Would I lie to you?
This is ABSOLUTELY the LAST chapter.
Sorry to say that I am leaving the story at the end of this chapter, no matter how much I am begged for more. Sorry.
To keep you safe
Nothing, there was nothing there! I looked under the edge of the balcony, she hadn't hidden under it, she'd just disappeared! My eyes searched desperately around for a sign or anything, but there was nothing, like she'd never been there. I turned away from he balcony, my muscles still on edge, I wouldn't put it past Maya to attack me now. I went inside to the library and looked around at the mess I had created. On one glance around the room I could see that bookcases had been toppled and the dusty volumes they had contained had been spread and spilled all across the floor in heaps. The glass and wood from the smashed door lay scattered around my feet and crunched quietly under foot.
And in amongst the reckage was the quiet buzzing noise of my vibrating phone. I walked over and inspected it. It must have fallen out of my pocket during the fight. I turned it over and looked at the screen. to my surprise it said "Hannah Calling" I picked it up and put it to my ear. A sob came from the other end. In the background I could hear the sound of trees and animals. "Hannah?" I said nervously into the phone.
"Thierry, help me" Said a frightened Hannah in a terrified whisper. My heart was racing, she had been locked up. Ash and James had taken her, I'd seen them, I'd told them to, they said Hannah had been locked away safely. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. By brain pounded in my head, trying to get into some sort of working order. "It's Maya she's..." Hannah stopped as a new voice interrupted and took the phone from her.
"Now now, no spoiling our little game Haneebee." I could hear Hannah's terrified sob in the background and it made my brain surge with anger. "Hello Thierry. I thought I'd make things a little more interesting." Maya giggled in a maliciously happy tone. "Oh I do love a game Thierry, don't you?" Hannah's protests were stopped as she shrieked in pain and utter horror. "Hear that? That's the sound of my teeth ripping through her fragile paper skin." Her icy laugh echoed in the air around her and made me shiver.
"Where is she Maya?" I said, calm and collected but not forgetting to add a thousand daggers to my tone. My only answer was more terrible laughter. "MAYA! ANSWER ME!" I yelled, ripping out my lungs to make my point crystal clear. The laughter stopped dead, leaving only the sounds of nature to fill the awkward silence. My breath came fast and heavy and fogged up in the freezing night air. Maya's giggles crecendoed into a shrieking laugh that cut through me and both angered me and filled me with fear.
"Now now." She said in a patronising and happy tone. How could she be happy? "You're not going to get anywhere by yelling". I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I'd always hated her games. Maya was clever, really clever, she would mess with people's heads and hearts to get what she desired. She would catch you in her games and traps for which the only end was losing to her. As much as I had tried to separate myself from her games, I had become entangled in one I couldn't escape this time.
"I'm not playing any more Maya." I said, the weakness showed in my voice. In my head it had sounded stronger, even though I knew I was lying. There was never a way to escape Maya's games.. I knew it and clearly she did too. I could almost hear her smiling maliciously into the phone. It made me want to hurl it away and rip apart what remained of the library. I wanted to rip and tear until the room was in bits and when I was done, I would destroy Maya, cell by evil cell.
"Yes you are my dear," she said in her trademark silky smooth whisper that had always made me shiver. "You're my little puppet, dancing to my tune" She said. As much as I hated it I could hear the truth in her words. But I was not held up my here strings anymore! Why was I thinking about Maya's supposed hold over me? God damn it! Hannah was still out there! She could be bleeding to death somewhere where nobody would find her with Maya her only company!
"Enough talk, you bitch! Where's Hannah?" I said through gritted teeth. Despite my rising anger, I kept my voice calm, revealing nothing. I was on edge, how long had Hannah been gone, it couldnt have been long, so they couldnt have gone too far. Maya would want me to find her, where would Maya take her? The whole situation made my head hurt.
"Language Thierry!" She told me in a repremanding tone. I was sick of her games! Why couldn't she just tell me? Because, Maya liked her games, it was her fun. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprize! You have four hours to find her, no wait, you're a clever little boy so i'll give you one. I'll even be nice and give you a clue."
An angry growl rose in my throat which erupted into a yell that surprised me at its volume. "DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH ME MAYA!" I roared into the phone. I wasn't playing games with Hannah's life. She was the most important thing in world to me. No more childish puzzles, I was finding her, NOW! Maya began to sob in an over the top and utterly fake manner that made me laugh sarcastically.
"Awww. You're being mean to me. I'm not going to give you a clue now." My anger level hit critical as she said this. Hannah's life meant nothing to her, all Hannah was, was an obstacle in her way. And in Maya's mind, obstacles had to be...removed. All the anger I had tried to keep surpressed bursted forwards blindly out of me in a wave that converged upon Maya.
"YOU'RE SICK MAYA! YOU'RE A SICK AND TWISTED BITCH!" I breathed heavily, waiting for a reply. I checked to see if she'd hung up, she hadn't. a few seconds later came the sound of her silky seductive tone in a low smooth whisper.
"And dont you want me for..." I hung up and shoved my phone in my pocket. I was done with her shit! I rubbed my face with my hands and paused to think. Where would Maya take her? It would be somewhere that we had some shared memory in but not somewhere easy. My phone buzzed in my pocket, I ignored it. A few seconds later it buzzed again and emitted its annoying little message tone. I pulled it out and read the message.
I'll be nice and give you your clue... It's a pretty nice veiw from up here you know. One hour Thierry, tick tock, tick tock.
I raced down the stairs and outside, knocking people over on the way. Up here? where was there a nice veiw from a high place. Of course! there were mountains all around Vegas! And Maya and I used to go to a cave in the mountains on the eastern side. I got in my car and pulled out my phone. I punched in a quick message and sped away
I know where you are, i'm coming to get her
I stopped at the foot of the mountain. It wouldnt take me ten minutes to flit to the cave. I went fast up the path and stopped dead at the entrance. "Hannah?" I called into the entrance. Only the echoes answered me. I took a step forward. once again my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Well done Thierry, you've solved my little puzzle. Now save Hannah, if you can tell which is her.
What? Of course I could tell who Hannah was. I was about to run into the cave when a figure came stumbling out. It was Hannah! I ran to catch her in my arms as she fell to the ground. "Hannah! I'm so glad you're okay!" I could feel a wetness on her arm as I hugged her to me. Blood! Maya HAD bitten her! "Come on Han, we need to get you home!"
"Thierry NO!" A shout came from inside the cave and another figure came running out. "She's tricking you! SHE'S Maya! I'M the real Hannah!" Another Hannah had run out of the cave with the same dirt stains and bruises on her body, she even had the same bite mark in her arm. But was this Maya? or was the girl in my arms the great deciever?
"Do you really think someone who had just been bitten woulld have that much energy? She's Maya! She shapeshifted into me." I let go of the girl in my arms and backed away from them both. They were identical, not a single feature separated them. Which one was Maya? Which was Hannah? if either of them was. I reached into my pocket and clasped my fingers around the one thing that would make my decision.
I plunged the stake into her heart, I couldnt tell if it was Hannah or not, I just wanted this one to die. I let go of the stake and pulled out a lighter. "Burn in hell" I whispered as the body was consumed in flames. And then I ran down the mountainside. Anything to get away from what i'd done. And I kept running until I hit the front of a car, or more like, it hit me.
Where I stop, because it is never the end.