Surviving the Dark

Chapter 32 - Moonstones

Authors note

I know most of you have read this chapter, but please read again. I have added to it. When I posted the other day my head said it was a good idea to split the chapter plot into 2 parts. Wasn't until later did I decide that it was a bad idea.

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As the eclipse started and I walked away from my new family, I started to become numb.

I followed the Black Eyes, until we reached the Coolabah tree. With the moon coming in front of the sun, it had gotten darker. Almost as if the sun had past behind a cloud, just on a much darker scale.

The dark expressions on the faces of the three Black Eyes told me something was wrong. That maybe I hadn't been surviving but rather prolonging the inevitable.

"So Princess, this is where our little deal ends." The leader turns and faces me.

"What? No! We had a deal, I come with you and you leave Xavier alone."

"Oh, we are going to keep that part of the deal. We wont touch the boy. As for you, well this is where you end."

"Y-you can't do this!" I scream at them. "What about the balance?"

"But we can. We don't care about the balance and so long as that brother of yours does what he is told and keeps his bracelet on, he wont be harmed and your precious nature wont grow anymore. At least not rapidly with your kinds help."

"You will never be able to stop nature. Even if I am not around and Zae keeps his promise."

"If we have anything to do with it, this preserve is going to be no more and that is just the beginning."

I swallow the lump in my throat. No matter what I said to them, I was going to die. They would never listen to reason.

With tears sliding down my face, I start to hum the lullaby my parents sang to me when I was young and scared.

"Stop your humming. Its doing my head in." The young girl spits at me. She can't be much older than Zae, yet she talks as if she is older than me. A leader in training I guess.

I am bound to the tree and lanterns are lit around the tree, casting enough light for the Black Eyed Soulless Shadows to shift into their deadly fog.

More of them moved out of the shadows and into the light. If I had a plan, I wouldn't be able to take on the amount of them that now surround me. I was utterly terrified, closing my eyes and still humming the lullaby to myself. I was retreating within myself again, trying to soften the blow of what's to come.

"Isadora!" Their shouts brought me back from shutting off.

My eyes snap open and I see Liv rushing in with Jamie helping Zae walk, not far behind her.

"Guys why are you here? You need to leave." I desperately shout at them.

"No, Izzie, we told you that you are not alone. We are not letting you go." Fresh tears form in my eyes and spill over.

"Well isn't this nice." The girl states. "They've come to watch you die."

"Isa!" Zae tries to get to me but falls over as soon as he lets go of Jamie. He lifts his head and meets my eye.

"Jamie get him out of here! All of you go! You don't need to see this." Jamie already helping Zae up looks at me, not moving. "GO!"

They don't move. At least not to leave, all they do is help Xavier stand up. The panic and fear radiating off them all. But it's the look of terror and helplessness in Xavier's violet eyes that breaks my heart.