Pernicious- True Evil

Chapter 12

Astra once again woke up to the familiar feeling of a sinking pit in her core. To have a dream and feel like her mother was once again with her for a moment, only to wake up to the desolate realization she was still dead, felt like a cruel form of punishment. She knew she had to let go, but she wasn't sure how. How could she ever forgive herself?

Her father. What would he think of her if he knew she was hiding the fact that she knew of a way home? She had to get back to him, but he would be ashamed if he knew that she could have helped others get home but chose not to.

A gentle breeze touched her cheeks. They were still damp from the residue of tears lingering upon them. She must have been crying when she was asleep. Shamefully she wiped away the dampness and wanted nothing more than to never feel this sensation again. It only reminded her of the cross that her soul bore.

Alek and Sagan were still in a deep sleep. What did they dream about? Did they dream about their family or a life outside of this place? Did they have nightmares they were forever trapped here? She wished that for a moment she could escape into one of their dreams so she would not have to think about her own.

A strange tingling swept over her mind. She felt different this morning. The colors around her were crisper and she felt like she could smell and hear far better than she ever had before. Was this the result of swallowing the worm? What other side effects did it have?

She looked down at Sagan. He looked even scarier now than before. She could see a faint line of black in each of his veins and how his skin was an unnaturally smooth texture. What darkness lingered in him? Was he secretly evil? Maybe she was being too harsh. Or maybe not. She wasn't sure but she didn't know if she would ever be sure.

Whether or not she could trust Sagan was a thought that she constantly played with. There were times that she felt like he was a good person but other times that felt like maybe he wasn't, since he was friends with someone as awful as Alek. Then again, is Alek a reflection of Sagan? They are two different people but in which ways are they alike?

Solar rays shamelessly slapped away the morning mist as they demanded to shine their light through the land. Tear drops of dew clung onto the grass as the sun made a mockery of its sadness, illuminating its pain like a projector. Lingering over her head were feathered clouds, arrogantly covering the blue sky as if they owned the heavens. The pinch of a cold breeze nipped at her nose as she pulled her jacket over her arms and pushed herself up. When should she wake the others? She knew she needed to talk to them about what she knew.

For a moment, she closed her eyes and once again wondered, would she ever feel happy again? Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustling sound, drawing her attention to Alek who was now waking from his slumber. Damn. Why did he have to wake up first?

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before he turned to look at Astra. "Well, you are up at an unusual hour," he groggily said with a Mona Lisa smile. "Haven't you ever heard of sleeping in?"

"I think it was from falling asleep so early last night. I have this inner clock that only allows me to sleep eight hours max. The only time I sleep more than that is when I'm sick."

"So, if you ever sleep in, I'll be sure to avoid you since that means you probably have the plague."

"That's a good idea but just to be a bitch, I might cough in your direction."

"I wouldn't put it past you for a second."

She lowered her eyes. "I need to talk to you all about something important."