War of the Roses (3) (MANUSCRIPT)

Stem 15: Blessed Farewells

      Milford gripped the latches of his backpack. The monochrome, heavy-zippered attire hung light, though held several scrolls and parchments. He looked up at Max, then to Natalie's shoes. 

      Is there any scroll in here for getting rid of Laven Spirits? I bet Aubrey would know. He ran his tongue across his teeth.  

      "I... DON'T WANNA BE EVIL! I just wanna see my... MOTHER'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY! What made me so- so special?" 

      That's right. I never really knew her mom, did I? Max fell back on the grass. Hm. I've gotta do something about this. "Natalie! Can you hear me in there?" 

      "Why, just look at your friend. He still wants to be so nice to you. You won't let him 'get away' with such kindness though, will you? He's in league with the bastards who killed your... dad." 

       In a foggy, mental realm, Natalie saw her reflection in a mirror. Her hands tied to a chair, red and black paint swirled all around her. The only solid object proved a chair underneath. Nothing but silence covered a dark, isolated area. 

       "Wh- You're the-" 

      "Well, right now, honey... I'm you. And do you know what it means to be a 'you'?" 

      Natalie's eyelids shook. "I just... wanted-" 

      "To get to know who your mother was, is that right? How awkward it must've been for your dad to have literally deflowered a kind of... flower. Oh! Yeah, you didn't see me making that pun, did you?" 

       "Y- You're... not me." 

      "Heh, but what do you really wanna have considered as 'you'? Joining all those -- what do they call themselves -- 'Flower Children'... on their quest to tear this planet a new one? That's what your family is, Nat. A gang of primordial, supernatural... thugs. But you got behind them! 'cause you knew you could use... the opportunity. Your life was going nowhere. Even before this, you knew of only one 'friend', and, after a while, not even he wanted to put up with you, anymore." 

       "Sh- Shut up! Tony was... nice. He just had his own motives." One of Natalie's hands broke free from the rope as she yelled. 

      "Hah, even if you tell me to shut up, I'm only here stoking up some thoughts. These 'human' thoughts- So pathetic. Your species is so good at destroying itself. Of course, it was how the human immune-system evolved. T-Cells binding to the pathogens and committing a suicide-murder. Oh, how funny it is that you'd come to act this out within your international wars, and interpersonal conflicts." 

      "I'll... hear no more of this!" Natalie pushed her head forward, the chair flipping around and around, but to no avail. 

      "Your depressed, anxious, intrusive, self-sabotaging thoughts already had a stake in the game way before I came along. I'm just a spirit serving her master. I eat- We eat 'guilt', you see. Magic is essentially electricity, the brain puts out certain kinds of electromagnetic waves, and emotions can be found in an electrical form, too. Well, you're the tastiest thing I've seen, thus far! But enough about me- That's rude, you see. This is about you! This is about you... and how sad, weak, incompetent, ugly, and helpless you are." 

      "Tch! Those are all just adjectives. Don't mean nothin' to me." 

      "Right, right. Yeah, of course! That's why you're also a disappointment- To your dad. He wanted you to become a hunter. Not- Oh, yes, yes, yes! Not what you are now, though. Your dad would take one look at you and cry on the spot. Must be rolling around in his grave."