Helga left the tent to leave, Arnold, Luis, and Amy to pour over their stat sheets, the computer for everything they had, and more research. Stepping close to the site it was a quiet day today mostly. Some went to town to enjoy themselves while also getting some supplies. Others remained behind to either sleep or do whatever else.
For her, Helga tapped her camera to walk to the place she went to when they had that party after that first night.
She climbed up to head up to the ledge she was at. The air was so clean here and the birds were really out enjoying themselves. Far away from human population she stopped to survey all that was in front of her eyes. A smile formed on her face as she turned on the camera to begin telling her story through her eyes. She'll send these pictures in to publish one day. Right now she didn't want everyone coming down to take away the beauty with their tourist behavior. Didn't want to ruin the site.
Another pair of eyes watched the blonde in her natural habitat. The breeze played gently with her tendrils to tease everyone each time you cared to see how the hair brushed against her neck. Taking a step up he didn't want to startle her. All he wanted to do was to take it in. Watching her put the camera down to glance through the view the pictures she took was his chance to step forward more.
Seeing movement to her left, Helga lifted her head to spot Carlos approaching. "I thought you were one of them that escaped to head to town." Her voice held good humor in it.
"Nah. I just wanted to sleep a little longer. You don't get that much sleep once you are heavy in your work." He explained as he got closer to her. "You love your work don't you?"
She smirked at that question. "Very much. What about you?"
"Ah yes. I get to go places and play in dirt. It's fun."
Helga couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or serious right now. "Have you only worked for Arnold?"
"No. I worked with his teacher originally." Taking a step forward once more, Carlos scanned the valley before resting once more on her. "May I see what you took so far?"
She was always hesitant to let someone she hardly knew to touch her stuff. With Arnold it was easy to trust him with it. She let Luis and Amy help her, but she wasn't too sure about him right now.
Sensing her fear, Carlos smiled in encouragement to her. "I have to be careful around artifacts. Please trust me with your valuable piece of artifact."
Helga let out a nervous laugh before removing the camera strap from around her neck. "Well I guess it will be fine." She took in every detail of her camera as if it was a long time friend. "Here. Sorry for that." Handing it to him she was startled by him grabbing her arm to place her back against the sand and plant life behind her. "What the hell?!"
Seeing her struggle, Carlos pressed her more against the wall behind her while easily easing her camera down up behind her. "Just so your precious friend doesn't get harmed." His face inched closer. "I won't harm your cameras." Pressing himself against her, Carlos whispered. "I'll just harm Arnold."
Her eyes went wide. It couldn't be. Looking directly into his eyes she noticed the brown of Carlos's eyes changed to a bluish-green. "No." She whispered.
"This is a subpar body in truth, but it will serve my purpose for now."
Helga couldn't harm Carlos knowing this isn't his fault. "Let this innocent man go, Brainy. Please." She implored him. "He hasn't done anything to you."
His quiet laugh sickened her in how it held that echo effect. "Just Arnold. It sickens me you sleep in the same bed as him. You belong to me."
"I belong to myself." Helga bit out. She had to get away from him. Had to make sure that Carlos remained safe. Judging her circumstance she made a calculated decision.
And that decision was to knee him hard in the groin.
Hearing him cry out in pain, Helga slipped away from him to run quickly towards the camp. "HELP!" She cried out.
In his tent, Arnold paused in his work to feel something unsettle on him. Standing up he left the tent as if in a trance. Helga! Arnold dashed off in the direction he felt her in. Hearing her cry out had him picking up his speed to find Helga hitting him hard and knocking him down.
Helga was laying on top of him feeling momentarily stunned. "Brainy took over Carlos's body." She pointed behind her as she rolled off him.
Arnold stood up while helping her up. Seeing Carlos look upon him with such searing anger reminded him of that one day where Brainy was in court, and about to charge. "Brainy." He hoped that this wouldn't mess up Carlos's mind. "Please release him."
Helga felt something making her head turn towards the dig to find the one she originally spoke to out of the hole. She silently held a conversation with him hoping for help. Mouthing the word out to beg him for his help, Brainy started to cry out in pain. "Let him go, Brainy!" She cried out.
Seeing something escape Carlos, Arnold watched as his body began to fall to the ground while the apparition disappeared. Rushing up to him, Arnold caught him before he hit the ground. "Carlos?"
