Psychopathy

Chapter 45- Proof Of Life

Isabel looked into the cloud, focusing all of her power on making a connection. She had to see the Overworld. She had to know what was going on up there, what was happening to sever her connection. And finally, after so long, she felt the barrier in her path break. The static disappeared, and the image came in full and clear. It was what she saw that surprised her. Her friends were all gathered around a gravestone, and when she brought the image in closer, she saw that the gravestone was her own.

"Well, would you look at that?" The devil came up behind her, gripping her shoulders. "They think you're dead. That means they won't be looking for you anymore."

"I'll find a way out on my own."

"It's cute that you still think that," he responded, rubbing his hands along her upper arms. "Why don't you just accept it? You're mine, for all of eternity."

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Reid looked down at the file in front of him, but he couldn't focus long enough to actually fill it out. What was the file even about, anyway? He couldn't seem to remember. Then again, that wasn't all that surprising. In the five days since Ciara had been declared dead, the fog he'd been living in for the past nineteen months had consumed everything around him. The color that had been slowly leaching from his world had disappeared completely.

He had decided to live thanks to the Other Ciara, but that didn't mean he felt any better about it.

He had just closed the file when he heard some sort of commotion beyond the bullpen. Well, it was better than trying to remember what the damn file was for. He got up from his desk just as Akilah and Prentiss did the same, walking over to the glass doors of the bullpen. They looked to see a blonde woman being manhandled by two security guards, fighting as they tried to drag her away. Wait a second. He knew that woman. He opened the door, Akilah and Prentiss on his heels.

"Teresa?" She stopped fighting as the security guards shared looks of confusion. Reid walked over to them, putting his hands on Teresa's upper arm. "It's okay, guys. I know her." The guards looked at each other, before looking at him, and back at each other. Finally, they backed off, leaving Teresa with Reid, Akilah, and Prentiss. "Teresa, why were those security guards after you?"

"I, uh..." she started, fidgeting with her fingers. "I kinda blew past security trying to get up here."

"Teresa, why would you do that? They probably thought you were dangerous," Prentiss said, and Akilah and Reid nodded their agreement.

"I know, but I had to get up here ASAP! I have to talk to y'all, especially you, Dr. Reid," Teresa responded, before taking a deep breath, turning to Reid. "Ciara's alive."

"What? What do you mean?" Akilah asked.

"Did James send you some proof of life?" Prentiss added, and Teresa shook her head. "Then how do you know?"

"I, um... Well, this sounds crazy, but I had a dream," Teresa answered.

"A dream?" Reid asked, the disbelief obvious in his voice.

"Yes, a dream. I was at Tomahawk, and Ciara was on the swings. I ran over to her, completely overjoyed. We both fell to our knees in the dirt, hugging and crying. I told her how much I loved her, and how happy I was to see her, and that I was so glad to see her one last time. She was confused by that. I told her that we had found out she was dead, and she shook her head. And she told me in that Irish accent of hers, 'He's lying to ye. I'm alive. Tell my team I'm alive. Tell Reid I'm alive. Tell Reid I'm alive.'"

"You mimic her accent perfectly," Akilah mentioned, and Teresa shrugged.

"I grew up with it. Anyway, she was so insistent that I tell you, Dr. Reid, that she's alive," she said, looking back at him.