Chapter 138: -3

Were… What am I doing? Get a hold of yourself, damn it!! Stop this!! I blinked and my knees wobbled. The red haze was disappearing fast and my body fell to my hands and knees. I looked up and gasped. The wood looked like the size of a football field on fire. I had to work hard to control it and get it to disappear but what was the use? When the last of the flames disappeared, it was a waste land. What have I done? I stood up slowly with a grunt as the silent tears slid down my cheeks. “Step two is complete.” He said. I glanced at him and back at the empty silent wood below. There was black smoke covering the sky and swirling around us. Ash hit my face as the cold wind thrashed the broken trees to the ground. I coughed a little and said, "Why?" "This stage has opened your eyes to the other side. The fun side, should I say. Stage four will be midnight tomorrow night. Stage five will be on your last day. That will be the decider." He started walking away but I didn't follow. My body slumped as an enormous amount of power escaped from my body. I could hear the distant sirens over in the very far side of the wood. I didn’t know how long I was standing here for but the sky was starting to dim slightly. There was a helicopter above spraying water onto the smoking parts of the forest. I had to move into the trees so it wouldn’t see me. I wiped my face and looked down at my hand to see the black. I took one last look at the scene before me and started walking to the lake. I rinsed my face of with the cool water and sighed out heavily. This wasn’t going the way I was hoping. The fact that I was too vulnerable right now didn’t help. It was getting harder to concentrate on what was right from wrong in the world. I stood up from the side of the lake. Is the side Eli showed me better than restrained side I was taught? One large hand landed on my shoulder and then something sharp was at my back. I didn’t move or shy away. I couldn’t physically bring myself to fight… “Keep still.” Grigori said. He moved the knife away and then I heard the ripping sounds. He did it twice and said, “Just for later on.” I brought my hand to my back and felt the two large slices in my shirt and vest. His hand hovered on my back and led me back to the cave. I couldn’t care any less if he was touching me. Grigori stopped me as we were walking down the tunnel and came back with a large bag of potato chips and two bottles of water. He handed me the bottle and started walking beside me through the long tunnel. “Do you forgive me?” He asked me. “No.” I said. “You will.” “No I won’t. Stop talking to me.” He chuckled and it bounced off the walls. “You will.” He said again. I walked into the cave and sat down on the mattress beside Jayden’s sleeping body. Grigori attached the chain to my leg and winked before walking out. I finished my water bottle in less than a minute due to dehydration. I had a few chips and rested my head against the wall. I felt better than before… And even though Elijah had taken away my power there was something still dwindling there. It was a small spark but was it enough…? I felt that same sting in the back of my mind from when Cameron was calling me… I shut my eyes and let my mind travel to him. My mind traveled faster than before… Maybe because he was closer…? But no, he wasn’t. He was in the forest outside of the house… I watched him as he stared into the sky with sad eyes and mumbled something. It was like I was standing in front of him but I was completely invisible. I just needed to touch his mind… I just needed to assure him I was okay before Eli can feel my energy. I tried to listen to what he was saying as the mumbles continued… “…Is she safe? I just need… something, anything, to tell me that she’s alive and well.” Something inside of me stirred and I lifted my hand to brush it against his cheek. I could feel his warmth… I could feel his skin. His eyes closed and it was like his cheek was rested against my hand. “Cameron?” I whispered. Speaking was difficult. Just touching him was difficult. I had to put my whole being into this and I was in physical pain from doing it. I knew I couldn’t stay for long if I valued the will of living and breathing. His eyes suddenly popped open but he couldn’t see me. I was only here by mind. “Alexis? You know how to---” “Please listen, because this is hurting me.” I whispered. “Please just tell everyone I am fine but I’m not safe. I can’t tell you my location. My Decision is New Years Eve. I’m not sure what time or when but I’m sure you’ll find out soon. I’m getting stronger every day and this Demon is using it to his advantage. He’s teaching me new things I’ve never seen or learnt before.” “Hold your own, Alex. You can do this.” He stared in front of him but he wasn’t actually seeing. “Don’t let that side of you take over.” I was silent a moment and he sighed. “You’ve done it haven’t you. You’ve felt what its like.” I didn’t want to tell him how new it felt or how strong I felt when ever I was even close to opening the door to that side. “Alex, listen to me. You control it, okay? You control it not him.” “I know I do.” I said. “I have to go. Please tell everyone I’m alive… And… Tell Gabriel… That I’m sorry.” Cameron nodded and I brushed my thumb against his cheek one last time. I sighed out as my mind snapped back into my body. I inhaled long and hard and put my head between my legs to calm my breathing. I touched my hand to my nose and felt the sticky liquid. I wiped away the small drop of blood from my nose. I must have strained my head too much. The thought had occurred to me that he probably had heard or seen the fire. I could have told him I was near her but something stopped me. Was it that bottled side? I didn’t know and I couldn’t define whether it was or not. For a while I watched the entrance to the cave worrying whether or not Eli knew what had just happened but after what assumed was ten or fifteen minutes I relaxed and shut my eyes not bothering to eat any of the chips. Tomorrow was a dead day. So I will be left to my thoughts. I glanced at Jay. In a way I was happy I wasn’t by myself. I would be mad by now. My last thoughts before I went to sleep were Gabriel and Cameron. The thought of them actually working together brought a smile to my face. I think… the last time I saw them actually working together was probably the massacre back in 1989. The thought of them actually talking and not trying to get at each other’s throats made me smile. Their faces stayed in my mind as I drifted of into unconsciousness.