SPASE

SPASE: CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Maddie quickly jumps up and screams into the dark sky. "Mother fucker!" The words violently come out of their mouth as they begin to angry cry.

Maddie accidentally kicks Reynolds getting up so fast. Reynolds shakes off his coat, to shake off the blow. Maddie looks at him with red eyes and tears streaming down their face. He doesn't need Maddie to apologize. He knows what I Maddie saw. He can feel it.

I'm sorry, sunflower, Reynolds' eyes tell Maddie.

Maddie heaves in between breaths, taking that they are going to either throw up or explode at any minute. Maddie begins to pace, grasping her hair and pulling what they can of the pixie cut. They walk to the nearest sunflower, grab it, and yank it from the ground, and attempts to shred it to pieces.

Maddie knows what he is doing to her. Melissa has told me how he put his hands on her sometimes, trying to make her do things that she doesn't want to do. Disgusting, atrocious things that only a sick monster would make his own daughter do. When she doesn't comply, he beats her with his belt, telling her that she is just "smut that walks the Earth." Maddie wishes their mom was still alive because she would have let her come and live with them in a heartbeat.

With the sunflower in pieces, Maddie collapses to their knees and places their head in their hands.

Ya know, it's going to be okay, sugar. She's going to be okay, Reynolds relays, trying to comfort Maddie.

Calm, for the most part, Maddie still hiccups to try to catch their breath in between inhales and exhales. There isn't anything Maddie can do.

Through the tears, Maddie quickly remembers how Melissa felt them. Maddie looks at their out-turned hands and wonders if Melissa knew that it was them, touching her cheek and trying to wipe away tears of anger toward them.

Maddie sinks farther into the grass, sitting on their feet.

"I don't know if I can do this anymore," Maddie says. "I need to go back."

The only way back is to go further in, Reynolds relays.

"But, can I keep from being pulled home until I'm done?" Maddie asks. "I feel helpless. I can't even do anything there if I tried."

Reynolds tilts his head and walks toward Maddie. He lays his head in Maddie's hands.

Darlin' we can't control anything here. Ya are the one with the most control out of all of us. Ya have the power of transition. I assume ya wouldn't be sent back unless it was somethin' that you were meant to see, Reynolds explains.

Maddie looks up into the sky and then lowers their eyes to see the distant lights of the city of Spase. Maddie doesn't have any inkling to go there. Nick's there and they don't want to deal with him. Honestly, Maddie just wants to go back to Earth.

Maddie does see the advantages to being in Spase though. They are away from their dad, the bad memories, the bruises, the hateful words... there had to be somewhere better, even if it is Spase. Anywhere is better. But now, all Maddie wants is to go home; go home to Melissa and be there for her, or at least try as much as Maddie can.

Reynolds nudges their hand, relaying to them to look forward. Another mist is heading their way. The electricity builds in the bottom of Reynolds' paws.

"I don't know if I'm ready," Maddie says in a panic.

You'll be fine. I'll be right here with you.

As the mist comes toward them, Maddie could feel anger. Maddie grows anxious because they don't know if it is toward them or something else, but deep in their stomach, all they could feel is anger and hurt. As it comes toward Maddie, they become nervous. The mist grows taller and taller, soon towering over both Reynolds and Maddie. Reynolds relays to Maddie to reach out their hand. Through closed eyes, they do so. The moment Maddie's hand touches the mist, they vanish.

Then, they're off.