Imprinted Years

The Cold River- 06:17am
She brought me to this river, where the streams hadn’t yet iced over, but still had a chilling sense about them and I had a feeling that this sense wasn’t because of the frost in the air, but of the company I now found myself in. She laughed to herself, as she foolishly yet bravely walked into the coolness of the water and turned to where I stood watching on in amaze.

“Why?” I asked her, I didn’t understand why she’d voluntarily walk into what could soon be ice and laugh when she felt the sting of the freezing cold water touching her pure skin. But then, I answered my own question by casting my mind back to both this day and the day before, where I walked across icy, slippery rocks that made my bare feet bleed pain, only to feel the power and strength inside, by refusing to retreat my steps.

Maybe, she had a similar technique. Maybe, what she said before in the darkening place where the icy rock pools lay, that we were more alike than either of us thought or wanted, was true. Maybe, we were equals in more ways than just power and confidence.

Maybe, the thought of power and control meant nothing, without ally’s to help you through the days that are hard, even for demons like us. I mean, everyone has bad days, right? And I’m guessing even the strongest of souls need others at certain time in their lives. But that made me think, maybe father had an ally too. I mean, he couldn’t have gone through so much hurt and torment and not had someone there to… help him, I guess. Make his life easier. In my case, I was beginning to think that the one soul that could or would better my life was not someone or something I was already close to, like my father.

No, it was now beginning to look like she was someone who at first, I challenged and then, I feared, but now, I need.

“Because, we only live once, don’t we?” she chuckled to herself again and stroked her hair back with her left hand, ever so gently, she could convince any human that she was soft. But she wasn’t, which I then valued as a good feature. Being strong instead of weak, meant being tough instead of soft, which can foolishly be seen as being hurtful instead of being kind.

Kindness and weakness are not of the same meaning. Although, I can understand why these very different words are often linked together when thought of, as in this world, some humans believe being hard on others or being cruel, in a sense, is equivalent to being strong and powerful. They couldn’t be more wrong if they tried. To me and to any other sane soul her on Earth and on other universes around us, it is the complete opposite. Weakness is where you hurt other souls, to make up for the lack of power and strength in your heart. I then realised exactly who and what I was, as I pondered over this obvious, yet what I thought was impossible, thought.

I was weak and that’s why I had killed for my own twisted pleasure. I was a murderer and I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t powerful. I wasn’t even courageous! I was the opposite. I had hurt and killed, just to fill up the forever emptiness inside. Caused by too many years on my own, away from mankind and learning untrue lies from the one soul I trusted in this universe.

I had realised, that all of my life I’d been the beast my deceiver wished me to be. The beast who hid away from the humans, as I’d felt if believed I could never be among them being who I was. So, payback for me was to turn to violence. I could never regain the beauty ever pure, honest and cleansed soul naturally has. The beauty I used to have within my heart and mind. I was doomed, for all eternity, to be this brutal, murderous demon that I have learnt to become.

I am now, what I used to fear. I am the beast not the beauty.

I looked over to Jessica, my eyes full of sadness and the truest of despairs and now, I no longer searched for some reason to show how much power I had in my heart, well, mostly in my mind, but now I just needed an ally. Whether she was a friend or an enemy, I no longer cared or wondered over that part so much like I did earlier today and yesterday, I just needed to release these odd, unrecognisable feelings inside me.

I needed to tell her my story, which was why we came here anyway, right? To escape the now dull and old scenery that was of yesterday’s pathetic feud and enter into a more beautiful and mesmerizing place, where we could talk about out darkest and lightest secrets, without any shame or lies on either of our parts. Here, we could be as honest as we could be and tell someone who understands the other’s pain, of spending so many years alone in the darkness, that is the life of demons like us.

“I need to confess something, Jessica. Please, I know we aren’t exactly friends, but…” she laughed at the last part. “We aren’t? I thought for a minute there that we were best friends forever or something. You know, seeing as you tried to kill me and all” she said in a mocking, sarcastic tone and gave me a confident and clever smile. I ignored her jokes and continued, still being careful about how I said things and what I said too. “What I mean, is that we aren’t exactly trying to kill each other now, right?”

