Her Villian

TWENTY-SIX

Amara

The past few days have been hard.

I have zero motivation for anything. I rehearse some lines for my audition coming up, eat, and sleep. That is it.

Life has just stopped. I know I can change it anytime, I just can't. It feels impossible.

I did, however, get the energy to run to a coffee shop this morning. Now I was walking back home, the sun was just barely coming up. I decided to cut through the alleyway to make the walk back faster.

That is the last thing I remember before feeling a cloth go around my face and everything went black.

Hot.

Everything was hot.

I open my eyes and I'm met with more darkness. I can tell I have a bag over my head. I can't move to take It off though because my hands are tied around a pole behind me.

I try to move my feet, but it seems I am completely tied to this pole. I hear a fire crackling, and by the warmth I feel on my body, the first is close and big.

I try to not panic, I really do. But when you wake up tied to a pole and can feel fire, staying calm is very hard to do.

Suddenly the bag is ripped off of my head. I adjust my eyes and can see it is now dark outside. I am in the middle of a forest with a big bonfire in front of me. I look to my left and see others tied to poles, we all make a circle around the bonfire.

I can finally look at who removed the bag, and I let out a gasp at who I see.

Maria

"What the fuck are you doing you crazy bitch?!" I say while struggling against the ropes that bound me.

"What I have planned on doing all along of course."

Gone was the maria that looked so kind, the Maria that sat in codys kitchen and smiled at me while radiating warmth and positivity.

The Maria standing in front of me now was nothing like the old her. Maria had a dark look in her eyes. One that gave the impression of derangement. She was dressed in all black and had leather gloves on her hands with combat boots.

"But we can get into that later. For now, why don't we wake our other guests up shall we?" She smiles and skips to the person to the left of me.

As she removes the bag I see the face of my beloved roommate.

"Amanda!" I shouted.

Amanda whips her blonde hair over towards me, fear clear as day across her face. She begins to struggle against the ropes as she calls out my name.

I want to calm her down, but I am distracted as maria continues and pulls the bag from the person next to Amanda's.

Emily.

"What is going on?! Do you know who I am?" Emily shrieks as the bag was ripped from her head. She turns and looks at Amanda and I and a reaction of shock crosses her features.

"Amara? Holy shit, Amara are you okay?" She asks. I nod my head, not having it in me to respond.

Maria continues and rips off the next bag, revealing a guy, who Emily cries out "Marcus!" to, I am assuming this is the other sibling to her and Jackson.

Maria now comes to the person on the right of me, ripping their bag off as well, revealing the one person I so desperately hoped I would not see here.

Jackson.

He slowly comes to, and as soon as our eyes meet his fill with panic and rage.

"What the fuck is going on here?" He spits as he looks around to see his family tied up as well.

"So glad you asked!" Maria chimes in "You see, you and darling Amara here have pissed some people off. And for that, we don't really want you living anymore. But we needed a good backstory." She smiles.

"We? Emily says. "Who is we?"

Jackson and I exchange a knowing look as a man steps into the firelight beside Maria.

Cody.

He looked different. He too had that dark gleam in his eyes, and the aura around him was cold and eerie. I found myself wondering how I was ever attracted to him.

Probably because he was not like this before her.

"You might be wondering how we are going to get away with all of this? I would love to share. You see, Cody is the hero, he is the good guy. So, when Cody tells everyone, the Phantom attempted a murder situation, and unfortunately some were...caught in the crossfire and there was nothing he could do. I mean, they believed it at the statue of liberty" Maria laughs as Cody turns to Amanda, Marcus, and Emily.

"Unfortunately for you three, you would not buy that story and would be an extremely uncomfortable pain in my ass, so you guys will have to follow them into the darkness as well. Truly, it is not personal." He side eyes Amanda. "Aside from you, I never liked you."

"Probably because I was never one to kiss your ass, grasshopper." Amanda spits coldly.

I knew Jackson was innocent at the statue of liberty. I just did not want to believe Cody was that cruel, however it is clear the Cody I knew is gone. They planned everything so perfectly, down to the fire so they can blame this on Jackson. He would die a villain; everyone would celebrate his death and praise Cody. I felt my blood boil, anger stretching across every part of my body. I willed the ropes to give, even just a little I could not let this happen. Sure, Jackson had done some terrible things, but at least he told me himself instead of me having to find out about it.

Jackson held a cold glare on his face. His silence was more terrifying than words.

"So, how are you planning on killing us?" Jackson asks calmly.

That is what he is worried about?

"Oh! That is where I come in! You see I have healing powers, but something I've left out is that I also have killing powers! So, you all will be my test subjects! Bringing you near death, healing you, nearly killing you again, and so on. For as long as I want!" Maria says with a creepy smile etched across her face.

"You are both fucking insane!" Marcus shouts. He is ignored and Maria skips over to Amanda.

"Let's start with you, blondie."