Just Always be Waiting for Me; Book 5 In The "Love is Weakness" Series

Sacrifice Everything to Chase a Ghost

The word "parent" denotes so much power.

Do as I say, because I'm your mother. Respect me, because I'm your father.

It's a type of magic in of itself, a force so strong that it can't be explained. Children rebel, of course they do. However, they don't question this power, not really. It's something ingrained in a child. Such as the belief in Santa Claus, or the tooth fairy; except as children grow up, they don't give up this belief. It's a hidden source of something unexplainable, it's permanent, perpetual, and impossible to dismiss. Even if you wanted to, even if you push it so far down you almost forget it-- it always creeps up to the surface. Like an invisible spectrum that stands behind you, it haunts every thought, every decision, every memory, every ill-gotten plan set forth or unachieved. With every dream that floats away just out of reach, the shadow of that influence follows you. And, despite the lack of sunlight, it remains.

Raven had fallen into this trap, this natural born attachment that became disorderly when she was abandoned. Logically, she knew her mother didn't deserve her time. She probably didn't even want it, but Raven had to talk to her. To see her at least once, just like she had once needed to see her home again. The parts of her past, present, and future always seemed so broken and spread across the domains. She missed her VK family, and her soul as always was waiting and searching, feeling unhinged and incomplete without Carlos. Despite the yearning this caused, she had to shut away those feelings to solve this mystery. The mystery of why everyone she loved eventually pushed her aside.

In doing so, she'd accidentally conjured her villain side and had awoken her dark magic. The anger and rage triggered by her mother's return was motivating and helped her to push past her fear. Her resentment-- fueling her. Carlos's rejection was just the last piece pushing her to the edge, as she had been isolating herself from what kept her good-- for months, slowly but surely in pursuit of her mother.

The waxy green leaves of the forest shined as they were pelted with rain drops. Each one drooping closer to the earth with the weight of the moisture. The tree bark turned a fresh shade of green as the moss appeared. The sky was angry, filled with clouds of cobalt and slate as the thunder sounded from the corners of the earth. Despite the anger of the sky, Raven took in the fresh scent of the air. Her platinum hair striped with silver, blue, and black-- was drenched around her shoulders; her now black gothic dress clung to her skin, yet the chill did not affect her in the slightest. Finally, her outsides and the nature around her matched what she felt inside, as the thunder raged, and the sky sobbed relentlessly. The sun, would only be a painful reminder of the warmth she had been denied, and that had been torn from her.

Raven was searching, searching for the sound of the bells. The bells that haunted her ears. The sick twisted melody of the happy little bells that stalked her dreams and her memories.

Carlos returned to the cabin, and spotted Raven in the backyard, seemingly lost in thought, as she stood rain soaked, drops glistening in her hair and dripping down the backs of her arms and legs. She was now draped in black, her green camisole and pants, a distant memory. Her dark gothic dress hung just below her knees, silver and black jewelry adorned her neck, fingers, nose, and crowned her head.

Carlos took off his jacket and placed it over her bare shoulders. She was startled out of her thoughts.

Raven turned to him, and he fully took in the change in her as the awakening of evil had risen to the surface. He picked up a strand of her long bangs and curled the blue and silver tendril around his finger, quickly letting it drop.

"Like my new look?" Raven asked, baiting him.

Carlos rolled his eyes.

"You're beautiful. You're always, beautiful. Even when you're drenched and scary as Hades, but I prefer the real you." Carlos replied.