Terror

Chapter Nineteen

How didn't he see it coming?

Jason should have seen the sign when she started talking about how she'd die for him. Bella smiled, like everything was going to be okay.

It wasn't because he had seen that her eyes weren't blue or soft anymore, but black and cold.

There were tears sliding down his cheeks because she was actually gone. He should have known that would come, because she had wanted to find a way to truly make up for using him.

Now they have to finish the other problems before Divina gets her powers back.

When he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, he knitted his eyebrows knitted. No one had come in.

As he looked up, he saw Bella, and rubbed his eyes several times.

"Cassandra found a way," Bella said with a smile.

She didn't exactly look like Bella. She was transparent, still wearing the clothes she wore yesterday.

Jason reached for her hand, but it didn't feel like anything. It was almost like she was an actual ghost.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Jason asked, his voice cracking.

"I didn't expect my body to be taken over, Jason... but I knew you'd try to stop me if I told you," Bella whispered. "I can't believe I'm talking while I'm dead, but I'm not exactly dead until my body burns."

Jason wanted to hug her, but he couldn't. He knew it wasn't her in physical form, since he couldn't feel her.

"You aren't dead?" he asked, voice cracking.

"I'm just a soul waiting to physically die," she whispered, shrugging. "That's why you can't sit around over this. I did something to save us, so you have to finish it."

Jason's heart tightened at the thought. Beneath the grief sparked a flicker of determination. Bella had given everything. If he didn't act, all of it would be for nothing.

"I was going to stay back for distributing the food," Jason said softly.

In general, he didn't want to help out at all. Just knowing that Bella wasn't actually Bella—but Divina going around to torture Ashley—tore at his heart.

He knew the sight would just bring back a rush of memories.

"Go fight like you've always done," Bella remarked with a smile, wiping her tears.

Jason stared at her but didn't say anything. He didn't have the energy nor motivation to fight Ashley with a group of people.

"Don't be mad either," she trailed off. "This was handed to me before this chaos started, Jason."

Bella placed both her hands on his cheeks.

Jason couldn't feel her touch, and he could tell she had noticed when she slowly lowered her hands.

"I've always thought highly of myself... hanging out with older friends, going to parties, dressing older than my age. Just like Stick, we were stars. The golden boy and golden girl," Bella spoke, tears threatening to spill. "But when those fifteen and older vanished, we lost our popularity. Now, popularity is based on what someone has accomplished."

Tears flowed down Bella's cheeks.

Jason watched, feeling helpless.

He couldn't comfort her—no matter how much he wanted to.

"Scarlett was popular for her looks, while you were popular for everything. I was jealous," she mumbled, lowering her eyes to the floor. "I think that's why I did it. I'm not used to feeling jealous or being interrogated. I wasn't used to Eden or Cindy calling me out, but they both knew, and I couldn't face the reality."