“No!” I cried, “No I’m not leaving you!”
I frantically waved my hands over the chains and hugged her down, stalling her for a few seconds before the chains grew stronger. You can’t hold it Kaylin.
I felt Liz’s cold body burning up to an almost untouchable temperature.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, a tear running down her cheek as she kneed me off of her body.
Everything was in slow motion now. My screams came out of my mouth without me even realizing it. I collapsed to the ground, my arms reaching out to grab her spirit. The place that filled Liz space was gone.
I watched as the chains pulled her into the fire, then nothing.
She was gone.
Liz was gone.
***
Get up Kaylin. There was no way to explain how I felt. Just, get up. It was as if a heavy boulder just fell onto my body and crushed me. Annabelle would want you to get up.
I watched as my hands shook uncontrollably; I lost Liz. There was nothing I could do to stop losing her. I
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couldn’t hear anything except the beating of my heart, as I stared into the fire which dragged her in. I replayed the moment in my head, again and again, forcing myself to feel the grief that it was my fault. I let her go. I let Annabelle go. I let my father go.
I got up and started walking towards the fire, hoping a chain would come and pull me out.
“Take me!” I screamed, tears rushing down my face.
Snap out of it!
Screams brought me back to reality as I glanced over to my family. You can still save them.
My core erupted with fury as I sprinted over towards Paul, Ethan and Mable, jumping in front of the wall blocking Paul from the fire.
Ash… was ringing in my ears.
Ash... Kaylin...
I blew out a ball of fire, twirling it beneath my fingers. I couldn’t conceal the anger, the rage that was inside of me, as the ball grew, and grew in width. I turned my back to them and faced the wall, screaming at the top of my lungs and threw the ball into the wall, my hands absorbing all of the heat waves. I closed my eyes, feeling every memory of Liz; her helping me, being kind to me, cleansing my arm of the pain. I felt my tattoo burn up, a mirror of reflection caving in to the fire as my eyes glowed red. A snake slithered out from the letter D, sliding into the fire.
I watched the fires slowly extinguish and minutes later, all the flames on the walls turned to a black floating crisp. I dropped to my knees in pants, blood dripping from my nose.
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The chains released Ethan, Mable and Paul and my mother woke up instantaneously.
I saw a blurred vision of Lore kneeling on the ground, Nate and Marrow leaning down beside him in tears.
It was only then when the grief hit me; the realization that Liz was dead. I couldn’t fight the tears that were falling to my face. How many more people did I have to lose? How many more do you want to take from me...
I managed to push myself off the ground and made my way to the Coperton, hesitating to place my hand on Lore’s shoulder.
“Lore, I-,” I began to say but he cut me off.
“She’s gone,” he whimpered. “You couldn’t save her, I couldn’t save her.”
Tears bled from my eyes. “Lore, I’m so sorry.” I knelt down and hugged him, his arms staying in place as he cried into my shoulder.
Instantly, Lore stood up with an electrifying royal blue in his eyes, dried tears swelling his cheeks. He marched up to the wall and began banging his fists on to the hard rock.
“Damn you, damn you! I will find you, Enchantress, I will find you and you will pay for this, all of it!” He screamed at the top of his lungs.
Marrow and Nate rushed to his side, peeling him off the wall and hugging him down.
“Dad,” they both said.
Paul and Ethan ran to us, followed by my mother, Devon and Mable.
“Lore,” my brother stuttered. “We need to keep moving.”
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I could tell that he didn’t want to be insensitive towards anyone, especially Lore.
“Do you know how to wait?” Marrow asked getting up and standing in front of Devon. “Do you know what just happened?” His voice rose. No. Not right now.
I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder, but he pushed me away.
“You didn’t save her, Kaylin!” He shouted at me. “You didn’t save her!”
I didn’t even realize how hard I was crying. Marrow had never talked to me like that, ever. I understand the circumstances, but I wasn’t prepared for it. I, too, lost Annabelle. I know how it feels. I know damn well how it feels Marrow! I let her go!
A slight buzzing began to ring through my ears when a white, blue, green and red ball of mist twirled in the middle of the cave. What the-?
I got up and walked towards it, peering in cautiously at the mixed light. A figure began to form, taller than us all. She was a female, wearing a white gown with brown hair, intensified blue eyes and a red gemstone around her neck.
No.
I didn’t want to believe that it was her.
I knew it was her.
“Welcome home,” she slithered.
CHAPTER 14
Lore wasted no time to shoot a torrent of water out of his hand against the ground, shaking the soil beneath my feet.
“Enchantress!” Lore shouted, striding towards her with intensity and hatred.
I knew what he was about to do, but I was aware it was a big mistake. I wanted to stop him, but he had already pulled out his clan knife and dug it into her chest. Instantly, he fell to the ground, his knife digging deep into the earth.
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Echoes of laughter filled the cave when she appeared again, standing in front of Lore.
“Poor thing,” she grimaced.
Lore stood up and spat at her feet, backing up towards his sons.
“Where is Liz?” He demanded. “Where is my wife?”
