The Book of Plot Twists

The End of the End (Part 1)

I am Emily. Or, at least, that's what I've identified myself as for the past fifteen or so years. Only Tanya knew. Only Tanya will ever know. 

It's the final battle. Somehow, someway, I just knew that today would be the end of it all. There were no signs to tell me it would soon be all over, but I just knew. Just like I just "knew" a lot of things. So here I am, sitting on my couch thinking about what I would be doing if Tanya was still alive, when Amelia bursts through the door and starts shouting incoherently. She starts grabbing things and shoving them into her bag as she yells for me to hurry up. Hurry up with what, I don't know. But I don't ask and instead help her with her current task. When she seems satisfied and plops down on my recliner with a heaviness of breathing, I ask her what's going on.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she states with a dark shadow casting over her chocolaty brown eyes.

I chuckled a bit at her sentence. "Try me," I say. I've seen so many things that it would be a miracle if I didn't believe her.

She takes a deep breath and then begins to explain to me what she had experienced. When she's done, it takes everything I have in me not to blow up with questions. Though she says she doesn't know the name of the boy that appeared to her, I have a feeling I know who it is. 

Carlos has finally come back. And this time, it's for good. At least that's my perception, whether it's the truth or not is something that I won't know until it happens.

"You think I'm crazy, don't you? Ghosts aren't a thing, angels aren't real unless they're from Hell, and powers can only come from the book. I know that. But if you had just seen it-"

"I believe you," I interrupt. She seems shocked but joyful that I do. "I've known for awhile about angels and shrines." I don't tell her that all that information is in the book. If I did, it would make her feel more of an idiot than she probably already does.

 Most people forget that I was one of the first owners of the book. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asks, hurt that I would withhold information from the one in charge. 

I playfully roll my eyes at her. "You weren't exactly my best friend." 

She laughs awkwardly as she remembers the feud that was between us. She would always fight for Wanika's honor just like Tanya would. Jealousy overcame us all at every Hunter meeting when it came time to recite the things we'd done. 

"Anyways, we have to get going. Now," she commanded with urgency. I grab the bags she packed and follow her out of the door without question.

We drive to the site of the underground safety shelter that was to be used in emergencies only. I didn't know what was going on and I didn't want to, so I didn't dare to ask. When we enter, we are greeted by Wanika and all the other Hunters in a fifty mile radius. Panic seemed to grip the guts of every one of us and hang in the air like an  unspoken secret. 

This was the end. 

"I gather that everyone knows about the state of our prisoner," Wanika addresses to the crowd of us. Some did, some didn't. The ones who do fall utterly silent and the ones who don't speak excitedly about what it could be. 

"What is it?" A male voice from the back calls out.

Wanika smiles weakly at her attempt in humor. "We don't exactly have one anymore."

The excited chatter turns to horrified gasps followed by "what"s and "how"s. Wanika sticks up her hand to quiet them and they obey. I stand in awe; her natural ability to be in command never ceases to amaze me. Even after stepping down and declaring a new leader, Wanika still holds power over all the people who have loyally followed her all these years.