Wherever it takes us.

To think it couldn't get worse

The concept of time eluded me as I sat perfectly still in my seat, re-evaluating everything I had just learned. I also quietly reflected on what transpired before entering this trance: "What is wrong with me?" I asked out loud to myself, silently hoping for an answer, yet for some reason, unbeknownst to me, CX had no response to my question.

I sat straight, looking at the moon, reflecting the sun's rays towards my face as moonlight, while I did the same in my actions.

"Nothing." A voice said, completely throwing me off. It sounded female.

I spun around to glance at the owner, her dark brown hair almost glowing under the silvery moonlight as she took steps to approach me slowly.

"Nothing's wrong with you," She said as she approached me, her steps hesitant.

"You're just frustrated, that's all." She told me; as she sat next to me on the available wooden chair. I stared at her momentarily, trying to make sense of all this. Maya had on a pair of blue sleeping overalls as she readjusted her positioning to get comfortable.

"Why are you here?" I decided to start with it as I adjusted my sights from one beauty of nature to the other, "I wasn't hoping for guests this evening."

"Don't kid yourself. I'm only present as requested by the witch." She said, her words laced with venom as she spoke. "Didn't she say we should talk not too long ago?" She asked me, yet I knew the only answer she wanted was my silence.

And silence there was.

"Listen, I know what you're feeling," She said, her tone coming off as hesitant and cautious as I eyed her warily, "That anger within can't feel good."

I paused my response to take deep breaths, to speak, hopefully in a calmer tone than before.

"Believe me when I say that you have not the slightest idea of what I'm feeling," I responded; coldly while glaring at her. To my surprise, my tone and glare didn't seem to affect her at all.

'Thought you were looking for a more gentle approach.' CX criticized while Maya kept her eyes level on mine. 'Oh, so it's now that I've got your attention.' I replied while keeping my sights set on Maya.

She sighed momentarily before looking at me once more. "Before we talk, how about we leave all that worthless anger behind." She spoke, but for some reason, I just snapped. Before her intrusion, the only person or individual I could be angry at was myself, not anymore.

Her words wasted no time to relight the fire of wrath within me.

"Ugh." I could feel my headache sadly reforming; the reason wasn't a good one. "Are you ok?" She asked me as she gently stretched her fingers towards me in worry.

'How dare she? She called my anger worthless?' I thought while slowly folding my fingers back into the knuckle gloves I had on earlier. This unknown level of anger within me felt so foreign but also familiar.

'Like a poison healing your pain?' CX asked, his voice curious to know what I meant as I tried taking deep breaths to slow my furious heart, 'This isn't right.' I replied. "Do you need anything?" Her voice came again, reminding me of her presence as she sat there eyeing me cautiously, "If you do-"

"Worthless, huh!?!?" I yelled, my body burning up as I sat there trying to stop myself and recalibrate, to have a regroup and a rethink, yet nothing worked. "What do you know of worthless!!" The words flowed out of me, and it was when I had finished and opened my eyes that's when it occurred to me.

'I messed up.' I thought as I stared at Maya.

"Is that all?" She asked me, her tone of voice unreadable as she held her head downwards, her brown locks forming a curtain over her face. As instant as the anger came, so did the guilt. "My apologies, I shouldn't have said such-" Suddenly, her head raised, abruptly cutting me off; she raised her face towards me, her eyes dead focused; her black orbs stared soullessly and empty into mine. "You think you're the only one with a sob story that deserves pity, while newsflash, prince, everyone here has that!" She replied furiously, her hollows slits showing anger in my words.