The Monster Within Me

Anger

Who is this girl? What is the power that she holds? Where does this group live? When will she come? Why can't the queen and king just stop to Getre? How will Atlantis be saved? All of this and more runs through my head as I lie in my bed, trying to sleep. But even with the room pitch black, my mind refuses calm down. Thoughts run around as if they are in a never ending race. My mother. My father. Emily. Autumn. Gems. Emily. Eliza. Charles. Ocean. Above. Elizabeta. Mandy. Everyone is in my dreams tonight.

When I wake up in my bed, I am sweating and slightly shaking. And I don't know why. I don't know a lot of things. I need more time. I hear someone moving outside. I really don't want to see Eliza right now. I don't want to see anyone right now. But I still call out "Who is it?"

"It just so happens to be the one and only.............King CHARLES!" Charles says in a grand voice. I can't help it, and I laugh. Charles slides open the door, and strikes a dramatic pose. "Elizabeth told me she told you the truth. Why we really can't let you leave the castle."

"Well-" I say.

"Alissa..." King Charles says, stren. I didn't really get an answer. "Alissa, that is all we can tell you."

"I really don't want to talk about it. I still need to think about it." He nods, and crosses the room and opens my closet door. He disappears inside for a moment, and reappears with a bright yellow dress that reminds of sunlight. Sunlight. I haven't seen sunlight in 6 years. Not since the night that I dove into the ocean, my spine still shivering from the figure I had seen on the Island.

"Alissa. Why don't you wear this bright dress. Your royal father is concerned about you" Charles says. He throws the dress onto my bed and walks over to the door. "Come down for breakfast, Alissa." And with that, He shuts the door and leaves the room. But something is bothering me. He called himself my royal father. If he was, he wouldn't keep me locked up in a castle. But he's not my father. He's only my foster. My real father is Dead, but Alive in my heart. And no one, even if they were as amazing as Charles, can replace my father in my mind. Nothing can replace my life Above. Down here, things may be cool, but my home is on land. Getting up, I undress, then slip the bright dress over my head. It's simple. I love it. Before I leave my room, I take a look in the mirror, or as they call it in Atlantis, the Mansor. Chestnut Hair, icy blue eyes, and just a couple freckles, scattered here and there. My pale skins seems to glow in the bright yellow dress. I smile at myself, happy to see that even in the darkest hour, I can still find the light within, and leave the room. I walk to the Ohaka, hungry for something other than sadness. I throw open the Atlantis version of French Doors and call out "I am Here! And I am Hungry!"

"Come sit down before your pasaceks, your pancakes go cold!" Eliza says, " And I love your dress!" I laugh, all tension and anger from last night gone. I practically inhale my pasaceks, and tune out Eliza's and Charles's conversation until a word catches my attention. It's my name. Charles said it in a hushed tone, as if he was worried someone would hear. I lay my fork down and strain to hear the rest of the conversation.

"She doesn't know the danger we're in." Eliza whispers. For a moment, I can feel the telltale shiver on my neck the means someone's looking at me.

"Shh. She might hear." Charles drops his voice even lower. "How can we be sure she will never-- Will she leave us to go find the missing girls?"

"She will. I know her as well as I know my own heart, even if she doesn't know it." Eliza admits.

"The plan has to be kept! She cannot leave the castle, not even go to a balcony. If she sees-!" Charles says, urgency in his voice. to Eliza. Something goes off in my brain. Losing my freedom? Never. I may have lost almost everything, but my freedom... it is the one thing I have complete control over. I finally speak up.

"If you're going to talk about me, don't do it in front of me. And why can't I leave anymore at all?" I say with as much courage as I can muster. Eliza and Charles dart up from their hunched over positions and guiltily look at me, their blue eyes not quite meeting mine.

"Acting as your parents-" Eliza begins

"YOU ARE NOT MY PARENTS!" I scream, having been pushed past the edge.

"We're as good as!" Charles says, trying to calm me down.

"SHUT UP! YOU ARE NOT MY PARENTS. YOU ARE NOT EVEN AS GOOD AS. YOU WILL NEVER BE! THEY WILL NEVER BE REPLACED. AND I WILL NEVER, EVER, IN ALL MY WAKING MOMENTS IN THIS WORLD BE LOCKED UP IN THIS CASTLE. YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO. YOU-You aren't my parents." I scream, nearly in tears. I can't do this anymore. I can't be someone I'm not.

"Alissa!" Eliza says, astonished

"I can't-I'm so sorry." Running towards the door, tears blind my sight.