I spoke louder now, making myself sound less pathetic than before, “I need to tell you, things that I’ve done and I’m sure you have some things to tell me too, yes?” She nodded, I had now gotten her attention and with that I sat down on the wooden, cold and long log by my left side, meaning for her to sit by me so then we could begin. She did and then, my story was about to be relived all over again. It may be unusual and strange for her to hear; but it was awfully hard and painful for me to tell. Yet I knew I had to tell someone. I had too.

“It started when I was around 14 years old and I’d just started high school at Edinburgh high. I felt an urge to hide from the better side of me when I was there, as feeling so different from others there made me feel lost, I guess. It wasn’t exactly the teachers, or even any of the students there that made me feel lost and unsuited to being there, but it was just the fact I knew they were different from me.

See, the reason father let me go, after years of begging for a true and proper education, was because I’d promised him with all of my heart that I wouldn’t interact or even stay in the same area of a human for over an hour. Yes, the teachers found it odd how I left school in the middle of the day to get away from it. The prejudicing thoughts I couldn’t escape no matter how hard I tried to. They weren’t like me and I’d never be like them.

To be honest though, there were a few students and teachers even, who got to me. Students were the worst, as I was in a situation where all of the humans around me, whether it be in the classrooms or where we’d eat dinner and have a break from work, copied or analysed everyone else. So when they saw I was always on my own, they begun to notice and just make me feel even more of an outsider than I already was. Which I know I deserved, as I was the girl who quite harshly said “no” to all invites to any parties or sleepovers.

I hid in the school toilets, which sounds fucking pathetic I know but at least I had reason, just so I could escape the many eyes I felt on me. Ones that may have been all of my imagination, but the coward inside of me told me to run from it anyway. I’d hear the more confident, aggressive groups say intimidating things and I’d instantly believe it was aimed at me. The lonely, yet less sheepish individual that practically avoided fun and the one who knew how badly they failed at comebacks and childish things like that, so I tended to try to stay hidden.

I did have a little fun at that age though, even though school was only really education and nothing more for me. I wrote and it made the days of racing home against the fear of being caught alone yet again much easier. Only, when the school day had ended and I’d come home from the world I felt I’d never, ever even be able to live in, never mind fit in, I’d just run up to my room and stay in bed, Some days I’d cry and some I’d just lie there. Thinking. What it would be like to love and laugh and play with someone who understood everything I felt and more. Someone who knew the truest of pains like I did. Loneliness.

I could be in an empty room with the strength, confidence and courage to be the best I could be and still, I’d be far more whole than if I’d be in a room filled with those who would never understand this cold, empty and haunting feeling.

The same feeling I dreamt of, woke with and lived with for a year of my life. I tried thinking of how others had it worse and how I’d soon wake up and think, “Hey, my life isn’t useless and worthless at all!” But, it took me a long while to get back to that person, even though it was only a year. It felt like forever to me at the time.

Around July that same year, I basically told myself I should try and escape this heartbreaking feeling of worthlessness, but you have no idea how this haunted me in the back of my head. Not all of the time, I admit, but I’d just wake up some days and I’d think, “What is my purpose?” So, one day, out of angst and despair, I decided to get my revenge back on those who contributed to my upset in the past year.
Those who had laughed and sniggered, little things building up into a great mountain of distraught feelings and despair within my heart. My first game was the longest; I’d ever carried one out for. After this, I soon realised why a quick and simple game, yet still impacting and magnificent, is far better than a long and complicated one.

Her name was Macy Lea Poole, a hateful, despicable, yet now thinking about it, pitiful girl who I’d known for the whole of the year. She’d often whisper things to her copycat friends and say stupid, immature things about the shoes I wore, or how I walked, whenever I’d be late to class. I thought of the perfect style of my revenge before I played it out, but I had to be extra careful, as I couldn’t draw any attention to myself.

