Eyes of White

Chapter 15: Stiffly Accepting

Penelope never heard any of her sister's shouts, or felt Zania carrying her to the car, or saw the many needles they gave her to ease the stiffness. She was too deep inside herself. She wasn't asleep, or in a coma, certainly she wasn't dead. She was just trying to decide: family or voice?

She was part of the audience in a debate between 'Persephone' and 'The Voice'. Of course it wasn't the real Persephone. But the Voice may well have been real, for all Penelope knew.

"Penelope is my sister. She deserves her own choice."

++You do realise that you are just a figment of her imagination? You making the choice is her making the choice!++

"And you're not?"

++No. None can imagine us, until they join us. Like you will.++

"Me? But I'm Persephone. I will never..."

++Oh, no, we meant Penelope. You are not the real Persephone. The real Persephone is up in the real world, trying desperately to wake you up.++

Penelope's subconscious, with this knowledge, suddenly frantically pulled Penelope up out of the debate, letting her hear the last words, ++Join us.++

The first thing to come into her line of vision was Persephone's face.

The first sounds she heard was the end of Zania's conversation with a nurse was, "...needles won't work. She..."

The first thing she felt was the pain in her entire body because she'd been clenched tight for almost an hour.

The first thing she smelled was the sharp scent of antiseptic.

Her mouth had a horrible, foul taste in it.

Persephone gasped. "Guys, look! She's waking up!"

Zania and the nurse both came and huddled around Penelope's bed. Penelope sat up as Zania's grey-blue eyes fixed on her and all of the pain left her.

"No, no, don't sit up!" the nurse shrieked.

Zania put her hand on the nurse's shoulder. "Tiarne, it's fine. I think she can be discharged now."

In the same shrieking voice, the nurse, Tiarne, cried, "Oh, yes, of course, of course. Feel better soon, Persephone!" She seemed quite confused, but she picked up her keyboard and skipped off to another patient.

Penelope hopped out of bed and shuffled over to Zania, who stared at her with those deep eyes again. Suddenly Penelope felt like she was nothing compared to Zania. Zania was a god to her. She would do anything Zania said. Then she heard Zania speak, aiming her beautiful voice at Persephone as well, who already thought Zania was a goddess. "Go out to the car and climb in. I'll be there in a moment."

Persephone immediately started to move, but a voice in Penelope's head kept saying ++No.++ over and over. She kept trying to step forwards, but finding it extremely difficult. Zania looked down towards her and, when she spoke again, her voice was that of an angel's and a goddess's all together. "Go!"

Penelope was able to overcome Zania and instead she started to repeat what the voice was saying in her head. "No."

Zania started to worry. Penelope was most certainly under her power. Her eyes were glazed and she seemed to want to move forward, but something held her back. Zania brought her hand down to Penelope's head and instantly Penelope's will caved in. She moved like a robot to the elevator, and pressed the button.

"That's better," Zania said to herself. Then she jumped as a faint whisper in her head asked, ++Is it? Are you sure?++

She shut her eyes tight and shook her head slightly, feeling that faint outline of a presence slink off. She decided to leave the money on the counter and run, to her daughter's daughters. To keep them safe from any harm, to care for them, to love them.

She didn't even do that. She just ran as she felt that faint presence beginning to reach her grandchildren. She would not let that happen as she quickly conjured a storm, not to hurt anything, but just as a warning.

~~See what I did there, with the chapter name and... never mind. If I shut up, hopefully you'll vote!~~