Metanoia

by Angela Schiavone

  “Gina,” he whispered, “you don’t want to do this. You’re hurting everyone including yourself! Listen to your heart, this isn’t you speaking!”

  “I thought I told you to shut up! Oh yeah, that’s right, you’re slow like that. Maybe it’s time for a little lesson, don’t you think?” She moved away and stretched her fingers to the sky. “Kreefra tu larness arghra nem!” At this, a bolt of lightning exited from the sky, straight for Leyance. He began to run, the lightning following close behind. Gina watched him go.

  “Next time, the fun really begins.”

  “Enlighten me. What exactly did you accomplish by going to her against my wishes?” Fheyrhil interrogated Leyance, but he sat staring straight ahead. A look of shock and confusion resided on Leyance’s face.

  “It would have been better if she just plain didn’t know who I was – but she did,” he stated softly. “She stared at me with full knowledge of who I was and what I used to mean to her – but that look in her eyes… it was a look of pure hatred. Gina has never looked at anything that way – not even her worst enemy, but she looked at me that way, the man she vowed to love forever.”

  “There was nothing you could have done…”

  “You know that’s not true!” Leyance screamed. “If I had stayed with Gina during that fight, she wouldn’t have been kidnapped by Noquef and wouldn’t have been poisoned. Or even if I had gotten there five minutes earlier, I could have saved her. I killed her. I did it! And I killed her in the worst way possible, failing to protect. I killed the one I love!” Fheyrhil let his head hang.

  I feel that you speak the truth, Fheyrhil thought to himself, more than you can know.

  “I will look at all possible solutions to this new development,” Fheyrhil went on. “I am sure it is only a matter of time before she comes after Nythagié.” Leyance looked up at him, alarmed.

  “Do you really think she would?”

  “I think it is something Gina would never have done before, so, yes, I believe it is something she will do now.”

  Gina rested on a dark, garish throne, her legs swung over the arm rest. Once again, she was dressed in black. She stared off into space but was snapped back to attention as an Übel came in.

  “Leyance returned to his city, my Dark Lady,” he reported.

  “It does not matter,” she replied nonchalantly. “I wanted him to.”

  “You wanted him to escape?” the creature demanded. At this she swung her legs to the ground and leaned forward, mischievousness in her glare.

  “Not escape, idiot. Believe me, he did not escape. He did just what I wanted. He felt. He felt pain, anger, sadness, confusion. He got a sample. That was only the appetizer. I want him to live with the knowledge that he now has. When I feel it is time, then I’ll serve him the main course.” The fiend chuckled to himself.

  “That is very clever. A drawn out torture. I like it.”

  “I don’t remember asking your opinion, now did I? But I do remember asking you to find out more information about the going-ons at Nythagié, and I’ve heard nothing yet of it!” she yelled.

  “They are distraught. They do not know what action they will yet take. The city has already felt the blow,” he reported.

  “That is nothing compared to the blow they are going to feel. Inform the others – Nythagié will soon be under attack – and we will win. After all, I’m the only one who can destroy Nythagié, and they know it.”

  Gina walked the landscape in the black of night. She wore a long, sheer robe over tight pants and a small top. She was like an evil ghost wandering the night. Wandering the familiar battlefields, Gina found what she was looking for: the wooded area next to the cliff. She was on her way to the river where she had almost met her end. Carefully, she climbed down to the banks of the unrelenting river. Gina knelt down at the very edge of the water and closed her eyes. Slowly, she lifted her hands and rested her palms on the river. Light radiated from her fingertips and swept through the water. The light started to gather at the middle and swept down into the depths of the dark water. Gradually, a shadow was seen in the middle of the light. The shadow grew darker and darker, bigger and bigger, until a faint yet familiar shape could be seen. A body. It rose higher in the water until it suddenly sprang with life, up and out of the water gasping for air, his body being chilled by the wind. It was as if he was being reborn again. Gina knew this man well. It was Noquef. He looked at her with questioning eyes.

