Shackled with a magical bracelet, slowly wasting away and physically unable to fight my older brother; there was only a handful I could do to prevent him from getting those powers. All the while watching him, I could see the madness that had grown within him since when he was a child, there's no cure for it. Even if I would submit and would be family again; the course he's set his mind it wasn't going to be diverted, then my wish for a family yet again was destroyed even before I could get to it. I had already made my decision to die; there was nothing more to live for and if my powers spill to the ground before he could intercept it; I was sure he wouldn't be able to get them back. I snapped one of the roughly broken bed frames and shot it to my chest; eight inches below. I knew if not instantly; death would be just around in minutes. As soon as it made contact with my skin and then tissues, Flynn's eyes widen and fear arose inside him charging forward I blasted him back putting my hand up in front of me. I could feel the metal make the journey in between my ribs and pierce the protective layer to my heart; at the moment of death I didn't remember anything, my mind was blank. I pushed it further inside, and fast enough I was losing consciousness as blood run up my throat and spill out of my mouth. Just like being thrown into a strong magnetic field and then sucked into a black hole, if I'd known what that felt like; it ended.
It wasn't bright or dark, it was much like a thought; much alive but dead. It was quiet but chaotic, heavy feelings like they've grown limbs and mind of their own walking around; to be heard all at once. I wasn't intimidated but cautious; hush voices filled the space, shooting like an arrow and then disappear before the others. There was nothing to see but a lot to feel; a lot to be felt by me and vice versa; it was like a dimension of virtual bodies. I could feel myself; feel my own empty thoughts trying to figure if this is what really death meant or it was just the beginning of it. Suddenly vastness unfolded in front of me, no ground to walk on; or any atmosphere or beginning, it was also neither bright nor dark but this time I could see it but not myself. I swam in it, seemingly everywhere was the same but I knew I was moving.
"Gianna," it vibrated, there was no air to carry the sound to me but I felt it; as though the space morphed into a mouth and call me. It came in a light voice, low tone, very distant and unfamiliar but I would say it was female. I stopped moving, the space spun around as I search for its source
"My baby" I felt it again but this time closer
"Gianna, my baby"
"You remembered, I have been waiting for a long time"
Something changed in the vastness of nothingness as I started to become frantic from the calls, without cardinal points in such space, I spun; the space spun with me as I searched everywhere. The quiet feeling changed; it was fueled with distress, it dispersed and was setting invisible ripples of confusion. I had no body and that only stressed me out further until out of nowhere I caught my voice
"Who are you?" I asked frightened
"You finally came," the voice said again
"Show yourself!" I screamed the space visibly acted like an ocean, passing the wave of my distress forward as soon as it dispersed beyond my sight calmness set behind me; a sudden warmth and a presence.
"I am here," I heard like the presence was standing inside of me, I turned around quickly but my eyes set on the same view I had left behind. I could still feel the presence, trying to spread calmness into the distressed state I achieved from its sudden appearance. As though the presence read my thought, the voice said calmly
"Open your eyes and you will see"
Visibly I could see everything, confusion arose again. "Don't be afraid," I felt the warmth of it even more "Breathe, open your eyes"
Magically, I could not only see but there was a view to watch; a view that had always been persistent in my mind. Now I could feel my body, I could see my sneakered feet standing on a firm, grass-covered ground on top of the waterfall; standing just by the edge. The wind blew in my hair, cold air brushed against my face and I could smell the scent of flowers nearby; it felt as real as it could. I took a few steps back from the edge, fear of falling into it came instantly but it wasn't real.
"It's a dream,"
"It's more like a lucid dream but not quite also," the thin sweet voice said again but this time it had a distinctive source. I spun on my heels and that was when I met with the owner of it, my gaze locked instantly to her shinning, clear blue eyes. She had calm features, sharp and beautiful; auburn hair sitting neatly in large curls on her head, standing some feet away from me in a maroon flowing ruffled gown; I knew right away who it was.
"Xena" I said tonelessly, although I was feeling all the emotions but love.
She smiled sweetly not minding my disrespect, "I had been longing to see you right here, grown-up"
"Why am I here?" I asked looking around me
"You choose to be here, you brought me here too" she answered simply
"You choose to meet with me finally," she added
"That's not true. I never wanted to meet you, I never wanted to know or see you"
"A child always wants their parent with them"
"I had parents! But they were not you! They were taken away from me just because of what you and Luther choose to be. I want to erase your existence from inside me" she simply watched me with amusement as though she was watching a play. My face was starting to twitch, getting warmer with anger and my eyes moisten with tear
"You remembered what I told you" she smiled again
"What?" I asked confused
"When you were just in my arms," she held her hands out like he was actually carrying me in them and then again the space changed and brought us back to the last moment she'd seen me. I was standing just by her looking down at me in her arms, snuggled up in a piece of cloth while I watched her curiously while she cried
"My baby, Gianna I know you can hear me. I will not be here any longer but I will always be when you need me to," She touched my forehead with her thumb and closed her eyes briefly while one of her tears fall right on my cheek. I started to cry; she held me tighter and kissed me on the cheek
"That is your safe place, come to me. I will be waiting"
"That is your safe place, come to me. I will be waiting"
It echoed in the air until we were back in our initial positions; I stared at her tears packed at the bottom of my eyes. The wind blew in my hair sweeping it into my face, besides it seemed the surrounding only affected me but not her; not even the fabric of her dress moved with the wind.