None what so ever, as I had to keep father from finding out and keep my appearance good to other fellow pupils and teachers. Well, I had to keep my newly discovered plan hidden from any human at all and any soul as well, for that matter. The game I’d set, was clever, cunning and concise, The 3 C’s you need in this world of trickery and cruelty. So, when the day had arrived to begin my first experiment, I followed Macy home from school, sticking to the 2nd and 3rd of my 3 C’s as I did, praying she was going straight home and not to one of her friends houses. My luck was in.

I then waited outside of her house, in her back garden, watching the bedroom that I’d figured, from climbing up cautiously and checking in, was hers and I waited for my chance. Mid-night came and my game had only just started, so I took my controller and began making the right moves. Well, what felt at the time to be right, anyway. Foolishly enough, she’d left her window right open and she had earlier said to her friend Anna on the phone that she was home alone, as her parents were out for the night. “Perfect!” I thought to myself, now having the brilliant opportunity to climb up the walls of her fairly modern house and sneak into her bedroom without her noticing.

This, I had to do extremely carefully. I stacked the bins up that had been put away in the garden, so that I had a ledge to get me nearer to her window. When I was stood upon both bins on top of each other, I looked above where I stood, searching for something to grab onto, so that I could pull myself up and grasp onto the window only a couple of metres away.

I spotted a black box only a few feet away and carefully slid my right foot onto it. I then pulled myself up with one quick motion and automatically grasped onto the window ledge that peered from Macy’s room. I pushed my foot against the box and then pulled myself further into her room, trying not to struggle too much, as I couldn’t make that much noise.

When I had finally gotten in, still in one piece, I stood upright and checked the room for any signs of getting caught. Macy lurking in the doorway wondering why I was there, or maybe one of her friends waiting for her on Skype, I checked both of these possibilities and both were clear. I then walked slowly and slightly hesitantly towards the opening of where the door lay ajar and pulled my back instantly to the bright pink wall of hers.

Forcing all natural instincts of my body like breathing and curiosity of the whereabouts I found myself in to a complete stop. As I saw in the corner of my eyes before I made this action, that Macy was closing the door to the bathroom ahead of where I had stood. I held my breath whilst I heard the footsteps outside her bedroom getting louder and heavier and prayed that she didn’t find me here. Plastered to this wall like the pink paint covering it was and told myself not to panic or freak out.

I found it extremely difficult not to do either.

Then! My heart stopped and my brain went numb, as the nemesis I’d decided to go against on this very day appeared into the room which I stood, still stuck to the wall by her left with fear in my soul and all over my face. I closed my eyes, expecting her to see me right away and shout something that would alert others. I couldn’t have been a bigger fool if I tried! But, when I’d waited a few moments thinking she’d see me, I opened my eyes, curiously wondering why she hadn’t.

I didn’t have enough time or insane courage to wonder over it though, as soon as I’d gotten my bearings, I carefully made my way out of her room and into the hallway, which lead me to the bathroom. I then had a new and wonderful idea for my first evil, yet to me hilarious trick. I would wait, till it got near to one o’ clock and then, I’d flush the toilet. In an attempt to alert her, but if that wouldn’t work, I’d say her name over and over again, making my voice ever more loud and sinister each time, until she woke up and came to inspect what was going on.

Then, I would take a blade from my long, dark coat and I’d plunge it into the door, first watching her shadow, so that I’d know exactly where she was. Aiming to scare her, not kill or physically hurt her. But she was going to get hurt, even if there was no blood or bruises. I’d make sure of that…” I stopped there for a moment, giving myself a break from story telling and letting Jessica have a chance to give her input on what I’d told her, or ask any questions she’d thought of.

“You still remember it like it was only a few mere days ago, though, don’t you?” I nodded in confirmation to what seemed to me to be a fact, not a question exactly needing an answer on my part. But, I replied anyway, “Every single movement I made,” I paused, watching her eyes turn on me with severe interest in what words I used, “it was certainly a day to remember.

“Should I continue?” I looked at her, analysing every piece of her, as if at any moment she could disappear or be taken, I then realised how I needed her to stay with me. I couldn’t survive in this world alone. Well, I had father, but I needed someone who knew me in the way she did. A way that made me curious, as to why and how she knew me like she did, but also made me feel always guarded and protected by her.

