This is one of my favourite covers, it's so powerful...
AND shoutout to @uzuriupendo for this beautiful cover(story cover XD)
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'I think it came from the storeroom' Jace announced.
I dashed for the storeroom's door pushing my legs harder, feeling pure panic and fear. All I wished was to check if Cassie was fine. The distance to the store room which was very short, felt miles away. At last I reached the storeroom and slammed the door open, Jace following me.
The scene in front of me confused me more than anything, a glowing man standing over one of the stack of boxes in the storage room towering over Cassie. I have no idea how he managed to stand on those empty stacked boxes and made a mental note to remember to ask him how he managed to stand over those boxes without falling down or how he got up there without a ladder.
There was a good news and a bad news.
Good news: The stack of empty cardboard boxes didn't collapse.
Bad news: A stranger had broke in my house.
The man was around my height, maybe a little taller? I couldn't tell from down here. But noticing his face chills went down my spine, so far him glowing, him standing on stacks of empty cardboard boxes wasn't that disturbing. Looking at his face was enough to make me realise he wasn't normal and filled me with guilt. Could it be all this while Cassie was telling the truth? Could it be possible that what we perceive this world as is not true? I can't be sure now. If what Cassie was saying was true well then this man wasn't here to play trick or treat. I shook my head, I was getting carried away. This guy, Truth or whatever, was maybe an illusionist.
He seemed pretty normal, but his face, well things got weird, his face a mirage, switching between a fairly good-looking face and a very disfigured one which burnt my eyes, but it was fair enough. My bloody useless eyes deserved to be burned as what they were showing was hardly believable. I was hoping I was hallucinating, I rubbed my eye hoping to see the truth and not the man who called himself Truth. Instead of seeing some believable things I noticed things which made me sure I was hallucinating and needed professional help.
He had this bluish glow but again it was the light playing some tricks, like you know when the light reflects over black coloured things giving it a bluish tint. On a closer look, I realised he wasn't standing on the boxes, instead he was floating over them. I definitely had an eye checkup due. Jace expression was the same as mine indicating I was not hallucinating or we both were hallucinating which was highly unlikely. I pinched Jace to double check if I was dreaming 'Ow! What was that for?'
'Definitely not dreaming' I muttered. I decided not to ponder much on it, otherwise I would surely go crazy.
Truth shook his head as if our bantering amused him and turned to Cassie, his expression suddenly changing into a cold one.
His thunder like voice boomed making me shiver in fear and back away a little. 'I gave you a chance! This is what you do? I give you one last opportunity to spill. Tell the truth, lying will benefit no one.'
My immediate thoughts were Cassie and lying? No ways!
But her expression said otherwise, Cassie tried to move backwards but failed as her back was already pressed against the wall. On taking her appearance in I gasped a little: drenched in sweat and her blond hair plastered to her face. Truth stared at Cassie, his eyes glowing a dark shade of blue. Cassie clutched her head, doubling over, I wanted to do something, to make whatever she was going through stop, but what? I couldn't even move my feet.
'CONFESS IT!' Truth's voice boomed again. He did a little wave motion with his hand and a trickle of red liquid ran down Cassie's nose 'STOP IT! UGH!'
That was it. I wanted to bash that idiot's face, till his nightmare of living in a real world came true.
Jace thankfully created a distraction. 'Why are you two-faced? Sorry that came out wrong. Why is your face changing and who are you?'
I expected Truth to blast Jace into bits of matter or do something like that, that would totally be cool. Nonetheless, I wouldn't like him anymore. Contrary to my assumptions, Truth just chuckled 'I am the Truth. I represent Truth in the world, I am the embodiment of Truth, not metaphorically but actually. I look as the world perceives me. To some I am the harsh, bitter reality, to some I am divine enlightenment.'
How could truth be personified, and if truth is embodied it meant even other qualities would be personified? Is it true? Or is this some sick joke? Nah, this guy was just some delusional idiot who thought he was some big shot in the universe. This man was a psycho, if Cassie wasn't keen on sharing something well then so be it, it is her call. Knowing Cassie, she was a closed book and I was grateful to her for letting me in, trusting me. She would tell me if required, I didn't need some asshole to force her to open up. Looking at her so scared, so vulnerable shook my insides.
'Is this some sick joke? Some prank? Because you hear me and hear me clear, this isn't funny.' I threatened.
'There's a reason why I am called truth. I tear away all those pretty illusions, I may be harsh but I am reality.' The irony when he said that, he is reality...This man was crazy and in living his fairyland imaginations, which I am sure did not have unicorns and rainbows.
Truth interrupted me, 'I would answer more questions but duty calls.'
He turned to Cassie. 'You leave me no other option, child.'
