Open Minds: The Fog

Chapter Twenty:Lexi*-In Which the Climax Passes Anticlimactically

Maybe Lexi thought that praying where the spirits really were would feel different, but it didn't. And then, it did.

Her brain buzzed and her eyes opened wide, rolled back. She saw something, a thermometer, some sort of vessel, a concept, really it had a lid, duh, but there was something else in the middle, stopping it from filling it all the way. Infuriating. But she realized that if she filled it any more, that barricade wouldn't budge and the whole thing would explode. She felt..something in her mortal body. It was falling apart. That's not good, she liked that one. She had the realization that she was one with her spirit at the time. As soon as she thought it, her mind slammed painfully into her broken body.

Wait. It wasn't broken anymore! As Lexi's vision cleared with the humming in her head, she stretched out her arms, pulling up the sweatshirt sleeve. Her fingers were white with a web of scars, little tendrils of them occasionally lining her arm. Fascinating.

Lexi's eyes drifted from her scars to the sword, silver and green at her feet. And then up to her blood. And bones. A mountain of bones and-

Caliph. Jeannie. Caliph's form was so much bigger, more solid in the Fog. Covered in black spines, gaping mouth of needle-teeth, pinpoint eyes far back in his head. His long fingers scratching gently at a tiny igloo made of stone. Jeannie was inside. Lexi didn't need to open herself to the Lihe to know it.

She bent and picked up the sword. It vibrated with excitement and Lihe as it began to give off a pinkish glow. Lexi crouched, her body moving for her. With a scream, she launched herself at Caliph.

-Caliph-

There it was. Stupid, on his ground. Here, where He hadn't been for too long, He could know so many things. He knew something was wrong. Something came burning across Him. It split him into. Angry. He dragged himself back into one. It, no She was there at his feet, protecting His food. Yelling in her tiny voice holding her big...sword. That's what it was. He could feel her knowing, and His food's knowings. Fear and anger and Sword. He leaned in at her, clasped her in His hands.

She writhed and fought, and He dug a finger into her back. Her voice bubbled in His mind. She had her sword, and she cleft him again, on his arm. She dropped to the ground, waving the weapon. It stung where it touched Him. She flung out circles and beat Him back with the sword. She grabbed His food and ran. She tore open the world. She took the only others of her kind.

She took Boy. The world closed itself up again and He was alone. And Hungry and Angry. And tired. The Grey were there. They guided him unto sleep.

Lexi's vision floated in and out of focus with her consciousness. She was in her dorm at the Academy Building. The lights were off, and her nightlight cast an orange glow on the ceiling. The whine in her head subsided as she sat up.

A sharp pain in her lower back brought a moan to her lips. She bit into her finger and looked around groggily. Her phone and Nalgene bottle were on the bedside table. A drip of pink liquid was connected to her arm.

Someone opened her door. The whine and pain came back with the bright lights outside. An unidentifiable figure gently forced her to lay back down.

They called softly, "She's awake." It was Taylor. More people came in quietly, closing the door. Jeanie Lee, Corduroy, Cambridge, Pule, Allison, Diana, and someone else. Her room was crowded. In the dim light, Jeanie twisted her Cardinals cap and avoided Lexi's eye. The new person fidgeted with the pink drip. Pule's phone rang and he and Allison stepped back outside.

Taylor sat on the edge of Lexi's bed. "You've been asleep for a while..." he said. "We got you flowers, but Corey put them in your BR, they said your spirit helped you a lot."

Lexi sat up with a start. Clenching her teeth, she said, "Oh my god! What-I did the little boy survive? A-and my sword-I'm alive! And Jean is okay? Everybody-I'm in so much trouble-"

The other person, Corey, shook their head and adjusted their overalls. "Well, that's a whole-ass thing in itself. The sword you had was an ancient spirit artifact, so it went to the vaults. And that boy, who is actually a teenager, is a very powerful Spig who's been missing for almost a year. He was completely vegetative, but he's been showing signs of consciousness in the past few hours."

Taylor looked down. He seemed upset. "He-it's a miracle he's alive. I-everyone assumed he was dead." He stood up suddenly and left.

Corey fluffed Lexi's pillows. "Sleep, now. Jean told us you got your scars from Caliph, so they'll hurt for a while. You can talk to everybody in the morning"

Lexi barely had time to murmur thanks to the healer before she fell into another deep sleep.

If you enjoyed the chapter, please vote, comment, follow 

So, lads. We're almost at the end. I honestly can't believe it. It's still shit.