The Moments I Recall

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

This was her last time here walking through Black Barrow aware. She ended up letting Jessie take her to school, but as the students rushed to classes, she stayed hidden the stall of the girls' restroom. She clutched the brown satchel which now carried the watch, Will's gun, and a small knife. At the moment her heart is steady. She has no doubts in her mind, as she revised her plan.

When she stepped out of the stall, Xylia Reeves took one last look of who she's become. She was more than Maddison's friend, more than a girl in a dream a boy once had, more than the black girl who ended up at camp. She was always the focus of this segment, but now she understood this, now she knew her purpose in this life. Today she will let this all go to become who they wanted her to be and she was okay with it. She will no longer remember who she is, but that could never change the fact that Xylia Reeves was, once.

She takes the knife from the bag, placing it to her hand, then turns away as she cuts a line across her palm. She hoped that rubbing the blue substance flowing inside of her onto the gun would prevent the hole detecting that it is foreign. Like the books, and buildings, the gun would disappear if the hole realises. She tries to cover the gun completely from the black leather by the handle to the rim of the barrel, then places it back into the bag. Xylia takes one last look at herself before stepping out into the empty hall. Her eyes scan the area anxiously as she walks, hoping she will not get caught before she gets to the office. Even as she walked, her heart remained steady.

"Could I get a note for the nurses office please?" She asks the old woman at reception, showing her cut hand. The woman, disturbed by the sight of blue dripping from Xylia's hand, stands quickly going into a smaller room to retrieve the notes. Xylia takes this chance to slip away into the office corridor and into the guidance counsellors' room, shutting the door behind her as quietly as she can.

Inside the white room, she stood alone this time. Her heart was no longer steady, creating a pounding vibration against the door behind her. She knows there was no turning back. She walks towards the back door behind the desk, pulling out the compass to be sure. The watches hands waving straight ahead, this was it, she knew. Xylia takes no time to hesitate and opens the door, stepping into a dark corridor. It's shorter than all the other ones she's travelled through. As she walks, she nearly runs into the door on the other side. Xylia pulls out the gun first, placing her hand onto the round handle and twisting it open.

Xylia squints. The glow from the saturated light outside caught her off guard. When she regains her vision, she looks around. She was at camp, but she is inside the office. Outside were the steps, and the cabins a bit further away. Inside was the clock and the white marble desk and a woman at the desk. The woman with golden brown hair flips through papers, mumbling to herself as she reads, not seeming to notice Xylia behind her. Xylia holds up her gun, her finger light on trigger. As she cocks it back. Her heart echoes inside her head.

"Joan Benthem." Xylia says. Joan stands from her chair, turning to face Xylia. Her eyes become wide when she sees the gun. Joan looks young again. The wrinkles that stretched across her face are gone and her eyes are deep blue and bright. She looks like she's in her mid-thirties again, she looks like a mother again. Xylia furrows her brows in disgust. She takes this moment to list Joans sins to reassure herself this was the right thing to do. How Joan killed her own husband and kept his last name, how she stole so many young lives for her own benefit, how she killed the people we loved. This was all of Joan Benthem's doing. She was one of them, just one you wouldn't find in our history books. Many of well-known by our race, their names made infamous because they lacked humanity. Xylia knew she needed to do what many had failed to do earlier.

"You must be her." Joan says. Joans eyes are dark blue instead of silver. This Joan didn't know who Xylia is. Old Joan did. Old Joan died two days ago. Xylia is unaware of this fact, but nevertheless, Xylia holds the gun firmly, aiming between Joans eyes.