The forsaken (Rainimator book4)

the straw that broke the camel

POV Charlie

early morning, a few hours and people would know we're gone, I looked down at Meeps who was walking next to me, for the most part, we had been walking in quiet, apart from the odd bit of conversation, it was niceish. 

I know she wanted to come, but I was worried about what Andrew might say the next time I see him. I know it was unlikely but in my current mindset, I can see everyone snapping at me, in my mind. "You ran off and chose to take my sister? how self-centred are you?" I shook the idea out of my mind. 

"You okay?" Meeps asked looking up at me. 

"Hmmm, yeah, just thinking, we should stop, I need to rest my legs," I said. I watched Meeps look about.

"Hmmm, there's a good spot over there, for a fire," She said. 

I nodded. "Yeah, thanks, let's gather some wood on our way,"  I said. we picked up some wood and Meeps arranged some stones to make a fire. we placed the wood down. 

"Do you have an away to lit it?" Meeps asked. 

"Step back please," I said holding the sonic up, I activated it, and the sonic vibrated the molecules in the wood causing them to combust. We sat down and I pulled out some marshmallows and stuck them onto a long stick. "I would offer you some but...well you can't eat, you know if I had my laptop I could have whipped up a program that could have mimicked the taste of food," I looked at her. "I'm going on a tangent again aren't I?" I asked

Meeps nodded. I nodded and looked at the flames, and sighed. "Meeps...Meeps, Thank you, I probably would have driven myself mad had I come out here alone," I said. 

Meeps was about to answer when a stick snapped. We both turned. "Someone's out there," Meeps said, I caught a glimmer of a person and smiled. 

"Based on the sound, it's someone who is trying to be stealthy but is more useful to the frontal assaults, and I'm going to say she based on the light sounds of footsteps, She is circulating us, whoever she is has recognised us, or at least me she knows who I am, but is wary of a stranger, and not certain of me as the last time we met it was confusing, you have nothing to worry about El," I called. 

the last time had seen her was during the battle with the Entity, I had wondered what happened to her. "Hello Charlie," El said walking into the light of the fire. "It's been a while," she said. 

"Yeah, what happened to you, you just disappeared after that battle," I said chucking a bit of wood into the fire.

"I needed to get away, Who's your...Friend?" El asked examing Meeps. 

"El this is Meeps, I would trust her with my life, more than anyone else right now, Meeps is this El, we met in jail, Don't trust her, she'll help but also shoot you if you don't give her a magic book," I asked. 

Meeps looked over at El. "Who did she shoot?" Meeps asked. 

"Me," I answered. "She shot me when I tried to help Stella, but I don't blame her," I said. "What's another scar?" I asked. 

"You know I'm sorry about that," El said awkwardly. 

"I know," I answered. 

"I...I heard about what was happening with Crystal," El said. "I'm sorry," she said. 

I froze staring at the fire. I wanted to say something but words failed me. Meeps looked over at me and could tell. "Let's not talk about it right now," Meeps said. 

El settled down on the other side of the fire. "I've been on the move for a few days, you don't mind if I rest here for a bit?" She asked. 

"Sure, for a bit," I answered. 

we sat there for a good few hours, as the fire started to go out when a cold wind came through and blow it out, and an uncomfortable silence fell around us. I could just make out in the light of the dawn. El's hand gripping around her pistol. then she pulled it out and fired. the short sound of the gun firing and the light flashing. 

another moment of silence, then someone jumped out and attacked El. Meeps draw her sword and went to investigate when a diamond sword went at her and she blocked. I made out from the fire on her sword and made out remains of frostbourne armour. 

I raised up to help when a blast knocked me down. Then a dagger flowed at me, I rolled as a dagger stabbed into the dirt next to me. Lilith. I jumped up and pulled my sonic out. Lilith summoned her dagger bad into her hand. She sliced down and cut the back of my hand open. 

I dropped my sonic in pain and covered my hand. Lilith swung around, trying to hit me, I stumbled back avoiding the dagger. the best I could, I looked over my shoulder and saw Meeps fighting the other man. who somehow got the upper hand on her. 

I fell back near into the embers of the fire. I reached around and grabbed my umbrella bring it around and knocked the dagger away from me. "en-guard!" I said waving the umbrella around. I couldn't see it, but I could tell Lilith was rolling her eyes at me.

Lilith came flying at me and I side-stepped as she rushes forward. she missed me and I smacked her around the head with the umbrella. She spun around, anger in her eyes, she came at me and I divided right and tripped her up with the handle of my umbrella to trip her up. 

I looked over at Meeps and found El helping her fight the man. I stood up and kicked Lilith's dagger away and pointed the umbrella at her. "Why are you doing this Lilith? all of this? you're my sister...." 

"NO, I'M NOT!"  She yelled. "YOU WERE NEVER MY BROTHER!" 

"what? what does that even mean of course I'm Your brother," I said. 

"NO, YOU'RE NOT! YOU NEVER WERE CHARLIE! YOU WERE...YOU WERE ADOPTED!" Lilith yelled.

I froze on the spot, and I saw Meeps and El look over at me. Even the man there were fighting stopped. "What...What?" 

"IF YOU NEVER CAME INTO OUR LIVES THEN THE STRESS OF RAISING YOU, OF HAVING YOU IN THE HOUSE IT'S WHAT KILLED HER! WHAT KILLED MUM!" she yelled. 

I stumbled frozen for a moment, I looked down at my hands. Somehow, I know she was telling the truth, I want to ask more questions but I couldn't move. then I felt it cut into my flesh, inches from my heart, Lilith's dagger, she must have summoned it back. I stumbled back as she pulled it out. 

I could feel the blood coming from my chest, I could see the look on Lilith's face. fulfilment. "CHARLIE!" Meeps yelled. Lilith held up a device and a nether portal open and she pushed me through it. 

I hit onto the soft hot red nether rack, I could feel the blood pouring out more and more, then Meeps shortly followed by El fell out, the portal closing as I passed out.