Chosen One Gone Wrong (Villains & Monsters #1)

Chapter Seventy-One

Gore warning, violence warning, abuse mention and $uicide mention. Proceed with caution. Love you guys. -Rae

"So let me get this straight," Simon started as he drove his car. "You want me to do and say absolutely nothing?"

"Outside of stopping time so cameras won't catch anything? Yes," Daija said as she turned her phone off for the moment. "I won't be long. Half an hour at max. It's more like an internal test for me."

Truthfully, she thought her heart would burst from her chest.

"What does passing look like?"

"I don't know."

"And failing?"

She shook her head. "I also don't know."

Her old neighborhood was on the edge of downtown and towards the northern part of the city. She didn't miss it, and the sight of the old and familiar buildings made her heart pound faster.

Simon parked in the lot of a grocery store and rested back in the drivers' seat. "Alright. What am I leaving unfrozen?"

She pointed in the distance and asked him, "Do you see that blue-ish purple house towards the end of the block?"

"Yeah."

"Everything but that if it makes sense. Therefore it'll only be us three."

He nodded, then spaced out for a second as he pinpointed his focus. Then he inhaled quietly, shut his eyes and snapped his fingers. The air had gone still, and Daija watched as life paused it's movements.

"You have no idea how cool that is," she said as they got out of the car.

"Definitely my favorite ability. Setting things on fire is amazing and I wouldn't trade it, but pausing time and making everything go quiet is literal perfection."

As they crossed a busy street and started walking on the sidewalk and towards the house, Daija began to explain, "Since she doesn't lock her back door, that's the entry point."

"Who the hell would even sleep with their door unlocked?"

"A woman who has the entire neighborhood scared shitless of her."

"Wow."

They continued walking, and Daija felt her legs get heavier. The fear and anxiety was starting to make her sweaty and nauseated, but she had to remind herself that she was much stronger now and not a terrified teenager.

When they finally reached the house, they heard a faint pounding from inside. She knew that Nicole was more than likely trying to figure out why the TV wasn't working now that time has stopped.

"Alright," she breathed out quietly, "I'm going in now. You're going to hear a lot of crazy shit, but stay out here."

He turned towards her quickly as his eyes widened. "By yourself? You're out of your fucking mind."

"You're right, Simon. I am. Have been for a while," she sighed, "It started with just me and her, and that's how it's going to end, too."

He studied for her a split second, then said, "You're not even certain. You look like you're about to faint."

"Of course I do. The mere thought of her used to give me panic attacks as a teenager. I've been conditioned to fear her. Facing her again is the first step to getting over it. I'm done letting her ruin me."

"Okay," he took a breath and exhaled softly. "Be careful. I mean it."

"If I need you, I'll shout your name. I promise," she pressed a quick kiss to his lips before going around to the back so she could go through the back door.