Chapter 4
Past
Luna felt the presence of blood streaming down her back. The whip cracked a couple of times, and she felt the surge of pain that came with it. She was gaining consciousness, but something was very wrong…
Her eyes opened and she saw her people, gazing, at her. They looked horrified. Luna tried to speak—but couldn’t. She was left, too, weak from the beating.
“Stand her up!!” The guards held her up by her arms.
Oh God…Mamma help me…
There was no answer. A huge hand slapped Luna across the face.
“STUPID WHORE!!!” The man spat in her face.
“Anything you—you do to me…. will come back at you ten times worse…” Luna spat up blood. The man laughed and pulled on her hair, forcing her to stand on her own.
“Stupid bitch!” he laughed, again. “I know what you want…” he smiled and grasped his hand onto Luna’s face. A fowl smell came from his breath. Luna’s stomach twisted in sickness, as his face came closer to hers. He smothered her lips with his own, like the big drunk that he was. Luna clenched her jaw shut and glued her teeth together. She felt the sick acid come up in her throat. She couldn’t take it anymore…
She puked on his mouth. And he recoiled backward in disgust.
All the other guards laughed at him. Luna fell on her back like a sick animal. Everything became a daze to her. Her vision went blurry, and she knew she had pissed off the fat monster.
Once again she blacked out.
“Danny, you have to help me…you’re the only one who could…” Present
Desperate, she must have been. She must have been brainwashed by Tatiana. Eric stood in the presence of the girl, he was forced to love, and had lost his will for. Tish was his world. Tish was his life. Tish was his everything. It was hard to grasp onto reality without her. He would do anything for her. That meant anything… Eric would go to hell and back for Tish, so why was she being so manipulative? This wasn’t the Tish Eric had fallen for. They’ve known each other since they were infants. Something changed her. Something must have hardened her, made her colder, and made her more like him. Eric didn’t want Tish to be like him.
And now, here they were, in the home of this human. This human’s name was Jen. She was involved with the mortal, Danny. Tish was getting into her head. And Tish was causing some serious pain along the way.
“PLEASE, JUST STOP!! JUST STOP!!!” Jen began to screech, as Tish’s hands grasped around Jen’s cranium. Eric had already cast a spell to surround the house, so that no human could hear. They were in the clear to do anything to this human, Jen. The torture of her could go on for hours, undetected.
If Danny truly cares about this human… I will enjoy causing her pain, even more, like he did to my Tish.
Eric grinned to Jen’s screams. Tish wasn’t finished with the painful procedure, yet. The more the human struggled, the more painful it was going to be. Jen didn’t know that, and neither Eric nor Tish decided to tell her. Eric took a long look at Tish. Today, she was definitely acting different. Tish was being cruel with the human, and Eric didn’t know how to take that. Tish was sweet, kind, and everything innocent compared to him. She was so gentle and fragile—now look at her. She was turning into a monster. Thanks to Tatiana, Tish was becoming more powerful as a witch.
“She’s not a witch,” Tish finally concluded. She arose from the human and drifted off to the side. Jen panted heavily, and her chest moved up and down, like she was just hit by a freight train. Sweat poured from her brow, and her face had turned scarlet red. Eric prevented her from moving anywhere. That human, Jen, couldn’t do anything to defend herself.
That human is such a weakling…
“We can sacrifice her as an offering to our God,” Eric suggested. The human beamed her eyes at him. Eric couldn’t help but smile.
“Eric, we can still use her. We can have her, convince, Danny into selling his soul. We need a human to do this. She could be that human.” Tish became very enthusiastic, and she pulled a vile from her pocket. “All she needs to do is agree, and give him this… Of course, she needs to agree to this willingly…” Tish rolled her eyes to the pretense of the spell book binding law. “But, that shouldn’t be, too, difficult now should it?” Eric looked at Tish with a little worry, and then he turned his attention to the prostrated Jen.
Her lips were quivering, but she managed to say, “No…” Her voice was weak, but then she gulped and said it even louder, “NOOOOOOO!” Tish gave a faint laugh, and arrogantly turned to Eric.
“Show her what we are capable of doing, if she doesn’t agree to giving Danny the vile,” Tish commanded Eric. He was beginning to panic and worry even more about Tish.
