Fight With Me

Chapter 21

ON THE PRIVATE JET

The hum of the jet engines filled the air, but all Hope and Josie could hear were the screams echoing in their minds: "She's gone and it's all your fault. Why didn't you stay with her? You need to stick together. Find her. Find her." The words twisted like a knife, cutting deeper with each repetition until their cries merged into one agonizing sound.

Suddenly, they both doubled over in searing pain, their hands clutching their chests as if trying to hold their hearts together. "No! Josie!" Hope gasped, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hope!" Josie cried out, the agony intensifying as they writhed on the floor of the jet. Their sobs turned to screams, raw and desperate, resonating through the cabin.

Freya, seated nearby, was jolted awake by the piercing cries. "What the hell is happening?" she exclaimed, bolting upright. Keelin, who had been dozing beside her, shot up as well, fear etched on her face.

"We have to help them!" Freya said, instinctively tapping into her magic. She rushed toward Hope and Josie, whose bodies were contorted in pain. "Sleep spell! I need to put them to sleep!"

With a wave of her hand, a soft glow enveloped the girls. Almost instantly, their screams faded into silence as they fell into a deep, peaceful slumber, their bodies finally at rest.

LATER - AT THE MANSION

The jet landed smoothly, but the atmosphere was thick with tension. Freya and Keelin carried Hope and Josie off the plane, gently cradling their unconscious bodies. They placed them carefully in the backseat of the waiting car, Keelin watching over them with concern. "What if this doesn't help?" she whispered, anxiety creeping into her voice.

Freya shook her head, trying to stay strong. "They need time. We just have to get them home."

The drive to the mansion felt like an eternity. Freya kept glancing back at the girls, worry gnawing at her heart. As the mansion came into view, she steeled herself for what lay ahead.

IN SEPARATE ROOMS - HOPE AND JOSIE'S POV

Hours passed, and when Hope and Josie finally stirred, they awoke alone in their respective rooms. Their hearts raced as the memories of their shared nightmare crashed over them like a tidal wave.

Josie bolted upright, frantically looking around. "Hope! Where are you?" Panic laced her voice.

Across the hall, Hope's breath hitched in her throat. "Josie!" she cried, the emptiness of the room suffocating. As the reality set in, tears streamed down her face. "No! Josie! Please!"

Both girls began to scream for each other, their voices echoing in the silence of the mansion. The pain in their chests returned, a suffocating weight that made it hard to breathe. They curled into themselves, the agony morphing into a frantic call.

"Find her! Find her!" Their minds echoed with the same frantic thoughts, desperation clawing at them.

FREYA'S POV

I was in the kitchen when I heard their heart-wrenching cries cut through the stillness of the morning. It felt like a physical blow to my chest. "Keelin!" I shouted, racing down the hall toward their rooms. "They need us!"

I burst into Josie's room first, finding her on the floor, tears streaming down her face as she cried out for Hope. "Josie!" I rushed to her side, but she barely acknowledged me, lost in her own torment.

I quickly ran to Hope's room, finding her in a similar state, calling out for Josie with anguish. "Hope, please!" I pleaded, grabbing her shoulders. "You're not alone. Josie is right here!"

But when she looked up at me, her eyes were hollow, filled with an unbearable sadness. "Josie... I need her," she whispered, the pain in her voice breaking my heart.

KEELIN'S POV

I joined Freya, and together we made a plan. "We need to get them together," I said urgently. "They can't be apart like this."

Freya nodded, determination in her eyes. We guided Josie into Hope's room. When the two girls locked eyes, their screams turned into sobs, and Josie collapsed into Hope's arms, both of them trembling.

"I thought I lost you," Hope choked out, cradling Josie's head against her chest.

"I was so scared," Josie sobbed, the weight of their connection palpable as they held onto each other tightly.

As they began to calm, we stood back, knowing that in their embrace, they found the strength to weather the storm together.

SIX AM - THE KITCHEN

Eventually, the sun began to rise, casting a gentle light across the kitchen table where Freya and Keelin sat in worried silence. "What do we do now?" Keelin asked, biting her lip.

Freya looked toward the hallway where the girls were. "We'll figure it out," she said, trying to mask her own uncertainty. "But first, we need to give them time to heal."

IN MYSTIC FALLS

Meanwhile, in Mystic Falls, Alaric slammed his bourbon down on the desk, frustration bubbling over. "God dammit, what the hell am I supposed to do?" he muttered, raking a hand through his hair.

His daughter's cries echoed through the library, reaching him just as he was beginning to lose hope. "AHHHHHHH!"

With his heart in his throat, Alaric raced toward the sound, knowing that everything was spiraling out of control.

The stakes were high, and their fight was far from over.