  “Gina?” he questioned. “But you killed me.”

  “You fell,” she replied matter-of-factly. “I had nothing to do with it – unfortunately.”

  “You’re different…”

  “Of course! You think I’d raise you from the dead if I was still Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes? You are thick.”

  “But how…?”

  Gina smiled and waded out to him. Once there, she wrapped her arms around him. “Why, you of course. The fire, remember? Well,” she said letting him look at her, “it worked.” Then, she kissed him. It was not a passionate kiss. Not filled with love or admiration, caring or affection, but with roughness. It almost startled Noquef, but he soon eased into it. Just as quickly as she had kissed him, she pulled away. Both walked to the shore slowly.

  “Now,” she said acquiring a superior tone, “I will adopt you as what you always wanted to be.”

  “Your husband, you mean?”

  “Yes,” she said uncaringly. “However, I am in charge now. Not you. You now have what you asked for. You get nothing more.”

  “Like I’m going to…” he began but wasn’t given a change to finish. Gina had him pinned down to the ground as he screamed in pain.

  “Who’s in charge?”

  “You,” he whispered in pain.

  “Who calls the shots?’

  “You, Gina.”

  “Will you ever get in the way?”

  “No, I want nothing more than what you’ve given me.”

  “Good. You’re on the winning side once again.” She released him and began to walk off. Noquef followed, smiling.

  Leyance stood on a cliff overlooking the city of Nythagié. Beautiful flowers grew all around him, but the beauty did not ease his pain. He glanced down at the city and the beautiful river running through it. In his outstretched hand, he held Gina’s lace necklace. It had once been ripped from her neck; now she had taken it off voluntarily. The weakness and pain in his heart was too much, and he sunk to his knees. He knew what he could not accept.

  “I love you, Gina. I’ll always love you,” he declared to the air. “You showed me so much, and I don’t think I can live without you.” He sunk lower to the ground and whispered. “You’re dead, and I can’t bring you back… rest in peace, Gina, rest in peace.” At this he took her necklace, wrapped it around a single white rose, and flung it into the river below. As the rose fell, the white of the petals faded into the white of someone passing by. It happened quickly, but Leyance swore he saw someone dressed in white. He ran after the vision, but every time he turned the corner, the white dressed woman had just left sight. Finally, he turned into a small clearing with no exit but the one he had entered from. He swung around in a circle trying to find where the woman had gone. There was no one there.

  Gina stood looking at a painting. It seemed to display the same scene Leyance had just found himself in. Yet, today, Gina seemed different. Her vice could still be seen in her eyes, in the way she held herself, in the way she walked, but something had changed. Her clothes. Indeed, instead of wearing her normally magical style clothing, she was in normal clothing found in the world she grew up in. She wore black patent leather pants, matching boots, and a halter top complete with a leather jacket. Gina walked away from the painting and out of the museum she had found herself in and into the brilliant sunshine. A busy street lay in front of her and a parking lot to her left that wrapped around the side of the museum. Slowly, she made her way to the parking lot. A black Lexus was parked nearby, and, as she saw it, her frown turned to a grin. Just
then, the owner, a man in his twenties, came walking up to his car. He looked at her surprisingly, but with a satisfying grin.

  “Why, hello,” he said addressing Gina.

  “Hello,” she said, shifting her weight. She now donned a façade of friendliness. “I was just admiring your car. It’s a beauty, absolutely to die for.” The last four words just escaped her mouth as it turned to a mischievous smirk.

  “Yes, it’s a Lexus.” He pulled the keys out of his pocket and let them dangle by his finger. “Want to take a spin?”

  Walking over to him, she smiled and slid her hand down his arm. “You’re too kind, but I’m afraid I can’t. I’m late for an appointment, so I best be going.”

  “Well, then I hope to see you soon,” he said, grinning, as she walked away.

