Lightning Streaks the Sky

Alison had turned into a perfectionist. She didn’t even sleep last night! I was really starting to get worried. She hadn’t eaten all day, hadn’t slept at all. But she wouldn’t talk to anyone. Max and Martin have actually been getting along to try and get her to take a break.

“I’m gonna try in an hour.”, Max sighs, plopping down in the chair next to me.

“Do you think if I glue her to a chair, that she’ll take a break and fall asleep?”, Kevin asks, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“I dunno. Ask Martin. He’s trying to grab her hand or something and see what’s really behind it.”, Max says, shrugging. “She’s in some sort of trance. It’s like she doesn’t even see us.”

“Maybe Mirabelle could …”, I think out loud, shaking my head. “No, that only works when Sophie’s dead …”

“Damn she can punch,” Martin grunts, doubling over.

“Well, you guys have given it your best. Now, Martin, tell us something that you learned when you kissed her.”, I say, pulling him out a chair. “Tell us everything. Unrelated to the actual kiss that turned my birthday into a fun game of chase.”

“Umm, well … she wanted to strangle me.”, Martin says sheepishly. “Umm … she hates her dad. Oh, and she’s scared of alcohol!”

“Why?”, Kevin asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, her dad’s a drunk.”

“Oh,” Kevin says, going back to his paper and coffee.

“Are you not the least bit concerned for her?”, I ask, glaring at him. “She’s starving and hasn’t had any sleep. She could faint any second, Kevin!”

“Look, if I know Alison, she’ll just pass out and be back to normal.”, Kevin says, shrugging.

“Yeah, and what are you gonna do if when she ‘passes out’? What if that day is the day she dies. Kevin, she hasn’t eaten, and won’t talk to any of us. Even Thunder tried! You’re her uncle, and you aren’t showing the tiniest hint of concern.”, I say, glaring at him.

“Well, I’m just watching my back. Alison’s ticked off with hell, and is looking out for herself. She’s training. I think she’s smart.”

“Oh, so you completely approve of that!”, I say, gesturing to Alison. “Look at her. She’s paler than a vampire’s ghost.”

“Umm —”

“You know what I mean!”, I snap.

“Okay, I admit she’s taking this to some … extremes. But, she’s dedicated.”, Kevin says, glancing up at her for only a second. “Alright! That’s it!”

“Finally,” I breathe.

“Her posture is horrible! She’s never gonna get any hell-ass like that!”, Kevin says, standing up and walking over to her. I sigh, frustrated.

“Melody, we all try. Kevin’s just hopeless. The dude has no heart.”, Max says, shrugging.

“Glad he never got close to me.”, Martin says, shivering. “I thought Alison’s mind was bad when Sophie died …”

“What’s it like?”, I ask, glancing at him.

“Huh?”

“What’s it like? Seeing the world everyone else sees it. Knowing people better than they know themselves.”, I ask, looking straight at him.

“I-I don’t know …”, Martin says, shaken. “It’s hard to describe. And sometimes it’s scary, other times it’s … amazing.”, his eyes glance at Alison for a split second, before looking at me. “It all depends on the person.”

“But, could you ever tell someone’s future?”

“Umm, like if they die? No. I couldn’t do that no matter how hard I concentrated.”, Martin laughs. “But between you and me, Alison’s mind is the one I’ve spent the most time in.”

“That’s sweet,” I say, smiling at him.

“She thinks of it as annoying.”

“Alison doesn’t have a sensitive bone in her body.”

“Nah, she does. People just … you just gotta dig a little. Have a little patience. She has her own little way of telling everyone stuff.”, Martin says, staring at her adoringly.

“Martin, she’s only thirteen. And alive. She may be a witch, but she won’t live forever. You gotta understand that she’s not looking for love like you are.”, I say, frowning sadly.

“That’s just it. I think I could get her to change her mind!”

Ohmyfinggod, he just isn’t getting it, I think, sighing. I jump, as I look to see Alison lying on her back, with Kevin growling over her.

“Kevin!! What’s going on!!!”, I yell, startled as I run toward them.

“Alright! I’ll eat!”, Alison yells, as Kevin carries her over his shoulder. “Just put me down, Kevin!!!”

“Gosh, Kevin. You didn’t have to wrestle her to the ground.”, Max says, glaring.

