Welcome to the Pit, my friends. Sorry about the long absence, but I have a new chapter for you now. Thanks to all my reviewers: XV-Dragon; Nerd4eva; Wolfgurl211 (twice...hehe); Sokai; Cartoonloverfan101; AJ; Nightroad; Shocklance; Lost Prince; Darev; DayDreamer9; Nemrut; Ice Silver Crystal; Chase Young's Daughter; and Lily312. I appreciate all of you for your comments.
Thank you again to Visigoth29527 for all your support and great editing. A word of advice to you, though...don't go there, son. :)
Once again thanks to all who will read this and have supported my work. I appreciate your kindness and your support.
Now without further ado, may I present...
Chapter 10
Irma awoke quickly, a scream dying on her lips before it received voice. Where was she? The terrified girl glanced about, her breath coming in quick, ragged gasps. It was dark, yet something seemed familiar about her surroundings. The window, the dresser, her bed...she was in her room.
With a relieved sigh, the teenager pulled her knees to her chest and dropped her pounding head to rest on them. It had all been a dream. A terrible, horrifying dream, but a dream, nonetheless.
She glanced at the clock on her bed table...3:23 AM. The girl wiped a bead of sweat off her upper lip and pushed her auburn hair out of her eyes. She remembered finally falling asleep at midnight, and waking up around 1:00 for no apparent reason. Then she had fallen back to sleep only to be awakened by a terrifying nightmare two hours later. The nightmares came every night, now. For the last solid week, she had experienced frightening visions of hurting her friends, her family, even herself. This last time it had been Taranee and Anna Lair starring in Irma's personal horror movie.
The young water witch sighed again and rolled out of bed. Padding silently across her carpeted floor, now free of clothing and other debris, she entered her bathroom and turned on the light. Her reflection in the mirror showed sunken, haunted eyes, their normal aquamarine color all but faded to gray. Her complexion matched those eyes, and weeks of pain had etched slight lines into her face. Irma supposed those lines were only visible to those who knew what to look for, but that thought did little to comfort the girl.
Irma splashed water on her face and took a long drink. The water did nothing to hide her haggard appearance. There was a time not long ago Irma had believed water could fix any emotional hurt. If she could just immerse herself in enough of the life-giving liquid...but that thought had turned out to be flawed. No matter how much time she spent in the bathtub, Irma could not calm the roiling of her mind, the tumult of her emotions.
Shaking her head sadly, the young Guardian switched off the light and exited the bathroom. She approached her bedroom window and leaned heavily on the sill. The moon was full and bright, and the stars winked silently at her. Tears leaped, unbidden, to Irma's eyes as she recalled simpler days when those stars would have made the world seem gentle and kind. Now she knew it could be hard and cruel.
Her thoughts shifted to her parents, sleeping close by. There was a time Irma felt untouchable because her father was there to protect her. Now she knew there were some wounds not even a father's love could heal. And what of her little brother? Nerissa had replaced him as the bane of her existence...and Irma longed for the days when her biggest fears included Chris wrecking a slumber party. She had much larger fears now.
Clenching her teeth, the teenager tearfully mourned the death of her innocence. She gripped the windowsill tightly and willed the pain and the turmoil to go away. If her will was strong enough, maybe, just maybe...but it was not to be. The scars burned bright as ever, and the memories of her latest nightmare leaped into her damaged mind. They played out like a Hollywood Horror fest, and Irma powerless to stop the movie reels from spinning.
She and Taranee had been walking near the construction site of the new town hall. The two girls were talking and laughing comfortably...when everything turned suddenly wrong, Irma saw Nerissa in the distance, her gray hair flying in the wind. Without thinking, the water witch had attacked, trusting Taranee to do the same. But the Fire Guardian had, instead, grabbed her friend and restrained her.
"Irma, what are you doing? That's your mother! Stop!"
"Let me go...it's Nerissa. Can't you see? It's Nerissa!"
"No, Irma, it's your mom. Nerissa is dead. You have to calm down."
Irma calmed somewhat. It was true...Nerissa was dead. Could Taranee also be right about something else? Had Irma just attacked her own mother?
Feeling her friend relax, Taranee let Irma go and raced to the girl's fallen mother.
"She's hurt!" Taranee cried. "I don't think she's breathing."
Irma raced to her victim's side, desperate to help. "Mom! Mom!"