With father, when he’s with me, I fear nothing, but when he must leave to fill out his duties back home, I feel lost. It’s like opposites, but in a really confusing and weird way. One day, I could feel completely safe and confident that no one and nothing could hurt me, but another I’d feel weak and useless. Totally different ends of the chain, which was hard to understand for me and that’s why I did what I did. That’s why I had tormented and hurt and in some cases, even killed, just to get the feeling back of being protected and not having any risk of getting hurt in this cruel world.

You see on the television and you hear on the news all of the time about kidnappings and murders composed by those vile humans! So, I guess I tried my hardest to distance myself from that. My way of doing that wasn’t exactly doing good now though, was it? By distancing myself from them, I turned against them in ways I now live to regret and I don’t think I can ever move on from that person who used to be me. Although, a part of me fears that the cruel beast I was all of those years ago, still lives inside of me today.

She then interrupted my quite deep and dark thoughts, which I was pleased about actually, answering my earlier question. “Yes, I’m eager to hear more,” she saw how my facial expression showed pain and angst at remembering how cruel I was to that girl. But the angst was for feeling such guilt anyway, “I know, it’s hard. But…” I closed my eyes in slight frustration, yet more intrigue, how did she know? If she didn’t actually know how hard it is from true experience and she was just saying it to help or pity me, then I’d turn on her like a lion to a deer.

“How the hell would you know?” I asked her in an impatient yet not exactly angered tone and she then pulled a golden necklace from her pocket. I watched in curiosity, not wanting to nag her about what it was and why she’d revealed it. But then, she answered all of the questions in my head with a few mere words.

“A souvenir, which belonged to her.” She gave me a shame-filled yet in a way, slightly uplifted look at the mention of this female who she spoke of. As if this, what I assumed was a victim of hers, was meant as a trophy to her.

“You killed her?” I asked, even though my voice was quite silent and empty, I felt no fear.

She nodded and then continued, “So, yes I do know exactly how you feel. Now, please will you continue?” I smiled at her in confirmation, “of course, you may find some of the content of this tale of mine interesting. If murderous trickery is or was a fascination of yours.”

I smiled one last wicked and clever smile at her and then continued with my story.

…

“So, I had it all planned out, what seemed to be the perfect pay back plan, but I didn’t expect it to go as well as it did. I was expecting a mild satisfaction inside, that was enough to not take it overboard but to also appreciate my work, but instead I got burning ambition and adrenaline, which made this trick I’d set up even more exciting on my part. I remember my first move.

I heard her footsteps coming closer to the bathroom door, where I stood breathlessly on the other side. But then I heard her turn towards the staircase and place one light step onto the first descending level. I then waited, for a few more small yet exciting steps to be taken. Then I whispered to her, loud enough to make her notice, words that every teenage girl dreads to hear when they’re in their house alone.

“You are not alone, Macy,” I murmured crookedly and gave myself a witty smile, “I, can kill you if I wish to. What can you do about it, Macy?” I heard a high-pitched yelp, as my evil words sank into her skin and devoured her. I laughed to myself, an aggressive and powered laugh, which made her scream even more.

I then heard footsteps running down the stairs as fast as they could and then I realised my time was then. I carefully, yet without hesitating swung open the bathroom door and quickly checked for any signs of life or evidence around me. It was all clear, so then I ran and then dived into Macy’s bedroom, quickly hiding behind the door. Cheap shot, I know, but I knew how I’d play it.

I heard her panicking downstairs, as the phone lines were all mysteriously cut and therefore making them out of use. The doors had been locked and the spare key lost. She cried out for help, but in this detached house in the middle of nowhere, no one could hear her cries.

I chuckled continuously to myself, being careful to not let her hear of my new whereabouts though and cut my laughter to a stop when I heard her footsteps return up the stairs, which she almost flew down only minutes ago.

I then heard her speak for the first time that night, “whoever you are, I’m not afraid of you!” she said in a weak, yet slightly hopeful voice, “I may s-sound scared, but that’s only because you coward caught me off guard!”