“Oh Lore,” she smiled.
She began to twirl her hands in a circle, when a transparent surface appeared in front of The Enchantress. My heart stopped.
Liz, Annabelle, Beth, Sage and a woman with dark hair lay lifeless in a row. I stared at Liz who no longer bore the face of my father. Her blonde hair covered her face, her skin melting with each glance I took. Annabelle’s red locks were no longer hair, but red snakes coiling around her scalp. I almost vomited at the sight; my eyes began to water with rage. I couldn’t bear to see what she had done to everyone. My sister.
The woman with the dark hair resembled Ethan and Paul. Her violet hair draped down over her like a cape. Ethan’s mother.
“I’m going to-,” Marrow yelled, marching towards her, but Nate held him back.
“Mommy!” Ethan yelled out, crying hysterically.
“Ah, ah, ah,” she spoke.
She swirled her hands inside the transparent surface, erasing all of the people we lost. My heart broke in half, staring at nothing. They’re gone. Did that mean Beth and Sage were dead? And Ethan’s mother? They’re gone. I almost lost my balance. I was face to face with the wickedness herself, The Enchantress. I wanted nothing
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more than to walk up to her and slice her throat, but I knew that it wasn’t really her. The bitch was a hologram.
“Kaylin,” she slithered my name.
My pulse stopped instantly at the sound of my name from her mouth. How do you know me? Haven’t you messed with me enough!
It pierced my spine like a thousand needles as I stepped forward, blood pumping in my veins. She was already staring at me, eyeing my every movement. Her hands began to swirl in different ways as a figure appeared, standing beside her.
My heart sank.
My world collapsed.
The figure was my father.
***
It was as if a brick slid through my body and found its place in my chest. I fell to my knees in front of him, tears falling to my face.
&nbs
p; My father was dead.
He was dead.
I shook my head in grief, agony filling through my entire body. It can’t be, it can’t be true. He saved me. He saved me all of those times. He was the voice! He was supposed to be the voice...
I felt my eyes swelling up, and my head spinning. All this time, I thought that it was him who was helping me.
The Enchantress fooled me, killed him. She wanted to turn us against each other; she wanted me to choose between my family and Liz. She wanted me to kill Liz.
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I had hope, but now all my hope was gone. I want to die. I don’t want to continue. My life is over. This was all for nothing.
“Dad...” I whimpered, unable to comprehend seeing him, the real him. Well, what was left of him.
I reached out to touch him, but my fingers slipped right through the hologram before me. I had lost him forever, and it was all because of her. And...me.
I felt rage. I saw rage, and that’s all I saw. I found the courage to face her face, and stopped crying. I spoke harsh and broken.
“What did you do to them?” I could see through the reflection of The Enchantress necklace, my eyes glowing red.
“Join me, Kaylin,” she growled. “You can free all of whom you love.”
My thoughts were interrupted before they even started.
“What do you want with her?” Nate asked.
The Enchantress vanished into thin air and reappeared in front of Nate, grabbing him by the neck.
“Nate!” I screamed, running to his side.
As soon as I touched him, my hands slipped through his body, like he was a ghost.
“She’s powerful,” she said to Nate, releasing him as his body became human-like again.
“Show us who you really are!” Paul yelled.
The Enchantress floated to Paul, grinning at him with sinister eyes. She grabbed hold of his shoulders and then tapped his chin, making him cough repeatedly.
“Daddy!” Ethan cried.
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My mother rushed to Paul’s side, flaming her hand and placing it to his back. I watched as slowly, he began to regain his speech and held my mother. I didn’t care about it anymore. Fury ran through my veins.
The ground began to shake when a light surfaced from underneath The Enchantress. The light burned through the cracks of the earth as five large creatures emerged from the ground. They looked like nothing I had ever seen before; they were black with red horns and red eyes, a green spiked electric blue tail waved in the air. The creatures roared, as fire spewed out of their fangs.
“Come, sit.” The Enchantress began. “My pets will take you to where you want to go.”
And with a smile, instantly, she was gone. Only her creatures left behind.
I looked around to see if anyone was moving, but of course no one was. Would these things attack us if we didn’t obey her? I didn’t want to find out. I slowly moved towards one of the creatures, and swallowed hard. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to do anything. We’re all going to die if we just stand here. Like Liz, like Ann...like dad.
“Do we like, ride these things?” Marrow asked, irritated and confused.
Upon approach, the creature jumped up and roared, causing me to lose my balance and fall on to my back. It leaped on top of me, placing its claws on top of my arms, digging its nails into my skin.
“Kaylin!” Devon yelled, but I wasn’t paying attention to him.
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I was paying attention to it.
There’s something about you. The longer I stared, the more familiar it seemed. Its eyes, which were once red, faded into a soft golden brown. I could recognize those eyes anywhere.
The creature had the eyes of my sister, Annabelle. I was so mesmerized that it wasn’t hurting me, it just snarled on top of me, green liquid dripping from its fangs.
I need to know. Tears ran down my face. “Ann...” I whispered.
