THE MONSTER INSIDE ME: The Immortal Chronicles: Book One

by Tristin Clark

  “We graduate in three months. I wonder how long they are going to suspend school for?”

  “About that…” mom begins to say. I turn, glancing at the both of them.

  “About what?” I ask.

  “Emilia…” mom starts and struggles to finish.

  “What?” I snap, waiting on her to answer. “Why are you both staring at me like you’ve got something to say but are too nervous to say it.”

  “Why don’t you come sit next to us honey,” mom suggests.

  “Umm, how about I don’t and just hear what ya’ll have to say right where I’m at.”

  “Em… princess,” my dad begins. At this point, I’m just overly annoyed.

  “Whaaaaat?” I ask in annoyance. My mom finally speaks,

  “Em, your father and I have something we need to tell you,” she says.

  “You’re pregnant. Congrats. Is it a boy or girl?” I dryly remark. They both giggle at one another and go all bashful. My parents are cute, too cute at times. They love each other. That is clear as day.

  “No. Your mother and I are not expecting a baby, but we do have other news,” he clarifies.

  “Oh my God. Did you get a raise? Can we finally afford to go to Hawaii for spring break?” I sarcastically joke.

  My mom glances at my dad, looking to him to go on with whatever news they have for me.

  “Well kiddo. I got the approval I sent in at the beginning of the week. Yes, I did get a raise, plus extra expenses to relocate. It’s going to be great baby. You’re going to love the new place,” he happily informs, but all my mind can register is leaving and that is just not possible.

  Not possible at all.

  CHAPTER 21 - YOU’RE GOING TO PAY

  I freeze. My heart literally stops. Everything goes quiet. The only sound is of the ringing in my ears. I mentally repeat the words, relocate? No. No. That’s not— That’s not happening. No. No way. I can’t leave. I can’t— I can’t—

  “Em?” I hear my dad call. Each pounding beat of my heart has taken over the now fading ringing in my ears. My heart beats rapidly. I’m growing dizzy. My head spins. My lips tingle and quiver. I’m losing control. I swallow a gulp and glance up at my dad, stunned at what he just announced.

  “Relocate? You mean… move?” I quietly murmur. Suddenly, reality sets in. Gone is the shock and in its place is a boiling emotion, threatening to overflow and blow. I inhale deeply. “Holy shit! Are we moving?” I ask, jumping to stand.

  “Watch your language young lady,” mom threatens.

  Oh Hell no. Anger, no rage consumes me. I am panting profusely, nostrils flared, eyes burning in fury. How dare they. How fucking dare they! There’s this darkness within, that had awakened. It’s not from Austin. No, this is my emotion. This is all me. I had awakened, and boy does it feel good. It feels really good.

  “Watch my language? Watch my language! Are you serious right now? You break the news and tell me you’re about to uplift my life. The only life I ever known! And you tell me to watch my language? Fuck that! You’re going to take me away from my friends from my— from Austin? No! No fucking way! I’m not moving. I’m not going. I swear to God I’m not going. You’ll have to literally drag me out of this house kicking and screaming and that won’t even be the worst of it. If you can manage that, I promise you both, I will make your lives a living Hell. I swear to you I will,” I threaten.

  This rage, this darkness boiling inside me, fills me with so much fire, so much confidence. It is beyond addicting, beyond devouring. It is poison and it is swirling in me in a fast, heavy current of ominous passion. I’ve now had a taste of this darkness and I am obsessed. Let his fire burn within my veins, for it is the fuel, that lights the growing shadow casted on my darkened soul and it is beautiful. He is beautiful. My beautiful, beautiful soul.

  “Emilia! What the Hell has gotten into you?” mom shouts. My eyes roll back on to my mother. I hold no expression but the sinister smirk creeping from my lips. I inhale deeply and straighten to my tallest form.

  “What has gotten into me?” Darkness. Austin. His fire.

  “Let go,” whispers a lovely voice within, and he is right. I let go. I release Hell.

