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 tap on his shoulder, he knitted his eyebrows because nobody had come in. He saw Bella as he looked up, rubbing his eyes multiple times.

"Cassandra found a way," Bella said with a smile. She didn't exactly look like Bella because she was transparent and 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.

"You'd try to find a way to stop it. It's not that I actually expected to have my body taken over," 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 when he could actually feel her.

"You aren't dead?" he asked.

"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."

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

In general, he didn't want to help out at all. Just knowing that Bella wasn't actually her, but Divina going around to torture Ashley pained 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 while 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 didn't feel them at all, which he could tell she had figured out when she slowly lowered them.

"I've always thought highly of myself. Having older friends, going to parties, or dressing older than my age. Just like Stick, we were always stars of being golden boy and golden girl," Bella spoke, tears threatening to spill. "We lost our popularity when those fifteen and older vanished. Popularity has become what someone accomplished or something happening."

Jason watched tears flow down Bella's cheeks. It felt like agony that he couldn't do anything for comfort.

"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 being jealous or even ambushed. I wasn't used to Eden or Cindy calling me out, but they both knew, which I couldn't face the reality."

Jason wondered if Bella would be a ghost until they defeated Ashley. He didn't exactly know, but it pained him to see this. Even if she touched something, it didn't move but stayed in place. All Bella could be now was an illusion until the final battle happened.

"Do you fade away when Divina dies?" Jason asked, his voice cracking.

"Sad, isn't it? You prepare all these dreams and goals, but then something changes," Bella started. "I looked up to someone for my dream career, but she wasn't the true image. I even dreamed of getting out of this place, but it didn't happen."