Chapter 2 The Sound of Pain
Lila’s POV
I expected death to be peaceful, perfect peace, but here, it seems as I the gates of hell have been unleashed on me. The mental torment I feel and the pounding headache seems like demons sent to haunt me. Or is God punishing me for committing suicide?
But then, I feel wet. It was at this point that I looked beneath and daw myself inside the cold blue lake. Wait, what's going on?
This was when it dawned on me that I was breathing, but not air. I jerked sharply, but I didn't struggle, I didn't drown, I just flowed well, just like the fishes in here.
There's this strange humming in my chest whenever I force a breath, it sounds like a beautiful and melodious rhythm, but there's also this strange feeling of electricity crackling in my nerves. The whole thing is fascinating but baffles me.
I'm supposed to be dead right? Not floating effortlessly in a lake, or am I not dead?
“Hello!” I called but I didn't hear that. I heard something else, a strange melody, just like the ones I've heard in movies—the sound of imaginary creatures called sirens…I still vividly remember that movie and the exact sound rings in my chest.
I swam upwards and it still troubles me that I'm not breathing air, I'm just moving swiftly and the fishes are smiling at me. It's almost as if I understand them, like I'm one of them.
The chilling sensation of a new strength fills my soul, I feel different, like anew. I'm faster, stronger and the water doesn't feel like a trap. I must say, it feels exactly like home, the comfort the peace, it doesn't feel like the Sheol I was used to.
There's this beautiful peace in here, but everything feels surreal.
I hung myself at the top in the lake, as it felt like I couldn't feel my legs, it's temporary though, more like my nerves are faulty wires having a partial contact, but I looked ahead and I saw it again, the chaotic hell hole, disguised in the name of a school and funny enough, it was dark.
Wait, I know this lake right? It's blackwood lake? Of course it is!
I quickly dragged myself out of the lake, trying to get out without further injuring myself since I still couldn't understand how death worked. I expected broken bones and blood, but I was out completely, I was whole, like, total perfection.
I took a deep breath and sighed heavily, scanning the area around me and I noticed I could still breath freely outside here.
I wish I could get an explanation. And I expected to have a guardian angel, but I'm left alone to navigate my path.
The undying paranoia and annoying thought of being alive still didn't let me go. I'm I not supposed to be dead?
I tried to get a glance at my skin and narrowed the feint light of the moon to it and behold, my skin was glowing. It has a faint blue shimmer and I noticed the change in my eye color. The glow was radiant like the sapphires, but the piercing silver stood out.
My wet hair cascaded down on my shoulder and it wasn't normal. It's longer and the texture is thicker.
I must say, I don't know who I am anymore and all I can say is damn! Like bloody fucking damn!
I endlessly stared and in that moment of silence, the memories struck me like a thunder bolt, shattering the peace of my troubled mind once again.
I saw it clearly, viscous, visceral and overly vivid. It was as if I was feeling what I felt and somehow, standing by the corner and watching it all happen.
I saw myself falling exactly how it clouded the peace of the air, the whooshing wind around me and the painful impact of the fall left my heart racing and skipped a long beat the moment I felt the fall. I jerked sharply and quickly stilled myself again.
The rage once again returned to me with full force. This time lethal and cruel and I twitched my hand, as if I held her feeble neck in it and squashed it like nothing.
“I'm coming for you,” I muttered, but I didn't hear that. My voice echoed like a harmonic song that shattered a bottle by the corner and the water rippled violently.
I took a pause and stilled myself, recounting all the events that happened out to this point and felt my skin again, just to be sure.
This was when I realized I was alive, but definitely not the weak human I used to be. I'm something more, something I really don't want to believe, something powerful and definitely something I can't run from.
I curled myself up to the bank of the lake, shivering softly. But I assure you, it wasn't from cold. It was from the burning rage and the overwhelming power in my fist. The realization hit hard, that I couldn't go back to being who I was and I didn't die.
Well, technically, I died, so yeah, Lila is dead, but her soul lives on as something else ready to hunt those that stole the last breath of life from me.
“Aria!” I cried with all I got in me and the lake violently rumbled and the tumbling water washed me. The shattering of the glass windows by the corner shook me. I knew I did all of that, just with my voice, just with rage in my voice.
Imagine what I'll do to you Aria when I find you. Your death will be slow, enjoyable and a perfect circus to watch. I'll make sure I show you things, I promise you dear, things worse than death. You'll beg for death, but you won't have it.
I'll show you the pain I've felt all my life and make sure you feel a hundred fold of it all.
Just wait, I've got something special for you…