The Secret of Soul

"Z" Truth

Sarah

            I was in utter shock by President Emerald. He was insane; how dare he use our magik for his own purposes, then toss us to the side and make us live in cramped quarters like dirty apartment rats? I walked around the newly constructed quarters of Soul. Stones surrounded me as my footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls. I knocked on the door to the new witches’ room.

            Courtney answered the door, “what do you want, bloodsucker?” I smirked and told her, “well, I had some juicy gossip, but I guess you’re not interested.” I began to turn around, but she stopped me. “Wait! Come in Sarah,” she told me. I went into her room, noting that rather than a cabin, her room looked like something out of OK! magazine.

            I sat in a plushy chair, and she sat on the loveseat across from me. “Spill,” Courtney prodded. “You have to swear not to tell anyone,” I told her, feeling like an immature school girl. “Oh this is juicy. Hold on, let me lock the door,” Courtney told me. Kara walked in the room at that moment. Courtney turned around to yell at her, “Lock the door!” Kara looked at her, puzzled, and did as she was told. Kara joined Courtney on the loveseat and asked, “What’s going on?” “Swear to me you won’t tell a single being on the Earth,” I told them. They quickly agreed and I began to confess everything.

            “I was talking to Whitney earlier, and she told me things about President Emerald that called for revenge,” I began. “You know that Breena fairy?” I asked. “She’s so weird,” Courtney stated. “Well, she was apparently constructed by the government as a weapon,” I informed. “That explains so much!” Kara exclaimed. “You know how the Anti-Soul fairies were in pain while we were casting the circle? When Breena entered the circle, they weren’t in pain anymore,” Kara said. “She’s the balance between good and evil,” Courtney told us. I looked at her in shock. “So you do have a brain?” I joked. She rolled her eyes.

            “That’s not all. He’s a spirit. He also planned the war that happened with the humans. He has a plan to destroy us, and it keeps backfiring because we’re more powerful,” I told them. “Wait! He’s using magik for his own purposes, discriminates against us, and yet, he’s one of us? That’s jacked up!” Courtney complained. “Exactly; we have to do something to end the human race once and for all. That and the backfire of the war will end his plans, which will force him to leave us the hell alone,” I stated. “What was that show back in 2012? The one about the zombie apocalypse?” Kara asked. “The Walking Dead?” I asked. “YES! ZOMBIES!” Courtney exclaimed. She jumped off of the loveseat. “What?” I asked; I was confused by where they were going with the zombie idea.

            “We can create a zombie vaccine using magik. All you have to do is infect one person, and everybody will get it. It’s like the flu,” Kara suggested. “Are you insane?” I asked, “We can’t leave Soul.” “We can’t, but any little critters that just so happen to be here can,” Courtney told me. It all seemed so surreal, yet so perfect; a zombie outbreak could give us the boost we needed to rid ourselves of President Emerald. “How do we do it?” I asked. “Hold on, I’ll get the chemistry set,” Kara told me.

Kara, Courtney, and I spent hours on constructing the perfect zombie virus. After many hours, we were tired, singed, and completely stir crazy. “I think this is it,” Courtney said. She held a test tube filled with a clear liquid. Kara grabbed a rat from her rodent terrarium. “Let’s go to the border,” Courtney said. “I can’t go in the daylight!” I reminded them. “Damn bloodsucker!” Courtney cursed. “In three hours, we can go,” I told them. Kara put the rat back in the terrarium and lay in her bed. Courtney and I followed suit, falling asleep until we awoke three hours later.

            “Let’s go,” I said. We crept across the wintry fields of snow and went to the back gate. “Now?” Kara asked, stroking the little white rodent. Courtney injected the rat with the zombie vaccine. Kara set the rat in the snow, and it scampered towards the city. “It’s only a matter of time now,” I said. We turned around and saw Payton standing in the moonlight, watching our every move. “Crap,” I mumbled.

