Chapter Twenty-Seven
Inside My Head
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.
On a bright sunny day in Juban, Tokyo, a seven-year-old Raye smiled as she sat in the park having a picnic with her mother and grandfather. She was dressed in a pink jumper with a white blouse underneath and white sneakers. Her mother stilled looked as young as the day she died in a white sun dress. Her black hair and violet eyes shined in the sunlight. The wind blew around her as the petals from the cherry blossom trees surrounded them. Raye laughed when one landed in her tea. Her father came and joined them dressed in a grey suit. He sat his briefcase down and leaned over to kiss his wife. He rubbed Raye's hair causing her to laugh. He greeted his father as her grandfather scolded him on working all the time. They started to argue. Her mother quickly ended their argument when she placed pie in front of them.
Someone poked Raye's back. She turned around. A first she was startled then she frowned. It was Adam Mori, a boy from her class. Her father liked him because his family was rich. He was dressed in a white polo shirt, jeans, and sneakers. He had short black hair and blue eyes. He was not the cutest kid in the world and he was a bit of a dork that she pushed around.
He bowed his head as he greeted her family. They bowed their heads as they addressed him. He asked for permission to play with Raye privately. Her mother amusingly informed him that it was fine.
They ran around the playground and played on the swings and slide. Raye laughed as they spun around on the merry go round. He looked nauseous as a kid bigger and older than them pushed them extremely fast. Adam's face turned green. Raye laughed calling him a dork. She stopped laughing when she glanced over at her parents. He mother had her fist to her mouth as she coughed. Her eyes widen when she saw blood coming from her mother's nose. Her father quickly grabbed a napkin. Her grandfather worried. Her mother smiled, alleviating their worries slightly as she cried happily that she was fine.
A few months later on a rainy, melancholy day, Raye stood at her mother's burial in a black dress. Her father and grandfather stood next to her along with a crowd of friends, families, and colleagues. Everyone was dressed in black with black umbrellas. Thunder rumbled in the sky. Everyone walked away as the ceremony ended. Raye cried watching the gravediggers shoveled dirt on her mother's white coffin. Her mother had succumbed to consumption in her bed. Raye lied in her mother's arms as her mother slowly slipped away. Her father had to pull the child away from her dead mother. She could not believe that her mother was dead. How could she be alive and happy one moment then dead the next?
An umbrella appeared over Raye's head. A hand encircled hers. She turned to her left and saw Adam standing next to her. He was looking at the grave crying also. Her mother was like a second mother to him. He confided in her once that he was adopted and his real mama and papa had died.
Three years later, Raye now lived with her grandfather at his temple. She was in her miko attire and was chasing after a butterfly when she should have been sweeping the grounds. Adam slowly climbed up the steep steps of the temple. He was dressed in a black dress suit. Raye stopped chasing the butterfly and ran happily over to Adam. She stopped running when she saw the solemn look his face. She could see the sadness and heartache through his blue eyes. He stepped in front of her. Down below she saw a taxi waiting downstairs. The engine was still running. Outside of the taxi stood a boy and girl in their black school uniforms around eleven or twelve that looked like twins staring up at them. They looked similar to Adam.
"I am leaving Raye." Raye turned to him. Her eyes reflecting her hurt and shock. Adam continued, "My real family has found me and they are taking me away so that we can all be together with our uncle. You won't remember me after today." Raye felt confused. How could she not remember him? They had been friends since they were six-years-old.
Raye cried, "You can't leave." First, her mother had left her. Her father sent her away to live with his father? Now, Adam. Why did everyone leave her? Why must she always be alone? What was wrong with her?
"Nothing." Raye gasped. Had he read her thoughts? He smiled at her as he stepped closer. He leaned forward and his lips softly met hers. He closed his eyes as Raye looked at him shocked blinking her eyes.
He slowly backed away from her. He said, "I'm sorry I stole your first kiss."
Raye touched her lips that still tingled from his touch. "Good-bye Raye." He turned around and walked away while Raye stood in shock. She walked as his head slowly disappeared the further he went down the stairs.
