The Summoning (Sleep Token FanFiction)

XXXXI - Hey Ya

I relived the moments just before everything went bad over and over again. It all happened in slow motion and yet, much too quickly. 

The image of Elizabeth on the computer. Vessel's face as he tried to hold back a snarl. It was either her or a very good doppleganger. 

His hand crushing mine as he pulled me through the woods, towards IV's house, which was built like a fort and would be safer. 

Flames rising higher around the marble statue as I crawled further up, licking at my feet as I ran out of room.

"Oliver, no!" My own scream echoed in my head as the blade of his katana swiped through the air toward me. It was too late.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Gasping in a breath, trying to block out the ever increasing, but ceaseless beeping as I tried to pull the cords away from the burning in my ribs. 

"Hayley, chill!" 

It wasn't Vessel's voice. Where was Vessel?

"It's alright!" My little brother tried holding me down to the hospital bed as the heart rate monitor rang in my ears. He stretched to the red call button above my hospital bed to call for the nurses.

"Where am I?" I rasped, trying to push his hands away while looking for Vessel. "Where's Vess?"

"Who?" He shook his head in confusion, trying to take my hand that had the IV tube in it. "Hayley, you've been in a coma, you need to chill out!"

Nurses entered the room as I tried scooting up the bed, finding the pain in my ribs stabbing, "She was there!"

"Who?" Caleb stepped back to allow nurses past.

"Elizabeth!" I panted, pushing away the nurse that tried to give me medication. 

Caleb shook his head, still so confused, "Hayley, you've been missing for months! A janitor found you in your campus basement a week ago!"

This struck the breath out of me like a brick just as I felt the sedative begin coursing through my veins. I couldn't find any words to say, trying to calm my breathing as hot tears streamed down my face. Caleb came back to the side of the bed to take my hand.

When the medication made me want to fall back asleep, my head felt ten pounds heavier as I tried looking up to Caleb. My eyes were struggling to stay open.

"I'm sorry, Caleb. I must have just had a crazy dream while I was out." I mumbled, slipping closer and closer to sleep.

His bottom lip trembled a bit, but he clenched his jaw as he met my gaze. My God, I hadn't seen him in so long. How long had it been? Years?

"Do you remember what happened?" His voice was thick with emotion as he rubbed a thumb over my palm.  "I mean, the police said there was a fight that broke out at the University and suddenly you were gone!"

I avoided his gaze, wiping tears from my eyes. 

"Who is Vess and Elizabeth? Did these people have something to do with your disappearance?" He pressed, leaning over the side of the bed when I didn't meet his eyes.

"Uh, no. I don't think so." I sniffed, laying down further to relax when the ache in my ribs started to dissipate. "I was just having a nightmare. I don't recognize either of those names."

When my eyelids grew too heavy to keep open, I fell back to sleep, dreaming of the day my world ended vividly.

"I have to get you somewhere safer. Get your shoes on. Now." Vessel snatched up my sweater and threw it on the table as he dialed a number. Turning from me to get his own clothes and shoes on, I could hear him talking quickly. "I need you to meet us. We are going through the woods."

Just as I was able to slip my shoes on, he took my hand and led me through the back door. I was struggling to keep up with his long strides. 

"I thought you killed her." I panted as I tripped over branches on the ground. 

"I did." His voice was dark, sending chills through me. 

As we came through the clearing to the statue, he felt something off. Terror struck through me as the feeling leaked over to me. 

It was too late. 

He pushed me back as flames crawled over the grass from out of the woods, yelling, "Up!"

Fear pounded through me and I leapt, up onto the statue as flames surrounded the base and I strained to levitate the rest of the way up. 

"You've changed." A silky, sickly-sweet voice echoed through the woods and Vessel drew his sword.

Her eyes were glowing a blood red from the darkness of the bushes. She sauntered out with a grin. 

Elizabeth.

"How would you like to see me kill her the way you killed me?" Her head tilted just so to the side, but her unnerving smile didn't falter. Her clothes were tattered and bloody, worn. 

She wore the same clothes as the night she was killed. I remembered them from the time I saw her in the venue bathroom.

She was covered in blood.

Avoiding her goading question, Vessel stood protectively in front of the statue, raising his katana, nearly hissing, "Who was it that took your filthy soul to bring you back?"

Instead of answering him, she smiled wider, showing sharp and bloody teeth. "I like this new you."

He moved to strike and she blocked him with a curved axe, throwing both of their weapons down before pulling out another identical axe from her back. Vessel swiped the katana up and knocked one of the axes from her hand. It went flying out into the field.

She giggled, stepping back and throwing the other axe straight at me.

I was barely able to move my leg out of the way as the axe cleaved into the statue, falling with the crumbling stone. 

I froze when her eyes peered up at me, grinning with that sadistic smile before Vessel sliced the katana across her. 

She screamed in pain and I could see a deadly smile spread over Vessel's lips. "Still a human body."

He lifted the katana and brought it down. Elizabeth caught it in the palm of her hand, blood flowing down her arm as she met his eyes. 

She screamed when he slid the katana through her hand and I barely saw her fingers falling to the ground in a bloody lump. Vessel took this chance to shove her back with his mind and she was dragged back, flames following her as her remaining hand dug into the ground. 

The axe in the field flew to her and she caught it as she stood. Elizabeth raised the bloody hand and waved to him, bones beginning to grow her fingers back. 

Looking to Vessel, she raised the axe as he came to meet her, but she wasn't aiming for him. 

As the axe sailed through the air to me, Vessel swiped his katana to stop it.

"Oliver, no!" The wind was knocked out of me as the force of his sword met me.

I spiraled down into flames of anguish, fever burning through me as I tried crawling through the darkness. 

Through the dreams of a fever, I was brought back to the cliff's edge. I was standing just inches from the end. Wind whipping around me as the sea crashed below. 

I was trying to remember the song he had played for me. Trying to remember what it felt like to be alive as I turned to find him standing next to me.

His glowing blue eyes roamed over me, crushing pain swirling through them as he spoke.

"Let the tides carry you back to me."