Ren
My mind is muddled with the after effects of poison, slowly eating away at what little left of me is still human. Although it does hurt, quite a bit. It is slightly refreshing if I am being honest, I have become too used to winning and coming away from a fight with not a scratch on me. Raven, she makes me weak. This is why I am so entranced by her. She is formidable, fear striking. As I stir in the back seat my vision returns to me in waves. The very first part my mind always goes is who I see first. I see a bleeding, white-knuckled AJ trying his hardest to hide his bloodshot eyes and terrible thoughts. AJ... But his eyes are so distant from me, so glossed over, unhappy. He's not so much a free spirit as he is an agitated, caged animal in his own life. I see Darren, staring wistfully towards AJ, his mouth drawn in a taut line. Something must have happened while I was asleep, it is rare that I see such a vulnerable look from our director. He does not even hear me stir awake. I can see he is withholding his desire to reach out and touch AJ's face, grab his hand, and smile. He is trying to seem tough, but it is costing him a great deal. He wants to be AJ's rock, as if I cannot provide stability for him. While Darren himself has no bearings. The car ride is bumpy. I can't see through the tinted windows in the back seat, Where I have been carefully buckled in. I do however know exactly where we are. I was slightly coherent while AJ and Darren were dragging me to the car but I do not remember much of it, nor anything after that. I simply woke up in the car. If I were in Raven's position I would be disoriented, but I've driven along this road enough times. I slowly turn my head to see Raven and Amora. Amora, asleep clinging on to Raven as if she was her only anchor to the world. Raven's expression has changed since the last time I saw her asleep, she looks troubled. She seems so different, she too, has changed quite a bit since I last knew her. Why have I stood still, how am I supposed to evolve? The eerie sense that someone is watching her kicks in and she awakes. Suddenly, she sees me staring. We make eye contact, I can feel the power and confidence surging off of her, she is not more troubled because she is uncomfortable, she is troubled because she knows she has been wronged. And now. She is angry. She looks as if she will scream but I put a finger to my lips, suggesting that she refrain from making any sudden, loud noises. I point to Amora clinging to her. A knife still in her iron grip.
"If you wake her." I whisper, "We are most likely to all become more injured."
She narrows her eyes at me. Yet, she refuses to speak. She holds my gaze, daring me to look away. I will not. She and I do have one thing in common. Neither of us back down from a challenge. I reach over and grab her hand, I bring it up to my lips, not breaking eye contact. I hear her intake a short gasp.
"I see."
Is all she says. I smile at her, "Oh, how I have missed your sweet, angry expression Raven." She smiles back and snatches her hand away
"I hope that poison kills you."
She looks away from me in disgust, moving her gaze to the window. I look at Amora. "Poor girl." I say, moving a strip of hair from her closed eyes.
"Her entire life has just been the predictions of a con artist."
Raven shoots her eyes back at me in fear. Then, quickly realizes that I have plenty of other resources where I could have accumulated the information. She tries to act confused.
"What do you mean?" I sigh and roll my eyes, "You know precisely what I mean. Will you ever stop playing down your knowledge?"
She shakes her head begrudgingly. "I'm not supposed to remember." She says quietly, stroking Amora's hair. I lean towards her, new interest igniting my mind, I feel as if more than my physical form has been poisoned. It seems to be filling my mind as well. She shares a vulnerable look with me, only for a second, I can see that she doesn't remember as much as she thinks she does. She is merely grasping at memories she cannot be sure exist, this is where my plan for Raven comes to life. I cannot bear to hold these secrets from her, she deserves to know her roots.
"Tell me Raven. How do you feel about fire?"
She snaps up, awaking from a bed of lies. Her blurred memories have just been confirmed. Yet, she still has no clue what she did.