All You Wish For and All You Need

Marcus! It was not from the direction he had expected. Her voice rang like silver through his mind and he looked around wildly. For me Marcus. Promise that you won’t. His breathing became laboured as the voice rang through the ruckus of the demons. They screeched when they heard her, desperately reaching their hands out further. Their voices were no longer enticing and hypnotic, but haggard and raspy. A stark contrast to the clear ringing of her voice.

Marcus gripped the banister with one hand, his knuckles showing white through the skin. His wand fell to the ground and clattered on the stairs. Mary stood before him, her mouth open in a silent scream.

He slumped down onto the stairs and rested his face against the rails. He breathed deeply and his body vibrated slowly. Marcus drew his knees up closer to his chest and gripped them tightly with his hands. Mary stood silent, watching him curl up into himself.

Mary jumped when a loud, wrenching sob broke from Marcus’ lips. She glanced around her furtively before dropping down to kneel infront of him.

“Marcus?” her voice quivered as she reached out to him and gently touched his shoulder.

“No!” Marcus cried out and pushed her hand away. His body convulsed as another moan was ripped from his chest. Marcus lifted his head from his knees and stared at Mary.

Mary stepped backwards as she looked upon his tortured expression. “Marcus?” she asked again. “Please..” She moved forwards again. Marcus didn’t move this time as she placed her hand on his cheek. Instead, his eyes closed and the strange sobs subsided. Mary sat beside him and Marcus rested his head upon her shoulder, his body still shaking slightly.

“Anne,” he mumbled. Mary strained her ears but was unable to hear. “Please, Anne. Help me please.”

Mary’s hands moved through his hair as she tried to soothe him. She had not been this close to Marcus since he was a little boy. She could feel her own body tremor slightly, afraid of what had just happened and what was happening to the boy beside her right now.

Marcus breathed deeply and conjured up Anne’s face in his mind. She smiled at him, the sun shining down upon her lighting her features. She was the only light, all around her was darkness. Reaching black hands tried to claw at her face, but they couldn’t get near enough. Marcus smiled against Mary’s shoulder. “You’ll never have her,” he muttered.

Mary licked her lips and looked down at Marcus. “Marcus,” she spoke slowly, afraid that something might set him off again.

Marcus sat up straight and looked at her. “Yes?” he asked his voice quiet.

Mary cleared her throat and opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, unsure of what to say. Marcus stared at her for a few moments longer before he nodded and grabbed his wand from where it sat on the ground. He stood and walked back up to his room.

Mary watched him walk up and then she stood herself and walked to her room. She closed the door behind her and walked shakily over to the bed. She sat down and only then did she allow herself to collapse. She lay down, curled up into a ball and cried. She had no idea what had just happened. Her mind raced over the possibilities of what could have happened. She buried her face into her pillow and cried out.

Marcus stood at his window. He couldn’t clearly remember what had happened before he had been sitting on the stairs. He remembered walking out and confronting Mary, but then everything became a blur, as if someone else had been controlling him. Marcus turned and lay down on his bed. The whispering in his mind was silent and all he could see was Anne. No darkness, no reaching hands, no-one trying to drag him away from Anne. She smiled at him and opened her arms, her hands beckoning him closer.