What did it do to you? The creature jumped on top of me again, digging its claws deeper inside my skin as the pain intensified. I stared into its eyes, deeper and deeper until I saw it. I saw her. She was a reflection of, me.
The creature yelped in pain, rolling over to one side and off of my body.
“Devon, no!” I yelled.
Devon had shot a fireball into its side, as he made his way towards me, lifting me off the ground.
“What happened? What is it, Kaylin?” He asked, concerned.
I rubbed the back of my neck, running towards the creature and placing my hand on its back.
“Ann,” I repeated. “Annabelle is that you?” I asked. It was, it had to be.
The creature whimpered in pain, eyeing me with what looked like, tears. I immediately pulled my hair to my side, pressing my hands to the bleeding wound of the creature.
“Kaylin, what the hell are you doing?” Devon asked, his voice echoing in the cave.
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It was Annabelle. The torn flesh started sewing together, the blood drying up into its skin. I placed my hand on its side and ran my fingers over the wound, carefully easing the pain away. The creature began to shriek but I just tapped its back again, wondering if Annabelle knew she was this way.
“It’s Annabelle,” I breathed.
Devon, my mother, and Mable rushed to my side. The creature got up and moved away, but I followed it. It was my sister; I wasn’t going to let her slip.
“Don’t be afraid,” I whispered.
I put two and two together and realized what The Enchantress had done; she turned Sage, Beth, Annabelle, Liz and Ethan’s mother into these creatures.
I think that Ethan realized that too because I found him sitting beside another one of their kind, his arms wrapped around its side.
“Mommy,” he cried.
Lore, Nate and Marrow sat down beside the creature next to Ann and placed their hands on its back.
“We need to get on,” I said.
I knew what we needed to do and The Enchantress wanted our loved ones to lead us to our demise, which was certainly clear. Evil bitch. They probably have no more control of what they are doing. She’s torturing them. She controls their movements, but not their mind. It’s sick.
The creature stood up and turned to me, Annabelle’s golden eyes flashing into mine. I hopped on to its back and helped Mable in front of me. My mother got on behind me, placing her hand at each side of its body.
Nobody questioned, just got on top of each of the creatures. Paul and Ethan rode on their mother, the red
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eyes turning grey. Lore rode on Liz, her electrifying blue eyes narrowed, while Devon took Sage and Nate and Marrow took Beth. I couldn’t really distinguish but I knew it was either of the two.
“Now Nate, don’t get too comfortable,” I heard Marrow say as Nate stepped up to sit behind him.
Just like that, the creatures began to pounce forward at an accelerating speed. I didn’t know where we were headed next, but I wasn’t afraid. The further we travelled into the cave, the colder it became. It was rather odd to me that the cold even affected me, but the temperature was the least of my worries.
We were all together. In some twisted, messed up way, we were all here. Even you, dad.
I glanced over to Nate who looked straight ahead; I could sense his determination to find out what was to come, even if it wasn’t good. Unlike everyone else, I didn’t exactly know how I felt. It was as if someone had wiped my emotions away and left bits and pieces behind, just enough to keep me moving.
“Where do you think we’re going?” Ethan asked, breaking the silence that had been going on for what felt like hours.
Nobody cared to respond, so I decided to give the best answer that I could.
“We’re going to get answers.”
***
As time passed, I could see that the dark atmosphere of the cave began to fade into a warm, sunset path. The light ahead was blinding, making my eyes water.
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“Nate?
” I heard Marrow ask.
“What?” Nate said sharply. I looked over to them, their dirty hands covering their eyes.
“Think you could be of help and trade places with me? My skin is already too tan.”
I rolled my pupils underneath the mask of my hand. I peered down to see the eyes of the creature, but they just kept straight ahead, unmoved by the blinding light. How was this possible? If this was really Annabelle, could she ever be one of us again?
Eventually the light stopped, and our creatures came to a jolt. I felt the fur of the creature dissolve into my skin. No! What’s happening? I hugged Annabelle but she slipped through my fingers and immediately, the creatures vanished into thin air, dropping everyone on the ground. I lost her again.
“What the hell!” Devon yelled.
I pressed my hands against the ground to steady myself upwards, until I saw it. I couldn’t even focus on my sadness.
We were standing on the greenest mountain, overlooking a town. The town was small, but it was still a town. It was the town.
The legends were true.
“Nate,” I heard Ethan stutter. I turned around to see little Ethan staring right into Nate’s eyes.
“Nate, I see you.”
Without hesitation, I turned to look at Lore. His ash grey hair blocked the top of his greased forehead; the slight stubble on his face gave him a scruffy look while his sea blue eyes peered into mine just as mine into his.
Lore saw me, and I saw Lore.
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No shield.
I watched as Ethan approached Marrow, and Marrow looked around at everyone without flinching. I saw my mother; stare at Nate, at Lore, at Marrow. Everyone saw each other.
Wherever we were, wherever this place was, it was a miracle. Enchanted was no more.
The curse was lifted.
Enchanted: The Labyrinth Page 19