CORRUPTED (Book 3 of the Tempted Series)

Chapter Five

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
If you are affected or are easily triggered by the topics of blood, death, suicide, thoughts of suicide, sex, and all fun gore-like things, then it is best that you DO NOT CONTINUE READING THIS BOOK. I have realized that the more I plan out this book, the more dark and twisted I am able to make it. And I do not want any of you to be surprised in a negative way. This is the final warning as for all these things. From now on, things are going to and can get ugly. So fair warning. Thank you and enjoy. 

Schneep says Marvin lives within a day's journey. He apparently lives isolated from everyone else in a hut in the woods, but based on Schneep's positive attitude towards him, all you can do now is hope he can help. You'll go, he will give you a remedy, you'll come back, and then work closely with Schneep to plan a way to get Anti back. Easy peasy, right? As long as you have some sort of remedy to control your outbursts, you should be given plenty of time before the world becomes sick of you. You can't start a war with a universe if you lay low, stay quiet, and keep peace.

The journey isn't dangerous, but Schneep said to be prepared for delays if necessary. So wear something you can move in, and pack anything you need for an overnight stay if it is needed and travel light.

You already know you won't need much because you own very little, despite being the ruler of this world.

You stand at your wardrobe, doors open, displaying dresses and outfits for every occasion that you have never touched.

You search for something to wear that may be convenient for this journey. As your fingers softly strum the fabrics of the untouched clothes, you can see dust falling off in a trail after your hand. The bright colors being whitewashed in dust, none of them are appropriate, or your style. Then your fingers pull apart two dresses and you see a piece of fabric stuck in between. It is softer than the others, and you pull it out a little to see it's a smaller dress. Simple, thin, and definitely looks like it doesn't belong.

Your face turns cold.

It's a rose-gold gown, with many spaghetti straps, and it looks like it comes down to your knees. It's silk and soft to the touch. Perfect for sleeping in.

You don't know what it is about it, but this gown gives you a disgusted feeling in your chest, as if a curse is placed upon it and you can feel the misfortune weaved within each fiber. Your heart pounds and something in your mind can see you wearing this dress, but you can swear you've never seen this gown before.

You stuff it in the back of the wardrobe, hopefully to never be seen again, and you run through the remainder of the clothes to find what you need.

You find a black, quarter sleeved, skintight shirt, and you tuck it into a pair of black, cargo-like, pants that end at your calves and tie at the bottom with a string. Then you find a brown leather belt to finish it off.

You put on a pair of boots, and stand in front of a mirror to look at yourself. Finally, your  style your hair in your favorite way.

Then you look at yourself. Staring blankly into your own shallow and exhausted eyes. Studying your face and the shadowed eyes of someone who is partially dead with no life in them. No emotion, because it had all been drained out. You slowly stretch your fingers, but even as you see them move, you can't tell if it's actually you moving them.

You don't know how long you stand there, frozen in place breathing slowly, but something flashes in your mind and jerks you back to reality, like the sudden realization that Schneep is probably waiting for you downstairs. You turn to head out, but you remember one last thing.

In the drawer beside your bed, you dig through, searching for a piece of leather. Once you feel your fingers graze across the rough material, you pull out a brown sheath, and hook it onto your belt, then wrap a strap around your thigh that holds the sheath close to you and is accessible in case if any danger. That way you can just reach down and pull out the engraved knife that lays inside.