me and the devil - kai parker

14

Chapter one, Part two; The present

Los Angeles, California - May 10th, 1994 - day 152

The empty streets of humid Los Angeles stretched out before Maddie like a desolate maze, the neon lights casting eerie shadows as she moved cautiously, amongst the night, her senses alert for any sign of danger. There was only one thing that could be dangerous in the world with no one but two past lovers who became enemies. 

Every step she took came with a hiss of pain as her thigh was still not healed, a wound that reminded her of Kai's true intentions. Of his murders, of the pain and suffering he inflicted on everyone in the coven. It has been months yet Madelene could not forget. She woke up in cold sweats every night, haunted by the Parker children, and by her mother. She often wondered if life went on after the massacre, if her father knew what happened if he was as disgusted by her as she was by herself. Maybe he never found out, perhaps he thought she took off and ran. That would be for the better.

She moved forward with a limp, holding onto her leg. She cursed under her breath for the lack of magic in this damned universe to help her heal, she had to rely upon her nonexistent survival skills while stitching the wound up in an empty hospital with a cloth between her teeth,  a gallon of surgical disinfectant and the horribly stiff and uncomfortable stitches that pierced her skin.  It has been the hardest months of Madelene's life. Being in a constant state of fear and loneliness, she was sick, tired, and simply did not want to live any longer, but she was a coward. She could not do it.

The first few days in the prison world were a blur. She ran and ran and the forest seemed never to end. She was lost in the woods she knew her whole life. She could hear Kai behind her, the twigs breaking, the devious laughter, the horror-esque whistling.  Branches of trees created lines upon lines on her bare legs and arms causing bleeding and scaring, the eclipse set dark shadows making it almost impossible to make your way out. Only when the morning came and she woke up covered in leaves with a scream did she realize, that it was not a dream, it was her new life. 

After that she got up and left, she took her mother's car and drove for hours until the car stopped signaling the lack of fuel in the tank. That's how Madelene made it to Sacramento, California.

It was sunny and beautiful on May 10th, 1994 she arrived just when the sun rose. Madelene had never left Oregon before, the Gemini coven was extremely secluded from other magic influences as their sacrificial rituals of the twins had been frowned upon by many covens across America.

And there she was,  on a yellow beach stretching out as far as her eyes could see. The sun burned into her pale skin as she removed her leather jacket and sank into the sand. Her eyes closed, her body extending toward the sun as she removed her combat boots and felt the warmth of the sand. 

This is what she was supposed to be doing with Kai. They were supposed to be together in his beat-up truck, eating ice cream and singing along to their favorite songs, not caring about anything but where to go next. California was supposed to be just the start. Madelene couldn't help but let a silly wonder cross her mind, how was the new Weezer album scheduled to be released exactly on May 10th, and if she would have liked it enough for Kai to buy a copy and keep it in his car. She also wondered if he knew she was here if he was observing from afar, waiting for the perfect moment to slit her throat.

And then a choked-up cry escaped her mouth, Madelene covered her lips as another loud cry sounded colliding with the waves crashing against the shore. All these days, she had to be strong and composed and be on the run, but holding it in was no longer possible. Her body was shaking as tears streamed uncontrollably, everything she ever knew was gone, just because she liked a boy. A stupid, selfish, power-hungry sociopath, a murderer with beautiful eyes the color of the sea that stretched in front of her, and a smile that made every worry in her head go quiet. The boy who killed her mother and ruined her life.