He could not leave. He could not leave her. He was her best friend. Raye ran after him. "Adam! Adam!" She watched as his sister got into the taxi. Adam slipped in. "Adam!" She rushed down the stairs. His older brother stared at her. His eyes turned golden stopping her. The preteen boy got into the taxi. The taxi driver drove off. Raye, no longer, remembered Adam. She shook her head in confusion wondering why she was standing on the steps. She slowly walked back up the steps to the temple.
Raye screamed in pain as she lied on a gurney pinned down with metal cuffs around her forehead, neck, wrists, and ankles. She was wearing white scrubs. She could see doctors behind a glass wall observed her like she was some lab rat and jotting down notes on their clipboards. They experimented on her. She thought she had died until she awoke in some type of laboratory with machines and doctors around her. They probed her mind reading her thoughts and shocked her with shocked therapy. They were now taking blood from her.
Chad strode in the observation room next to the doctor. The doctor stood in the observation room alone watching Raye still asleep on the gurney. On the monitor, she was awake and screaming. He asked, "How is she?"
The doctor, a tall, slim man with black hair with glasses, said with a tone of disgust, "She's doing just fine, mutt." Chad glared at the doctor with angry eyes and gripped the doctor's shirt easily lifting the doctor off his feet. Chad looked up at the doctor.
Chad retorted, "We are superior and more powerful to you, human. Do not tempt me."
The doctor grinned pushing the bridge of his glasses back up on his nose. His gaze penetrated Chad's eyes. "Down, boy." Chad growled as he obeyed the doctor and set him back on his feet.
The doctor laughed straightening his clothes back, "Get out of here, before I report your insubordination to the Regime. You may be powerful but you are under our control." Chad growled than stormed out. The door slid closed behind him.
The doctor turned his attention back the sleeping woman. They read her memories. They monitored her dreams. They knew everything about her. He walked into the laboratory room. He grabbed a tube that contained her blood. He glanced over at the unconscious girl on the gurney.
Two and a half months ago, his superior Dr. Rick Thornton had sent orders to clone Sailor Mars. They had no problems cloning Raye Hino, but Dr. Thornton wanted them to clone her powers also. Dr. Thornton originally thought that if he destroyed their transformation sticks, he destroyed the source of each of the sailor scouts' power. Now that he witnessed Sailor Venus' daughter inherit her mother's powers, he wanted to clone Sailor Mars and see if he could clone her powers too. The government had the ability to clone humans but they could not clone the powers too of those with supernatural abilities yet. The only thing that still kept the Sailor Mars alive and useful to him was this theory. She had died by Thornton's orders. After several failed attempts of cloning a reborn version of Raye with her Sailor Mars' powers too, Dr. Thornton ended up resurrecting Raye Hino to see if replicating her powers while she was alive might return better results. She woke up temporarily gasping for air. Dr. Thornton quickly waved his hands over the young woman and placed her in a deep coma. His team of doctors experimented and monitored the dreams and vital signs of the sailor scout around the clock. But after a couple of months of no success, Rick grew frustrated. He informed his subordinates that if they could not find a way to replicate the powers of Sailor Mars in a reborn, he wanted her dead and reborn. Dragon would love to keep her as a concubine.
The young doctor feared the only way to replicate Sailor Mars' powers was to impregnate her or to harvest her eggs, which they were going to do soon. He worried that doing so will kill Sailor Mars for good.
Ariel appeared on the floor of the Shields' mansion with Jason, Patricia, and an unconscious Mina in Jason's arms. Marissa gasped when she saw them. She rushed to inform her master and mistress. Ariel felt exhausted and fainted. Patricia cried as she rushed over to Ariel holding her in her arms.
Karen and the children rushed downstairs. Darien and Serena followed behind. Serena paused gripping the banister when she saw Mina who looked dead on the floor. She prayed that her friend was still alive.
Darien knelt in front of them. Darien asked, "What happened?"
Jason said shaken up, "The government found out about Mina being Sailor Venus. It was my fault. She's not waking up. It's like she's in a dream that she cannot wake up from."