Her voice rose as she spoke the word “coward”, which was a name I wasn’t fond of hearing referred to me. Now, it was my time to be the boss. I pulled the hood from my cloak over my head, so my face was completely hidden and I help the blade tight in my fist. Then, I came up with a better idea.

No weapons. I returned my deadly, sharp blade back to my cloak pocket and then turned on my sinister act. Only back then, it wasn’t really an act. It was all of me and I wasn’t afraid to let it sink into my weakened soul, making me foolishly believe that the evilness it had within, made me only stronger. I was wrong, but at this moment, all I cared about was making humans pay for how they’ve treated fellow souls. But most importantly, let this pathetic human Macy; pay for how she’d hurt me.

I then decided to take an even newer and more creative turn to my evil and sinister reveal to this purely heartless human, which I knew would physically hurt me a little. But it was so worth it then. To make my entrance into the hallway even deadlier and fearing than I’d ever imagined.

It was like music to my cold, yet soft ears.

I took out the blade again and ran it smoothly, yet adding quite a bit of pressure, across my right hand. I then wiped the blood from my now weeping hand onto my face and smiled to myself, an insane, yet purely adrenaline filled smile. Knowing the game had only just begun.

I then cut the sleeves off my dark, menacing cloak and wiped even more blood onto both of my now bare arms. I was now ready to fight that little hope out of the human that stood right outside that door and I would do so, with false honour to myself. Believing that this was more for good than for evil.

I then plunged open the door that lay between me and my next game, hearing and loving her gasp as she saw the beast that had no beauty left within her heart at that point. I heard her scream uselessly and she aimlessly tried to defend herself with a baseball bat she’d found somewhere. I then challenged her emotional side, not her pathetic physical attempts to disarm me.

“So, do you recognise me?” I asked her in the same, dark and cruel sinister voice I’d used in the bathroom only a few minutes earlier. She shook her head slowly, still in panic and shock over my being her. Maybe it also was to do with the amount of blood I had on me. If only she knew it was all my own.

I laughed, knowing she couldn’t see or know me with this disguise. See, the Abre I was at school was shy, innocent and still pretended to have a pure and beautiful heart. This Abre, the true Abre, or as I believed back then, was the girl she didn’t even think of messing with. The girl who she’d never recognise, even if I bumped into her the day after at school and maybe even if she heard me speak. As in this frightening and ruthless scenario, I spoke sinister and toxic.

Like I was a completely different soul to the one she knew. I still kept my hood covering most of my face, because even though I was completely different in every way to that kind, pushover of a pathetic human I acted to be at school, I still wore her face. So I had to be careful.

I then teased her, by croaking a cruel and hypnotising laugh, which made her cringe in horror and pure, undeniable, unstoppable fear. I loved this. My playing games with her without even needing to speak, but I had to up my game. “You have two choices, Macy,” I spoke in a low, mysteriously empty and hollow tone, aiming to have both her interest and her fear at full level. “Die or live?”

She squinted at my words and a small hint of confusion mixed with uncontrolled intrigue lurked in her light blue, yet burdened with heartless emotion eyes.

So, I continued. “You play the game right, you die,” I laughed another uncontrollable yet desirably twisted laugh and the continue, “I know, mixed up right? And I’m guessing your weak, tiny brain has just about figured out that this is a game all about opposites, yes?”

She nodded slowly again; fear still lay in her now insanely alive eyes.

“Basically, if you play it wrong, you live. Got it, Macy?” She nodded several times now, making it clear she understood my every word. I liked that. Respect, for a change, but I wasn’t an idiot. I knew that this so called respect was only alive out of her out of control fear of my new look, and me, which to her would’ve been quite a fright. “Okay then, this is how the game works. Listen up carefully now, Macy; your life depends on it.”

This was the perfect game, as in a life and death situation, the victims always tries to get the method to the game correct. But in this case, it was completely the opposite. Therefore confusing and weakening the player’s mind, which leads them to playing the rules correct. Which in my game, is a very, very wrong move and can be punishable by either torture and then death, or instant death.