“Yeah, I kind of did.”, Kevin says, glaring as he sets Alison down in a chair. “Now what do you want to eat?”

“Your cold, frozen heart that seems to run out of your chest and leave you empty.”, Alison grumbles, making me chuckle.

“Ha ha, funny. Now, what do you want to eat?”, Kevin says sarcastically, glaring.

“Eggs,” Alison sighs, lying her head on the table. She doesn’t look at any of us, just stares at the diamond table. She jerks away as Martin tries grabbing her hand, baring her teeth animalistically.

“Guys, don’t push your luck.”, Kevin growls, glaring around. I shrug, leaning back, staring up at the sky. But I knew Max and Martin weren’t giving in so easily. “Here’s your eggs.”

Alison immediately digs in hungrily, keeping her gaze down. She soon finished, quickly jumping up, only to be pulled back down by Kevin.

“You will walk away, and go to bed. I’ll wake you up tomorrow.”, Kevin says sternly, staring her down. Alison grumbles incoherently, standing up and walking away.

“What did you do?!!”, I ask, gaping.

“Showed her who’s in charge.”, Kevin says, leaning back. “She’ll be sleeping.”

♠ ♣ ♠

“Alright, Alison, time to wake up.”, I say, shaking her gently.

“Mmm, Sophie. We’re coming!”, Alison mumbles in her sleep. “No, no!! NO!!!! Don’t touch her, bastards!!!!!!!!”, Alison growls.

I straighten up, startled. Oh my gosh!!! Sophie!!! I think, trembling as I try to hold in a sob. I go running out of my house, out to the dining room area, where Kevin sat drinking coffee.

“Kevin, something’s wrong! I heard Alison talking in her sleep! They’re torturing Sophie!”, I say in a rush.

“Hmm, that’s not good.”, Kevin says, continuing to read the paper.

“You don’t get it, do you?!! Alison’s gonna want to go to hell!!! Just to save Sophie!!!”, I yell, glaring at him. “Alison’s gonna be twice as angry when she —”

And there was screaming, as Alison started running around the cloud, hiding her face. But I could hear her sobbing.

“Great, she’s upset!”

“Why are you acting like her mom? Alison’s thirteen years old. I think she can take care of herself.”

“You don’t get it. Maybe in your time a thirteen year old girl was grown up. But here in the modern day, she’s still just a kid.”, I say, glaring at him. “A kid who’s far away from home and needs someone there for her. And so far, you’re the only one she’ll listen to. So get off your lazy-ass, and help your niece!”

“Alright, fine. But only because you won’t shut up otherwise!”, Kevin grumbles, standing up. I run a hand through my hair, soon joined by Dylan.

“What’s going on?”, Dylan asks, frowning as he studies my stressed face.

“Hell is torturing Sophie. Alison was mumbling about it in her sleep. I’m just worried about her.”, I say sadly.

“Melody, you’re not in charge of her. If anything, she’s Kevin’s responsibility.”

“Yeah, but he won’t get off his lazy-ass and do anything.”

“Kevin only does stuff whenever he thinks he has to, Mel.”

“Yeah, well, she’s only a kid, Dyl. And Kevin needs to start acting like an adult around her.”

“He’s been around for over five-hundred years. I think he classifies as an adult.”

“Then why isn’t he acting like one when Alison needs one most.”

“If you’re so concerned, Mel, why don’t you be her adult.”

“I’m only sixteen. I can’t be an authority to anyone.”

“She respects you, though, Melody. She listens to you. Try talking to her.”

“Dylan, it’s not that simple. Kevin’s at least family to her. Kind of,” I say, watching as Kevin sits down next to her at the edge of the cloud. “And Alison’s complicated. Only certain people can get her.”

“You’re one of those people, Mel! When she went on Thunder, you were the only one she trusted. And, sure, Max and Martin get her, too. But they don’t have the self-control — or, Martin at least doesn’t.”, Dylan says, shrugging.

“Martin just recently died. And he’s seen Alison’s mind. He’s completely convinced himself that Alison’s the one! He doesn’t get that she doesn’t want love. And that no matter what anyone did, they could never get her on a platform and become a Riddle until she dies!”, I say, flinging my arms around dramatically. “And Max even has it. They both really like her. But they just won’t get the hint that all she looks for in guys is a friend.”