Darien looked suspiciously at Jason. Patricia saw the look in his eyes. Patricia said, "We've known that Mina was Sailor Venus before you knew. She informed her fiancé over here a few days ago. I know all about you. Even you." Her eyes landed on Serena. Serena gulped. She had no idea that Mina confided in with her mother. She always seemed to hate her or pretend that she did not exist.
Darien glanced at Alex suspiciously. He did not have time to worry about them. He was more concerned about the two sisters.
He said gathering Ariel in his arms, "Jason follow me. Karen, take care of Patricia."
Karen nodded as she hurried over to comfort Patricia. She turned to Serena. "Alex, why don't you tend to the children?"
"But…" Serena was more worried about Mina and her sister.
Karen lashed out startling her, "Don't question me. Do as you are ordered. You work for me not the other way around." Karen helped Patricia up as they followed behind the men.
Serena sighed slightly hurt. She gathered the children and took them to Derrick's room.
Darien had the sisters placed in two separate rooms. Jason remained with Mina holding the unconscious woman's hand. Darien checked on Ariel first. He checked her vital signs. She was normal just exhausted from using too much energy. She would wake up soon. Darien ordered Marissa to look after the girl.
He then walked next door to the room where Mina's rested. Karen and Patricia stood by the bed. Patricia would not rest until she knew that Mina was okay. Darien informed her that Ariel was fine. She thanked him.
Darien checked Mina's vital signs. It was different. She was asleep but her pulse was growing weaker. Her heart was slowing down. It was like she was slowly dying. After checking her, he tried to heal her with his powers, but it had no effect on her. She stopped speaking a half an hour ago. Her breathing was the only indicator that she was still alive.
Patricia cried, "Is there anything you can do to save her?"
Darien paused. He did not know what he could do. She would not respond to anything. With his healing power, he could cure incurable diseases. Yet, they were not working. It was like something was blocking him from helping her.
Serena stayed with the kids who asked her tons of questions that she could not answer about Mina. They were not interested in playing. They were worried about their Aunt Mina.
That night, Karen finally convinced Patricia to go to sleep. Ariel still had not woken up. Jason lied asleep in bed next to Mina holding her hand. Darien had finally talked him into taking a bath since he was starting to smell. He gave Jason one of his t-shirt and shorts to put on.
Serena quietly snuck into Mina's room. She walked to the side of the bed as she brushed Mina's bangs aside. She sensed no power inside of Mina. Something had happened to Mina.
Serena was dressed in a long black blouse, jeans and sneakers. She already kissed the children good-bye even Derrick. She decided to leave it up to their parents to give the children a reason for her dismissal. Serena laughed. She could not believe that she had referred to her children as Darien and Karen's. Like Karen had replaced her as their mother. Katie already was calling Karen her mother. Her children were happy.
"Didn't my wife tell you that she wanted you gone by midnight?" Serena turned to her left. In the shadowy corner in the dark room, she heard Darien's voice. He rocked forward in a rocking chair and she saw his face.
Serena turned back to Mina. "You could have told your wife better."
Darien smirked. "Why? I want you out of here. I never wanted her to hire you in the first place."
"How passive aggressive you are!" She said in an unamused voice.
Darien said, "It's almost midnight. I suggest you leave."
Serena turned to him. She sighed. "You don't believe me about Judgment Day."
Darien laughed. "I believe you that you are insane. I know that you are not demonic, because I have a barrier that prevents evil spirits from entering my home. I want you out of here."
Serena looked at Mina. She was growing weaker. Serena said, "She's dying. She won't make it to morning."
Darien grew suspicious. "How do you know?"
Serena shrugged. "I just know. Something took her powers away. She's complete normal."
Darien said, "And your point is?"
Serena said, "Something evil took away her powers. She's trapped inside of her mind in a deadly sleep. If she dies in her mind, then…"
Darien finished, "She dies in real life."
He looked at Serena. He asked, "What the hell are you?"
Serena smiled. She said, "I'm going inside of her mind. We cannot help her from the outside. We have to go inside."
