Traces Of Magic

~Chapter 33~

-Derrick's POV-

I race my way through the trees back to the base, trying to get as far away from Mandy as possible. The leaves beneath my feet crunch as I stomp through the forest. My thoughts swirl around in my muddled head.

What have I done?
What have I become?

I stop for a moment at the tree line near the entrance of the cave. I place my hand against a tree as I lean over and catch my breath. The sound of the rain hitting whatever leaves still clinging to the branches helps to calm me down, but not much. I can see my breath as I breathe out.

Out of nowhere, I hear a twig snap behind me. I turn around quickly and look around. "Who's there?" My eyes dart back and forth, searching for any sign of life present. Another twig snaps to my right. I turn that way and catch a brief glimpse of someone. An eerie laugh echoes through my surroundings. Several twigs snap to my left. I look over that way and catch another look at the figure. Suddenly, I hear a voice in my head.

"You tried so hard to get away from me Derrick..."

One more twig snaps in front of me. I whirl around in that direction and get a better view of the shadowy figure, enough to tell me that it is a man. The voice returns.

"... But the truth is..."

The woods go silent. The only thing I can hear is my breathing. I look around frantically, searching and listening for anything. I freeze facing the cave. This time, the voice is very soft, almost like a whisper.

"...You can't..."

I turn around and come face to face with the figure. His amber eyes flash menacingly as his lips curl into a maniacal snarl. My eyes go wide as I back up quickly. I back into a tree and fall down to the ground. The man begins to cackle evily as I scramble back onto my feet and rush into the cave. I move the rock back and slam the door shut before running into my room. I shut and lock that door as well. Relieved to finally be alone, I lean against the door and try to clear my mind. I set my hand on my chest as I try to breathe in and out with a steady rhythm.

Feeling that my attempt is futile, I sigh and walk over to the edge of my bed. I sit down and place my head in my hands. The voice in my head returns one final time.

"I AM YOU!"

It is accompanied with an unsettling laughter. I jump and look up, my eyes meeting my image in the mirror. Only what I see isn't me but the man in the woods. I stand up and walk closer to it. My reflection smiles back at me demonically. I raise my hand to my face and place it against my cheek gently. Its unmoving eyes stare directly at me. As I move my hand and place it against the glass, it does the same thing, mimicking my movement. It smiles wider and begins to laugh as what's going on finally clicks in my head.

Filled with rage, I rip the mirror off of the wall and smash it down against the floor. My reflection's eyes glow bright red as I watch the glass shatter. It remains on the shards of glass for a moment before fading away, the last thing to completely disappear being the glowing red eyes.

I collapse in the corner and pull my knees up to my chin. I put my hands in front of my face and watch them tremble before wrapping them around my legs and hugging myself tightly. I have become a monster, but not just any monster. I have become my father.

-Mandy's POV-

I open my eyes slowly. It takes me a moment to adjust to the darkness that surrounds me. Soft light is cast onto the walls behind me. Wincing at the pain that shoots up my spine, I sit up and look around. A roaring fire crackles and burns brightly in the fireplace, illuminating the particles of dust floating around in the air. A few cobwebs hang off the ceiling and the pieces of wallpaper that are peeling off of the walls.

"Hey. It's good to see that you're still breathing and whatnot." Noticing Jarron sitting in a chair to my right, I jump slightly. He smiles briefly before looking down. "Gosh Jarron. You scared me." My voice comes out as a whisper. He leans back stiffly in his chair while mumbling an apology. I try to take a deep breath but it hurts too much. My lungs get to half capacity before wheezing out what oxygen they managed to get, sending me into a coughing fit. He looks up and stares at me while I cough uncontrollably.

As my coughing dies down, a sharp pain still lingers in my chest. I sigh and lean back slowly. "Are you okay Mandy?" He looks down as I look in his direction. "Eh, I've had better days." I hope to get a smile from him, but his face stays expressionless. I sigh very briefly. "Are you okay Jarron?" He links his hands together and rests his arms on his legs. "Not really." He looks up at me, his eyes filled with a genuine concern for me.

"I was really worried about you Mandy. When I woke up... and you weren't there beside me...I started to panic and..." I cut him off. "I know Jarron, and I'm really sorry about that. It was irresponsible of me to leave without letting you know in some way." He sighs as he gets up and walks over to sit down beside me. "Mandy, it wasn't your fault this all happened."

He goes silent for a moment as he wraps his arm around me. With his other hand, he takes mine in his and rubs it gently with his thumb. "Do you even remember what happened?" I look down and stare at my hand in his. "A little. I remember being on the sidewalk. Then it started raining. Next thing I know, I'm being thrown against a tree. Then I'm grabbed and pinned against the tree...by Derrick. Then Derrick... he starts... undressing me...and touching me...making me really uncomfortable. Then he throws me against another tree and runs away. The last thing I remember is being in your arms, safe and sound."

I look up at him. His eyes are shut, deep in thought. His voice is soft and gentle. "Did...did he...hurt you Mandy?" He opens his eyes and locks them with mine. I stare into his eyes for a moment before looking back down at our hands. "No...at least I don't think so..." I can feel him take a deep breath as he nods his head. "Good." I take another look around. "Where even are we?"

He moves slightly and presses his arm into my back a bit. I yelp sharply in pain. "Sorry." He looks down before continuing. "This is where I live, or at least where I used to live before I was given the base." I look at him. "Wait. So the base belongs to you and not Derrick?" He smiles and chuckles softly as he nods his head. "Yeah. Shocking isn't it? Even though he acts like it's his, it's actually mine. It was a gift from Amanda, in case I needed somewhere safe to hide. I lived here with my family."

"So your mom had magic too?" He nods his head. "And your dad..." He cuts me off abruptly. "Out of the picture." His face displays signs of anger and frustration. "Probably somewhere in the Caribbean." He scowls and pulls his arm back. Forgetting to let go of my hand, he pulls my arm. I cry out in pain. Instantly, he lets go of my hand as his eyes go wide and his cheeks turn red. "I'm so sorry Mandy! I forgot I was holding your hand and..." Gritting my teeth, I cut him off and give him a forced smile. "It's okay Jarron. It's alright."

As he tries to stand up, I grab his arm and pull him back down. "No Jarron! Don't move! I have an idea." Slowly, he sits back down and stares at me. Attempting to ignore the agony, I lean over and pull my left leg up onto the couch. Noticing my discomfort, Jarron reaches out to help me but I push his hands away gently. He sighs and places one of his hands lovingly on my shoulder. I cry out softly in pain as I finally manage to hoist my leg up onto the cushions.

I sigh and lean back carefully, keeping my spine stiff at all times. I roll over onto my side and rest my head in his lap. I attempt taking a few more deep breaths as he begins to gently stroke my head. "Is this more comfortable for you Mandy?" I smile slightly as I feel my eyelids start to droop shut. "Yeah. Definitely." Jarron drapes his other arm over me gently. "Yeah. Me too."