Nothing to Gain (Watty Awards 2013)

Chapter Sixteen: The Neutral Zone

Hi Readers,

Here’s chapter sixteen. Treat fourteen, fifteen, sixteen and seventeen as one chapter because they were originally one long chapter. Seventeen will be posted soon.

Leave a message and tell me what you think.

Lia

***

Primula POV

***

My gazed snapped up when I heard someone walking toward me. I turned to see Krista wringing her hands as she stopped nervously in front of me. “Um, we were wondering if you are coming. We are going to change.” She shifted her feet and bit her lip, eyes darting everywhere. I wanted to snarl at her but she was already too scared.

“No, go and I will be fine.” She nodded biting her nails now.

“Are you sure?” She was pushing it. I nod confirming I was sure. She gave me one last look before turning and following the group deeper into the forest. I looked around very amaze at how spectacular the view was. I wandered around rubbing my hands on the thick giant trees and gazing at everything in wonder. I stopped at one tree when I saw my reflection through it.

I gaze at my reflection, bringing my hands up to touch my face. During my years with the pack I refused to look at anything that would show me what I looked like so the image staring back at me was foreign. My eyes terrified me the most; they were almost white-dirty white and small speck of a faded color I didn’t recognized floated around the inside.

The color wasn’t as terrifying as the crazy and wild look I saw. I was afraid of myself - that’s how dangerous the look in my eyes was. My face had no bruises - which I already knew - my hair was a faded black and dull color. I sighed sadly, cringing at what was left of me.

I blinked back tears and focused on the reason why the tree interested me in the first place. I stared at my reflection and frowned when it slowly started to morph into something else. I waited not afraid-more like excited at what was about to happen. The imaged changed into a silver fox - at first I didn’t know what to say but recognition flashed into my eyes when the fox changed into a silver wolf, than red, than black and so on.

“Primrose,” I whispered. She nodded gazing back at me. “Is that really you?” I asked her.

Yes, I jumped at the voice in my head not used to it since she died.

“It really is you. Are you okay? Are you at peace?” She shook her head, no. I frowned as hot tears burned behind my eyes. “What’s wrong?” I choked.

Help. She seemed to be capable of only one word. “Yes, I’ll help you, just tell me how!” I pleaded. She shook her head no again.

Them. I drew back with understanding. She wanted me to help them. Yeah, that was not happening. They were the reason she was dead in the first place! I wanted to tell her that but I knew from experience she wouldn’t listen so I try using logic.

“How can I help them, I’m only me. Plus they know about the shadows. They are about to have a meeting to find a way to stop it. I can’t help them. I don’t know how. I may be able to banish one or two shadows but when they are all gather, even I can’t do it,” I reasoned with her. She never changed the determination in her eyes; she only gazed back at me.

Hell. I heard her voice in my head. I frowned, because she was not making any sense. Was she saying I would go to hell because I didn’t want to help them?