"Call 911, quick. I'm going to try CPR," Taranee instructed."
Irma reached for her cell phone, but it was not with her. "I-I can't; I don't have my cell phone."
Taranee didn't respond, as she was in the middle of breathing for Anna Lair.
"Taranee, do you have your cell phone?" Irma asked in a panic.
The black girl stopped her ministrations and reached into her jeans pocket. She tossed her phone to her friend and continued rescue breathing.
With shaking fingers, Irma dialed the emergency number.
Nothing happened.
Desperate for results, Irma tried again. Still nothing.
The young Guardian looked at the phone..."No signal" flashed on the display.
With a cry, Irma dialed again and again, each time netting the same frustrating results.
After several minutes, Taranee stopped and looked tearfully at her friend.
"I'm sorry, Irma...she's gone."
With a strangled gasp, the water witch sank to her knees and dropped the phone. She crawled to her mother and threw herself over her immobile form, the tears coming in droves. Taranee rose to her feet and stood close by, feeling almost like an intruder. She thought the moment should be restricted to family, so she began to move away.
"This is all your fault!"
Taranee turned and stared at Irma. Her friend's face was a mask of rage, her features contorted by grief.
"You should have saved her; you should have stopped me."
"Irma, I'm sorry-"
"Don't patronize me, you filth!" Irma exploded to her feet and turned her powers on her former friend. The jet of water knocked Taranee into an open ditch. The Fire Guardian struck her head on a large rock and passed out.
Laughing maniacally, Irma grabbed a nearby shovel. She thrust it into the dirt and scooped up a heaping mound. She dropped the soft earth into the hole...on top of Taranee. Scooping another shovelful, the crazed water witch continued to bury her friend.
Irma's thoughts returned to reality then, and she found herself still staring out her bedroom window. The moon and stars were still shining...the world was perfectly normal.
For most people.
Gritting her teeth, Irma Lair pushed herself away from the windowsill and padded back to her bed. It was 3:45 AM, according to her clock. As she climbed beneath the covers, her mind tried to grasp onto logical thoughts. She knew there was no construction for a new town hall, nor would she and Taranee have been anywhere near a construction zone in the first place. Then to have her mother show up? It was all just too unreal. Besides, Irma couldn't have killed her mother with one blast of her powers; they weren't strong enough in her human form.
Logically her mind knew the situation would never, could never, occur. Emotionally, it didn't care. The implications of attacking her own mother, and then burying one of her best friends alive...logic did little to assuage the guilt and terror she felt. Nevertheless, Irma knew she needed to hang onto that logic or she would go even more insane than she already felt.
The teenager closed her eyes and tried to block out the disturbing images. She was afraid to fall asleep.
--
Hay Lin awoke at 8:00 not feeling very refreshed. The intervention hadn't been quite as successful as she had hoped, yet it hadn't been a complete disaster, either. Irma had finally opened up about her experiences and what she was feeling. She had finally let her friends in a little, and that had to be worth something.
The young Air Guardian had hoped they would find a way to help their friend, but as it stood, Hay Lin felt more helpless than ever. What could she possibly say to make her friend feel better? Irma was dealing with demons of a greater menace than anything Hay Lin could even imagine, let alone visualize in reality. That Irma was actually hurting herself to avoid facing those demons made Hay Lin's heart break.
The helpless feeling grew as the overwhelming task of putting her friend back together surged in Hay Lin's heart. Her very soul seemed to vibrate with the daunting task. Still, didn't she have a responsibility to try? Didn't they all have a responsibility to help? After all, her friends were all Irma had. Without telling her parents what had really happened, and thereby reveal the Guardians' identity, Irma was, essentially, alone.
A knock at Hay Lin's bedroom door brought the air witch out of her reverie.
"Come in," she called.
The door opened to reveal grandmotherly Yan Lin. The old woman stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.
"How did you sleep, my little one?"
"Not too good, grandma. I'm so worried about Irma; my stomach is in knots. And that dream I had where I saw her bleeding from her wrists. Oh, grandma, what if it comes true? What if Irma tries to kill herself?"
Yan Lin sat down on the bed beside her granddaughter and pulled her into a hug.
"You must not think of such things, little one. While it is true the Air Guardian has the power to see future events, not every dream is a vision or a portent. You are under a lot of stress right now; you're bound to have some strange dreams here and there."
