Chapter Thirteen
Okay. That's it. I've had it with this! I've had it with the constant aching of my stomach. I've had it with everything going wrong. I've absolutely had enough of being pissed. I'm not staying here forever. I'm not going to sit here and just wait for death to swallow me whole! I bite my lip as I blink away burning tears. I jolt up onto my feet and let my frustration be shown through my tensed face."Well we must find her then. I'm getting out of here, Adler. She can do whatever the hell she wants to me, but she cannot bind me to this place. I'm leaving, one way or another". My voice trembles greatly. His perfect face leans close to mine as he whispers in my ear,
“I can see it in your soul, Cessy; you will do great things”. I smile at him.
“I thought you couldn’t see the future” I joke. Then, unexpectedly, his steady lips press against my cheek and I close my eyes. His face pulls away and leaves me motionless for a few peaceful seconds. But, then I remember my intentions. I stand and walk past Adler.
“Where are you going?” he quickly asks me.
“To find Elvira” I respond without looking back. He trots quickly to keep up with me.
“You don’t know what you’re doing”
“Actually, I do” I harshly inform him. At home I’ve been used to having no one tell me what to do. At least, ever since Dad died. I begin to walk faster.
“Cessy! I won’t let you go out looking for that, that, monster! Especially unarmed” It is then that I pull out the stolen dagger and show him that I am, in fact, armed.
“A mere dagger is no match for her powers.” I completely ignore his concern and I begin running. I’m in the very center of the river when Adler firmly says, “I forbid you to go looking for her”. At that moment I feel my face turn red and the blood in my veins boil. I turn violently to face him.
“You forbid me!? You can’t forbid me! You don’t even know me! Trust me, I appreciate all you’ve done and how much you care, but you cannot forbid me. Now, whether you like it or not, I’m going to regain my earthly freedom by slitting-her-throat!”
I stare at his quiet and hurt face, waiting for an equally terrible and unnecessary response. "Okay then" Adler speaks calmly. He smiles at me sympathetically, avoiding eye contact. I look away. I turn back to tell him I’m sorry, but my stubbornness and embarrassment get the best of me. He stares at the ground. Without saying a word, I begin walking to the river, full of guilt. When I reach it I emerge my body into the sparkling water, which only goes a little over my chest. I reach the other side and grasp on to the muddy ground as I pull myself up. I wait for the gust of wind to come and dry me, but it doesn't. It's funny how I have no idea where she is, but how I don’t seem to care, or even think about it.Out of nowhere, a burning pain overcomes the left side of my face. I hold my hand to my cheek and stumble in circles, having no idea where the blow came from. I am now breathing so brutally, that my chest feels as though it is going to explode. Confusion overcomes me.
I feel his icy cold fingertips gently trace a vertical line up the back of my neck. His touch sends a prominent shiver throughout my body.
“Cecilia” growls he as my name is slowly emitted out of his vulgar mouth. His voice is dark and raspy. It terrifies me. It is more the voice you would assume belonging to an animal more than less a human, if he was human. I begin to yell for Adler but his old, pale finger points harshly at my mouth. All of my words are gone. I glance quickly at his long, pointed fingernail. It is black with a green dragon-like figure painted on it. This fingernail is the only one painted on. The rest are as they should be, and are all of normal size. My gaze travels from his hand to his face. He looks so antique, yet entirely unbreakable. His skin is a powerful, yet somber, shade of grey. His equally grey hair is streaked with random black strands. The nose on his face appears sharp as a blade. His thin, black eyebrows are slanted in towards the middle of his two yellow eyes. For pupils, there are dark slit-like shapes. His grey, cracked, worm-resembling lips begin to move as he speaks to me.
“You see, Cecilia, I control you. There is nothing that you can do. Nothing” he hisses. “Your freedom is lost. I would speak of my condolences to you, but I’m afraid I cannot, for my words would be lies”. His bony finger now moves away from my face.
“Jolten” I whisper, mostly to myself.
“Bright one we have here”. He combs his fingers through my hair, holding my head between his stone hands. I look him in his devilish eyes, but then cringe and look away.
“Hmm” he states. “Are you frightened of me?” I don’t respond and keep my gaze to his oversized black and green robe.
“Darling, is it my looks? Do they frighten you?” He closes his sinister eyes gently and points his finger in the direction of his head. I watch him carefully. As he reopens them, every past feature of his disappears. His wiry hair is now wavy and blonde. His grey, wrinkly skin is smooth and supple. The eyes that once sat on his head are now an amazing shade of blue. He wears a poets shirt with tight, black pants. He lifts his hand and places it under my trembling chin. As he does so, I notice that his painted fingernail has not been transformed. He notices that my expression is still of fright. In a sultry voice he responds to my terror.
“No? Well perhaps this…” Once again, he closes his eyes and aims his finger at his skull. He reopens his eyes and smiles menacingly at me. I can feel my head turn hot and my knees turn weak. I shrink down to the size of a pebble, staring into the familiar face of my father. I have to remind myself that this, creature, is not my dad by finding his unchanged finger. As he laughs, the whole earth quavers. With a flick of his wrist he is back to his normal, baleful self.
I try to open my mouth and utter a few threatening phrases, or perhaps a witty remark, but I’m too scared to speak. I should try to run, but decide against it, seeing clearly that there is no point. With a hint of boredom, he mutters,
“Alright then. Let’s go, shall we?” He grabs my right shoulder icily and again flicks his index finger. A vast swirl of color surrounds us and I lose all trace of consciousness.