Darien asked, "And how do we do that?"
Serena smiled at him. "We don't. I will."
Darien shook his head standing up. "Oh please! Mina is like family to me. I'll be damned if I sit back while you harm her."
Serena smiled. He did not trust her, but he was willing to work together with her to save Mina. He was right. They were all like a family. The girls were their sisters. Her parents were his parents. Andrew and Sammy were their brothers. Their friends' children were like their nieces and nephews. Their daughters referred to their friends as their aunts sometimes.
Serena held out her hand. Darien took it. Their eyes closed. There was a chance that he could sense her aura, but she did not care at that moment. Mina was the one that mattered. A yellow glow surrounded them. The crescent moon appeared on her forehead. They faded away shrinking into a yellow ball of light. They disappeared inside of Mina's head.
When they opened their eyes, Serena was dressed in a maid's costume while Darien was dressed in a butler's costume. Serena's hair was in a dyed dark bob with dim black eyes. She was plump with a round face, sagging breasts. Her big belly had rolls, her hips were wider, and her butt was big and flat. Her arms and legs were chubby. She could feel the arthritis in her old, wrinkled hands and the gout in her legs.
Darien had a bald spot in the back of his head with thin gray hair and dark eyes with bifocals. His face was covered with wrinkles. His nose was long and pointy with a large black mole on top of it. He had a hump in his back and walked with a slight limp. He was shorter and about her height. He was skinny and bony. His body ached as he felt the pain in his achy back. He walked with a cane since it was getting hard for him to walk and his body curved like a large letter C. They were both about seventy-years-old.
Serena laughed in an elderly voice, "That's you in a few years."
Darien answered in a grumpy, old voice, "You're no looker either, you old hag."
Darien frowned as he looked around. They were in a large mansion. It was the home of Mina's father. The home was lovely and decorated with the finest things that money can buy. They could hear the sounds of music and laughter and chatter. Serena and Darien slowly walked towards the sound. They found themselves in a grand, golden ballroom filled with beautiful people with money dressed in fancy gowns and tuxedos. Serena was surprised to see Raye's father among the crowd standing next to the prime minister of the country at that time.
They saw Mina's father stand in the middle of the room with his beautiful young wife Patricia standing next to him surrounded by their guests. She was about twenty-one-years-old. Her long blonde hair hung loose down her back. She smiled dressed beautifully in a white sequin gown. She wore sparkling diamond earrings and a diamond necklace. In her hands, she held a beautiful golden goblet adorned with twelve red rubies. In the cup was the blood of each of their guests including her husband and her own.
Her husband led them in a toast. He said, "We drink this wine in the name of Dragon."
Patricia said quietly, "In the name of the god Dragon, grant me wealth and riches so that I will never be poor again." She thought about Deacon leaving her with nothing. She said spitefully, "And punished those who have wronged me in the past. In the name of Dragon, I granted you my eternal loyalty." She drank the blood until she swallowed every drop. She wiped her bloody lips with the back of her arm.
The rest of the crowd said, "In the name of Dragon." Serena and Darien looked shock.
He turned to his young wife. He said, "And to our newest member, my wife Patricia."
Patricia smiled weakly as she stared at the crowd around her, which was some of the richest and most powerful people in the world. Everyone applauded.
Her husband said, "And look what beautiful creature that she has given me as a gift to Dragon."
Serena froze when she saw the crowd part as they smiled as a three-year-old Mina walked over in dressed beautiful in a pure, white gown. Serena said in disbelief, "She sacrificed her own daughter."
Mina looked confused. She rushed over to her mother as the crowd staring at her frightened her. Patricia held her daughter in her arms and kissed her cheek. The crowd applauded.
Mina said, "Mommy, I'm scared."
Her father ginned at her. He frightened her.
Patricia lied to her daughter, "You have nothing to be frightened of. These people are our friends."
Her father held out his hands for her. "Come to me, my child."
