Let Them Speak

Before I tell you how it all went down, let me set the scene. We were practically in the middle of nowhere. Night had just fallen and the air was crisp with pain and anticipation. It seemed like a barren wasteland here: nothing but dirt and a few dying trees. Darryn's head lights were still on, casting an eerie glow on Jenna.

In my mind, her skin melted away, leaving a black, shadowy monster in her place. I knew it was real. I had to fight her. For Darryn. The love of my life was now being swarmed by Shadows and there was just me and Jenna now.

I stepped forward. No sound was made. Jenna shot one of her arms into the air and a pillar of Shadows rose, bursting underneath my feet. I was thrown into the air, falling flat on my back. If I didn't have a reason to live through this, I would've let myself die there.

With much effort, I slowly got to my feet and brushed off my shoulder. She had many more powers than me. All I could do was levitate and climb walls. She had the Shadows on her side, plus an endless supply of powers. I jumped and practically flew into the air. My mind wasn't on the battle, though. I was racking my brain for things she'd taught me. And suddenly it hit me.

"You can do anything a ghost can, if you can just put your soul in sync with the world of the dead." Jenna had told me that. I started to imagine my soul, fluttering down from my body and into a hole of darkness, keeping me tied to both worlds. Sure, Jenna had more power and even with the strength of ghosts, I'd never defeat her, but I'd die trying.

I focused on the wind, making it blow her back. She didn't fly backwards like me and Darryn had. She was merely pushed into the air. She stayed there levitating.

"Try all you like, but you're never going to win, Addii." I remembered Chris, using fire on her side. So, that's what I did. I somehow summoned fire into the palm of my hand, throwing them both at Jenna. She side stepped and spoke in a tone that sound like she was bored. "Pathetic."

"Uhhh!" I threw some more fire, but again, she dodged. Then, just like I did with my fire, she conjured up some weird black energy and threw it at me. Of course, it hit me and I slammed back down to the ground. My body started to tremble. It felt like I just got shocked- or stabbed a thousand times in the heart.

"Your soul is resisting death..." She mused as she landed gracefully on the ground. "Apparently, you're being protected."

I was confused. Protected? But, that didn't matter right now. She kept raising her arms, making pillars of Shadows to keep rising. But, this time, I'd started running. I zig-zagged past most of the pillars, but when I came close to Jenna, she created a monster on and I shot into the sky.

Only, I didn't fall. Sure, it hurt, but I wasn't going to let her stop me. I groaned in pain and tried my hardest to command the shadows, but nothing was happening. I was starting to panic. I could feel my breathing get slower and my heart slowly halting. I wasn't giving up though. I refused to.

I let out a loud scream, one I'd been holding in. It was from pain, and complications. It was from stress and secrets. I'd been holding this scream back since my parents died. And, surprisingly, when I screamed, I could see the energy waves as they flew toward Jenna and the Shadows.

Jenna dropped to her knees, covering her ears. She was screaming back, but apparently, she didn't have this ability. For that- I was thankful. I flew to the ground, the scream still in the air. I walked right over to Jenna and threw the first punch I'd ever thrown. It hit her square in the jaw. Her nose started to bleed, but healed immediately.

"God I've wanted to do that for awhile!"

Jenna stood slowly and with the scream still in the air, that was pretty difficult. I made the mistake to turn toward Darryn. He'd fainted, and was still being constricted by the Shadows. Looking at him was my greatest mistake. Jenna was now chanting in some language I couldn't identify. While my scream was still present, her chanting grew louder.

The ground opened up like a black puddle. Hands were seeping through. While they were the hands of the dead, I knew they were solid. One grabbed hold of my foot and kept me there. It didn't pull me down. The hand was cold and it seemed to draw my soul to it. I felt like I was dying. I was dying.

"Now, you shall join the Damned!" Jenna screamed! I could answer. The scream finally fell silent as I fell to the ground. And I died. I died for the second time in my life.



I was back in the Council room. The three shadowed figures were there. This time, they weren't yelling at me. There shadows actually melted off of them. They were all tall, muscular men with no eyes, noses, or mouths. Along there bodies was black, ink tattoos that swirled into impossible shapes and kept moving.

"Even with our protection, you had failed to eliminate her." The one on the right spoke first. I wasn't sure what to say, so I stayed silent. The one on the left started to speak.

"But, you have not wasted the second chance we gave you. Times were hard and you never wished to be dead. You didn't give up and for that, you have succeeded."

"I had a second chance." I whispered. Then, I realized it. These shadow men were the ones protecting me. They'd given me a second chance at life, just so I could kill her. They'd planned this.

"You did," the middle one spoke. "And now, we give you a choice. A wish. You can rest in peace here, be Blessed and have happiness."

"Or?"

"Or you can go back to life, try to kill Jenna and then live a normal life- power free."

"Power free? Like, no ghosts?"

"Yes." I thought about it. I had a bunch of mixed feelings about this. I hated seeing the shadows, always not knowing who's dead or alive. Whether the ghost wanted to harm me or not. But, then again...

"I'd like to live. I have so much to live for! Darryn, my aunt, and most of all- I'm going to live for me. And, I'll keep my power. It's a gift that I won't be returning."

"As you wish." With that, I could see white spirits floating toward me. The Blessed spirits. The took my arms and lifted me toward the earth.



I hope you weren't expecting another huge battle. That's not how it was. When I came back to life, the Blessed were still holding me. I was surrounded in a white that sparkled. Cliche, I know. But, it was pretty fucking sweet if you ask me.

"How in the-" Jenna was astonished, but I didn't care. i got to my feet and smirked.

"Guys," I gestured to the Blessed, grinning even more. "Have at her."

With my command, the Blessed floated toward Jenna. She seemed to be frozen in place as the encircled her. They didn't attack, the just crept closer and closer and finally, Jenna literally exploded into a bright black light, leaving nothing but silver ash in her place. With her gone, the Shadows crept away from Darryn.

I hurried over to him and checked his pulse. He was still breathing. But, I could see his life fading. With power I didn't know I had, I kisses his slowly freezing lips and- and I healed him. It took all my strength, but I saw his eyes flutter open. We would be alright. I was alive, he was alive. We were in love.

Dizzy from the healing, I fell backward and fainted, but not before whispering.

"Darryn, I love you."