I followed his gaze up and gasped as a bright light exploded above my bed. I closed my eyes, trying to blink away the colorful spots of light that swirled around me. It was like looking into the sun. When the lights had passed, I cautiously opened my eyes, and gasped again.
Tabitha’s spirit hovered above my bed. She was almost completely translucent, and she had a smirk on her face. “Hi, Ronnie.”
Before I could even brace myself, Tabitha surged forward, easing her way into my mind. I could feel control over my body slipping as Tabitha forced my self-conscious off to one side. Quickly, I reached inside of myself, calling to the power resting at my core. Using all the power I possessed, I tried to fight my way back to the surface of my mind. Banishing Tabitha’s spirit from my body wouldn’t be easy, but I couldn’t just give up and let her take over.
There was no telling what she could do with my body once it was under her control!
Tabitha fought back, refusing to just disappear into nothingness. Death had apparently increased her power, making her more than my equal. I could feel myself being pushed farther and farther away, back to the farthest recesses of my mind. I wasn’t sure that I would ever be able to resurface. Once I was there, Tabitha used her power to seal me in, encasing me in a prison of energy that kept me from attacking her and reclaiming my body.
“Well, that was easier than I thought it would be,” Tabitha said. Only, it wasn’t her voice. It was mine. She sounded and looked like me, and nobody would be able to tell the difference.
Tabitha, please don’t do this! I screamed.
Slowly, Tabitha smiled. I’m sorry, Ronnie. I gave you a chance to be on my side, and you betrayed me. Now I’m going to get my revenge, and you’re going to help me do it, whether you want to or not…
Chapter Five
Tabitha stayed locked in my room, trying to learn the ins and outs of controlling another person’s body. I fought against her control for hours, severely hampering her progress. I even made her lose her concentration and crash into my dresser at one point, and that angered Tabitha.
She only did worse after that.
Tabitha kicked the frame of my bed in anger, wincing at the contact. I didn’t feel anything though. All I could do was sit in my mental prison and watch as Tabitha rubbed my toes, trying to ease the pain I was sure she felt. It was strange to know that I had zero control over my body or actions, but it was interesting that I didn’t feel any pain. I filed that tidbit of information away for later use, just in case I found a way to use it to my advantage.
For now, I settled for torturing Tabitha from the inside out.
There’s a dresser there, you know, I thought as snidely as I possibly could. You can’t even master walking. How are you expecting to carry out these plans of yours?
Shut up! I’m sick of your inner commentary already!
Too bad, I thought with a dark chuckle. Because you’ll be hearing plenty of it until you get out of my body.
Ronnie, nothing you can say or do will get me to leave. This isn’t your body anymore. It’s mine, and I’m going to use it to get my revenge. Then I’ll make you wish you had chosen my side.
That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You’re still mad that I chose to do the right thing.
Oh, so you think murdering your little sister was the right thing to do?
Her comment was meant to hurt, and that’s exactly what it did. I could feel my heart clench in my chest, which was weird since I wasn’t in control of my body. When that feeling of pain turned to hatred, I was shocked. Tabitha, I think I can feel your emotions.
There was a pause, and I was sure she was going to ignore me. Finally, she sighed. I can feel yours, too. I could feel your pain when I said the word murder.
I’ve never felt more guilty about something in my entire life. If there had been any other option, I would have taken it. I didn’t want to see you get hurt, but I couldn’t let you hurt any of the people in my life.
You picked your friends and boyfriend over your own flesh and blood! she screamed, turning angry and hostile once again. And now I’m going to make you pay for that in the worst way imaginable. Starting with that fairy…
My stomach dropped at the meaning behind her words. What are you going to do to Tanya?
You’ll just have to wait and see…
Tabitha pushed herself off the bed and back onto her feet, and this time, she only wobbled a little. When she steadied herself, she headed toward the door. As she passed the foot of the bed, Two Socks began to hiss from his hiding place under the bed. Tabitha stopped at the door, her hand on the doorknob. She and Two Socks glared at each other, and I could feel her hatred bubble to the surface once again.
