The Battle
This was it. We arrived at the forest around eleven thirty. No one questioned how we knew what we knew; we just let everyone draw their own conclusions. I waited around with Eli and Ezra less than arms length away. I stared up at the sun remembering what sight I walked into last night. Every single vampire in the overly sized house was lying on any space they could just to hold their significant other close. They knew as well I did that this could be the last time. Ezra had stayed the night at Brook’s anticipating the same thing. Eli and I took up the only space available, which was Ezra’s bed. The night passed so slowly with no sleep, but no one moved an inch. Around midnight Colten started to sing a lullaby in my head. It was possibly the sweetest song I’ve ever heard. Around one he crossed realms and took his time staring at only me the rest of the night as he sang the song over and over.
He was still at a stand still with his visions. All he could see was Saturday afternoon, and he couldn’t get past it. He only assumed the worst, that some how he would be no more.
I spent the morning in his realm sobbing about what might happen. He held me and took in everything he could about me. I felt him catching the scent of my hair and constantly running his figures through it. He rubbed my face and my arms a hundred times over while never taking his eyes off me for a second. I did the same trying to remember every inch of him. It was hard to stare at him for too long and not feel sadness thinking that this may be the last time I see him.
“It’s time to go.” He whispered in my ear as we held each other tight. I held on for one more minute and let him go so I could walk through him.
Everybody seemed ready and waiting, except me. There was something I wanted to do, but I wasn’t sure what it was. I had my goodbyes with Brook, Ezra, Eli, and my parents. I stood around I could tell I looked alarmed.
“What’s the matter?” Eli asked as he pulled me into a hug. “It’s going to be ok.” He said and kissed the top of my head then squeezed m tight. “You can and will do this.”
I sighed and hugged him back.
‘Addi tell Ezra to tell them no one is to touch Elfin. To leave him for last.’ Colten said to me.
I pulled away from Eli and pulled Ezra closer to whisper in his ear. He nods and I looked up at the sun, it was almost time.
I closed my eyes and tilted my head back to feel the wind in my hair. I felt a presence and opened my eyes to see Colten laying his head on my face lightly, making sure not to go through. I smiled and closed my eyes again then I felt a soft kiss on my cheek. I open my eyes again and Eli is leaning over me, we kiss but I only allow it for a minute. Time was precious and I was forgetting something.
“Addi, five minutes. They are approaching” Colten says “Your locket.” He whispers. That was it! That heart wrenching feeling I was forgetting something.
I turn around and tell Ezra and Eli five minutes, not caring who hears. I search through the crowd looking for Rachel. I see her sitting against a tree tracing her fingers around her neck where her locket used to be.
I dropped to my knees in front of her and held her as tight as I could. I heard Ezra announce to everyone five minutes until Elfin shows.
“I love you.” I whispered to her. “I love you so much. I’ve loved you my entire life, but you were never there. I dreamed of meeting you and hugging you. I wanted to do everything with you, and now that I have you I regret being so mad and missing any time with I could have spent with you.” I told her.
I felt her hold in my start to feel desperate like she wished she could hold me tighter.
“I love you to baby!” she said as she tried not to cry. “I love you too.” It was all she could say as she cried into my shoulder.
‘Addi I’m sorry but you got to be up there. The souls are taking their places.’
I sighed “I’m sorry mom but I gotta go. Just be ready. I’ll see you when this is all over.”
She smiled and nodded her head “I’ll see you baby.” I helped her up off the ground and walked off.
I went to Ezra and hugged him tight, then turned to Eli and kissed him as passionately as our desperation would allow. That was when I heard their approach. I took one last glance behind me and our numbers had nearly tripled, my jaw dropped and I saw one soul wink at him. Jorgie had also caught my eye in the distance, it felt so good to see him well and standing. For the first time I felt confident, we had so many and only I knew about them. This was the most amazing thing ever.
“There here” Colten whispered in my ear. I looked to my right behind Ezra and there was Colten. I smiled as he stared down at me then motioned for me to face forward. I obeyed and just in time. Elfin had just approached and froze a few yards away. His numbers almost matched ours, but he had more. There was hundreds on each side in the forest at the moment and wasn’t including souls.
Elfin stared us all down. To his right was Olivia and to his left was a vampire I recognized from school. Olivia leaned over and whispered in his ear. I don’t know it she thought I wouldn’t hear, but I don’t think she was that dumb. “That’s her.” She had said looking right at me. My defensive instincts took over and a devilish smile flashed across my face.
Elfin pointed his boney finger right at me and said “She’s mine.” I felt zero intimidation. He was a fragile looking man. Very pale with black-cropped hair, but then I stared down his figure, it was thin, but no doubt he was muscular. This man didn’t have a fragile bone in his body.
“What are you waiting for!” he yelled. “I didn’t create you to stand there! Kill them!” his voice was very powerful and demanding. It was also alluring at the same time, no wonder they were all so convinced.
