Something Darker; Chapter 20

"Mother?" The questioning voice asks. I spin towards it. A young Micah stands in the doorway to my room, staring in confusion. He had at least seen her wipe my memory.

"Micah," Mother's voice is soothing, "It's alright. Come. Come, my love."

All I can do is watch as Micah crosses my room to Mother, a bad feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. As he passes me, I follow.

Micah stops before Mother, eyes flickering between her and little me. Mother catches his chin, tilting his face up to hers. She sighs. "You saw that didn't you?"

Micah shrugs in response.

Mother chuckles, patting the bed beside her. "Go ahead."

Micah climbs up to sit next to her. "How'd you make Violet fall asleep like that?"

Mother gently brushes a hand across his cheek. She looks towards the doorway. "I really wish you hadn't seen that."

"Why?"

"I wish I could tell you everything, but then you wouldn't be safe."

Micah reaches out, placing a hand on mother's arm. Mother looks at him. He shakes his head whispering, "I won't tell anyone."

Mother smiles gently, "I know you won't." She places a kiss on his forehead. "You can't tell people what you can't remember."

Before Micah can react, her hand is on his forehead, and she's cast the memory wipe spell. Micah falls back next to me, out cold.

"Nivera!" Father's voice is angry. I look to find him storming across my room as the door slams shut. Mother stands as Father stops by the bed, staring down at Micah and little me. He looks towards Mother, aghast, "What did you do to them?"

"What I had to do." Mother turns towards the door.

"That doesn't answer my question."

Mother stops, but she doesn't turn back. "They can't remember what they saw today."

The room is silent for a second. "You wiped their memory."

"Only what was necessary. I had to do it to protect them."

"And what about your concern about attracting attention? Healing our daughter was too risky, but wiping the memory of our children was fine?"

Mother spins towards father, eyes shining with tears. "Quinton, please, you have to trust me. I'm trying to keep my past from catching up with either of them."

"Then help me understand," Father pleads, walking up to Mother. "Tell me exactly what you're so scared of." Reaching down, he takes Mother's hands. "Let me help protect our children."

Mother pulls her hands from Father. "I've already told you too much," she says, turning away from him. "I can't put you in any more danger."

Mother leaves Father standing alone, without so much as a glance back. Father sighs, hanging his head. I want to reach out to him and comfort him.

As I move towards him, a glittering light catches my eye. I look towards it to find my bedroom door cracked, the glittering light hiding behind it. As I stand there, I can feel a pull at the back of my mind. I step towards the door and the pull comes again, stronger this time.

Through the door then.

I scan my new surroundings. It's another room- my parents' room. An even younger Micah is sleeping on their bed while mother sits writing at the desk. This was what the Chaser had shown me when I had first used it. I need to get closer, to read the letter this time.

As I move towards Mother, the pull returns, stronger than before. I ignore it, walking closer to her. The closer I get the harder it pulls. Angered, I spin around.

The door is shut and no light glitters under it. "Where do you want me to go then?!" I demand.

The room plunges into darkness.

I can just make out a bed across from me. What? I look around. I'm back in my room. I look back towards the bed. Little me lays in bed, eyes wide, locked on something across the room that has caused alarm. Despite the fear in my eyes, I don't move.

This was that night. The night after my riding accident. That means little me could only be looking at one thing. Slowly, I turn to face the woman.

She tilts her head, smiling. That was different. "I didn't think your mind would settle here, but I suppose it does make sense. This was the first time we met."

This wasn't a memory or a vision- at least, it wasn't anymore. I raise my chin. "I would hardly call it a meeting."

The woman shrugs. "I knew you wouldn't remember anything when you woke up. It seemed a waste of time. You're welcome by the way."

"For what?"

"For healing you, of course." Her eyes flick down for a second. "I could do it again."

I stare at her for a minute. "Pass."

She blinks in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Very."

"It's becoming infected again. All the traveling is making worse,” she chides me gently, “Not better."

"Pass."

Her eyes narrow. "You're rather obstinate. Didn't your mother teach you better?"

"My mother clearly didn't trust you, so why should I?" There's a sharp tug at the back of my mind.

The woman blinks, mouth falling open in surprise. "Why on earth would you think that? I just want to help you."

The tug comes again. "Well, I don't want your help." I turn to the door. I don't know where the pull would take me next but anywhere would be better than here.

A hand is suddenly on my arm. Pain pulses through my body from my wound. I fall to the ground, gasping in pain. The hand releases me and the pain slowly subsides. "What did you do to me?!"

"That's what you would be feeling if I weren't already helping you," the woman hisses. A hand grabs my chin, yanking my head up to face her. Red eyes glower into mine. "I advise you accept my help."

