Echo in Her Mind

Seventeen.

Bethany stood there, over Jordan's body, waiting to feel something change within her. She almost thought she had been set up, and was tricked into fulfilling this task, until a yellow smoke started to loom up out of Jordan's lifeless body, and violently made its way into Bethany's mouth.

She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, until the smoke was fully diminished into her body. She fell to the ground and felt weak, almost as if she was waking up from a terrible dream that took every ounce of energy from her as she slept.

Looking around, Bethany took notice to the body of Jordan laying a mere foot away from where she was. She couldn't remember, couldn't process anything that had happened. And for the first time in a very long time, longer than Bethany could remember, she screamed as loud as she could. But this time, not out of anger, but out of fear.

Fear for the man that she had just killed, and fear for herself that she was capable of such a thing. Bethany was officially lost. She looked at her hands in pure terror and wished to cut them off, remove them from her body. She was not a killer, not even a violent person before all of this took place.

But then she remembered, what she had always knew about herself had been a lie. As she thought this, a tiny ball flew out of Jordan's chest and disappeared through the walls of the apartment, to where, she had not a clue.

What she did know, however, was that the Bethany that she had always known herself to be, was no longer anywhere to be found.

*****

Ruben walked aimless among the halls of the apartment complex as Bethany entered the residence of Jordan Jacobs. He had been untruthful to her; he was able to enter the room with her, be there by her side. But the truth is, he didn't want to. He didn't want to see Bethany, his Bethany, lose herself in the chaos and destruction that is her life.

It was never supposed to be this way. He and Bethany should've met long ago, but he had The Watcher to thank for that; changing the course of their destiny. Ruben remembered watching her from afar as she grew, only she hadn't been what his God had described. There was no shine or spark to he had been told. He had The Watcher to thank for that as well.

Ruben understood that he and Bethany could never be together in the way they were meant to be, but until he met his demise, he would enjoy the time that he was able to spend with the love of his life, even if she would never know of their love, or feel the same way.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a screech that hit his ears: Bethany. He charged through the halls, desperate to reach her and make sure she was safe. What he came across though was not what Ruben's eyes expected to see from the scream that escaped her.

Bethany was laying over the body of the first vessel, fear evident and consuming her eyes. And it appeared that the only thing Bethany needed saving from, was herself.

*****

Bethany didn't remember. She didn't remember forcefully entering Jordan's apartment, she didn't remember hunting him down within it, and she certainly didn't remember snapping his neck as if he were a toy doll she was having fun playing with. The only thing she did remember was waking up in front of a lifeless body, and feeling fear for the first time since Amanda had died.

Ruben had entered the room quickly, and was silent. He didn't say any words to Bethany as her approached her. He simply picked her up in his arms, and carried her away from the vicious act that she had performed. She had thought she would feel better after this, that she was finally going to get a piece of her life back. But Bethany felt even more empty than before the day Ruben walked into her life and turned it upside down.

She didn't know where they were headed and she honestly didn't care. They only thing she wanted to do was get rid of the ache in her chest, and she would be okay if she never had to feel like this again. Right now, she wondered why she ever wanted to feel anything in the first place. An innocent man died; she killed him, and for what?

Bethany didn't want to do it again, didn't want to be this person, but she knew the cards weren't in her hands, and she had to decide if she would rather be killed, than kill again.

She didn't know which would be worse.

*****

Ruben waited until he got Bethany into the safety of a hotel room to ask her any questions regarding the vessel of what was going on in that head of hers. She was silent and in a daze as he laid her on the bed of the room that he rented out. It wasn't big, but it was a lot nicer than the pixie ran one they had slept in previously.

He had to know what she was thinking for his own sake, and also form the fact that he knew The Watcher would be calling on them soon to discuss the next vessel they were to hunt down.

"Are you okay, Bethany?" Ruben sat down beside her gently, not wanting to startle her. It was a stupid question, he knew, but he didn't know what else to say.

"Why can't I remember what happened?" Her voice was slow, and he knew he had to choose his words carefully. Right now, Bethany was a shard of glass, destined to break at any given moment.

"It could be the shock of it all," Ruben suggested.

Or The Watcher could be working his magic and repressing your memories again, he thought. But he certainly wouldn't say that out loud. Not until she was more advanced in her handling of things.

"I killed him, like I was supposed to, and now I'm nothing but this ball of anger and anxiousness, and I feel as if my head is going to explode from the pressure inside it." The look she gave him as her eyes met his, melted Ruben to a pool of liquid. He had never seen this side of Bethany, and it made him gall in love with her even more, as her vulnerability graced her face.

He longed to kiss her again, but he knew that would only cause her brain to panic ever more than it was, and he also didn't need The Watcher on his case again.

Ruben was trapped in his own misery for all eternity, never to obtain the one thing in his life that he always dreamed about: his soulmate. He realized he never responded to Bethany's previous statement, and she was still looking at him with expectant eyes, wanting him to fix the madness inside her head.

"It will get easier with each vessel you eliminate," Ruben advised, professionally.

Bethany's eyes widened in shock, at the revelation that she would have to go through this countless more times. "I don't think I can do this," she said to him. "I'm going to be sick." With those words, Ruben watched her hustle to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

He knew what The Watcher's response was going to be if Bethany didn't cooperate any further. He had to find a way to convince her to go on, but he realized her wasn't going to get a chance to do so, as his phone rang loudly, and echoed across the walls of the hotel room.

The Watcher didn't want to waste any more time than had already been wasted. He wanted to see them now, and Ruben knew that the odds of this meeting for a pleasant one, were not in their favor.

"Is everything okay in there, Bethany?" He knocked on the bathroom door, and when no answer came, he forced his way in uninvited. Bethany was out cold on the floor, showing no signs of awakening any time soon.

Ruben sighed in frustration. He was going to need a miracle in order to get through the rest of this night. Steadily, he picked Bethany off of the floor and stabled in his arms. He knew what he was about to do was a risk, but The Watcher just said she needs to be present, he didn't say anything about her being awake.

Grabbing his phone in his hand, Ruben called back out to The Watcher, and in seconds they were no longer in their hotel room, but in a field far from the city they had currently been placed.

He looked up at The Watcher, whose eyes were focused on the sleeping Bethany in his arms. His eyes held fire in them, and it was clear that he was not pleased.

Ruben was definitely in trouble this time.