"I suppose so," Hay Lin admitted with a sigh. "But that doesn't help us help Irma. What can we do?"
Yan Lin looked at her granddaughter seriously. "Are you willing to do whatever it takes to help her?"
Hay Lin's eyes narrowed. "I-I think so."
Yan Lin shook her head. "No, Hay Lin, you must not think so. You must know so. Are you willing to do whatever it takes?"
"You're scaring me, grandma."
"I'm sorry. I just need to know that I can count on you when the going gets rough."
"What do you mean? You can always count on me for anything!"
Yan Lin gently stroked the young girl's hair. "I know I can, my little on. But if we are to help Irma, it may not be pretty and it may not be gentle."
"I know you're not talking about beating her up, but beyond that, I'm completely clueless."
Yan Lin stood up. "Just follow my lead, kiddo. Get dressed so we can go and visit Irma."
--
Will Vandom awoke with a start. The Heart of Candracar was making a ringing noise. Who would be calling at this hour on a Saturday morning? Glancing at the clock, Will saw it was 8:00 AM. Not that early, after all. Still, she didn't appreciate being awake before noon.
The Guardian groaned and pulled open the drawer of her bed table. The Heart was flashing and ringing insistently. That could mean only one thing...Candracar needed the Guardians.
Leaping out of bed, Will quickly pulled on the closest clothes she could find...whether they were clean or not. Grabbing her cell phone, she dialed Taranee's number.
"H-Hello?" said a decidedly sleepy voice on the other end.
"Taranee, sorry to wake you, but Candracar is calling. We need to gather and get there fast."
"If this is a joke, I'm going to twist your nose off."
"It's not a joke, T...sorry."
Taranee groaned into the phone. "You want me to call the others?"
"No; I'll take care of it. Meet at Shell Cave as soon as possible. It's Saturday so spending the day together won't seem all that strange to our parents."
"Okay," Taranee mumbled. "I'll see you soon."
Will cut the connection and phoned Hay Lin. After explaining the reason for the call, she heard Hay Lin hesitate.
"I don't know, Will. Grandma and I were planning on trying to visit with Irma today. Can you handle it without me this time?"
Will thought about it. They were already going to be down one, as Will seriously doubted Irma would be able to join them. Still, Irma should be their top priority...not Candracar.
"We'll handle it, Hay Lin. Good luck with Irma."
"Thanks, Will. Bye."
For good measure, Will phoned Irma's house only to be told by Mrs. Lair that Irma was grounded. The Guardian Leader expected as much, but it was worth a try.
Hurriedly brushing her teeth, she raced down the stairs and grabbed a pop tart. Yelling an excuse and a goodbye to her mother, Will bolted out the door. All Susan Vandom could do was shake her head.
--
Half-an-hour later, Taranee and Will met at Shell Cave.
"Looks like we're the first ones here," Taranee remarked.
"Actually, we're the only ones here. Hay Lin and Irma aren't coming, and Cornelia's already on Candracar."
Taranee blinked. "Irma I can understand; she's most likely grounded. But what's Hay Lin's deal?"
"She and Yan Lin want to visit with Irma today."
"But Candracar-"
"Candracar be damned. Irma needs to be our top priority. Besides, if it turns out to be something smelly and hairy that we can't handle, we can always call for backup."
"And Cornelia?"
"She was worried about Elyon last night. She came to me and asked me to send her to Candracar so she could be with her friend."
"So I take it an AD has taken her place at home..."
Will nodded. "I escorted it to the Hale Residence last night so it wouldn't get lost or anything."
"Will, you know that spells disaster."
"What could I do, T? Cornelia really needed to be with Elyon. She was desperate."
"And you're going soft," said Taranee, playfully.
Will blushed slightly, but smiled at her friend. "Let's just go, shall we?"
Taranee nodded and waited for the inevitable...
"Guardians unite!"
Taranee pulled her head into her shoulders a little as rosy light surrounded the two girls. In seconds they were both transformed into young women with wings and smashing, multi-colored tights.
Will created a fold to Candracar, and indicated the glowing portal.
"After you."
"Oh boy, thank you," Taranee said, sarcastically.
Nevertheless, the Fire Guardian gamely hopped through the portal, followed closely by her leader.
