No matter how hard I tried to control the slight irrepressible tremor within my unsteady palms its weakness showed as I continued to lace up the blue and white converse sneakers I had slipped my feet into. My sight blurred for a second too overwhelmed by the useless emotion labeled sadness before ruthlessly I swallowed the emotion back down into the dark hole inside of me while internally knowing Andrea stood perceptively watching my every move.

“Are you sure you want to do this today?” she questioned for the millionth time much to my annoyance. She began smothering me with attention the moment she realized the truth in my words, and although I wanted her belief in my pleas her over protectiveness was clearly overkill. 

“And what exactly are we going to tell Gabe if we don’t?” I rose from my seat at the windowsill pulling my black shirt down over my jeans before I paused before the vanity.

“I’m just saying you didn’t get much sleep.”

My brow rose at that comment, our eyes meeting within the reflection before she continued, “well obviously… and the last thing you need is to exert yourself further by trying to expand your gifts.”

Groaning inwardly, I turned impatient eyes back towards my big sister, “Drea, you aren’t telling me anything I don’t already know, but-.”

“There are no buts. You’re my sister and your wellbeing comes first, not training!”

I twisted back to the mirror so that she wouldn’t see the rueful smirk lingering upon my lips as I reached for my hair tie. Where was that attitude when she had allowed locus to chew the flesh off of me?

“Andrea, I’m fine,” I insisted as I bundled my mass of wild curls up into a high ponytail.

Andrea moved until she stood directly behind me, her eyes full of unwanted pity, “then why is it that you’ve barely spared a glance at that bed since this morning?”

I froze, my arms falling back to my sides, my eyes downcast as I tried to push those horrid memories out of my mind. “I’m fine,” I declared and yet this time there was a blatant lack of conviction within my tone.

Her hand touched my shoulder, our gazes colliding. There was something so strangely similar within our irises now, and then I realized what it was… It was buried shame. “Just remember,” she whispered, “I know exactly what you’re going through. I’ve been there, and avoiding it doesn’t make it disappear.”

My lips began to quiver as flashes of this morning I could no longer contain besieged my brain just as thankfully Gabe’s voice invaded my ghastly thoughts.

“Marie, is everything okay? I’m already leaving the house.”

Taking a deep cleansing breath I shelved my distraught feelings of misery in the same place I shelved my feelings of my mother’s obvious abandonment. I closed my eyes, mentally watching as blackness slithered over the memories of my undesirable wakeup call before I allowed my lids to reopen, and as I gazed into my flat hazel orbs they finally remained blessedly lifeless. And yet more importantly free of tears.

Internally I responded, “Gabe, everything is fine. Grace should be walking out the door soon.”

I turned back to my sister now completely emotionless, “Gabe’s on his way, and Grace should be leaving any second now. We should go.”

Her hand still gripping my arm stopped me from further movement, her saddened tone attempting to force me back into that black hole, “Anna-.”

Yanking from within her grasp, my gaze remained pissed as it clashed with her own, “don’t. You told me not to pretend and I’m not. The only way to defeat his brand of depravity so that my story doesn’t end the same as yours did is to learn to crush him completely. Gabe can teach me how to do that! I need to do that! Because quite frankly I refuse to be his victim!”

I watched a tiny trickle slip from sapphire eyes, observed it slither over flawless skin before it bounded off her cheek while inwardly knowing that her tears weren’t for her past but for me seeing as I wouldn’t permit such an allowance for myself. Before at last Andrea too inhaled deeply, wiped the errant tear from her skin before determination at last filled her gaze.

Waiting, I finally continued, “can we go now?”

Her small nod gave me the desired cue to move and yet her words halted me inside the doorway, “I just want you to know I’m always here, okay?”

Glancing over my shoulder I reflected on all that my sister had done to truly be here at my side before quietly I responded, “I know that, you always have been.”

We walked out into the brightness of the hall together; our fingers entwined like they used to back in grade school when Drea would help me cross the street while inwardly knowing no matter what the future held my sister would always guide me back to safety.

The image of a flustered Grace still wandering about the entryway caused us to halt at the start of the staircase.

“I’ll be in the basement,” Andrea conceded, knowing she had unwittingly become a sore subject between Grace and I, while I internally wished I too could vanish with such ease.

