CHAPTER 23: A LOVELY APPARITION
***(DISCLAIMER: PLEASE DON'T START THE SONG NOW. I'LL TELL YOU WHEN TO.)***
"Get up," Ava commanded. Nathan couldn't understand the reason of the usage of those words till he looked at the unprecedented behavior of Sarah.
Sarah felt a kick-start and inhaled deeply from her mouth, making a noise as though she had woken out of a nightmare. Except this time, she was perhaps waking into a nightmare.
"What are you doing to her, Ava?" Nathan said. He did know that for seventeen-year old to go through such devastating pain and then seeing a heart hanging in front of their eyes was just too much.
"Stand."
It was as if someone was controlling Sarah's brain. She tried to defy. "She's directing me," she said to Nathan. She shouted as she felt the agony of repelling Ava's commands.
It came to Nathan's knowledge that when Emily had died, Ava took over her mind and soul. As Emily's mind was connected to Sarah's, Ava was now dominating Sarah to infinite pain. After Ava had converted into a Terminal, she'd gone insane. But not so insane as to hurt someone without any reason.
"That silly ghost at the house admired you for some daft reason," Ava said to Nathan. "I offered her Florence's location and she opened the door of the house."
"You met—met Arabella?"
"She asked me to do this and not to have any compassion towards you"
"Please don't, Ava. I can help you get out of this phase," Nathan began.
Ava looked hurt; hurt by the fact of what Nathan had done. "Nathan, you gave me your word that you would be there for me. I converted from a Witch into this only for you; for us. And you simply deceived me."
"Arabella needed me—"
Sarah screamed. Intense sensation of her stomach turning itself was being experienced by her. Ava was giving doubling the pain she felt.
"Torture me. It isn't her fault. Tie me, drown me, run a blade through me or guillotine me. But not her."
"You're far too ruthless to sense pain. And she deserves it, anyway. It's a punishment."
You're far too ruthless to sense pain.
Nathan swallowed and said, "What?"
"She has feelings for you. She can't. I don't permit her to have."
Nathan glanced at Sarah who was sitting on the ground with her eyes buried in her hands as she shrieked. He never thought about Sarah this way. He couldn't see her like that irrespective of whether she admired him or not. But getting any closer to Sarah would only aggravate Ava.
"I'm sorry," Sarah tried to speak between her yells. I never meant to come between—" She stopped. She started to remember the absence of her father after he'd died and the lack of mother's love. Ava was making all those horrifying memories that Sarah had dug long ago barf all over her mind.
Nathan didn't care what Ava thought anymore. This was hard to look at.
He slid over to Sarah and took her hands and whispered, "Listen to me. Remember your father. What did he do for breakfast? I hope you didn't give him all those things you gave me for breakfast."
Sarah attempted to give a snicker.
"Or just sandwiches and hams and soda?"
"How—how do you know all this?" Sarah said feebly.
This was working. Nathan was trying to make Sarah remove all the darkness and make her happy thereby doing the same to Ava.
"You sleep talk. And also drool at times."
"Shut up, I don't."
Nathan laughed.
There was cracking sound of neck and Nathan at once turned. Ava had sat down beside him—she was looking as if she were a ghost examining a human with her head half-tilted as if she was failing at comprehending the scene. Nathan knew this wasn't the Ava he loved. This Ava was beautiful outside but hideous inside. This was the monster that had taken over her because of recent turn into a Terminal.
Nathan moved towards Ava and kissed her for almost a few seconds while one of his hands still held Sarah. Ava let her guards off. Nathan moved his other hand and took the a very sharp edged earring out of his pocket and inserted it into Ava's hand. It pained her and Sarah but not for long because of Ava's Terminal healing capacity.
Sarah recalled the earring to be the one she had seen in Nathan's fists the previous day. She took the opportunity to initiate a plan, and intentionally hit her head against the ground. This made her feel dizzy but the fact that Nathan was still holding her while he was handling Ava, made her eyes close and rendered her some peace and solace.
She put all her trust into Nathan. If he wouldn't be able to hold Ava for a few minutes more till the next time travel occurs, they'll lose Ava again and someone will probably get killed. Nathan glanced at Ava who too had closed her eyes like Sarah because now Sarah dominated Ava's mind and soul as Sarah's mental agility was stronger because she wasn't feeding on other's pain like Ava, she was living on happiness, a dose of which Nathan had just rendered. It looked as if both of them were asleep.
Nathan said to the asleep Ava who looked so much like the Ava he admired, "I love you so much that it makes my heart ache. But I'd always carry it with me because I had promised to live with you even after forever refuses to live till forever. I'll do that because you are who I am made of, Ava. And now that I know you entirely, I pray apocalypse never occurs." He then held Ava's hand.
Sarah's eyes were closed but she could hear everything. She recalled the letter she'd seen while she was dressing up for the ball. So the one who had written the love letter was Nathan.
She could feel Ava's mind calming as if her new-Terminal phase was wearing off. She could feel Ava's tranquil soul, and sense a smile and that's when she knew that Ava had heard Nathan too.
(Play the song: "The Adults Are Talking" by The Strokes)
Sarah knew she'd perhaps require a therapist when she returns to two thousand sixteen which would maybe be after some days if there was no obstacle shadowed their path anymore. She had the knowledge that it wasn't hurting her now but it eventually will. Knowing all, she just went with the flow, for life was too short to contemplate and over-think, but since when did Sarah Red's life start following rules? She could perhaps get an award for over-thinking. Sarah felt like rolling her eyes, but they hurt.
There laid three bodies clutching to each other as the moon descended forward from the strokes of cloud and foggy stars made the concinnity complete.
This was a beautiful ending she thought and opened her eyes only to look at the scorching sun-rays directing into her eyes. Time travel.
Perhaps the moment we realise we are out of a phase, that's when we enter something else.
Sarah smiled and closed her eyes and for that minute forgot what happened last night. This time when she slept, a gorgeous dream paid her visit.
***
Thank you so much for reading till here. It really means a lot to me.
Song name: "The Adults Are Talking" by The Strokes.
P.S. Wait till 1:21 and thank me later.
All Rights of the song go to The Strokes, RCA Records and also Artix.
Infringement of copyright not intended.
(I know that writing all that isn't needed but I like to give credits to the producer/maker of the song. I'm using as a sign of appreciation, respect and in a way, of gratitude as well.)
Have a day as good as the rap in this song (OMG, they've rocked it)!
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Please DO NOT promote plagiarism AT ALL. It is a punishable offence. If you do, serious action may be taken against you.
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