Helga ran to get water. Rushing past Amy and Luis she went down in front of him. "How is he?"
Arnold saw how guilty she felt for what happened. Saw the pain. "Passed out. Try to give him some water."
Nodding her head, Helga opened his mouth up to slowly pour some water in. Pulling back she waited to give him more water before settling back. "I'm sorry, Carlos."
"Helga it isn't your fault. Brainy is evil."
"How am I supposed to defeat him? I know I have to stand up to him, but I did." Settling herself down on her legs, Helga bowed her head in shame. Feeling a hand on her shoulder she looked up to see, Luis standing there. "I'm sorry."
Luis felt sorry for this poor woman having to deal with this. "Nothing to be sorry for. Please stand up so we may speak."
Doing so, Helga shot Arnold and Carlos a saddened look as she walked a bit away from them. "If I didn't come..."
Luis stopped her. "Perhaps this is the way for you to put him to rest. You have been in this business long enough to know that things happen. I know you have taken pictures of haunted sites and digs like this. You know the unexplained happens all the time." Stopping to gather himself he then continued. "I'm older than you both. I've been to so many places that I'm starting to lose track. There was this one paranormal site. We weren't there to examine it. We were there to explore for the hell of it. A friend and I." He had to keep gathering himself.
"We were exploring and as I wandered into the basement area it felt heavy. It was heavier than other areas of the abandoned asylum." His breath shuddered. "I sat down on one of those really old wheelchairs just to feel it. When I did I didn't feel like me. First I felt shackled and then I had these thoughts. Memories of places I've never been to. Places where I was punished. Where I punished others. Places that didn't exist in my brain before. My friend tried to talk to me but he said I was yelling before I went to attack him." Feeling her hand on his shoulder, Luis needed the safety of a kind persons eyes to keep him guided. "I almost killed my friend. It was him punching me that made me pass out. When I came to I told him I'm sorry. He said I didn't look like me anymore. My appearance changed. He said my eyes changed."
"I'm so sorry." Helga had been saying that so much since she reached here. "How old were you when that happened?"
"30. I'm 42 now and not a day goes by I don't think about it. There are days I feel bad for letting that happen, but I knew there was nothing I could of done at the same time." Taking a chance he placed her hand gently between hers. "What happened to you with this Brainy isn't your fault. You must know this. You fight this. This is your battle ground." Jerks his head to Arnold who was now helping up a still weak Carlos to his feet. "This is also Arnold's. No one fears you. We all like you."
"Doubt Carlos will after this."
Looking past her again, Luis points over to Carlos heading over to them with Arnold beside him. "Talk to him and see."
Turning around, Helga went over to them. "Carlos..."
He shook his head very gently. "No. Don't. You did nothing wrong." Leaving Arnold's side he took her hands gently. "This isn't my first rodeo. In fact, I'm certain that Luis told you about him getting possessed himself. I had to witness it first hand and now I know how he feels. I'm sorry I scared you."
Turning her head between Luis and Carlos, Helga almost hugged Carlos for suffering under the control of, Brainy. "I hate him for doing that to you. You had nothing to do with what happened."
Carlos went to his friend. "I need sleep and hopefully this time I don't get possessed."
Watching Luis put an arm around his friend, they both wandered back to his respective tent. Helga looked over to where the hole was before grabbing Arnold's hand to pull him back towards his tent. When they reached inside, Helga placed her hands on his arms. "What if he possesses you too?"
"I'll handle it, Helga."
She hated firm Arnold right now so she decided on a different route. "What if he possesses you and makes you fall off a cliff or something else you and I aren't ready for?"
Arnold didn't think about that last part. Being forced to commit suicide was a lot less frightening than him forcing himself on Helga. "You said he wouldn't force himself on you."
"But he knows my feelings for you." She let that drift in the air. "You know it would taint us for sure if that were to happen."
Arnold hoped that he wouldn't be able to purge a lot from him if he did happen to possess him. "So beautiful." He whispered.