Don’t hurt him, Tabitha. Please, I pleaded.
You love that stupid cat, too. It would cause you pain to see him die.
He’s an animal, Tabitha! How sick are you? Are you that cruel that you would torture a defenseless animal? I could feel her guilt and hesitation at my words, but I wasn’t sure what she was planning to do. Tabitha opened the door and stepped back, allowing Two Socks to run from the room unharmed. Thank you…
I’m still going to make you pay. I just didn’t like the thought of hurting an animal. It’s not who I am.
But hurting people is perfectly okay?
People are mean and selfish…animals aren’t.
Strangely, I could understand her reasoning for not wanting to hurt Two Socks. As sick as she was, she only wanted to hurt the people that had hurt her, and Two Socks hadn’t done that. She would have felt guilty about causing pain to someone or something that hadn’t hurt her. What kind of person did that make Tabitha?
She walked down the halls, keeping her head down. Why are you staring at the ground? Worried someone will look into your eyes and know you’re evil?
She didn’t answer, but I hadn’t expected her to. While she walked down to the cafeteria, I tried to break free from my mental prison once again. I could feel my power still hiding deep inside of me, but no matter how much of it I hurled at the invisible walls around me, I couldn’t seem to make a dent or crack. It seemed that I was stuck here until further notice. Maybe Annie could help me when she got back. I would have even settled for Beth at that point.
With her tray of spaghetti in hand, Tabitha headed towards one of the only empty tables in the room. It’ll look suspicious if you don’t sit with my friends, I pointed out.
I could hear Tabitha’s exasperated sigh, and I could almost hear the whine in her voice. But I hate them.
But I don’t.
Why do you even want me to sit with them? Aren’t you worried I’ll hurt them?
In the middle of a crowded room? You’re not stupid. Besides, if you hurt Tanya right now, nobody would believe it was me for a second. They’d know something was wrong. You’ll wait until you’re alone to make your move.
You didn’t answer my question. When I didn’t answer, she chuckled. You’re hoping they’ll notice I’m not you. Well, good luck with that. Your friends are so oblivious it physically pains me.
That’s something I used to say all the time. Not the oblivious part, but the physically pains me part. I would say something like ‘that movie was so awful it physically pained me’.
I guess we’re not so different after all.
Tabitha slid into a seat beside Ezra, even though I could tell she really didn’t want to sit next to him. She made sure to sit close enough to appear friendly, but far enough away that he couldn’t accidentally touch her. I figured if he did, Tabitha would have a similar reaction to Beth shaking Ezra’s hand. The thought of Tabitha looking down on my friends angered me, and once again, I tried to break free from my prison.
You can knock that off, she thought. It will never happen. You have no idea how powerful I’ve become since I died. Of course, you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?
“Ronnie, are you okay? You seem really quiet. Is something wrong?”
Tabitha looked at Tanya coolly.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, as if she couldn’t believe Tanya had the nerve to ask what she had. “No, nothing’s wrong. Except, you know, me murdering both my father and my little sister recently. Other than that, everything’s fine,” she said bitterly.
Tanya’s wings crumpled behind her, looking completely upset and dejected. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Tabitha didn’t say anything, and I noticed Holly and Ezra staring at her as if they were expecting something. “What are you both staring at?” Tabitha snapped.
I chuckled, which I was sure annoyed her even more. Tanya is very sensitive. I always apologize if I say something that hurts her. And since you didn’t, they’re probably wondering what’s wrong with you.
Tabitha sighed, forcing herself to sound upset. “I’m sorry, Tanya. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’ve just been under so much stress lately. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. Can you forgive me?”
Tanya instantly brightened and smiled. “It’s okay, Ronnie. I understand. You’ve been through a lot lately. It’s only natural to be a little sad.”
I could feel Tabitha’s triumph at avoiding detection. Man your friend is dumber than a box of rocks.
