The Pariah

Chapter 25

Heads up.

Erin talks about her suicide experience. So if you don't like that, keep an eye out for the warning I'm gonna put up again so you don't have to read that part.

Chapter Song: Shinedown - Enemies

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Taurus was silent next to me on the bus ride. The bus was populated by other competitors. But they were all mostly occupied by simply being silent the whole ride. Taurus seemed used to this by now. He had his phone in his right hand, with one earbud in his right ear. He didn't seem at all stressed out. But here I am, nearly hyperventilating. I should have never agreed to do this.

A hand tugged on my shirt behind me and I figured whoever it was just accidentally touched me. So I blew it off and stayed sitting still. Then it happened again and I realized whoever it was was trying to get my attention.

I turn in the seat to address whoever it was that was sitting behind me.

"Jones?!" I whispered violently.

She held a finger to her lips and glanced all around.

"What the fuck are you doing here? How'd you get on here?"

"I'm a fucking soul eater, I can do things. Listen," she leaned in closer so she wouldn't have to speak so loudly. "I found something out. It's something huge. But you gotta be careful. Your pal sitting next to you is gonna be your assassin in this fight. Don't lose your guard around him." She leaned back to let some guy walk past us in the isle. She came back as soon as he was far enough away. "Plus, don't trust the judges. Eclipse has them under his thumb."

"They're spies for Cerberus?"

"No. There are other kinds of people that know about the Pariah. People who believe that the Pariah is an omen and believe your death is our remedy." She brings her hand up to cup around her mouth as she adds. "Skies, listen to me... the last challenge, look under the floor. Okay? It's hard to explain. But look under the floor in the last challenge."

I opened my mouth to ask what Jones meant by that when the horn honked on the bus and the bus driver yelled out. I was so startled, I whipped my head around. I sighed and looked back to where Jones was supposed to be sitting. But she wasn't. The seat was empty.

Under the floor? I wanted Jones to explain what she meant by that but I knew she couldn't. Or wouldn't. Whatever. Just another puzzle to solve. Did I expect to stay here after solving Hazel's case? Hell no, as a matter of fact, I was fully set on not being around after I found out. I figured if I had at least known, maybe then I could have some kind of closure and would be able to move on from this. Maybe, just maybe.

Had I known I was this all powerful Pariah whom every mystical being is either out to kill me or help me, to be completely honest... I wouldn't have come. But then again, maybe just knowing Hazel was murdered by someone from this realm... maybe I would still come. Maybe. I didn't enjoy knowing I was the Pariah. It didn't make me feel like I had loads of awesome power. No, I felt like thousands of lives, no... more than that, billions of lives are resting in my hands. And if I make one wrong move, it's over. Not just for me. But for everyone else. My decisions impact everyone else.

Goddess... had I known that fact back then... I wouldn't have tried to kill myself.

(Remember that warning? Here it is, so beware.)

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It was about a month or two after the funeral when I quit my job. I was staying in a crappy apartment just across the street from where I worked. In this small town, news travels fast. So my boss didn't question it or even yell at me. He just let it go, which was so unlike his character because he was harsh on everyone who worked there. Hell, even some of the homeless people knew to avoid me that day. Maybe I just had this aura of depression around me.