Hope's P.O.V
Landon's dead. Actually not dead dead. He'll wake up soon. I dial Alaric's number on my phone. He picks it up.
Alaric: Hope, did you find Landon?
Hope: Yeah..
Alaric:Okay, tell me where you are.
Hope:Fort valley Georgia. Planet's gonna need you when I'm done. You have to write it down.
Alaric: Wait, you're at triad headquarters?
Hope: Yeah uh.. Don't worry though. Everyone here is dead.
Alaric: Okay listen, you're not making any sense. Just put Landon on the phone.
Hope: I can't. Uh.. He would have tried to stop me so I had to kill him too.
Alaric: What?
I can feel my heartbeat getting faster and I close my eyes for a while.
Hope: He'll come back... Don't worry. Even if I don't.
Alaric: Hope, tell me what the hell you're about to do right now before you do it.
Hope: Clark won. He found the final artifact and he tossed it into the
pit, which is Landon's father, by the way. And now Malivore's gonna
rise unless I stop him.
Alaric : Stop him how?
Hope: Landon got all the answers, but, basically, Malivore was created
by the blood of a werewolf, a witch and a vampire. It used to be that only they
could destroy what they created, but nature found a loophole. By making me. The Tribrid. I'm the loophole.
Alaric: Hope, you listen to me. Now, this is a theory, okay, and you don't even know if this is gonna work, so you just sit tight, and you wait for me to get there.
Hope: There's no time...I've always thought that I was a cosmic mistake, someone who should never have been born. But after all this time, I mean,
my purpose is finally clear. Think about it. I'm the answer to all of this. I can remember things about Malivore that no one else can. That Triad weapon didn't affect me.
Alaric: I am not okay with this.
Hope: I know. But you will be, because once I toss myself into that pit, no one at school will remember me. Including you.
Alaric: Hope. You listen to me.
Hope: I've spent years torturing myself, asking myself why my father sacrificed himself for me, to get to this point where, I mean, I totally understand it. And I don't want you to have to go through that pain, Dr. Saltzman. You've been through enough. And I don't want anyone at school to miss me, because they're my friends. Maybe I would have seen that sooner if I hadn't been beating
myself up all this time.
I hear him sighing through the end of the line.
Hope: This is where you tell me that even though you wish you could change my mind, you know I'm doing the right thing. This is the part where you tell me you're proud of me.
He sighs again.
Alaric : You know I'm proud of you.
He says as I notice a little breaking into his voice.
Alaric: You know it. What is it you need me to do?
Hope: Call maintenance. Have 'em pack up my room. Take my files, all those notes I know that you keep about me, and burn them. Along with Landon's journal.
Alaric: Listen, if you want to erase yourself, that is on you, okay, but you
can't ask me to do it, too.
Hope: I'm sorry, Dr. Saltzman. But I trust you more than I trust anyone. I wish I would have figured
that out sooner, too.
A loud noise comes from the pit.
Hope: I got to go.
Alaric: Hope, listen to me. Wait.
Hope: Not an option. No. Promise me you're gonna do what I said.... Promise me.
Alaric: All right. Fine. I promise.
I sniffle a little and sigh while I hang up. I turn to the pit and put my hands on the railing, but then I hear noise from my right and I turn around to see Clark.
Clark: Ooh. Sorry. I was eavesdropping.
Hope: What are you waiting for? I assumed you were gonna try to stop me.
Clark: Hell no. I was only trying to raise my father because I'm terrified of him, and I knew he'd find a way out someday. But if you're right about this loophole... can actually kill the bastard once and for all... Be my guest. And if you're wrong,
well, no harm done because you'll be dead. So go on. I'll be rooting for you.
Hope: That's not all you'll be doing.
He looks at me confused.
Hope: Imitantor Pupulus.
I say as I move my hand towards the other and doing the same with the other one.
Clark: Whatever you think you just did, didn't work.
I put my hand on my mouth and he does the same thing.
Ckark: How'd you do that? Why did I do that?
Hope: It's a basic mimic spell. We learned it in second grade. Also in second grade...
I walk towards him and he does too as he groans softly.
Hope:Follow the Leader.
Clark: You don't have to do this.
Hope: I know. But it's the only part
I'm actually enjoying.
We both put our feet on the railing and we grab each other's neck.
Hope: Too bad you're so clumsy.
Then we fall into the darkness.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
I open my eyes and I find myself in a dark place. I look around... Nothing.
Hope: Post Tenebras Spero Lucem.
I move my hand above the other one and a light ball appears in my hand. I walk some more but then a hole appears and tries to suck me in. I try to hold onto something but I keep sliding. When I'm close to the hole, a hand grabs me and keeps me on the ground safe. I turn to see him. Clark.
Clark: Fancy meeting you here.
Hope: Woah, what the hell are you doing?
Clark: Saving your life, obviously.
Hope: No, I'm supposed to be at peace. You are not peace, you're the opposite of peace. So where are we?
Clark:Cmon, do the math.
Hope:It's not that simple. There are freaking cyclons and blinding lights and you're here...
I say, obviously frustrated.
Hope: Oh my God. We're in hell.
Clark:No such thing, I think. Go on, take your best guess.
Hope: No.
I start walking away.
Clark: Why not?
I turn to look at him.
Hope: Because I'm not giving you the satisfaction of telling you that I failed.
I keep walking not knowing where I'm going. The only think I want, is to stay away from that guy, but then another hole opens and Clark again grabs me.
Hope: Can't you just stay away from me?
Clark: You mean thank you?
I look at him frustrated
Clark: So why did you fail?
Hope: Like you don't know.
Clark: I don't.
I roll my eyes.
Hope: Okay. Let me think about it... I thought that I was wrong about me being the only one that could destroy him but I think my actual mistake was that I... I wasn't a fully activated Tribrid when I dove into that pit. I never died so my vampire side hasn't been activated yet.
I respond to his questioning look.
Hope: And what I'm realizing now is that Malivore doesn't want me here.
The ground shakes.
Hope:I'm toxic to him.
I look at him.
Hope: Imitantor Pupulus.
He rolls his eyes.
Hope: Finish that sentence please.
Clark : Malivore is trying to expel you, to send you back from where you came
Hope: And every time he tries...
Clark: I grab hold with you to try to get expelled with you, huh, but as much as my father wants you to leave, he wants to keep torturing me here even more.
Hope : Then it's official. All we have to do is wait.
Clark: For what?
The ground shakes again and a portal behind me opens.
Hope: Oh, that's my ride.
Clark:You can't leave me here.
Hope: I can't leave with you. I have to get back to my friends, I have to get back to Landon.
Clark: No, just don't.
I smile at him and I enter the portal.