WITHIN

Fading.

Ethan held me tightly, he quietly whispered into my ear...."Keep breathing Trinity. Your becoming stronger. Your feeling threatened....I know. Your feeling cornered too. Just keep breathing! I can't lose you, to what is coming for you..." He pulled back, held my face.

"There's your thing.   And...There's something else.   It's going to undo me too. EB had some good shit magic, and you helped her. But, she's unbalanced. You don't know what your worth. There's someone. Here. It...She...He? Knows it's shit! Your cousin's gone crazy. Iris will side with whoever. The spirits. We need a hand, we need them..." Ethan paused a minute.

"You and I know what needs to be done. But..." Ethan gritted his teeth. I touched his cheek, he was being "interfered" with. Like a radio that keeps dropping out, and other stations keep jumping in! (Dam annoying, when you liked the station you had. Had tuned in!   And it had all your favourite songs)

I thought I was being tested with Ethan (Get him normal, make him all mine!)    I knew Exie was a test too (But, she wasn't going to be too hard to work-out. Give her my seal of approval, some keys to the mansion. Tell her to keep it tidy!   Piece of cake, really)       My dear cousin.  One half wanted her dead (But, I would reason this side away)    I would "box" her up somehow, send her on to family.

That would be the "approved", best way.  Those older, a little wiser would know what to do!

But.

Maybe, the real test was going to be me. And, my lesson, was going to be the "darkness" calling.   EB was thrown in to challenge or go against me (And the darkness would still beat me to a pulp!)     I started to shake in Ethan's hands, he had an odd expression on his face.    I was being "pulled" at, Ethan was being "searched for". What EB and I had been made for, had been good, and effectively powerful.

But, what (Who?) we were to encounter next, had a bag of tricks no one had seen in the last five hundred or odd years! This dark source was playing for "keeps"....It wanted a big prize.  I didn't want to think, what that "prize" would be.....Me, or Ethan.      Ethan tried to steady me..."You and I will be okay. Trust me.."

I looked up at him ("Trust me" sounded like it had been said often)    I did trust him, but coohe trust me?      I felt warm/cold.   My veins kept going tight (Moments of cut glass, my insides were flopping about)     Ethan gave my shoulders a small squeeze, then he stepped back....Shook his head.

"Ethan?   What?!.."       I stood still, a heard a whisper.    A small laugh.    My head span round (Almost tried to a three-sixty)....Whatever was within the house was creeping closer, testing where we might be.   I looked back at Ethan, he gave me a grin (It was fake, a cover....He'd heard the whispers too)    But, they meant something completely different to him.

"Ethan!.."    I grabbed his arm, pulled him towards me...."Together. Always. Us!    You and me!.."      I started to grip his arm tight.

"Trinity.   I can't stop this.    It knows something....Not everything.   It's just asking.   Trinity, stop it!    I want you, not what's coming..."         Ethan frowned, started to look stained.      I shoot a look to the door (Listen hard god dam it, Trinity!)      I heard a faint tune...A promise of good times, of fine weather.  Spring/summer was on it's way!

(Oh No, It Bloody Wasn't!)

I knew that for sure, right down deep in my gut.   That area of the body will never lie. If trouble is around (You will fight, or shit your self. Your gut can promise you that much)