Unknown - A KOTLC Fanfic

Chapter 27: Sophie

Sophie and her friends slowly linked arms and solemnly walked off the cliff so Sophie could teleport them back to Havenfield.

None of them even screamed as they fell, all feeling the same.

As they started walking back to the house, the parents ran out with concerned looks and desperate shouts.

"What happened? Are you guys okay?" They yelled, finally reaching them and desperately looking all over for injuries.

They all quieted once they noticed the tear stained cheeks and dejected stares.

Sophie noticed particularly Grady and Edaline counting to make sure that they were all there and that no one was gone.

And they all asked the same question at the same time.

"Where's Sandor?"

When no one said anything, Wylie slowly looked up and gave a slight shake of his head.

The parents gasped and reached out, hugging their children.

"Oh, I'm so, so, sorry honey," Edaline whispered into Sophie's ear.

"You'll get through this kiddo, don't worry," Grady murmured in the other.

But Sophie wasn't even listening.

She knew her eyes were staring blankly ahead but couldn't move any muscles. She felt like she was frozen.

Until she felt the cold lip of a cup and then steaming heat. Sophie gladly gulped up the tea, needing the relief from the constant pulsing in her head.

Needing the feeling of not having a care in the world.

Needing to feel numb.

...

Sophie sank into the mind clearing clouds, finally feeling free.

Almost as if she had wings and was flying.

She was alone.

And the soft caresses all over her back eased the worry.

Until...

The dark shadows played across the calm scene.

They would always return, no matter how closed off she was.

And they pounced.

Sophie screamed. Where was the solidarity calmness? Where was the feeling of being free?

She felt like she was being dragged around by the words.

She always knew they would come back to haunt her.

But then...

She felt like she was falling.

Into the darkness.

And away from it all.

...

Sophie's eyes opened suddenly.

She tried moving around and realized that she was in her bed.

Surrounded by sweat soaked sheets.

She groaned as the actions that had occurred at what seemed like seconds ago came back to her.

"Go home now! I can handle this, but you're not safe!"

"SANDOR!"

He was dead.

And it was her fault.

If she hasn't persuaded him to go, then this would have never happened.

Even if she had left at the beginning of the battle, he would be safe.

It didn't matter.

The "battle" was useless anyway.

At the time, having Ruy dead seemed major but in the shadow of Sandors death it seemed like nothing.

They'd accomplished nothing.

The Neverseen had still outsmarted them, and now they have an army of goblins to deal with.

Actually, the Neverseen had only left because of Ruys death.

That was it.

Just because of chance.

It was all Sophie's fault.

Nothing would change that.

She couldn't bring someone back from the dead.

It just didn't work that way.

With every thought Sophie felt herself feel more pain and guilt on the inside. She groaned and rolled over.

There would come a point.

When all of the emotions would cascade down.

When the dam would break.

And the ice would shatter.

Where the clouds would let loose the rain building up inside.

And when nothing would be spared from the drenching misery.

Even though it was all in Sophie's mind that didn't make it not real.

In fact, it made it more gut-wrenching.

It was her fault.

Sophie felt herself drifting away.

Being pulled by the currents.

She couldn't feel herself anymore.

Only the emotions.

They weren't only a part of her.

They were her.

She felt the splintering.

Starting at the edges.

Fracturing.

Multiplying.

Demolishing.

Building up across the surface.

Guilt never stopped.

It just kept gnawing away until all that was left were the memories.

All of them.

But guilt didn't care.

No, the monster didn't care.

The beast that wanted to tear everything down to shreds.

But...it couldn't.

The memories were too strong.

The messages they sent.

The hope, love, courage, bravery.

They wouldn't get teared away by the force.

But guilt rebelled and shoved them to the side, casting a shadow over the last resistance to the forces.

And as if a weapon found its mark,

As if the arrow pierced the soul,

Everything left.

Shattering and breaking as it went.

Because after years of fighting the mental battle,

Years of strong willed hope,

Sophie was down.

And she was gone.

A shadow of her former self.

She had finally broken.