Patricia held onto Mina tightly. She said, "I'm doing this for us." Patricia's eyes became watery. She repeatedly it again until her husband took the child in his arms. He stared at her in a way that a man should not stare at a child. Even at a young age, Mina knew something was wrong.
Over the years, her father kept touching her inappropriate ways and made her touched him in inappropriate ways. She begged her mother to not leave, but her mother always left promising to return as she became rich and famous.
Serena cried as she watched the frightened looks of the small child. How her mother continued to leave. He'd taken her into the privacy of his room or her bedroom. Serena said, "Why can't we do anything?"
Darien said he watched her clean the study, "Her mind is not allowing us to. Her mother knew. Her father's servants knew. And nobody did anything. How powerful is this man? No one decided to call the law."
Serena said, "They are the law. They are the power. They are worshippers of the devil. The only thing telling the truth would have done is to get them killed and turned into humanoids."
One night when Mina was nine, Serena and Darien overheard Patricia and her husband arguing.
Patricia yelled, "You raped my child. You promised me that you would have never touched her like that! She's a child!"
Her husband said, "Oh please like you give a damn! You have been turning your back for years. Now, that you saw it with your own eyes, you are upset. You sacrificed her to me and you were given everything you desired."
Patricia took out a gun. Her husband laughed. "Oh, you are going to kill me now. I am one of the highest ranking members of the New World Regime, you killed me and your entire family is dead including your lover."
Patricia cried. "You're lying."
Her husband said, "You think I am lying. Your daughters will grow up to be whores like their mother and your lover will die. I sure he would love to know that you lied about being pregnant with his child."
Patricia was stunned. "You knew."
He laughed. "Of course I knew. You're a con artist sleeping your way to the top based on the size of a man's bank account. You have no other talents besides lying on your back. I'll let you have Mina back if you give me the child that she is carrying inside of her."
Patricia's eyes widen. He grinned. "Oh, I won't touch her. I'll kill her as soon as the little beast is born. Dragon loves beautiful creatures. It keeps him happy."
Patricia cried, "You're sick. You're all sick."
"This is coming from the whore who sacrificed her child for money."
Patricia fired a bullet through her husband's brain. His brains and blood scattered on the floor. He fell to the floor. She looked up to see Mina standing in the hallway. Patricia told her to go back to bed and that she was dreaming.
Suddenly, her father's eyes opened. He popped back up like an inflatable bopper. Before she could react, he grabbed Patricia, twisted her around until her back was pressed against his, and slit her throat with a dagger. Mina screamed as her mother fell to the floor as blood gushed from her neck. Patricia's face lied sideways on the cold floor. Her eyes were wide and lifeless.
Her father stepped over her mother's body staring at Mina with vacant and evil eyes. Mina's eyes widen as she saw straight through the bullet hole in his forehead from the bullet that went out the back of his head. The back of his head was blown off exposing the insides of his skull. He had a dagger in his hand still covered with her mother's blood. She ran away. He chased after her.
Serena rushed after them as fast as her old legs would take her. Darien stayed behind and rushed over to Patricia's limp body. He could not tell if she was dead or not. He checked for a pulse. It was weak but there. He placed his hands on her wound. It was a long shot especially when he was in someone's mind, but he decided to give it a shot.
Mina raced down the long hallways of the house with dozen of doors. She raced into one of the rooms. It was a bedroom. She rushed into the closet and hid behind closets quickly shutting the closet door. She sniffled as she sat on the floor with her knees to her chest. She closed her eyes tightly and pleaded, "Please someone help me! Please someone help me!"
Patricia moaned. Darien's eyes began to glow golden. A golden aura surrounded his hand. The wound started to heal. The blood disappeared. Patricia gasped for air as she sat up with her hand around her neck. She flinched when she saw Darien.
She asked scared, "Who are you?"
Darien said, "I'm a friend. Are you okay?"
Patricia nodded. She panicked. "Where's Mina? Where's my husband?" She looked around for the body. She did not see it. "Where's my husband? I killed him."
Darien said, "He got back up. He's after Mina."
Darien watched the frighten Patricia worried about her daughter. She got up. She cried, "We have to save her."