My footsteps were slow, silent as I gradually made my way down the staircase, my eyes on my Aunt’s chaotic movements. She seemed relaxed even when clearly in a hurry, and yet the tenseness that entered her shoulders the moment she realized she was no longer alone spoke volumes on the added stress I continued to laden her with.

With a smile clearly forced she swirled to face me, her fingers still busy sliding her earrings into her lobes, “there you are at last.” Her actions were hasty as she snatched up her personal items stuffing them carelessly inside her purse. “There’s cereal in the kitchen. I’m afraid I didn’t have time to prepare a proper breakfast. I’m running behind schedule.”

I found my way towards the bottom step, my eyes watchful as the light immersed my Aunt’s long blonde hair, her skirt a swarm of different colors swinging out around her legs as the scent of lavender rose to greet me… And yet everything was different.

“That’s fine. Mom was never the great gourmet chef. Cereal became a staple inside our apartment unless-.”

A ghost of a smile took over Grace’s full pink tinted lips, “unless Will happened to be home on the weekends.”

Grinning at the distant memories those words resurfaced I watched as a tiny glimmer of the old Grace returned, “Yeah, Dad is awesome.”   

She froze, her hair falling over her shoulder as she turned to gaze upon me oddly, her brows creased in confusion, “no Anna. Your father was awesome.”

Realizing quickly that my flaw in grammar had brought back up Grace’s walls I attempted to amend my mistake, “that’s what I meant obvious-.”

“Well, that’s not what you said.” She twisted dismissively from me, her hands quick almost on the verge of desperation to gather her scattered papers into her briefcase. “Dr. Foster recommended an excellent out patient therapist for you to see once released.”

Bitterly, I murmured under my breath, “I’ll just bet he did.”

“I had naively hoped that you wouldn’t need it but… clearly under the circumstances…”

My arms crossed over my chest, my gaze unwavering, “and what circumstances are those?”

Sighing exasperatedly at the sight of my stance she continued to slip into her long coat, “I only meant-.”

“No honestly, I’m curious.” I took a step closer, my patience now nonexistent after the shit I’d been forced to endure this morning. “Tell me, do you mean the circumstances of me dealing with the fact that close loved ones have died, that my release hasn’t gone as smoothly as you hoped, or the fact that you seem to think I’m a carbon copy of that kid in that movie, ‘the sixth sense’?

Halting just in front of my Aunt, our eyes connecting I whispered, “Please do enlighten me Grace, should I confess to him that I too see dead people?”

For once in my short life I saw beneath my aunt’s forged sense of concern down to the unadulterated fear she hid underneath. It struck at the very core of my heart for it wasn’t fear of my future, or how the world viewed me. No, it was fear of what I would do to her. Never had someone I loved so dearly regarded me so frightfully, not even my own mother looked upon me this way even when she assumed the worst. I took a step back watching as she buried her alarm under a forced sense of choked laughter at such an absurd notion, her spine stiffening before coldheartedly she replied, “That’s not what I meant at all. You’ve been through a lot and I only felt it was clearly presumptuous of me to assume life would instantly pick up where it left off.”

Grace’s wild eyes searched the room as she placed her briefcase at the door before walking towards her office. She paused at the archway, “oh and Anna, that doctor’s visit really wasn’t a suggestion. I’ll give him a call during my lunch hour.”

My chest rose and fell rapidly as I paced the entryway trying to control my anger knowing that Grace’s misguided clueless brand of parenting wasn’t really what was causing this blinding rage to slowly devour me. When would I be free of useless doctors prodding my mind? As if anything they prescribed could rid me of this damned life I was doomed to bear. The sound of the doorbell ringing broke into my thoughts, my eyes merely glaring at the entrance instead of moving to answer it.

“Anna, I can’t find my car keys! You’re going to have to get the door!”

Rolling my eyes in annoyance I ripped back the opening with more force than was needed stunned to find Abigail standing hesitantly on the other side. Shock forced me into discourtesy as I continued to blankly stand there wondering why she had come here at all.

The smile on her gloss covered lips began to slip, the happiness in those mascara covered brown eyes slowly fading, “I know I’m probably the last person you wanna see right now.”

My brows furrowed as I leaned against the doorway’s wooden surface staring bewildered as the wind slowly swept through her long glossy chestnut tresses, while still not bothering to invite her in. “Not really. I think your mom and Aunt easily took that position. I don’t mean to be rude, but what are you doing here?”

