WITCH - ARA

Thirty four

The air in the church is thick with a mix of incense and quiet murmurs, the kind that sends shivers down my spine. As I step through the heavy wooden doors, I can’t shake the sense of uncertainty that lingers in my mind. I’ve grappled with my beliefs for as long as I can remember. Do I believe in God? It’s been a question mark, a tangled web of doubts and wonders. If evil exists, surely good must, too. But standing in this sacred space, surrounded by the hushed whispers of prayer and flickering candles, I feel more lost than ever.

The church bell tolls loudly, shaking me from my thoughts. Each chime echoes in my chest, quickening my heartbeat. I scan the crowd, trying to find Keith among the sea of faces, but then something catches my eye. A figure in a wheelchair, hair as bright as sunlight—blonde, almost glowing.

But as I take a step closer, the crowd shifts, blocking my view. Anxiety spikes within me. My breath quickens as I weave through the throngs of people, the whispers and prayers fading into a dull roar in my ears. The closer I get, the more a sense of dread settles in my stomach.

Finally, the crowd clears, and I see her. My heart drops to the floor. It’s Ava.

Panic surges through me, and I stumble forward, almost tripping over my own feet as I reach her. My hands shake as I fall to my knees, my face mere inches from hers.

Ava sits in her wheelchair, her eyes wide open but devoid of life. The breath catches in my throat as I search for any sign of recognition, any flicker of the friend I once knew.

“Ava…” My voice trembles, thick with emotion, as tears stream down my cheeks. I reach out, brushing my fingers against her cold cheek, desperate for some connection, some acknowledgment of my presence.

But all I feel is the chilling weight of despair.

I kneel before her, face to face, and all I can see are her unblinking eyes staring back at me, vacant and haunting. The world around me fades away, leaving just the two of us in this gut-wrenching moment.

I pull Ava into my arms, desperately seeking any sign of life, but there’s no movement in her body. She feels cold and unresponsive as I cry into her shoulders, the tears streaming down my face.

I look up and see Mrs. Montgomery standing behind me, her expression hard and unyielding. “Blaze, stop it,” she snaps, her voice cutting through my grief. “People are praying.”

I nod, swallowing my sobs as I gently set Ava back in her wheelchair. There’s a hollow feeling in my chest as I adjust the blanket around her, my heart breaking all over again.

Mrs. Montgomery crosses her arms, glaring down at me. “Let’s go,” she says tersely.

As we walk out of the church, I can’t help but glance back at Ava. The bright daylight feels wrong against the darkness of my thoughts, and I realize everything has changed.

As we step out of the church, I can hardly breathe, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I turn to Mrs. Montgomery, desperation clawing at my throat. “What happened to Ava?!”

Her eyes flash with anger, and she snaps, “What could happen to her? You ruined her, and now you’re questioning me?”

I grit my teeth, frustration boiling over. “Just give me a normal answer!”

She sighs heavily, her tough exterior faltering for a moment. “We found Ava three weeks back,” she says, her voice breaking. “She was lying in the middle of the road while we were driving. Thank God we saw her.”

I can feel the ground shifting beneath me as she continues. “Then she was unconscious. We took her to the doctor.” Tears begin to well up in her blue eyes. “The doctor said Ava’s… genital parts are… insanely infected. It looked like something dead had gone inside her.”

I stagger back, horror filling my chest as I process her words. “What?”

Mrs. Montgomery's voice cracks even more, and she chokes on her sobs. “We took her to the US as soon as possible because we didn’t want anyone to know this happened to our daughter.”

She bursts into tears, and my heart shatters at the sight.

“The doctor gave her treatment, but…” she trails off, unable to finish her thought.

I stand there in shock, my mind racing as I try to comprehend the nightmare that has befallen my best friend.

“But what?” I urge, desperate for more information, my heart pounding in my chest.

Mrs. Montgomery wipes her tears, taking a deep breath. “But the doctor said she’s heavily traumatized. Due to the trauma she faced, she’s paralyzed. It might take her a while to come out of it... even years.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. Paralysis. Trauma. Years. My mind struggles to process the reality of Ava’s situation. I want to scream, to shake Mrs. Montgomery and demand to know why this happened, how it could have happened to someone so vibrant and full of life.

“How could this happen to her?” I whisper, my voice trembling. “What did they do to her?”

Mrs. Montgomery looks away, pain etched across her face. “I don’t know, Blaze. All we know is that she was found like that. It’s too horrible to even think about.”

I drop my head, feeling the tears well up again. I thought I had been strong enough to face whatever happened to Ava, but this… This is beyond what I could ever have imagined.

As I glance back at Ava, her eyes remain vacant, staring into the distance. I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve lost her, that my best friend is gone forever, replaced by a shell of the girl I once knew.

“Is there anything we can do?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

I kneel in front of Ava, my hands trembling as I take hers in mine. Her skin feels cold, and the emptiness in her eyes pierces through me. I swallow hard, closing my eyes, reaching for the only thing I have left—my magic.

I whisper softly, the words forming a rhyming spell, one I’d never dared use before. “Universe, heed my plea, show me what I cannot see. Reveal the truth, no more disguise, bring Ava’s past before my eyes.”

The air around us shifts, and suddenly, the memories rush in like a tidal wave. I see flashes—Ava’s laughter, our late-night talks, the woods, the black figure, and then... darkness. My head pounds as images keep flooding in.

I see her lying on the cold ground, a dead body beside her. The image twists my stomach, and I feel the bile rise. It’s too much, too horrifying to even comprehend. But the spell pulls me deeper, forcing me to see more.

And then, the truth I never expected hits me like a punch to the gut.

Harrison Stone.

I see his face, his hands grabbing Ava. The betrayal, the horror of it all makes my breath catch. I gasp, pulling my hand back as if his name alone burned me. I can’t believe it—Harrison, the man who once offered me help, was the one who did this to Ava.

I open my eyes, tears streaming down my face, the truth tearing me apart from the inside. Ava’s hand feels heavier in mine now, the weight of everything crashing down on me.

I never thought, never in a million years, it would be him.

I pull my hands back, stumbling a step away as the images settle. The weight of Ava's struggles presses down on me, and my heart twists with rage. Harrison Stone. I clench my fists, feeling the surge of anger bubbling up inside me. I will make him regret everything he did.

Turning to Mrs. Montgomery, I meet her cold, piercing gaze. "I know you're blaming me for everything that happened," I say, my voice steady despite the emotions ripping through me, "but I promise, these were never my intentions. I hope one day you can realize that."

I glance back at Ava, her lifeless eyes fixed on nothing, and swallow the lump in my throat. "And... about Ava, I'll make whoever did this to her regret."