Chapter 13: Grin and Bear It
Ana lay asleep, her silk nightie clinging to her skin. Her hair fell into a loose side pony, a headband covering the top of her head. The tall walls of the prison rose above, shadowing down into the back.
Her body lay limp at the head of the bed. Her eyes flickered open, looking into the darkness in search for the light.
She stood up, staring at the floor.
Ana spots something strange, focusing her eyes in.
"What the hell-"
Two women sit on a lone bench. One, dressed in a regal dress and hat, the other dressed simply in a hoodie and jeans. One stood up, her heels gracing the floor.
"Hello, Ana Quinn."
Ana froze.
"Who the hell are you-"
"Ana, listen to us now!" The other snickered as she waltzed towards the two of them.
"My name is Lilla. This is Gertie."
"Ana, listen closely." The dark-haired one, Gertie, pursed her lips, snickering.
"We..we are your children. Your affair didn't the go the way you planned it and we were born. We're sorry we didn't approach you earlier-"
"What the hell." Ana stared to the ground, upset and shattered.
"I...have children..."
"How is that possible?"
Gertie shrugged. "You were drugged through your pregnancy. When you gave birth, you were forced to give up us. Look at us, you'll know we are telling the truth."
"Why the hell are you approaching me? Why am I in this prison again?'
Ana locked eyes with Lilla, then Gertie.
"This can't be real."
Ana snapped up onto her bed, staring into the distance.
"Thank goodness."
She stood up, straightening out.
"Something makes me feel like that's not the last dream I'll be having."
(Carl's POV)
Dan stared past me, looking over the edge of the balcony.
"Hey, I need to talk to you. I think you know why."
He approaches me, immediately opening his mouth to speak. It was almost like he knew I wanted to talk to him, which was only half true.
"Carl, something came to mind when I was playing this year over in my head."
"What was it? Something to do with the threat or Kriss's memory?"
He shakes his head. Whatever it is, that grin he had earlier had wiped away without a trace.
"Carl, I'm worried about you."
"How so?"
He tenses up, frowning. As he speaks he raises his hands in confusion.
"What I don't understand is how you're alive. I know the Queen Talutah has these crazy magic powers and such, but...she can't keep someone alive if they've already died."
I shrink back. I should have told him earlier.
"I'm sorry, but I wished I either told you that detail or left it out completely."
"You mean you were just gonna leave us in the dark about your own death!"
"Yes, I mean no. I'm not exactly dead anymore. No, I'm not a zombie, but she brought me back for the purpose of using me to her advantage. Until she returns me to the underworld, I'm still here." My mouth hung open. She could kill me again any moment.
"Carl-"
"I'm sorry I never told you. I wish it was different."
"Dan, I'll tell you the story later. I want to tell Ayana first."
My face falls emotionless. How can I tell her?
"Okay, meet me in the lounge when you're ready."
I can tell he's pissed, but what can I do? Disappear and submit myself to the devil herself.
"Carl, make sure you don't take it too hard on her. She likes you for you, so just imagine the shock on her face. Please."
"How the hell am I gonna tell Ayana."
I can't break her heart.
~~~
(Talutah's POV)
My feet hit the ground. The threat still lurks the system. There's no way I'm safe anymore.
I walk back towards the living room. Nothing was outside.
I think I'll release the clone soon.
But for right now, I need to live in the moment. Wherever the threat may be hiding, I need to locate and defeat.
There will never be a day where Talutah falls to her knees.
"Thank goodness, my queen." His sarcasm poured off of his skin.
"Save it, impotent drone. Is the Boss awake yet?"
Surely he had answers. He witnessed their fraud plans after all.
The door slid open, the tall pale figure sliding out of the room towards the couch. He made no move to speak to me. Nothing.
"Hello, Zacchaeus. Isn't it such a joy you woke from your slumber?"
He falls into the seat, staring ahead at the blank television screen.
"I thought you could help with the whole threat ordeal. You know, 'one by one'."
