Rise of the Unknown

Chapter 12

Link dropped Polaris at a side of an old truck. She knew that he heard something, so she listened. She heard nothing… However, the moment he put her down, she felt the horrible smell of death and fire. She stirred and took a step forward, Link stopped her.

“You are NOT going anywere. Stay here hun!” He whispered harshly while sitting her down on the ground. She looked at him with confusion in her dark eyes. He shook his head and walked away from her. The moment he disappeared, she stood up. She felt her head spin and her view became unclear. She was getting weaker with each second.

She took few stronger breaths and waited until she was stable once more; then she took a small step and started walking towards the way Link left. 

There was a black smoke few feet away from her and that was also where the smell came from. She shook her head and walked closer. She had a bad feeling about this whole situation and she felt her heart beat faster. She stood few feet behind Link and took a deep breath. Then she saw him, Shade.

He was raised high above the smoke by a sharp vain. She cried loudly and caught Link looking back at her. She moved next to him and looked at Shade. she knew he saw her and that he was in pain. This hurt her and she wanted to help him, she didn’t know how.

At this moment he fell… She cried and moved even more forward. Link tried to stop her, but she did not let him.

“EMMA DON’T!” Polaris shouted into the smoke, somehow she felt that her sister was in there. She was so afraid for her and for the lovely boy. When she heard the laugh Emma gave her, her blood stirred.

“Why if it isn’t the little star!” Emma’s voice sounded from the dark mist. It was so dry and sharp that Polaris felt sick from hearing it. “Lost your glow?” Emma laughter surrounded the space around Polaris. She saw the smoke surround her and stepped back to not be comsumed.

“Shade!” Link shouted behind her and ran to the right of the mist where the boy was lying.

“Please Emma. Sister don’t do this! Think of Manny! Of your father!” Polaris shouted hopefully and watched Emma come out of the fog. She was different. She was dark and Polaris knew it the moment she saw her. Emma changed. Her cheeks were not rosy, they collapsed slightly, giving her the look of a phantom. Her face became olive, with unhealthy look. Her eyes were dark and they were highlighted by a dark lines around them; Emma never wore make-up. She looked like a starving child from the 18th century London Streets. What happened to her? The evil spring sprite did not smile. She had anger on her face.

“NO! THEY CAN BOTH DROWN  IN A LAKE!” Polaris gasped remembering it as a way of Jack’s death. How could Emma say something like that? “I think only one person not. And that person is ME. What good has Manny done you? You hate him remember. He doesn’t care for you or me. If he did, he wouln’t have dragged me into this mess.” Polaris remembered that Manny did love them and he did care. 

“Emma, Manny loves me. He loves you. so does your father.”

“MY FATHER LEFT ME! If he loved me he wouldn’t have died!”

“He loved you, Emma. He’s the one who summoned me.”

“LIAR!” Polaris stepped back and looked at her best friend. She had to stop her. This was not Emma.

Polaris concentrated all the power and life she had left. This was not Emma… Emma would not hurt anyone… Especially not the boy Polaris loved. She had to stop the spring sprite, but she could not hurt her… So she did what she knew best, she hoped. She hoped for her sister to come back and for her love to be safe.

“Your father loves you! He couldn’t decide when to die…”

“But he died, didn’t he? Besides, my ‘sister’… Why do you care? I don’t recall you having the best father experience.”