A bit more motivated today. THat or I am procrastinating...again. What a concept! WOw. ;.;
Recap: Diedre finally remembered something she didn't even know she had forgotten. What did that mean? How much more lay dormant in her mind?
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I
felt the cool handle of the scythe I had become shackled to. I felt
Betha’s cool hand on my forehead. She began to smooth the hair around my
face, padding it with a wet cloth. My breathing hitched. She pulled her
hand back. The memory of what I remembered made me shudder.
“You’re awake. Take it easy.” Betha whispered. “I’m sorry.” Shame flooded my heart, fingers, and toes. I can’t believe I forgot about her.
“Am I dead?” I croak,
utterly defeated. “Why else would I be here?” I slowly open my eyes, to
eyes wide with fear, hands clasped into each other to ground herself. Betha trembled in front of me.
“Not quite, thankfully. I don’t think I would be so sorry to see you if that was the case." To my dumbfounded look: "No, you aren’t dead.” She smiles at that. A welcome change, but she falters all the same.
“I don’t really know how to say it clearly. It’s like a ripple in a small pond; the pond being the universe and the ripples being reality. The world where you, where I, used to be, is just a ripple, and the one where we are now, is just another one. It’s the same in some ways, but different in others. Like the trees: they’re metal. Here, they’ve always been that way, but you and I both know that it’s not supposed to be like that.”
It’s the only thing that makes sense right now. My head hurts, but it’s clear enough for me to gather what she’s saying. So, like alternate dimensions? Sure. Why not at this point? I wake up with a weird weapon and see dead people. Great. I put my face in my hand. Just great.
“There were people here before us, they were adults, I think. They told us that the darkness of this world stems from a woman: Lady Death.” She glances at the mirror across from us, fidgeting, “They worshiped her like a Goddess, but they died anyway. No one stays here for long. That’s why I really came here; it’s peaceful and I’m away from the city, and all the problems that come from that.” Betha squirms on the floor, inches away from the scythe. She keeps looking at it. I remember what that voice told me. Maybe Betha knows some more about it, but should I even ask her about it?
“Tell me about the scythe, please.” I turn to her. I can’t break the stare she gives me, and I don’t want to, I have to let her know how serious I am. Suddenly, all I want to know is this stuff; If it’s upsetting her this much, I’ve got to know everything I can.
“I only...heard some rumors; I found some old books and such from the people that were here before us, but they might not even be true.” She mumbles. She squirms under my gaze. I’ve never seen her like this before.
“It’s the only lead I have. Just tell me what you know Betha.” I plead, grabbing her hands, she looks away from me. I can’t read her expression.
“The scythe ‘Felicity’ is something that she used before everything went to shit here. I know you can’t see it now, but things used to be better. Even when I came here, after I left the city, you didn’t have all this miasma everywhere. Did you see it when you were walking around the forest? The purple-black sludge on the trees, on the grass, everything; it’s looking for life to drain.”
“Betha.” She was talking wildly. Miasma? What was she even talking about? She just didn’t stop talking, rattling on what she knew like I would stop her. Maybe I should, it sounds kind of crazy.
“All the books told me, was that there was a girl that was supposed to be coming. That she would use the scythe to sever our connection to the lies we tell ourselves. The lies that we told to stay alive, would only come to ruin us when we were taken here. She would be our executioner or savior.” She looked at her hands, making little motions, opening and closing them, “It seems like you are the one that they were talking about Diedre. I know you don’t want to believe it, but you must! Y-you are still alive and you have to get out of here!” Betha starts to hiccup, and her eyes are shiny with tears that she desperately wants to shed, but can’t yet.
I’m taken aback by all that she’s telling me. Yes, on one hand, I have no desire what-so-ever to even be a part of this craziness; on the other hand, I can’t, not, do anything. What am I supposed to do? It’s Betha we’re talking about, Diedre. It’s your best friend! You went to daycare with her, to school, and her funeral, for Pete's sakes. She wasn’t always this sad. She wasn’t a cry baby. I remember how she was: cheerful, happy, always considerate of her friends and family. The time she spent her made her like this. I have to help her. Even if she’s the only one I can, or will, help, I owe it to her, in respect for our past friendship.
“What can I do?” I stand, suddenly, waves of nausea threaten to knock me over, but I brace myself in time.
“You never were the ‘heroic’ type, Diedre.” Betha looks at me in wonder, as I extend to her my hand.
“You were just really convincing.” I try to shrug it off, but Betha just leaps into a hug, furiously rubbing her face into my chest. After a while she slowly composes herself, but I can still see that flame of hope in her damp eyes. Separating, she walks to a small writing desk, and grabs some paper and a pen.
“So, I have an idea. I-I can’t exactly leave this forest. I am tethered here by something, a curse might be best way to describe it, but basically, I get really sick when I try to leave. I’ve been ok on food, I just eat different now, please don’t ask.” She looks away nervously at that, but continues, “I don’t know how much good you’d do me right now, but I have a couple of regrets. You could use the scythe to ‘fix’ that and I’d be good. That’s all you have to do right? You don’t have to ‘kill’ me, just ‘fix’ some things for me. You can laugh now, Diedre.” She hands me the paper, after a while. It has directions and a phone number. I accept it, smiling to reassure her.
“I’m not laughing. I mean, I don’t have any idea, and that’s better than what I would’ve came up with.” I shrug. I mean, I’m alive, and everyone else is dead, right? I just have to play reaper for my friends and help them pass on. I don’t have to “kill” anyone! They’re kind of already dead, but that’s not the point! Betha’s right, though; I’m not really the heroic type. I’m lazy, selfish and a shut-in. I was a rude kid and now I’m a rude adult. I think it’s a wonder that Betha even still thinks of me as her friend.
“Diedre.” Betha puts both of her hands on each of my shoulders, looking straight into my eyes. “You are doing it again: doubting yourself. Stop it! I know you don’t think you can do it, but you can. Only you can.”
“I want you to go back to the city. I want to know that he’s alright. I want you to protect Silen and come back here.” Betha’s eyes never left mine. I nodded. Makes sense to go back. I need to do this, if not for me but for Betha.
“Ok, just tell me the way there.” I try to smile a little to lighten the mood. Betha grabs me in a hug and doesn’t let go for the longest time.
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Ok...full stop I had this ready for a while, but was taking my time editing it. Well... >.>
So what's next? I guess it's Silen....
---Chapter Navigation--
Chapter 5 (Linky) - Chapter 6 (you are here) --> Chapter 7 (Linky)
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