Strive // Kai Parker

<19>

The wall's were barely standing, the vines and moss had covered every inch i could see. The bell tower had totally collapsed along with various sections of the church itself. Some stained glass had been shattered and no one would ever know. This place had long been forgotten, the perfect save haven for any runaway.

Aside from the ones who were chased by me.

Three days, it had taken. To find her, to analyse her, to corner her. In truth it was a nice place to hide, the candles provided light and heat and the surrounding forest offered an array of food. However, it was also a nice place to die. Even if that was a courtesy Kalani didn't deserve.

I had yet to step foot inside, where i knew she would be doing her daily reparation of the planks on the windows. She had to keep the cold out, to bad she couldn't keep me out with it.

One step and she knew someone was there, another one was reassurance. The third struck panic and the forth was where she finally spotted me. Stood in front of the old creaking doors she hadn't had the common sense to lock.

"You look aghast my friend." Truly she did, from the depths her eyes sunk or the paleness of her skin. Either way it was deathly.

"I hadn't expected company." She muttered out, lining her self up straight.

"I would have been here sooner had the trip been a shorter distance. It's almost as if your running from me." The silence on her end was to be expected, she was unsure and nervous of what i would do.

I held all the cards.

The uncertainty of what comes next surely had her anxious, though for me it was calming. I had spent hours upon hours planning how this interaction would go. It was what i chose to fill my thoughts opposed to the alternative that i fought to let in. And it all started with Piere.

He slammed the doors of the church open, huffing with breath as if he had been rushing with all his might to get here. As expected Kalani's attention turned to him, tears of relief swelled in her vision as she rushed towards the man.

"I thought you would have died, i though-" He spluttered and mumbled his words to his daughter, stroking her head in affection.

"It's okay, we are here now. I'm fine, i'm alive." She responded with relief, pushing her father behind her as she inched back from me. I only stood with my hands clasped behind my back.

"Let's leave, we should go." Her father pleaded as she nodded, before they made it any where near the door i had slammed it closed.

"Don't you wish to hear about my trip?" She shook her head, raising her hand in an offensive manner. I rolled my eyes taking a seat on one of the benches littering the room, turning to face her and Piere. My head rested on my arm as i let out a calm breath.

"The silence was the worst part, i must admit. But three day's of your own mind? I had to fill it somehow." I turned back towards the front watching the sculpture that stood centre stage. Nailed to a cross for the sins of others.

A shrill scream echoed from Kalani as i snapped Piere's neck. She fell to the floor with him, hitting the cold ground with a thud. I stood walking towards the pair, crouching down to twirl her hair between my fingers.

"I found my self reading for the majority of it, spell's and tricks. Hexes and mind games." Her eyes flitted to me with hatred and rage, as i made her fathers corpse float away. She grasped for it only to find thin air.

"I never killed him." I whispered as her tears halted and she stared in confusion.

"He's alive?" The hope in her voice was happily crushed by me as i dropped her lifeless curls.