Well, I had done all I could, well, not could but wanted to, to help her understand these weird, yet simple rules, so I begun. “Scared?” I expected her stubbornness and natural cockiness to kick in, her saying “as if I’m scared of you!” or something. But instead, I got the sullen, knowingly beaten nod and the saddened look in her eyes, which made me feel electric.

“Good!” I shouted at her in a harsh, course voice, which now seems a little bit too far, but then I wanted to yell more and more till she cried out in terror and hurt. I wanted every single human on this now wrecked, but once beautiful Earth to suffer for the harm and the cruelty they have imprinted upon others of their kind. The kind of disgusting pain they try to inflict on those of my kind, also. Like my father, for example, for some insane reason they wish him dead and they seek some kind of revenge.

Why, I don’t know. But this Macy had to pay.

“So, Macy,” I lingered on her name for a moment, hoping to come across as overly powerful and completely in control of this weak, worthless human standing before me, “what do you feel, right now?”

She shivered at my question; I could no longer stand her insanely childish fear. “Answer me!” I growled in a loud, frustrated tone, which made her jump, but also made her alert.”

She looked down to her plain, white socks, then looked to my covered face, where one of my cold, empty eyes watched her warily and then she spoke. “I-I,” she closed her eyes, recovering her words, “I f-feel, fine, h-how about y-you?”

I laughed at her surprisingly decent attempt at playing my game. Round 1- check, now it was time for round 2. “Ah, very good, Macy,” I half-teased, half-congratulated the young girl before me and then continue. “But that stammer in your voice, that has mysteriously just appeared, tells me you’re not just fine, is that right, Macy?”

She shook her head, failing at denying her fear, as the still, cold, yet alive glints in her eyes told me, by the way they darted around the room so fast and in a paranoid like fashion, that she was wildly afraid. I knew this of her, as I’d also been this way many times before, but I’m far better at hiding my truest emotions, I guess.

She slowly regained her strength enough to look me in the one eye I dared to reveal, which made me respect her a little to be honest and she spoke the most confident, yet not foolishly so, she’d spoken all that night. “I am perfectly fine, don’t you worry. I’m not afraid what so ever.”

I had to give the girl some credit for trying, but I kept at my plan to catch her out.

Not that I’d actually kill her if she did play it right, maybe I’d just make her believe she was going to die and then be done with it. Revenge completed. “You’re a liar!” I shouted at her and took one small, yet fierce step to where she still stood, now in shock and surprise at my instant anger at her. I was going to get her out, even if I had to really mess this up even more.

“You’re a murderer! Yes, I mean you, Macy. Maybe, you haven’t killed or hurt anyone physically like I have. But Macy, you’ve not just killed those weak humans you pick on by weakening their already damaged spirits; you’ve also killed a part of them! Ally Graham, 3 years back. You made his life a misery, by making him so feel so hurt and having you and all of your sheepish friends hate him, by taking little chunks out of him each and every day. Do you even have a conscience?

“He was smart, kind-hearted and maybe one of the few humans who I’ve ever seen potential in. Far better than you will ever dream to be, Macy! Don’t you regret anything at all? Those people you’ve hurt! Yourself! You’ve killed a part of yourself. The part of you whose capable of respect, kindness, loyalty and love, but for what, Macy? Popularity? Fake friends who don’t’ care about you?

“What did he do? What did you do to have this life? You owe it to yourself and other weakened, yet still capable of love and kindness, and those who can still be hopeful someday. You owe it to yourself and them to be you. Not the girl who makes others lives a misery because she can’t escape the person she sees in the mirror everyday she wakes up! Do you really think that you can carry on being this careless, self-centred kind of a human being that you currently are? Really?”

Her now shame-filled eyes reached my one free eye, telling me her true answer. I saw the sadness and regret that now filled her heart and soul, I now understood what this look meant to her.

Her real answer, the answer that mattered was no.

She didn’t want to be this hurtful and weak person that she currently was. I knew now that she did feel shame and regret, this was all the proof I needed. This was enough evidence for me to leave this game alone for now. She’d learnt her lesson and I’d gotten my satisfaction in a better way than I’d expected, but I couldn’t change or go back on my own rules, could I? “Yes, I can and you can’t do anything about it!”

