Downhill

21- Prophecy

I sat up and stared at him. He looked just as he always does. There was something different about his presence. It isn't him, I know it. This was darker, this was evil, this wasn't him. At the same time it could be him, he is a murderer after all.

"Come on, I lied to you. I held a knife to your neck when you slept." Hector walked closer to me.

"But you never did it,"

"Yet you're still scared of me," He smiled but it was a smile of pain, I could tell.

"You're not even real," I replied calmly. Somehow he didn't scare me. He never did.

"Of course not, I am made of his fears, I am made of his pain."

The voice sounded like his but different. It lacked the tone that made Hector himself. It lacked joy, hope, freedom.

"Did you know that he was still going to kill you at some point? He thought of doing it after the carnival," he smiled.

"Really?" I stared down at the floor.

"Yes. Are you mad at me yet?" The voice changed. Now it sounded exactly like Hector. And he smiled. It was his smile.

"He couldn't wait to do it, he had his knife sharpened under the bed. He hated you so much. It was hilarious," the voice changed to the cocky and calculated voice again.

Then another Hector showed up. Two of them stood in the room.

"Oh, that is all so wrong. Don't worry, I am the real hallucination. That one was created from your curse," the new second Hector said. He walked over to the other one and blew it away. The evil one disappeared.

"Hi, I am going to stay here for now. Well I will occasionally pop up. You know how magic is," this one shrugged. It sounded exactly like Hector. The perfect tone. "Of course he was going to kill you. It was his top mission after all. He wasn't going to do it after the carnival. He was thinking more about poisons. I see why you should be mad at him though. It does make sense Max."

"Leave me alone Hector!" I screamed, there were no tears. There was no weakness, just anger. I closed my eyes hoping that when I opened them he would be gone. I counted to three, and when I opened my eyes he was gone. There was no sign of him. Just like when he left me in the city that day.

Why were there two? Why in my nightmares does he follow me around like death in his terrible glory?

He ruined me, he corrupted and destroyed every dream I ever had. I can't watch movies anymore, I can't dance. I can't eat cake anymore. He ruined sleep and eating.

I had my hands on the counter and looked up at the mirror. I'm the prince of this country. I'm the next king. I need to be a king like my father. I will not be held hostage in my own kingdom. Not anymore. He wanted me to be mad at him, I will be mad now. I will be mad for all of the people that loved him. I will be mad for the people he killed.

I will be mad for all of the sweet kisses, for all of the hand holding that gave me butterflies. I will be mad for all of the tears and all of the laughs. I will be mad for it all.

Hector wanted me to get a new life and he helped me find one, one of a king. This is what I want now. I stepped out of my room and looked at the painting of Queen Lilith. The Queen of War. She said that the only way to solve issues was fighting until the opponent surrendered.

Micah walked over to me. She looked at me and then up at the painting. "She was a great leader. Toutis's army has to thank her for everything. Without her we wouldn't be this powerful." She spoke with admiration in her voice. "Anyway, Max, how are you feeling?" She asked, looking at me.