Chapter 10

Destiny woke up screaming on the top of her lungs. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the bedroom in horror. After she processed what has happened, she began to cry. She just had a horrific nightmare. One that involved her parents. And her little brother. She angrily got up from bed with a headache and went to get a really cold shower.

While she was bathing, she noticed the scars on his wrists were starting to fade away. It has been a while since she did self harm to herself. Perhaps that talk she had with her cousin, and the change of scenery must have helped her in some way. Destiny began to think an awful lot, but she didn't allow her negativity bother her. She went straight for breakfast after her shower, and prepared her coffee. The smell of the roasted black beans in the coffee machine filled the air with a sweet lovingly scent that relaxed Destiny's mind and body.

In a moment, she received a text from Huck. He said he was going out and be back to pick her up and take her sightseeing in the woods. Destiny was never one to explore the great outdoors, but she always had that curiosity of exploring different places. And with such urban myths surrounding her little town, Destiny truly wanted to learn more about this place.

She was about to sit down and enjoy her coffee when she heard a gentle knock on the door. It was weird for her because Destiny never had visitors. She was secretly hoping it was those sweet brothers from the arcade, or maybe even her cousin. She answered the door and standing right there was a little girl with big red eyes.

"Can I help you sweetie?" asked Destiny, feeling sorrow for the little girl. The little one didn't answer. She quickly reminded Destiny of herself. She had light brown hair, piercing blue eyes which were red because of all the crying and a blouse that looked familiar. Destiny looked outside her door.

"Where's your mommy? Or your Daddy? Anyone around?" asked Destiny.

The girl didn't answer. She just shook her head, and began to cry. Destiny couldn't handle this. She quickly pulled the girl inside her apartment and had her sit on the couch.

"What happened? Is everything okay?" asked Destiny nervously. She was starting to get scared that the girl wasn't saying anything. She figured maybe she ran away from a domestic situation or something like that.

"I'm fine. I'm just scared." Said the girl weakly.

"Oh you poor thing. Sit there while I get you something." Said Destiny. She rushed to the kitchen and quickly fixed a not so hot chocolate for the little girl. She even added whip cream and sprinkles to ease the situation.

She handed the cup to the girl and she drank it slowly. Destiny watched her intently. Something about this girl was very familiar. However, she couldn't place in her mind why? Did she see her at the arcade? The town plaza? Somewhere? Destiny wanted to remember, but she couldn't picture seeing the girl in any of the places she's been.

"What's going on?" asked Destiny. The girl looked up and wiped away her tears.

"Light. Life. Linda." Said the Girl.

Destiny was taken aback by what the girl said. She mentioned the name "Linda." Destiny could have sworn to have heard it someplace.

"Who are you my sweet?" asked Destiny to the girl. She wanted answers immediately. Everything was starting to spook her.

"Life. Death. All the same. End of Gravity. The End of the falls. The end. Bill Cipher. The End." Said the girl.

"I meant your name honey." Said Destiny.

"My name is…." The girl stopped. Just then, her eyes became lifeless and her body vanished before her eyes. Destiny screamed at the top of her lungs. She then felt someone tap her shoulder.

She stood there in horror as right next to Destiny stood a middle aged woman with purple hair, glowing yellow eyes, and with no clothes on at all. Destiny looked at her up and down and screamed.

"You! You're the woman everyone is talking about! The one kidnapping kids!" cried Destiny.

"And you tricked me! I followed the girl here, but it appeared she was nothing more but an illusion." Said the woman in a deep seductive voice.

Destiny ran towards the kitchen and grabbed a knife. "Leave!" she cried in a panic.

The woman stood there watching Destiny and waved her hand. In that moment, Destiny fell to the ground.

"Are you there?"

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

Destiny heard a little girl's voice from beyond the abyss. In fact, she found herself in darkness. There was nothing at all, save the voices of children. Destiny found that she still had her body which was good, but she was in an abyss with voices and nothing more.

"Hello?!" she cried.

"Hello!"

"Timmy?! Did you hear that?!"

"I heard it! It was a woman's voice! We're saved!"

"Please! Save us! We don't know what's going on!"

"Let us out! I want my mommy!"

"My Daddy will die if I don't go home!"

Destiny felt her heart sinking hearing the pain from the voices. They were children lost in the same place she was.

"Speak! I'll come to you!" she cried. She tried to float in the abyss, but she felt she was going nowhere. The Voices did speak up, but Destiny felt they were far away. She didn't even know what to do. What would she do if she did find the sources of the voices? How will she break them all free from the darkness.

She then remembered something important. "Linda." She whispered. She finally remembered something that made her feel chills.

Linda was the name of an ancient fairy who helped people in time of need. She heard those stories many times from her father and her imaginative little brother. Destiny heard the story in many ways and in different versions. Some say she was an Angel. Others say she was a fairy who escaped from story books. Others say she is the embodiment of love itself.

What ever the reason, there was a reason the "girl" came to Destiny. She told her the name Linda. Destiny quickly spoke out the name as loud as she could, and then, the voices stopped. Destiny wasn't sure if she did the right thing, or if she actually did a good job memorizing a few things. Nothing came to mind. Destiny felt hopelessly lost until she heard her name. Then, light appeared out of nothing and Destiny found herself in a beautiful land of clouds.

Gone was the darkness. Now, it was only the sky. And standing there on a platform made of glass was Linda herself!