The Darkness: 4

Part 7

Italics- nogitsune's whispers

Lydia

Lydia was awake the time Oliver came in. He muttered something that Sara was going to be okay before he went to sleep. She flipped over and grazed his scruff and she could hear his slow breathing that he was deep asleep. She pressed a hand on his cheek and began to drain his pain until he exhaled, pulling her into his arms.

"I love you," he whispered and she softly kissed him. "I love you too." Despite the dark feeling of the nogitsune, what she said was true.

"We're not going to hurt him," she said.
"I don't care, Lydia," it snarled.

Lydia moved a white piece on the chess and the nogitsune snarled, making a move. "How come this is my bardo? I thought we were going to be in the white room or the snowy garden," she said. The nogitsune switched its leg it was squatting on and hissed, pointing its bandaged finger, "This is where you began. The night you were attacked by the alpha."

She moved another piece and grazed the cracks of the tree stump below her. She watched as the nogitsune moved its piece. Lydia looked around to see the field lights were flickering and heavy clouds started to form. Thunder rumbled in the sky and lightning struck near the Nemeton.

"What's going on?" Her voice faltered. The nogitsune turned it's head to the right and stared at the field. Lydia's head perked up as the whispers began to sound in the night.

"No. No. No!" They shouted. "Shh," it hissed. The nogitsune waved an arm and the voices quieted, retreating with the heavy clouds.

Lydia looked back at the game board and moved a piece. "I win," she said. The nogitsune slammed it's fist on the Nemeton and the stump glowed yellow like a firefly. "I still won!" It snarled, spraying it's black saliva and showing it's silver teeth.

The nogitsune leaned forward and grabbed her face. Lydia winced as she felt her soul getting snatched out of her body. She let out a normal scream as she stood up, grabbing the nogitsune's face and snapped its neck.

Lydia stared at the body as it crookedly got up. It snapped it's neck back in place and stood face to face with her. "Let the games begin," it hissed. The nogitsune held her shoulders and she leaned into its chest. Her body twined in it as the bandages wrapped her face, pulling her in.

There was a quick form of a fight as she struggled to move. Lydia dug her nails in its neck like an alpha and forced the nogitsune into her, not the other way around. Her clothes began to twist from a floral dress into khakis, bandages, a shirt, and a corporal jacket.

Lydia sat at on side of the Nemeton and reset the game of Goh. Her head twitched a few times and she began removing the bandages covering her face. She felt her hair bounce on her shoulders and she exhaled, looking up at the night sky.

"I won," she whispered.

Lydia opened her eyes and glanced at Oliver who had woken up. "Good morning," she said softly and he leaned in, kissing her. "I have to go," he told her, putting on a shirt. He kissed her again before leaving the room and then she heard the front door close.

This new version of her felt different. She wasn't human nor fighting the nogitsune in her mind, she felt like one. Instead of drinking the tea on her bed stand, she could mask the scent of the fox like a werewolf. She would never get sick and she would be able to heal fast. The only downside was the pain, chaos, strife, and hearing the advice of the corpse when she needed it.

Lydia got up and grabbed her phone, going into the bathroom. She stared at herself and the dark circles and different colored eyes were still there. Her phone began to ring and she picked it up.