Corrina

Soulless Robots

"Well, yes. How else would I stay young and beautiful? I take the life force of others for my own use. Luckily, my own soul was... Disposed of many years ago. That made room for extras." Wilhelmina smiled quietly. "People underestimate the worth of their soul. It's a ticket to heaven, or a ticket to hell. It can be used as money, or as a way of letting your inner animal out, which is what weres use it for."

She carelessly tossed her hand in my direction, and my wrists came untied. "No use for those anymore."

She was happy with herself, as though she had won a battle she'd fought for centuries. "I needed souls that were set aside for me. Weres, yes, but with blood sworn to me. Your parents, and the parents of these friends of yours, were all trusted witches in my coven. They swore their first children to me to help me to my rise."

"They... They sold our souls?" Panic was rising in my throat, refusing to go back down.

"Yes. You needed to remain pure, and to achieve that they sold your soul. And here we are today... I believe I killed all of your parents. Oh, other than one.. Sam and Jesse's mother is still alive, I believe."

"M-master," mumbled Ronk in a pleading voice.

"Oh. Yes, Ronk. Go ahead. You've been an ugly old man long enough."

Suddenly, Xerxe was unfrozen. Ronk grabbed his hair roughly, pulling him closer. "No, stop! Corrina! Hel-" he was  silenced by something ascending his throat.

I could do nothing but watch in horror as my friend's soul was drawn out of him through his mouth. It was a ball of wispy blue light that was so bright it reminded me of magical fire. The whole room went completely silent other than a pure ringing sound which seemed to come from the glow. As the soul went into Ronk's mouth and down into him, I had no words. I didn't even speak as Xerxe hit the floor dead.

I was silent because I'd found something up my sleeve. Literally.

The cold metal tip pricked my finger, and my eyes widened. As the dagger slipped through my fingers, and I grabbed the hilt, I felt a surge of energy burst forth. While Ronk was becoming young and beautiful, I swung my arm with force. The tip of the dagger found its mark, embedding itself in his chest. With a thrust, it punctured his heart.

While Ronk fell to his knees, I pulled up on the hilt sharply. It extracted with a wet noise, blood dripping slowly.

"What have you done?!" The queen cried. "I neededhim! He was to be my reliever!"

I held the dagger closer, panting quietly.

I could see the thoughts processing in her brain, and saw her form a conclusion. With a flick, my voice was suddenly gone.

"I know what I must do. An eye for an eye..." She took Thaddeus's hand and he gently helped her stand. "A tooth for a tooth. A lover for a lover."

There was a deafening snap, and Thaddeus's neck crumpled at an odd angle. He made an inhuman gargling noise as he fell to his knees, his mouth spouting blood on the way down.

His eyes would haunt me until the day I died.

I screamed silently and felt boiling hot tears stinging my face and eyes. The words I mouthed included "no" and "stop" and "Thaddeus", but I couldn't speak. I couldn't get my agony across.

His eyes held the reflection of every time we argued, every time I had ever resented him- and for what?

He was gone before I could say "I love you."

I felt the werecat within me take over, lifting my arm and throwing the dagger sharply at the Queen's face. If it had hit, she would've died instantly. But in a heartbeat, right before the dagger hit it's mark, she disappeared.

All of my friends were released and fell to the floor, and I found my voice again. The moment I could, I took off toward Thaddeus, taking his arms and shaking them.

"Holy shit," I whispered in a pained choke. "No- no- Thaddeus?" My voice was forced into a mumble as a string of nonsensical words pushed their way out- until all that was left was his name. Being screamed at the top of my lungs.

I had given this boy my everything.

Everything.

And he had taken it gratefully. Then died with it.

I began wiping the thick layer of blood from his chin, but it just spread, staining my sleeves and hands.

A realization squeezed my throat tightly, threatening to strangle me to death. I wouldn't  see him ever again. There was no place in Heaven or Hell for soulless robots.

I didn't pull away as Astrid tried to pick me up, although it must've seemed like it with how much I was struggling. All I could do was sob, my face contorted beyond recognition.

"People's crying faces are ugly for a reason, you know. It's because something is terribly wrong, so your face becomes terribly wrong to let others know."

I knew then I needed to carry on immediately. I stood shakily screwing my face into an almost normal position, and scooped Thaddeus up with Jess's help. She looked gaunt and numb, and I knew she was blocking out the same feelings I was attempting to.

Astrid grabbed an egg-shaped glowing stone from her pack and threw it hard against the ground, muttering "muthta". Where the stone hit, a portal opened. She and Sylvian grabbed Xerxe, slinging him through first. Next, Sylvian went, Katrina by his side. Astrid walked back to help us, and we all walked through at once.

Goodbye.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the other side, we were greeted by the Doc and a few other nurses. I let the tears begin pouring again, knowing that most of my responsibility was gone. Astrid was shakily explaining our findings, scared half to death because of it. Sylvian and Katrina had both fainted, and were being carted away on stretchers- along with Thaddeus and Xerxe.

I followed them subconsciously, then started running after them.

"No! Stop! Don't take him from me!" I screamed through my sobs. Finally, they stopped, and I grabbed Thaddeus's face. My hands were still bloody, and the same blood was on his face. My heart fluttered in an odd light feeling, and I heard myself giggle through my tears. Something about the blood had struck me as funny.

The feeling disappeared almost immediately  and I found myself crying against his literal cold shoulder. Apparently, that was how I fell asleep as well.

When I woke up, I was already crying. Thick crust encased my eyelids, and I pried them open with effort. I refused to think about Thaddeus, and somehow my mind obeyed.

But there was still plenty to cry about.

Sam. Xerxe. My soul. Wilhelmina's rise.

Then I heard someone puttering around next to me. I looked over, and though my eyelids were swollen, I could tell it was the Doc.

"Can you put me to sleep again?" I coughed out. He fumbled with a bowl he was carrying.

"You're awake... Um, no I can't. Sorry. But you do need to take these, and that help numb you." I accepted a pill into my mouth and swallowed quickly.

"Why is my face so swollen?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I think a nasty curse of some sort was put on your tears. Wherever they touched had an inflamed reaction... It's not going away very well. You've been sleeping for two days."

I wasn't as shocked as I should've been.

"Are Katrina and Syl alright?"

"Better than you and Jess. Her tears were cursed too."

After that, the pill took effect, and I felt a little bit moe relaxed. I fell back asleep, turning my brain off gladly.