“And it seems like they want to be more than friends?”

“Okay, now kick,” Kevin says, making me look at him.

“Kevin, what’s going on?”, I ask, walking over to them.

“Helping Alison train. Punch, kick, duck, kick, punch.”

And Alison did exactly that. “Take this. Cut off the demon’s head, and you basically kill it. Say this with me.”, Kevin says, handing Alison a sword.

“Pontenze della Terra, mi proteggerà. Poeri di acqua, mi messa a fuoco. Poteri di Air, condividere con me le tue conoscenze. Poteri del Fuoco, mi danno lo spirito guerriero.”, Alison says, her eyes closed. “Powers of Earth, protect me. Powers of Water, focus me. Powers of Air, share with me your knowledge. Powers of Fire, give me the warriors spirit.”

I blink a few times, disbelieving as I watch Alison handling the sword with ease, and as it changed into a bow and arrow soon.

“A true witch can cast any spell.”, Kevin says, walking back to the dining table.

“You’re encouraging her obsession?!!”

“It calms her, Melody. Takes her mind off things. Makes her feel like she’s not useless if she knows how to kill.”, Kevin growls, glaring at me. “She has the anger and dedication. I don’t see what’s the harm of it.”

“The harm is she’ll stop eating! She’ll stop sleeping! Gosh, Kevin! You saw her!”

“If she works hard enough she won’t dream. That’s why she didn’t stop! She doesn’t want to know, Melody!”

“Then what’s the point of her being psychic. She needs to be one step ahead of everything! And we can’t just have her working herself to death! You and I both know she has to be asleep to be psychic.”

“You heard her in her sleep, Melody!!! She told me what she saw!!! She doesn’t want to know! She needs to be focused.”

“So that’s it! Just hand her some magical sword, and keep her from her psychic-ness!”

“Would you like seeing Sophie chained and beaten?!!!”, Kevin growls, glaring at me. I was silent. None of us wanted to even imagine that. “Exactly. Alison needs this. She wants revenge, now she gets it.”

“I get what he’s doing here, Mel. Keep her busy, and she’ll be happy. Then he sets her down and makes her take a break toward the end.”, Martin says, as he walks down with the rest of Thunder.

“Damn, Alison’s working,” Josh breathes.

“She had a prophetic dream.”, Kevin growls, glancing at her. “Blade up!”

Alison nods, adjusting her posture and flipping up in the air.

“And what was it?”, Josh asks.

“Sophie was chained and beaten.”

“Oh,” Josh says uncomfortably. “Well … umm … she’s gonna need a practice dummy.”, and there popped up some demons. I blink, shocked and gaping.

“You’ve gone insane,” I growl quietly. But Alison was killing them, the sword changing into a bow and arrow. She aims with speed, dodging and attacking without a single flaw.

“Wow,” Martin breathes.

“She’s good,” Josh says approvingly. “But she needs to be more aware. We’re probably gonna have billions of monsters.”

“I agree, but she knows it. And you can tell her fighting style.”, Kevin says approvingly.

“Lightning anger, of course. She’s waiting for questions, too.”

“She probably expects Sophie to be there …”, Max says, shrugging. “It would only make sense.”

“Yeah, it would. You can see the hesitation in each movement.”, Martin says, focusing as Alison slaughters another group. “She wants answers. But she’s not risking her life.”

“She’d let hell burn her to protect all of us. Alison’s a protector, not a warrior.”, I say, glaring. “Aim for the heads, Al!”

“I thought you didn’t approve of this.”, Kevin says, smirking.

“I don’t want her dying, Kevin.”, I growl, focusing. “If she’s gonna fight, she might as well do it right.”

“Sure looks like she could handle around a hundred by herself.”, Josh says, smirking. “She’s got enough anger to fuel an army of witches powers.”

“Which is good in her case. They made a mistake by taking Sophie. They thought they’d silence the psychic. But all they did was fuel her potentional.”, I say, studying her closely. “But one wrong move and she’s dead, Kevin. I hope you’re all aware of that.”

“Then we’ll just have to watch her.”, Max says quickly.

