‹ Prequel: Move
Risk
Final Goodbye
The sun shone off of the blue ocean waters. I looked down at the white sand. My hands were still in my black jacket. The black was now bright due to my pinkish glow. Riley's hand touched my shoulder.
"It's time to go." He said.
I lifted my head and looked at the horizon.
"Run, fly, or teleport?" I asked without looking at him.
Five hands touched my back. I lifted my chin. Apparently we were going to teleport. My mind quickly thought of Midland Texas and of the same exact park where I released the disease. I didn't even close my eyes. In seconds we were standing in front of the bench.
Everyone let go of me slowly and looked around. It was darker than our first visit. It was now an eerie gray. I turned and looked at Sam. His face was confused.
"How does this work?" I asked.
His dazed expression turned serious. "I'm not sure. Just think about releasing it. Use all of your energy and let it flow out of you. You may want to sit down though"
I turned around and crouched on the bench. The bench was short and my knees weren't leveled with my body. I looked up at Riley.
"Whatever happens, I am going to kill my dad." I said.
Peter looked at me for the first time in a while. "I'll back you up if you need me."
I smiled briefly. "That's good to know."
Peter smiled. His smile was just as astounding as anyone elses. I looked down at the green grass that seemed as if it were dying.
"I don't want you to back me up." I said. My eyes looked back up into his. He frowned. "I want you to find Ann. She's in there somewhere. I want you to find her and settle what needs to be settled. You're a good man, Peter. You just have to realize that."
Peter's frown stayed, but his eyes showed that he knew what I meant. I looked at Sam.
"Thank you." I said to him. "I just hope that you'll know what to do in the end."
"Is this goodbye then?" Sam asked.
I fought back the tears that were trying to come. I didn't even know why they were coming.
"A goodbye is never necessary. The world is too small."
Sam gave a crooked smile. "Well, I suppose I will see you later then."
I smiled. "Only if this works, then we can say that. I really have no idea what is going to happen."
Hunter and Cassidy frowned. I looked at Cassidy.
"Now you know why I have to do this alone." I told her.
"If you do this alone, I may never see you again." Cassidy said.
"Cass," I said, "I can heal any wound."
Her frown became more sad. "But can you heal a wound in your heart?"
I gave a crooked smile at her words. "I'll manage somehow."
She looked down at the ground. "If you don't manage, the last memory of you I'll have is of your pinkish glow."
I gave a small chuckle. It was partially funny that she was getting so worked up.
I looked back up at Hunter. My fingers traced down my neck and found the heart necklace with the three diamonds. His eyes looked at it along with my own.
"You know," I said, "it has three diamons for the three people I care about most. Two for my siblings and one for my soon to be husband. Just, none for my true friends." I dropped the necklace and it dangled from my neck. My eyes looked at Peter and Sam. "That would be too many diamonds though." I looked back at Hunter.
"It'll come to good use some day." Hunter said. I nodded with a slight smile.
My eyes fell on Riley's and my face became serious again. I sighed.
"I promise you, Riley Ackers, that if I have any last words they will be either 'I do or that your brother's stupid quote'." I said.
"It's not a very thought out quote, but it is very true." He said.
"That's true."
"Are you certain you want to go alone?" Riley asked worriedly.
"I need to."
He looked down at the ground as he pursed his lips. I bit my lower lip knowing whatever was going to happen was going to effect him in some way.
I looked back up at Sam. "Okay, here goes everything."
My body fell back against the bench. My entire body was focused on the energy. I immediately could feel it trying to come out. The pain started when it actually started coming out. My eyes closed tight and my head fell back against the bench. My teeth clenched together and I screamed in pain. It was completely agonizing. It felt like a million lightning bolts shooting through my body. My fingers grasped the edge of the bench. The pain lasted for what seemed like several minutes and throughout the entire time I was screaming. I opened my eyes once quickly and saw the bright pink light and the silhouettes of the only people I could trust. My eyes closed again and the pain stopped. The bench below me disappeared and I fell unconscious.
I opened my eyes quickly immediately knowing something happened that wasn't supposed to. I tried to move my head, but I couldn't. The side of my face was pressed against a cold and bumpy surface that felt like stone. I looked across the surface and it was definitely a brick wall. I was standing up, but I was plastered to the wall. My senses quickly came to me and I realized someone's hand was holding my head against the wall. I knew exactly who it was.
My body reacted quickly. I pushed my hands off of the wall and forced myself back against the man who was behind me. I spun around while I moved away from the wall. I quickly caught myself and stood facing my father as he fell against the opposite wall. His body slumped down to the ground. His eyes, dazed, look up at mine. I was no longer the sweet girl. I was the alpha protector. The animal I truly was.
We were in a room that looked exactly like a dungeon. It had a single light which made me realize I was no longer glowing. The same energy was still rushing through my veins. I must have kept the energy, but why was the glow gone?
I stared at my father. I could feel the veins in my neck popping out from the way I was standing.
"How did I get here?" I said furiously.
