The Rosewood Prophecy

Chapter 32

                                                                            Aaron

"INDIGO! NO!!" I barreled out of the forest and jumped off my horse mid-gallop, almost falling flat on my face. In a tangle of limbs and clothes I managed to get up and grab Indigo's hand that was still gripping the sword.

"What are you doing?!" I nearly screamed.

"Stop it, Aaron! Just leave me! Just let me kill myself!" Indigo yelled, tears running down her face. She wrenched her arm from my grip suddenly, and her blade swung in an arc. I leaned back to narrowly avoid having my head chopped off.

Meanwhile, Indigo had scurried away from me. I began to run towards her, but Indigo placed her sword on her neck and threatened me: "Come any closer and I swear I'll kill myself!" I halted, standing about fifteen feet away from her. Indigo looked haunted; her pale face looked ghastly in the dim forest, and her eyes were filled to the brim with tears. A mad fire danced in her eyes, and her hair hung down in wet strands, giving her the appearance of a mad woman.

"Indigo, please, don't do this," I begged. "Why did you run away? Why are you doing this?"

"Aaron, please, just go. Just leave me alone and don't look back!" Indigo's gaze pleaded with me, her face torn apart with grief and pain.

"Indigo, why would—"

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Indigo screamed, and then she began sobbing. Her entire body trembled.

"Indigo, you know I wouldn't hurt you," I said softly, taking a tentative step forward. Indigo stepped back. I decided to take a different approach. "Okay, I won't go forward anymore. Why did you run?"

"I'm a horrible, horrible person," she whispered, her eyes haunted. "You guys were afraid of me. You guys were ready to fight me. I don't deserve to stay. I deserve to die."

"Don't say that, Indigo, no one deserves to die." I frowned slightly. "Especially not you."

"No, you don't get it Aaron. I'm a horrible person. I'm worse than Lord Victor. I don't have the face to live anymore."

"Indigo, you know that's not true," I coaxed gently. "You're not horrible. You're definitely not worse than Lord Victor."

"Aaron don't you get it? I killed Katherine! I killed her when she didn't do anything to me! I killed an innocent girl! I'm a monster!" Indigo let loose an ear-piercing scream into the air, full of anguish and pain. Thunder rumbled overhead, as if the heavens were confirming her words.

For once, I was at a loss for words. What do I say? What can I say? The pain and guilt and grief were written all over Indigo's face, and she was drowning in her sea of emotions. Her shoulders were shaking with sobs, and her clothes were soaked through with rain. How long had she been out here?

"Indigo, we're not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. You're still the same person. It wasn't you fault."

Indigo shook her head. "It was my fault. You don't know what I saw, Aaron. You don't know of the whispers in my head or the darkness in my soul. It was my fault." She tightened her grip on the sword. "Aaron, I pass my leadership to you. Lead the group to Devil's Peak, and defeat Lord Victor. Tell my parents, and Katherine's family, that I'm sorry."

"What?! Indigo, no, please!" I had a bad feeling of what she was going to do. "I can't take it. You're the leader, you must lead us!"

"No, Aaron, I can't. Not anymore. Tell the others that it was never my intention for us to end like this, and that they were the best friends I could ask for." Indigo's teary eyes found mine. "Please, Aaron. Do this for me. I never asked for anything. If you truly care about me, please just...just let me do what I have to do."