School of Good and Evil II

Chapter 19

The next day, Dovey enter in the room, bringing me out of my lethargy.

- I bring you food.

I nod my head no. I have no desire to eat. She puts down a plate a plate of bread and a piece of meat on my lap.

- Eat Ava. We don't want you to die. We just want all this to stop.

- Me too. You don't know how much. I sigh.

I push the plate away and it crashes to the floor with a metallic clatter.

- If that's all, you can leave me. I have nothing more to say to you Clarissa. I haven't done anything. I'm here to help you. But it's useless, you don't believe me.

She looks genuinely sorry, and pained. I didn't know that she liked me until today. And that hurts me even more. She leaves the room.

I wait alone for a few more hours, until Lesso enters. She comes and stands in front of me, and this time she holds my gaze. I read so much rage in her eyes that I wish she hadn't looked at me. But I don't lower my eyes.

- Are you going to talk ?

I don't answer, my jaw clenched. Then she nods.

- Fine. I'm not here to talk anyway.

Her eyes darken and she raises her finger. Her hand catches fire instantly. And with a brief hesitation, she places her hand on my thigh. I can't hold back a cry of pain as I feel the fabric of my pants burn, followed by my flesh. She quickly raises her hand and takes a step back. She pauses, probably to give me time to speak, but I don't. I clench my jaw even tighter, and she puts her hand on fire on my arm. My scream tears through the silence, reverberating off the walls in dozens of echoes of my pain.

She tortures me in many ways for more than two hours without me saying a single word. At last I put my chained hand on hers as she passes with a dagger through a wound that has already been travelled a hundred times in the same way. Her gaze goes back to mine and hurts me even more than her physical violence. Something inside her is suffering. She doesn't want to do this to me. I'm sure about it.

- Do you have something to say Ava? She asks, betraying a shred of hope.

- I'm sorry.

- For what ?

Surprise appears all over his face.

- For breaking your arm.

Her eyes fill with tears. She looks away.

- Shut up. If you're not gonna confess anything, just shut up, Ava.

I squeeze his fingers between mine and feel his hand tremble on the dagger. I close my eyes to ignore the pain it causes me.

- What did you want to tell me ? In my office, and again the other night ?

She suddenly steps back and takes a deep breath.

- I'm not going to repeat myself, Ava. Shut up.

- I'm sorry Lesso. I'm not going to shut up. But I am more sorry for not listening to you. Now I'm listening to you. It's now or never, I'm going to die today. If not, tomorrow. And I don't want to leave without knowing.

Her gaze falls on mine. A tear rolls down her cheek. In anger, she swings the dagger across the room, which slams against the wall and bounces on the floor with an unbearable metallic clang.

- I hate you Ava. She sighs.

I nod.

- I'm sorry. I wish things could have been different between us.

I feel myself spinning but I hold on to reality as much as possible.

- I shouldn't have pushed you away.

She moves abruptly towards me, her face so close to mine I feel her breath on my lips.

- I came to you because I needed you.

My gaze is lost in his clear eyes. Need me? Lesso? She seems to read my mind.

- Yes, I do. I wanted to accept your help.

She straightens up.

- But look at where the fuck we are !

She holds her head in her hands as she paces. Tears without sobs flood her cheeks. And her face becomes blurred.

- I'm sorry. I should have listened to you.

I breathe with difficulty. Lesso suddenly turns to me and takes my face in his hands to look into my eyes.

- No! No way you're leaving now, Ava, do you hear me ?!

I force myself to keep my eyes open.

- Never mind Lesso. Nobody believes me. I'm gonna die anyway.

- I believe you.

My heart starts pounding in my chest. No. I must be delirious. But she repeats:

- I'm sorry, Ava, I believe you now.

- So kill me. I ask with a weak smile.

My eyes close, I feel myself passing out.

- No Ava ! Stay with me ! Ava !

I feel her stirring but I am already losing all feeling in my body. The last thing I hear is Lesso calling for help.