My Nightmare Just Became Real

Chapter 29 - It Ended with a Knife

Author’s Note: Well, here we are, the penultimate chapter. Enjoy :)

“Please.” I said, desperately trying to pull away “see sense!”

“You’re alone, Lily. You can’t do anything. You have nobody to help you.” A sudden panic grasped me as I realised I was stuck. He could hurt me...hurt Charlie. I’d have to give in...I’d have no choice. Then I looked up. I looked around me. And smiled.

“I’m not alone.”

The old man looked around “what, them? They’re not going to help you. The Lost are harmless...their souls are dead.”

“Dead?” I said and I felt a cold settle over the room. “Did you hear that? Are your souls dead? No. They’re not. So, remember your friends. Remember who made you special in the first place. They’re still there. Still out there somewhere. You know you want to see them again.” They had to help me, didn’t they? “If you want to see your friends and family again, help me!” There was silence for a moment and I thought my cry for help hadn’t worked. Then, all at once, all the Lost souls broke free from their chains and floated out of their cages.

“No!” Cried the old man “no...this can’t be. Be gone...” But his cries were feeble as the Lost floated around him. Slowly, I began to back away from the scene, back to Charlie, but on my way I bumped into someone.

“Lewis.” I said turning around.

“I knew you could do it.” He smiled and pushed something into my hand.

“No.” I said, trying to give him back the knife. “I can’t kill him.”

“You won’t kill him and, anyway, he should already be dead. You’ll just make his soul go where it should be.”

“But...” I looked at the knife in my hand, thinking of the blood, his eyes closing...

“Do it, Lily.” Said Charlie. “Just do it.”

I swallowed and walked across to the man who was on his knees, surrounded by the Lost. They parted as I arrived and I stood above the old man. “You had your chance to change,” I said, my voice thick with tears about to fall “you didn’t take it.”

“Kill me then, girl.”

“I won’t kill you.”

“Then make me leave this world.” He spread his arms wide “take me.” I chewed on my lip furiously and held out the knife.  Then, without thinking, I flung it across the man’s chest. It broke the skin, leaving a bleeding line visible through his robe.

“I can’t do it!” I cried, tears running down my face, sobs racking my body. I clutched the knife to my body and tried to stem the flow of tears. It didn’t work.

“You’re weak, that’s what you are.” Snarled the man, standing up. The Lost tried to come forward but were sent back to their cages by a wave of the man’s hand. I stepped back, sniffling like a coward. His soul started seeping through the break in his skin but it wasn’t enough. No. There had to be more of a gap. “Do you think this will hurt me, child?” He laughed “weak. That’s what you are. But, me? I’m all powerful. Now, give me your soul.”

“No!” I shouted through tears. The man snapped his fingers and I heard Charlie scream.

“No!” I cried, my voice desperate. My eyes wide. “Please!” I couldn’t see him hurt again. I couldn’t bear to hear him scream. But the man was relentless and I heard Charlie’s chains rattle and a sob come out of his mouth.  “Nobody will ever hurt you again, Charlie. Not like this. No.” I said, angry. So angry. I was angry with everyone, with myself. Why did I have to be such a coward? Why did this man have to be so evil? Well, it would be no longer. I took a deep breath and thrust the knife into the old man. I saw the shock take hold upon his face as the blood covered his clothes and pooled on the floor. Hurting Charlie hadn’t made me submit, but made me rise to the challenge.

I watched as the man’s body was engulfed by a dark smoke. The swirling mass stayed in front of me where as his soul rose up and out of him. It was black. Dark. His soul was tainted with his anger, his sadness. It was changed and deformed. And it was gone. It had gone off to some far off place where it would no longer cause any harm. Once the smoke cleared there was only the knife. Only the knife there on the floor. I picked it up and slumped to the ground, new tears forming in my eyes. What had I done? Had it been right? I rose on shaky legs and turned to see Charlie slumped on the floor, free of his chains. “Charlie-“ I began but was interrupted by a voice.

“Miss.” It said, soft and melodic. I turned and saw the girl I had spoken to in the cage. The Lost soul...no longer lost. I smiled. “Miss, you freed us.”

“Please, my name is Lily.”

“Lily. You freed us. We will forever be grateful. Forever. We may not be able to go back into the living world...but we’ll see our friends again. Thank you.”

“Thank you.” Chorused the souls. One by one, they rose. The rose up and out of the hell they had been in. Up and into the next life. The better place.

“You did it.” Said Lewis, standing in front of me.

“I did.” I said, smiling.

“You saved them...” His eyes were distant and he offered me a sad smile.

“What? What’s wrong? Aren’t you free?”

“I...no. I still need to be freed.”

“What do I do?” I said, wanting to help. I had to help Lewis. After all he’d been through, he deserved it.

“Kill me.” He said it with such an expressionless face and no emotion. Kill me.

I recoiled with shock “what-“

“Listen.” He said, putting his hands on my shoulders. “His soul is entangled in mine. I’ll never be rid of it until I’m set free...until I die. Then our souls will go different ways. If I live, there’ll always be a piece of him living too.” He sighed “get the knife, Lily. Kill me. It’s the only way I’ll ever be free.”

“But...” Just as I thought I wouldn’t have to cry again, tears began to stream down my face. “No, Lewis. No.”

“I was a person once. A normal person. But, like this in my body, I’m just a tool. A messed up person. I’m nobody. Set me free so I can be me again.”

“Lewis. I can’t do it.” His eyes travelled to my hands. The knife. Before I knew what he was doing he’d taken it and stabbed himself.

“No!” I screamed as the blood pooled on his chest. His grip on my shoulders slackened.

“I’ll see you some day, Lily. Some day when I can talk to you as myself. Someday...on the other side.” With that his body burst into white petals and I stepped back. His soul rose and all that was left was the knife. The knife and the white petals.

“Goodbye, Lewis.” I said, looking down at the ground.

A hand was placed on my shoulder and I turned to see Charlie and his tear stained face. His red rimmed eyes and brave smile. “Let’s go home, Lily.”

“Yes.” I said, as the place of the Lost began to fade around us. After all, it no longer existed. “Let’s go home.” I took his hand and we left. We left the place of the Lost behind us...but we’d never forget it. Never.

Author’s Note: Well, this could be the end. I hope you liked it, I hope you weren’t disappointed. I quite like the way this is, for the end. Or do you want another chapter? Actually, forget I said that. You’re getting another chapter anyway :) Thank you for reading!