--
Cornelia sat by Elyon's sickbed, cooling the young queen's fevered brow with a washcloth. Elyon moaned in her sleep, occasionally tossing her head from side to side. As disturbing as that was, Cornelia was somewhat encouraged by the actions. It meant her friend was not beyond hope of waking up.
And hope was all Cornelia had to hang onto.
"Elyon," she whispered, "I'm here. Please, you have to wake up. You have to live."
As all the other times before, Elyon showed no indication she knew Cornelia was nearby.
The young Guardian was determined to stay with her friend as long as she had to. She would stay until either Elyon awoke or was beyond hope of help. Either way, there would be a resolution...and Cornelia meant to see it through.
A soft knock at the door indicated a visitor.
"Come in," Cornelia called softly.
Halinor entered the queen's sleeping chamber and padded to Elyon's bedside.
"Any change?"
Cornelia shook her head. "She just lies here and moans. I think she's in pain and I'm powerless to stop it."
"You cannot blame yourself, Cornelia. You did not poison your friend."
The Earth Guardian shook her head, tears welling up in her frustrated eyes. "Maybe if I had visited more often, or kept in better touch, I would have noticed something was wrong. Maybe if we had gotten to her sooner..."
"You can't think like that," Halinor answered firmly. "We have no idea how long the poisoning has been occurring. Not even the Oracle knows that, so we have no way of knowing what kind of time we may or may not have had. This could be a single large dose, or it could be many small doses. We just don't know. We need more information. Which brings me to the reason for my visit."
Cornelia glanced at the former Guardian and waited for her to continue.
"Will and Taranee are here at the Oracle's behest. They are waiting for you in the Council Chamber."
Cornelia shook her head. "I can't leave Elyon; not now."
"I will stay with her until you return. Please, Cornelia, you must go to the Council Chamber."
Cornelia looked back at her sickly friend. On the one hand, she had a duty to the universe. On the other, she had a duty to her heart. The two sides warred with each other and Cornelia found herself caught in the middle.
"Alright, I'll go. But I won't be happy about it."
Halinor smiled warmly. "Thank you, Cornelia."
The Earth Guardian handed the washcloth to Halinor and stood up.
"Take good care of her."
"I will."
Cornelia nodded and strode out of the chamber.
--
Cornelia found Taranee, Will, the Oracle, and Tibor gathered together, talking quietly. When the Chamber doors opened, all heads turned to look at the new arrival.
"Earth Guardian," the Oracle intoned, inclining his head respectfully, "please join us."
Cornelia crossed the room and stood beside Will.
"How's Elyon?" the Guardian Leader asked.
"Still in a coma...and I think she's in pain."
Turning her attention, then, to the Oracle, Cornelia raised her chin. "We have to help her."
The Oracle nodded sadly. "We are doing everything we can to aid the Queen of Meridian. We shall not stop searching until a cure is discovered."
"Thank you," Cornelia croaked softly.
Will placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder and addressed the Oracle. "So why are we here?"
"We need your help to locate the person, or persons, responsible for the attack against the queen. As such, we would like you to go to Meridian and gather information. It is possible the perpetrator has, or knows of, a cure for the poison."
"If you don't know of a cure," Will said thoughtfully, "what makes you think anyone knows of a cure? Aren't you supposed to be all-powerful or something?"
The Oracle chuckled and his eyes danced. "I thank you, Guardian, for your compliment, but I am far from all-powerful. I have merely existed for many eons and have learned much from my travels. While it is true I am possessed of certain powers, I am not omniscient, nor am I omnipotent."
"Om....what?"
Taranee leaned over to Will and whispered, "all-knowing and all-powerful."
"Oh. Thanks."
"Are you willing to go to Meridian and search for the attacker?"
Will looked at her friends. They both nodded, so Will nodded in turn. "Okay, we'll do it. Now what should we look for?"
"I would suggest you question the inhabitants of the palace," Tibor rumbled. "Althor believes that only someone close to the queen could have pulled this off. A bodyguard, perhaps."
"Tibor is correct," the Oracle agreed quietly. "It is a theory that merits researching. Please bring us word of your findings as soon as you are able. Time is of the essence, Guardians."
Will nodded and turned to her friends. "Then let's hit Meridian, people. We'll let you know what we find out, Big O."
Tibor sighed while the Oracle merely raised an amused eyebrow.
