The Devil's Thinking : Death's Call

Chapter 7 : The Black Valley

Stevven :

When I saw the diary & read it, my heart froze. Seeing the news channels everywhere with only one topic, 'Where is Stevven Willfoxx?' broke my mind with sadness. I still couldn't believe that I killed 666 people. How was I evil? I never even dared to kill someone. It was not even in my intentions. This was a false accuse on me. I'm just a 11 year old boy, who had a regular boy life. This is impossible. I left my house with tears. I went to the park which was near my house & sat on the swing. I was crying for what I just did.
"I didn't do this! This is impossible!", I mumbled in silence. There was no one. It was a dark night. I saw my watch but the time didn't seem to move. It was struck at 3am itself. The Devil's hour & the murders that I didn't commit were also the Devil's no. I was swinging by myself when I felt a push on my back. The hands were wet & cold. I was scared as I felt the presence of someone. I grabbed the courage to turn back, what I saw completely shook me. It was my replica. A clone. His T-shirt was white & drenched with blood, so was his hands. His eyes where covered with hatred & tears. I could see the goosebumps on my hands, attacking with fear.
"So it was you who took my identity & famed me a murderer?", I said with courage.
"Why would I take your name? I am Stevven Willfoxx!", he said.
"What?? How is that possible? I'm the only Stevven Willfoxx in this planet!", I said in confusion.
"Are you stupid? You are in an illusion. So it's possible for you to see things like this!", he shouted.
"An illusion? Why? I don't want to see things like this! It disgusts me!", I said with tears rolling down my eyes.
"It's ok! Calm down! I can help you get out of here. Only if you help me.", he said.
"Why am I supposed to help you? I don't want to commit any murders with you!", I said.
"Are you seriously an idiot? You're not helping me commit murders! You'll just help me escape!", he said.
"Oh ok! So you're not going to commit anymore murders?", I asked him.
"Yeah I'm tired of this life that I'm living. Committing murders, escaping from the cops, changing my identity & so on.", he said.
"So you are not me? You just took my identity! How dare you!? Because of you I was scared to death!", I screamed with anger.
"I'm sorry! This is how I have lived.", he said with sadness.
"Then what about that diary?", I said.
"That diary was just an excuse. I really did kill the D'zebras but that was 5 years back. My first murder. The story what I mentioned there was fake. I just had the tendency to kill someone. That pleased me somehow. Then I thought to take people's identity so that I wouldn't get caught", he said.
At one point I was angry but the other way around I felt sad for him. He just wanted to escape from the life he led & I had to help him. I had to help a murderer. He was kind & sweet. So I decided to help him.
"I'll help you! But what is your actual name?", I asked.
"Alice Leo", he said.
Wait! It was a girl!
"You're a girl? What the hell?", I said in confusion.
"What do you mean? What's the problem if I'm a girl! You won't help me?", she screamed in anger.
"I didn't mean in that way!", I said trying to extinguish the confusion around me.
"Let's go! We don't have time!", she said.
"Where to?", I asked.
"The Black Valley!", she said.
"I'm supposed to help you there?", I asked.
"No. You are escaping from there & I'm coming with you.", she said.
"But we are in an illusion. It was only casted for me. How can you escape?", I asked.
"Like you even I am stuck in an illusion. I too didn't commit any murders. I was just made too. Like commanded. I just want to escape this illusion world! So I was waiting for someone & you came. That's the reason why I took your identity, so that I could meet you. I knew that you would come to the park.", she said.
"Oh! So you didn't commit any murders, you were just commanded to." I paused for a while.
"Let's escape together!", I continued.
She did some signs after that & she was no longer me. She was a girl with black hair & blue eyes. She looked beautiful.
"Why are you staring at me?", she asked.
"No nothing! I was just surprised by seeing you.", I said. I blushed for the first time. No! What am I thinking? Let me just focus on escaping this place.
"How do we go there?", I asked.
"If we have to enter the Black Valley, we have to pass The Fleming Dense.", she said.
"Fleming Dense? Why? It's really a large forest.", I said.
"Yeah. That's were the Black Valley is. It's located in the back side of the forest.", she said.
I followed her. The Fleming Dense is a really vast forest with dense trees. It's dark & cold. Even if it is morning, it remains really dark. That's why it has a name, 'Shadow Forest of the Dark Morning'. It creeped me out but I was confident. Alice was even more confident. She was strong, brave & confident. Fleming dense was right behind our school. So it was easier for us. We reached the place. It was dark & damp. We entered with courage.
"Which element do you have?", she asked all of a sudden.
"Fire. Yours?", I asked.
"Fire. We are pretty much the same. Do you know any arts?", she asked.
"Yeah. I know the Fire Sphere, Fire Ring & Fire Punch.", I said.
"Cool! Can you show me?", she asked.
"Art of Fire : Sphere", I screamed & it burnt some trees. Some trees fell down & the moonlight shattered the ground.
I understood what she meant by that. She wanted light so she took the help of my arts & put down some trees so that moon light could be guide us the way.
"Thanks! But moon won't be enough." She grabbed a stick & lit it with fire. Her hands were flaming with fire.
"Wow! That's cool!", I said.
"My mom taught me.", she said. We walked further until a huge tree blocked our path. I thought to use my fire ring as that could cut the tree in half & we could walk past the space.
"Art of fire : Ring", I said.
The huge fire Ring split the tree into half. We walked past it & walked further. The trees were in complete black while the leaves filtered the moon light.
We walked for quite awhile now & thought to take a rest. We sat under a nearby tree. Alice was deep in her thoughts while I was just sitting there, tired of walking. After 10mins we thought to move ahead. We thought to leave a mark where we sat so that we wouldn't get lost in this huge forest. We carved an 'X' on the tree & walked away. After a few minutes I stepped on a branch. The sound of it creeped me but when I realised that it was a branch I was relieved.
"How long are we going to walk?", I asked.
"I don't know! It depends if we walk faster!", she said sarcastically.
"I'm walking fast!", I said in anger.
"Wait a minute! Didn't we walk past here? This is the tree where we rested!", she said confused.
I turned to my right where I could see the 'X'. I was shocked & confused.
"There you go! We came back! After all this time we were walking into the same direction!", I said.
"What do you mean?", she asked.
"We are lost! We are back in the same place! I guess I shouldn't have followed you!", I said suffering from a trauma.
"So it's my fault? Ok fine! You go on your own & I'll go on my own! Let's divide!", she said showing her temper.
"No wait---", I said. She walked away & we split our way.
I repented for what I said. Maybe it wasn't her fault. Now the situation became worse. I had to find the black valley by myself. She was helping me. What did I do? What was wrong with me? I spoilt her mood & mine as well. I walked further, this time noticing my steps. I reached a place with a small pond. The advantage of this forest was that it did not have any animals. As it was dark, animals don't live here. So I was safe at one point, but on the other hand I was alone. The pond was dark. It felt like I was in a horror house. The moon light was reflecting but it was dull. I sat there wondering what to do. I looked at my reflection which was moving because of the water waves. I suddenly felt something magnetic. Some force pulling me inside. I was hydrophobic so I was afraid of the pond. It pulled me & I screamed. I was completely taken inside of the pond. The water now splashing my face. Then I saw the world below. It was a Valley. Mountains by the side & a long river.