Gifted

Part 78: Deadend

We finally reached the end of the hallway. There were two huge wooden doors that stood out among the rest. We opened them without hesitation and raced inside. We found ourselves standing on a small platform. As the doors closed behind us, they faded and disappeared, so that there was nothing but our small floating platform, darkness and the demon that was once Jordan Ark standing before us, snarling with its one arm protruding from its chest.

"There she is!" Casper cried. "Let's do this." Casper lifted his palm and the platform expanded. More platforms forming stepping stones appeared all around us. Casper could create walls out of nothing. Jordan roared and made a fist with her one hand. Casper grabbed me and we leaped onto another platform as Jordan destroyed ours with her fist. The platform shattered then disappeared into the darkness. "Be careful." Casper said as we regained our balance. "If she touches you, you'll contract Leprous." he reminded me. I nodded. I looked up into the ruby red eyes of my friend and called to her.

"Jordan! It's me, Nora! Your best friend!" I yelled in desperation. My voice made a strange echo in the darkness. "Don't you remember me?" I called. The more I tried, the more enraged Jordan seemed to become. She roared once again, made a fist and aimed to destroy the platform. Casper leaped in front of me and made a wall that shielded us from Jordan's punch. The wall broke in twos and disintegrated. My heart sank. "Jordan! Don't you understand me?" I called once again. Casper shielded us from another attack, but this time Jordan's hit was far more powerful. We fell onto another platform below.

"Don't give up, Nora! Keep trying!" Casper encouraged as he climbed his appearing platforms towards Jordan.

"Jordan! Stop! This isn't you!" I screamed. Casper battled the demon viciously as I stood alone on the platform below. "Don't you remember what it's like to be human?" I tried again.

"Come on, listen to her!" Casper called to Jordan as he made another attack. "That's the least you could do!" he called.

"Jordan!" I cried desperately. Jordan swung her fist at Casper. He summoned a wall just in time, but the hit was so strong that it smashed almost instantly and Casper was thrust into another platform. He hit the wall then fell to my platform below. I raced to him and helped him up. "Casper! Are you ok?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry." He said. "Keep trying." he said. He leaped onto a higher platform.

"Jordan! We're right here! We've come to take you back home!" I screamed. My voice was becoming horse from all the yelling, but I kept calling to her. I wasn't leaving without my best friend.

"This is all because Ken broke your heart, isn't it?" Casper yelled at her. "That's right! He left you for one of your closest friends!" he cried. "That pisses you off, doesn't it? That your own friend and lover both betrayed you! That's ok! You can be as furious as you want! Don't hold back! Take it out on me if that will help you heal!" he dared her. Jordan growled deeply. "I told you, I'm here for you, no matter what it takes." Casper said. "But, once you've punched your pillow and screamed enough, you have to move on! Please, come back to reality!" he cried desperately. Jordan changed her attack. She aimed to grab me with her fist instead.

"Nora! Don't let her touch you!" Casper called. I dodged her hand and leaped onto another platform further away. Casper distracted Jordan with another attack. "Jordan! You said you wanted to protect people! You said you believed in justice! That even if you are not seen as a hero, you will still fight! You said this to me! Don't you remember?" Casper called desperately between attacks.

Jordan swung her fist and punched Casper. He didn't have time to make another shield. I heard a few of his bones crack as the direct hit thrust his body towards the dark abyss, missing any of the platforms that he had made. As he fell towards the endless darkness, he remembered meeting Jordan for the first time. The memory flashed in his mind and warmed his heart.

Jordan, he thought. You were the first person to ever give me a chance. Everyone else had given up on me. I had even given up on myself. But you came right up to me. You never judged me. I was quiet and weird and you didn't care. You never gave up on me. So now, I refuse to give up on you even if you've given up on yourself. I owe you that much.

"Casper!" I cried as I looked over the platform. I searched for him, but he was gone. He had fallen into the dark abyss. Casper's platforms started to fade. I panicked as I watched them vanish. Mine was the last to disappear. I began falling towards the bottomless pit of shadows. My eyes closed. I was so exhausted from all of the yelling that I felt myself passing out. As I was falling, I felt arms wrap around me.

"Casper!" I heard Mr. Matthews' voice say.

"Take Nora and go!" I heard Casper respond. My heart fluttered. Casper was alive! I was so happy. I didn't have the energy to open my eyes. Instead, I let Mr. Matthews carry me towards the portal opening which had somehow appeared as we were falling.

"I'll come back for you, Casper!" Mr. Matthews called. "Wait for me!" he said as we abandoned the nightmare that Jordan had created.

Casper hit the tar-colored bottom with a thud. He landed on his back. The breath had been completely knocked out of him. He lay there panting. He looked up at Jordan who was now focusing on him, grinning to reveal shark-like fangs. She looked so much taller from below.

"Jordan, I'm so sorry this happened to you." Casper whispered. Jordan growled and prepared to crush Casper with her fist. She knelt on her one knee and bared her teeth. She lifted her clenched hand. She held it directly above Casper. "But, there's nothing more I can do." Casper said. "I'm not giving up on you. I don't want you to be alone. I know exactly what that's like and it hurts! I'll be right here with you until the very end. Now, we can be together." he said. "I wish to be with Jordan!" he cried.

He closed his eyes just as Jordan moved in for her attack. His chest began to glow and soon, Ala appeared. Ala tore Jordan to pieces. Jordan screamed in agony. Casper wiped tears from his eyes as he watched Ala devour his old friend. Then after the battle was over, Casper gave his soul to Ala. This was the only way left, for Casper to keep his promise. Now, neither Casper or Jordan would ever be without each other. They shared the same grave.