Smiling uneasily, Abby began to shift her weight from one leg to the other, her hands absentmindedly rubbing the length of her skinny jeans, “I just wanted you to know my Mother and Maria were completely wrong in what they did last night.”

My brow rose, “they were only trying to protect their family. It’s no different than anyone else in this neighborhood.” That sadly included my Aunt.

Her fingers distractedly pushed back her cloud of dark hair over the shoulder of her black leather jacket, “well, I don’t feel that way about you, and I’m pretty sure my brother doesn’t feel that way either.”

I snorted humorlessly, “message received. Look, I don’t mean to be a bitch when you’re clearly going out of your way to be nice to me, but you really shouldn’t be here. Your mom basically forbid me to have anything to do with you.”

Sighing in frustration at the mention of her mother she continued, “Yeah, well even parents can sometimes make mistakes.” I watched her pause, her gaze falling upon the porch before they rose to meet my own puzzled orbs, her brown eyes strangely remorseful. “When we were younger I was a complete jerk to you. Always teasing yo-.”

I held up a palm halting her in mid-speech, “if this is some odd moment of unburdening your heart of past mistakes I can tell you now it’s unneeded. We were kids and weighed against everything that has happened to me in recent years a few hurtful words thrown to rid me from Andrea’s side is kind of incomparable, don’t you think?”

Her smile was unmistakably strained, her lips slightly trembling, “That’s just it, I don’t entirely agree. Andrea was my best friend and those summers were the only time I got to see her. I admit I was selfish in pushing you out of the way, but you need to know…” She stopped as a lone tear slowly found its way pass her long lashes, “She loved you so much.”

Blinking away my own unwanted emotions, my jaw hardened against the need to release the sorrow I kept pent inside all morning, “I know she-.”

Abby’s head shook viciously, a few stray droplets plummeting from her saddened eyes, “that’s just it …you didn’t. Andrea, she kept a lot to herself. She-,” she paused, her hands coming up the cover her quivering lips as if to halt her crumbling emotions as finally the realization of what Abby was trying to reveal donned on me.

Abby knew. Andrea had actually confessed her one secret to someone.

“Andrea told you?”

The shock filling her features answered my question long before her words ever could just as Andrea herself appeared standing quietly by my side.

“Yes I did, but only to her,” my sister confessed, her sight glued to the vision of her friend’s tragic expression.

Abby clearly stunned at what I already knew stared up at me blankly in amazement. “I- I didn’t know Andrea had confessed it to you. After it had happened the first time I swear it changed her. She wasn’t happy, her smiles became forced, and that secret it just seemed to slowly eat her alive. I think she was grateful to be able to admit it finally to someone, anyone. I think she thought it would help, but … then she began to party, drink, and do stupid shit. It was like it numbed her, made her forget what waited for her at home.”

More tears fell as the gust of wind dried the former streaks of emotion that stained her cheeks, “She begged me not to tell, and I was young. I didn’t know what to do, so I partied right along with her instead of encouraging her to get help.”

“She blames herself. It’s not her fault,” my sister whispered, her expression almost matching the anguish etched upon Abby’s features.

“Why are you telling me this, Abby?” I questioned, curious as to why she suddenly felt the urge to divest her secrets to me.

“Because I watched from the sidelines as my best friend slowly crumpled, I insulted and teased you to get you away from her side. With you there Andrea was forced to be the good sister, forced to remember everything she wanted to forget, and foolishly I wanted to help. I wanted to help her stop thinking about it so that even for a second I could have my best friend back.”

“Andrea was killed in a car crash not at some party overdosing,” I said gently noticing how with every tear fallen from Abby’s eyes only seemed to further wound my sister. “It wasn’t your fault that she died.”

“I know, but it is my fault that you missed out on precious moments with Andrea. Moments you won’t get back,” sobbing openly now she could barely continue to force the words out. “And for that I’m truly sorry.”

Shaking my head in refusal, “I’m not.” I watched as confusion surpassed her sadness, tears still clinging to her cheeks. “You were the best friend she needed then. I’m glad someone could be there for her even if that someone wasn’t me.”