  “I’ll tell you what’s gotten into me! Love! I love my friends! I love my school! I love this town and I love Austin! You take that love away from me and all I will be left with, is rotting darkness. I will become nothing! Is that what you want? For me to become nothing?” I am shouting, screaming, burning with a raging fire. They can’t take away from what I love. They can’t. I will never let them. Austin will never let them.

  “Em… you’re acting a little over dramatic princess. Why don’t you dial it down a notch,” my dad suggests.

  He takes a cautious step towards me. I back away quickly, hitting the shelf behind me. A picture frame falls, hitting the floor, shattering glass next to my feet. I eye it before returning my raging eyes towards my parents. Darkness has flooded every inch of my heated veins. It’s over-powering me, controlling my emotions, controlling me. Emilia is gone. Their little girl is gone, but I live. I am, Emilia. I am me and I am in control.

  “Over dramatic? Do you want to see over dramatic? I’ll show you over dramatic. I’ll—”

  I don’t see it coming. My hand moves to lightly press against my stinging cheek. I wince after barely touching it. My burning eyes roll towards my dad. Gone is my rage and in its place is a wrath so ominous, it has me almost cowering in fear. Austin has made his internal presence known. He is with me. Inside me and he felt it. He felt the slap and boy was he just as pissed as I.

  “You’re going to pay for that, daddy,” I threaten. Mom rushes forward, but I stop her when I extend my hand. “I wouldn’t come any closer, mommy.” Even my mother’s heavy tears, cannot bring me back. Her Emilia is gone. The darkness took her. It is only I, that remains. Only I.

  “Emilia. Honey. We’re only moving to get away from all of this. I promise you! We’re not the bad guys. I know you love it here. I know and I feel so guilty for having to take you away from all that you know, but Em, this is for the best. We love you and only want to protect you. We can’t live here, knowing some crazed killer is haunting the streets, killing innocent lives,” she cries.

  “They’re not innocent,” I slowly growl.

  “It doesn’t matter. We are moving and that is final. It’s the best option. For all of us. We’re moving at the end of next week or sooner now that school is cancelled,” mom adds.

  I have calmed, almost to the point of feeling numb, but I wasn’t entirely numb. I feel nothing yet feel something. What is it? I’m not quite sure how to describe this feeling. It’s almost as if I simply did not care anymore. Almost as if I found everything to be but a humorous joke. Had I lost my humanity? Is the old me completely gone or is she suppressed somewhere in the darkest corner of my mind? I huff at the realization. None of it mattered. I am leaving and that is final.

  “I’m not leaving. I’m staying with or without you two,” I tell them.

  A loud bang against the wall, steals our attention. Our heads turn. There, standing between the door frame, appearing tall and lethal is my giant. His dark, piercing eyes are targeted on my father. I smile, because my hero has come.

  “Austin, son—” my dad’s nervously starts to say.

  “I am not your son,” the giant spits. “You hurt someone very precious to me and for that, you will pay,” he menacingly threatens.

  Something in me, takes a mental step back at what he just said. I blink a few times, shake my head, somewhat snapping out of my darken state. I inhale deeply and observe the present situation. Austin is slowly stalking towards my dad. Dad… daddy. Suddenly, the darkness fades just enough to see this picture with a new set of eyes and then it hits me… no! I rush towards Austin, standing in front of the dangerous boy. I press my palms flat against his pecs and attempt to hold him back. He doesn’t budge.

  “Austin. No. He’s my dad,” I plead. His glaring eyes never leave him.
He wants to kill him. I feel him. I feel his emotions as clear as I feel my own.

  “Move Emilia or I will move you,” he tells me. There’s a soft aggression to his tone. He is angry but not angry at me.

  “Austin, Emilia? What is going on?” my worried mother asks, while standing next to my dad.

  “Mom! Go upstairs and don’t come down until I say!” I yell at her, never taking my eyes off my glaring giant.

  “What? No! I’m not leaving until someone tells me what’s happening?” she yells. “Austin, how did you know Todd hurt Emilia?” Austin’s dark eyes fixate on my mother. He tilts his head and gives her a sinister smirk.

