The Caliginous Villainess

Chapter 21

    All of a sudden, a vision displayed through my eyes. It was my last day back home, my lonely home. I was running and a truck hit me. I fell down on to the ground. A few people came near me to check. Ambulances rushed everywhere.

   I felt my breath starting to hitch. I felt my adrenaline rushing and entering the panic mode I encountered back in several situations. Even so, I convinced myself to unwaver. Just because I died, I can't let that memory control me. I won't let anything but myself control me. Screw the rest!

    The vision vanished along with my strong resolution. That's right! Shoo shoo! It was the darkness. It was testing me. It was checking if I had the guts to obtain it. Okay, force, if this is how you wanna play, let's play.

   As if the darkness heard me, I was unleashed into another vision. This was unfamiliar. A huge door stood across from me. I turned around knowing that I could move my body. A girl of about 8 years old sat near the window sill. The window was huge and old. The evening rays of the setting sun shone in the window's crystal figurines in contrasting colors of orange, purple and light blue mixed with a pinch of black.

The girl turned her head around to face the door. It was the smaller version of Rose. The Original Rose! She sighed at the door.

"I guess they forgot this year too." She said to the void. Huh?! Who are 'they' and 'What did they forget?' The last part sprang out of my mouth suddenly.

"My birthday." She told looking directly at me. I just realized but this child has cute eyelashes with a chubby face that makes you want to hug it tight and never let go.

"Happy Birthday to you!" I sang to make her feel better. Then, she smiled at me.

"Thank you.", She answered politely, "Have you ever felt like the world will gobble you up if you let down your guard?"

"Of course, I have. It's been like that my whole life." I sat down next to her and answered honestly relating to my previous life.

"I know I shouldn't be selfish but I don't want a huge party or expensive gifts. One wish is enough. But, I guess even that is a luxury to me. My life is a hot mess."

"You must have gone through a lot." I told her, with genuine empathy.

"Nah, I got my basic needs supplied, learnt to wield a sword, and even got engaged to the Crown Prince who apparently has a crush on his secretary! Why aren't I leaving here?" She told me in an almost whisper with a tear-jerked face.

"What do you want to do?" I asked her.

"I-I don't know! I believed in a stupid hope that I would get affection from Lewis but that was my idiocrasy. I don't want you to go down the same path. But, I'm glad that you decided against it. Take the right decision. Take the right decision, Blair!" The vision swept away in a monochromic color. A light flashed in my eyes and the little girl disappeared.

The whole environment turned pitch-black. A white light eloped the darkness and transmuted into two solid white eyes, with no pupils, in a huge form. It was almost as ten times as an elephant. I felt like I was being watched.

   My cross-legged posture helped me balance myself against the white-eye face. I remembered that the carved smile from the bush back at the estate was a replica of the now gigantic one, in front of me. It was a little creepy. Nevertheless, I stared into them.

"You can talk to me." A voice replied. I guessed it was coming from those white eyes.

"Oh okay, so what am I doing here?"

"Only you know, kid."

"Are you the 'darkness'?" I asked in a more or less considerate way.

"Okay, I guess, you got it. Call me Erebus. I was trying to get in touch with you but you always resisted me. Made me feel a little empty."