An Entity Within | Stephen Strange

16 - Dissonance

"No!" Tessa spoke hurriedly, "No, that isn't the reason at all!"

"How would you know? It could be manipulating your thoughts!"

I do not like where this is headed.

"My – my father came across this Entity that inhabits me now, twenty-two years ago. It requested to speak with the Ancient One but his conversation with it was interrupted by Master Kent. Marcus killed my father."

"How could you even say that about your family?"

"He was never my family." Tessa said.

"And why haven't you said this before then? Why was Marcus even allowed to continue his work here if he killed someone?"

"The Entity made me forget - "

"So it can manipulate your thoughts then?"

"Yes - no! Not in the way you're thinking - "

They are too afraid to listen...

But she persisted in trying to convince them, "I walked in, saw my dad's body and Marcus standing by him and cried and when the Entity heard me, it just wanted to console me."

Incredulous laughter erupted from some sorcerers.

"Entities don't console, they kill!"

"Well, not this one." She said fiercely, "This one came here with the pure intention of wanting to learn how to love."

More laughter sounded and some stepped closer, "Listen to her! That thing's brainwashed her."

"You're not listening to her," Strange rose his voice at raucous crowd, "They co-exist. If the Entity wanted to destroy you all, you would be dead and you would have been dead yesterday."

"Perhaps it's playing the long game then!"

"The point is, creatures like that shouldn't be trusted."

Show me to them.

Tessa sensed that it was not the right time and so refrained. They would simply be more fearful if she let Tee take control the second they started becoming hostile. Nearing closer to them, some of the crowd shuffled forwards. The closer they got, the more her sense of dread grew. But Tee was ready should anyone try to harm them and yet, that was what Tessa feared most of all.

"Please, give her a chance to explain." Stephen insisted, "Listen to her – "

"Is there anyway we can get rid of it?" One of them posed the idea, "Separate them? Get rid of the Entity?"

"I don't know, is there a way, Strange?"

The doctor hesitated in answering, looking at Tessa for her comment on the situation.

And Tessa fought the Entity hard to keep control as she could feel it regressing into that scared animal state of mind. No one needed to get hurt.

"The Entity and I are bonded...for good. Trying to separate us now would kill us both." She regrettably opted for the honest answer.

That was not a wise move.

Wasn't it?

How close are you really to these people? Because if you did not know before, you are certainly about to find out.

An eerie quiet deafened them as they allowed the crowd to process this fact. All their beady eyes were on Tessa and most, if not all, had an easily readable expression of fear, fury and frustration.

"I think we should vote." A sorceress said, "On what we should do."

"You're not serious," Stephen was grimaced at the idea.