Dark Shadows (#1 of Dark Shadows Series) |Old Version|

Chapter 16: Haunted Memories

All she could hear was a constant buzzing in her head.

All she felt was her body suspended through a thick darkness.

All she saw was just darkness, shadows dancing around her in a menacing dance.

Voices spoke to her, their voices sounding demonic. She heard her mother's voice, telling her that she was nothing more than a mistake. She heard her father, shouting curses. She heard Namie, who reminded her that she was in the shadows and would remain there even in death.

She heard Hades, reminding her that he could only have his heart on Persephone, and that any kindness he showed her was out of pity.

Katherine wanted to cry, to scream, to stop the constant buzzing and voices that seemed to forever screaming at her. The more she tried to resist, the more the noise got louder.

She had no time of what was going around her. She didn't know that she was unconscious on the floor, in Hades' arms.

"Katherine," Hades pleaded, gently shaking her. She remained limp in his arms, her skin a sickly shade of white. Her body would twitch, but nothing more. He had no idea that her soul was swallowed by the darkness, being replaced by the spell itself.

Hades could feel her soul, but it was so far in the darkness he could only feel the moving shadows.

He had no idea that Katherine was in her own hell, in eternal darkness with the voices of her loved ones confirming her worse fears as reality, no matter how much she knew it was true, their words still pierced through her heart.

Hades had never felt so much fear since Persephone's passing. Then, he had somehwat control. Now, all he could do was wait until she woke up.

Having Katherine limp against him brought back memories of that day centuries ago...

***

No matter how hard Hades tried, Persephone was set on her decision. Seeing her on the bed, all dressed in white with flowers weaved through her hair, made his once beating heart ache.

Everyone had left after Hades did what he did. It wss only respectful for Hades to spend a few moments alone with his dead wife.

Never in his eons of life, would he had thought he would kill the one who he loved. He was always surrounded by death, that was something he was used to. Persephone brought life to her stays in the winter. Now that she was gone, he felt the coldness from before leak through.

It was no secret about their unhappiness in the past few centuries. No one wanted to mention the acticites Persephone did during her time back home. Hades did tell her she could do whatever she wanted up above; she took that advice.

Hades didn't know about the affair when he met the soul while Persephone was in the Underworld. The look of confusion and astounisment the man had when he saw Persephone told Hades one thing; that man was her lover.

No wonder she was so eager to go back home every spring. Of course she was always eager to go back home, but she found beauty and contentment in the land of the dead.

It hurt. The pain and knowledge that she no longer loved him. But when she asked him to do the unthinkable, it was too much.

For days, the earth was reighned with shadows and demons that possessed innocent humans, destroying everything. There were earthquakes and volcanos erupted, the most famous one in Pompeii. But that didn't matter. Hades unleashed hell on earth.

Zeus and Posideon tried to calm their brother, but it was no use. Only when Persephone talked to him, Hades knew that he had to let her go. She was growing unhappy. She wanted to die as a human with the man she found love in.

They always say that if you love something, you set it free.

And that's what Hades did.

He freed Persephone by death.

***

It felt like an eternality until Hades felt Katherine stir. He watched as she blinked and hissed at the sudden light in the room.

She felt unnaturally cold, colder than death. Hades saw that her vivid blue eyes that he grew to love were now like his; black as coal. They were dark and cold and empty.

Hades was not an expert in witchcraft and magic, but he knew that depending on the spell, meant possession. The darkness in her soul was meant to change her emotions, to break down her soul until she submited to the darkness.

Hecate knew about magic. Maybe she would know what this darkness was, if it can be broken, and why.

"Hades..."

Her voice was quiet and small, like she had just spent hours screaming and crying.

Hades knew that her soul was stuck in the darkness. Right now, beside her eyes, she was fine. He knew that it would take time for the spell to be complete. For now, he needed to make sure that he found a way to stop it before whoever made it got what they wanted from her.

He moved a stray hair from her forehead, which glistened in sweat. It ws gentle, almost like he was too scared to touch her in fear she would break. In some ways, she might.

Katherine realised a shaky breath, trying to control her heartbeat. She felt different, like she didn't recoginzed her own body. The darkness inside her was stirring around inside of her mind; she could feel it.

"Hades... I feel it... Inside."

"I know," he whispered. "It's a spell."

"Hades..."

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone. If I didn't leave, I could've saved you. Now..."

Katherine smiled, though it was sad. "It's okay. I get it... You love Persephone."

Hades wanted to correct her, but he knew it was true. He still loved his dead wife.

But now...with his feelings for Katherine...it was hard to see anything other than the human girl.