His eyes turned to lock onto mine, his dark pupils seeping their fragile hearts into mine.
"Well, isn't this just the person I wanted to see in the morning. The traitor."
"The traitor? You think that's me? So not the three or so siblings you have that you claim 'left you in the dark'. No, just the one who fell for you but not your greed in power."
Zac stood up, glaring into my eyes.
"You left me in my moment of weakness with that stinkin' crow!"
"That stinkin' crow wanted me dead, you didn't think I'd leave as soon as I could."
My voice spat as I spoke, anger boiling under my tongue.
"She wants everyone dead, but she isn't our problem right now."
"I know, the threat is. That's why I'm here. Can we just stop arguing?"
My voice reached a boiling rage, bicker filling my thoughts.
Colby steps back into the room, freezing between us.
"I recommend we check the files soon, Miss Talutah and Master Zaccheaus."
I step away from them both. My life is already stressful enough without his snark.
I'll push him away enough he falls into the boiling sea of regret, and he can never be able to crawl back to me.
"Follow me if you want to know the truth."
I can hear his footsteps as I turn around the corner, pitter patters against the pale white tiles.
I can feel his presence behind my back.
"What, Zac? You ruined my life, and you knew the pain you caused. You pretended you were helping me, but you know you were wrong. I can't take it, Zacchaeus. Learn to be someone more than a villain. Then maybe your life could be somehow...more significant."
"Talutah, sweetie, I didn't ruin anything about you. That was yourself. Face the facts already, before you realize you're too late."
He pulls me around, staring at the wall beside us.
"You know what you lack, honey? Life. You spent all of yours trying to become a single state, a single particle in the distance. You didn't even take one moment to watch your own girlfriend."
He pisses me off so much.
"And you know what you forgot to do? Take care of yourself."
Colby walks towards us, smiling.
"You guys never want to stop fighting, do you? Hurry the hell up."
Fine, let's go and slay this beast.
Stepping away from the hall way above the stairs, his office looks far too strange.
It's almost like someone else took his place and made the place feel, awful.
"Zacchaeus, I'm sorry my better judgement took hold of my thoughts." He moves towards his chair, as I take a seat opposite him.
"I'm sorry I disregarded you, but this isn't the problem right now. We need to find this threat."
"And we need to slay the beast once and for all."
~~~
(Carl's POV)
"Ayana? Hey." Her eyes are focused on the roof of the garage.
I called her up here to talk. She needs to know.
"Ayana, there's something on my mind."
She turned towards me, her eyes glued to the mine.
"Anything, Carl. I trust you 100 percent. Please."
She steps towards me, placing her hands around my waist.
"I love you, Ayana. You know that, right?"
"Of course, and I love you too. Please don't tell me that's it. I felt scared."
I brushes the hair out of her face, smiling.
"I'm afraid not. It's sadly, much worse."
"Carl, please don't tell me you're ill or something worse. I can't bear to lose someone else."
Oh crap. How can I even tell.
"Let me tell you a story. It'll be easier for you to understand."
...
There I was. Lying in a pool of blood.
What the hell had I just done? This was Talutah's right hand, and now look at her.
Dead and in my hands.
I heard the back door snap open, a pair of heels clicking against the cold marble.
Shit, I'm dead.
"Darling?"
Her feet clicked against the staircase, her body floating towards the flat ground.
"Come out wherever you are, Blood Clone 17!"
I rise to my feet, her chilling voice startling my thoughts.
"You're missing the whole ball. Your dear sister wants to talk to you, darling."
Here I go. Dead without anything to love.
She steps towards the back of the building, her heels clicking once, twice, three times.
"AHHHHHH! You foul beast, you killed her."
Her face fell lifeless.
"You have the courage to kill my best friend, and you don't have the courage to face the act. Foolery won't get you anywhere dear."
"I'm sorry, it was an accident, I never meant any harm."
She stares down at the lifeless body, anger boiling up inside her eyes.