I felt her arms rush to hug me as slowly I found myself returning her embrace, her tears plainly shedding in relief, but they didn’t fall just for herself but also for the once little girl too afraid to reveal to anyone that the monster she feared sat across the diner table every night.

Abby finally pulled back, wiping blindly at her damp skin, “look at me, crying on your shoulder was not in my plans this morning.”

I returned her smile understandingly while waiting silently for her to compose herself before she pulled a pink envelope from the confines of her small black purse.

“My birthday is tomorrow night, and I’m having a small party. I was wonder-.”

Appreciating her moment of unnecessary kindness I still cut her off before she could continue, “If this is some odd gesture of repentance for the past I don’t need it.”

Her long brown silken strands slipped over her shoulders as she shook her head quickly in denial, “No, of course not. Look, I get that you’ve had it rough and that’s putting it mildly, but I’m not inviting you out of guilt. I’m inviting you because I actually want you there. I spent as much time growing up with you as I did with Andrea, and contrary to past actions you were never as annoying as I pretended you to be.”

Grinning sarcastically, “Well thanks.”

Laughing at her own unfortunate use of words, “you know what I mean, and it won’t be a regular party. Just some girl friends over watching scary movies, so if you’re worried the whole neighborhood will be there then rest assured it’ll be completely low key.”

“Your mom-.”

“Won’t even be in the city,” she interjected, her smirk grinning mischievously. “My grandmother caught the flu and she lives like at least two hours out of town.”

“You mean to tell me that your mother actually decided to leave her precious children for the night without supervision? “ I teased causing her obvious grimace of annoyance.

“I guess if you wanna label Gabe checking in here and there as supervision then go right ahead, but even he has a class that night. Maria couldn’t get out of work… thank god,” her look of noticeable relief caused my laughter to join hers. “And mom is taking Kay with her.”

My eyes narrowed suspiciously, “and she actually went along with that?”

“Well with a face like this,” she pouted prettily before grinning cunningly, “at even the mention of her ruining my seventeenth birthday she couldn’t really say no, and neither should you.”

And yet still I hesitated, “I don’t know.”

“Oh come on, its just movies, popcorn, pizza, and girl talk. What could possibly go wrong?”

I didn’t think a more naïve sentence had ever been uttered than what had just came out of her mouth. Everything could go wrong, I wanted to tell her but found myself refraining. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Think of it this way, the last time you felt completely normal was before Drea died. This is your chance to relive that moment,” she enticed, her brown eyes begging me to say yes and yet clearly she could see my reluctance. “Your sixteen, hanging out with friends shouldn’t even be something you have to question. Take a break from worrying for a night, and in the morning all your worries will still be there waiting for you.”

I grinned in spite of her badly put and yet nevertheless tempting words. Abby was right. The one thing I yearned for more than anything in this world was the chance to be normal again. A chance to forget about vengeful demons, to forget about enforced destinies. I mean… if Drea could use Abby as a means of escape than why couldn’t I?

Plainly seeing the uncertainty still plaguing my mind Abby quickly thrust the invitation into my hands before I could say no. “Okay, how about this? You take the invite and if by tomorrow night you decide hanging out sounds like a good idea then come over and… if not my feelings won’t be hurt, I promise. Sound like a plan?”

Smiling, grudgingly I agreed, “sounds like a plan.”

The door was soundless as it slid shut taking along with its closure the sight of Abby departing from our yard while managing to enfold my unsuspecting form with a clearly livid older sister.

“You can’t honestly believe that you can go to that party!” Andrea raged, her face mere inches from my own while instantaneously Grace bounded into the room voicing the complete opposite sentiments.

“You have to go to that party!”

My eyes viewed my Aunt’s jubilant gaze, her brilliant beam almost ripping her face in two with mixed emotions coursing through me, “Grace, I thought you were in your office.”

She holds up her lost keys, “I found these in my desk, but then I didn’t want to interrupt you.”

Thinking about how much was revealed I asked, “How much did you hear?”

Her smile never ceased, her expression one so similar to her pass self as she walked further into the room, “Oh, just the ending. Don’t worry I’m not going over protective mom on you. I used to hate when my mother would pull that shi-.”

“I thought you wanted me to take it easy. Um... Ease my way back into this world. I mean this morning you spoke of doctors…” I interjected cutting short her joyous reminisces.

“That was just my worrying going into overdrive,” she brushed off carelessly. “Anna, you do realize what this means, don’t you?”

