Pure Souls (book 1) : Light Withering Away

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Max's P.O.V

How was I meant to keep such a thing a secret?! Shelby is literally going evil, and we're supposed to act like it isn't happening?! WHAT'S THE POINT OF US KNOWING IF WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE INFORMATION?! I was so tempted over the next couple days to blurt out what Shelby said to keep a secret. But... something inside me said that it isn't my secret to share. Um so the author doesn't know how to transition to the next paragraph so *insert intresting transition that's related to the story here*

The mentors were out having a mentor day out (God knows where), Lizzie, Joel, Callum and Oli were messing about in the woods, I don't know where Cory was, Shelby was sleeping and Jess and Ross were talking about ships and anime. I heard a knock at the door. At first I thought it was someone from the FAE, but they wouldn't knock at the door. So I didn't answer it. The knock came again, and I once again ignored it. Then it continued, slowly starting to drive me insane. Eventually I threw my game controller onto the couch and stomped over to the door. I yanked it open. "YES?!" I asked angrily.

Three young boys stood, and when I realised that they looked six or seven years old, my face softened. I bent down to them. "What are you three doing out here?" I asked.

None of them replied, but they looked horrified. They looked like they regretted knocking. "Did I scare you?" I asked. The boys nodded. "I'm so sorry, I just get angered easily. Come inside."

I stepped to the side, and they all came in. "Hey Max, do you know where Sasha put the S Club 7 CD- OH MY GOSH!!" Jess bounced over to the boys. She bent down to them. "Hello there, cuties!"

The boys smiled. "What is going on down here?" Shelby walked downstairs. 

"We got tossed out of a village ages away," the boy with a red hoodie said. "My name is Will, and these are my brothers Graser and Liam."

Ross appeared in the room. His eyes widened at the little boys who were obsessing over Jess and Shelby. "What the heck? Where'd the kids come from?" Ross asked.

"Dunno," I shrugged. "You three hungry?" I looked at Will, Graser and Liam.

"Yes! Can we please have something to eat?" Graser asked.

"Sure."

I soon learnt that Graser was the silly one (well he was the youngest so that doesn't help), Will was the chill one and Liam just looked like he hated being related to the both of them. "I love my little brothers with all my heart, but they can be really stupid sometimes," Liam said.

"Yeah, everyone in the FAE is at least in their teen years, yet they are the craziest people I've ever met."

Liam smiled at me. Jess was being pulled around in circles, although she looked like she was having fun. Ross was running after them, and Will was walking around behind them, laughing. We all fell silent when we heard a (very loud) evil laugh upstairs. "Jess, you watch the kids, Ross and I will check that out," I said.

"That's my girlfriend up there!" Jess exclaimed.

"So? Stay. Down. Here."

"Nope!"

"No, it's fine, we'll come," Will shrugged.

"Will, no, it could be dangerous."

"Nah dude we're going," Graser smiled.

"You aren't getting them out of this one. I'll be able to control them if they go haywire, we'll be in the middle, someone goes at the back, and the other two go out f-" Liam explained, but was cut off by another laugh and sobbing. We stopped arguing and did as Liam suggested, with Jess and I leading and Ross being on alert behind the kids. We stopped just around the corner from the girl's bedrooms. The laugh began again, this time sounding distorted. Then we heard Shelby say, "I can't! I've already screwed them over enough!" 

"And that's what we want," another voice said. It sounded like Shelby, but just something about it told me it wasn't her. 'Her dark side,' Jess mouthed at me, and I nodded. We silently forced the boys to not advance any further, and us adults crept around the corner and to the end of the hallway to Shelby's room. And sure enough, there she was with her dark side.

"Ah, Ross, Max, Jess, pleasure to see you again!" Shelby's evil side smiled. Something about it seemed... off. I saw the hint of an unsettling smirk across Shelby's face, and her irises flashed grey for a second, but soon enough, her face settled back to its sad, fearful look. "Well Shelbs, I'll let you deal with these knuckleheads," Shelby's other side said before disappearing.

"She literally just said it was a ple- Shelby, what happened?" I asked.

Shelby just shook her head. The three kids trotted in. "Are you okay?" Graser asked.

"Yes, yes, it's fine," Shelby said with a small smile.

"But we heard you crying, and a weird laugh."

"Don't worry about it Graser."

"But you were upset!"

"Graser..."

"I'm worried about you! WE are worried about you! We were scared! You are not okay! What happen-"

"GRASER, SHUT UP!!"

Graser looked hurt, and Will hugged him. "Can you all just stop worrying about me for a second? I need time to think!" Shelby exclaimed. "I know you care for me, and I'm sorry for snapping at you Grase, but it's not what I need from you all right now."

"Okay then, we'll leave you be," Ross said. He ushered the kids out of the room. Jess kissed Shelby on the forehead before following along. "Tell me, why can't the others know about your opposite side?" I asked.

"Because I don't want them to know!" Shelby replied angrily.

"And why is that?"

"She doesn't want them to know, and so nor do I."

"You can't let her control you, Shelby."

"She isn't! Just get out, Max."

I left the room.