What About Now?

Chapter 15 - The Taking

"The Cave of Lost Souls?" I mutter questioningly as I stand up. 

I walk around the cave and take in its beauty. Where there should be rocks covering the walls is water instead. It flows smoothly down the rocks, causing the walls to shimmer brightly.

I reach my hand out, motioning to feel it's soft texture but halt mid-air when I hear a taunting voice yell out, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not?" I move my hand back to my side and turn away from the water, searching for her voice; only to realize that it's echoing throughout the cave.

"Have you forgotten your last encounter? It will not forgive you so easily. You have to earn back it's trust," she mutters sadly, her voice resounding throughout the cave.

"Are you serious? It attacked me while I was taking a shower! If anything it owes me an apology," I answer pointing my finger at the water that's slowly flowing down the caves wall.

"Watch your tone! It has not attacked you upon my request but if you continue to act like an insolent child then it will do so. And be grateful that it has gone after you and not your loved ones." The anger in her voice is evident as the cave shakes from her powerful voice, causing me to move my hand back near my side once more and quickly mutter an apology.

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me, after all you know better then I that you and the water are separate entities."

"Yes but if you and I are one and the same, then how is it that I am connected to the water? I mean, why me? As far as I know, werewolves don't have freaky powers," I question skeptically.

"There you go again! You are not a freak, and neither is the water. You criticize and alienate it from your life when it's just there to help you, to guide you." The rage in her voice is apparent, escalating with every word she says; however, my rage is rising just as much as hers.

"Help me? When has it ever helped me?" I yell indignantly.

"Well for starters it has brought us here."

"Here? What is so good about this place? I'm held prisoner by the werewolf prince himself, who might I add watches my every move like a hawk, it's as if he's afraid I'm going to disappear into thin air." I pace around the cave, growing increasingly frustrated by her lack of understanding towards my feelings.

She's silent as I continue to pace across the cave. I thought she might have vanished but realize I'm wrong when she sadly mutters, "I mean that it brought us here, together."

Her voice cracks at the last word. Tears begin to brim the corner of my eyes. I've never heard her so vulnerable before. She was always so strong and collected.

"You know, I can't remember the last time we talked for this long. At first when you suppressed me I felt your pain, deep inside I knew you were confused, and so I let you suppress me, hoping that you would come back to me on your own, but you never did." Her voice lowers with every word as if she was holding back sobs.

"I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you."

"I thought you hated me for so long. I even convinced myself that you were better off without me. But then you started to give up on the little things in life. You stopped smiling, laughing, playing the piano, singing, and after a while I finally realized that it wasn't me you hated, you hated yourself." Her voice sounds lost, as if she's painfully forcing each word out.

I am shaking uncontrollably as tears rapidly continue to descend my eyes, hitting the cave floor-because the truth is, she's right. Every thing she said is right, I could just never admit it to myself.