The Soul Quest ( #YourStoryIndia #Wattys2016)

Chapter 11

He was murdered. By me.

Those words tore through my brain like bullets. With a gasp the spear and pen fell from my hands but I wasn't aware of that. All of my being was transfixed on those words.

He was murdered. By me.

I fell to my knees as my world came crashing apart around me. I couldn't think straight. Random and disjointed thoughts ran through my head. My Dad's face. The sound of his laughter. The policemen at our doorstep with their pitying expressions informing us about the accident. My Mom drinking herself to death in her grief.

He was murdered. By me.

Anger and hatred slowly dissipated my shock. This creature here was responsible for causing so much pain to my family. She had to pay for what she did. I will make her regret the day she was born.

He was murdered. By me.

With a snarl I grabbed my spear and hurtled towards her. There was only one thought in my head.

Revenge.

"Jared nooooooo! You have to wait. Please!" Kelly's voice broke through my haze. Her real voice. Not the dead tone I had been hearing for the past few weeks but her actual voice.

She was sitting beside Emily with the pen in her hand. She had tied both their hands together with strands of their hair and drawn the rune of Curationum on both their arms. In my haze I hadn't noticed any of this.

"Please Jared. You have to wait for sometime. It's working. The runes are working. I can feel it." She sobbed.
Suddenly her eyes rolled back and she collapsed lying utterly still.

"Kellyyyy!!" I screamed in terror and ran to her side. She just lay there oblivious to my presence.
Beside her Emily was convulsing and screaming.

"Kelly! Please talk to me. Oh my God! Kelly please." I clutched her hand and kept on babbling hysterically. I had no idea what was happening and I was terrified to break their connection too. I just had to believe and have faith that Kelly would make it back. Not knowing what else to do I sat back and started praying.

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Kelly's POV

I stood by watching quietly as Emily's news about Jared's father broke him into pieces. He dropped the spear and pen from his hand and fell to his knees. Finding my chance I ran ahead and grabbed the pen and went to Emily's side. Jared was too far gone in his pain to notice any of this. Quickly I inscribed the rune on both of our forearms and tied them together with strands of our hair as Emily had done that night. As soon as I was done I could feel Emily's power from all the life force she had sucked out of Paula. I willed that power to surge into me and gasped with shock as it obeyed my commands.

Hearing a snarl I looked up to find Jared hurtling towards Emily clutching his spear with murder in his eyes.

"Jared nooooooo! You have to wait. Please." I screamed trying to stop him. If he killed Emily now all would be lost.

"Please Jared. You have to wait for sometime. It's working. The runes are working. I can feel it." I whispered to him sobbing with happiness.

All of a sudden I could feel Emily's presence inside my head. She was invading my mind grappling with me trying to snatch back her power.

Pain. Darkness. Terror. Death.
That was all I could feel. All of my nightmares turned to reality. I wanted to scream but no sound escaped from my mouth. I wanted it to end. I wanted to die.
"Is anything worth this horror?" I asked myself. Then Jared's loving face popped into my head and I found my reason to live.

Jared who had stayed by my side even when I was turned into a monster. Jared who had turned a blind eye to his duty in order to protect me and keep me safe. I had to fight back for his sake. The truth about his father's death had shattered him and he will need me now more than ever. I will not abandon him now I thought to myself.

Preparing myself I hurled my consciousness against Emily's presence in my head. Step by step I started driving her out. Ignoring the pain I lashed out at her viciously until she retreated back inside her head. But I was on a roll now. I battered against her mental defenses relentlessly until they crumbled and then I invaded her brain. I could feel my soul inside her. Picturing an arm I grabbed it and started pulling it towards my consciousness. She wasn't letting it go without a fight though. I pictured a spear like Jared's and imagined it piercing her consciousness and tearing it apart and threw it towards her. The effect was immediate. She let out a bloodcurdling scream as it ripped through her and I felt my soul easily slide back into my own body.

With a gasp I opened my eyes and found Jared clutching my hand and praying fervently.

"Please God let her be okay. Please let her come back. I can't lose her too." He kept repeating again and again.

"Jared. I am back." I whispered with a smile.

"Kelly! Thank God you are okay. You are back. It's really you now. The real Kelly. Oh thank goodness!" He grabbed me into a tight hug and kept whispering into my ear.

"Oh my! Isn't this romantic?" I heard a sarcastic male voice. "Move away from that abomination Jared and let me take care of it." He said.

Jared whipped around and stood protectively in front of me.

"Peter just hear me out. I can explain. She isn't what you think." Jared said calmly.

"I ordered you to move Jared. Either stand aside or get taken down with her. I did not come here alone." He gestured behind him.

Terrified out of my wits I now noticed the dozen or so men standing behind Peter. Each of them were looking at me with hatred and revulsion and I instinctively knew they would do anything in their power to destroy me. Even if it meant killing Jared.

(A/n - I understand that this chapter might seem a little anti climactic because Kelly found her soul so soon but I assure you this isn't the end. There is more to the story. Please be patient and read on. I will try and update as soon as possible. Thanks for the support. )