  “I know many things, Hailey. Just as I knew when those boys were about to hurt you,” he taunts. I gaze confusedly at him.

  “What boys?” I ask him. He doesn’t even give me a glance. I turn, staring at my mom. Her hands cover her mouth and she drops to the couch in tears.

  What is going on right now?

  “How did you know about that?” she asks. She’s shocked, but I can see the trauma in her wide, fearful eyes. There’s something dark within, that she is hiding. A secret.

  “Because I was there. Don’t you remember me?” Austin teases. The jerk is grinning like an evil creep as he tilts his head, toying with my obviously scared mom.

  “But that was twenty years ago. I was just a teenager. How could you have been there?” she frantically asks. What on Earth is she talking about? He couldn’t have possibly been around, back when my mom was a teen. It doesn’t add up. None of this adds up!

  “Oh, I was there. I had to protect the future mother of my beloved and what perfect timing. Had I gone down for my slumber a day earlier, I would have missed you. Couldn’t have you harmed, now could I?” What? Now I’m the one who is panicking, and Austin must feel it. He wraps his arms around me tighter and for the moment, my anxiety is eased.

  “Mom, what is he talking about?” I turn to the boy behind me. “What are you talking about Austin? None of what you are saying makes any sense.” He still ignores me, eyes locked on my mom, while my dad and I watch this whole ordeal play out.

  “If it was you, why don’t I remember you? I remember someone showing up and helping me, but I don’t remember who. I don’t remember what happened to the boys. They were going to attack me. Then someone stopped them. I don’t remember what happened after that. I must have passed out, because when I woke up, everyone was gone,” she cries.

  “You may not remember then, but you will remember now. Remember,” he whispers.

  My mother instantly gasps in horror. I watch her eyes widen in tremendous fear.

  “EM! TODD! GET AWAY FROM HIM!” she bloody screams.

  “What? Why?” I ask, but there’s no way I’m escaping. Austin takes a step back, pulling me with him, holding me tightly against his chest.

  “Emilia is MINE! SHE WILL ALWAYS BE MINE!” his thunderous voice roars, vibrating beneath my very chest. The hairs on my arms rise and goosebumps form. For a split moment, I fear my giant, that is, until his warm hand splayed on my belly rubs gentle circles under my shirt, over my skin. He is calming me. My eyes close, enjoying the heavenly tingles.

  “Let go of my daughter!” my dad shouts. I open my eyes, just as he rushes towards us, but he never makes it.

  It happens so quick. Austin’s arm shoots out in front of him and my dad goes flying across the room, hitting the back wall with a massive boom.” I jerk towards him out of reflex, but Austin holds me back. My dad falls to the ground, landing on the pile of broken frames and glass.

  “Todd!” my mom screams, rushing to kneel at his side.

  “I’m fine,” he tries to assure.

  He’s struggling to sit up, brushing debris from his lap. He slowly stands, rising angry and tall, while glaring at the boy behind me. Never had I seen my dad so upset. Despite everything that just happened, he stands his ground and speaks with a calm but threatening tone,

  “I don’t know what the fuck you are, but if you don’t release my daughter I will—” Austin snorts and cuts him off.

  “You will what? Hmm? Punch me? Beat me? You’re pathetic. Useless. Worthless human scum beneath my shoes. I can crush your fragile human bones with a single thought. I can send your body up in flames with a snap of my fingers, I can torment you to an endless life of your worst fear, or one of my favorites… I can tear your flimsy head from your body, drain you of every ounce of blood you own and then simply toss your inconsequential human form, as if it is nothing, because that is what you are, nothing. Nothing but a warm host to conceive and raise my sweet Emilia and now that you have completed that task, I will be taking what’s mine.” Austin finally looks down on me. “Say your goodbyes Emilia. It’s time I take you to your rightful home,” he says with a warm smile.

  I turn around in his arms and gaze up at him. I want to feel frightened, but I don’t. I want to feel terrified, but I don’t. I wait for the little voice within my mind to speak and tell me to run, but she is silent.