You could almost think she could fire flames out of those flaming red pupils.
"If you were sorry, you would have come to me. Seeing you here means it was on purpose."
"Do you think I care for you like I do to your sister? No, because you know better."
She locks her eyes on my skull. I can see her pain.
"Tal-your majesty, I promise I didn't mean any harm."
"Oh, my darling, I didn't need her. I need you. Your blood."
She rips into my skin, tearing blood out of my arteries, pools filling on the grassy floor. She drains my blood till there's nearly nothing left, before she mutters.
"Once I travel to the human world, I'll never need you again."
The world around me went silent as she drained the final drop of blood from my body.
Her voice rung in my ears as I ascended for the heavens.
The human world, she wanted someone there, didn't she?
"Mother, where did brother go?"
"My dear, he ran away. He didn't want to be with us anymore, it's so tragic."
They hugged, my own sister treating her like she was her mother.
I remember I couldn't stand this fact, couldn't even look her in the eye.
"We're happy now, and tomorrow morning, we're leaving for a new land."
"What is it called, mother?"
"Earth. Or they call their specific part North America."
"Sounds perfect, mother."
...
"You're...you're dead?"Ayana freezes.
"Well...yeah..but I promise, I didn't mean to kill her."
She frowns, but a smile tries to creep through.
"Carl, I understand, but what I don't know is how you're still alive. Come tell the others, then we can talk more."
"Okay, fine."
...
"So, I talked to Ayana, and there's something I need to come out with."
"Hold on, who are you? Ayana, why did you bring this man in that looks too much like Dan?"
"Forget Kriss, Carl. Just spill it."
"Carl."
"Okay, well, it sounds strange, but I'm dead."
Dan stands to hug me, smiling.
"Well done, it's easier to tell, than hide."
Ayana hugs me too, her soft body held against mine.
'Carl, you'll be okay."
"I know you think it's hard to believe, but we all understand completely. We faced her after all."
I smile, remembering that they're like me too. They've lived through her wrath. Except the first time, I didn't win.
"Carl, can we talk later on?"
The rest of the group stare up at her, upset.
"Anything you need to say, you can say to all of us." Cody says, locking his eyes on her.
"None of you will understand, but I just want to talk to him alone."
"I'm sorry, Ana. I'm sorry we jumped to conclusions. I promise, from now on, we'll let you in more."
I take a seat beside Ayana, listening in. I have a feeling I know why Ana wants to chat.
"Thanks, Sylvia. I can't keep this in any longer."
~~~~
(Talutah's POV)
"So, I've searched just about every file on this computer, and not a single mention of this so called threat. It's perfect, really."
My smile falls away from my face. What good will trying to find someone or something if there's nothing to work with?
"We need Plan B. I believe you had something to say, darling."
I turn to face Colby, locking my glowing blood red eyes into his dark brown ones.
"Zacchaeus, i hope you don't mind. I called our brother. I know he's been desperate to see you again after all these years."
A man slinks into the room, and I recognize him instantly.
Devin.
"Hello, brothers. Talutah."
He walks towards the desk, staring deep in Zac's eyes.
"I believe I can help you with your problem, if you allow me onto you computer. You do remember my skill, right big brother?"
Zacchaeus moves beside me, staring into the lifeless distant. I can't help but hate this situation.
I hate the feeling he makes me feel, the feeling they all make me feel.
"One last thing: you might not like what you hear. Keep your ears wide open, or you'll miss the punch line."
He types something into the computer, triggering a small beep.
"Hello dear brothers, Talutah. Listen up. The threat has you under it's control, and we will not stop until everyone around my dear old brother is dead. The world belongs to the Mercado Quintuplets."
No, it can't be. Ivy Mercado. It can't be. She died.
We're screwed.
"One last thing dears: if you think you can leave this town, you'll be glad to know I'm tracking you constantly, and might I say, someone close to you is about to be killed off before they even see it coming."
This is torture. I must kill the last remaining Mercado's.
Even the boss himself.
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