Part 1: Please give this fantasy short story a read and show some love! Some things may change.
Setting: A place call City Island in a New world, 2018.
Broken hearts scattered in pieces even light can’t reflect upon. Death was no exception. When a human has fallen to the defeat of demise, the dark clothing symbolizes their heroic. What if they weren’t heroes but villains instead, are we going to treat them the same way? As a young witch, I know everything from summoning light to unimaginable blackness. The only hero I want is to bring him back. Like death have received him, I’ll steal more. Lost in my trains of planning, I didn’t notice the shadow that fell behind my back. The still grin lies stiffly on their lips waiting for me to grant it attention.
“What are you working on there, little enchantress?” he said rubbing his brows together. The whiteness on his clothing burns my fire amber eyes like it was already ashes. I never met his grass eyes for they tell lies.
“Go manipulate someone else, Aiden. I have no time for your games. Move over.” I resist the idea of shoving him. His amusement was cruel as his eyes dawned closer to the materials out in front of me.
“Half an eye, tan hair, used heart, and a shattered brain. What could you be witching up, Elena?” He knows. Why isn’t he stopping me? I turned stoic and still afraid any wrong words could be the last.
“Looks a lot like my twin brother, doesn’t it?” he said through my complete silence. I twisted my neck in what look like a nod, but my lips stayed seal.
“I don’t know how to live without him, Aiden. Harvey was my beating soul, my love,” I confessed breaking the deadly silence. The tears slowly held its power slowly pouring down my eyes. There was a tiny cried of shout in my voice but Aiden turned his back on me. Even then I can imagine those haunting eyes. Quickly, I push the drops away not wanting to wet my white dress. It cling onto my skin so tight, it felt like the closeness inside.
“Spare me your tears, Elena. We both know you should have loved me, instead, you chose that filthy human. We could have ruled the world, warlock, and witches. It could have been all ours. Your pathetic heart fell for the wrong Kline brother.” He glares right through my face aiming for something more. I step back as fear rises like the sun. A dark light.
“We would of destroy this universe, Aiden. How could you act like this when you lost your brother, best friend?” I asked searching for some sympathy. He came forward slowly but his hand was curled up ready for some magic.
“That label ended when you chose him, lover. Love to make you do insane things. Twists you in ways even God didn’t predict coming.” His feet pushed away from the items lying helpless on the ground. I have to do something before it was too late. Before he ruins everything. Mischievous eyes and soulless Aiden brushed away the hair on my pale face draining the last of its blood.
“Rushed magic isn’t good but its all I got,” I whispered to myself praying for hope to what I’m about to do. Aiden leaned in ready for mistakes. A kiss.
“There’s no way that’s going to happen. Harvey went or not,” I spit in his face. Not even the slightest hurt flashes in his face instead he laughed.
“You think I don’t notice that? What I want is more than just you, Elena Snow. You’re worth more than weak humans. Could you really be that in love with death? I’ll grant you that wish,” Aiden replied pushing me onto him. His touch electrocutes me with the feeling of wrongness. The coldness of his fingertips and his rosy cheeks matched mine. This was no feeling of affection. This was the signs of death. That’s when it clicked.
“You want my magic,” I realized sighing. My dedicated hands pushed his stronghold away with as much strength as possible. When witches are murmured the killer takes ahold of all their power human or not.
“Finally!” he exclaimed. Aiden ran his hand through his beige hair carelessly. I thought back to his grins at the words I mention of Harvey’s name. Another smile rose upon the dim light in the scarlet room as I wait for him to finish.
“Aiden, what happen that night?” It’s been 2 days since death claimed Harvey but the grief was still fresh. Aiden’s head rushed up like the patience ran out. The chase was over and the truth was gonna spilled.
“The ordinary brother of mine had a secret. His envy. It sprang him in ways which made him see me as a target. Like a game where he was the winner no matter the supernatural inside of me. When you, Elena Snow, wrangled up in our game, you became the target and I the opponent. Of course, you fell for the heroic act of his, but it was a fake. To love you, he had to become like you. A warlock. That night when the trees bang against the window at midnight he made his last move. To kill me gain power so he will be equal to us. In defense, fifteen was too young to die so I did what humans call killed. His thick blood run down as his head departed from his head. A human he was, a human way to die. Killing him in any other way would have been mercy.”
