The Evil Within-The Final Showdown

Warfare

"Daddy?" Lily whimpered.

I stood up slowly, scarcely believing what I was seeing. I was at home in the main hallway, sunlight flooding in from the overhead windows. As it always did. But there stood Lily in her favourite white dress which I had bought for her as a special gift for her birthday, her auburn hair cascading past her shoulders in ringlets. She was here as she would always be, waiting eagerly for me to return from work. She would always rush down the hallway and barrel her way into me for a hug. Except this time she stood still, wavering slightly, her face stained with tears.

"Daddy," Lily said again. "Where have you been?"

I didn't know how to answer. Lily had come back to me. But how? My heart demanded me to immediately comfort my crying daughter despite the raging questions that swirled in my mind. I carefully took some steps toward her.

"Lily," I finally answered. "I never left. I have been here the whole time, waiting for you."

"You came back home," she started to cry again. "You never left me."

"Sweetie," I outstretched my arms for her, "I would never leave you. Not in a million years."

With a cry, Lily ran into my arms and immediately, I encircled her. In seconds, I was in tears. My daughter whom had been ripped away from me prematurely at the hands of Ruvik had come back. The fire had never occurred and here she was, alive and well in my arms. So why was an echo of warning radiating through my head? It must be the shock of disbelief, I thought.

"I missed you, Daddy," Lily gave a sob.

"Not as much as I missed you," I returned, allowing to tears to fall freely.

"Why are you crying, Daddy?" Lily wiped one of my tears away.

"Because I missed you more than anything in this world," I stroked her hair. "You finally came back to me. I love you, Lily."

"I love you too, Daddy," Lily finally broke out into the smile that I loved. "To the moon and back."

"Well, I love you to the moon, around the universe and to infinity,"  I smiled back at her before scooping her up and spinning her around. Lily gave a shriek of delight and laughed, her clear beautiful voice echoing in the hallway.

"Can we play, Daddy?" Lily asked as I set her back down.

"Of course," I resumed stroking her hair. "We can play as long as you want,"

Lily gave me another one of her sweet, endearing smiles, "I would like that."

Suddenly, her face fell and she stared at the floor.

"Lily?" I asked in concern. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Why didn't you save me?" she said, quietly.

"What?"

To my absolute horror, flames rose out of the hardwood floor and began to consume her. I screamed in terror as it wreaked its damage across her flesh but not mine despite my hands were still on her. The white lace dress turned to black as smoke choked the air.

"You let me die, Daddy," Lily just said, her eyes back on me. "But it's not your fault. It's because of him."

"Lily!" I screamed. "No!!!"

But once again, it was too late. All that was left of my precious child was black, smouldering ash. I gave a scream of pain and anguish, the tears beginning to descend once more. I closed my eyes and screamed, hoping I would eventually wake up from this never-ending nightmare. I had lost her all over again. And failed to save her all over again. I was a terrible father, I decided. The night of the tragedy despite I was speeding home with a hysterical Myra, I didn't make it on time. The house had been reduced to rubble and Lily was nothing more than charred remains. The brief flicker of happiness I had felt in that moment had gone up in the flames. My heart throbbed painfully as I felt a fresh wave of grief and guilt. I screamed until my throat was raw and the last tear had fallen. My hands brushed up against the ash but instead of the fine, powdery matter, I felt what seemed like material. I opened my eyes and almost screamed again when I saw I was touching the stained, ripped cloak of Ruvik. There he stood in front of me, his lips curled into a satisfied smirk. No longer as Leslie but himself. His fingers laced themselves around my wrist as he stared intensely into my eyes.