Mina's father walked down the halls of the floor that Mina was hidden. The dagger glistened in the moonlight. He said in an eerie tone as he walked in and out of rooms searching for his daughter, "Come out! Come out! Wherever you are! I won't hurt you, sweetheart." He added with a grin. "Not too badly. You were really bad tonight."
Mina continued to pray for someone to help her.
Her father laughed. "I can hear your prayers, but your God will not help you. Pray to my god, the true god, and I might spare you." Mina continued to pray.
"There is only one way out, Mina, and that is through death." Nooses appeared hanging from the ceiling in all of the rooms.
A noose materialized hanging from the ceiling in the room that Mina slept with Jason. Her eyes popped opened. She sat up. Her face was blank and her eyes were vacant. She glanced down at Jason who slept on the top of the covers next to her. His hand still held hers. She removed his hand from hers. She heard her father's voice telling her to take her life. She slowly moved out of bed and walked around the bed to the center of the room where she saw a noose hanging in front of her, tempting her. She saw a black stepping stool underneath. She stepped on top of it as placed the noose around her neck.
Young Mina prayed from someone to help her. The door slowly opened the more she prayed, the more he heard her. Mina stopped praying once the door of the closet opened.
Patricia and Darien walked up the hallways of the second floor. Patricia had a pistol in her hands. The same one that she used to killed her husband with. Patricia could feel Darien's disgust with her.
Patricia said, "You dislike me."
She disgusted him. How could a woman allow something so vile to happen to her child for money? She allowed her husband to sexually abuse her child for years and she did nothing about it. No one in the house did anything about it. They turned their heads and pretended to not hear the child's screams. They pretended not to hear the screams of Patricia when her husband used to beat her and forced himself on her. He heard her cries at night, but the body that he was in would not allow him to respond to it. Her husband would justify his actions by telling her that she is his wife and it was her duty as his wife to satisfy him.
Darien said, "You all disgust me."
"Who do you mean?"
"The worshippers of Dragon."
Patricia smiled. "They are not all bad as my husband. My husband is a sick bastard. He's like a mad dog that needs to be put down. He preys on the weak." She checked around the corner for her husband. "If he was an average man, he would have been in jail a long time ago. But since his family has enough influence to buy the law, he is always let go and freed. It wasn't until after I married him that I found out about the other little girls." Patricia cringed.
Darien stood stunned. "There are more."
Patricia nodded. "In order to be a member of the New World Regime, one has to be someone of great means or power. Not just anyone can be a member. There are average people who tried to join us. My husband as one of the highest ranking officials preys on their weakness. He grants them the blessings that they desire and in exchange the parents give him their daughters. Once he is tired of the little girls, they all ended up killing themselves. The other members were unaware of this."
Darien said, "Were…."
Patricia said, "Someone had to inform them of this man's sickness. I volunteered to murder him with their permission. He should not be alive. Why Dragon is allowing this man to live is confusing me?"
Darien said, "You think Dragon is behind this?"
"Only Dragon can resurrect the dead. For some reason, he wants my daughter dead."
"Maybe he thinks she is a threat to him?"
Patricia smiled. "Maybe she is."
The stool tipped over as Mina gasped for air as the noose tightened around her neck. She gasped for air as she wiggled around. Her carotid arteries began to compress. Her brain started to lose oxygen. Jason's eyelid twitched but he did not stir.
Her father laughed as he opened the door to where a frightened Mina was hiding. Mina screamed as he held his dagger over her head. He said, "You're dying Mina. We'll be together forever very soon."
"Moon Tiara Magic!" Her father screamed as he disappeared. The dagger fell to the ground. Darien and Patricia rushed into the room.
Mina smiled when she saw her mother. She rushed over to her. Patricia embraced her daughter.
Mina cried, "Don't leave me mother."
Patricia cried as she kissed her little girl's forehead. "I will never leave you, again. I am so sorry. I was weak."
Mina sniffed. "It's okay. Just don't let him hurt me anymore."
Patricia said, "I promised that I will never let anyone hurt you again, not even me."
