19. The Truth Lays Within

10 0 0
                                    

Braiden

Do you know what it feels like to be having dejja vu in a dream?  Yeah, well, It's not exactly what I'd call enjoyable.  Time's spinning in circles and making me dizzy when suddenly, It came to a grinding stop in the middle of an all-too familiar event.  I was sitting cross-legged on the cabin floor Adelaine dragged us to, sobbing my eyes out with a gun at my side.  Savannah was there too, her chocolate-brown irises unfocused and unresponsive like she'd been through a horrible trauma.  "Although you will not understand this until the time comes, she is our only hope of destroying him.  And so it seems, you are too, my beautiful love." Noah said.

He kissed me then-or the past version of me-but I could sense the memory of  It.  Addictive passion laced with softness, as if a feather landed on my lips.  Never missing a beat, Noah's fingers snapped as he said: "I love you,"  and I replied to that with a simple, "Forever."

Once again, time spun out of control but something weird took place this whirl around.  I screamed like a freak-show, until Noah's voice presented itself inside my head.  He didn't say what I'd thought he would say, though. "Are you ready, love?  The sacrifice must be made, I'm so sorry."

That's when I woke up.  Blinking, I envisioned blood behind these eyelids, so much blood.  Also, I think I heard someone crying, gut-wrenching sobs that tear at my soul I fear I'm breaking apart.  The first person I see is Alanna, red-eyed fire and an emotion close to grief behind them, there's furry below the surface as well.  Images flashed faster than I could track, however the jist was clear.

 Looking at Noah beside me I traced circles down his back and body, six-packed abs and all.  My man could rival Charlie Mathews if he tried, although Charlie's sexy as hell.  Excusing myself from our little sanctuary Noah calls a bed, I slip out without making a peep.  Once in the doorway, my fingertips went up to my lips and I kissed them, close enough to the bed that I gently placed one on his temple-a silent goodbye.  "Wish me luck, love," I whisper as I call a green portal over by my side and stepped in.  

* * *

Savannah

Being incarcerated within your own head is as if you're screaming, but no one can hear.  Deep-seated shallow emptiness is all you allow yourself to feel, because anything else is honestly pointless.  When someone betrays your-not-so-easily-given trust, It's a natural instinct of you to want that door permanently closed.  I've been chained up like a wild animal for a while now, in close quarters with a overflowing trash-can.  Gross, really, did Jake think I would actually croke because of a damn trash-can?  Idiot!  It does smell like piss, though.  Ugh!

But enough about that.  Trapped in a vacant garage about as homey as a steel gate, my mouth felt sealed shut like tape was wounded around it. In result of Jake regaining his body back from Lucien, I now have zero idea where the lonely,but caring hell king ended up. Jake's footfalls are loud enough that an echo sounded in contrast from the once-quiet, vastly intimidating space with seemingly no escape route.   He stands there impassively, just appearing like he's awaiting somebody's arrival.

Seconds later, an excruciating pain enveloped my entire being like a cold, dead hug of a thousand pissed off Souls.  Afterward, the garage door opened with the creak of an old ladies' spine and the woman I've called mom my whole life strode inside, appearing less than humble.  She even sneered at me: as if I don't mean anything to her anymore, like I'm an object she can dispose of whenever it's necessary.   Her blond hair hangs in lose waves around that backstabbing witch's head, cascading near the shoulders.  

"Well, would you look at that?  The great Savannah, daughter of Alexander Charleston, bested by us weaklings.  How strange because we were under the impression that you are somehow stronger than any other Soul," Jake bows his head in false wonderment, his blue button-up T-shirt torn in the middle.  "Hmm, interesting.  Patricia, darling, would you be so kind as to do the honors? I wouldn't want our guest to escape under these circumstances," a devious grin showed on his face that looked more like carved stone had imprinted itself deeply in his features.  Patricia stepped up to the challenge then, a calculated smile plastered on her red lips.
Comprised of a matching red dress and...(high-heals?) like she's going clubbing or something, her palm comes,to rest on my forehead. Immediately following that peculiar action, I began screeching as if something foreign invaded my body; like a snake slithering through blood. Inevitably the invisible reptile must have slipped somewhere up near brain cells because the convulsions started.
"Why are you doing this? I did nothing wrong!" Although declaring my innocence helped little in convincing them, it somehow ebbed away fear. "Please, like you don't know what was done mercilessly by your own hands. Traitor," Patricia spat, her appearance more hurt than angry now. With the explosion in this head worsening and unrelenting, add Jake"s right hand to the mixture of diplomacy pounding at the base of my skull and we"re a storm of predator and prey.
Just when the pain became too much to bear, a monstrous growl sounded from out of nowhere followed in sync with a massive white-furred, golden-eyed wolf almost strutting outside the emerald portal. Thanks to the floorboards being patted, my captors were currently oblivious that anyone had entered the garage-let alone a glorious wolf.  

The wolf pounced on them both simultaneously and claws engage in war with hands as Patricia but also Jake try feebly to gain ground.  Claws tear into clothes feverishly and without mercy, a trait that both terrifies along with the chill of a thrill.  Blood sprouted from the wolf's muzzle to its snout, much like Alanna's eyes.  I find I'm transfixed by the mere sight of this gruesome scene, then the beautiful wolf did a strange thing: it smiled victoriously at me.  Or rather, she did. "Holy shit, Braiden?  Is that you?' I wondered aloud.

She transformed into her Soul form dressed in black slacks customized with designer boots and smiled once more, the exception being it was somber.  "I never got to say a proper thank you for believing in me even when I didn't.  There are not many words to express my gratitude towards you, Savannah.  So, without further adieu, here goes nothing," she pulls me in for a hug, her cheek pressed against my shoulder and arms wrapped around back.  "Thanks for having faith in such a broken shell-of-a-girl like me.  You were unbelievably kind, patient and loyal.  I couldn't ask a better person to be called my friend."  Braiden untangled her arms from mine, slowly backing away as if she's prolonging this moment.  Pushing buttons on the garage door in order to pry the metal thing open, it squeaked but finally, automatically sprang up and over, revealing a dark starless night.

Save the bright  illuminating light overshadowing the depressing night skyline, it's pretty bleak out there.  "A wise man told me that the greatest form of love is sacrifice, and I fell madly in love with that man.  If it so happens I don't get a opportunity to convey that significant message across, will you please say he must live for both of us?" Braiden asked wistfully.  I must have come off as mildly confused because she continues speaking in a hushed tone.  "You'll understand soon enough. I'll see you on the flip-side, girlfriend." She waves at me through tear-filled eyes as she steps closer into the white light with peace.  "Noo, Braiden, don't!" I scream.

But it was too late.  Memory after memory assaulted my head like a bittersweet symphony of songs, fragments piecing themselves together like puzzles.  I passed out on the concrete floor, too overwhelmed to do not much else but fall.  Fall and re-live death.  

"The Sacrifice:;The Sacrifice Trilogy"[Book 1.]Where stories live. Discover now