My clueless expression must have answered that question for her because she continued to press on, “it means the world is beginning to let the past go. It means this is the start of you embracing your future.”

Finally I realized the meaning behind the sudden reappearance of hope lingering within Grace’s blue irises. This invitation was proof that I could one day return to the girl she always hoped I would be. 

“Grace, I just don’t think this is a good idea.”

Her brows furrowed, the look of determination refusing to leave her features, “well of course it’s a good idea. You’ve known that family since you were small. I don’t know why I didn’t think to invite them over before. Who better to show the neighborhood that there is nothing to fear than someone who’s known you for so long?”

So this wasn’t about my social development, it was about changing the neighbors and her co-workers perceptions of us. I attempted to make her see reason again but it was like talking to a woman obsessed. “I just think a party-.”

“Will do you a world of good. Now I have to be going on my way to the office. I’ll see you later,” she happily replied as she rushed by even going as far as to kiss my forehead lightly as she passed. It was a moment of displayed affection that she hadn’t demonstrated since the day I got here.

“I don’t care how Aunty Delusional views this, you’re not going!” Andrea insisted the moment the door closed shut.

Groaning inwardly, I walked with tired limbs towards the kitchen, “why were you eavesdropping anyway?”

“Not that it really matters, I wasn’t listening in. Gabe asked me to see what was keeping you, and it’s a good thing that I did. If you think this party is a good idea then you’re just as deluded as Grace.”

Grabbing a breakfast bar from the cabinet I took a bite before responding, “Did you not just hear our conversation? I don’t recall me ever saying yes to Abby’s invite. But for purely curiosity’s sake, why are you so hell bent to stop me from going?”

Rolling those cerulean lenses, “the fact that you’re even asking me that tells me that it’s obviously more than curiosity. For one, I don’t know if you were there last night or if you’ve just completely blocked it from your brain but Abby’s mother wasn’t faking about her hatred for you. Remember I stayed behind at Gabe’s house, the woman would rather see you lynched than have you anywhere near her kids!  For two, Abby has a tendency to live in a dreamlike world as much as Grace, and so just because she has accepted you doesn’t mean her friends have and three… we just talked about playing pretend, and here you are doing it again!”

My eyes fell from hers knowing she spoke the truth, “Doing what?”

“Running away, thinking this is some alternate universe and if you believe hard enough you can return to the days when everything appeared normal.”

“And that’s something you’ve never been guilty of?” I boldly questioned.

Her eyes turned tender at the expression on my face, “Marie listen to me, you can’t return to the past.”

“I know tha-.”

“I don’t think you do. Baby sister, the fact that you’re talking to me months after I was put into the ground is proof that things will never be what they were.”

Swallowing my most desperate hopes I finished my unappetizing breakfast bar while barely managing to consume it over the lump of constricted emotions lodged deep within my throat. I threw away the empty wrapper wishing I could discard my horrid future along with it before I continued towards the basement door.

Andrea’s sudden hold on my arm prevented me from descending the stairs, our eyes clashing wildly, “I know you Anna Marie Cortez, and this conversation isn’t over.”

I snatched my arm away from her grip angrily, inwardly feeling as if enough words had already been spoken, “it certainly is for now.”

……………………………………………………………………………

“So instead of physical I thought we’d focus mostly on mental expansion of your powers. We need to exercise your ability to revive yourself,” Gabe instructed as we stood in the middle of the blue mats once again, only this time no crazy family members would come barging in. This time the only angry relative I faced was my own, currently glaring at me from across the room. Gabe grinned while obviously feeling our sibling tension and yet choosing to ignore it, “can’t have you killing ten fiends only to collapse just as the eleventh attacks.”

My brow rose at his words, “and how exactly do you suggest we do that?”

His grin widens at my mocking gesture before he replies, “well, first I think we need to tire you out. You know how to absorb life and powers from others. Let’s see you do it.”

“Usually not without killing them first.”

He moved to stand directly before me, my wary eyes rising to meet his own, “well, here’s your chance to learn restraint. You’re going to connect with me and absorb my ability to transport.”

Beginning to feel the first strings of panic besiege me, my eyes widened at his calm words, “did you not just hear me? I don’t know how to turn it off!”

