Light Em Up (oc x oc)

XIII - Nova

"She isn't. Not any more."

"You hear the voice too?" Madison whispers. "I'm going mad."

"I'm here," I say, pulling her to her feet. "Against my better judgement, I don't know. I'm guessing you spoke to the devil herself."

"No wonder you didn't want to come back here."

"I used to hide out in these woods." I shake some of the water out of my hair. "Hide from all the crap at home. I knew instantly, when you clarified I needed to tell you where to go. This," I raise my voice, "sick son-of-a-bitch needs to go to hell."

"Oh, my darling," says the voice, echoing through the trees, "learn some respect. Silence."

"I'm a daughter of Apollo, you anaemic loser. It takes more than words to silence me."

Madison grabs my hand. "We need to get out of here. Abort quest."

"You leave without conquering your fear, you will die."

"I have no fear," she says, but her voice wobbles just a little bit.

"Sure," says the voice.

I walk forward, almost dragging Madison behind me. She stumbles in every dip in the path, but I revert back to my nine-year-old self almost living here.

"I've been here before," she says. "The rain has stopped." Her voice drops. "Nova, I'm scared. What happens if I do make a wish, and it goes wrong?"

"Madison," says the voice. "Step forward." She does as she's told. "Sit."

She crumples to the floor and passes out.

"What the hell did you do to her?"

"She's just unconscious. Hell knows I'm not allowed to kill her."

"What do you want?"

"I find it particularly interesting you, Novella Emberlain Harleigh-Highsmith, have not realised yet. You push the desires of your heart further and further away, for what end?"

My fists clench, light spilling from the gaps. I close my eyes, controlling my breathing.

"You're not dealing with internalised hatred of your sexuality. I know that much."

"I have pride pins all over my backpack," I say, keeping my voice level. "I'm not ashamed of who I am."

"Oh, but you are. You'd give anything not to be associated with either side of your family. Your mother is an evil woman, incapable of any form of love since the light left her life. Your siblings made you an outcast. You're terrified of being one of them."

"I am not ashamed of who I am."

"Do you hear yourself? You haven't happily engaged in casual physical contact for your entire life, because you're afraid. Well, Novella, nobody loves you. Nobody in this entire world. Madison has been under my spell this entire time, because watching people suffer is far more interesting that watching them fall for each other."

My hands shake. The rain outside stops, the sunlight pouring through the canopy.

"You're starting to lose it again. Just like before. This girl will never love you if you kill her."

"Are you lying to her?"

"Madison gets her wish, sure."

I close my eyes for a few seconds. "Then, for the love of the gods, kill me and let her forget."

"I don't think I will. Your pain is delightful. We're not so different, you and I."

"I disagree. I don't deserve to die. Not yet."