The Locket

Chapter 23- "Nighty-Night"

"Uh," Nathan thought for a second "s-sure."

"Do you know anything about- Ansley's son?" I asked him.

I saw his eyes widen slightly but he quickly became normal again. "All I know is that they ran away."

"What happened to your parents, Nathan?" I asked quietly.

"They-" He stuttered "they passed away."

"How?"

"I-" Nathan looked at the floor determinedly.

"You can tell me, Nathan," I said.  "or...should I say Nathaniel?"

He stepped backwards a few steps.

"W-Who's Nathaniel?" He said, and I could see that his face was slowly draining color.

I know it's him. I-I just do.

"Nathan, you know who I'm talking about." I whispered gently "Please, whatever it is, I can help you."

"Y-You can't." He said, choking from tears.

Next second, I was bound to my chair by ropes. Not just any ropes. They were gleaming purple.

"Nathan," I said, looking around in panic "What's going on? Why am I tied up?"
He stayed quiet and didn't answer.

"Why do you keep lying?" I said, tears now pouring down my cheeks rapidly "You're supposed to be my cousin! My brother!" I screamed "you were supposed to have my back!"

"Lex I'm- I'm sorry, I really am-"

"Then tell me what's going on," I choked "please."

"You won't understand!" He said, in pain "I have to do this..."

"Do what?" I said, my heart stopping "Nathan, do what?"

Nathan goes to one side, and opens a cabinet. From there, he picked up a sword. It was gleaming just like the ropes I was tied to, but it was...black.

"Nathan," I cried "Nathan please, don't do this! How could you betray me like this? You're my brother!"

"There's no other way." He said, tears streaming down his face, too.

"This isn't you!"

"How do you know this isn't me?" He said, looking up to me.

"Because this," I said "is a coward."

He clenched his fist slightly.

"You're not a coward, Nathan." I said "You love everyone. You're a real softie, you wouldn't hurt a fly. But you're brave and would do anything for those you love. Tell me what happened. I can help you."

"It took away my family..." he croaked.

"I'm your family." I said softly.

Nathan's eyes flickered. In that one split-second, I saw the old Nathan. He was asking for help. But then came back another version that wasn't him at all.

"Sorry, Lex," a deeper, raspier voice said "This isn't a dream of yours. It's real. And this time, you won't wake up,"

"No, NO!" I screamed "PLEASE! NATHAN, THIS ISN'T YOU! COME BACK!"

"It's over," he said and raised his sword.

I closed my eyes shut, ready for impact. My life flashed before my eyes. Mom, Dad, Lucy, Oliver, Nathan...

But the impact never came.

I heard a thud.

I looked around, and saw Oliver standing right where Nathan was seconds ago, panting. Nathan was two feet away, on the ground. The sword was also a few feet away.

"Ollie!" I said "You're here! How'd you get here?"

"I followed you from your home." He said, walking towards the sword "You were really late to the hangout, so I decided I'd get you myself," he picked the sword up and started slashing the ropes open "but you were headed to the forest and I followed you. I noticed you used a locket, but it fell after you used it to open the portal thing. I took it, and followed you here." The ropes were untied.

I got up and hugged him tightly. He hugged me back, too.

"You came back," I said.

"You still owe me that date," he smiled.

I pulled back. We were so close to each other, inches away...

And then we heard Nathan groan.

"C'mon, we gotta get out of here," he said, grabbing my hand.

We crawled through the tiny gateway out into the corridor.

We ran downstairs. And then, of course, a trap door opened.

We fell onto the hardwood floor.

"Ow!" I groaned, massaging my back.

"You okay?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say, getting up slowly.
 
The room was dark. I couldn't see anything.

"Wait," Oliver said "be very still."

I looked around, trying to hear anything. I heard a very light thump, like a gentle footstep. Next moment, Nathan pounced on me.

I screamed. 

Oliver tried to get him off of me, but Nathan pushed him off and threw him against the dark wall.

"Oliver!" I screamed.

Nathan pinned me to the ground and picked up the sword.

Nathan- or that thing- laughed evilly. "Nighty-night."

I closed my eyes, knowing for sure I was a goner.

But, again, the impact never came.

"Nathan," Lucy whispered I whipped my eyes open.

Lucy was using all her might, and was stopping Nathan's arms from going any further.

"We know this isn't you," she whispered, struggling to hold him back "please, Nathan, you gotta come back." she stopped for a moment, and then looked into his eyes, and cupped his cheek.

Nathan froze. His eyes were back, full of life. He fell to the ground, and a gray cloud floated above him, then disappeared.

"Lucy," I gasped "what're you doing here?"

"I, uh," she said, wiping her tears "followed Oliver 'cause I thought he was stalking you."

I cracked a little smile. 

"What's wrong with Nathan?!" she said, shocked "Why does it look like he was gonna kill you?!"

"That's not Nathan," I said grimly.

Lucy seemed to understand somehow. "He wouldn't ever do that, he cares too much,"