My World: On Fire (A Black Veil Brides Fan-Fiction)

25. Ending It

Cait - 

"I am NOT going to kill my best friend!"

Demi smiles sadly. "She isn't herself anymore..." It's weird, actually seeing her, seeing the way her eyes sparkle and her hair swirls around her.

I feel sick... I close my eyes and take a deep breath. It's not her. It's not Aniissa anymore. She's gone.

"Honestly, you'll be doing her a favour.... She's unhappy, Cait."

I  blink around at the darkness.

There's a loud hissing cry that I assume is Phyra. I bet she's really pissed off right now... with two different 'teams' coming to steal her soul and all... Where did she even go? She was here.... She was so close that her disgusting clumps of fur were tickling my face... Oh God that was gross!

I scramble to my feet and stare down at Demi. "What if I get to the statue before her?"

"She's there already.... What she's planning on doing with this thing isn't good, Cait. It'll save her ass but the rest of you will die! You'll explode like that Russian man!" Demi gets to her feet. Even standing up she doesn't even come up to my shoulder.

I think back to the crazy homeless guy we ran over what seems like years ago. He was the beginning of this. He's the one who got us searching for this stupid statue. I definitely do not want to end up like him...

There is a clap of thunder overhead and I turn my face to the roof. A cold drop of water splashes onto my cheek and I swallow the giant lump in my throat. "Where are they?"

Demi sighs in relief and slips her tiny hand into mine, pulling me along. It almost seems as if she's gliding as I stumble through the rows of boxes.

"CAIT!"

The guys are looking for me. I don't want them to see this. I don't want them to see me. I walk on and on and on, staring down as the grey colours of the floor whizz past. Why did this have to happen to us?

I don't realise that Demi has stopped until I'm pulled back and slammed into a pile of crates. They wobble perilously for a second before settling back down. I carefully sneak a peek around the corner. Phyra is there, teeth bared and slimy claws scratching at a small box.  It would be a funny sight if it weren't so terrifying!

As I watch, it's almost as if I can see the lightbulb turning on. The monster's eyes widen and a smile tugs at the corners of her gigantic mouth. She starts going all blurry then. It's as if my eyes are out of focus, but I can see everything else clearly so it isn't me. Phyra seems to shrink and I feel my gaze being dragged away from her. I cannot physically look at her.

When my eyes snap back, the huge, hulking beast isn't there anymore. It's a man. A plain old ordinary man. He's wearing a business suit and his hair is greying. A smug smile flashes across his face and he reaches out to the crate in front of him. He pops the lock easily and he grins. As he pulls out the thing inside, his head twists in my direction.

I quickly duck back behind the boxes. My heart is thudding so loudly I'm amazed no one else can hear it.

There's a clash from in the general direction of the Business Man Phyra thing and I peek around again.

Aniissa is there. NO. Not Aniissa. It's Sullivan now! So.... Sullivan, in Aniissa's body, is the one holding the swirly statue now. 

Phyra's businessman disguise is hissing and marching back. 

A wicked smile flashes across Sullivan/Aniissa's face and he/she waves a hand lazily.

Phyra is pushed back. She/he (I am so confused about genders right now) growls and slowly morphs back into that huge, slimy creature.

"You have to do it now, Cait..."

I turn to look at Demi. "How do I do it?"

Demi points to a crow bar thing that's sitting just behind Sullivan.

The rain gets heavier, falling through the many holes in the tin roof and forming puddles at my feet. I don't feel like I'm the one controlling it... "How am I supposed to get to it?" I whisper quietly, trying not to show how scared I am. This has to end... and I have to end it.

I go back the way we came. Leaving the isle of crates that we had been in and ducking into one a few along. I'm behind them now. I veer even further away from them, leaving a wide circle.

Sullivan is laughing. I don't know what he finds so funny....

I reach down and pull off my shoes so that I'm not making as much noise. The floor is freezing! 

Phyra is focussed on the statue in Sullivan's hands and Sullivan/Aniissa is too busy laughing at Phyra to notice me.

I creep forward and grab hold of the crow bar. I adjust my grip on it and take a deep breath. turning around, I see demi urging me forwards, her eyes wide. I take another silent step forward and just stand there for a while. I'm about to spear my best friend in the chest. I cannot do this.

The air around Sullivan seems to ripple, changing and distorting. The cackling gets louder. Whatever's going on, it isn't good.

"Now!" Demi shouts.

Sullivan/Aniissa spins around. A familiar face is staring at me, the grin fading.

I don't think about it. I just plunge the heavy metal bar forward. It sinks into my friend's chest, meeting a little resistance.

The statue slips from her hands and crashes to the floor.

I feel as though I'm watching it I'm slow motion. 

The statue smashes.

Phyra screams.

Aniissa gurgles, blood spraying everywhere. Blood drips from around the pole in her back, She falls.

There's a loud crack of thunder and the ground starts shaking.

Phyra launches herself over Aniissa/Sullivan and crashes into me.

From the corner of my eye I see Demi skip out from her hiding place and over to Aniissa who is laying still, face down as the floor beneath her rumbles.

There's a huge snapping sound and the ground lurches.

Phyra roars and I kick against her. She's so freaking heavy! She screams and shakes her head angrily from side to side, her huge claws scratching at my arms as she does so.

There's a bright light in my peripheral vision. What's Demi doing?

Phyra snorts in my face and I press my hands against her face uselessly.

"Caity!" A shout comes from behind me and I freeze, my thumb digging into Phyra's eye accidentally.

I know that voice. It can't be him... He's dead.... He died in my arms not too long ago.... I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I'm cracking up now.

there's another crack and I can see a huge line cracking its way along the floor beside me. The shaking gets worse. The floor's going to split.

Phyra is yanked off me and I take a deep breath of fresh air.

"Are you okay?" A concerned voice. A hand on my shoulder. A man's hovering above me. He's naked and bare skinned. A man with no tattoos or scars. He's shivering as he's pelted with the rain and he's completely real.

"Ashley!?"