Fortunately for me, Holly is the most intuitive person I know. And don’t call my friends dumb!
Holly was staring at Tabitha, as if she was trying to see into her very soul. Those eyes of her were intelligent and experienced. If she couldn’t see through Tabitha’s charade, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Surely Finn would notice if she didn’t? Nobody here knew me as well as he did. He would sense it in a heartbeat.
Holly’s focus was broken when Beth took a seat next to Tabitha. She smiled at Tabitha, but I could see the smile on her face falter for just a second. She looked Tabitha up and down, and I finally realized what was wrong. Beth can see spirits! I think she can see you inside of my body!
I could feel Tabitha’s fear as we both waited in total silence for Beth to say or do something. “Beth, is something wrong?” Tanya asked, sounding concerned.
Beth looked away from Tabitha. “No, I just thought I noticed something weird, but I guess I was wrong.”
It sucks your little pupil doesn’t know more about her powers. She probably didn’t know what she was seeing.
I sighed. It had been stupid to pin my hopes on a twelve year old girl that didn’t know the first thing about her power. The hopelessness I felt in that moment was so powerful I wondered if there was a chance Tabitha was really going to win. I hated to think that we couldn’t find a way to beat her, but if nobody could tell I wasn’t her, how was it possible to win?
“When do you start training with Ronnie?” Ezra asked.
“Today, hopefully.” Beth looked at Tabitha and smiled. “If that’s okay with you?”
“Of course it’s okay with me. We’ll start right after dinner. I just have to do one quick thing, and then I’ll meet you in the morgue. I’ve always wanted to teach someone everything I know.”
Tabitha, don’t you dare! Leave her alone.
She’s already half-dark. I can sense it. The darkness calls to me. She’ll be easy to convert.
You’re wrong about her. She’s stronger than she thinks, and she’s going to prove you wrong.
Tabitha took her half-finished tray and got to her feet. “I’ll go do that quick errand right now so we don’t waste any time. Oh, and Tanya? How about you and I just have a girl’s night in my room tonight? We can do each other’s hair, paint our nails, and eat some ice cream…whatever you want.”
Tanya smiled so brightly it hurt my heart to know she was falling into Tabitha’s trap. “You really wanna have a girl’s night? But you hate girl’s nights.”
“I know, but I feel bad about snapping at you. Consider this my real apology.”
Tanya squealed, and her wings fluttered happily behind her. “This is going to be great! I just got this new blush that I’ve been dying to try out. You can tell me what you think of it.”
“I can’t wait.”
What are you planning? I asked as Tabitha handed her tray off to be cleaned.
You’ll see.
Tabitha left the cafeteria and took a left, heading into a part of the compound I had never been to before. There was nobody around as Tabitha crept through the shadows. What are we doing in the witches’ section of the compound? What business could you possibly have here?
Tanya quickly looked around to make sure we were alone in the hallway, before slipping into an unmarked room. She flicked on a light switch, and I took in all the potion ingredients that lined the far wall. Things like dried herbs, dead toads, salamanders, and vials of dust were all carefully labeled and sorted to avoid mixing any of them up or getting them cross contaminated.
Ignoring the potion ingredients, Tabitha headed to a small glass cabinet in the corner. There were four rows of clear vials, all carefully marked. Tabitha thumbed through them all, apparently looking for one in particular. When she found a tiny vial of black liquid at the end of the third shelf, she grabbed it and laughed. Do you know what this is, Ronnie?
No.
It’s made from a fairy’s wings. It’s one of the most deadly poisons in our world. Your friend Tanya is going to find out just how tasty it is.
Tabitha, please don’t do this! Tanya never hurt you. I’m the one you’re angry at, not her. Just let them go, and do whatever you want with me. Please, don’t hurt them!
Tabitha didn’t answer. She just slipped the vial into her sweater pocket, closed the glass cabinet, and used her sleeve to wipe off any fingerprints she might have left behind. I was surprised she had the knowledge to erase the evidence of her break-in, but I wasn’t sure why. Clearly Andrew had taught her plenty about being evil. It shouldn’t have surprised me that she knew about hiding her tracks.
