Under the Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 15

Words rang through his mind, words that weren't his. You don't want to be with Lily-Rose... Lloyd blinked as the words flooded over him. You'd rather be with someone else... someone like... Sylvia... at first, he was confused, but then he found himself believing the words.

He tried to keep walking, but the throbbing pain in his head was too much to bear. It had been a few hours since the events at school, with both him and Luna still not feeling one hundred percent. Had it really been the water? He doubted it. What else would it have been then? He didn't know.

The voice came again, words tearing through his head like a million different sounds. Lily-Rose isn't good enough. Luna doesn't care about you... He tried to push it out of his head again, but it was louder this time. Stay away from them. Do it for yourself, do it for them. They don't want you around anyway.

This time, he was certain the voice was Sylvia's. He had tried to convince himself he was crazy, that it was all in his head or possibly in the water like Lily had said, but now he was certain.

His feet scuffed against the pavement as he walked towards the parking lot, toes dragging as he felt himself sway. He was hardly surprised as his hands hit the ground, his head millimeters from hitting the concrete as his mind was overrun by the words. Anyone is better than your sorry excuse for a friend group...

He saw her, out of the corner of his eye moments before his vision went dark, he could see her slinking away. Ash blonde hair that looked like snow and icy eyes to match. The dark look on her face was the last thing he saw before it all disappeared.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes again was blonde hair. It was too dark to be his, but his vision was too blurry to work out whose it was. His eyes shut again, but that was when his hearing started to come back. He could feel the chill that had settled over him subside as the color returned to his skin and the frostbitten purple on his lips faded back to rosy red. He felt a hand on his cheek, patting his face until his eyes opened again. Lily was kneeling in front of him, trying to lift him to his feet on her own. Her motions were frantic and she seemed scared, her eyes wide and filled with terror.

"Come on Lloyd! I can't lose you too... come on please..."

"Lily..." his hand brushed through her hair.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. "You're okay!"

"Yeah," he groaned as he pulled himself to his feet, holding both of her hands until he was standing. He rubbed his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. "It was Sylvia," he said. "I'm sure of it. Now let's go before she tries something else."

"Lloyd," she stopped him, placing a hand on his chest. "I'm not saying that I don't believe you, but I am saying that something is going on... just please... tell me what I can do to help you... you've passed out twice today..."

Lloyd raked through his thoughts. Maybe he was sounding crazy... maybe he was just sleep deprived. He shook his head, dropping his forehead to her shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her waist, taking a few shaking breaths. "I'm sorry Lily, I know I sound crazy."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, twirling the hair at the base of his neck with a finger. "It's okay, Lloyd, let's just find the others."

"Okay."

☆★☆

Sylvia tugged on a few strands of her hair, using the pain to distract herself from her thoughts. Thoughts that she didn't believe could be hers. The voice that cut through her head at every moment was drowning out everything. The voice she desperately wished would go away. She clamped her hands over her ears, trying to keep him away, but his voice was only clearer without the background noise. She was almost home, only a block away with Eve trailing close behind her. Sylvia assumed she was on the phone.

"What's going on Sylvia? You seem really... agitated lately," Eve tried, stepping up to walk beside her.

"You're not even my real sister, so I don't know why you care," Sylvia shouted in response.

Eve blinked, taking a step back. "I am your real sister, Sylvia..." Her tone was soft, but her words were hesitant.

"No, you're not. You and I both know you never were, and you never will be." Sylvia's tone was full of spite.

"Sylvia..." her voice came out strained. "Sylvia, I love you. It doesn't matter that you're adopted, that will never change the fact that we're sisters. I'll never not love you because of that."

"But we're not. I have another family somewhere, my real family. A family that didn't want me." Her bitter tone ate away at Eve.

"Sylvia, I am your real family. Mom and dad, they are your real family, and we'll never not want you." She reached towards her, but Sylvia jerked her body back.

"No, you're not. He says you're not. He says you don't care about me."

"Who, Sylvia? What's going on with you?" Tears had formed in Eve's eyes.

"Why do you even care? You've never cared about me."

"That's not true!" Eve snapped, the tears running down her face and soaking her shirt.

"He says it is. He says you don't want me around."

"Who's telling you all this? Is it the voice? I'm so sorry I didn't believe you before. Please Sylvia. Let me help you."

"No! He says he's the only one why cares about me." Sylvia's arms were wrapped tightly around her own torso. "I can control people's minds Eve! I can control other people when I'm not even in charge of myself. And it's all his fault! No, it's Luna's." Her mind seemed to Eve to be having a battle with itself. She was frantic, doubting each word and speaking with a shaking terror. Her last sentence sounded sure, like someone else had said it.

"Who Sylvia?"

"Why do you even care?" Sylvia's voice had gone deadly calm as she stormed off, leaving Eve to melt within a puddle of confusion and misery.