Dazed

8

We arrived at the stadium after four hours of walking restlessly through the streets.

The stadium was a huge half cylinder with blinding tall lights lighting the pitch from every angle.

We entered through the silent entryway and made our way through to the pitch.

As we walked, Blaze reflexively took my hand in his and entwined our fingers together; my heart skipped a beat.
I thanked God he couldn't see me because there was definitely a blush making its way to my cheeks.

When we entered the stadium, two rows of Hypees were standing in front of us and a slender man with broad shoulders was standing in front of them and he reeked of control.
He wore long black robes with a gold lined collar and his sleeves went past his palms barely showing the tip of his fingers.
In one of his hands was a golden sceptre embroidered with black stones which - if I am not mistaken- glowed.
A silver chain hung around his neck with a pendant of a silver serpent with its mouth enclosing a glowing purple amethyst and its tongue spiralled around the marvellous gem.
His shoulder length hair was jet black and was brushed back till it reached his nape; his eyes were a beautiful crystal blue and his skin was very pale. His face had high cheekbones with hollows cast underneath them from the heavy lighting and his mouth was in a sharp line. Thirty eight or forty might be his age but he certainly looked a lot younger than that.

If it weren't for the evil look on his face, you could've mistaken him for someone amiable with his big blue eyes and natural charm but he felt anything but amiable.

" Hello, son" he said with a smooth but cunning voice.
Son?
" Father." Said Blaze curtly.
My head snapped in his direction but he kept his eyes locked with his father's
" I see you've done your job." He said.
Job?
" What's going on here? And who are you?" I inquired.

He chuckled softly without humour.
" You are as ignorant as you are foolish. I am Hemlock, Blaze's father."
" What?" I said through gritted teeth.
" Yes, it's true; what you see around you is because of me." He said with an evil spark in his eyes. " And Blazey boy here, helped me. And you took the bait like a hungry fish. I bet you saw the dagger his supposed 'dead father' left him. Didn't you wonder for one second about the carved H ?" He smirked.

A knot formed in my stomach.
My fingers had slipped from Blaze's.

" But - why?" My eyes started to water but I forced back my tears. " why would you do something like this?" I pointed at the dazed people by his side.

" For perfection!" He said. " Everyday these people mess with things they know nothing about, ruining the world. They need a leader. A King!" His voice went up a notch.

" Oh and you know everything? You're not ruining the world?" I said. " People were meant to be free." I started gaining confidence.

" Free?" He mocked. " These people ruin everything they lay their hands on. The world will be a better place if everything goes my way. Just wait and you'll see."

" No!" I shouted. " I won't let you."

" Alice..." Started Blaze.
I ignored him.
" And how will you do that? I have an army and you have, well, you." He said it as if it was an insult being me.

The amethyst started glowing on his chest.
" What is that?" I asked cautiously.
" Oh this little thing? You can't lay a finger on it. Touch it and you'll die."

Gears in my brain clicked and without really knowing it, I found myself running towards the man in front of me. His eyes widened in astonishment.

" ALICE!" Shouted Blaze after me.
The Hypees around Hemlock started moving towards me clutching at my clothes, trying to get me away from the man but I had wrapped my hand around the pendant on his chest.
I enclosed my fingers around the glowing gem and light burst through my fingers.
A body crashed into mine wrapping me in a tight embrace. A feeling like being sucked through the earth by my feet engulfed me and a wave of nausea hit me. My vision went blurry and I could see purple lighting bolts through a white sky then suddenly it was all gone and all I could see was darkness. Through the darkness a purple flower sprouted out of the earth. I felt the urge to pick it and sniff it but no, it's evil; I can feel it. I took dizzy steps towards the flower and crushed it underneath my feet. The flower burst into flame and the darkness around me caught fire. I backed away slowly then started running away from a blazing fire. All I could see ahead of me was a small light. I had to get to that light. I didn't know what I was expecting but I knew this was the only thing that could save me. I ran and ran until my breath got caught in my throat but I didn't stop. The light seemed to get farther away and the flames started tearing at the hem of my clothes. I could feel the heat through the earth now. Run, I told myself until suddenly, something snatched me by the shirt from the darkness and a coolness washed over me.

I sat up with a gasp and I found Blaze sitting by my side, his face wet with tears and his tangled hair covering his eyes.

Something stung in my hand and I realised I had crushed the gem to pieces and my hand was bloody. The colour had left the gem and it became a parade of grey rocks.

Blaze looked up at me and We both gasped and pointed at each other's faces at the same time.
" Your eyes!" We both said.

One of Blaze's eyes had gone purple and the other remained as the cool blue and I don't mean like a black eye from a punch, his iris was literally purple.

I got my phone out and looked at it.

The swirling colours and patterns had vanished from the screen and I unlocked my phone easily.

When I saw my reflection in the dark screen, I dropped it in horror. One of my eyes had gone purple too and the other remained a warm hazel.

Blaze kept watching me tentatively. I looked back at him.
He started reaching for my hands but I flinched away from him. I couldn't touch him after how he'd tricked me. He used me. He never meant us to be anything. He was just following orders from his father.

I stood up without Blaze's help and looked at Hemlock who stood panic stricken.

" You were saying?" I said with a smirk. I felt much braver. Like I'd never been afraid of anything in my entire life.

I started walking towards Hemlock.

" If you ever thought you could control the world then you're wrong. Imperfection is what makes this world perfect. People make this world perfect, their mistakes, their ignorance, everything they do is what makes them human and you can never take that away." I said boldly.

The people around him had started becoming aware of their surroundings and were starting to wonder how they'd gotten here in the first place.

" Listen up everyone!" I shouted. " This man right here has used this -  I raised the broken gem in my hand so everyone could see - to control you and ever since, you've been doing some crazy stuff. So, how about we give this fella a taste of his own medicine?" I finished.

People started frowning in concentration. Then they started advancing at him and all I saw was a mass of people closing in on Hemlock before I turned around and started walking away.