Tabitha, stop! You can’t do this to me!
Watch me, Tabitha hissed. I’m going to make sure you regret ever being born! You killed my father. You killed me, and now I’m going to utterly destroy your life and everyone that you care about. And the best part? I’m going to take my time and enjoy every second of it!
*****
Beth was waiting in the morgue when Tabitha and I arrived. She was sitting on the stool that I normally sat in during my lessons, and she looked so young and eager to learn. Tabitha hopped onto the stool across from Beth and smiled. “What would you like to learn first?”
“How about how to locate a spirit? That seems like a pretty easy thing to start out with.” When Tabitha didn’t answer, Beth frowned. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to teach me?”
Uh-oh, I said. If you teach her to locate spirits, she’ll be able to see you in a heartbeat and the jig is up. But if you refuse, you look suspicious. What to do, what to do…
Tabitha smiled. “That would be a good first thing to learn, but how about we work on something you already know how to do. I know you can locate your power, but if you’re going to ever learn to master your power, you have to be able to do it in a heartbeat, without even trying. It has to come as naturally as breathing.”
Beth nodded her head. “Okay, I understand. How do I find it faster?”
“It’s just something that comes with practice. I don’t think I’ll be much help, but I can’t teach you anything else until you learn this. So for now, I think I’ll just sit back and monitor your progress and offer tips if I can. So, how about you take a crack at it.”
I snorted. Take a crack at it?
Shut up, Tabitha growled.
Watching Beth struggle to grasp her power was almost painful. It was clear that she hadn’t been taught much, and I could tell just five minutes into her first lesson that Tabitha was already losing her patience. Remember Tabitha, you’re supposed to be me right now, and I would never consider yelling at a child, I taunted. I was still hopeful that if I could piss Tabitha off enough I could slip out of her hold and reclaim my body, so I made sure to annoy her at every chance I had.
; Tabitha clenched the edge of the table and dug her nails into the wood in an attempt to keep from screaming at Beth. “Beth, why don’t you try focusing a little more before you start searching. I was taught to always picture in my mind how my power felt, and how it made me feel.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, picture how that power feels when it’s in your hands. Does it make you feel powerful? Invincible? If it makes you feel good, I want you to take that feeling and focus on it. Then, when you’re searching for the fastest path to your power, you’ll know exactly what to look for.”
Beth looked down and twiddled her thumbs nervously. “What if my power makes me feel scared?”
Easy, Tabitha. You’re feeling a little upset at the moment. Why don’t you relax? I could tell it took every ounce of Tabitha’s control not to lunge across the table at Beth, and my little jabs definitely weren’t helping her mood any. You know, not everyone is proud of their gift. Some of us have to be taught not to fear what we’re capable of.
She’s weak, Tabitha thought, clearly disgusted. She’s a disgrace to necromancy. My father would feel sick if he knew she was this spineless!
Your father doesn’t feel anything. He’s dead, remember?
You bitch! she screamed, slamming her hand down on the table. Beth flinched, looking as wide-eyed as a startled deer. You stupid, worthless—
“Ronnie, what’s wrong? What did I do?”
I gathered my power and hurled it at the invisible barrier around my mind that kept me locked in place. A tiny crack appeared, but before I could do any more damage, Tabitha clamped down on her anger, tightening her grip on her power in the process. I was disappointed that I hadn’t been able to escape, but at least now I knew that I was right. The key to getting out of here was to make Tabitha as angry as possible and break through her walls when she wasn’t in control of herself.
“Ronnie?”
“I’m sorry,” Tabitha said, trying to even out her breathing. Her chest heaved with each breath she took, and her hands trembled in anger at her sides. “I have a serious headache. I can’t teach you right now. We’ll try again some other time, I promise. But for now, I just have to go lay down.”
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