--
Yan Lin knocked on the front door of the Lair house. It was only a few seconds before Anna Lair answered the knock.
"Oh, hello Mrs. Lin, Hay Lin. What can I do for you?"
"We would very much like to see Irma," Yan Lin answered. "Please may we talk with her?"
Anna looked apprehensive. "I don't know Mrs. Lin...Irma is grounded, after all."
"But we're trying to help her, Mrs. Lair," Hay Lin said.
Anna's eyes grew soft as she regarded the youngster on her doorstep. She desperately wished for someone to help her daughter, as Irma seemed hesitant to open up to her parents. Perhaps this old woman and this teenager were just what Irma needed. A mother knows when her daughter is in trouble, and Anna Lair was no exception. So she opened the door wider.
"Please, find a way to help her."
Yan Lin patted the younger woman's hand. "We will, Anna; we will."
"She's in her room. You know the way, Hay Lin."
Hay Lin nodded and gave the worried woman what she hoped was a bracing thumbs-up.
Grandmother and granddaughter climbed the stairs to Irma's bedroom, followed closely by Anna. Reaching the bedroom door, Anna inserted a key into the shiny lock and turned it. Slipping the key into her pocket she turned to her companions.
"Please...I'm begging you. Help her. She won't let me in on whatever is bothering her. I don't know why she doesn't trust me, but I am out of pride at this point. I just want my daughter back."
Yan Lin smiled. "We'll do everything we can."
Anna nodded, slight tears in the corners of her eyes. She proceeded back downstairs and Yan Lin turned towards the bedroom door. Stepping out of the way, the old woman indicated the door handle.
"You should go in first."
Hay Lin nodded and knocked softly on the door.
"Go away," came the voice from inside the room.
"Irma, it's me, Hay Lin. Please can I come in?"
The door flew open then and Irma grabbed her best friend in a rib-cracking hug.
"Hay Lin...you came. I was just sitting here wishing you were here, and now..."
Hay Lin giggled a little. "It's not just me...grandma is here, too."
Irma nodded and smiled at Yan Lin. "Mrs. Lin...welcome to my prison."
Yan Lin chuckled and bowed.
"Come in, come in," Irma said, stepping aside.
Hay Lin and Yan Lin entered Irma's room. Irma closed the door and sat on her bed. Hay Lin bounced onto the bed while Yan Lin pulled up a chair.
"I still can't believe you're here," Irma enthused. "It's been miserable being cooped up here. I know it's only been a few hours, but it seems like days."
"I'll bet it does," Hay Lin nodded. "Irma, we're here to help you. Those things you said yesterday at Shell Cave...were you telling us all of it?"
Irma hugged her knees and nodded. "I hit the high points. Why?"
"Because if we're going to help you, we need you to be completely honest with us."
Irma hugged her knees tighter. "Hay Lin, what more do you want from me? Do you have any idea how hard it was to talk about all of this?"
"Irma, I know you've got a lot of pride, but-"
"Pride has nothing to do with it, Hay-Hay. It's about pain avoidance. I don't like having to relive it; I would rather just avoid it. Talking about it doesn't exactly fulfill that wish."
"But you must talk about it," Yan Lin chimed in. "You must get used to what happened to you, Irma. You were tortured, brutally, for nearly a week. You were mentally tortured for weeks after that in an effort to save your life. You were subjected to yet more physical and mental torture for weeks after that by a truly evil person who merely wanted you to suffer. These are not things to be taken lightly, but neither are they things to hide from."
Irma blinked but remained silent.
Yan Lin continued. "You survived against all odds and you need to focus on that. The one responsible for your pain is dead, and she can no longer hurt you. You need to learn this and believe it."
"I-I do believe it, Mrs. Lin."
Yan Lin shook her head. "No you don't. If you did you would stop torturing yourself like this. Nerissa is gone, the physical pain she inflicted on you is gone, the mental atrocities are gone. The only one still torturing Irma Lair is Irma Lair."
Irma's mouth gaped. How could Mrs. Lin say things like this? "Mrs. Lin, please-"
"No, Irma, you need to hear this. You must learn to talk about what happened. Only then will you become used to the atrocities. You must become used to them so they will no longer occupy your every waking moment. As they become more familiar, they will gradually fade away into the background. They will become just something that happened instead of having a life of their own."