He tried to stand up, but I shot my hand out and forced him back down without even touching him. His vest that he had always been wearing was now crinkled along with the white shirt underneath. Once more, he tried to get up. I let him get up and he brushed his vest down.
"You got here yourself." He said.
I calmed myself down a little bit and stared at him. "Why the hell did you give Edward Ackers the second part of my brain that held my powers?"
"He got to you then. Where is the Edward now?"
"He's exactly where you are about to be." I said.
"Where might that be?" He said calmly.
"Hell."
My father nodded in approval. "So, he's dead now, is he?"
I tilted my head. "You don't seem surprised."
"I'm not. You know why? I suspected that you would kill him before he killed you. It's too bad. He was almost the brother-in-law of my daughter. Such a pity. He was a good boy." He said.
I gave a sarcastic smile and straightened my position. "Only because you are a good boy too, right dad?"
He flinched at the word 'dad'.
"There's something I must tell you before you kill me, Alyssa." He said.
"What?" I asked confused.
"I never wanted this for you. I always knew you would be the good child."
I gave a small chuckle. "That's why you told my mother that you didn't want me. That's also why you performed surgery on me and took a piece of my brain. On your own daughter. You took everything from me. You made me think my own siblings were dead. Geez, what a great father you are."
"You're right."
I looked at him in confusion. My forehead creased.
"What?" I asked.
"And I suppose I will always be the bad father. That's why I am not going to let you kill me." He said.
His hand quickly grabbed at his side and pulled out a gun. I stared at the weapon that was pointed at my face. I gave a smirk knowing if he pulled the trigger it wouldn't hit the spot in my brain that he wanted it to hit.
"Alyssa," he said. "This bullet will not hit that spot." He said almost reading my mind. "But what it will do is enter your brain and eat every last cell in your mind which will very quickly enter that spot and kill it, meaning that you will die no matter what."
I frowned realizing he wasn't joking around. My teeth clenched together. His finger wrapped around the trigger. I swallowed hard.
"Any last words?" He asked.
I stared at the inside of the gun and saw the bullet. It was loaded and it was about to enter my brain. I was frozen to the ground.
My eyes flickered to him. "Life has it's ways." I quoted Edward. "Your way will not be the way you want it."
"Anything else?" He asked calmly.
"I have served my purpose on this Earth, kill me if you wish."
I looked back into the gun. He smiled and his finger pulled back the trigger.
I closed my eyes and waited for it. The bullet crashed through my skull within seconds and I fell to the ground. Everything around me fell apart. Someone was screaming and it wasn't me. Someone touched my head and the fingers tangled in my hair. My vision blurred. Pain surrounded my head and everything stopped. My eyes closed and I was enveloped in darkness.
"It's time to go." He said.
I lifted my head and looked at the horizon.
"Run, fly, or teleport?" I asked without looking at him.
Five hands touched my back. I lifted my chin. Apparently we were going to teleport. My mind quickly thought of Midland Texas and of the same exact park where I released the disease. I didn't even close my eyes. In seconds we were standing in front of the bench.
Everyone let go of me slowly and looked around. It was darker than our first visit. It was now an eerie gray. I turned and looked at Sam. His face was confused.
"How does this work?" I asked.
His dazed expression turned serious. "I'm not sure. Just think about releasing it. Use all of your energy and let it flow out of you. You may want to sit down though"
I turned around and crouched on the bench. The bench was short and my knees weren't leveled with my body. I looked up at Riley.
"Whatever happens, I am going to kill my dad." I said.
Peter looked at me for the first time in a while. "I'll back you up if you need me."
I smiled briefly. "That's good to know."
Peter smiled. His smile was just as astounding as anyone elses. I looked down at the green grass that seemed as if it were dying.
"I don't want you to back me up." I said. My eyes looked back up into his. He frowned. "I want you to find Ann. She's in there somewhere. I want you to find her and settle what needs to be settled. You're a good man, Peter. You just have to realize that."
Peter's frown stayed, but his eyes showed that he knew what I meant. I looked at Sam.
"Thank you." I said to him. "I just hope that you'll know what to do in the end."
"Is this goodbye then?" Sam asked.
I fought back the tears that were trying to come. I didn't even know why they were coming.
"A goodbye is never necessary. The world is too small."
Sam gave a crooked smile. "Well, I suppose I will see you later then."
I smiled. "Only if this works, then we can say that. I really have no idea what is going to happen."
Hunter and Cassidy frowned. I looked at Cassidy.
"Now you know why I have to do this alone." I told her.
"If you do this alone, I may never see you again." Cassidy said.
"Cass," I said, "I can heal any wound."
Her frown became more sad. "But can you heal a wound in your heart?"
I gave a crooked smile at her words. "I'll manage somehow."
She looked down at the ground. "If you don't manage, the last memory of you I'll have is of your pinkish glow."
I gave a small chuckle. It was partially funny that she was getting so worked up.
I looked back up at Hunter. My fingers traced down my neck and found the heart necklace with the three diamonds. His eyes looked at it along with my own.