Serena ran into the room. She stood next to Darien and smiled at the scene. She had transformed in Sailor Moon to kill the man that Mina thought of as her father. Mina's dream allowed her to transform. Mina wanted someone to save her. She prayed for someone too. She transformed back into the old maid before Darien and Patricia arrived.
Serena said, "We'll have to go."
Darien asked, "Now?"
Serena said, "She's dying."
"But…"
"In reality." Darien's eyes noticed the noose hanging in the middle of the floor. He nodded as he took Serena's hand and disappeared with her.
"Jason," he heard her voice whispered to him in his sleep. He slowly rose to see Mina. He panic for a quick second sitting up then saw her gasping for air hanging from the ceiling. He rushed off the bed. He quickly searched the pockets of his jeans. He grabbed his keys and used his pocket knife to cut her down. Mina collapsed to the ground catching her breath. She began to cry as Jason came to the floor with her and embraced her in his arms as she cried.
Darien and Serena reappeared. Serena smiled as she saw the scene in the hallway with Darien standing next to her. Serena smiled that Mina was okay now. She could deal with the fact that she lost her powers later. Right now, she was alive in the arms of the man that she loved. He knew everything about her now, and still he stayed. Serena was happy for her.
She walked away. Darien turned and looked at her. She walked down the stairs and gathered her duffle bag next to the front door. She did not have many clothes or possessions. Everyone that she loved was safe there including her children.
"Alex." Serena turned around to Darien standing at the bottom of the staircase. He strolled over to her. He did not trust her, but there was an understanding between them now. He asked, "Are you sure that you want to leave?"
Serena glanced at the grandfather clock behind him that read twenty-five minutes after five in the morning. Serena smiled at Darien. "I think your wife will say otherwise."
Darien snorted.
Serena smiled. She saw calmness inside of him that she had not seen in a long time. It was before they were married and both were still young and teenagers. "You're happy?"
Darien thought the question was strange coming from a stranger. She was only the nanny to his children for a couple of months. Her question was vague, but somehow he knew the young girl was referring to his wife. "Yes, I am happy. I am happy with my wife." And he was.
One part of Serena was happy for Darien. The other part hated it. She hated that she could not make him happy as his wife. She hated that she could not love him the way that he deserved to be love. She hated that nothing she could do this time could bring him back to her. For goodness sake, he thought she was dead. It's been six months since her death, and he was happy. The girls were happy. The house was full of happiness. Their home was always filled with the illusion of happiness. The girls constantly listened to their bickering.
What woman wanted to admit that her husband was happier with someone else? Karen was a good woman, but she hated her because she was what Darien needed. She balanced him out. She loved him the way that he needed to be love. She understood him in a way that Serena never did. Whatever he needed to fix inside himself, Karen had did it.
Serena smiled sadly to herself. "I give up. She wins."
Darien looked at her strangely. "Excuse me?"
She smiled but there was sadness in her big green eyes. She looked up at him. "What I told you about Elysian and Judgment Day is real. Mina can verify it. There's a man named Cain who wants to see you. He's the leader of the Elysians."
Darien nodded. Serena extended her hand. "It was a pleasure working for you, Mr. Shields."
Darien glanced down at her hand. He slowly took it. He felt strange as he stared at her. He felt a sparkle with her. Her aura…her energy when they teleported into Mina's mind….
She let go and walked out the door. Was she Serena? Why would she say that she gave up and that she wins? What the heck did that mean?
Darien rushed out the front door into the night air. It was still dark outside. The sun will rise soon. He searched the grounds with his eyes, but she was already gone. He sighed as he went back inside and closed the front door behind him. Maybe it was just his imagination. Serena was dead. The girl could not have been her.
"Darien…" He turned around and saw Karen standing on the stairway looking at him. She was dressed in a long silk pink robe wrapped tightly around her small waist. She looked at him worried, "You didn't come to bed last night."
Darien smiled. "I stayed up with Mina."
Karen smiled as she walked down the stairs and strode across the room to her husband. Darien smiled. "She's awake." He could tell that she was over the incident in the study.