Cassie whimpered, 'N-no I-I will tell the truth, I am sorry Rebecca. I lied, my mother is not ill.' I did't care if what Cassie said was truth or not even though it was making my head spin. Words were heard but not processed, tears threatening to spill. It was too much, it was all hitting me slowly, I was stuck in a room with a delusional psychopath who was making excuses to kill Cassie. He wasn't gonna let the matter drop.
Truth growled 'Its partial truth and is as good as a lie.'
'N-no she is going to hate me' Cassie sobbed.
'That you should have thought before lying. You created illusions, one lie led to another lie. I have tried so hard to spread the importance of truth through social media. But no one listens, anyways tell the whole truth or lose your life.'
Jace was silent this whole while, I could feel his suspicion bubbling and he gave me a "I told you so" look but at the same time I could see the slight fear and nervousness he was radiating. Truth tried for a long time to persuade Cassie which annoyed me to no ends.
'Leave her alone! If she doesn't wish to tell the truth so be it. She is her own person and should have some privacy.' I also wanted to add "Get out you mutt!" but was pretty sure he wouldn't be very receptive to it.
'Lets see what you say when you come to know the truth.'
'ENOUGH! I don't care if she has lied or not. You cannot dictate her. Sometimes lies are better than the truth.' I argued.
'Your friend will lose her life if she doesn't spill.' Truth threatened which further angered me. The frustration of wanting to do some damage but unable to do so made me see red, a wave of feverishly cold feeling flowing through me.
I felt like I was gonna throw up and so I tried to hold it in, this was no time to throw up looking at the disgusting face of Truth. He suddenly stumbled, losing his balance and falling from stacks of boxes. Ugh! What a mess he made! He tried to get up but the mess created by the now collapsed stack of boxes made it difficult for him to stand. Jace was quick to act, he grabbed an iron rod lying nearby and hit it in Truth's head, which made Truth faint. I was kind of relieved as he was unable to cause any real damage but worried at the same time, hoping he was't dead. Somehow it as funny how an iron rod in the head made a supernatural being (note the heavy sarcasm) like Truth black out.
'Pass that rope Cassie.' He ordered.
Cassie recovered from her shock and after some fumbling passed a nylon rope lying near by, lucky for us these events unfolded in the store room. Jace tied Truth near by hoping it would imprison him even though we knew if he actually was someone supernatural normal ropes wouldn't hold him back. I again felt nauseous and everything went black.
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First thing I noticed was Jace and Cassie worriedly staring at me. 'Are you fine?' Jace asked.
I was extremely baffled. 'What happened?'
'You fainted for 24 seconds' Cassie scoffed. I fainted? That was surprising, I thought people were out for minutes or hours. Well if that was fainting it was strange. I couldn't recollect much and couldn't seem to differentiate reality and fantasy.
'Are you fine?' Jace asked for the 10th time maybe with concern lacing voice.
'Yeah I am fine.' I said annoyed, I mean I just fainted for apparently 24 seconds. What's the big deal? I just had an awfully weird dream.
'What happened?' Jace asked.
'I don't know I had this weird dream, no nightmare, of a psychotic illusionist threatening Cassie.' I confessed.
'It wasn't a dream.' Jace said with an extremely serious expression.
'You are joking. H-how it was all so unrealistic? What surprises me is I didn't think of calling the police! And that mostly happens in dreams' I said.
'Firstly the way he was glowing and floating and doing weird stuff, I think police wouldn't be the fit people to do the job. People like shadow-hunters or demon-hunters would be more suited for the job. Secondly, people lose rationality when they are scared' Jace said. Look who's talking, there was no thing as shadow hunters, vampires and were-wolves they are just stories created to scare people, rather entertain themselves.
'So you mean we have a weird two faced person, who doesn't think he is human, locked in our store room?' I asked.
'Ding! Ding! Ding! We have got the winner. Now as you are feeling fine, lets get to the point. Cassie, Truth said you were lying, not that I would believe some outsider, but you, yourself confessed that your mother isn't ill nor is she in the hospital.' Jace enquired and I remembered the happenings, it was the most disturbing thing amongst all. But I didn't mull on it.
'I-I-' Cassie broke down. I realised how cruel it was of us to force her to tell us something, we were being selfish. She had her own life, her own problems, she needn't tell me all. I would respect her decision. She had the worst of tonight and we were not helping. 'Jace, drop it. It's fine, we will talk about it later.'
'But it's related to you. Aren't you curious? And why would she lie about her mom?' He questioned accusingly peeking my curiosity, but it didn't matter. None of it mattered, I didn't care why she lied, I trusted Cassie. Whatever she must have done must have a reason, which she will reveal when the time was appropriate, or she wouldn't. Either way it was fine by me.