“We can’t fight her battle, Max. She wants it done her way. Which means we all focus on where she puts us.”, I say, glaring at him. “Maybe Nina could —”

“You can’t change how a psychic sees visions, Mel. Even I know that.”, Dylan says, rolling his eyes. “She’s better off sleeping the entire day before the war.”

“I like that idea. It could actually work.”, Josh says, nodding in approval. “Work her now, set her down and sleep later. She talks in her sleep, right?”

“But she’d never tell us what she saw, Josh. Alison doesn’t want to worry any of us. She’d basically try distracting everyone, then do something stupid.”, Martin says, shrugging.

“Exactly! She’d be busy saving us all. That’s why she’s working so hard! She saw someone die …”, I say, looking at her. “Now the question is, who?”

“Definately not me. She hates my guts.”, Tacey says, shrugging.

“That’s it!”

“Huh?”

“Tacey, thank you!”, I say, hugging her, quickly letting go uncomfortably. “Martin, go and find out what she knows.”

“Aw, can’t I just sit here and watch her fight?”

“You could be the one dieing, idiot.”, I say, whacking him on the back of the head. “Now go or I’ll drag you.”

“Alright, alright! I’m going! Just keep her from killing me!”, Martin says, walking toward her timidly.

“Great, one of us is dieing. How long has she known. Max?”, I ask, glancing at him.

“’Bout a week,” Max says, shrugging. “She swore me to never tell!”

“Great,” I grumble, glaring at the ground. “Who would Alison — oh no. Ohmyfinggod!!!”

“What?!”, Kevin and Josh say together.

“It’s Sophie! Guys, c’mon! Who would Alison get this wound up about?”

“Just about everyone,” Martin says, shrugging as he comes back. “Not the dieing thing. She’s a protector, Melody. She protects who she loves.”

“So everyone on Thunder but you is out.”

“No, she’s started to trust Josh.”, Martin says, rolling his eyes. “And I think she’d even be upset if Tacey died.”

“Yeah, Alison hates death. Constant fear of it.”, Max says, nodding in approval. “Even the tiniest death can make her freak out. On the inside. You know that constant poker-face.”

“Sadly,” I sigh. “She’s got too many secrets for her own good.”

“Well, if all she wants to do is protect, then maybe that’s why she’s working twice as hard. She wants to take most of hell, leaving the weaker ones to us.”, Tacey says, shrugging.

“Tacey, even I know that’s idiotic. Alison wants her sister. She wouldn’t care if everyone died in the process.”, Beatrix sneers, glowering at Alison.

“Want me to send her over here, and we’ll find out?”, I growl, standing up.

“She shot Duncan. She barely missed his heart.”

“Which proves that she doesn’t want to kill him.”

“He’s a gang-banger. Of course she wouldn’t want to kill him. Wake up, Melody. She knew exactly where you were, and she never told anyone. She made all of you go on some nonsense chase.”, Beatrix sneers. “She doesn’t tell any of you the truth. And when she does, it’s always in riddles.”

“This isn’t a ‘only one can survive,’ Beatrix!!! I know Alison! Her last intention is for even you to die!”, I growl.

“I’m just saying! Melody’s kidnapped, Alison knows where she is, and who did it. She was supposedly your friend. Why not just tell them straight up?”

“Because she wasn’t sure!!!”, Kevin snarls furiously. “Josh knew what she was!”

“She said Josh could kill her!!”

“But that he most likely wouldn’t!”

“She even admitted to enjoying the game!”

“STOP!!!!!!”, I yell, glowering between the two. “Alison! Get your ass over here.”

“Yes?”, Alison asks chirpily, popping almost out of thin air. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong —”

“I’m not an idiot, Mel. And I know what Beatrix is thinking right now.”, Alison says, smirking at her. “And I was simply looking out for my friends, Beatrix. You know, the people who like to hang around you? And maybe Ash would like you if you weren’t such a bitch.”

And she was gone, like lightning. Literally. It was creepy vampire speed! I was shocked, gaping.

“Ah, she’s turning into a nice little witch.”, Kevin says, smiling smugly. “Getting a little magic here and there.”

“She’s such a bitch.”, Beatrix sneers. I slap her angrily, glaring. I was sick of her bad-mouthing Alison. Just because Alison was focused, didn’t give anyone that okay.

“Go. Before I kill you.”, I growl, running over quickly to train with Alison.