Thicker than Water

Chapter Nineteen

It's back to normal.  :)

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I was a puppet being controlled by a cruel master.  And that master was Connell.  My body was no longer my own.  Connell now owned me, just like he had warned.  His thoughts had pushed out Haden's and were now twisting into mine.  He was fighting to take the reins of my conscious and mind away from me.  It hurt too.  Like a stake had been shoved into my heart and twisted around like a screw.

Haden held me in his arms and I could feel his own tears on my head.  "Rogue, it'll be okay," he told me with a shaking voice.  "Push him out."  He tightened his hold on me and rubbed my back.  His warmth and embrace were the only things that kept me from completely slipping.

Come on, do it.  You know it hurts, Lady Sage, Connell said in my thoughts with a cruel laugh.  Give in and kill him.  I won't hurt you anymore.

"Get out of my head," I shouted and grabbed my hair.  In my thoughts he was laughing more like a maniac.  The pain in my heart worsened and I screamed out in agony.

When Kendell finally arrived with Kant, he leaned down next to us and patted Haden on the shoulder.  "Haden, let her go," Kendell said but Haden didn't comply.  "Haden, you have to let her go for a moment."

"Let me go," I told him and leaned back from his chest to look at his face.  His color was completely gone and his eyes were a puffy red from crying.  He looked so young again.  I kissed him gently and he cried more.  I couldn't help but cry with him.  But he let me go and Kendell kneeled before me.  In my thoughts, Connell was telling me to rip Kendell's throat out.

"Rogue, I need you to mentally put walls up.  Please, I can't help until you do," Kendell told me.  I shook my head no and looked to Haden who was staying close with a stressed light in his eyes.  Connell twisted into my chest again and I cried out in pain.  "Rogue, come on.  You have to do it," Kendell told me again.  "I'll be honest, if hog don't block him he'll kill you.  Please, Rose.  Force him out."

Don't you dare, Connell shouted in my thoughts causing my head to hurt.

Get out of my damn head, I ordered.  The pain worsened and I screamed again.

"Rogue, please, push him out," Haden encouraged and tried to come near, but Kant grabbed his shoulder and held him back.  Thank goodness.  "Do as Kendell says, shove him out!"

"I'm trying," I cried and forced my eyes shut.  I pictured that monster in my mind and could feel the pain building to the point where I wanted to die.  I wanted it to be over.  Get out, I thought against him as I pictured the walls being built between us brick by brick.  As more bricks went, I could feel the pain lessen.  I was able to breathe again.

Soon enough, Connell was completely blocked from my thoughts.  I collapsed to the floor and took deep breaths.  Haden rushed to my side and pulled me to lean into him.  His presence alone was enough to calm me.  "Rogue," he said and hugged me close to him.

"Her mental strength isn't going to hold him for long.  She's too fatigued," Kendell said.  "Come, let's take her to Marissa in the lab."

Haden nodded and picked me up into his arms then carried me out of the room.  I felt completely worn out.  "Don't sleep," he told me and shook me lightly.  I looked up at him with a pleading frown.  "You have to stay awake," he told me again.  I nodded and he grinned down at me.  "Rogue, tell me about the day you asked me to dance."

I knew what he was trying to do.  It was obvious.  I smiled and said, "You were in the office, studying I think.  And when I asked you to teach me how to dance, you said yes."  I took a deep breath and yawned at him.  "I stepped on your foot twice, remember?  And you told me my date would ditch me once he knew how horrible of a dancer I was."  I laughed lightly at the thought.  "You were right.  He ditched me to hang out with Trina.  After he left, I called you crying. You came and got me then took me for ice cream because you felt bad.  You kept saying sorry and that it was your fault.  You bought strawberry and I got chocolate.  To make me laugh, you rubbed ice cream on my nose and put a cone on your head.  We ended up covered in ice cream when we got home."