  Gina whispered to herself as she went on her way. “I highly doubt it.”

  Leyance lay in a fitful sleep. Not much rest had been given to him these past days. Too much pain was in his heart to allow him to relax. Such was the case this night when for some unknown reason, he opened his eyes in time to see Gina dressed in white standing by his bed.

  “Gina…” He blinked, and she was gone. It had seemed the same way in life. It seemed Leyance had only blinked and then she had left; she had died. For indeed she had. The original and true nature of Gina had died, and a new terror had been born. Leyance could not take anymore. Pulling the sheets off of him, Leyance managed to get out of his tangled blankets and ran out the room.

  Fheyrhil didn’t need to go to the council room to know Leyance was already there, shifting through papers. He was only surprised that it hadn’t happened earlier. Still, Fheyrhil paid him a visit.

  “Nice to see you are trying to figure out a way to save the city,” he said sarcastically. “Yet, this is not what you are doing.”

  “In a way I am,” Leyance replied without looking up. “Gina can save the city.”

  “Or destroy it.”

  “There has to be some kind of spell to save her…”

  “There is none!”

  “It can’t end like this, with her on their side,” he said with a hurt feeling in his heart.

  “I thought you had come to terms with her death.” With this comment, Leyance leaped out of his chair causing some papers to float to the ground.

  “I’ll never come to terms with it. I know I should give up on her. I know that she’s dead, but part of her still lives and as long as I know that then there is still hope in my mind…” he paused. “She’s haunting me, Fheyrhil. I’ve seen her. I’m slowly going mad because I know that she is still alive – I have to do something.”

  “I do not see any hope, but, for your sake, I will look into a spell that might help save her – and you.” Leyance glanced up at him, and Fheyrhil returned the glance with knowledge in his eyes.

  “Thank you” was all he could say.

  The computer screen sat in front of Gina. An alert box shown on the screen reading: Performing this operation will terminate certain programs and will loose data. Do you wish to continue? Gina glowered and clicked: Yes.

  The television set next to her displayed the evening news.

  “In other news,” the anchor was saying, “a Lexus crashed today on the main highway causing a 13 car pile up. Sources have said that investigators suspect foul play and are looking into possible suspects.” Gina laughed at this.

  “Looks like I won’t be seeing him again.” The television conversation continued.

  “Thanks, Dan. There seems to be a steady increase in these types of crimes lately,” a woman next to him responded.

  “Yes, just another hateful crime, Lisa. It is very sad, but…” Something on the monitor caught his attention and his face showed that it was not good news. “This has just been brought to our attention. Computers at Wall Street have been going haywire. About an hour ago, some sort of virus…”

  “What?!” Gina screamed, enraged. “I hacked into their stupid ‘fool-proof’ system three hours ago. It takes them this long to report it?”

  “…all the information on stock holders, shares, etc… is held in those computers. Experts are trying to straighten it all out but this definitely means big trouble for the stock market.”

  Gina switched off the television. “The stock market is not the only thing in trouble…”

  Chapter 11

  “One Chance”

  Leyance was finally drifting off to sleep, dreams creeping over him.

  He walked through a field with tall grass blowing in the wind. In the distance, he saw a waterfall emptying into a small pond. Standing in the waterfall was a figure in white.

  “Gina!” he exclaimed and ran towards her, right into the water, until he stood holding her under the falls.

  “Hello, Handsome,” she smiled, giving him a kiss on his cheek. Leyance couldn’t believe his eyes. It was Gina; she was back.

  “Gina, what are you doing here?”

  “Waiting for you, silly. I’ll always wait for you. I love you.”

  “I love you too, so much, Darling.” With that, he held her close and kissed her tenderly and passionately. She returned his embrace. They broke for a second, and Leyance looked lovingly in her eyes.

  “I thought you’d be evil forever…”

  “So did I, but you saved me.” She held him and kissed him again. In between kisses she spoke.

