then why am I still here?" I ask. She doesn't say anything. "I think you have less control than you think." I say. "You don't think I could kill you right now?" She looks amused. "Or every night I visit you? No. I keep you alive because I don't want you to die."
"Then why are your minions still after me? And Graham said-"
"I don't want you to live either. Besides, I already know you can fight them off quite easily. I'm going to get my revenge against you but not how you may think."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Let's talk about that ring of yours." she says. "What? No! Why would I want to tell you?"
She chuckles. "'Want to'? It doesn't matter if you 'want to'. It only matters if I want you to."
The world around me changes to the lake. The lake Jaxon and I shared our first kiss. Where Cora once was, Jaxon is.
"Jaxon? Jaxon! Wait but how…?"
Jaxon looks happy again. When he left, there was something wrong until the very end and I never got to know what. "You're… Happy?" I ask. "Yeah. I made it. I'm in heaven."
He walks closer so that we're face to face. "Heaven? But you- are you really dead?"
"I'm sorry, Oberon. I was under her control. I wanted to leave to keep you safe."
"Under her control? But you- you weren't mindless like the others."
"Yeah, it was different from the others." he looks down. "Where'd you get that ring?"
"What? That doesn't matter. Why did she kill you?"
"Because I wanted to help you- not her. Why does the ring glow like that?" He sounds like he's rushing through my questions- like they don't even matter, like he has no emotions attached to them.
"Couldn't she just control you though?" I ask. "Well yeah but she didn't think it was worth it. Tell me more about the ring."
"I um- I got it from a dream. The man who gave it to me told me he was- god. Why is this important?"
"Did you believe him?"
"Jaxon, why is this important?"
He smiles, sadly. "It's not. Sorry. How have things been lately? Did you finish the cabin?"
"No, actually, I left after you but they finished it. It- it looks nice."
"Why didn't you return?"
"Well- because- I wasn't ready."
He grabs my hand with the ring on it. "Does it have anything to do with this?"
"A little I suppose. It um- it creates fire and I can't control it too well yet. I think it has to do with my emotions. Besides, Jordan has gone completely crazy."
"Do you care for him?" Jaxon asks. "Maybe a little- at least- before everything. Not more than you, if that's what you're asking..." Is he jealous? He's never been the jealous type.
"Jaxon, what's it like up there? Is it pretty?" I ask, changing the topic. "I imagine it is." he smiles but it's not his. Something is off. "What do you mean you 'imagine' it is? Aren't you there?"
His voice changes to a woman's. "I mean, I've never actually been there. Not your heaven anyways."
I'm back in my room. I'm back with Cora. it takes me a moment to realize I've been here the whole time- with her the whole time. "Cora you- how could you? You really have no limits. Posing as your son you killed to get to me."
"You haven't even seen me at my worst. Anyways- tell me why you didn't let Graham die."
"No. It's not even important. Why do you care?"
I begin shaking. I'm- I'm afraid. I'm more afraid than I've ever been, in fact. I don't know why I'm scared but I feel like an ant in front of a giant. It's her, isn't it? Why has she never done this before? Has her power really grown that much? What am I even afraid of? Dyeing? I don't know. I look at the ground. "I-I-I- Why can't you just read my mind? W-why go through all of this?"
"Answer my question." she says, darkly. I back against the wall. "Be-because I-I- I thought I already answered this."
"Because you don't think he deserves it? He's why Jaxon is dead. You hate him. That's not true."
"Be-because revenge isn't always the answer. I-if it w-were, I'm not sure Jordan would still be alive b-but he is and I'm happy he is… even if he has his moments…"
"Right. Don't worry. I'll take care of him soon too."
"W-what do you mean?"
"You haven't figured it out yet?" She walks up to me. I back away into the corner and sink down into a sitting position with my knees in front of me. She leans so close to me our noses are nearly touching and whispers, "I'm going to kill anyone you were even remotely close to and after you recover… I'll destroy the village and allow you to live the rest of your life alone."
"Y-you know your family isn't even r-real? H-he made them up. There's n-no one for you to go back to."
"Nonsense! They're real and I'm going back to them."
She stands back up, straight, then disappears. The fear once there goes away immediately. I was right. She was making me feel that way.
I pull my knees to my chest and allow myself to cry. Everyone's going to die and there's not a thing I can do about it. I wish Jaxon were here. He could help me. I feel something brush my arm. Willow. Will she take him too? It doesn't matter, he's here now. I pull him close to me and hug him.