Heart of Hysteria

CHAPTER NINETEEN: Havoc

Before Isa could react, Theara severed the rope attached to the buoy. Isa gaped at her, paralysed with fear. "I'm sorry about a lot of things Isa, but letting go of things that kill me is one thing I'm not sorry about," she looked her in the eye, willing her to understand.

"You're not the one left behind. Levi chose you," Isa whimpered, tears building up in her eyes again.

Theara winced, unsure how to deal with the situation. "I understand. But I can't let Owen get close to me. Everything he does is meant to hurt me."

"Just like everything Levi does hurts me," she nodded somberly.

"Yeah, I guess it seems so," she sighed, feeling like Isa was calming down. "Isa, I didn't want you to get hurt like this. Neither did Levi."

"No, I should have seen it coming. Before we even got together he told me about the time he spent with you," she laughed lifelessly as she stared over the water. "It was like he was describing a moonwalk, touching an aura borealis and just... being caught up in another universe. How could I ever compete with that?"

"Isa," she put the knife on a table and sighed. "You don't compete. You are your own kind of wonderful, and the right person will want you for who you are."

"Theara?" Levi called from a few feet away. "Could I have a moment with Isa?"

"Sure," she started walking towards him. Oddly, time slowed down as his eyes gave way to trepidation. What is going on with him? Is he even looking at me? He exclaimed something and rushed to her, and she stood perplexed. Something felt off. His eyes shifted back to her, and then pain blossomed in her back.

Cold metal sliced into her back, entering next to the shoulder blade. Her breath freezed in her lungs. With absurd power the weapon dove in until the handle met her bleeding skin. She fell into Levi's arms as a mute scream left her mouth.

"Theara!" Levi cried and cradled her, his unbelieving eyes raising to Isa, still standing there with her hand poised like she was still holding the knife that was now in Theara's back. "What did you do?"

"You were right Theara. I won't compete," she whispered, then sat down and watched with a blank expression.

"You're sick," Levi scowled at Isa then cupped Theara's pale face. "Turn the boat around! We need to get her to a hospital."

"Here, we should apply pressure, but not remove the knife," Lyla dropped to a knee and pressed a table cloth around the wound.

"Sorry Isa, but I think it's best if we restrain you," Roy reluctantly bound her wrists, but she sat peacefully, almost limp.

Jemma came out of the cabin with an ice pack. "We will dock in a few minutes. I guess ice isn't what she needs?"

Jake came closer, but kept a fair distance away. "Yikes."

"Yikes? That's all you have to say?" Lyla barked.

Levi glared at him. "I told you this would happen one day. But no. You had to keep pushing people. You're just like your dad."

"Hey, I didn't tell Isa to do this," he held up his hands defensively.

"I'm kinda glad she did though," Ella peered over Jake's shoulder with a disgusted face. "Do you think she'll die?"

"I can't believe you," Jemma stood up. "Maybe you guys are the demented ones, not Theara. Do you even hear yourselves?"

"I don't know why you even stick up for her, she is a full blown physco."

"The only physco is sitting tied up in that chair, and you're the one who shapes all her friends into selfish airheads," Lyla got up and poked her bloody finger into Ella's forehead.