Chapter 40: DEAD AND LIVING

I kept drifting in and out of consciousness. When I finally regained consciousness for the fifth time, I noticed we were moving. My eyes were tied, and so were my hands.

Where on earth are they taking me? I decided to pretend like I was still unconscious so as to eardrop on their conversation.

“Why are we here?” I heard Anna ask. I could feel the uncertainty in her voice.

“You will see,” Seth replied. There was silence between them; aren't they going to say something more?

“What are you planning on doing to her? I know you didn't drive all the way out of the city into the woods to get her to sign some documents,” Anna said, which finally gave the answer to what I was looking for.

So they took me out of the city and into the woods to get me to sign some papers. 

“Like I said, watch and see. We are here; now drag her out of the car.” Seth ordered.

“Where are you two taking me?” I asked, letting them know I was awake.

“It's a good thing you regain your consciousness; I don't have to deal with carrying you out of the car and waiting for you to regain consciousness.” I heard Seth say:.

“Now let's begin. I will unite the blindfolders because you need your eyes to see. I want you to read these papers, but first, let's get out of this car, shall we?” Seth said.

I heard the sound of the car door as it was opened and closed. A few seconds later, I felt someone dragging me out of the car. I was weak; my body ached all over. I tried standing on my own but couldn't.

The person holding onto my hand pushed me forward as I slumped to my knees. 

“On do the blindfolder,” I heard Seth say to Anna, who did exactly as she was told. When I opened my eyes, I was embraced by the light coming from the car that was parked a few metres away from us.

I took my time observing our environment. We were actually in the middle of the woods, on top of a mountain cliff.

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked. My voice came out shallow and dry. 

“Good question; read this,” Seth replied as he dropped the paper in front of me. My vision was blurry, so I couldn't focus or read what was on the paper.

“I need water; I'm so tasty that my throat is beginning to hurt me,” I said, trying to steady my breath.

“Give her water, and make it fast,” he said to Anna, who grabbed a bottle of water and headed my way. She went down to her knees as she fed me the water. I stared at her as I continued drinking the water until the bottle was empty. I took a deep breath and felt my body gathering a little strength.

“So you are going to let him push you around and tell you what to do? Since when has the mighty Anna been reduced to this, a woman who is being used?” I said only to her hearing.

I can get the both of them to fight again, then I can run into the woods and try saving myself just for the baby. I also need to see a doctor; my stomach and my lower abdomen hurt like hell.

“I will suggest you do as he said if you want to get out of here alive.” She replied.

“And do you fucking think that Seth is going to let me out of here when he knows I will be rushing to the police once I find my way out?

That paper says I should sign him up as the only one who would have access to my company if anything were to happen to me. Now, does that give you a hint?” I can't believe she actually believes that Seth will set me free.

I need to die for him to have access to my company. It was at a time like this that I am glad that I don't know a thing about my father's companies or who he left them to handle if we weren't around to do so.

“There is no way he would do anything foolish, so just cooperate for your baby’s sake.”

“Does it take forever to feed her a bottle of water? Why are you wasting so much time?” Anna backed away from me upon hearing Seth's angry voice.

“She is ready,” she said as she walked over to the car, leaving me at the mercy of Seth.

“Why aren't you reading and signing those papers?”

“Because you will have to push me off that cliff before I sign those papers. Do you actually think you can fool me? What's the point of signing those papers when you are obviously going to kill me?”

“Kill you, I was going to spare your life, maybe by leaving you half dead and half alive. But it seems you don't want to give birth to that bastard you have glowing in you.”

Did he just call my baby a bastard? I angrily spat on his face as I stared at him in anger. 

“You bitch,” he said as he wiped my saliva off his face before dragging me by the hair towards the cliff. I screamed my lungs out from the pain that was coming from having to be dragged by the hair.

“Let me go, you son of a bitch!!”

“What happened? I thought you wanted to be pushed off the cliff. Are you suddenly scared?” He said this before dragging me up to my feet as he made me stand close to the edge of the cliff.

A shiver ran down my spine as I saw the height of the cliff. No one will survive a fall from here; I am so done for it.

"Seth, what the heck are you doing? This is not funny; you need to stop,” Anna said as she rushed towards us.

“What did I say about talking back at me or trying to give me orders? If you want to side with her, then do, but if you want to side with me, then shut the fuck up!.” His words roared across the mountain. And just like a coward, Anna backed away as she went back to her initial position.

She was like a dog waiting for its master to give her an order. Tears clouded my vision as I looked up at the sky. It was peach black; there was no moon or star, just peach black.

This can't be the end for me. I need a second chance—a chance to rewrite my wrongs, a chance to save my baby, a chance to make them pay for the pain they have caused me. Just then, I felt a drop of rain on my face. Lighting began appearing on the sky as it showed how dark the cloud that surrounded the sky was.

“Whatever happens to you today, blame it on your father. Give your parents my greetings when you get there. I would have loved to come with you, but it seems you already have company with you.” He whispered into my ear as he pushed me. I closed my eyes tightly as I prepared myself for the pain I was about to experience.

Siofra's POV

It took me hours to find my way out of that stupid place Alma left me. It was pouring heavily outside as the heavens rumbled, like they were angry about something.

I didn't know what to do, where to go, or how to find my body. I don't even know my way back to Álfheimr. I was just lost in the middle of the woods with no hope of finding my way.

Even the rain couldn't sense my presence. I could see the rain pouring, but I couldn't feel it. It was like I wasn't a part of this world anymore since I couldn't touch anything around me. Instead of touching the trees, I went through them.

Please give me another sign. I can't end up like this; lead me to my right path. I pleaded out just like I did the last time, but instead of hearing answers like I did before, I heard the rumbling of the thunder as it became so loud in my ears.

I felt myself being dragged away by a force as it pulled me along with it. When I tried breaking through the force, I couldn't. It dragged me across the sky as I was embraced by a lightening followed by a thunderous strike.

I began to panic when the force kept pushing me towards the sky as the heavens rumbled with thunder. I saw a ball of lightning coming my way. I quickly closed my eyes, waiting to be struck by the thunder, but it never came.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself back on the ground. I was no longer close to the sky, and the thunderstorms and lightning had disappeared, leaving the rain behind. Was it a vision? Why did I feel like I was being dragged across something?

And with the fact that something was different about this wood, I began looking around to see if I could understand what was happening, but what I saw got me screaming in shock.

In front of me was a lady who looked nothing like an elf. She had her eyes wide open, like she was still alive, but judging from her twisted neck, I could tell she was dead. Her hands were tied behind her back, which got me more curious.

I looked up only to find a cliff; she was pushed off that cliff. That explains her broken bones; almost all the bones in her body were broken. I have never seen an elf like this, but she sure looks familiar. I'm sure I have come across a creature like this in one of the history books in the palace library. How did she end up here, in the Elf Kingdom?

The rain was still pouring heavily as it washed her blood with it. I walked close to her and sensed a bit of life remaining in her. Her heart was still beating fast, like she was still alive.

How on earth is she able to hold on? I leant in closer as I stared at her. But again came the rumbling thunder. I could hear the sound but couldn't see it. I tried to understand what was happening but couldn't, and just then I felt a force pushing me into the body of the lady lying in front of me.

I waited to hear the rumbling thunder again, but it was dead silent. I didn't understand a thing at the moment until I tried getting off her body, just like I did with the trees and walls, but the force kept holding me back.

When I tried again to move out of her body, I saw her lift up her head, even though she seemed dead. What on earth is happening? How could I control the body of a dead person?