The Pretty Poison

PART 22 - The In-Between: By Flame Restored

PART 22 – The In-Between: By Flame Restored

The girl falls painfully on the tiled floor, taking what little breath she carried from the world of the surface. She cringes at the sudden solidity of the room and curls into a ball, quietly wishing for death.

But death will not claim her.

In this hazy room she has been entering so frequently, another young woman of the same age sits on the edge of a cot. She smiles with her disfigured lips, knowing at last the time has come. She sighs with slight regret but hushes the thoughts. Another step has been reached towards being whole and that is what matters most.

“Little Angela,” she whispers in the many voices she carries. She glides over to the small desk in her room and skims her fingers gently on the top. “Why is this so hard for you? I’m just trying to claim what is mine.”

Angela gasps helplessly on the ground. With the breath taken from her lungs, she cannot move away from the approaching spirit. She tries to move her wrist but a sharp pain shoots up, feeling like a multitude of needles. There is no way to escape but she fights with all she can. She will not go easy.

The burned girl bends down and strokes Angela’s forearm. The same pain burns again, making her body twitch as if electrocuted. She struggles unsuccessfully at the invisible bindings keeping her to the floor.

“Rachael, please,” she begs pathetically. “Please, stop it.”

Rachael smiles sadly and brushes the hair from Angela’s eyes. Without a sound, she stands and faces the vanity's mirror. Within the glass, the bodies move as one, coming closer to each other. The reflection however is not that of Rachael but of the demon girl. Their destroyed skins face towards the glass and their fingers reach out. There is no way of stopping now that Rachael has begun. And neither of the other girls knows what is to happen.

“Time to surface, Lucy,” she calls softly. “It is our turn now.”

Lucy’s nails connect with the glass and wait for Rachael’s hand. With a firm grip upon the cracking wrist, she pulls as Lucy gently slides through the bubbling mirror. In an instant, her appearance becomes smooth, wavering like disturbed water. Abrasions thin out and dead skin flakes away. No longer does she resemble an old painting. She is now unbroken and strong. She is human.

As Lucy dictates to Rachael how they gain their freedom, Angela brings herself upon her elbows and watches the impossible happen. Never in her young life has she seen anything quite as terrifying. Two wicked spirits trying to take her life and she has no power against it. Her arms fight the unseen rope and make for the door. She almost reaches the handle when she feels herself being dragged back to the center of the room. A screams rips in her throat, threatening damage of its own.

“Not so fast, you little bitch!” Angela is turned to face the now marble looking skin of Lucy. Her cheeks have become smooth, only tainted by the spots of freckles and her eyes have become more enchanting. Angela finds it hard not to stare into them. They are just too beautiful to look away.

Lucy’s lips purse in a smirk as she crawls on top of the defenseless girl. She licks the cheek and Angela shakes violently in disgust. The demon calls over the girl with burns and points to their victim’s wrists. Rachael hurries at the command and grabs the arms feebly. Together, they lift the fighting Angela onto the bed.

“Begun with flame,”Lucy starts. With a flick of her hand, a small fire bursts to life in her palm. The flickering soon grows to a prominent size and the light casts malevolently upon the two girls. Lucy grips Angela’s neck and hushes her. The young girl continues to struggle as the demon brings her palm closer. “And by flame restored.”

Angela screams as the palm-fire blazes onto her chest. It spreads as though she is flooded by gasoline and the pain it brings is excruciating. She could feel every flame biting at her flesh. She could hear every crackle that licks her face. Choking on the flame she breathes in, the girl prays for quick death. There is no escape.

“Such a pretty,” Rachael calls out over her bloodcurdling shrieks. Lucy hears the reluctance in her voice. “My Pretty.”

“A pretty little poison,” the demon girl adds. “Our necessary poison.”

The once-fractured girl lets go and steps away from the bed. Rachael shivers from guilt by Angela’s feet on the bed. Her eyes cloud with tears and she instead looks to her ally for support. Lucy watches the horrific sight without a tint of fear or regret. Instead, she thrives off the pain breathing it in to make her feel alive. Angela writhes in agony before the flame extinguishes slowly on its own. Death still will not claim the child.

The young girl trembles with rotted flesh. A black crust lies over her fingers and it becomes hard to tell if she still has a layer of skin. Her hazel eyes look to the ceiling as she struggles for breath. The smell of her own burned body wafts through the air and into her nose. She disgusts herself.

“Feel what was felt.” Lucy leans closer and rests her head on the girl. Her hair becomes stained with blood and she can hear the hiss of pain from the girl beneath her. Silent screams make Lucy sigh in delight. She smiles into the girl’s ribs with wicked thoughts and kisses Angela’s forehead. “And we can live again.”

The two unharmed girls lay themselves on the bed beside her. Their bodies press onto the gory sides and hold her in what should be a loving embrace. But instead of comforting Angela, the girl is racked with agony and pained until numb.

Rachael frowns and whimpers. But even with the lamentable torture she had bestowed, she cannot say she is unwilling to continue. Fear of the present outweighs the fear of future suppression. And with a surface more clear, she can begin to be her own. Of that she is sure.

The girl sighs and lays her cheek on the bloodied shoulder. Perhaps Angela will forgive her. Perhaps not. Her voice doesn’t matter anyhow.

Sleep claims the three on the bed and soon become one. Angela fights the unwelcomed souls and screams for help. No one comes to her rescue.

The same screaming Angela wakes upon her own bed. The circus she had left behind greets her unharmed skin. It was just another nightmare. She sits upon her bed and sighs in relief. But when a hand starts to rub her back and shoulders, her head reels.

Lucy stares at her from her bedside and greets her with demon’s cackle.

Her worlds have finally collided.

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Author's Note: So I know I don't usually have an author's note but this needs to be told. I have a new trailer for this and you should REALLY check it out. It's so good :) You can either look at the Introduction "chapter" or go to the summary page. It sums up what I want this story to feel like.

Anyways, tell me what you think of the story!! Please? I WANT to hear feedback. Thank you my little Pretties and stay insane <3