Faith.

Chapter 19

I stare into nothing. I sit on the moist dirt devoid of all feelings. Watching my breath form into a small cloud right in front of my eyes before disappearing into the air once again.  An icy drop of water rolls down my cheek snapping me out of my trance. The drop was followed by another until we were curled up under the strong branches of a nearby oak tree. An occasional scream came from deep within the forest but my ears couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. It was like it was all just in my head. 

"What even is this place?" I finally broke the overbearing silence.

"You really don't remember do you?" Skyler winced still holding her stomach. 

The smell of her blood seemed so inviting to me. Almost hypnotic. 

"I remember a few things, but only when they die. I remember Tyler." I spoke slowly and once again silence settled in. 

It felt hopeless to even try and fight back any more, but it felt wrong to just sit here. I slowly crawled towards Skyler my hair dripping . "You need to seriously stop that bleeding." 

"Ya' think ?" Skyler forced out through her teeth with a slight grin. 

"Smart ass." I muttered as I pealed back her shirt to better asses her wound. "You need to lay down." I tore a thin strip from my shirt and firmly pressed on the wound. 

"Ahh Jesus Rose." Skye gritted her teeth. 

"You're a succubus or something right? You heal fast or whatever ?" I asked as I placed her hand back over the wound. She simply nodded in response. 

Without warning, something shifted in the atmosphere. A tiny giggle from our left could be heard. This was different from the screams. This was real, I could track this. 

Without thinking my trembling legs carried me towards the sound.

"No Rose wait! Dammit! Luna don't let her go on her own!" Skye called after me but I quickly disappeared among the rich fauna. 

I was sure I was going in the right direction. The faint sounding giggles had ceased a while ago now. I don't know how long it had been but I soon realised I was going in circles. I quickly turned to taking my anger out on a nearby tree screaming obscenities into the void. The rain had also picked up soaking through my clothes and making them stick to my body. I hated this feeling. I was helpless. 

The air crackled around me. The anger inside of me had bubbled up to energy. With an agonising scream I let it all out, the water acting as a conductor carrying my electricity to the nearby trees that soon caught fire. I fell towards the ground my knees bruising at impact. My body shook but I couldn't tell if I was crying. Everything just became one big soup of darkness surrounding me. 

A pair of bare feet flooded into my vision making their way towards me. He was walking through the flames like they didn't exist to him. "Is dear sister not with you? That's a shame. I was looking forward to playing with both of you today." He frowned genuine sadness filling his black eyes. 

My head ripped itself apart fighting against the invasion of his voice in my brain. It was like he was everywhere but nowhere completely filling my conciousness. I grabbed my head letting out a blood curdling scream that shocked even Atlas. 

"Is there something cooking around here?" He narrowed his eyes and sat just a few inches in front of me in the middle of the ring of fire I had created. Even tough I wished with all that was inside of me that I could push him into the fire my muscles refused to move.  

Atlas had crossed his legs and leaned forward cupping his face staring deep into my eyes. "You know this reminds me of that one time-" He burst out laughing, a strange sound coming from someone like him. He wiped at his face absent mindedly whilst laughing struggling to get on with his story. " Mother was baking us some cakes. You know the tiny little cute ones with the red icing sugar on top. I tricked mother to climb into the oven! She didn't even know what she was doing." Atlas slapped his knee and let our a ringing type of laugh that in any other situation would have been deemed as pure and joyful. 

"You killed your own mother?" I pushed through my teeth. 

"Oh no nooo Rose. She, killed herself I didn't lay a finger on her. But I'll let you in on a secret." He leaned in closer, I could feel his breath brush my cheek. " Mother did smell quite bad but her screams were endearing." His lips curled in a cruel smile. 

Breaking free from whatever spell I was under I spat at him falling back on my back and scrambling away. Unfortunately I couldn't even get close to the fire. I had created a trap for myself. 

"Fascinating progress." He wiped his face and crawled towards me on all fours never breaking eye contact. "Shall we try a little experiment? I think we should. I'm sure you'll find it very fun. I wonder if you and mother scream the same way. I do miss the sound you know." Atlass eyes drifted into nothingness for a split second recalling whatever sick image was in his head. 

Without realising I had reached out my hand and began to approach the edge of the fire ring.  

"What the hell are you doing to me?" I fought against my own body without any result. I wasn't in control of my own body. 

A shrill scream escaped my own lips as my hand was consumed by the fire. Atlas slipped his white hand upon mine forcing it even further into the fire and whispering in my ear. "Don't worry little one the pain will only last for as long as your nerves can survive, after that no more pain." He slowly guided me further and further into the fire, like a dark angel leading me to my death.