He caressed my hair gently, his fingertips touching large chunks of silky strands, ❝I wanted to give you a chance to win and escape me. I couldn't wait anymore. I need you now.❞
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Los Angeles; known as the City of Angel...
"It was all my fault! I was too selfish not to give myself to Daemon! I have to get her back!" I screamed into the floor. If anyone could see me at this state, they would have thought I'd gone crazy.
And I have.
These were the thoughts that circled my mind as I laid on the cold cemented floor of my room with my cheek pressed against it as the my guilty tears pooled on the side of my face.
"What have I done?!" I screamed as I put both my hands on my head and rocked back and forth. Summer's apology and the monster that held her appeared in my mind causing another wave of sobs to escape my throat.
Ted, Daniel, and Brittany cried silently as I continued my breakdown. It was only Angelo who pulled me closer to his chest causing my cries of anguish to muffle.
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"Please bring me back to the Nether Realm." I begged him.
"I can't do that, Celeste." he whispered softly.
"Angelo please, I have to get my best friend back! I'll negotiate with Daemon—-"
"I won't allow you to, I'm assigned to protect you not others." Angelo answered. He gripped my shoulders hard. "You can't surrender to Daemon. If you do, the world as you know it will suffer."
"Bullsh*t!" I beat against his chest. I was confused from what he told me. Tired from Angelo's secrets, I demanded again, "Take me to Chinvat and I'll go cross the bridge to the Nether Realm myself!"
He allowed me to hit his chest until I tired myself out. I stayed on the floor on my knees with my head down in surrender.
My poor best friend died because of me. How am I going to explain to the rest of her family how she died? How am I going to explain why her casket would be empty?
*************
As the priest continued to speak, Ted began to sob. He tried to quiet his heart wrenching sobs by covering his mouth but failed. He was the one most affected by Summer's death out of all of us and I almost forgot why; he was in love with her.
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Her death affected all of us because there was no Summer that would bring warmth and happiness into our group. There would no longer be a Summer who would comfort each and one of us in our times of sadness. Without Summer, the glue that holds our friendship together would diminish.
When it was time to lower her casket to the ground, more tears spilled from my eyes as I tossed the lilies on her coffin.
"Goodbye Summer," I whispered to the wind, "I'll avenge your death by winning this game for all of us."
*************
"It has been two weeks since all of us have been in the Nether Realm," I paced across the floor at home. After Summer's funeral, I called Ted, Daniel, Brittany, and Angelo for a meeting at my apartment to discuss the upcoming game.
"The jerk actually has a heart." Ted scoffed as he rubbed his forehead.
"What do you mean?" I asked him.
"Isn't it obvious? To give us time to mourn for Summer." he replied.
I wished the answer was so easy, yet deep inside, I knew it was because of me Daemon hasn't summoned us to the Nether Realm. In order for us to be fully prepared, I have to tell them everything.
For the next fifteen or so minutes, I retold everything Daemon has done; visiting my nightmares since I was a child, his confession of his love for me, the blue roses he gave me, and lastly, the part where he asked me to sleep with him.
Angelo smacked his hand on the table in front of him in anger. His hazel eyes flared with his temper and I took a step back, afraid of him. He has never been this way before.
"My brother has gone too far." he paced across the room as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Why didn't you tell us about this, Celeste?" Daniel asked.
"It wasn't the right time." I replied, "After Summer died, I thought this wasn't as important as her..."
"Tell me, did he hurt you? Did he..." Angelo trailed as he gaze into my eyes.
"No, he didn't. I didn't let him, although I wished I did if it means having Summer here with us still." I muttered, my eyes downcast.
"Girl, it's okay. Summer may not be here anymore, but we have each other." Brittany said, hugging me.
"I want to give up so badly." I wept into her shoulder. If I wasn't so selfish, I would have sacrificed myself for the sake of my friends.
"I won't let you give up. I'll fight for you even if it's the last thing I do." Angelo promised. "My brother will never have you."
Turning around to face him, I began to speak. "You haven't been very honest with us lately Angelo," he opened his mouth to interrupt but I continued to speak, "When my father was hospitalized, you saw something."
"Yes, I did." Angelo replied slowly.
"What did you see? And how does that relate to my father's accident?" I asked him.
He sighed before replying, "Your father has Daemon's mark."