'Its okay Jace. She has had the worst of it all tonight. Even I feel exhausted, what happened back in the storeroom was terrifying' I said.
'But-'
'Jace its fine. We will discuss this later.' I said
'Fine, but you need rest. Go to sleep.' Jace scoffed.
'No, I am fine, I don't need sleep.' I whined.
'It was a long day, and you fainted!'
'But its just 6:33' I argued.
Jace just shot me a glare making me squirm and not push him further. He mumbled something under his breath and left, Cassie simply shrugged and followed him.
I stared at the ceiling for a good 5 minutes asking God if any "WHY ME?" And then after a lot of self motivating thoughts got up and took a nice shower to calm my thoughts travelling faster than light speed. But instead of calming me down it had the opposite effect, it gave me more time to ponder.
I wore my sleepwear and finally decided to take a trip to my paradise, the mini-fridge in my room, unfortunately it was empty. Thankfully the kitchen was not in the basement and on the ground floor whereas my room was on the first floor. I opened the refrigerator, my eyes scanning for an appropriate chocolate at that time, a calming one. Lindt dark chocolate? No, I shook my head side ways dark chocolates make me feel energetic, I needed something calming, Kitkat ?Nah, I mean I do need a break but not so that I can continue, Hershey's? Perfect! I grabbed some chocolate packets to refill my mini-fridge and made my way back to my room.
I entered the room closing the door behind me, locking it. Usually I didn't lock the door but again usually we didn't have weird uninvited guests too. Taking three Hershey's kisses from the packet I placed all the chocolate packets, seven to be precise, in the mini fridge in the small cabinet below the TV facing my bed. I ate every chocolate slowly, it was torturous but it allowed me to appreciate the heavenly things. The sweet, velvety, melting sensation of the chocolate calming me, not permanently, but temporarily. After finishing my chocolates I quickly brushed my teeth and finally went to bed.
I couldn't sleep, I shuffled, turned, nothing seemed to work out. Today I was so close to losing Cassie, she was my pillar along with Jace, she was the rational, the practical one while Jace was the goofy one always trying to keep my smile. They are two parts of me, and seeing an unknown person threatening my friend I should have felt angry, a little more brave but no all I felt was fear, I did feel angry but very little. Cassie was the brave one, I can always count on her but when she relied on me I couldn't do anything. More than anything I was feeling guilt, but it wasn't going to help drowning in self-pity. And Truth, why would he want to kill Cassie if she lied? Plus it didn't concern him, I mean if she lied to me and Jace and it was concerning me, if I wasn't bothered why did he care much? Or he was just too intrusive? Even if for a second I believed the fact that he was a supernatural being, someone superior to us mere humans, then why bother, didn't he have much important stuff to do? Could it be possible that there were some more powerful beings out there? I shook my head, the lack of sleep was feeding my irrational thoughts.
Thoughts kept swimming in my head, making it hard for me to sleep. Two material things I loved in my life were food and sleep and today the universe wanted me to deprive me of one of them. Sleeping wasn't hard for me but today I felt like an insomniac, like a bat at night. I turned and tossed more but that somehow made me more anxious.
'You still up?' A slight knock and voice broke my train of thoughts, I was scared to know whose voice it was but then I realised it was just Jace.
'Yeah?' I murmured as I got up from the bed and opened the door. 'Can't sleep?'
'Yeah' I said barely audible.
'Are you fine?'
'I am fine, not great. Did I wake you up or something?' I feared my little visit to the kitchen woke him up. Jace was always a light sleeper, whereas I was a heavy one.
'No, I was going to get some water, seeing the light was on in your room I figured you must be awake. Thought I would give you some tips to fall asleep' Jace said.
I smiled a little bittersweet one leaning against the door frame. 'I can't sleep. I feel lost.' Not being able to sleep made me feel helpless. I considered it as one of my very few talents.
'Its fine. Thats the exact reason I came to your room, I just had this feeling you won't be able to sleep, and you know I always had the problem you are facing tonight. My thoughts never let me sleep. Try breathing in and out and focusing on it, calm peaceful thoughts.'
Jace was never an insomniac but had the hardest time sleeping with his overthinking mind.
'Thank you' His concern warming me. I was so grateful for having him, not only now, but since my childhood.
'It's okay. You remember when I couldn't sleep and you used to feed me chocolates?' He asked his eyes lighting up at the old memory.
'Uh huh' I said. I knew it never helped him but he used to pretend he would sleep so that I wouldn't be disappointed.
'Think of this as me returning the favour.' I shut the door after his departure. Here we go again.
I did as he said, it took a lot of while, but after many unsuccessful trials I was granted the blissful slumber I wished for.