Sorry for taking so long. I'm currently working on my Senior Project Novel and it is taking much more time than I expected. Anyway, I hope this clears up any foggyness you guys have.
Wills POV
I tucked Lottie into bed and clicked off the lights before closing her door. With heavy footsteps, I made my way to the worn sofa at the front of the apartment. MethodicallyOne finger over the other, I removed my shoes and necktie before lounging on the cushions.
"What a week," I sighed to myself. I had spent the past week looking and planning for Lottie's escape. It had taken four squad teams behind the scenes, two specialists for preliminary scouting, and Grell to ultimately free her from the clutches of that treacherous demon. I had no idea if she would still be alive when we arrived, and I thanked my lucky stars she was.
I wouldn't let Sebastian kill my whole family.
On the coffee table was a scrapbook Lottie had made for her fifth grade project. It lookeds so childish; foam letters, feathers and glitter overwhelmed each page. So Lottie. It made me smile.
I flipped to my favorite page, the very last one of her climbing precariously on a wall at the park. She was eight and wore her favorite pink dress with flowers on the hem. But on her feet were black boots with heavy buckles.
"I don't remember ever taking that photo," Lottie would tell me every time she saw me staring at it,. "And I would never have worn those shoes with that dress." I wasn't surprised. She was unconscious that whole afternoon after almost flying off the swings.
This was the only photo I had of Ada. All the others were of Lottie, and anyone else but me would say there were all her. But the unmistaken look of mischief in her yellow eyes screamed Ada, if one couldn't tell from her shoe choice.
After Lottie freaked out on the swings, Ada rose up and spent the rest of the afternoon climbing the slide and jumping off of high places, always being reckless. I frantically worried about her safety and trailed after her as parents gave me the stink eye. I chuckled lightly at the memory and flipped back to the front of the book.
On the very front page was a little plastic bracelet that Lottie had worn when she was born in the hospital. At first glance it looked like just oneIt looked like ther was only one bracelet, but I slipped a finger behind to pull out a second identical one. It read "'Ada Rachel Spears"' with her birthday, Lottie's birthday, below. It was so small that it fit in my closed palm.
Before I could help it, the memories of that day came rushing back.; theThe waiting, the screaming and finally the two desperate wails. When I was finally allowed inside the hospital room, I saw my mother and father cradling and cooing over my two sisters all bundled up like burritos. Their faces were tired yet pleased, except when they looked at Ada. They held a wallowing sadness, and perhaps pity, in their faces.
I crawled up onto the bed and sat in between them. "Why are you sad Mom?"
My mother's glazed eyes and my father's sharp ones glanced at each other before they gently patted my head and shushed me.
"I heard you were looking to strike a bargain," spoke the voice of the devil.
At the foot of the bed stood a man in black. He loomed over us all like a God watching from above on his clouds of thunder and rain. Shadows clung to his figure and the air turned cold within the room. The smell of death, oddly sterile and clean, chocked the air and I felt all the hairs on my arm stooand erect. His hair reminded me of black spiders the way it draped over his ovular face. The red eyes that shone through the breaks were lethal weapon calculating how best to steal our souls.
"Yes," whispered my mother. She took Lottie from my father and was now cradling both my sisters. He protectively placed on hand on my mother and another on his belt right above his scythe.
Moving only his eyes, the man examined my parents and the children they held. I felt invisible because when he didn't acknowledge me with his gaze. I wasn't so sure I wanted him to anyway. "What is it you wish to bargain for?" His voice was like titanium, beautifully smooth and dangerously strong.
My father spoke first. "Our daughter, Ada, isn't going to live more than a couple months;. her heart isn't fully developed and cannot pump enough blood for her growing body. We want you to fix her." I had never heard my father talk so coldly to someone, but given the circumstances and person, I could understand why.
"Doesn't this hospital have the best medicine in the world? How could I have anything they don't already?" he challenged. The slight curl of his mouth led me to believe he already knew the answer.
"She's dying. There isn't a medicine that can fix that," said my mother weakly. She held out her arm, the one with Ada, to the man in black. Her arm shook with either exhaustiont or fear, I couldn't tell. I now believe it was both.
He strode over and gently picked up Ada, carefully assessing her like one would a pet. "I understand your concern. But I must tell you, I cannot do anything for her. This body is already broken, and it is something I cannot repair." I'm running low on baby hearts." He tucked Ada into the crook of his arm and let the other drop at his side.