  "She is gone my sweet. It is only I, who exists within you,” I hear him speak internally. I cannot look away from the blue-eyed boy holding me dearly in his arms. My eyes are glued. Allured to the light that shines off those crystal-clear baby blues. I am hypnotized. Fixated and forever molded to the creature before me.

  “Em! Don’t go with him! He’s the beheader! He’s the killer! He killed everyone! Em! Em!” I can hear my mom scream behind me, but her frantic cries are but white noise, in the far distance.

  She is fading. Everything around us, is fading. It is just us. Me and Austin. It will always be us. Wherever we go. Whatever we do. It will be, only us. If he is the beheader, then so be it. I’ve already accepted him. I’ve already embraced him. He is inside me and he isn’t going anywhere, and neither am I. We are one.

  A smile begins to form on my lips. My chest expands. The internal hug. I feel it. I feel its warmth, its embrace. He is in me, deeply. Rooted to my very core. I feel his emotions, his adoration, but more than anything. I feel the one single emotion that over-shadows all. Love. Austin loves me. He truly, undoubtedly loves me.

  “I love you. I love you Austin,” I profess within my mind. I watch his smile grow to be the widest I’ve ever seen it grow. He is overjoyed, shocked, in total awe and he is proud. I feel it. I feel it all.

  “My my, I believe you, my sweet, are ready to remember,” he says, resting his hand delicately against the side of my face. Those baby blues are back, and they are glimmering like the brightest of stars.

  “Make me remember,” I softy plead.

  “Tonight, my sweet. Your soul will be mine.” I don’t need to say it. He knows. I’m his. My soul is his.

  “Take me away blue eyes.”

  “As you wish, my sweet.”

  CHAPTER 22 - WHO ANGERED YOU?

  “We’re here, sweetness,” Austin gently tells me. I don’t want to let go of him. I’m not ready to embrace the outside world. It’s just him. I just want him. Only him.

  “I don’t care,” I say, with my face pressed against his chest. His cheek is pressed against the side of my head. I hold him tighter, unwilling to let go. I hear the boy against me, lightly snort, while he gently combs my hair.

  “I thought you wanted to attend this party,” he reminds.

  I look up and glance to our side. We had emerged just outside Aiden’s home, down a dark, unlit sidewalk. I look around, checking for any suspicious eyes that may have spotted our dramatic entrance. No one seems to have noticed. They are all far too pre-occupied with their mundane lives to even care.

  “How did you know where Aiden lives?” I ask.

  “I know many things and after we are joined, after your ascendance, so will you.” I gaze curiously up at that blue-eyed giant.

  “You mean, I’ll have the same powers as you?” My eyes gleam with excitement. He nods and lays a kiss against my forehead.

  “You’ll inherit mine and possibly something of your own. Each individual has some unique
gift that others do not. We call it, a signature marking.”

  “What’s your signature marking?” I ask him.

  “I can manipulate realities,” he enlightens. My eyes go big.

  “You mean like, change the past, present or future?”

  “No. I only know how to make you see what I want you to see,” he says. I release a heavy breath of air.

  “Whoa.”

  My mind is running wild with endless possibilities of manipulated realities. I wonder if he can manipulate a reality where we can sit on a beach, soaking up the warm rays of sunlight, listening to the melodic sound of waves crashing over and over… what am I thinking? He can probably just teleport us to any beach in the world!

  “You name the place and I’ll take you there, my sweet.” He read my mind. He does that. Why can’t I read his?” “After tonight, you will,” he whispers internally. I sigh and gleam happily.

  “I have so many questions,” I tell him. He smiles and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “I know you do. Your heart flutters in excitement and wonder.” Austin takes my head between his two large hands and holds me dearly. “I have so much to teach you, my Emilia. So much to show you.”

  “You can start by giving my memories back. Maybe that will help catch me up a bit.”

  “Tonight, I will, but right now, I want you to enjoy this moment. I want you to enjoy the normality of your human existence, for it will be the last human thing you ever do.” Huh?

  “What do you mean, last human thing?” I’m not frightened, more just curious.