The Dark Years

Take My Breath Away

Texan took a rattled breath, trying to process everything that happened. He felt as if his lungs were collapsing, his heart was disintegrating, and the walls were closing in around him.

"You can't be dead," Texan sobbed to himself as he looked down at the beautiful woman who lied in his arms. The love of his life who would never open those gorgeous eyes, tease him mercilessly, or slap him for doing something stupid again. The girl he spent a blissful 98 years with. They were so close to 100. Nerd had been so excited for their biggest celebration yet.

Had...past tense.

This was all Lust's fault. If he'd never become friends with that witch or at very least had not allowed her to interrupt their family reunion, none of this would've happened.

Texan gently set Nerd down and stood up shakily. His blood was boiling and his vision was turning red. He was going to kill them. This was their doing and they deserved to pay. 

Texan threw open his bedroom door and stalked to the living room, screaming Lust's name the whole way there just to be met with an empty room. Deep in his subconsciousness, he knew that Lust and Ilonna were long gone, but logic didn't matter right now, only revenge. 

Texan began making his way across the living room towards the front door when he accidentally kicked something, causing the sound of clinking glass to echo throughout the room.

It was the cup. The cup that killed Nerd and their baby.

Texan knelt down and picked it, only to break down sobbing. Clutching the cup to his chest, he rocked back and forth begging to heaven that this was all a nightmare or he was under some spell that made him see his worst fears. Anything that made this reality fiction. 

He would've sat like that for hours if he didn't hear a groan coming from his bedroom. Thinking it was Nerd, he threw the cup onto a nearby chair and dashed back to his room, only to find his wife still cold and still while his sister picked herself up from the floor holding her head.

Texan once again burned with white hot rage. Why didn't Llisona save Nerd? She has powers beyond even his comprehension. What gave her the right to live?

Texan dashed forward and slammed Llisona back into the wall, wrapping his hands around her neck and clamping down. Somebody had to pay. 

"Texan," Llisona coughed out. "What the hell?!"

"Nerd is dead, you didn't save her! You've always been jealous of how happy we were! I knew I never should have let you near my family, let alone trust you!" Llisona kneed Texan and attempted to throw him off of her, but he didn't so much as blink. He just casually continued to strangle her.

"You need to calm down, now! Look at me, you have three daughters who are out there clueless to what's going on. Myc isn't going to tell them and let's be honest, you aren't in any condition to be around anyone right n- ack!" Texan squeezed harder as Llisona clawed at her throat, trying to pry his hands off of her. Black spots began swimming in her vision. That wasn't good.

"What will your girls think of you killing your sister," she wheezed as a last ditch attempt to force some rationality into her brother. Texan's eyes widened at the thought of his innocent darlings learning their father murdered their only aunt. Texan dropped Llisona and took a step back, leaving her to gasp for breath on the floor.

"We need to get Myc to bring the girls back. You need to rest Texan," Llisona said whilst rubbing her neck, a giant purple bruise starting to appear. All Texan could do was mutely nod. He felt numb all throughout. His wife was dead and now he'd tried to add his sister to his list of dead loved ones. He stumbled to the living room, sat in his chair, and stared down at Nerd's cup. This was Lust's fault. It was all his fault.

Llisona, still panting on the floor, pulled out her phone and called Myc.

"Myc?" She rasped.

"Llisona? Are you ok?"

"It doesn't matter, get the girls and come back to the cabin."

"Understood. How's Texan."

"Off the rails."

"I suspected as much. I called in Demi, but he won't be here for a few days."

"Good call. Get here as soon as possible. Don't tell the girls anything. Not yet."

"Okay. Stay safe." The line went dead and Llisona was left on Nerd's bedroom floor completely numb except for the occasional throbbing of her neck.