Reliving the Nightmare
By Kuro Kin'youbi
Chapter 10
Torn was arguing with himself as he watched Errol and Harmony snuggled up under a tree in Haven Forest. He thought he had liked Harmony for a while, and he had no idea that she had Errol as a boyfriend all this time. So, now he was in denial. Ashelin seemed to think that the two of them were back on now, and was always all over him.
His eyes widened as she came over again and sat on his lap.
"Hey baby." She said, kissing him.
But this time he had had enough. He pushed her away from him and got her off his lap. She looked at him, confused.
"What?" She asked.
"… Just don't, alright?" He said angrily. "I never said we were a couple again. Literally, you broke my heart. Remember, I may have forgiven you for almost killing me, but when we were together you slept around. That I can't forgive."
She widened her eyes. "But…"
He shook his head. "Ashelin, you have to understand. There is no 'we' anymore. It was like that when you betrayed me."
Even Errol had heard that, and he watched his friend leave the area.
"What just happened?" Harmony asked. "Ashelin? Are you Okay?"
But Ashelin was more determined than that. She got up and ran after him. He turned when he heard her footsteps.
"Ashelin…" Torn began.
"What?" She said. "Are you just going to back out, just like that? What about all the fun you and I had? Are you going to let that all go to waste?"
Torn grimaced. He really hated those 'but why? What about the good old days?' speeches people made to one another.
"Ashelin… I don't have anything to say to you. I told you what I had to say."
"But, Torn!"
He let his anger get the best of him. He couldn't take her anymore, and full force slapped her.
She glared at him. "So you resolve to violence? You've changed Torn."
He ignored her – and just kept walking. Right out of the forest and back into the city. Tears clouded his vision and he knew that he needed to get back quite soon to prevent crying in public, if at all.
He arrived back in the Underground 10 minutes later, and as the door closed the tears fell.
"How uncharacteristic of you." I said, smirking. "Was that the only time you cried?"
Torn looked at me. "As an adult, yes. I was told that in my youth I was a crybaby."
"Oh, I can imagine!" I said. I ducked a hit on the head and put my feet up.
"Do you want me to continue or not?" Torn glared.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Torn was going around the hideout, his only home now, looking for things. Things that would remind him. A photo. Dropped on the floor. The glass broke, and that was only a start. He placed his foot firmly on top of it, and proceeded to stomp on it with his foot. The door opened and Tess came in. She watched Torn for a second, breaking things and yelling. She put down the papers she was holding and ran over to him.
"Torn!" She said, firmly putting her arms around him from behind. "Stop this!"
He turned around and glared at her. "She keeps acting like everything's fine!" He screamed at her. "She's acting as though we're still together!"
Tess had never been screamed at before. She was actually scared. "Don't you DARE scream at me!" She screamed back, and slapped him. "You need to get yourself together!"
Torn calmed. Tess was right. He looked around him at the mess he had made. "Sorry I yelled at you." He muttered. "It's just… well, you know."
Tess nodded, and hugged Torn. "There, there." She said. "Things will be all right in the end."
Torn thought about it. He just didn't want to be the person getting hurt all the time. He put his arms around Tess too, and smiled.
"Thanks Tess. Without you…"
She smirked and looked at him. "Don't worry." She said.
Ashelin hadn't moved since Torn left. She was just standing there. Harmony went over to her.
"Ashelin? Are you going to be alright?"
She turned her head slowly to face the younger girl. "Of course I'll be alright. I brought this upon myself, so I will get over it."
Errol whispered something in Harmony's ear. She smiled, nodded, and headed away.
"So, what are you going to say?" Ashelin said.
"Well, the case is that usually you are the advisor, isn't it?" He asked.
Ashelin nodded. "What about it?"
"Shouldn't you be thinking about your troops? I mean, we haven't seen much of you since Torn left – they all know about the affair, by the way – and Baron Praxis is getting angry."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Ashelin muttered. "All right, I'm coming. Back to work."