This time, the tears had a stronger grip. My hands tightened as the anger bubble.
“You’re lying. Harvey, he wouldn’t. Not him, never him,” I screamed lashing out at the ingredients of resurrection. My head spin as his theories made sense but I fought that idea with weakness. I couldn’t handle this, this is absurd. The waves of possibilities drown my brain and my heart fluttered away.
“If you believe that why are you furious?”
“Is this all a joke to you?” My voice shakes the room in this cottage. My hands were ticking bombs ready to set off any second. Aiden didn’t nod or disagreed.
“I need to hear it. I need to hear it from Harvey.” Aiden was lying like the manipulated brat he was. There was a tiny pang in my head correctly my words saying it was Harvey who was that way.
“How do you proposed to hear the deceased talk? Foolish witches. Wrap your head around the truth and away from your silly heart,” Aiden accused and pointed at my chest.
“Don’t you dare right now, Aidan Kline. You want to kill me, steal my magic. Who says I can’t do the same to you?
“You wouldn’t a weakling. Murdering for Elena Snow? You really have gone rogue.” My brain was preparing for a spell that licked at my tongue ever since that night. It was that bomb I was going to set off tonight.
“Maybe I’ll let Harvey finished his job, Aiden. I’m capable of magic though right? Don’t forget witches are stronger than you filthy Kline warlocks. A Harry Potter went wrong.” That insult ignites the fire in Aiden as he clung towards me. I threw my hand up in lightning speed as everything turned to solid. An ice in time. Aiden growled at my magic and was ready to power his. Too late, Kline.
“Continent responsum mortis in me quaerere in Veritate. Mortuus est autem spiritus est mendacium. Revoca puerum agis, Harueie, & Kline Aiden gemelle Castoris. Quondam multo vivit homo indiget ad vitae,” I clearly said as each ingredient came together. My head nodded in approval as I had everything right. I wave my hand freeing Aiden so he can watch.
Aiden can watch his twin come back to life. My love, his lost.
I closed my eyes. The fear rise building up as the seconds gone by. The window by the shelves in the room rattle as the wind hit my face gently. I breathe the air and hold it afraid for the next moments of my life.
“What the?” I heard an unfamiliar voice. Instantly I open my eyes and stared. The figure beside Aiden had golden tints in his dark hair with ashes on both sides of his face. I watch as his mouth drop open and silently cursed themselves. Repeatedly he moved from side to side uncomfortably. Stay still I wanted to warn him.
Aiden was the first to question the stranger.
“Who are you? What have you done, Elena?” For once, the jokes left Aiden and seriousness take over. It was good to look at his fragile face. What have I done?
“Rushed magic isn’t good, but it’s all I got,” I repeated to myself.
“Who are you?” the stranger alarms cried. He buried his head in his chest as he sighed.
“We ask you first,” I answered like a child.
“I’m Harvey Kline.”
Aiden rushed to his side taking him by his gray shirt.
“The truth, who are you? You sure aren’t my twin,” Aiden screamed. The pitches in his voice flinch the boy’s skin causing him to jerk.
“Tell him before he kills you and trusts me he will in a heartbeat if he had one,” I encourage him as Aiden snarled. I wanted to help and unleash his hold on the weak boy but I was desperate for answers. This was my doing after all.
“I’m Harvey Kline born and raised in this place, City Island. Before it happens,” he stammered.
“What happen?” Aiden asked. The kindness was invisible.
“Death swallowed me like the bullet that pierces my skin.” There were emptiness and brokenness in his voice. He sounded far away like this town was a dream from his reality.
“Oh my gosh. I think I brought back the wrong Harvey,” I whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. Their blank face screamed in the light. I covered my face breaking down as the sob contain my chest unwilling to let go.
“You think?” Aiden said then chuckled. How could he be laughing right now?
There was one more question that hangs in the air.
“What are you, Harvey?”
“That’s the thing, strangers. I don’t know.”
