Chaos

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter 34

Outside of the School, Near the Pit

Chaos

I came bounding out of the mansion, intent to finding Peter and finishing things once and for all. I was sick and tired of his games. This needed to end now. I quickly dashed down the steps sniffing the air to track Peter. I could smell the faint scent of food from the barbeque, the soft dew of the midmorning, and a barely-there stench of rotten fish. But no Peter.

I was so focused on trying to find Peter, I didn’t notice the increase strength of the rotten fish stench, until it almost overwhelmed me. I gagged and hacked trying to get the smell out of my nose and mouth. My eyes stung with tears and I blinked rapidly, trying to wash away my tears.

My eyes scanned the area in front of me, but I couldn’t see anything out of the usual. I sniffed again and started another coughing smell. That’s when I heard his eerie voice. It was gargled and distorted but it was his voice.

“Ellie?”

I slowly spun around on the heels of my feet. I came face to face with the creature that attacked me almost two months ago. I came face to face of a sad imitation of my former lover and best friend. A large lump formed in my throat as I finally saw with my own two eyes, that Bones wasn’t at rest in the grave Berto and I built for him. I forced myself to swallow and try to dislodge the lump.

I softly whispered, “Hi, Bones.”

His striking blue midnight eyes latched onto me. “My Ellie.”

“Yes, Bones. It’s your Ellie.”

The clarity in Bones’ eyes was wiped away and a fog of confusion took its place. His face scrunched up in anger and hatred as he started at me. His mangled mouth shouted at me, “You let me die! It’s all your fault! I told you Samson wasn’t right. And you didn’t listen to me!”

At each sentence, each word, my heart tore into pieces. He was right, if I would have listened to him, he wouldn’t have been dead. No one would’ve died. I closed my eyes and then quickly opened them. “Bones, I,” my voice caught but I forced myself to finish my apology. “I am so, so, so sorry. You don’t understand how sorry I am.”

The hatred and anger on his face grew. His body shifted side to side agitated. “It’s your fault I’m dead! Your fault! Your fault!” His voice shouted louder and louder, repeating his mantra, ‘your fault!’ I closed my eyes and felt a tear slip down my cheek. I heard the scuffling of feet and opened my eyes. Only to see a blur of Bones before his body slammed into me.

I instinctively threw Bones off me and scrambled to my feet. Bones flipped himself to his feet. He took another charge and slammed me into the ground again. I tried to buck him off, but it was only a half-hearted try. I didn’t deserve to live without Bones. Bones pulled his hand back and punched me in my jaw. My head whipped to the side and my eyes clouded over with grey. My vision came back, but only in time to watch Bones send another fist to my stomach.

The air whooshed out of my body in one grunt. I was left gasping for air when a Joe’s voice trickled into my brain.

“Apparently Peter thinks there is some shifter girl with magical blood that would be able to fix the latest glitch, but he couldn’t find her until recently.”

I forgot! Peter believes that something in my blood could save Bones. My brain clicked and went into overdrive. I saw Bones reach backwards to throw another punch, but I didn’t give him time to hit me again. I twisted my wrist and brought my head forward, connecting with his forehead. I quickly flipped Bones to the ground and grappled with control. Bones succeeded in throwing me off, but I quickly regained my position.