Awoken

Everly:CH19: Surrendering Part 1

The town square feels bare now back to its usual quiet state. It's hard to believe the celebration took place just hours ago. Wait a second . . . Movement in the corner of my eye draws my attention. It looks to be a silhouette standing in the gazebo. Scanning my surroundings I realise  it seems to be just the two of us. This is the part where I should walk away while I can but I don't want to. The moon's glowing adding to the roaming fairy lights casting shadows against the various homes and buildings.

"Everly," a masculine voice calls. It sounds familiar but I can't place it. All I can do is watch as the silhouette slowly walks down the stairs and closes the distance between us. Despite my helplessness I'm not afraid. 

It's Mordecai.

"What are you doing here? What am I doing here?" I ask. Sleeping is the last thing I remember, at least trying to sleep, and it's a long way to sleep walk. My legs would be aching if that was the case.

"I have much to tell you and show you," he extends his hand and waits for me to take it. Shame rushes to the surface, heat warming my cheeks when I recall our last encounter. All I want to do is dig a big hole and bury myself in it. What the heck was I thinking? Why couldn't Bastian just keep his dick in his pants? Why couldn't I ignore it or shut down the connection? Not act on the suffocating impulse and desire? Since my magic resurfaced everything I'm experiencing is so intense. I feel out of control.

"Come on Everly we don't have much time," Mordecai reiterates. 

Fuck it, I mean what have I got to lose at this point? 

Taking his hand, within the blink of an eye we suddenly appear in the woods. It's still night and I can hear people talking. It doesn't take us long to make out way through the trees and find the source of the voices. There are two men accompanied by a woman. Wait . . . What the fuck?!

Instinctively my hand covers my mouth as I gasp in horror. Their attack fails and the two men end up impaled on a tree branch, clear to see as her magic flashes like a bolt of lightning. That's me, but it can't be. I think I'd remember being attacked and butchering two men. A sudden realisation has me gasping for a second time. That thing, that imposter is Karma and this really happened. I feel dizzy, sick and numb. 

I killed them.

Somehow I know exactly what Karma wants and the lengths it's willing to go. All her thoughts swirl around me, like disembodied whispers. She wants to bring a revenant here and Is trying to attract one with her magic. Yeah that definitely isn't me. I'm not stupid enough to do something so crazy. To endanger hundreds of people.

"She wants to turn off her humanity," Mordecai says.

Don't we all at times? That's no excuse.

Approaching me, I mean Karma, I reach out for her shoulder but like a mirage it disappears right before my eyes along with the two dead bodies, and all the blood and carnage it caused. I still don't understand. 

Who is Karma? 

Am I being haunted and possessed by a spirit? Or is someone targeting me with their magic? 

Why? 

Mordecai claimed he heard her what if he isn't real either? It's whoever is torturing me. Fuck. How did I not realise before?

"Why are you torturing me? What do you want from me?" I demand as I take a few steps backwards trying to gain distance between us.

"I'm not the one trying to destroy you Everly. I'm trying to help you."

"No. This is just another way to fuck with me."

"I'm not-"

"What do you want from me?"