His gorgeous beam turned mocking, “And that’s why they call it training. Now take my hand and concentrate.”

I stared at his palm as if the devil himself stood there offering it to me, fear running throughout my body, my feet slowly retreating, my curls swinging out to gently hit my cheek as I shook my head in denial, “no, I won’t hurt you.”

“Marie”, he whispered my name so softly that I had to gaze back into those eyes. “We talked about this last night. I’m made of tougher stuff than a mere human. It’ll be harder for you to hurt me.”

Continuing to shake my head in defiance only more feverishly this time, I took another step back from him, the idea of causing him pain almost ripping my heart in two. “No.”

“I’ll be fine. Trust me, there’s no need for you to worry.”

Panicking, “You haven’t seen what I’ve done!”

“But I have seen what they can do to you,” He sensibly reasoned. “Do you remember when you asked me if I would rather watch you die instead of myself? Not practicing this would basically be watching you die. You need to learn these things, and I’m going to be the one to teach you. Now take my hand.”

Reluctantly I slid my shaky palm into his feeling almost instantaneously as we connected this overwhelming surge of white light enter my form. It swarmed its way into my blood, into my heart releasing so much joy within my soul that I gasped aloud in wonder.

“Good Marie,” Gabe whispered and yet now his voice sounded noticeably weaker, hoarser.  “Now focus in on what it is you want to extract then let it flow throughout my form into yours, but not until it consumes you but only so much so that you feel that you too can execute my ability.”

My lids closed, loving this sensation flowing into the core of my being. Never had a connection felt so joyous, made me feel so jubilant, made me yearn to overdose on it, feed until I had sucked every last drop dry. I wanted to let it cleanse me completely of all my wrong doings.

Blind to my surroundings I didn’t notice the draining of Gabe’s color, his sudden collapse to his knees, or my sister moving nearer with worry swimming in her blue depths.

“Marie, focus! You need to extract what you need, then get out!” Andrea raged.

But I couldn’t hear her. It was like I was high on some inexorable drug and with every moment passing I grew stronger while unknowingly causing Gabe to grow weaker. All I seemed aware of was that this was my chance of escape, and every atrocious thing I was once responsible for seemed to slowly float away, at last discarded from my guilt-ridden heart.

Ignorant to it all I didn’t notice Gabe’s essence slowly draining from his body, didn’t realize how quickly his figure seemed to writher. His chocolate tinted orbs began to budge from behind such dark rings surrounding his beautifully pained eyes.

Andrea screamed in horror, “God Marie, just stop! You’re fucking killing him!”

But this went beyond my body’s ability to merely halt. That inner ominous hunger was finally being nourished, and although it continued to feed off the purity of innocence the fact that its need to be satiated was causing death seemed to mollify its real desire to savor the tempting flavor of darkness. I glanced down at my skin watching as it glowed as if illumination lingered beneath its surface as life slowly filled me and then… it just stopped.

An unknown force took hold of me pushing easily pass my will power, forcing me out of control. Our palms disconnected, Gabe’s limp body crashing soundly to the ground before me. I heard Andrea’s footsteps rushing to Gabe’s side, peeked behind a squinted gaze as my sister grasped my guardian’s pale hand, her blue eyes desperately searching his face for signs of life. A face that had altered so drastically, features pained and taunt as if the beauty I always secretly favored had been sucked completely from his soul. The dark rings that surrounded his closed lids remained pronounced against his unnaturally pale skin, his lips had all but turned blue, his glossy locks had thinned as if he had aged in mere seconds rather than years, and there at the roots tiny strands of silver lied inside his now thin loose waves.

Oh my god, what have I done, I screamed inwardly in dismay watching as I lifelessly fell down on bended knee before his still body. 

Andrea’s whimpers were the only sound piercing the quiet as my hands rose to touch Gabe’s chest. I felt her livid gaze blaze into my skull and yet my sight remained on the slow and steady rhythm of his unhurriedly rising torso.

“Don’t touch him, Marie! Haven’t you done enough?”

Ignoring her words and yet feeling them hit an inner core deep within me my fingers slipped under his white tee feeling slightly gutted at the touch of bones instead of hard muscle. My hands slithered over smooth skin until I felt the fragile beat of his heart beneath my palms.

“That’s right Anna, you need to show Marie what to do,” Gabe suddenly instructed from inside my head causing my limbs to freeze.