He nodded his head in compliance, and reached for a dagger in his pocket. Jen’s body was like his puppet. He had her arise from her, prostrated, state. Now, Eric already had done this today, but he had no problem doing it again.
“Careful, it’s sharp…” Tish warned with a smile. Jen took the blade. She let out a faint cry. Her arms began to tremble.
“Last chance,” Tish informed. “Agree to give Danny the vile and we will spare your life…” Jen looked at both Eric and Tish. Her eyes blazed with more anger than with fear. Which was really odd, considering, her life was on the line.
“No…go to hell!” Jen spat in Eric’s direction. He might have actually applauded her if it wasn’t for Tish. Eric admired the human’s bravery, even though; it was the biggest mistake of her entire life.
“You know that pain you experienced before? Well, that’s going to be nothing compared to this.” Tish removed her hood and made the signal. “Eric, now!”
Jen held the pointed dagger up to the flesh of her arm. As it, slowly, pierced her skin, Jen let out a scream unlike no other. The blade heated against the surface of her flesh, and the red blood oozed from her arm. Eric had the blade, gradually, move up and down her body. Of course he made sure to avoid any major arteries. The next incision, he had her made, was across her chest. Right above her breasts. He showed some pity at the chest part, but then Jen was no longer screaming. Her mouth was sealed by her own will.
Eric could see the pain in her eyes. Why would she continue with this? Why would she allow herself to go through so much pain for this one person?
It must be bewitchment…what else could it be?
Eric thought about it for a moment, before Tish interrupted.
“Keep going Eric! Make that bitch talk… Make her scream!” Eric looked over to Tish. Her face was blazing red, as she was yelling at him. Never before, has he seen her this angry. Eric wasn’t use to Tish, of all people, telling him how to torture someone. This was beyond creepy and bazar.
A black cat walked up to Eric, and hissed. Eric arched one eyebrow in confusion. He moved his hand toward the dark creature, only to be scratched and hissed at. Eric didn’t know why this cat had a death wish, but at this point, he didn’t care. He just simply shrugged his shoulders and kicked the cat across the room. He looked over to Tish. She was still demanding him to do more.
Eric needed to do something, and he needed to do it now…
“Tish, this human is not going to do it… She would rather die than agree to betray Danny.” Eric released Jen from his shadow, and she came falling to the ground on her hands and knees. Eric admired her love and bravery. He would hope he would do the same for Tish. Eric didn’t know many humans that would do that, like Jen has today.
She’s cursed by love like I am… We’re like each other in many ways…
“Eric,” Tish walked up to him, “She must be bewitched or something. No way would she withstand all of that just for him.”
“Tish, she would. She is not bewitched, she’s just greatly in love.” Eric beamed his dark eyes at Tish. She stumbled backwards from him. She nervously bit her lower lip and averted Eric’s gaze.
“Then there’s only one thing left to do…” Tish walked up to the human and grabbed the blade from her hand…
Zoey sat upright in her bed. There was no way what she saw was real. There was no way Tish would do that. Zoey was Tish’s best friend. She couldn’t see Tish do something so horrible and cruel. There was no way—
Zoey clasped one hand over her forehead, turned her sheets over, and arose from her bed. Tatiana her, so called mother, stood on the outside of the door with a glass of water. Zoey jumped back at the witch’s presence. It was clear Zoey was fearful. But, Tatiana only smiled and walked over to her.
“Dear child…you were only dreaming…. Often, young witches do that.” Tatiana dipped her finger into the water, and then ran it over Zoey’s forehead. There was a loud sizzle, but Tatiana pulled away. “Demons are running through you like wild fire my dear phoenix.” Tatiana shook her head consistently. “Please drink this and go back to sleep. Tomorrow is very important.”
