Althea - The Goddess Rebound

Chapter 20

Althea Garcia Hela Silvermoon

Her eyes flicker between mine as she says.

"Because I'm a witch."

A witch?

But she looks so normal. So, like me. And she seems so nice. Why would anyone want to harm her?

She turns to leave but I hold on to her hands. "But- but why would anyone harm you?"

She sighs and shakes her head. "Because they are a cruel being. They only think about their own." She almost growls it out. "I don't need to do anything, me being a witch is enough for them to want to capture me."

"Althea, they will force me into doing things for them. And nothing good will ever come out of it. I have managed to escape him once and I don't intend to be his prisoner, a second time." She tugs her hand free.

"But they are not like whoever you think they might be. They are goo-"

"Stop it, Althea. Don't say that. You are a human, so you won't understand but I have been there myself. I know how dark he is. How evil he is. They are all the same Althea." She shakes her head as her body shudders in fear.

"But-"

"Don't try it Althea. I'm not going to change my mind about them. I need to leave." She stands up, her face now emotionless but I still saw the raw fear on those green orbs.

"Why are you leaving?" I question her.

She looks down at me as she clenches her jaws, finding it hard to say the words. "Because of you, Althea."

My heart clenches. "Because I bought you here. I lead them to me now."

"I know that they will come looking for you as it seems like they are very fond of you and soon enough they will find this place. I cannot be seen by them, Althea. I cannot be found again."

I saw pain her eyes now. And I felt guilty that once again, I was the reason for her pain. I was starting to hate this life. I somehow managed to stand on my feet but my body was still protesting for me to lie back down. I clenched my hands hard to stop my legs from shaking.

"I'm sorry, Evelyn." I look at her through my glossy eyes. "I'm very sorry. B-because of me, you have to leave your home." I have made this cheerful girl lose her hope the moment I entered her life. My life was a curse to all these people.

"I'll leave. You stay here." But she shakes her head at me as she chuckles dryly. "I cannot stay here anymore." She looks at me sadly, but I look at her confused. "Werewolves. They will sniff your scent here. They will eventually come here. I cannot stay here anymore."

What had I done?

She smiles softly as she looks at me. "Don't make that face. It's okay. I had to leave soon anyways. This is not my home. You see, I have no place left to call home."

Her words broke my heart as a lone tear flows down like a river. I was sad for her. That she had to live life like this. In constant hiding. In fear.

But she had helped me regardless. The weak human me, without thinking about who I or what I was. She was a kind soul.

"You leave then. I'll stay here." She looks at me confused as I sit back down unable to stand any longer. "It'll earn you some time." I smile up at her. "Now, hurry."

She nods her head at me as she goes over to pack the rest of her stuff which wasn't a lot and carries her back over her shoulder and heads for the door. She stops by the door and turns to look at me.

I knew she felt bad for leaving me like this, but I just smiled at her. "Thank you." I whisper and she turns back around and leaves me in here. In the middle of nowhere. Even I had no idea where this was.

I lean my back on the hard-uneven wooden wall and close my eyes. I was alone once again.

I seem to be creating problems for everyone I meet. My existence seems to be the source of everyone's problems, and I was starting to hate myself for that.

No, I don't want to live anymore. I didn't wish for this life anymore. I wanted to fade. Just disappear from the face of the earth. I have had enough of this. So, I pray to the goddess. The mother of all.

If, by any chance, you are listening to me, please hear my prayers, dear goddess. This life of living is a torture for me. I don't think my heart can go much longer. Please end-

Just then, I hear the front door bang open loudly, making me jerk my head towards the open door of the room that I was in. My heart thumped in my chest as my eyes looked in anticipation. Who could it be? Was it Evelyn? Did she come back? Did she forget something?

"Evelyn?" I called out.

Then I feel a dark energy just outside the room which made my body shiver in pure fear. No, this was not her.

Then I saw him. The dark-haired man looked at me with those black orbs that completely filled his eyes. And that repugnant smile of his made my body cower back.

"W-who are you?" I manage to find my voice.

But he just laughs. His laugh as spiteful as his dark looks. The man set off trepidation in me. I knew his intention were not kind as he took slow menacing steps towards me and stopped a couple of steps away, towering over my petite figure that was cowered into a ball, trapped in the corner.

"What do we have here?" His voice was rough, guttural, inhumane even. Like it didn't even belong to him. Like he wasn't the one who uttered those words.

"I was looking for a tigress, but I found a kitten." He closed his eyes as took lungful of the air in the room. "Now tell me, where is the tigress?"

The more he spoke, the more his voice filled my body with unknown fear. It gave me goosebumps every time he looked at me with those eyes. But I was not gonna sell a friend. Not the person that saved my life. "I-I don't k-know what you are t-talking about."

He grins as he walks the last few steps towards me and bends down. One of his hand grips my neck tightly and pulls me up. My own hands go up to my neck, trying to loosen his hold. I couldn't breathe. I choked against his tight hold on my neck which was now blocking the pathway for any airflow into my starving lungs.

He lifted me off the ground as if I weighted nothing and looked up to me as my feet dangled in the air. "I won't ask again, little kitten."

All the playfulness in his voice was gone and all that was left in his dark eyes were pure evil, like his soul. But for a moment I felt it screaming. No, it was begging to be set free. But I guess I imagined it. I was just a weak human. I had no power to fight this monster. Let alone free his soul.

I felt something sharp cut through the flesh on my neck and my vision went dark. I felt the warm liquid oozing out of me and slip down my neck. I tried to wince in pain, but all my voices were muffled because of his hand that strangled me. I fought for him to let go. But I was too weak. This body of mine was too weak.

Finally, my body stopped struggling, as my heart too, slowed. Ah, so this is how I'm going to die. The goddess seemed to have answered my unspoken prayers.

My hands went limb to my sides as my vision clouded with darkness, my hearts deprived of oxygen stopped beating.