“You can’t know, Harvey,” Aiden pointed out. The first correct thing he said all night.
“That’s the truth. I don’t feel human but something else.” What else is there in this world, I thought. The superior witches and warlocks to the knights of humans. I glanced over at Aiden and as was I, our minds was pushed beyond. I wanted to run away from this big mess. The truth was all I seek, this game that I played to get it was not worth a penny of it. I was exhausted as I kick the dust off the ground and just like it, it would never disappear. I wanted to hide, was there a spell for it? A permanent one. There was a noise that sounded faintly at first. My hands rushed to my ears afraid it was deaf it. The machine shedding voice like it was a killer in another form. What is going on?
“Elena Snow,” I heard Aiden called out. I turned my attention to his pointed hands and gasped. My eyes stretch itself out and my magic was light against my fingers.
“That’s the thing about truths, humans. You can’t detect them from lies,” Harvey said. Only it was Harvey anymore. Once the human skin lingered on his body but it lies on the ground like a transformation of a monster.
“What are you?” I asked pushing away the fear. They never left instead keep coming out of its hiding place. I shivered against the cold, the sun had set. The light flashes the orange into the room brushing on our pale faces. I saw the green on Aiden’s face like he could hurl everything up.
“It’s him,” Aiden slowly formed the words. Chill now ran my back like a spider on their webs. The crawls were huge like spinning worlds. I shake my head in confusion.
“Who?”
It was the monster that answered.
“I’m the Guard of Death’s door. Some called me Death itself, but my real name is Jared. I’m the shape-shifting reaper,” Jared announced themselves.
The light as fast as it came jogged afraid. The room was pitch black with no light except for the bulb in the room. The shadows haunted me as I turned white.
“You’re going to kill us, aren’t you?” Aiden asked with panic. He held his tight fist by his side glaring at me.
“This is my fault, he doesn’t have to die. This is my doing,” I interrupted looking straight through Jared. His black horror body came closer to my rosy cheeks. The screams choke at my throat. This was it, I’m going to die.
“You know when I’m about to take a life, I want to make sure they know why. Why there are rules to follow, why there are people still living and not joining us. The reason for our existence. Do you know why I’m about to do this and answered like it’s your last words, witches” Harvey asked. His eyes run lines against our bodies. A painful death it will be, I decided. No mercy.
I shake my head as Aiden nodded.
“Just kill us already. Monsters don’t ask questions.”
Harvey laughed a chuckled that unfroze my fear like maybe a part of him was human. It was warm and kind. But his other features told another story.
“Fine, but truth be told, you weren’t supposed to die. I won’t deny another body ever.” I shut my eyes afraid of what’s to come.
“Open your eyes, witch,” Jared said aiming his attention towards me. No, my brain screamed. My reflexes betrayed me as they obey.
Aiden didn’t scream maybe because he didn’t want to seem weak or there was no pain. I went with the first option. His whole body one right after another violently shake like if he stops, the pain would gun him. Then he did. Harvey opens his mouth like a motion of receiving kisses. That wasn’t what he planned. He sucks in a bright white light.
“That’s a soul, the way to how I change bodies,” Jared explained. The fright bite my lips as I watch the twin of my lover’s life exit him. He died a liar when he should be here right now.
“Delicious.” Jared eyes transformed from pure white to pitch darkness. Death was supposed to be peaceful afterlife exists, I know where ever Aiden was he was still suffering.
“Back to you beautiful.” I nodded.
“You’re killing me because I tried to bring Harvey back. I broke the nature of law and life. Punishment for those is permanent. The consequence is severe because I won’t survive.”
“You have to understand, we all have lost loved ones.”
“Do you even know what love is?” I questioned him. There was a trance of light dancing in his eyes. It was like a star in the night.
“I have, once.”
“What happen?”
“I’m about to kill you and you want to know my love life.” I laughed loudly catching him off guard.
“Yes, are we in a rush?”
“No.”
“Exactly,” I said sealing the deal.
“What’s your story, shapeshifter reaper?”
He started, “For us to mend, we must be broken first…”
Comment and like for Part 2:) xoxo jo
johannawrites 