Arise: Chapter 8: Misery

Chapter 8: Misery

(Sylvia's POV)

"She's gonna wake up, right?" I hear Carl's voice in the distance, his soft tone bouncing in the air.

 "I really hope so."

"I want Kriss to be fine. Why is she always stuck with this stuff?"

"I don't know, Ayana."  

"I've seen this happen before. It's never great for them...or anyone around."

"Isn't that charming." That's really something I want to hear right now.

"Carl, cut it out. Right now, we need to focus on Kriss, not the process."

"Yeah, sorry. Note taken."

"What if-and I know I'm being a downer-but what if we can't...stop this?"

My mind races.

We need to stop this.

We have no choice.

We can't leave her.

"There is a cure, but the problem is finding someone who has it."

"I'm guessing you don't know." Oh Dan. We'll find one.

"I could help if you needed me to search the woods. They're my home and all."

"Thanks for offering and all, but I believe the 'queen' doesn't enjoy the woods. She wouldn't go hiding anything there."

"Thanks Ayana. Didn't need your input."

Whatever we need to do, we need to do it fast.

I can't let her become one of them.

I can't let her get away with this.

"For now, we're okay. But soon, we'll search."

"And only then, will we defeat." My voice is muffled, tears slipping by.

Kriss is my best friend.

I'll only stop when she's okay.

 "I just wish that evil witch knew what she had coming."

"Cody, she might not be as evil as you think. You don't know her full story."

None of us did.

(Talutah's POV) 

My hands were shaking. My body was numb.

My dear sweet Asho.

Why were you lost to me so long ago?

I miss you, you know that.

I miss kissing you in the pouring rain.

I miss looking at you, smiling.

God, I miss having a reason to really smile.  

He was the purest thing in my heart.

And he was taken from me.

Red wasn't his favourite, but it reminds me of him.

He loved green.

He loved the green grass, his green eyes, his favourite green dusty coat.

"Asho Theed, my one true love, I miss you."

And I'm so sorry for doing that to your sister.

"Well, well, well. Look who I found? Little miss Lovey-Dovey."

"Go away, lady. I'm not interested."

She has no right to be here.

"Oh I think you will be."

"What do you think you have for me? A black coat?"

"Oh you know me, Tally, we go back to old times."

"We could have been friends, Jacqui, but you ruined it."

She has no intentions with me.

"Oh but, I know we were."

We most definitely weren't.

"You just don't see it sweetheart."

"You ruined my life!"

"Oh no, I didn't. You see, you did that on yourself."

She has the nerve to come to me, in my hour of need, and bring back the memories of the past.

"You see, the boss knows what you're up to, Talutah."

"The boss knows nothing of the thing."

"Well, he will after today. Unless you want to play dirty, like old times."

"You know nothing of the real 'old times.' You only know your story. Here's mine."

And it begins back home.

Where it all began.

This was me. Talutah Ochoa.

Before the blood took over.

This was us. Tally and Asho.

Tasho.

We would hang out in the barn, or at least what was left of it.

We would talk, have fun, laugh, and just enjoy the night.

And the love we had would never be broken.

Never.

His eyes were like sparkling diamonds, well at least to me anyway.

No-one could replace him for me.

No-one could become my new prince charming but him.

How did he even fall for a girl like me?

We were in love, a love that couldn't be broken, not by our parents, not by anyone.

If we were ever apart, he'll remember me.

Even if it's in his wildest dreams.

"I love you Talutah, no matter what. Nothing will come between us, and nothing will tear us apart."

His voice was so smooth, his lips trembling at every word.

"I love you more, Ash."

My parents fully approved.

His parents never knew.

My mother, Celia, and my father, Gazini, were a happy couple, something we could look up to. Anything terrible he could do, she could melt it away in the wind.

My father was worth worshipping. He was generous, for a change, and he could actually trust me.

This was all before she disappeared.

As you see, my mother would disappear years later, never to be seen again.

But Asho was my one true love. He was there on my weakest days, and there even when I didn't need him at all.

He was a true diamond.

Sadly, diamonds can't shine bright forever.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't little miss Talutah and her splendid little boyfriend Ash-what was it?-Ashe? Ashu? Asha?"

"Asho. My name is Asho."

