Out of the Darkness

78 Anna's POV

 I glanced up at Her face, grimacing at the malicious smile that was painted on that beautiful, unnatural face. She raised her dainty hand, and examined her blood red nails, holding her hand out in front of her face. "Yes. You see, Anna, sometimes things have to be maintained, in order to last. Being this beautiful is something that you have to work for. It's not easy, but it's worth it. So, you see, I need you." I shook my head when she met my gaze. "I don't understand," I wailed, wrapping my imaginary arms around my invisible body, holding myself together. The hated whisper laughed, a grotesque sound that sent shivers through me. "You don't need too, my sweet. You just need to be here. I think I'll keep you around a little while longer. A fighter, you are. Strong. I like that." Then the pain left my body, and I collapsed onto the empty floor, somehow feeling the coolness against my cheek, where I lay. "You can have a little break. Get your strength back. Although, there is something that I need to tell you. About your...connection with your guy. This Colby. You see, the closer you get to him, the more you break my connection to you." My brain started whirring with this information and wondering why She would tell me this. "The closer you get to him, physically and emotionally, the more solid you become. For now. You may think this is a good thing, but I can assure you, it is not." She kneeled down next to me, and brushed my hair from my face. "Because your physical form will die as soon as you are completely broken away from me. Your consciousness will cease to exist. No more Anna, not even in corporeal form. Is that what you want?" I sat up and looked her straight in the eyes. "The pain. When the pain comes, yes. I want to cease to exist. I want to die. It becomes too much." She smiled at me, almost sympathetically, then sighed. "The pain is inevitable, unfortunately. However, I'm not completely without a heart. I will promise you that I will cause you as little pain as I can. I'll even let you go see your guy in corporeal form, as long as you promise to not get too close." She let her hand caress my cheek then down to my throat. She gripped it tightly, making my breath catch. "If you do, I will yank you back here and I promise that it will hurt." My eyes burned with the need to inhale. This confused me, since I was a ghost...or whatever I was. "Understood?" I nodded, just a little, and heaved in a heavy breath when She released her grip. "Good. Now, be a good girl and get up. Pull yourself together. You may leave, if you wish, but when you feel me signaling you, you must not fight it." I stood, tearing running down my face, as I sucked in deep breaths. "What's the point?" I asked, my voice catching. "If I can't get close to anyone, then what's the point?" She shrugged, and laughed, the sound grating against my skin like sandpaper. "I don't know Anna. That's for you to find out. If you would rather stay here, in the darkness, then you're free to do so. Of course, it will be lonely, but no chance of me losing our connection, so I would actually prefer this solution. Actually, yes, this will work out better." She clapped her hands and started to turn away from me. "Wait!" I said, stretching out a hand towards her, that I couldn't see. "No, I want to leave." She turned her head back towards me and met my gaze. I could see years and years of knowledge in her hard, cold gaze. She was wrong. There was no heart inside of her. No emotion besides the joy she got from torturing the ones she took. This was the worst solution for me and She knew it. She also knew that I would not turn it down. I would do anything to get out of this place, even if it risked my very soul. "Even when I saw through the doll's eyes, it was a small escape from the darkness. Please. Let me leave." I saw the pleasure She got out of me begging and my stomach roiled in response. She was malicious and evil. "Very well...but never forget who allows you to remain, even if it is just in this form." Her voice faded as the darkness surrounding me started to brighten. I could see fuzzy shapes, and colors, like I had just woken up and my eyes were bleary. Slowly they came in focus and I felt a sob escape my chest. It was night time, but the moon was shining into the room, lighting it up for me. I took in the fireplace, the couch, the television, clothes thrown on the floor. It felt like home. I took a deep breath and turned my gaze to the bed. First, I saw my doll, her dark hair cascading down her back, as she lay on her side. It looked like maybe she had been sitting up earlier but had gotten kicked over or something. I brought my eyes slowly up the lump next to her, until I reached his face. He looked so innocent in his sleep. I noticed how the shadows under his eyes were more prominent than before. His long lashes cast shadows on his cheeks, hollowing his face out even more. I felt the urge to push his hair back from his forehead but I refrained. It looked like he hadn't been sleeping well. His blanket was twisted and tangled, like he had been thrashing in his sleep. I wondered if it were because of me, because of the way that I had left. I didn't want him to feel guilt or anything about me. He had taken on this unimaginable feat that I wasn't sure he could accomplish. There didn't seem to be any way to help me. If I started to become solid, then I would need to back away, even leave for a while. I hated this.