I throw a hand up into her stomach, a pulse of energy sending her skidding away from me. The tug comes again. "I advise you stay out of my way." I push myself off the ground.

"Very well," the woman says, straightening up. "The hard way it is."

I'm suddenly off my feet, suspended in the air. She flicks her wrist, and I go flying across the room, slamming into the wall. I hit the ground afterward just as hard. The woman merely watches as I push myself off the floor. I glare at her. "Go to the Dark Relm."

She sighs, rolling her eyes. With another flick of her wrist, I slam back against the wall, pinned in place by an invisible force. I fight against it, but I can't move. "Now, this won't hurt as much as it did last time, but it will still hurt."

A wall of pain slams into me, not as nearly intense as that night, but this time it's concentrated, centered around my wound. It burns. It burns just as badly has it had that night. My vision goes black as I gasp in pain.

In the black abyss of pain, I can still feel the tug at the back of my mind. This time the tug is different though. I can see the glittering light and this time I recognize it. The way it bounces around- its light bouncing off the Chaser.

That's why the pull was refusing to go away. It was the Chaser trying to pull me out of wherever I was. I’m not sure why it’s being so clear in its intent to help me for once, but I’m not about to turn down its offer.

I reach for it with my mind. This time my power isn't trying to pull away from it. When the pull comes again, I cling to it.

The burning pain slowly dissipates, but the pull remains. I refuse to release it. It seems to be clinging to me as tightly as I'm clinging to it. No matter how hard it pulls, something holds me in place.

"Come now. I know you're still here," the woman states. "Open your eyes."

The Chaser pulls harder.

It's her. She's holding me here. First things first: get free. I release my hold on it.

"What do you want?" I growl as my eyes open to glare at her.

"I told you. I want to help."

I strain against the force pinning me to the wall. "Then why are you keeping me here?" I need to break free.

She steps towards me. "I'm keeping you safe. So long as I keep you here, you can't go anywhere. At least, not by yourself that is."

"You sent that Shadow Slave after me." A bit of a jump, but I’m certain my accusation is correct.

She sighs as she begins walking towards me. "Yes. I suppose I should have known you'd end up hurt that way." She stops in front of me, smiling. He black Shadow Marks are striking against her pale skin. "I won't be making that mistake again."

I shove against her power with mine. Her eyes narrow. I focus my power on one area. As soon as I feel the pressure leaves my arm, I don't hesitate. I can feel the heat of the manifested flame, as my hand flies towards her.

Her eyes widen as she throws up a hand. My hand freezes in place, the flame snuffing out. She looks at my hand. Her eyes turn to look at me. "Impressive, but not enough." My hand flies back slamming against the wall.

I throw the full force of my power at hers. I try to focus it on one area again, but her power moves with mine. It's stronger than before. The harder I push against it, the stronger it pushes back. I can feel my energy draining as my breath comes in pants.

"Are you done yet?" She asks, clearly bored.

"I'm just getting started," I gasp between breaths.

The Chaser's pull returns. Maybe if I try breaking free of her power while I'm holding it, I can get out of here. I try to grab onto it again with my power, but I don't have the energy, it slips away.

"Oh pet," she tsks, "You can't beat me."

The Chaser begins pulling again as she stretches out a hand for my cheek. As her hand comes to rest there, the Chaser's pull turns to a pulse. It's energy courses through me, directed at the hand resting on my cheek.

She pulls her hand back, crying out in pain as I fall to the floor. She growls, throwing out her other hand. I slam back against the wall. Her power's push isn't as strong as it was before. I can't help it. I laugh.

"Cute," she hisses. "Let's see what you're capable of when even your conscience is unconscious."

I can't breathe. She smirks.

The Chaser's pull comes again. I reach for it again with my power, but this time, I can reach it. The Chaser's earlier energy burst has re-energized me. It clearly doesn't like her. What about her power? I shove the Chaser's power towards hers.

It meets hers and reacts. It pulls back then slams against hers.

I gasp as the power keeping me from breathing vanishes.

The woman blinks in shock. "How?"

The Chaser pulls back again, preparing for the final blow. I feed it what power I have left. It takes it. I can feel myself slipping away as it slams against her power once more.

I can feel myself fall forward as the power pinning me to the wall releases me. There's another pull and the room is gone. I float in a black abyss.

I need to wake up, but can I?

I can feel myself rocking back and forth. Was death just a sea of black or was this the Dark Relm?

A jolt travels through me.

I gasp in pain as my eyes fly open.

A face fills my vision. Worried, grey eyes peer into mine.

"Micah?" It hurts to speak, and my voice matches how it feels.