The Girl Who Stopped Time

Helpless

I should be feeling some type of satisfaction in this moment knowing he is feeling the exact same way I did when he first betrayed me. The ever-familiar sinking feeling that seems to radiate from your chest to the tips of your toes. It's a pain that leaves your eyes watering even though you know no tears will fall. I should be glad that he has to feel it but I'm not because... I feel it too.

This time though my heart isn't pounding in my ears. Instead the pounding is dull and absent. Maybe I've finally become numb to my feelings. I just wish I could say the same about the pain.

Atlas' grip on my wrist is iron tight. His gaze never wavers from mine as his idiotic brother laughs outrageously across the room. His skin has paled significantly and he hunches his back towards me threateningly.

"I don't know what to tell you, Atlas. You have to understand this from my point of view."

"Point of view? I don't think you realize the magnitude of the situation. This far surpasses your petty feelings of wanting to go home." He bristles and grinds his teeth in animosity.

"Oop that probably wasn't the best thing you could have said." Azrail interrupts and winces loudly.

Me and Atlas turn to him and yell a loud "Shut up" In his direction, then immediately revert back to our little quarrel.

"Petty?" I repeat. "That's what you're going to call the feelings I have about you kidnapping me? As far as I'm concerned, I have the freedom to do whatever I want, to trust whoever I want."

"Gods, I should have locked you up in your room." He mumbles.

"I'm sorry what was that?"

"I said I should have locked you in your room. That or kept a constant eye on you because you clearly can't stay out of trouble."

"You've got to be kidding me, right?" I say and rip my wrist away from him, then hold it to my chest protectively.

"No, I'm not kidding, and who are you to talk when it comes to trust. I did everything I could to make you comfortable here and you still chose to trust my stupid ass brother. You don't even know everything he did."

"How could I know? You're cryptic about everything even the stuff you do tell me!"

"For god sakes, Avianna. He was your personal sleep paralysis demon for years!"

Okay now we're just having a yelling match.

"Well your certainly no saint. At least he never tried to kill me."

He goes quiet and stands up straight. He study's me for a moment before his eyes shift to what I assume is his brother. His nostrils flare and his jaw clenches before he looks back at me.

"I don't know what Azrail did but I would nev- "

"As fun as watching you two bicker is," Azrail speaks up and we bring our attention to his poised position. "we really must continue. Avi, mon âme, the light of my dear brothers' dark dismal life." He pauses to gauge our reactions. "Bring me what I need."

I look back at Atlas one more time and his eyebrows raise.

"I don't know what you want from me." I whisper. "Haven't I had enough of my life taken away from me? What would be so bad about me going home?"

"Is that what he told you? That he'd send you home? Avianna you can't trust him, he's death, he's the greatest deceiver of us all."

"I'm the deceiver?" Azrail suddenly bellows. "You're one to talk when it comes to deceivers, in fact all my supposed lovely siblings are. I'm not the only one out of us that's fücked up. How about we start off with sweet always happy Gilah?"

"Don't Azrail." Ira butts in. "That isn't your secret to tell and you know it."

"Oh, but why not? Secrets are all we seem to be able to keep around here; I think we should remedy that."

"Azrail." Gilah rasps out from the bottom of the stairs. Her long dress is tattered and she is still holding the crying child tightly in her scraped arms. "Please don't." Her smile pleads.

Her brother smiles back evilly and lifts his chin in defiance.

"Gilah has the great power of transferring joy to others. Unfortunately, this gift comes with its -per say- problems. Little miss Aggie knows that more so than anyone."

"This is cruel, Azrail." Oleander appears in front of his two sisters, red blood is seeping through his pant leg as he stands protectively in front of them. "Even for you."

"Ha, says walking sin himself." He giggles.

"We both know you've done much worse." Olly spews back.

"At least my actions had good reason. I think Avianna deserves the pleasure of knowing that Gilah got her helpless little sister addicted to her power." He tells me without hesitation, too fast for his younger brother to stop.

I can't help but rear back at the revelation.

"I didn't mean to..." Gilah cries but stops herself when the child in her arms yanks her hair suddenly.

"Of course you didn't dear. Nobody here ever does anything on purpose." His glare turns to Atlas who still stands behind me. "Dear older brother made a mistake and put you in charge of the baby but it got too hard for you."

"We were young to the world at the time; newly born." Gilah tries to explain. "She just wouldn't stop crying."

"Well isn't it just dandy that you learned how to face other emotions after you permanently ruined our sister. She can't stand more than an hour or two without you."

She doesn't reply but her smile widens as the tears drip continuously down her face.

I have to turn away from her. From what I've seen, Gilah can only show one emotion; Joy. Though her smile looks genuine I know that it isn't really what she's feeling on the inside. She has to go through not showing how she truly feels every day and now this? I can't imagine what it must be like for her.

Azrail begins to cackle at her silence, almost as if he's announcing a great win. He holds his stomach and leans back.

Before he can straighten up a ball of flames rams directly in the face, knocking him straight on his back. He's splayed wide on the hard ground and groans annoyingly loud.

I look for the source of the flying flame and find a steaming Ira. Fire bursts out of the top her head and travels down her arms to her hands. She looks like she's ready to kill and with the way she glaring down her brother... I won't doubt that she might.

"Too far, brother."

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These really are strange times we're in! I hope everyone is staying home and safe and I will try and post chapters as fast as I can for your entertainment.

Stay home, stay safe, hug your family, hide your toilet paper and cherish your hand sanitizer!! Love you guys!!

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