Afterlife - A Horror Story

15 - Lies

AKHET

———

As soon as Xyan and Gradient were distracted by Praxus's sudden exit, I shot up and bolted as fast as I could up the stairs, quickly ducking into Praxus and Xyan's room and closing the door.

There it is. The totem.

I grabbed it from the nightstand and turned back around.

Gradient was already there, standing with his hands behind his back and a creepy smile.

"You thought you could evade me that easily?" Gradient said.

In a panic, I threw the totem at him.

But I didn't expect what would happen next.

He caught it.

Gradient twisted the ring around his finger. "Huh. Now that I see it, I do remember this thing. You thought this was my totem?"

He held it where I could see. I didn't reply.

How...

"Nice try," he chuckled. He curled his fist around the ring, and it dissolved into shadow through his fingers.

Pain enveloped me as the world around me faded to black.

———

PRAXUS

———

I ran.

And ran.

And ran.

As soon as I was far enough away that I was comfortable resting, I sat with my back against a tree.

I hadn't cried in years. But there I did, the memory of pain and sadness washing over me as I sobbed into my knees.

They're all gone. I'm all that's left.

The weight of being alone seemed to crash down on me. A small memory peeked in from the back of my mind. Of my living self. Stuck at home, forced into my bedroom as my parents argued in the other room. I wanted to be with someone, anyone, that would take the loneliness away.

Xyan had saved me from that feeling.

But now he was gone, and the cold reality took me in its icy claws.

Suddenly, I heard a small voice in the back of my mind. Not Gradient, thank god. It sounded like...

No, it couldn't be.

"Praxus? Praxus! Can you hear me?!"

I stood up, looking around in disbelief. "Akhet?"

"You can! Oh, thank goodness."

"How are you talking to me?!"

"I don't know. It's like I can hear you, and sense your presence, but can't see you.

"Woah."

"Look, I need to tell you something. The totem didn't work."

My limbs froze. "What? How?"

"I don't think it's what we needed. It's gotta be something else. Not even the most powerful could the touch of their totem."

I paced back and forth. "What else could it be?"

"Honestly... I have no clue."

After a few more minutes of thinking, an idea popped into my head.

"Maybe..." I said. I thought for a few more moments. "That could work. That could work!"

"What is it?"

I told her my thoughts. She remained silent before replying to me,

"It's worth a shot."

————

Oh? Praxus, what are you thinking?

Also fun fact: Praxus actually has monophobia, aka fear of isolation/being alone. (Okay that might be the wrong name. Dang Google won't give me a straight answer)

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