She smiled and took a step forward and another until she stood right in front of me; she held her hand out and touched me on the cheek. The contact felt real, I felt the warmth of her hand; the electrifying connection of a mother and child; quickly I removed my face from her touch. I kept eye contact while the tears fall onto my face
"How do I leave here?" I asked sternly
"Until you want to" she blinked slowly with a smile on her face.
Time flew and I was still there; she was too. Stood there watching me while I walk around; pacing anxiously angered and confused. I couldn't have possibly wanted to stay there with her or wanted to converse with her, I didn't care for her I never knew her. All I ever knew were Elisabeth and James; they are my parents and will always be. I stopped in my tracks mid-thought,
"I brought you here?" I asked, she nodded
"Then I can make you leave, can't I?" she nodded too.
"I want you gone" I said to her, she didn't move from her spot and neither did she disappear.
I laughed briefly, "It's a safe place you've built so I can't get rid of you, that's more sensible to believe"
"You will only see what you really wanted to, you want me here even if you don't notice yet"
"I'd rather be alone than being with you," I assured
"If I can see what I love, why can't I see anyone I had really cared for but you alone? I am not the baby you left behind. I know trickery when I see one"
"Gianna my child, all I ever wanted was to have you, raise and love. That's all we ever wanted"
I chimed in sharply; in anger, "You cannot stand there and justify your affair with a married man. You could have waited for your mate, you knew he existed!"
The pain of losing Hunter came down all on me again, how much he's went through for me and now I couldn't even bring him back too.
"I want to get out of here," I closed my eyes
"Gia," I heard in the air and I couldn't have been mistaken as soon as I opened them; there he was standing there.
"Dad!" I charged forward in tears throwing myself at him. I wrapped my hand around his neck and cried heavily. He smelled the same, just like he always did, felt the same and hugged me the same way. I haven't seen him in years and the last time I did he was leaving home in his uniform; I had longed to see him indeed──James.
"Dad," I said again, squeezing him tight in my arms around his torso
"You've grown stronger" he joked as always
"I missed you," I cried shaking all over. She ruffled through my hair and laughed briefly
"Me too sweetheart,"
I pulled out of the hug and looked into his face, he had the bright smile on it and he looked better.
"I'm sorry dad; it was my fault we lost you"
"No it wasn't silly girl" he used two fingers and nudged me in the head
"I promised to protect you like my own daughter," he smiled wholeheartedly
"Am I not your daughter?"
"Yes you are silly," he said with a smile, I hugged him tightly again saying
"I love you so much dad, I miss you"
We indulged in the momentarily hug; I led us to sit by a tree across from where Xena was still standing watching us with a smile.
"Where's mom?" I asked leaning in against him like I always did before wrapping my hands around his muscular arm.
"Your mom," he laughed briefly "Elisabeth is on the other side, waiting to feel you again"
"Oh! I can bring her here" I said happily, he looked ahead again. I had seen him looking at Xena several times. He doesn't know her but if he could, I knew he could see the resemblance.
"Is she?" he paused looking into my face
"I'd rather not talk about it; I want to concentrate on bringing mom here"
"Alright," he said in other not to upset me. I closed my eyes, seeing that was the way I brought him here I fired at the memories I had with Elisabeth. I feel it, I felt her come through; I smiled before opening my eyes. I found that the place grew darker and hard to breathe.
"Dad!" I called frightened, it seemed I was all alone until I saw something up ahead.
I moved towards the tree, pinching my eyes to see properly, it was a woman that I knew all too well. I saw Elisabeth with her back turned at me. I sighed in relief. I had managed to bring her
"Mom" I called happily placed my hand on her shoulder I turned her around; slowly she followed to face me. I gasp in shock; she had the bullet hole in her head and her face was covered in blood; life was absent in her eyes.
"Oh my god!" I exclaimed covering my mouth in the process I felt them moist. Bringing them back to my view I saw they were covered in blood
"What?" I asked rhetorically stepping back from her unmoving body I bumped into someone. Slowly I turned around and found James; for the first time seeing him after he died it was horrific. I screamed at the top of my lungs as my breathing became heavy, I stumbled backwards towards Elisabeth again, unable to take my eyes off him. He had his face disfigured, beaten to another shape forcing his eyes out of his head and blood was pooling out of him; his body was broken at several points and I wondered how he was able to stand. I couldn't understand what was going on and how rapidly everything changed, I was shaking in my shoes.
"Xena!" I yelled for her
"What's going on?" I backed away from them both; walking towards where Xena stood silently, just a few feet away from the waterfall. Discovered her too in the form she was last seen.
"What's happening?" I asked her urgently but she seemed to be looking at something vacantly ahead, my breath started to hold up in my throat and I was shaking heavily. Suddenly I felt a noose around my neck and before I could save myself from it; it was yanked, it tightened and then tugged at forcefully making me fall backwards while I was dragged with such a speed that the flesh in my back was scraped off. Forced off the cliff, I fell backwards while everything melted away in my view.