Scarlet Curse: Sequel to Scarlet Love

Scarlet Curse: Chapter 2: The Curse Of Illusions

"So have you found what you were looking for yet?" Boss asked.

I turned a corner, looking everywhere for some sign of something, "no, not yet."

The Boss had been worried so he flew down here not too long after me and followed me to the village, though it was weird how he got there so quickly.

"Well maybe I can help, what is it you're looking for?" He asked, following me wherever I went.

I stop, "it's nothing I need help with. I'm just looking for someone, that's all."

He smiled weirdly for a split second and it almost reminded me of Elomnik but I shook it off as me just being delusional, "Boss you can go home if you want, there is nothing here that I am looking for. I think I am just going to stay for a bit though."

"Well okay, just don't go standing by falling down buildings, you might get hurt," he says as he laughs a little and walks away, giving a slight wave goodbye.

I turn away from him and take in my surroundings once again. I took a deep breath and that's when it happened, I smelled him, Elomnik was definitely here. It was a strong scent, I wouldn't be able to forget it, I knew it was him.

I ran around the village, the scent of blood was blocking his scent so much that I couldn't tell what direction it was coming from.

"Damn it, Elomnik, where are you," I whispered under my breath.

"Looking for someone, Pumpkin?"

I swiftly turned around but no one was there, "Elomnik!"

"Quit playing with me! I know you are here!" I screamed.

My voice echoed throughout the village and then I heard his laughter and looked towards my right into the woods next to the village. I began walking towards it and that’s when I started to see his figure. I didn't think, I just ran, ran straight towards him, with no regards to the fact that I didn't know how to kill him.

Before I knew it he wasn't in front of me anymore but I was going too fast to stop right away and I tripped.

"Damn it," I snarled.

"You should watch where you are going, dear," Elomnik said as he came up behind me and held his hand out to me.

"I don't want your filthy hand touching me; I can get up on my own."

Elomnik seemed angry and he grabbed my wrist, pulling me up then slamming me against a tree, his hands pushing my shoulders back. He stared me straight in the eyes, "don't treat me like that," it was a shock but in a small voice under his breath I swore I heard him say "please. Please don't."

"And why not!" I shouted, "Don't you remember anything you did to me!"

Just looking at him pissed me off and I was just about to scream at him some more but then he kissed me...he kissed me! I struggled against him, trying to push him away but for some reason my body was weak and I couldn't do anything. 

He finally let off and I took that chance to slap him as hard as I could. "What's with you!"

He laughed, "What's the matter? You don't have your precious Ethan anymore, so what's wrong with doing it with me?" 

My heart tightened at the mention of Ethan and my face was flustered, I didn't know what to say, he was right. What was the point of killing him when no one is going to come back anyways?

Elomnik sat down against a tree and raised his knees to hang his arms over. "I'm going to destroy all of humanity, Scarlet, and we are going to produce a world of our kind."

I shook my head. I didn't want that, what about all of my friends that I knew, Minnie for example. I didn't want her to die. "Why, why? There is no reason to do that."

"You know, everything at the end was an illusion," Elomnik said quietly.

"What?" I questioned.

"After you were taking away from Ethan at the flower field...most of it you were just imagining..I created that illusion to confuse you. You wouldn't have done what I needed you to do unless you thought Ethan and everyone else had betrayed your expectations. So...him coming to force you out of that woman's home, you imagined it, and you also imagined Marlin and Elaine. None of it was real except for me taking you to your Grandfather after you ran away from us," Elomnik explained.

"You're kidding me..." I fell to my knees in shock. What the hell was he saying and why.

Elomnik laughed, "Yeah, so your beloved didn't betray you and neither did your father. Your Grandfather and I set the whole thing up."

A tear escaped before I noticed it was coming. I didn't feel like I was crying but yet I was. I didn't know what to think, whether to be relieved that I wasn't betrayed...or whether to be shattered to pieces because I betrayed them. What was I supposed to do in that situation?

Elomnik stood up and I quickly went back to reality, looking straight at him. What was he going to do? 

"Scarlet..." Elomnik stepped towards me and before I could move, he knelt down and whispered something in my ear and then vanished into thin air just like that night.

I didn't say or do anything, just sat there staring at the ground. I was in the same helpless state as I was a year ago.

And what was with that...him saying those words meant nothing to me...right?

I don't care...

No matter how many times he tells me, "I love you."

I know it isn't real...he said it himself.