Helga studied him hoping he wasn't possessed suddenly. "Arnold?" Feeling his lips on her, Helga felt her blood boiling. Her knees began to weaken. His touch was so loving. This was Arnold. The way he kissed her had her knowing 100%
He felt drunk. The intoxicating feeling was something he never wanted to part with as their tongues danced a lovers dance. Arnold only wanted her. Pulling away slightly, he placed his lips on her earlobe. "My Angel. You are the one who helped return Mai back to Mr Hyuhn. Mai told me." He could tell by the way she tensed that she didn't want to be found out. "How did you manage that?"
"My parents actually did something good. They gave me those Nancy Spumoni boots that I wanted so badly."
Pulling back just to take in those eyes, Arnold cupped her face with his hands. "Did you sacrifice your boots for that?" She nodded. "Why?"
Helga felt like a little kid with him giving her a lot of sudden attention. "It was important to you. Also, I didn't want you thinking that miracles didn't exist."
All this girl has done for him. "I have you back so they do exist." It was the best way to say everything good to her.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Later that night everyone was asleep. Feeling stirred awake from deep inside, Helga opened her eyes up to look over at Arnold peacefully sleeping. Feeling the tug again, she cautiously made her way out of bed to walk outside. Scanning around it was so peaceful as her feet had her walking to the site. They had lights upon it and a sensor in case someone broke the unseen barrier. Looking ahead she spotted them once more out of their hole. Out of their underground temple. Glancing down, Helga deactivated one of the sensors so she can walk through it.
"Saudações, Helga. Nós acordamos você para lhe dizer que ele ganhou sua própria força em usar o nosso templo." The Leader informed her with a serious voice. Greetings, Helga. We woke you to tell you that he has gained his own strength in using our temple.
Helga wished they could of told her after a restful sleep instead of waking her ass up this late. She did have to remain respectful of them. "Saudações a você também. É por isso que ele foi capaz de possuir, Carlos?" Greetings to you as well. Is this why he was able to possess, Carlos?
The leader nodded his head to her question. "Quanto mais ele está aqui, mais difícil será para derrotá-lo. Ele é inteligente. Ele é inteligente para escapar alguns dos nossos próprios detecção." The more he is here the harder it will be to defeat him. He is intelligent. He is clever to escape some of our own detection.
Not what she wanted to hear. "Eu aprecio sua ajuda hoje. Eu temo que ele vai fazer algo mais com, Arnold. Você tem a menor idéia sobre isso?" I appreciate your help today. I fear he will do something more with, Arnold. Do you have a clue about that?
"Surpreso que você não pediu mais sobre nós?" It seemed the Leader has a sense of humor with how he cocked his head to smile just a bit. Surprised you haven't asked more about us?
Helga smiled in spite of her tensed muscles right now. "Eles não estão procurando por respostas fáceis. Eles desejam encontrar o mistério por si próprios. É o que eles desejam. Tenho sorte de que pretendem ajudar a proteger-me. Estes são estranhos e encontro-me sorte com isso." They are not looking for easy answers. They wish to find the mystery out themselves. It is what they crave. I'm fortunate that they wish to help protect me. These are strangers and I find myself fortunate with that.
"Isso é mais admirável deles. Nós detectamos que a maioria do que você ama. Ele precisa também manter-se vigilante a mais. O maligno irá possuí-lo no tempo e usá-lo para as suas necessidades. Você deve continuar a lutar com ele." That is most admirable of them. We have detected that mostly from the one you love. He needs to also remain vigilant the most. The evil one will possess him in time and use him for his needs. You must continue to fight him.
Helga's breathing increased as she looked away for a second to gather herself. "Eu estou fazendo o meu melhor. Eu não quero que ele prejudicado. Eu não posso suportar a idéia de perdê-lo." I am doing my best. I don't want him harmed. I can't stand the thought of losing him.
"Sabemos, Criança. Não perca a fé em si mesmo. Você e seu aquele destinado são fortes. Você tem essa força interior que só desapareceu durante um tempo tentando. É hora de recuperar a força. Só através deste você irá prevalecer." We know, Child. Don't lose faith in yourself. You and your destined one are strong. You have this inner strength that only faded during a trying time. It is time to regain that strength. Only through this you will prevail.
Helga watched them fade away in front of her while she was left alone with her thoughts. Turning to head back to the tent, Helga activated the sensor once more to walk inside the tent. She stood there watching Arnold sleep. Thoughts were running rampant right now.
