Newborn

Chapter 77: The Hostage

Aaron Hart

The speakers throughout the school project a loud voice.

“There have been several casualties already.  Surrender within the next five minutes or Margret Bryant will be the next one to die,” Simmons says. 

I want to move but, no matter how hard I fight, I’m trapped here.  I’m bound by Damien’s energy. 

“Let me go,” I say.  “We can’t let this go on any longer.  I don’t want any more blood on my hands.  Not Maggie’s blood.” 

Legion targeted her because she’s my friend.  I won’t let her die for me.

“The blood is on my hands,” Damien says.  “I’ll fix this.”

“Just let me go,” I beg.  He doesn’t pay attention to me. 

He goes over to Mike and Jess.  He quietly tells them to protect me while he’s gone.

“I’m going to end this,” Day says. 

“Wait,” our teacher, Mr Davidson, says.  “I don’t understand what is going on, but I can’t let you go out there.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Day says.

Mr. Davidson turns to Jess, “Tell him he has to stay here.”

“I can’t,” Jess says.  She’s starting to understand what she’s dealing with and she doubts that she can make Day do anything.

Damien leaves the room to fight the Legion incarnations.  Up until now, Day has been held back by the fear of Legion massacring the students.  But once Maggie dies, Legion’s going to start going through the classrooms looking for me and people are going to get scared.  Some will fight, some will run, but many will die.  Day puts on a mask and starts searching the halls for Legion.

As Day fights, I’m still trapped here.  I try to move, but I can’t.  Maggie’s in trouble and I’m powerless.

I know what I have to do.  I try to clear my mind.  I need to slow the beating of my heart.  I can’t be afraid.  I can’t be angry.  I can’t be anything but calm. 

It’s time that Legion found the Sword of God.

The world starts to fade away.  I am the light.  Nothing can hold me.

I stand up.

As I embrace the light again, I realize something very important.  I can feel them.  I can feel Legion.  All over the school, with their little guns.  They’re weak.  I can wipe them all away.  I can kill them from here.

There are other demons here of course.  I’d have to kill Mike.  I can feel Anne in the halls.  She’d have to go too.  Damien would likely try to stop me but even he’d fall to my light.  Jess is a human, but maybe I’d kill her for good measure.  If I embrace the light, I’ll kill everyone who’s trying to save me.  I don’t want to be that person.

I need the light to stand and do what needs to be done, but I can’t let the light define me.  I think about Maggie and our friendship.  I think about Day.  I think about my mother.  There’s so much in this world that I love.  I need to let that love define my light.  I can control the light.  It will give me strength.

I start to leave the room.

“Stop,” Jess says.  “It isn’t safe out there.”

She tries to get close to me, but I stop her and I keep walking.

Mike tries to stop me too, but he can’t do anything in the face of my power.

Both of them promised Day that they would protect me, so they do the only thing that they can.  They walk along side me as I go to the main office to surrender.

There will be no more bloodshed because of me.

It’s time to break the cycle of violence. 

It’s time for me to die.