We Bent Fate

Chapter 32

MARTHA

Hope is the only God remaining among mankind; the others have left and gone to Olympus. Trust, a mighty God has gone, restraint has gone from men,

and the graces, my friend have abandoned the earth. Men's judicial oaths are no longer to be trusted, nor does anyone revere the immortal Gods anymore;

the race of pious men has perished, and men no longer recognize the rules of conduct or acts of piety."

"She has to do something. Only she can save us."

"Only she can end what she had created. Hope, the worst of all evils needs to come to an end."

I was immediately up at the crack of dawn and found Austin softly snoring next to me. I sighed heavily and slowly lifted his hand that had curled around my waist in his sleep, trying not to wake him up. He hummed a little in protest and I bit my tongue then quickly leaned in to peck his nose as an apology for disturbing him.

A small smile played on his lips as I lifted up from the bed and jogged to the washroom, thinking about the dream. My guess wasn't wrong. It was hope, indeed but how is it the worst of all evils is what remains to be unanswered.

I was frowning with my whole face scrunched up until I saw Austin from the corner of my eye, leaning on the door, shirtless and grinning at me. Before knowing it, his smile creeps up on my face too and he chuckles. I shake my head and tell him to get ready as I fill my toothbrush with a pink colored paste.

The minutes pass by as we hurriedly got dressed for college and bickered about getting late. Austin had taken off his blue tux and was wearing the white button down he had been wearing all this time. He jumped to the driver's seat as I checked my eyeliner in my phone's mirror-y screen. The engine roared to a start and Austin buzzed the car in front of the college campus within a few minutes.

Austin quickly disappeared into the hallway as I waved him a goodbye.

My footsteps turned into large strides when I heard people whispering around me and telling people something or the other in hushed tones. At first, I thought that maybe there was some head of department that had come to check and take a round around the college, or else why would people talk so softly?

I saw a couple of heads turning as I took a left and someone said, "Thank God, she didn't-"

As I moved through the halls between the classes, I cocked my head in confusion when I saw people giving me a disgusting look or looking at me through fearful eyes. I sped up the moment I realized that they are all looking weirdly at me. I quickly dipped my head down to check if I am wearing something unusual, something that would make me look like a clown.

And then I catch a series of loudest comments.

"Freak."

"I heard she kills people if they mess with her."

"I heard she once drew her shears into a student's eye."

"She is bewitched. She knows black magic."

"Did you know that she is the one behind all the murders this side of the city?"

"I heard she drinks blood."

"Psychopath."

"Bitch."

"Killer."

I stormed into a class without asking for any permissions from the professor, barely aware if there even was a professor or whether even I was in the right class. My chest was heaving up and down, begging the pain in my chest to stop but it didn't. My chin pulled in fear.

They are talking about me. They know. But who told them all this?

I set my bag down on a desk and almost collapsed on my seat. My hands were slimy with sweat by now and were violently shaking without a control.

"I heard her whole family is crazy." I heard a familiar voice of a girl say.

"Margo, what are you doing?" I heard Ashton chiding in hushed tones.

I froze in my position, lo and behold. I clenched my fists and felt hot under the collar when Margo didn't stop at that.

"Did you know that she is fucking a senior?"

"Margo, shut up. You are going to get yourself killed."

Yes, Margo. Please shut up.

"Poor guy can't even say no to the ugly bitch. He is either too scared to confess or she has probably compelled him already. I wouldn't even be surprised." Margo continued.

I quickly stood up and spun around to face a wrinkled forehead, red faced Margo.

"It might come as a surprise to you but this is none of your business." I hiss at her, loud enough for all to hear.

She smirked. "But don't you deserve this? You should be thankful that at least now you will be noticed by people, you invisible arse!" She screeched at me and I slowly found myself cross the end of tether.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I screamed. "You told everyone about me, didn't you?"

"Of course, I did." She shrugged casually.

"Why?" I wanted to cry right now but I dug my nails savagely into my palms. I won't cry in front of her, I told myself.

"You like to meddle with people's lives, don't you? I am just letting you know how it is actually done." She looked possessively at her painted nails as if we were talking about going to shopping next weekend.

"It would be much easier if you wouldn't walk in circles and come to the point." I spit at her and she raises her eyes at me in challenge.

"Like you don't know?" She scoffed. "You knew that I liked Ashton and you knew that I had a boyfriend but I wanted some time to confess my feelings, and yet you made Matt look into my messages and discover everything. You had to make me break up with him but I was still not that mad with you because I had started to like Ashton, anyway. But this is crazy! I thought that maybe you were helping me but turns out that you always manipulate others in your way."

"What are you talking about?" I frowned at her, completely lost.

"Oh, of course now you will act innocent! I saw you and Ashton, together when you were dancing at that party. I saw you yesterday when you deliberately tried to feel him up and then acted innocent. I knew the look. You like him, don't you? That is why you compelled him to reject me. He wouldn't have known about your sorcery if it weren't for me."

"What the fuck?" I shook my head. "Are you trying to tell me that I go around, aimlessly compelling people to go against you? Are you out of your hinges?"

"Uhmm...hello! You are the goddess of fate. You deal with people's lives. You yourself told me that!"

I scoffed.

"Yeah, that is a cute way of putting the blame on someone else." I nodded at her. "Yes, blame it on your fate."

"Don't try to-"

"You know what, I don't care what you do with your life. Go, marry a fucking gorilla for all I care. I don't want to know." I screamed at her and stormed out of the class.

A tear rolled down my cheek as my eyes began to burn with tears, blurring my vision, and on cue, I bumped into someone. "I am sorry." I whispered and was about to push past them and run back home when I heard my name.

"Martha, its okay." Austin pulled me into a hug and I gladly sunk my face in his chest and cried as much as possible.

"I want to go home. I want to go home." I blubbed.

"Yes, we are going. It will fine, Martha. Now you are with me."