Yan Lin continued. "Right now, you are a slave to Nerissa and the only one allowing that slavery is you. You must work to get over it or it will rule you forever. You will never be free."
Irma blinked back tears and turned to her best friend. "Hay Lin?"
The smallest Guardian couldn't believe her grandmother was talking like this. Irma needed help, not chastisement. Nevertheless, Hay Lin remembered her grandmother's admonition to "follow her lead."
"She's right," Hay Lin said. "You are torturing yourself. You admitted it yesterday when you said you're hurting yourself. But it's not just that...you're continuing to dwell on what happened. We already rescued you from that; you don't need to be afraid anymore. Please, you have to let it go."
"Let it go? You think it's just that simple? Just wave my hand and it's all over? It will never be over for me. I can't sleep because every time I close my eyes, she's there. I can't eat because I can still taste my own blood. What of these things am I imagining, exactly?"
"All of it," Yan Lin answered. "You are not hurt anymore, so tasting your own blood is all in your mind. Nerissa is dead and cannot hurt you anymore; she is also all in your mind."
"And that's just the point, Mrs. Lin. My mind is damaged, and it controls my life."
"You let it control your life. The mind is a powerful tool. It can be used for great good, or great evil. Right now you are using yours for evil. You must turn this around or you will never recover."
"Then tell me how to do that," Irma said tiredly, scrubbing her hand over her face.
"I do not have all the answers, Irma, but I can be here to listen and to teach. Hay Lin loves you and she wants you to recover as much as I do."
"But what do I do? I can't just turn this off like a switch. It consumes my every waking and sleeping moment."
"Start by venting all your frustrations on us. Tell us everything that angers you, hurts you, offends you. No matter how humiliating or painful it is for you...hold nothing back."
"Yeah, Irma, let us have it," Hay Lin said enthusiastically. "We can take it."
"But I don't want to hurt you. What if I lose control?"
"Then lose control," Yan Lin answered matter-of-factly. "Tell us everything you hate."
"I hate Nerissa. I hate the pain she put me through. I hate Frost, and Miranda, and Raythor. I hate them all for putting me through this."
"And?"
"And what, Mrs. Lin? I hate all of them."
"What else do you hate?"
Irma creased her brow. "I hate torture, I hate the Joining, I hate the Oracle for standing by and letting it happen."
"And you hate the Guardians..."
"I hate the...no I don't. I don't hate the Guardians."
"Yes you do," Yan Lin said softly.
"No I don't," Irma replied firmly.
"Grandma?"
Yan Lin paid no heed to her granddaughter's questioning. "You hate the Guardians for allowing you to be taken by the Knights of Vengeance."
"No."
"You hate the Guardians for their delay in getting to you."
"Mrs. Lin, please..."
"And you hate the Guardians for leading normal lives while you suffer."
"I...I...I hate them. I hate them for not coming for me. I hate them for sending Hay Lin into danger while I was being tortured. I hate them for nearly getting us all killed in the aviary. I hate Will for putting me through the Joining even though she knew what would happen. I hate Cornelia for being perfect all the time and treating us all like staff instead of friends. I hate Taranee for being so smart and making the rest of us look like idiots. And I hate you, Hay Lin, for being my weakness against Nerissa. The reason I never called for help was because of you. I couldn't stand the thought of her torturing you like she was me. If you hadn't been in the mix, I would have called for help and been spared all this agony. I might even be normal! But because of you, I'm destroyed and damaged beyond all repair!"
Hay Lin stared in shock at her friend, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She wanted to run out of the room and never come back. But she remembered her grandmother's admonition to do whatever it took. So she raised her chin defiantly.
"Is that all you've got?" Hay Lin asked. "Because I'm worth a lot more hating than that."
Irma, breathing hard, suddenly realized what she had done. "Hay Lin, please forgive me. I would never-"
"Do you think you have the monopoly on pain here?" Hay Lin asked. "I have physical scars that will never heal. That hag carved the Chinese symbols for "vengeance" into my stomach; and all because she wanted my grandmother to feel her power. I was violated, Irma, but should I blame my grandmother for that?"
"Hay Lin-"
"And Cornelia's ribs were pulverized. It took days for her Chamber to put her back together. Even now, she still winces when she runs. Who should we blame for that?"
"Please stop..."
"And how about Taranee? Her powers were taken away for a brief time by that bag. It turned her into a strung-out crazy person. She could have died from the withdrawal."
