Cursed ✔️

85. Diana's Army

"But why now?" Emily asked Helena whose bat earring was swaying back and forth. "Why are you telling all this now? Don't you think it'd have been easier if you told us something back then?"

Helena took a deep breath. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you. Every time I tried to, Diana was always there. I had been under the wrath of her once and I'm in no position to face her again just to have her finish me off this time."

Emily closed her eyes and tried to relax. Whether she told me sooner or not, at least she was helping us all along. And yes, if Diana caused this to her just because she helped us when we first met, no wonder why she opted for an indirect path to help us. Maybe I was wrong. It's true when they say appearances can be deceiving. But right now, if John's a pawn, we have to do something really quick. But what?

"Oh, c'mon, Emily," Scarlett said grabbing Emily's arm lightly. "She didn't mean you any harm. Don't let the past come in the way of the future. We all want to fight against one thing - Diana."

Helena and Emily looked at each other.

"I'm really sorry, Emily," Helena replied. "I know it wasn't the best way to warn you three, but I didn't know what else to do. My intentions were only your safety. I hope we can join hands in fighting Diana."

"I have to go," Helena continued after a brief pause looking at the sky which was now almost in the shades of sunrays, "Ryan needs me right now. Be careful."

Saying this, Helena nodded her head once at Scarlett as if she bid her goodbye.

"Who's Ryan?" A lost Emily asked.

"You'll soon know," Scarlett said with a smile.

Soon, a bunch of bats appeared out of nowhere and began encircling around Helena like a tornado.

"Oh, and Helena," Scarlett began, "Diana hurt you twice - not once."

Helena just kept staring blankly at Scarlett.

"I thought to remind you, as I saw that you seemed to forget. Remember that time when Diana cursed you too?" Scarlett smiled. "I just want you to be careful."

"Yes," Helena replied with a hint of alarm in her monotonous voice. And in no time, the bats vanished along with Helena as the sun peeked its way on the horizon.

- - - - - - - -

The sight of needles and blood; and the hospital smell was getting too much for John.

"Mom?" John whispered trying not to wake his dad up. "Can I go outside just for a walk? I need some fresh air."

With the sleepy eyes, Rose nodded and John headed outside after slowly closing the door behind him.

It was a sight to see - the sunrise, the shades in the sky, voices of the birds chirping in harmony, and two kids playing under the tree.

John took a deep breath allowing him to get refreshed from the morning breeze as he stretched his arms in the air.

He observed the two kids as he started walking around the walls of the hospital.

"Kids...so innocent"

John heard someone's voice behind him. But he continued walking thinking maybe some other people were also watching the kids playing - probably their parents?

One of the kids was a boy - around six years of age - wearing a white tee and black jeans with a sweatshirt wrapped around his waist in a knot.

The other kid was a girl - around the same age as the boy's - wearing a cute polka-dotted red dress with a white bow tied behind her back around her waist. Her hairs were in pigtails.

Hannah and I used to play like this all the time. John smiled with sadness in his eyes reminiscing.

Suddenly, John saw the whole situation took a turn.

Both the kids were playing peacefully under the tree, but then something happened between them that made the boy angry causing him to throw the cards which they were playing in the air. The girl's face dropped as she tried to scoot backward.

- - - - - - - -

"There still might be a little window of hope for us," Scarlett said after Emily asked about John's condition. "If she had recently controlled him, the link could be weak. I might be wrong, but there's nothing to lose if we try it."

"Try what?" Clyde asked who just came outside the house causing the two to look at him.

"Had fun?" Scarlett asked scoffing a laugh.

"Huh," Clyde replied with a sad and unamused face. "I tried to scare Skylar but she was so unmoved! Not like the last time when she fainted." Clyde giggled a bit recalling that time. "And then I tried scaring your mom and dad too, but no fun for me today I guess. The three of them were acting so different."

"Oh, c'mon," Scarlett replied with a laugh. "Maybe you lost your scary touch?"

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

Their childish fights reminded Emily of John's and Hannah's. A smile cracked across her face. How everything turned upside down in just a snap of a finger. She took a deep breath and asked Scarlett, "You were saying something?"

"Um, Clyde made me forgot," Scarlett said looking at Clyde who was slowly shaking his head with an unamused look with an arched eyebrow. "Anyway, mom, dad, and Skylar will be out with the last boxes at any time. I think you both should know this too. I did some research and found out that - "

Emily and Cylde leaned forward.

"John's not the only pawn Diana has," Scarlett whispered.

Emily and Clyde looked at each other mouthing 'what?'.

"What are you trying to say?" Clyde aksed still leaning in as if they were discussing a top-secret mission that no one should even have a clue about.

"Diana's not causing people to die by putting the sleeping curse," Scarlett whispered. "She's turning them into her pawns so she could do something bigger. I don't know what, but let me tell you if we don't find the remedy to break the spell soon, the future is bleak."