Tomorrow was very important because her enrollment into school would bring her one step closer to Danny. Tatiana knew this, and so did Zoey…
Danny, if I could…I wouldn’t do this to you…
Zoey gulped down the glass of water, allowing herself to rest easy on the bed. Tatiana exited the room, closing the door behind her. Zoey tried to think about Tish again. She needed to get inside of her head and try to eliminate that darkness. Tatiana must have done that to her. Tatiana was turning Tish into herself…
“Let me in Tish…let me in…” Zoey tried her hardest to break into the barrier Tish had created, but her efforts were useless. At that point, Zoey knew, that whatever Tish was doing, she didn’t want her to see it. So much for best friends not keeping secrets from each other. Zoey became frustrated. The last thing she wanted to do was get inside of Eric’s head. Zoey already knew he was up to very dark magic. Zoey only had one other option… She needed to see through the eyes of Jen…
“Let me through please, I need to see those people, who are doing this to you…” It didn’t take long for Zoey to make the connection.
Jen was on her knees in the presence of complete monsters. Blood dripped from her wounds, that they possessed her to cut. They kept mentioning Danny over and over. They wanted her to give him up. They wanted Jen to betray him… Jen loved him, too, much to do that. At this point, she knew she was going to die. Whoever these monsters were, they were going to kill her in cold blood.
Danny, I love him…
She winced to the incredible amount of pain. She gave up screaming a while ago. After all, there was no point in it. It didn’t make the pain go away and it didn’t help her any. Jen was accepting death a little, too, soon, but that was all because of Danny. In the end, she only thought of him and his welfare. She didn’t think of her own.
“Last chance,” the girl with a hood knelt down in front of her with the knife. Jen wondered if the Trentons still thought she was not good enough for their son. She wondered what they would say, if they knew what she did for Danny. What she gave up for Danny… They had come a long way from five years. Now came judgment day, and the worst part was Jen saw it coming. The two monsters called her a human…and Jen was glad to know she was one.
“I told you bitch, go to hell!” If Jen had last words, those would have definitely been it. The girl arched her eyebrows in anger, and swung her arm… “Danny I love you—.” Jen’s throat was sharply slit by the hooded bitch. Her head hit the floor, as she cradled onto her own throat. She gargled on her own blood, struggling, to hang onto what bit of life she had left. She beamed her eyes over to the man, who had possessed her, and his eyes were a different tone now. They almost seemed sincere with regret. The dark, devious, creature showed some remorse. Why? Why now? Jen most likely would never know.
Jen was, slowly, bleeding out. It was meant to be that way from that girl. She didn’t cut Jen’s throat deep enough, so that she would suffer longer…
Whoever you are… protect Danny…protect him please.
She started to loose consciousness. Those two monsters left her for dead, and walked out of her house. They knocked over stuff in the process. They were probably trying to make it look like someone tried to rob the place. Jen could only think that they were going to kill more, in order to get Danny. Now Jen couldn’t protect him anymore. She couldn’t even warn Danny, and that absolutely sucked for Jen.
Midnight, the black cat, walked over to Jen. She licked the center of Jen’s forehead and purred. It was funny, considering, the seriousness of the situation.
Looks like cats do have 9 lives…
Jen drifted off into the eternal darkness. For the first time and last time, she felt death glide over her body…and touch her blood.
Zoey sat upright in her bed. She didn’t like what she had seen. She didn’t like what she had felt. It was obvious Tish was running out of control with the magic. Even, Eric, of all people could see that. Zoey was running out of options about what to do with Tish. The circumstances have changed, and the coven mother didn’t care that Tish was becoming more like her. When Zoey saw the look in Tish’s eyes through Jen—It was a wake up call to her. That girl died, excruciatingly, at the hands of Tish. Tish didn’t care anymore. And that kid Danny was now in even more danger.
Zoey replayed the message Jen sent, over and over, again in her head. Jen died in order to protect Danny. She didn’t even hesitate when it came down to it. If that wasn’t courage with love, Zoey didn’t know what was. A bunch of the craft community said that humanity was just animals killing each other. They obviously were, too, full of themselves to open their eyes and look at people like Jen.
Jen, protecting Danny is easier said than done…
“Danny, I need your help,” Luna pleaded. “I chose you for a reason…” Danny opened his mouth to say something, only to be put to sleep by this ghost….
Getting your help is easier said than done…
Luna vanished into the Earth.
The slim man with a dark jacket ventured up the road, listening to, “Mr. Sandman”. He bobbed his head back and forth to the music playing in his head through the headphones. A couple of teenagers ran by from the blue house, and one of them was a girl with a dark hood.
The man didn’t say anything. Even though, he smelt the blood on their hands…