Cora

Chapter Fourteen

"I said, I could help you." Shai repeated, her voice echoing off the walls. "Do you not want help?" She questioned, cocking her head in a disorderly manner.

What was going on? What was she doing? What was wrong with her?

"What exactly... could you do to help?" I wondered, my hands breaking into an ice cold sweat. I nervously rubbed my hands on my hospital gown, careful not to take my eyes off the girl.

"I..." Shai turned, and started pacing her own cell block. She stopped to brush off her nails, then looked at me.
"... Know where Leah is." her dark words pierced through me like a knife.

"You... you do not know where Leah is, you little... you little..." I sputtered, angry. "You don't even know who she is!"

"Settle down, Cora." Shai eased, then shot me with an ice cold stare. I could feel her eyes melting into mine.

"Well then, how do you know?" I challenged, standing up in front of the bars. "How could you possibly know?" I retorted, wanting to kill that little brat. There was no way she could possibly could have known Leah.

Shai turned to me, sudden hate flaring up in her eyes. "Of course I do, you fool!" She squealed, her pale little hands balling up into even paler fists.

"You wouldn't know her if she was right under your own, straight nose!" I revealed, louder than before.

"You bet I would." Shai growled, intimidating me.

As if on que, the rusty metal bars opened our cell doors. Both of ours, at the same time. A devilish grin spread across Shai's face. Her eyes burned a deep red like the fire that burned deep down in hell. She slowly cocked her head, letting her dark tangles roll like a possessed woman.

"Wanna bet?" Came her response, followed by a deep cackle. She confidently stepped out of her cell, and walked with mighty speed. Her confidentiality wouldn't intimidate me.

Bracing my teeth, I exited my cell. We now stood across from each other, that dastardly smile spread across her once beautiful face.

"You little brat!" I growled, and leaped at her.

I tackled her, sending her off guard. Snarling, she stood up and took a running start towards me. Thinking I had her fooled, I darted her. In the next half a second, I was flat on the ground.

Dazed, I got up. I had to snap out of it. Standing in a fair stance, I looked around for Shai. Just as I turned around, her gleaming eyes came straight for me like that semi's headlights.

Screaming, she took hold of my face. "I got you now, you devil!" She pressed her face against mine, laughing. Her sour breath invaded my nostrils. I couldn't give up.

I grabbed her by the neck, pushing my thumbs in as far as they could go. Choking, she loosened her grip slightly. As she did, I increased mine. Her face started turning shades of pink and red, that ended up dissolving into purples. Then, everything stopped.

Time froze. She froze. The wind froze. The trees froze. I... froze. I was still there, but everything stopped. I couldn't move my eyes and I sure as hell couldn't feel a thing.

"You don't get it, Cora," a sweet voice appeared, beckoning me to listen. It took me a few seconds to realize it was Shai talking. Her lips were not moving, though.

Then, everything drifted off into a fading whitness. There was one thing that never left her when all she saw was a blistering white.

"You still don't get it, Cora," the voice repeated.

A heavy silence filled the air before she continued.

"Leah was my mother."

The word mother echoed in my voice a thousand times.

Screaming, I sat up. I broke into a cold sweat. It was the middle of the night. Slowly, I laid myself back down and stared into Shai's cell.