  “You saved me…you saved me…you saved me…you killed me…” Leyance broke away, startled.

  “What did you say?” he questioned.

  “I said, ‘you saved me.’” He saw her lips make out those words, but he still heard the same line: you killed me.

  “What?” he asked again, turning away from her and looking around. He saw nothing. When he turned back to Gina, a horrible sigh met his gaze. She was still there, but now she was dressed in black once more with that same wickedness in her eyes. The gash on her cheek from where Noquef had cut her now bled freely. She lunged for Leyance and held him underwater, attempting to drown him. He struggled for his life but could not get free of Gina’s death grip. Consciousness was slowly leaving him…

  Leyance awoke. He was alive and back in bed. It had only been a dream, but it had been so real…

  Gina slammed open the doors to her throne room. As she walked, her wet foot prints traced her path. She was drenched from head to toe. Yet, as she stood, she took a deep breath and the water started to vanish. Just as she was about to be completely dry, a flash of light showed her as the good Gina she had been in Leyance’s dream, but the flash ended and she was evil Gina again, but dry. An Übel followed her through the doors. He bowed low to her.

  “My Dark Lady,” he addressed, “you’re trip was successful I may presume?”

  “Of course, I knew it would be. I’m going to slowly drive him insane and then break him myself.” Suddenly, a burst of laughter escaped her lips that would have frightened the inhabitants of hell.

  Leyance burst in on Fheyrhil who sat at the table, shifting through papers, looking at one in particular.

  “I am glad you have come,” he said, motioning for Leyance to come sit down. “I have news.” He produced a small bottle filled with purple potion from his pocket. “This was just made. It may be our only chance. Beware though, this can only be made once, so do not waste it. The main ingredient is a plant that once picked, will never again grow. There was only one such plant in Nythagié.” Leyance carefully took it as if he were holding Gina’s life in his hands.

  “Will this turn her good again?”

  “Not exactly,” Fheyrhil explained. “It will split her personality into two people. Ideally, she would be split into her former pure self and her new evil self. Then, we can destroy the evil one. However, there is a risk. If Noquef’s spell has worked better than I suspect, then we will be surrounded by two evil Ginas. Or she could have some problems with her. Also, if we destroy one, there is no telling what will happen to the other. This is untested, Leyance.”

  “And it wil
l work. It has to work.”

  “Be open to the fact that it might not.”

  Gina walked outside, bow, arrows, and sword at hand. She was punishing the Übels who she had felt had disobeyed her or Noquef. Just as she raised a sword, Leyance’s face caught her attention. He was heading over the hill.

  “Leyance,” she hissed. Again she raced up to him and threw him to the ground, pinning him down. “Crawling back for more pain, I presume? For, why else would you be here risking your neck?”

  “Listen to me,” he said breathlessly. “I’m on your side.”

  “Yeah, sure you are,” she snapped.

  “I still love you, and, because of that, I will always be on your side. It does not matter if I agree with what side you are on because I will follow you. I will do whatever I can to be with you.”

  “What is it with you and love? Love is fake! You can’t even prove it.”

  “I can feel it and I can prove it to you. Listen, I have a potion. It will turn you into the most powerful person in this world…” he started warily. “With that power, you can turn me evil too.”

  “And why would you give such a miracle potion to me?” At her question, Leyance swiftly rolled and pinned her to the ground, looking down at her.

  “You won’t get it for nothing. I want to make a deal.”

  “The price?”

  “Me. Take me as your husband and love me as you once did.”

  “I already have a husband – Noquef.”

  He couldn’t believe his ears. “What? But he’s dead!”

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you. He’s back and now he’s mine,” she laughed.

  Leyance took a shaky breath. “Then forget him. I can be more evil then him if you help me to become so. Take this potion, become unstoppable and then you can make it so I will be able to help you.” He looked into her eyes, her distant and yet familiar eyes, with so much yearning that she smiled.