"You know," I said, "it has three diamons for the three people I care about most. Two for my siblings and one for my soon to be husband. Just, none for my true friends." I dropped the necklace and it dangled from my neck. My eyes looked at Peter and Sam. "That would be too many diamonds though." I looked back at Hunter.
"It'll come to good use some day." Hunter said. I nodded with a slight smile.
My eyes fell on Riley's and my face became serious again. I sighed.
"I promise you, Riley Ackers, that if I have any last words they will be either 'I do or that your brother's stupid quote'." I said.
"It's not a very thought out quote, but it is very true." He said.
"That's true."
"Are you certain you want to go alone?" Riley asked worriedly.
"I need to."
He looked down at the ground as he pursed his lips. I bit my lower lip knowing whatever was going to happen was going to effect him in some way.
I looked back up at Sam. "Okay, here goes everything."
My body fell back against the bench. My entire body was focused on the energy. I immediately could feel it trying to come out. The pain started when it actually started coming out. My eyes closed tight and my head fell back against the bench. My teeth clenched together and I screamed in pain. It was completely agonizing. It felt like a million lightning bolts shooting through my body. My fingers grasped the edge of the bench. The pain lasted for what seemed like several minutes and throughout the entire time I was screaming. I opened my eyes once quickly and saw the bright pink light and the silhouettes of the only people I could trust. My eyes closed again and the pain stopped. The bench below me disappeared and I fell unconscious.
I opened my eyes quickly immediately knowing something happened that wasn't supposed to. I tried to move my head, but I couldn't. The side of my face was pressed against a cold and bumpy surface that felt like stone. I looked across the surface and it was definitely a brick wall. I was standing up, but I was plastered to the wall. My senses quickly came to me and I realized someone's hand was holding my head against the wall. I knew exactly who it was.
My body reacted quickly. I pushed my hands off of the wall and forced myself back against the man who was behind me. I spun around while I moved away from the wall. I quickly caught myself and stood facing my father as he fell against the opposite wall. His body slumped down to the ground. His eyes, dazed, look up at mine. I was no longer the sweet girl. I was the alpha protector. The animal I truly was.
We were in a room that looked exactly like a dungeon. It had a single light which made me realize I was no longer glowing. The same energy was still rushing through my veins. I must have kept the energy, but why was the glow gone?
I stared at my father. I could feel the veins in my neck popping out from the way I was standing.
"How did I get here?" I said furiously.
He tried to stand up, but I shot my hand out and forced him back down without even touching him. His vest that he had always been wearing was now crinkled along with the white shirt underneath. Once more, he tried to get up. I let him get up and he brushed his vest down.
"You got here yourself." He said.
I calmed myself down a little bit and stared at him. "Why the hell did you give Edward Ackers the second part of my brain that held my powers?"
"He got to you then. Where is the Edward now?"
"He's exactly where you are about to be." I said.
"Where might that be?" He said calmly.
"Hell."
My father nodded in approval. "So, he's dead now, is he?"
I tilted my head. "You don't seem surprised."
"I'm not. You know why? I suspected that you would kill him before he killed you. It's too bad. He was almost the brother-in-law of my daughter. Such a pity. He was a good boy." He said.
I gave a sarcastic smile and straightened my position. "Only because you are a good boy too, right dad?"
He flinched at the word 'dad'.
"There's something I must tell you before you kill me, Alyssa." He said.
"What?" I asked confused.
"I never wanted this for you. I always knew you would be the good child."
I gave a small chuckle. "That's why you told my mother that you didn't want me. That's also why you performed surgery on me and took a piece of my brain. On your own daughter. You took everything from me. You made me think my own siblings were dead. Geez, what a great father you are."
"You're right."
I looked at him in confusion. My forehead creased.
"What?" I asked.
"And I suppose I will always be the bad father. That's why I am not going to let you kill me." He said.
His hand quickly grabbed at his side and pulled out a gun. I stared at the weapon that was pointed at my face. I gave a smirk knowing if he pulled the trigger it wouldn't hit the spot in my brain that he wanted it to hit.
"Alyssa," he said. "This bullet will not hit that spot." He said almost reading my mind. "But what it will do is enter your brain and eat every last cell in your mind which will very quickly enter that spot and kill it, meaning that you will die no matter what."
I frowned realizing he wasn't joking around. My teeth clenched together. His finger wrapped around the trigger. I swallowed hard.
"Any last words?" He asked.
I stared at the inside of the gun and saw the bullet. It was loaded and it was about to enter my brain. I was frozen to the ground.
My eyes flickered to him. "Life has it's ways." I quoted Edward. "Your way will not be the way you want it."
"Anything else?" He asked calmly.
"I have served my purpose on this Earth, kill me if you wish."
I looked back into the gun. He smiled and his finger pulled back the trigger.
I closed my eyes and waited for it. The bullet crashed through my skull within seconds and I fell to the ground. Everything around me fell apart. Someone was screaming and it wasn't me. Someone touched my head and the fingers tangled in my hair. My vision blurred. Pain surrounded my head and everything stopped. My eyes closed and I was enveloped in darkness.