Congrats, You Were Chosen!

Part 4

Paula’s POV

My fingers grabbed and flung the front door to my cottage open. How do I get out of here? How do I get back? Throwing my head side to side colors of green, grey, and brown all blurying in my vision. I started moving toward where I had been for the parade. As I approached the little neighborhood town something moved in the corner of my eye; turning I recognized the hair and height immediately, it was Jackie. She had her back turned to me and was sitting on a bench by a bush writing on a notepad.
“Jackie!” the voice that came from my throat didn’t sound like mine, it was high-pitched and rushed.
Her red curls brushed over her shoulder as she turned her head my way. Smiling she waved for me to come over and sit down.
“Hey Paula,” her eyes squinted up at me. Standing over her I rushed my words.
“Whatcha writing?”
“Oh! It’s-”
Kneeling I looked into her eyes and held her gaze.
“Listen, I need to know if there is any way for us to visit the people in the living world.”
“Like,... for family members?”
A small amount of relief surfaced in me, yes, I couldn't help but thank Jackie in my head, I didn't want to explain the situation to her.
“Yeah!”
Her face brightened, excited to tell me what she thought was good news.
“In your cottage go into the closet in your room,... you'll see.
Whipping my head back around, I sprinted back to my home, not finishing to say goodbye or thank you,... after all, I had more important things to do. I ran into my room, opened my closet, and stepped inside.

Ba-dump,Ba-dump,Ba-dump
I could feel my head pounding, peeling back my crusted-over eyelids I looked up. Through the blurry vision, I could make out the light-colored fuzzy carpet and empty walls. I’m back. Glancing down globs of red surrounded me like moths to a flame.
Drip
Blood. I’m bleeding. My hand reached up and combed through my hair.
“Ow!”
Wincing I brought my hand back to my face, chucks of scalp and hair glistening with a glaze of blood sticking to me; unwilling to let go. I need… to help… Using all the strength in my body I shoved away from the floor, pulling myself up. Looking behind me there was the only thing hung up in Beth’s house, the cracked and broken gold framed mirror. Bloodshot eyes that looked like they were about to pop out of my skull stared wide-eyed back at me. My once thick wavy brown hair now falling out in huge chunks and sticking to my back and neck. Under my skull, there was the squishy pink of my brain beating up and down with little specks of black moving all around. I already knew that these ants were seeping under the layers of my body whether that be skin, bone, or just going straight into the brain, they were everywhere. On me, in me, they were me now…
I couldn’t keep looking at the monster in the mirror so I turned away, where is he? Where is Simion? The house shook as my feet sprinted through it. Was he here? For the first time, I stopped and listened, there was nothing, no sound, nothing… With a sigh I walked to the front door and turned the knob, the bright sky burned through my eyes and intensified my pain, it-
“Help…me,” The muffled and faint voice said, the wind seeming to have carried it to her she knew exactly who it was.
Before realizing what I was doing my body reacted and leaped off the porch into the dry dying grass. With the sounds of my feet crunching on the ground, I rounded the corner of the home where the doors to the tornado shelter were. Gripping the handles I flung it open, and the overwhelming smell of dust blasted my face.
STOMP STOMP STOMP
The sound of my shoes banging against the old steps echoed off the walls.
Huh,..huh
My legs ached from throwing myself down the stairs and my own pants flowed like a river into my ear. Expecting to see Simion about to die the same way I did, I prepared myself for the worst. To only be able to hear his miserable cries and screams from beyond my reach. Knowing that I couldn’t save or help him. But when my eyes laid upon the sight before me, my heart almost stopped… Simion was suspended from the ceiling in an X pose, thick barbed wire wrapped around his little body, digging into his supple clear skin pulling out crimson droplets and sliding their way down his chest, head, legs, and arms onto the pavement below. In the corner were two shadows, one taller and the other smaller. Laying on the ground just a few feet up ahead of them was a butcher's knife with a wash of red that was starting to also create a small puddle. Under Simion’s hanging body was a pentacle of white tall candles, their flames being the only sense of light to illuminate the room. The scream that clawed out of my throat seemed to put the shadows into motion. Stepping into the candlelight I could see the faces of a blonde woman and a bald man.
“You're too late darling,” blood was dripping down her chin onto her white tank top, “we’ve already won.”
Slowly a grin spread across her face showing her teeth and tongue a bright red. Turning to the man she said, “Why not do another, after all… the more the merrier.”
He smiled, putting his jagged sharp teeth on display.
“With pleasure”
Stalking toward me I turned and tried to run up the stairs, but on the fourth step, a strong hand grabbed and shoved me toward him. My face banged over and over on the stairs.

As soon as I opened my eyes I started gasping for air. I was sitting in a rocking chair, staring at the screen of a box TV when I saw her… Valista was smiling and as each word was said through the speakers, I realized I had failed.
“Good morning everyone! I hope you're having a wonderful start to your day, I just am coming on here to say something quick,” it felt like she was meeting my eyes and staring into my soul, “Thank you Simion and Paula for giving me this wonderful gift. Thanks to them, I will be able to spread my leadership to the human world. So, get ready mortals, I’m about to be your new leader…”
Gulping, I thought,
We’re fucked.

The End.