            “What are you doing?” Payton asked. “Letting my pet rat leave,” Kara smiled. My entire body shook, and I tried to keep my knees from buckling out from under me. “Is that so?” Payton asked. “What’s the needle for?” Payton looked at Courtney, eyeing the three of us suspiciously. “It’s for injecting the soil with protective magik,” Courtney lied. “Bull!” Payton screeched. “What were you doing? Tell me the truth now or I’ll tell Emerald to scorch your ass!” Payton threatened. “Zombies!” I blurted out in fear. “Destroying the human race? Interesting,” Payton smiled and I grimaced. “Please don’t say anything,” I pleaded. “No, I like the idea. If only you had let me in on it,” Payton plotted. “Too bad I’m so terrible at keeping secrets,” Payton tormented. “What do you want?” I sneered. “Minor suffering, so, see me at dawn, Sarah,” Payton told me. My heart sank as she walked away.

            We began walking back towards the main building. When we were at the stage, a siren went off. “Everyone report to the stage, now!”President Emerald boomed. “He sounds pissed,” I said. I stood near Jack as everyone gathered around the stage. “Where have you been?” he asked before kissing me. “I took a walk around Soul,” I told him. Everyone quickly quieted as President Emerald, Whitney, Payton, the hunters, and the Peace Keepers took their spots on stage.

            “Zombies: the undead. They were once fiction, but now, New York is plagued. A virus has spread, causing the central nervous systems of humans to diminish. Bites on people have occurred and now, I’m getting phone calls from governors of states, as well as from leaders of other nations. Why?” President Emerald asked. Everyone stayed silent.  “Please come forward if you’re responsible. The punishment will be worse if we have to check surveillance tapes,” Whitney warned. Kara stepped forward. “Kara?” Whitney asked. Kara nodded, and blinked rapidly to hold back tears. I stepped forward, and Courtney followed suit. “Sarah? Courtney?” Whitney grimaced. “Is this all?” President Emerald asked. “It was just us,” I stated, my voice cracking from the pain in Whitney’s face. “My office,” Whitney squeaked.

Jack spun me around. “Why?” he asked. “Jack, you don’t understand,” I began. “Then explain it to me Sarah!” Jack yelled. “I can’t!” I cried. “Why not?” he yelled louder as his face became stricken with mistrust and pain. “I-I just can’t Jack!” I cried. “I don’t understand Sarah. Zombies? There has to be a reason,” he gazed into my eyes, waiting for the explanation I could never give him. “I love you Jack, but I can’t say why I did it,” I told him as my salty, warm tears rolled down my face. “You can’t tell me? We’ve been together for over 100 years, and you can’t tell me? Is it a trust issue? TELL ME SARAH!” he screamed. “I just can’t Jack,” I said quietly, choking back sobs. “We’re done then,” he said flatly. “Jack! PLEASE!” I begged. “I care too much about Soul, Sarah. You can’t do these things. It’s over,” he told me before storming away. I looked towards direction and whispered, “I can’t let you go,” but he didn’t hear me. I gazed at him for one last time, and then headed upstairs to Whitney’s office.

“I told you not to say or do anything!” Whitney exclaimed. I noted the fact it was only me and Whitney in the office. “I trusted you,” she said, her voice cracking under the pressure or me breaking her trust after our friendship has endured so much. “I’m sorry Whitney!” I cried. She shook her head, “President Emerald gave you two hours, but I’m giving you nothing. I think what you’re feeling after betraying me is enough, that is, if you still care anymore.” I exited her office. “Two hours, huh? Oh, this will be fun,” Payton taunted.

“At dawn, I begged for mercy. “Please, Payton! No more sun!” I weakly cried. The sun burned as though it were a cigarette directly creating welts on my skin. I felt my skin beginning to turn to ashes, but then Payton kicked me and screamed, “GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!” I ran to the cabin and collapsed on the bed, crying from the aches of my body and heart. The sun might have been treacherous, but it did not burn nearly as much as losing Whitney as my best friend. The zombie virus might have spread quickly, but the trauma in Soul has just begun.