The Rise of The Powers vol. 1

Chapter 27: My Mother in Heaven

Chapter 27:My Mother in Heaven

I would like to say that the walk to my death was a pleasant walk, but of course it wasn't. We stumbled through the Forest: Saphara, Adonis, Sinoda, Ahilian, and I.

Soren saw me and laughed. "Why you've changed so much you little prick. I remember when you were just your father's little crying baby."

That made me gulp. Soren--and all the Powers--knew me when I was a baby, and well for as long as I've lived really. I had always worked at The House of Edinite with no one else. I had never really thought about it before, but now it made sense.

But I brushed it off. I would not show weakness around them. I looked Soren straight in the eye. "Look who's talking."

Surprisingly that actually made Soren back off for now. I smiled at my comeback.

Saphara looked over at me with a look of betrayal. I gaped. Did she think that I had done this?

No. It wasn't me who did this. This was Lilith's doing.

All of this was Lilith's fault. But then again, I had been with Lilith. I should have known better not to trust a Power. I should have been able to stop her, to fight her off.

So was all this my fault?

No.

I refused to think like that. It wouldn't do anyone any good.

We walked the rest of the way in an eerie silence. When we finally made it to the border of the Empire I couldn't hold it back any longer.

This place held too much pain, held too many memories that pulled on the strings of my heart, taunting and haunting me, willing me to break; urging me to let it all go, and fall apart at the seams. So I caved in.

I let out a long and mournful howl. That stopped everyone in their tracks. They stared and gawked, but then their eyes glazed over and they just kept moving.

I hadn't known many people back when I lived in the Empire. You weren't supposed to know people. Weren't supposed to make friends. You didn't go to school. You just went to worship then your job. The only person I really had ever known before all of this was Mrs. Whitings and that's why when I saw her strolling down the street, her eyes milky white, glancing at me once then turning away as if she had never seen me, before I lost it.

I punched Soren in the face. Hard. So hard I felt the blood in his nose ooze out onto my knuckles.

I ran toward Mrs. Whitings, tears streaming down my face; clutching at my cramping side.

"Mrs. Whitings!" I called, gasping and crying, and choking over my own spit. "Mrs. Whitings it's me! It's me Duke!"

Her milky white eyes glazed over me and she smiled. One of those fake smiles that shows your just trying to move along and this annoying person stopped you. "Well, hi there, Duke. It's nice to meet you. Are you from somewhere out of town?"

Her innocent smile blared down at me. My happiness was wiped from me as if someone had slapped me across the face. "You--you don't recognize me?" I said my voice shaking. This couldn't be it. The Powers couldn't have done this to me.

But they had.

They had everyone memories of me erased from the mind's of the people in the Empire. They no longer recognized me. No longer knew who I was.

"Mrs. Whitings!", a small voice squeaked, a tiny yell, from across the street, "why you're back from work early today." A little boy darted across the road smiling, a gap-toothed smiling.  He looked at me. "Why who's this?"

Mrs. Whitings smiled that awful smile. "Flint, this is Duke, he's new here. Duke, this is Flint, my son."

My son . . .

No.

No they didn't.

She replaced me.

The Powers replaced me.

"Mrs. Whitings!" I screamed tears falling down my face like a flooding river. I shook Mrs.Whitings shoulders, jarring her. "Please listen to me! You know who I am! It's me Duke! Your son!"

For just one second the milkiness in Mrs. Whitings eyes was gone. Recognition showed all over her face. She looked like a normal human being, not a brainless, soulless clone. Her voice came out in barely a whisper. "Duke?"

Essence growled from a few feet away. "That's it. Enough everyone. Soren you finish this thing off. She is of no importance." Essence flashed me a pearly-white teethed smile. "Everyone else come with me." She paused and stared into each and everyone of our eyes.

 "You are about to die."