Psychopathy

Chapter 17- The Reason Why

Isabel stared out over the boiling lake, arms crossed over her chest. A scorching wind blew over the land, ruffling her hair and burning her cheeks. She could block the wind if she wanted to, but after an eternity of feeling nothing, the heat reminded her she could feel, and she wasn't about to give that up. The ground trembled beneath her feet and she looked back where, just over the horizon, their thrones sat. She wondered what had made him so angry.

Well, whatever it was, she'd find out in due time, when he took out his frustration on her.

She sighed and looked back out over the lake. The wind whipped the water, sending waves crashing dangerously close to her feet. She turned to walk back to her throne, but then something caught her eye. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see what it was. Out in the middle of the lake, there was... something. Something that was trying to break through the water. Something that couldn't because of the churning waves.

Isabel put her hand up in the air and the wind immediately died down, but the waves were still crashing as fervently as before. She crouched down and stuck her hand out towards the water. Before it could burn her fingers, the water cooled and cleared, washing over her hand with a cool sensation. She extended her influence out toward the middle of the lake, and a cool, clear lane opened up towards the middle of the lake.

She watched with curiosity as something moved underneath the water, traveling up the path she had created. As the mystery thing got closer, Isabel pulled her hand out of the water, staying crouched down. She tilted her head as the thing approached the shore. A few seconds later, something tried to push against the surface, the surface tension doing everything to keep it down. Wait, was that... a person?

Finally, the mystery person won, and a head of mousy brown hair popped out from beneath the surface, water droplets sticking to their locks as they crested the waves. The person, a man, shook the water from his hair as he got closer, and as he rose up out of the water, Isabel rose to stand with him. Who was this mystery man, and how had he gotten there? He didn't seem to be one of the damned- they were always dragged there against their will, and this man seemed to come of his own volition.  Once he was only knee-deep in the water, he looked around, a smile growing on his face when his eyes landed on her.

"Isabel," he said softly as he came to stand in front of her. She stared at him, unsure of who he was and why he was there. Was this some sort of trick? Was this one of the devil's ploys, trying to catch her with another man so he could punish her for it? But yet, something itched at the back of her mind, telling her that there was something she should be seeing. Something she should know. The man reached out and cradled her cheek, and she let him. She really didn't want the mystery man touching her, but at that point, she had grown used to being touched without her consent. "I've spent so long looking for you. You don't know how happy I am to see you."

"What do ye mean?" she asked softly. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and his hand slightly trembled against her skin. "Who are ye?"

"Isabel, it's... it's me," he said, sadness in his voice. She looked down at the ground, eyes narrowing. Who was he, and why was he certain she knew him? She looked into his eyes, which were desperately searching her. Suddenly, the cloud lifted from her mind, and she realized exactly who she was looking at. Her teammate, her confidante, her friend. She gasped, and he smiled softly.

"How are ye here?" she asked, and his free hand came to cup her other cheek. But this time, she leaned into his touch. How had she not recognized him? How had she not remembered her closest friend? Frantically, she tried to draw up the memories of her other friends but realized in horror that their faces only came to mind with great difficulty.