"And Will...she was most affected by that battle in the aviary. She was impaled through the stomach and had her face burned off. She had to go through the Joining to repair that damage, so if anyone should understand how that feels, it's Will. But do you go to her and ask for help? No, you blame her for all your pain and suffering. She saved your life in that cave-in by shocking your heart and this is how you repay her?"
Irma's mouth dropped open. "What-what are you talking about? Shocking my heart?"
Hay Lin's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. "Oh no...you weren't supposed to find out about that."
"Find out about what?"
"Irma, you died in that cave-in area. Remember when we were all trapped in Nerissa's lair because of a cave-in? Will had a concussion, Taranee got all claustrophobic, and Cornelia couldn't dig us out? Your heart stopped beating, and Will had to be a human crash-cart in order to revive you. She saved your life, Irma."
Irma tried to wrap her head around what Hay Lin had said. She had died? That meant that Nerissa had actually tortured her to death. How could they keep something like this from her?
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"Because we didn't want you to freak out even more," Hay Lin answered timidly. "I'm sorry, but we thought we were doing what was best."
Irma nodded; she could respect that. "You still shouldn't have kept it from me."
"Do you hate us for that, too?"
"Hay Lin, I shouldn't have said those things-"
"Yes you should have. It's how you feel. How can we help you if you won't be honest with us? But I don't understand how you knew, grandma."
"I didn't," Yan Lin said. "I was just trying to push some buttons to help Irma open up."
"Well it worked," Irma said ruefully. "You got me to admit something I was hoping would stay buried forever. How do I get past this? I can't go on forever hating my friends."
"You won't," Yan Lin said gently. "Someday you will be able to reconcile your feelings and you will learn to love your friends again. They are not your enemies, and every one of them wishes it had been them and not you. They must be given credit for this, at least."
"I'm not really even sure I hate them...I just hate the whole situation. I hate what Nerissa has done to me. She's ruined my life. What can the future possibly hold for someone like me now?"
"That is why you must let it all out, dear Irma. Many people have learned to live with a condition similar to yours by talking about their experiences with friends and trusted relatives. You may not be able to confide in your family for this, but you can, and must, confide in your friends."
"I'll try, Mrs. Lin. But it's going to take time. Please be patient with me."
"The time for patience is over. We have been patient for weeks and you have not rewarded our patience. We will not stand by and watch you, our friend, destroy yourself."
"Mrs. Lin, I love you, but you're really starting to piss me off."
"Good; get angry again. Show us your spine. Show us that some old hag can't beat the strongest person any of us have ever known. You are letting her win by continuing to wallow in this self-pity."
Irma was quiet for a moment. She thought about those words. She was competitive by nature, and she hated to lose. She would be damned if she was going to let Nerissa beat her anymore.
"You're right...both of you. I don't have the monopoly on pain, nor do I have the exclusive right to hate Nerissa. We all have a beef with her, and she's the one that deserves our anger and our hatred. I need to stop fighting my friends and start fighting the real enemies. And those enemies are Nerissa and myself.
"Irma, why are you beating yourself up?" Hay Lin asked.
"Because I've been an idiot for trying to get through this on my own. I never realized how foolish I've been; how completely stupid I've been. Thank you both for helping me see this."
"Hey what are friends for?" Hay Lin shrugged.
Irma pulled her sister into a hug and clung to her for dear life. Hay Lin returned the hug gratefully.
"And now, my little one, it's time we go. I fear we may have overstayed our welcome."
"Please can't you stay?" Irma begged.
"You are grounded, young lady," Hay Lin giggled. "If your dad finds us here, he'll blow his top."
Irma nodded reluctantly. "Alright, I understand."
She stood up and crossed the room. Opening the door she hugged both friends briefly.
"Thank you again. I feel much better; I really do."
"Good, because it's not over yet," Mrs. Lin said.
Irma waited until she heard the front door close before going back into her room. She strode quickly to her window and looked out. Hay Lin's brown eyes were looking up at her. With a sad smile, Irma pressed the fingers of her right hand to the glass. Hay Lin blew her a kiss then followed her grandmother back to the Silver Dragon.
--
And there we have it, kids. I hope you all enjoyed it. And if you didn't, blame Visigoth. Please send all hate mail and threatening letters to him...he really enjoys it. Again my thanks for reading.