Trial of Betrayal: A Villain's Story

Flashbacks

A mirror, such a fragile object. If you look in the mirror you see yourself, but if you look deep into the mirror, you'll no longer see the person who's reflected at you. I spent all my life looking at a mirror. The person reflected at me. She never changed, and sure her hair got longer, her smile faded, her eyes lost the glimmer they once had, her style adapted to her newfound identity. But she didn't change. It only looked like she did.

In every mirror lies the person you are perceived as. I am an angel, you hold a halo over my head, and have wings as wide as you can see. But something is hidden deep in that perfect image. A broken piece of the mirror you can't see.

It was a ridiculously hot day at a field my family went to often, where that young angel became the person, she is now. I can see the long grass, the bunches of all kinds of flowers, from roses to orchids to daisies. The sun as it hit my face lit my cheeks to a bright red. The silence of insects flying around my head, and squirrels running fast through the grass. Something about that field felt unreal. Like a fairy tale place, that I had all to myself. Until-

"Hello!" A strange voice called out.

I opened my eyes and as I looked up, there she was.

Her hair flew around her face, as the light brightened it into what looked like a small fire. Her oversized dress spun around her feet, as she tried to wave in a frivolous manner. She just couldn't stay still.

I sat forward in the grass, thinking "is this a dream?".

The quiet left and soon every day was spent with a loud, chaotic girl who found her way to my field. To our field...

I laid in the tall grass, the way it blew and tickled my arms. The dirt and how it got in through my silk braid. Wind blew, through flowers with it sticking firm to their roots. All of this was an average day. Especially the part of the day when the noise drew closer.

"I can't believe him!" she yelled.

I stayed still in the grass and closed my eyes. When I finally reopened them, she was sitting in front of me. Looking down at me.

"You're unbelievable too," she scoffed.

"I'm sharing my day with you, and you sleep through it," she continued.

"I'm sorry, was it that bad?" I asked.

"BAD?!" she yelled.

"It was the worst; I spent the whole day with him. And GUESS what," she rambled on.

"He didn't kiss you?" I guessed.

"No! It was worse... he didn't want a second date at all!" she cried.

She was holding my hand and playing with my bracelet. She started to tear up, and her eyes wandered away from my own.

Now I'm upset too...

I sat up quickly and held her hand tightly. The look in my eyes I wish I could have seen.

"He's an idiot, don't even stress about him," I said.

"I know it's stupid to be upset but I feel hurt," she scoffed.

"Of course you're upset! You gave that guy a whole week to ask you out and then he chickens out from asking for a second date," I yelled.

"But hey who needs him?" I asked.

"Not me," she frowned.

"Yeah! You don't need him!" I grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

A flash crosses my eyes, and my head hurts slightly. I look up into my newfound friend's glare, as he grins my smile fades.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

He has his hand firmly grabbing my arm and the feeling is all too familiar.

"I'm fine, where were we?" I replied.

"I was saying that she would look better with fear on her face," he said.

His eyes were dark, but his face was worse. He wanted her to suffer more than I did. I knew that. But it didn't stop me.... Not one bit.

"She would, but we know better than to stop at fear," I walked quickly.

The walls of the building were bland, no decorations, no home-like feeling, no safety in them. Only one thing was meant for them, to shield the night and cold. Which felt like a failure as well since my palms were ice. Where else would I go but here? I'm not welcomed anywhere that matters. The man following me was vengeful, he found no point in warmth and day. But the fun of having him around kept me balanced. The walls spoke for him, he could hear the echoes of all the people that came here. I could only hear him, and the past I was running from.

If my description wasn't clear the walls were placed on top of graves. This house was placed on a gravesite. I'm not afraid of ghosts, but the man I'm with is.

"We should get the well moved," he mumbled.

"You thirsty?" I asked.

"Sorta," he said.

We stopped in a room with tables laid in the center. Papers scattered around the tables, and writings everywhere. I look down at the paper, the name blasting in my head. The image bleeding into my sight.

"Avery! Just LISTEN!" I yelled.

"No, I get it! You did THIS for them right?!" she cried.

"I don't know how to fix this!" I said.

The noise was loud, the sirens erupting from my head. My hands were shaking, and I kept moving around. My breath felt like it was leaving the minute I stood still. She stood there like she was waiting.

"You want to fix this?" she scoffed.

She grabbed my arm and forced me down to sit. I clenched onto my thighs, but the blood was spreading everywhere. I looked at her to save me from it all. But what I saw wasn't right.

"You... I don't know where to start anymore," she smiled.

"My mom," her crying faded.

She glared at me and the anger showed. Her tears were breaking me, and the grip on my arm tightened. But I didn't move. The noise drew closer, almost like I was in the field again. But the fire that once was her hair, was different in a new light.

"Let me go," I gasped.

No movement from either of us. I let my hands loose, and the blood was soaked into my palms. I held them up to hers.

"Let me GO!" I screamed.

Just like that the name on the paper was smeared with ink. Avery Quade was my best friend. The memories that haunt this gravesite may as well be of her. The girl of the field, and the one we both lost to.

"I hate it when you get stuck in thought," he sighed.

"Let's move the well," I said.