Mentally I responded, “How did you know Marie and I had switched places?”

“Because alone she couldn’t find the strength to stop herself, but together I always knew that you could.”

I smirked, “dangerous game you play my gorgeous friend, but nevertheless very clever.” Centering myself I began to focus on life around me. “Tell me, what made you think I would care enough about your life? I am darkness after all; you took a big risk on a flimsy whim that I would come to your rescue.”

His laughter was weak even inside my mind, “it was never truly a risk at all. Darkness you may be but you’re a part of Marie, and although you’d hate to admit it you care about what happens to her. You don’t want to take over anymore, you just want her safe. It was easy to risk my life because killing me would destroy her and you would never let that happen. Marie needs to see that the power she desires to harness is inside her, always has been, and with you showing her how it can be used she can learn to not fear it but obtain it herself.”

The beauty of nature’s essence flowed throughout my body before it bounded from my fingertips into Gabe’s stationary form. I watched from within as his body gradually healed under my darker twin’s hands before I heard her whisper internally, “Gabe you are the guardian Marie should have always had, and then none of this shit would have ever happened.”

His color slowly crept back into his cadaverous cheeks, his hair reverting back to its former lush appearance, his eyes suddenly releasing as he gasps desperately inhaling air into his deprived lungs, his form actually appearing healthier than it ever was.

Removing her hands, her eyes landing squarely on my sister’s bent form, my darker half continued to warn, “Gabe you need to protect Marie… even from those she trust.”

Andrea clearly astonished by Gabe’s sudden recovery turns swiftly towards me only for her features to twist in unreleased rage at the discovery of my scarlet lenses. “I should have known it was you! You did this to him! You nearly killed him!”

  The amused smirk that adorned my lips only seemed to amplify Andrea’s fury; it was a gesture akin to waving a red flag in front of a charging bull, “I believe he’s clearly still alive.”

Before thought of avoidance could enter my mind Andrea leapt over Gabe’s form while managing to topple mine, her fingers instantly pulling at my curls, her face deformed by rage. “Get the hell out of my sister!”

I felt black light surging towards my fingertips as it ripped muscle and tissue as it coursed along my skin, a burning desire to end Andrea causing my darker half to barely flinch as it scorched everything it touched from within. Inwardly I gathered my own meager resources bounding it towards this ball of consuming hatred knowing that if ever it touched my sister it would lead to her ultimate death. Our powers collided until they combusted inside seemingly smothering each other until the only thing that remained was the internal ache darkness always managed to invoke. 

“You will not injure my sister!” I screamed at my menacingly darker duplicate.

“Then what’s your other means of getting her off me,” she yelled barely avoiding Drea’s fist aiming for our eye. “Because currently I’m all ears!”

White light suddenly burst between the two, its surge easily flinging Andrea onto the other side of the room while managing to leave her unharmed in the process. She landed harshly upon the mat before whipping back to her feet, flicking back her chaotic blond tresses, her expression fuming in her intent to cause pain. I watched her spring into attack mode just as a shield formed around us blocking her from breeching our area. Andrea unsuspecting of this obstruction run full speed into its force field only to be catapulted brutally back to her former position. Every time she attempted to pierce its fortress it only seemed to rebuff her that much harder.

“Are you doing that?” Anna asked Gabe, her amused tone clearly impressed.

Gabe held a hand out for her, helping her to her feet while with a raised palm making sure Andrea stayed far enough away, “it was the only way to install peace between you two. Thanks for your help even though your appearance has obviously caused disruptions.”

Our eyes turned to observe Andrea’s wasted efforts, beyond her usual logic her attempts to exceed the barrier easily bordered on obsessive.

“Helping you helps Marie. Just make sure you pay attention to what I’ve told you,” Anna paused to glimpse into the unadulterated desperation in Andrea’s gaze. “She’s not exactly what you picture when you think guardian angel, is she?”

“What is it that you know that you’re not telling me?”

Red eyes shifted to meet brown, sincerity overwhelming the hatred towards Marie’s sister, “her love for her sister is Marie’s downfall.”

“I believe it goes both ways. If you haven’t noticed Marie would die for her sister and vice versa.”

“And she most certainly will if it continues. Andrea’s actions in order to protect Marie aren’t always that of the guardian handbook.”