"Oh, he's a feisty little one, isn't he?"

"Why are you here...Raven."

"Oh me? I'm just stopping by to say hello."

"Well, you've said hello. It's time for you to leave. Or maybe you want the taste of your own feathers."

"You think you can beat me at my own game? You're such an amateur, my dear Tally."

"You think I'm afraid of the big bad crow in front of me?"

"You foolish girl. You're nothing but a lover. You couldn't possibly do anything...dangerous."

"I'll prove you wrong. Want some gravy with that anger?"

A look of horrific revenge spread across her face.

"The poor Raven caught in a trap, is she?"

"You hold your tongue, young lady."

I can sense the anger rising.

"But, I see that you're not living up to anything just yet, Talutah dear. Too many words, not enough action lovey."

"I'll attack you, if that's what you want from me."

"Give up, the both of you! No one will be 'attacking' tonight."

"Oh, I will be dearie."

And when I least expect it, she pulls out her gun, smiling.

And I knew one of us would be gone forever.

"Shoot me. Spare his life. He did nothing wrong."

"Oh, but why waste a bullet dear. You're already on your path to darkness."

"Kill me!"

But I was too late.

The bullet had been fired, and blood wasn't streaming from my sides.

I had lost him.

Forever.

The bullet had killed him.

"I love you. I wish I told you more often. I wish we would've hung out more. I wish we could have laughed longer. I wish we could run away. Please, Ash, wake up! No!"

"See where being good gets you."

"You're already darkening your heart."

"And one day, there'll be no way you can turn around."

"You'll rot away like the rest of us. You're wicked. You're cruel. You just needed an chance to be...well, evil."

And with that, she was gone.

A black silhouette in the moonlight.

My father tried to stop her, but she'd done her job.

She'd sparked a flame in my heart.

Asho was the only way to light the match.

 She'd won her battle.

And I'd just began mine.

"Soon, I will have what I want."

She had what she needed.

"The boss will be proud when he sees her. She will complete the legacy at last."

She found her hope.

"She will win. Evil will win. Like it always does."

"Jacqui, you always had the story wrong. You see, I never was the bad guy."

"You were."

(Sylvia's POV)

"How is she? Sylvia?" Carl's voice startles me.

"She's fine right now. But she won't be tomorrow. Or the next. Until we cure her."

"We will find it though, I know it's out there somewhere. I searched for it. I came close, but she stopped me."

"I just wish you would have made it. It could have made this...all better."

"I know it sounds stupid...but what if...we knew someone who could find it." Carl could be onto something.

"I'm not entirely sure if I know someone, but the rest of you might. You were there when she was...cursed."

"Hey! Hold on a sec, something's happening."

"What the-"

"She's...changing." Carl commented.

"Her hair. It's streaking red. She's into the changing."

 "Now is when we start panicking."

"Oh brother. We need the cure and fast."

"Or else she'll be one of them in no time."

 There's a knock at the door, before Karen enters, her weak smile disappearing.

"Sylvia, there's someone on the phone for you."

(Talutah's POV)

"I wish I never went there at all, my loves."

"Where your majesty?" Their synchronisation astounds me.

"To his place. That day. I wish I never bothered with his sister."

 "I wish I never met Asho. I wish I never fell in love."

I wish it all away.

For you see, I never meant to meet him.

I meant to meet-and care-for little miss perfect-Kriss.

She was an angel.

But she was the cause of my suffering.

She was so innocent back then.

She never knew she would be for blame.

If I never met the brat, I'd have never been there.

I would have never met him.

It happened as I was walking out the door. I heard the car pull up, and I thought I'd leave before things got messy.

Little did I know, things would get messy too soon.

"Oh, you're just leaving? No, stay for tea, you've helped us out."

I should have made an excuse to leave.

I should have pushed away the barrier and ran.

But I didn't.

"Oh, okay, I suppose. You're Asho, right?"

"That would be me. I know you're just the babysitter and all, but I think I could get used to you, Talutah."

"Say, where did your parents find your name?"

"You don't want to know."

We talked until tea, laughing, fooling around, feeling happy in each other's company.

I should have walked out.

I shouldn't have noticed the ad.

I shouldn't have met Kriss Theed.

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