Chapter 18

Multicolored Pain


The world is full of strange and awkward things, things that frighten children and make grown men's stomachs churn. Where does the line between reality and illusion grow thin? How often do we cross this awful barrier that separates light from that which goes bump in the night? The unexplainable noises in the attics, the voices that call our names when we're not looking, or the strange feeling that we're being watch. Is it really small hallucinations or are we slipping slightly into something far more terrifying? Maybe the people we call crazy are actually sane. They've just found it comforting on the other side.

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Roughly, my left hand gripped my knotted hair and scratched my scalp as I felt waves of pain and ecstacy rush over my frail, weak body. This illusionist somehow was warping images in my mind's eye to create some of the most brilliant and spectacular scenes that both excited and tortured me. Scenes of the nameless angel who tried so hard to keep me safe changing from powerful images of brutality toward another human, to him showing compassion at the funeral of my parents as the only person to be present besides the preacher reading the eulogy.

Something of a whisper trail in an evanescent wisp across the corners of my mind trickling softly like rain, "Gabrielle. His name is Gabrielle."

Underneath this veil of silence and horrifying accounts of life and death, a brightness within me was calling out, reaching for me to let go of this creature of the night. It felt as though I was drowning and a hand was desperately searching for me beneath an indigo wave of terror, until I finally began to struggle against it and grabbed ahold of this unseen force. Coming to, I felt a surge of knowing that I hadn't before, that this wasn't right to give into the depths of hellish desires. Immediately my right elbow flew up and contacted with his nose once then twice, so fast I couldn't comprehend.

Now, I could no longer fall captive to his illusions and sweet words that bled disgust masked by an innocent sweet sounding voice. As he slid back clutching his newly remodeled nose I reached to the ground and picked up the fire axed. Walking over to him I laughed slightly as he said, "You could have had everything." With a slight snort I handle butted him in the head and knocked him out cold, but just as I began to move forward my world went black.

Next thing I knew I was clutching a hysterically crying Cory while rocking back and forth in a dark cement room with a single bulb swinging from the ceiling, smeared and drenched in blood. The crimson metallic substance was all over me, sticking in clumps to my hair and slightly dripping from my lips, yet not a drop had touched the room I was in minus a trail of footprints leading to me. For a moment I snapped back to a normal state and let go of Cory backing myself into a corner, staring at my hands. As soon as I did that Cory scuttled beside me and chanted, "The bad man's gone. The bad man is gone."

Staring at me with wide bruised eyes he stopped crying abruptly and begged me, "Make this go away. I know you can." At first I didn't understand, but then I knew. If I could force myself to walk then there was a chance that I could bring my abilities back. Even the slightest bit, just to make him sleep dreamlessly for a few minutes, long enough to get us out of there.

Through all this pain and suffering, I realized then that I had become the real bringer of hope. Not this over publicized fake image that these so called "super heroes" had. I was more powerful in these last few days than I probably ever would be and I was sure to bring one last thing to this situation, I had to.

But then I heard it, the soft footsteps coming from outside the doorway. If I wanted to do this it had to be quick, then I had to be on my feet as fast as possible. Reaching my hand down to his forehead I brushed back his untamed curls in a comforting motion and kissed the top of his head. Brushing his hard back again I pushed all of my power into him and concentrated, at first nothing happened, but then he went limp in my arms and his breath became shallow.

Standing I was ready for whatever was coming, but then I saw him. The angel I had dreamt about and right when I took a step forward I felt my own body grow numb and become weak. It was as if I was being sucked into an endless pit, but his name escaped my lips before I fell to the ground, "Gabrielle."