The Lost Child

chapter 22

"So when will you be back?" Phillip whispered as we walked upstairs. We needed to make sure that no one could spot my fire as I disappeared. So we headed to the last floor.

"Just a second " I winked as I prepared myself.

He smirked but I shot him a glare and he frowned saying "wait..are you serious?" I nodded. He looked as confused as ever ,I laughed anyway.

"Okay look, I'll go back there and try to search for anything. " I started. Trying to hide the darkness inside me. Somehow I knew I would come back with nothing.

"You know what you're looking for? " the way his eyes darkened made me sure that he felt the same. I slowly shook my head as I shrugged. I knew that hope died in my eyes and the dark feeling of despair took over. But I just had to try.

"Just go back down there. I don't want them to feel anything suspicious." He nodded and turned to go back downstairs. I hid myself in a corner and shrank as the darkness swallowed me. I closed my eyes, trying to remember the day and quietly said "time turn". Warmth sprayed at my eyelids and I opened them slowly to see myself surrounded by numbers. Days, hours, minutes and seconds. I chose the day and hour as I remembered but the minutes and seconds I wasn't sure of. So I chose any minute and I had to wait till the right moment. Smoke swirled around me and I was placed in the hallway back home. Slowly walking towards the window I saw myself calling Phillip at the gate. I had to wait till Draco and Simon joined them..joined us. I had to make sure no one was in the castle. I heard footsteps so I casted the disappearing spell and sat on the couch in the corner when in was sure I could not be seen. I waited. Simon's voice with Draco was enough to make my skin crawl. I had to look at my arm to make sure I was invisible. They walked past me and hopped downstairs. I waited by the window till I saw them head into the forest and vanish. My shoulders relaxed and I headed to Stephan's room as I took a deep breath. Slowly turning the handle ,the door cracked and I let myself in. I checked the room and no one was there so I shut the door and casted the appearing spell. I was stopped at place when I heard someone's breaths. The wardrobe was slightly opened and I heard someone in there. Opening it to see who's in there, I screamed with shock.

"Ellie?" I screamed but tried to shush myself. "What are you doing here?"

"Miss!'' She started as she caught her breaths, laying a hand on her heart " I was..returning the diary. I thought you were King Stephan. You scared me to death, miss"

"Sorry Ellie..." How should I say this? "Can you go back?" I sounded like I robot and I was shocked with my hoarse voice.

"Are you okay, miss?"

"Yea everything's fine...just go now " I bit my lip ,waiting for her to depart. She nodded and walked outside. I released I breath I didn't know I was holding. That was so close. I perused the room. Checking every drawer , every book. Scattering the papers and maps around me. What was I looking for? I didn't know why I was here. I just needed a clue. Anything that would lead to the truth. I slid on his bed and I felt the smooth blanket mantled over his wide bed beneath my fingers. The soft sensation giving me hope. I saw green light overlay my body. I looked up and saw the ball of light hovering in front of me laying it's green light over my face.

"I -I need help" I whispered. The ball zipped and blow out more light.

"What do you seek?" It started. It's voice echoed through the air. 

"A clue..anything. Is Stephan actually alive?'' My body shivered as I said the last question. Hoping for the answer I needed.

''Yes''

I felt like flying. He's alive! I wanted to see him. I wanted to apologize, to throw myself into his arms and cry. I felt the tears rise at the back of my eyes at the thought.

"Where is he?" I started.

"The old castle" it said.

"You mean the corpse?"

"Yes and he's not a corpse"

So that was him. Stephan was with us all this time. He was faking his death and we believed him. He caused all that pain to hide himself. To do whatever he wanted without suspicion. As much as I wished to see him, I wanted to kill him for all that pain. For the deep gash that grew in my heart because of him.

"What was he feeling? Thinking? I want to know all" my voice was shaking. I was terrified of the reply.

The ball disappeared but the room darkened. Even more than normal. I saw the walls light up with words. Sentences. Burning in the paint. Carved on the walls. I saw the fire burn out of them but the words were crystal clear. And I heard his voice shout them out as I read them.
I need power.
I need to win.
They will pay! All of them.
Revenge
Power
They hate me! I'm useless
I'm nothing
Nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing.
I'll kill them all! I need power ! They will pay they will all pay !
I'm going to be a vampire. I'd be stronger than them all. I'd be immortal.

The words appeared in front of me ,carving deeper as I read them. I felt their voices loud in my ears. Echoing so loud over and over. I felt them burning me, consuming every last nerve I had. I shut my ears. Trying to block the sound but I couldn't blind myself from the words. Those words. The were full of hatred. Full of revenge. He wasn't kidnapped. He went by his own will. He somehow called Beth..to turn him into a vampire. I saw it all now. All pieces of the puzzle were found and I put them in the right places. The words were screaming themselves in my ears. I couldn't stop them, I heard his weakness in them. I heard the monster he hid so well, the monster we turned him into. The plaster around them cracked and blood flowed out of them. Soaking everything beneath them. The dark scarlet colour turned the room to a nightmare. The ceiling, more words appeared there, leaking blood on me. Warm blood doused me as it turned sticky. The scary sensation made me shiver. I felt trapped in here. Inside the prison of his own despair. The darkness we'd forced him to bury himself into.
It's your fault it's your fault. I heard them,too. And it awakened the guilt I tried so hard to tear out of my heart. I imagined him there. Standing in front of me. The happiness taken away from his eyes, leaving him a deadly creature. Leaving him broken. I saw every good thing that filled him depart his body till his skin turned pale and eyes glassy. Just the way I saw his corpse. The life we had was the only thing keeping him alive. Although he was physically alive, he was dead deep inside. He had no longer a soul. My bones became jelly and I felt the dizziness take over my brain. The familiar sting of tears as the rose in my eyes but I had to energy to hold them in. I let them flow out. Hoping my pain would flow out with them. Hoping it would mend the gash the reopened inside me after I'd thought that the truth of his living would stitch it. My cries turned to sobs as I broke down.
"Light ,take me back. Take me back ,please" I sobbed and the world collapsed around me. I was thrown back to the moment I left when Phillip had just turned to leave.

He turned and looked at me. My red face and tears were clear enough that I had returned. I just looked at him. that was all I needed. Staring at his green eyes. His features changed as he sensed my pain. He had to ask though I didn't want to answer.
"What did you see?" The simple question made me break down over again. Letting everything out with each sob. He listened quietly though his expressions were not reassuring. I saw it in his eyes. He felt it ,too. The guilt, the pain and I saw something else. Fear. He knew being a vampire was a nightmare and his best friend walked into his greatest fear. His friend became a monster.