"But there must be something!" insisted my father. "Find another body, get new parts; I don't care what it is! I just want our little girl to live." The fire of determination burned in his eyes.
"Her only option is a soul transfer, and those aren'tIt's not that easy," he said, like someone trying to tell a kindergartener that one does not simply fly. "Her soul can only fit into a similar body, one of exactly the same DNA. You need a twin."
My eyes flashed to my other sister Lottie, who was sleeping gently in my mother's arms. "Lottie," my mother whispered
The man nodded his head. "She will do. But I can't make a new-"" he started.
"We can save her, Honey," said my father in relief,. "She can live." He started kissing my mother's hair and then Lottie's little hands. She gurgled once which made them both smile.
"Yes, but you must know-"-" he tried again.
"You are going to have a sister," crooned father to Lottie. "And you will have two,." hHe said to me. He patted my head.
"That is correct however you misunderstand-"-" he started once again.
Mom and Dad were lost in their own bubble of happiness, sharing kisses and whispered words. I tried to get their attention to let them know the man had more to say but they brushed off all my attempts.
"We'll do it," my mother said at last,. "We don't care how much it costs or the repercussions. Just tell us what we owe you."
Instead of replying, the devil flicked his eyes to me. The deep read of his irises and the black hole of his pupils pulled me in, almost as if he were sucking the life from my body. When he looked away, I let go of the breath I had forgotten I was holding.
"William, go wait in the hallway," ordered my father.
"Please," added my mother.
Warily, I slipped off the bed and circled around the man, making sure to keep as much distance between him and me lest he try to suck me into his trance again. At the doorframe, I took one last glance at my parents. They gave me small smile and waved me out. It felt wrong to leave them alone with him.
The door closed behind me and I sat in one of the plastic chairs just outside. The hustle and bustle of doctors and nurses did little to distract my mind. The minutes ticked away and I watched the hands on the clock like a hawk.
The devil emerged after a while, whipping his mouth on his hand before pulling on his gloves. When he saw me watching, he gave me devilish smile that send a finger up my spine. I watched his back retreat down the hall and eventually get lost in the other occupants of the building.
Already II already hated that man.
Inside I found father standing with my sisters in his arms, both sleeping soundly. Lottie was breathing slightly, making gentle wheezing noises while Ada was perfectly still. His face was cold, like it was carved from marble. His eyes were not on me but my sisters, pointedly avoiding the figure on the bed.
She looked sick, as if she had been bleached and run through the wash multiple times. Her skin was papery think and wrinkled, all the color drained from her cheeks. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly parted. I felt like I was going to throw up.
TWEEEEEET!
The kettle whistled in the kitchen and dragged me back to the present. I quickly strode into the kitchen and removed the kettle before it woke up Lottie. I just wouldn't do to have her see me in such a troubled and unstable mood. She needs someone stable.
In fact, we all needed someone stable. I thought the worst was over once Mom was gone. But father quickly found out that there wasn't a soul in Ada's body. I remember seeing him explode in the kitchen, tearing apart the drawers and breaking plates. Ada lay on the counter, abandoned and empty compared to Lottie's vibrant face. His screams of profanity against Sebastian and his trickery sent me cowering to Lottie's room.
He left the apartment with a craving for blood and never returned.
With the help of the neighbors, I was able to raise Lottie on my own. It wasn't until she was three when I first noticed the changing. I scared her during a game of hide-and - seek which brought out a very frustrated and violent attitude which was the polar opposite to how I expected Lottie to react. It was then that I clicked the pieces together that Sebastian had in fact kept his word and saved Ada's life. My parent's' thought Sebastian was going to make Ada a new body, when in fact there was a perfectly good one right here.
Ever since, I have kept a careful watch over my sisters. Lottie was always dominant, and I tried to explain everything, but she never truly listened. She thought I was playing a game or teasing her. She may not ever truly understand.
I poured my tea and sat down on a kitchen chair, watching the color seep into the water, wrapping my hands around the fragile porcelain. The warmth penetrated the cup and into my hands. I heard a faint rustling in her room and gave a tired smile.
When the time comes, she will understand. But for now, she is safe. And that is the best I can do.
Get it? It's like a split personality but actually a SPLIT personality. I hope this clears it up for you maddie24clover and Momochan77. If you still have any questions please feel free to let me know below in the Review box :)
And all you romantic Bard lovers, hold on till the next chapter. There will definitely be something to make your heart flutter. And maybe a kiss or two!
Stay tuned!