I hadn’t moved but everyone around me became a blur. All I heard was ripping and screaming. I realized at that moment this was about more than a simple love. Elfin wanted to show how powerful he was and the lengths he would go through to prove it. I waited for Elfin to come and attack me but he had retreated. I didn’t bother caring he would show again.
As I looked around I was horrified. Limbs and heads were everywhere the souls that weren’t possessing bodies stood there with their hand on bodies helping the vampires rip off limbs. The screams were ear splitting.
I caught sight of Ezra getting ready to tear off a head as I saw another one of Elfin’s little demons come up behind him. Without thinking I was there in less than a second. I pushed him over dropped to my knees into his chest as I bent over I wrapped my hands around his head. I paused for a moment and my full instincts took over as I tightened my grip and ripped his head clear off in less than two seconds. I moved down to his arms and then his legs, after his legs were off his body stopped moving.
Ezra turned around “Nice work Addi.” He winked and ran off.
I figured I should make use of myself and went to look for more. The others I came across put up more of a fight and I had to really wrestle them down before Colten came to help me. I felt so much rage as I was fighting off these vampires, but it felt misdirected. I wanted Elfin, but we had to bring down his numbers first.
As I went around picking fights I tried not to look at any of the dead bodies. I didn’t want to see someone on my side dead, so I took a blind eye to the ground and kept up my fights.
In the corner of my eye I saw Eli and Olivia dancing around each other. I was trying to wrestle this girl who couldn’t be older than me down to the ground. It seemed Eli had gotten some hits in cause she was missing a hand. I wasn’t paying attention to this girl underneath me, probably cause she wasn’t putting up much of a fight. I glanced down and realized why, she was fighting with a soul. I took advantage and ripper her head off right there. Without another thought I got up and ran over to Eli. I stayed a few feet back contemplating whether or not he needed help. Then I remembered this was Olivia. The very reason I changed so soon, the very woman who tortured me into becoming a vampire. The woman I feared, now it was time for pay back.
My rage felt like it was another level, there was no thinking, no planning, just doing. I ran into her shoulder first as hard as I could. She flew into a tree, and with a splitting crack, the tree fell over.
“Addi!” Eli called out “What are you doing?”
I didn’t bother answering; I just wanted her to suffer.
Olivia stood back up and came running for me. There was just something new inside me that I didn’t have last time we were in the forest. She reached her one hand out for me and me being dumb didn’t think to move as she wrapped her hand around my neck. My only thought was thought was to get her hand off of me. I wrapped both of my hands around her wrist and squeezed as tight as I could. Before anything else could form in my head Eli came and ran her into the ground detaching her hand in the process. Her hand dropped from my neck and I looked down to see Eli punching her.
“Eli! ELI!” I shouted. He stopped holder her body down. “What are you doing?”
“Oh I’m sorry babe did you want in on this?” he asked me innocently.
“Uh yea.” I said obviously “Just hold her down.”
She started to scream and fighting harder. I had to hurry before she over powered him. I put my knee on her forehead and did a complete three sixty. Her body kept moving and that earsplitting scream you head all over happened once more. Eli dismembered the rest of the body and got up.
“Great work! Told you, you could do this.” He said pulling me over to kiss my forehead. “Now let’s get this over with so we can go home.”
I nodded and we walked our separate ways. He seemed to be looking around for someone. I wasn’t very far before someone tried to attack me from behind. I instinctively flipped them over, but stopped. This girl couldn’t be any older than thirteen years old.
“How old are you?” I asked her, completely forgetting that she was trying to kill me. She ignored me and got back up. I pushed her back down “How old are you?” I asked again.
“What do you care!”
“Your too young to die!” I yelled at her.
“No I’m not. My creator says I was made to be a fighter.”
“Your creator made you so you could die! I will not fight you!” I yelled at her. When I walked off she came back and jumped on my back again. Again I threw her off “I will not fight you!” I screamed.
Before she could say anything else I heard another ear splitting scream, but this voice it was familiar! I didn’t give another thought to this girl, I ran off to find the scream.
Seconds. It only took seconds for me to see Elfin standing over Eli’s decapitated body.
What happened next I would never be able to explain. In my body, my mind, and my soul it was more than rage, more than fury and anger. Elfin was going to die and I was going to do it. There wouldn’t be a fight, and there wouldn’t be words. Everything built up inside me like I was gaining some kind of power or force. I didn’t let out a growl it was more like a powerful overwhelming roar. I charged. Absolutely no thoughts processed in my head, only actions. I kicked him down with the force of a hundred vampires and leapt on his body punching him over and over. I looked over at Eli’s body again and ripped Elfin’s head clean off. I couldn’t even feel his body fighting for life underneath mine. His head was off but that wasn’t enough. I broke through his chest with my fingers and tore his body in half. I felt like my inner most demons had possessed me as I continued to dismember his body. It still wasn’t enough I felt something in his pocket. It was a lighter. I piled up his body pieces and set them on fire.
Once his body was burning into a million smoldering pieces I felt the release from my body. I didn’t notice the body possessors enter my body but I saw them as they came out. I was weak and the full force of what happened hit me. Eli was dead.