Karen laughed as she placed a small kiss on his lips. He ran his hands through her beautiful red hair. He noticed the tiny freckles on her cheeks. How deeply blue her eyes were. She was truly beautiful. He could never tell her that he thought the nanny was his dead ex-wife. He could not put her through that hell again. It's been months since Serena's name was even mentioned in their household.
Karen saw the tiredness in Darien's eyes. She ran her hands through his ebony locks. He sighed in content from his simple touch. "You haven't slept."
Darien smiled. "I'll be fine."
Karen said, "No, you won't be. You're going straight up to bed Master Endyimon." He heard her mocking emphasis on Endyimon. She laughed lightly, "What a silly name!"
Darien grinned big showing off his perfect teeth. "Hey, it sounded cooler."
Karen laughed. "You're an idiot, but I love you." She softly kissed his lips again. Her face turned from happy to serious and firm. "But you're not working today."
Darien yawned. "I can't. I have surgeries scheduled for today."
Karen said firmly, "And a doctor's job is to do no harm. I may not be the head of the neurology department, but as your wife I ordered you to get your butt up to bed and go to sleep. One of the other doctors can handle your surgeries." Darien knew better than to argue with her. She took no crap from anyone. He reluctantly agreed as she led him up the stairs to their bedroom.
In the fiery pits of hell covered with mountains and rivers of lava, Mina's father appeared before Dragon. He quickly knelt to the ground. On his golden throne, Dragon sat with a displeased look on his face.
Her father begged. "Please forgive me, master."
Dragon said angrily, "I removed you from your hell to kill your daughter in her sleep and you failed me."
Her father begged, "Master, it was not my fault. If it was not for her friends, I would have succeeded."
Dragon said angrily, "Your excuses mean nothing to me. Return from whence you came."
Her father cried, "Master no!" With the flick of Dragon's hand, her father disappeared.
He reappeared in his personal hell. He appeared naked and collapsed on the ground surrounded by thousands of naked men. Every day since his wife murdered him, he was sentenced to reliving the same day for all eternity. Dragon was disgusted by him and worst committed his sins using Dragon's name. He was sentenced to eternal torment. Every day he woke up to being brutally beaten to a pulp by men that looked like bodybuilders. They tortured him. They made him watch as they castrated him. He was then raped by a thousand men until he died at the end of the day. He was resurrected and the day started over and over again.
Serena reappeared in her apartment in Tokyo that she shared with Raye. She had not been back in two and half months, but she called Raye on a regular basis. She tried to call Raye yesterday wanting to vent about yesterday events, but Raye did not return her call. She assumed that Raye was busy with Chad.
Serena searched the apartment for Raye. It was strangely quiet. It was around one in the afternoon. Everything was cleaned and nothing was out of place. Yet, something felt strange. Her cell phone rang. She glanced at it and saw it was Andrew calling her.
She accepted the call. She said, "What's up?" She could hear car engines and horns in the background. He was driving.
"Get out of the apartment now. They know who you are." Andrew raced in his car through traffic breaking speed limits as he raced to the apartment complex. Police cars with sirens blaring were hot on his trail. He shifted gears increasing his speed.
"I can't. Where's Raye?"
"She's dead. They took her body months ago." He spoke to her through the car's radio.
Serena froze as the phone dropped to the ground. Raye could not be dead. If Raye had been dead for two months, who in hell was she talking to on the phone?
"Serena…." She could still hear Andrew calling her name through the phone.
She turned around to see Rita dressed in a black leather cat suit pointed a pistol at her. Rita smiled wickedly at her. She spoke in Raye's voice, "Hello again, Serena. It's been awhile." Andrew continued to call out to Serena. He heard a gunshot. He yelled out Serena's name.
The line was quiet for a moment. His eyes widen when he heard the voice of a ghost. "Hey, Andy. It's been a while. I'll let the kids know that daddy is on his way."
Andrew turned pale as he listened to the sound of his dead wife's voice. He asked quietly, "Where's Serena? Is she still alive?" The line went dead.