There is Power in Death

Chapter 17

TW: Murder

When I come to I'm in my bedroom. Benji is standing over me and my face feels cold and wet. 

"Thank goodness!" Benji exclaims.

"What happened? And why is my face all wet?

"Al here thought it would be a good idea to dump water on your face."

"Of course they did."

"It worked didn't it?" Al says defensively.

"It did not! It's been half an hour since you did that!"

"Delayed reaction?" they try defending themself yet again.

"Hold on, how long was I out?"

"It has been two hours." Benji answers.

"Two hours? I was unconscious for two hours?"

"Uh huh. Now we just need to find out what happened."

"I just suddenly felt dizzy when I stepped out of L-Olivia's room." What was I about to call her?

"That's weird. Are you sure nothing else happened?"

"Well, I think it triggered a memory from when I was alive? I'm not sure though."

"That's weird. Do you mean you're starting to forget about the living world?" Al asks.

"I think so."

"Well that's uncommon, but it does happen," Talan walks into my bedroom.

"Talan?"

"He has healing magic, so we got him to come and help out. He didn't try waking you up with his magic."

"I'm too tired to do magic today. I used quite a bit yesterday, and I've been healing a lot of the people that got hit."

"I see," I stand up a little too quickly and feel dizzy again.

"Take it easy, you only just woke up," Benji warns.

"Right," I stand up again, slower this time, and walk down the hall to the kitchen.

I grab some juice and pour it, offering some to my friends. Talan and Benji decline, but Al grabs the carton from my hand and chugs most of it. I'm too exhausted to sleep, or to think, So I sit down on the couch. Talan leaves after saying something that I didn't bother to hear, and Al goes to the game room.

"So, we never chose a date and time for our date," Benji mentions.

"We didn't?"

"Nope."

"Then how about next week Tuesday at six o'clock."

"That works for me! But where should we go?"

"There's a place in the living world, in the city that I lived in. I forget what it's called, but it's the nicest restaurant in the city. We won't have to worry about money. I can get a discount there, my death hasn't been released to the public yet, and the person working there knows me very well. If she doesn't recognize me, then I can tell her the password."

"Sure thing! I'm going to try to find out what it's called, you just get some rest," they pat my head and leave.

After a while of sitting by myself I decide to go see what Al's up to. I get up and walk to the game room to find that Al is playing a game that I didn't know I owned. It looks like some sort of killing game. He seems too captured in it to notice me. I sit down in of my beanbag chairs and start to find myself falling asleep. I walk over to my bedroom and fall asleep on my bed.

Anger, that's what I felt when I saw the face of Julie. He was just sitting there in his normal uniform, but this time it was covered in blood. He gave me a warm smile, which changed into a much more sinister one. 

"Alex," he said in a raspy voice, "Come here, I need to show you something. I promise you won't regret it."

I walk over, my legs moving on there own.

"What do you want with me?"

"Nothing bad. Come, take a seat."

My body continues to move on it's own, I try to stop, but it doesn't listen. I sit down beside Julie against my will. He wraps his hands around my head and I have no choice but to let him.

"You remember what you did to me, right?"

"I won't."

"Oh, my sweet, sweet little Alex. This part isn't up to you and never will be."

 He tugs on my hair and up sent spinning through my memories. I go past the treasured ones of my aunt, and the bad ones of my past actions. It stops at a particular memory, one that's buried under others. 

"Alex, listen to me. It's my duty to protect you and only you. I would kill for you if it wound ensure your safety."

"I know that all too well, Lee. You have killed people supposedly for me. Those citizens weren't doing anything to me. They were just minding their own business. It's your turn to die now. I don't care how young you are. I don't care if you meant to protect me. Murder is wrong, and now I'll have to live with that on my conscience."

I watch the scene and see two bloodied corpses at Julie's feet. The memory of me pulls out a knife and stabs him in the chest. He didn't even try fighting back. He falls to the ground and mumbles his last words.

"I love you, Alex. I always will."

He said that? He's a murderer, then again, I guess I am one too. I would never in a million years date that bastard.

The memory ends as it fades off and I'm brought back to Julie.

"I don't regret it," He says.

"Of course you don't, now let me go."

"I love you."

"Well I don't love you. I happen to have a partner, so get your dirty hands off of me."

"No can do. I need your Benji to die, and in order to do that, you need to stay here."

"I said get off, Julie."

"Oh, come now. Why don't you call me by my nickname."

"Get the hell off of me!" I send out a wave of magic, finally back in control of my body.

"What was that?"

"That was my power, you murderer. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get out of this place."

"No! You can't!"

"Do you want me to kill you again? Because I can and will"

I glare at Julie, who slowly fades away, along with the dream. I wake up and it's morning. Al is still asleep. I calm my breathing and sit up in my bed. That was the second worst dream I've had since I got here.

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