Back to Me

Darkness Within

Since the run-in with her father, Josie has not seen Hope. She walked back to her room and has not come out for the rest of the afternoon. With the Mikaelsons coming, she knew rumors would boil over like an unattended cauldron. The spotlight would be even more dead-set on Hope if that was even possible.

Josie did not yet have her magic back, so she asked Lizzie to put a spell around Hope's room. Any intrusive soul that dared come near the door would be stunted for a couple of minutes. That should teach them to respect boundaries.

Currently, Josie watched Lizzie from her bed as her sister practiced a new offensive spell... on a teddy bear.

"Araego Dragiseo"

Blue tendrils snaked from Lizzie's fingers across the floor. Energy sparked and coiled as it laced itself around the bear. Lizzie clenched her fist but instead of the tendrils obeying, they sizzled and withered. The bear remained unharmed and Lizzie could swear it was taunting her. She lets out a frustrated sigh, flopping face down on her bed.

"Offensive spells suck" Came the muffled groan.

Josie snickers, "It's a new concept. Don't sweat it too much".

Lizzie rolls onto her back and props herself on her elbow, "If you used your magic I'm sure we could learn this quicker".

Josie purses her lips. It wasn't the first time Lizzie had asked her to regain her magic, but every time she avoided the subject, "Lizzie--"

"Spare me the parkour -- it's been weeks since the merge, what is keeping you from using magic?".

Josie looks down at her hands and plays with her fingers. Of course Lizzie would not back down, "I don't deserve it".

Lizzie moves over to Josie's bed and takes her sister's hands in her own, to which Josie lifts her head, "Nothing that happened was your fault. Dark Josie is an entirely different person, a being of pure evil," She gives Josie a side hug, resting her head on her sister's shoulder, "Don't beat yourself up for something you didn't do".

How Josie wished that was true. How she wished that she could just take her sister's words and go back to normal. And although it was true she felt like she didn't deserve magic, it was only the beginning of the guilt eating at her. Maybe she wasn't Dark Josie, but Dark Josie was her -- the embodiment of the negative thoughts and poisonous sentiments that she kept buried deep down. She thought that by transferring the black magic to the Necromancer it would free her from the darkness inside her. Instead, she's stuck with the chill of Dark Josie in her mind. She's the first thing she notices when she wakes up and the last before falling asleep. She felt as if she was on borrowed time and would lose control at any moment.

But she couldn't tell Lizzie. There was nothing for them to do and it would only worry her in vain. Nobody knew where the Necromancer was and Hope was getting used to being a vampire.

She could fight it -- she did it once, she can do it again. Hope taught her that.

Josie squeezes her sister's hands and offers a small smile, "Ok... I'll try".

They hug each other closely. When they pull away, Lizzie holds her temples between her hands.

"This spell is giving me a headache. Why don't you go get some ice cream and we can watch a movie" Lizzie smirks.

Josie chuckles, "Only if you let me choose the movie".

"No way, I'm already letting you choose the ice cream!".

Both sisters let out a hearted laugh. Josie crosses the room towards the door, "I'll be back in a jiffy," and starts her way to the kitchen.

As she reaches the end of the hallway, she sneaks a glance at Hope's room. The door is still closed. Josie sighs and heads downstairs. It's past curfew so the hallways are empty. Perks of being the headmaster's daughter, she thinks.

Voices.

Josie turns her head towards her father's office. The door is slightly ajar, the conversation sounds heated. She sneaks closer and sticks her ear to the door. Her father's voice thunders,

"That is irresponsible and dangerous".

"If I'm going to be trained by my family -- who I remind you are the most powerful vampires and witch -- then we can end the Necromancer without risking any other students".

Josie sucks in a breath, her father was arguing with Hope.

"Don't lie to me, Hope. We both know this is a disguise for your own revenge".

There was an extended silence. Josie begins to think there is no one in the room, then came her father's voice.

"Your family would not approve".

"Perhaps," Hope snaps, "But my father would".

Josie hears steps approaching the door and she rushes inside a classroom. She spots Hope strutting out of her father's office, hands balled into fists. Josie follows her with her eyes until she disappears into the blackness of the hallway.