All I heard and what I knew she wanted me to hear, but what she also knew she couldn’t say, was actually, “No, I can’t and you have done something about it.” This made me smile, but I couldn’t go all soft on her now.

I turned my back on her now, still smiling to myself, but it wasn’t like earlier that night. It was no longer a sinister and cruel smile, only now it was a heart-warmed and truly honest one.

“Very good, I will now leave you for now, Macy, as you’ve passed,” I paused and laughed to myself, “but if you ever, ever go back on what you’ve just shown me now, Macy. That little bit of shame and regret that is still enough to consume you and make you into the person we both know you can be. I will be back and next time, I won’t be so easy going on you, got it?”

I heard her murmur, “yes” softly, yet now more confidently than the weaker answers I got before. Those which made me chuckle to myself again and with that, I stepped into her bedroom once more, waiting for the right time to flee her house.

I first closed my eyes, taking in my first ever mind game event, but also taking in my first good form of torment and cruelty. Yes, it was a sick and torturing game to play, but I still truly believe today that she has learnt from it. After that day, when I crossed her in school, she was still unaware that it was me who taught her this, but anyways, she’d smile at me and say “hello” in a truthful and honest tone. Her friends found it odd at first, but they soon caught on.

Just as I was about to run from this house I had found myself staying in for the previous hour or so, I heard her voice speak up again, now in a calmer, more thoughtful tone.

“Thank you, whoever you are,” I heard a sweet smile in her voice now, “you really have changed my views for the better and I can’t ever thank you enough for the lesson you’ve taught me.”

This made me smile to myself like a human who’d just devoured a Thornton’s chocolate cake, I mean because c’mon, they’re so delicious! The way she said this, in the most complete and understanding voice. I knew that she was being truthfully honest and that she wasn't just saying it to protect herself.

I knew that this girl had some little potential to be like that Ally Graham. Maybe, she could have herself reborn into a newly freshened and pure soul once again, as it should’ve been anyway, which would make her potential on this Earth slightly higher than it was at this stage.

But she’d learnt a lesson, I’ll give her that and with that, I left and I never came back.”

…

Jessica looked at me like she’d known me for years, the kind of look that a friend of a long while would give another. The kind of look that suggested she trusted me now more than she did before. She then smiled, when she was sure I’d finished and began her input.

“Wow. What an unusual, yet in some strange way insanely gripping tale!” she smiled with wild adrenaline in her eyes and all over her face, “and yes, I agree with you and Macy. You did teach her a lesson that she could never ever thank you enough for. You should be proud!”

I blushed, knowing that I shouldn’t, as I had no reason to feel flattered by her kindness.

“But don’t you think what I did was completely wrong and insane?” I asked her in a pleading and weak voice, but she killed the weakness inside of me when she smiled again and gave me the answer I wasn’t expecting.

“Yes, very wrong and insane, but sometimes wrong decisions can lead to good outcomes, right?” She gave me another kind-hearted and what seemed to be a honest smile, “sort of like that game of yours and how she came out of it a better person. Surely, one little scare is better than a lifetime of cruelty and unkindness on her part, yes?”

I nodded, yet completely disagreeing with her slightly under exaggerated “little scare”, as she said it.

“I think it was more than a little scare, Jess. I mean, there was a lot of panic and fear that night.” I didn’t want to admit that some of the fear and panic was on my part. As the crazed amount of adrenaline I had in me that day both had me feared and panicked over what I was capable of. I guess both Macy and I learnt a lesson that day.

Mine was to be more careful about how I played out my games and hers was obviously to put others first. Jessica nodded admittedly to the fact I’d stated, which yes, was a fact, as I’d obviously scared that girl a lot, hadn’t I? I then stood up from the log that we sat on and looked out into the distance of the beautiful lake that lay ahead of us.

I smiled to myself, a heart-touching smile and closed my eyes, talking in the fresh, peaceful air that surrounded us, making my heart and soul feel cleansed…