Gabe’s brows furrow in confusion, “what does that mean exactly? What has she done?”

I could feel the smirk lingering upon my lips before my malevolent clone remarked, “That’s not my story to tell. Marie is listening and as much as I would enjoy setting off that particular ticking time bomb,” she paused watching in hilarity as Andrea pathetically attempted to reappear beyond the shield’s walls. “When it finally does go off all secrets will at last be revealed,” her sight swing back to Gabriel, “and that my dear Gabe is something only Marie can do for herself. You just remember fallaces sunt rerum species.”

Gabe appeared deep in thought before his eyes cleared, “the appearances of things are deceptive?”

I felt the deepening of dimples in my cheeks as Anna grinned, “Precisely...”

My lids slid shut, my body motionless, and then as if a weight was visibly lifted from my shoulders my posture slumped, my breathing suddenly strangely labored. My eyes pierce open knowing from the relief inside Gabe’s gentle gaze that hazel lenses appeared before him. The shield disappears as my guardian’s sole attention returns to my remorseful features, the disgusted sound of Andrea face planting against the mats became nothing more than background noise.

Grinning, he said simply, “welcome back.”

Without the intrusion of my other half guilt hit me from all sides, “Gabe I am so sorr-.”

“Gabe, how could you do that to me!” Andrea roared, her furious stalk towards us interrupting my tragic apologies. “You can’t trust a thing that she says-,” she halts mid-rant seeing the tears building in my hazel eyes, “Marie?”

“I told you it wasn’t safe, but you wouldn’t listen,” I whispered despondently.

Taking hold of my arms, turning me towards him, “that’s because I always knew you would save me, and clearly you did.”

Confusion surpassing her earlier anger Andrea asks, “It was you? You did that to him?”

Seeing the guilt only further consume me at Andrea’s words, Gabe turns to my sister, “maybe you sit this one out.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You almost died!”

“And nevertheless here I am. I can take it from here. Why don’t you go guard the perimeter?”

Obviously insulted, Andrea’s shock quickly transforms into that of vehemence, “You’re sending me off like some fucking errand boy? Let’s get it straight, I am Marie’s assigned guardian, you’re just the shitty assistant!”

A coldness wrapped around Gabe’s expression, a look I had never seen before, “you’re also the protector who attacked the one person we were sent to guard.”

“I- I wasn’t attacking Marie! I was attacking Anna. She’s the evil one!”

“They are the same person! Did you really think that if you cut one the other would not bleed?”

Outraged that he dared speak to her as if she was the novice, Drea’s hands clenched into balled fist at her sides, her skin flushed with withheld resentment, “save the useless proverbs for someone who cares. I’m not leaving my sister!”

Stepping between the two I reasoned with her easily, “Drea, after everything that’s happened with Rick, monitoring the perimeter sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it?”

My sister looked deep inside my eyes seeing the fright reflected within its depths, a fright I forged just for her benefit knowing she would at last think this morning had gotten to me. She backed down, “fine. Just make sure you keep a lid on your darker half.”

Frowning in obvious disagreement, my sister finally disappears…

I slumped gracelessly into a nearby chair watching dazedly as Gabe hands me a bottle of water before taking the seat beside me. Silence erupts until I openly admit, “I never meant to hurt you.”

Smirking sarcastically, “I’ve actually never felt better. It’s nice to finally meet you… well completely.”

My grin turned rueful, “most people don’t say that when they encounter multiple personalities.”

“I’m not most people, and I’m sure most personalities can’t heal the dying. Did you see how she did it? She didn’t merely focus on a spider, a dog, or one person. She focused on it all. Focused on all of nature around us, and took small amounts of energy collectively from each living organism. It amounts to a lot while seemingly taking a little. Do you think you can do that?”

I took a swig from my bottle, my eyes suddenly jovial and yet watchful over the rim, “I guess anything she can do, I can do better.”

Grinning full out for once, the impact of his smile almost dazzling, “I guess we’ll just have to test out that theory.”

…………………………………………………………………………..

(While I’d like to believe every chapter reveals something important about Anna this is more of a filler chapter. I mean I hate stories where the person unrealistically knows how to use their powers without any practice, so I felt I had to throw some training in, but this chapter and the last one is kind of only there to build up to the ending so bear with me… thanks!)

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always….

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