𝚃𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝: 𝙴𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚜𝚎 (𝙳𝙺 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚏 𝚡 𝙽𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚒)

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 9

~

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴 𝙸𝙽 𝙿𝙻𝙰𝙽𝚂

{𝙳𝙴𝙺𝙰𝚈𝙻𝙸𝙽}

I was back in the open field of the forest alone.

John was ahead of me. Him and I were just starin' at each other until Maria appeared next to him. She whispered something in his ear. I couldn't hear what she was sayin'.

But whatever she told him made his eyes turn bright blood red. He was suddenly thirst-crazed. Before I knew it, it was no longer Maria that was beside him. It was Billie.

She smirked my way before lunging for me. I didn't run. I swung on her with all the strength I had...

...only for my fist to get caught by Mani. I was out of breath as I tried to focus my sight.

My dream wasn't just a dream. It was a warning.

Once she was in sight, I filled Mani in as she looked at me with worry.

"Babe," she said, caressing my face as we both sat up in my bed, "what's wrong?"

"The intruder," I said, "the newborn army. They're all her puppets – Billie..."

Mani's eyes grew as she stared back at me.

"...Vic would've seen Billie's decision to make an army."

"Unless she's hiding them. Lettin' someone else decide. Maybe she found out how Vic's visions work."

Her and I stayed up the rest of the night, thinking on that possibility. Around mid-morning, Mani was on her way out the door, me on her heels.

"Wait..." I said, trynna get her to slow down.

"They'll be here soon, babe," she said, still makin' her way to her truck.

"I know. That's why I...I wanted to ask you something...you'd give your life for me, right?"

She stopped to turn towards me, me drawing closer to her.

"Of course..." she said, lookin' up at me.

"What else would you give?"

"Anything..."

"Good. Then I feel better about askin' you this. I want you to stay out of the fight..."

Mani's eyebrows furrowed some as she looked up at me.

"...babe, I can't."

"But I can't lose you..."

"I won't be far," she uttered, caressing my face, "and it'll be over quickly. With the wolves involved, there won't be enough for the rest of us to do."

"And if that's the case, then you won't be needed..."

Mani froze for a moment, caught by my logic.

"...look, babe...if I'm bein' for real, it's just pride that's makin' you go. I'm askin' you to put that aside. I know that would take a lot of courage. No more tricks, no more half-truths. We'll be together, one way or another. Either you come with me, or I go with you to battle."

Mani was strugglin'. I knew she knew I was right, but she was still resisting.

I needed her to see where I was comin' from. But the only way to do that was to bring up the one thing I swore to myself I would never throw back in her face.

"Mani, I already went crazy once...if you leave again..."

There it was. Her gold eyes widened before dulling with guilt. I felt like complete shit even pullin' that on her, but I couldn't take it back.