Room of Jars: Cassandra (Book One)

The Final Chapter

I watched Jacks hand tremble as he reached for the Crimson colored curtain. His handsome features were closed and confused when he moved the curtain aside to reveal a blank wall.
"Well, that's depressing" he grumbled, allowing the curtain to fall quickly back into place.
He turned to me then, his dark eyes looking hurt as he then stepped aside to let me try. I lifted the curtain, revealing the room of jars hiding there behind it.
"Good luck my dear, you'll need it. " Mary whispered behind me as i took a step into the room.
Jacks hand quickly took my arm before i could walk through and was pulling me back towards him. Alarmed, I pulled against him, not sure if he was trying to stop me or not. I had my answer the moment his lips connected with mine. I was melting again, feeling nothing but the wonderful feeling of floating. He gently let me go and stepped back, pressing his forehead to mine.
"You fill my emptiness; I will always be with you. " his words struck me hard.
My chest hurt and i felt like my soul was actually being torn from my body.
I moved the curtain once more and stepped inside the room of jars, letting the curtain close, traping me inside alone. I was locked in. The sound of my pounding heart and labored breath the only sounds in the room besides a small crackle from a wick of the candles that lit the room.
Pulling the lighter I had borrowed from Jack without him knowing it out of my pocket, I also pulled out the three rings Jack had passed me at Abes. This was it. This was the moment to end it all. I ran my free hand along one of the shelves that was only partially filled with small, seemingly empty, corked, glass jars. The shelves were wood; old and dry. I placed the three rings on the empty spot and paused, starting at one in particular. I picked it up and stuck it in my pocket. Call me selfish, but at this moment I had nothing else, and this would be my memory to keep forever by my side.
I flicked the lighter till a small flame lit and I held it under the wooden shelf where the two rings sat. The shelf caught fire instantly.
Steping back, I felt relieved as I watched the fire begin to spread up the surrounding shelves on the wall. That's when I heard the clapping behind me.
Before I could spin around and face my attacker, I felt their fingers wrap into my hair and tug my head back, my body following the violent motion. I let out a yell as I was dragged to the middle of the room and forcefully thrown to the floor.
"You really thought this would work you stupid girl? " Abes voice was low and terrifying as I lifted my head to look up into his angry face, his tan, ringless hand was pointing at me, "you really think I would only allow one person in this room? "
I was trying to get to my feet when he kicked me in the side and I smashed into a wall of jars across the room, shattering a great amount of them as the shelves collapsed against my body. It was then I noticed, as I laid surrounded by the broken glass, there were tiny flickers of white lights, like lightening bugs, vanishing into the air. The souls were being released!
"Abe, please this had to stop. It had to end! " I coughed trying to lift myself off the ground.
He laughed at me, "this will never end! There has to be good and evil; there has to be a collector or this world would not exist without the balance!" He came to my side and grabbed me by my hair again, lifting me to my feet and spinning me around to look at the wall of jars that was on fire, "do you think I stole these souls? No! They came to me under their own will wanting more for themselves! " he yelled in my ear and I flinched at his words, watching as the fire sparked with white lights as the jars melted, releasing more souls.
"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. I knew you would manipulate Jack, the way your mother manipulated me!" His breath was hot against my already burning cheeks.
He tossed me aside again into another wall of jars. The shattering glass was loud in my ears as I shut my eyes trying to block the pain out.
"Well then my mother had the right idea, " I groaned as I rolled onto my side and saw the wooden box that held the thin blade inside of it lying right next to me.
"Your mother was a whore! She couldn't keep her legs closed for me, and traded her soul for it! Then she couldn't live with herself after she fucked Rapha thinking he was any better!"
I reached into the box and pulled the blade out slowly, trying not to draw his attention as he lifted his hands towards the wall of fire that had replaced the jars and, some how, extinguished the fire. I let out a small cry at the sight of the destroyed shelving no longer on fire.
"No! Stop! "
Abes hands were on his hips as he assessed the damage of the wall and empty shelves. That's when I saw the change in him. The way his body hunched, his shoulders slumped forward with age. His skin was no longer as taught as it had been, liver and age spots were covering his arms and face. His eyes and lips were severely wrinkled when he turned to look at me.
"It's nothing I can't get back" his teeth were yellow as his dried lips pulled back from them.
Abe came to my side slowly, he seemed exhausted when he reached me, and then looked pained as he knelt beside me. His arthritic hands and curled fingers ran over my face and hair.
"Imagine my surprise though, when Rapha told me you were my daughter, " his green eyes, much more dull than before, studied my face, "a beautiful, soulless daughter. Born just like me; to a powerful father and a soulless, whore mother. " his tongue clicked against his sunken cheek as he lifted a piece of my hair and twirled it around his crooked finger.
"I have a soul. "
"No you don't. That's why you're here now," he motiomed to the room surrounding us, " 'only one without a soul can become the collector'" he quoted.
"But Jack-"
"Mr Antiqueran was a very big pawn in my plan, "
When I looked confused he laughed, "he gave up his soul begging me to save his life. I knew about you even though Tiffany kept you from me. I knew Jack would fall for you, and I planted the idea of ending this all; the idea of being empty and needing to be released," his laugh was dry and crackling just like his skin, "he fell perfectly for it. It's not him I wanted released, he will always be the collector, even if I'm not the one he collects for. "
I gripped the handle of the blade tighter in my hand, angered by his words about Jack, and I shoved it fast and hard into Abes chest with a cry. He was silent for a moment, his eyes looking from me to the blade in his chest before an eerie smile crept across his face.
"You are a very silly girl. I just told you this wouldn't end, that it can't," he coughed and blood splattered from his mouth into my face, "I gladly relinquish my power to you..." he coughed again and leaned forward to kiss my forehead, "my daughter and predecessor. "
The moment he lifted his lips off my forehead a blinding white light engulfed us both and I shrieked as pain enveloped my whole body.