Epilogue 2: Back To When You Cheated Fate

Epilogue 2: Back To When You Cheated Fate
\[Elise’s POV\]

I stare at Tatiana in confusion, but she says nothing more. Instead, she claps her hands with Maria who stands on the opposite side of her, and they both begin to chant. As they do, I feel the energy shift once more, and as it does, it feels almost like something solid pressing against my skin.

It’s uncomfortable to say the least, but since I was told to not fight it, I do as instructed. I don’t move, I don’t fight, and I watch as light begins to slowly appear around me, forming a separate circle from the one that Tatiana created.

“This,” I hiss, realizing what was happening. “A portal.”

“Do not fight,” Tatiana reminds me, her glowing eyes coming to rest on me. “Allow what will be to be.”

Nodding, I clench and unclench my fists as the light slowly starts to close in around me and slither along my body, and when it reaches my throat, I brace myself for what will happen.

“Good luck,” Maria tells me. “Please, save them.”

“Yes,” I say as the light continues it’s ascent, and when I’m completely surrounded, I feel like I’m falling. “AH!”

It’s like the floor has disappeared from beneath me altogether, the way I’m suddenly falling into oblivion, but when everything in me screams to grab something and hold on, I fight it.

Keep calm, Elise. I remind myself. The old woman said not to fight, but even, instinct screams to do so, to stop this from happening, and when long black tendrils start reaching for me, I’m close to saying forget it. However, before I can start fighting, Serenity’s smiling face comes to me, her eyes sparkling with determination before leaving to fight along everyone else, and that determination is almost contagious.

Don’t chicken out now, Elise. I tell myself, wincing as the tendrils start to wrap around my ankles. Be brave for everyone, I continue as they grab hold and then tug, dragging me out of the light and into the dark abyss beneath me. You can do this.

Keeping my gaze locked beneath me, I watch as my body slowly disappears into the darkness, and when it envelops me completely, my butt hits something hard.

“Ouch!” I hiss as my back joins it and my head bounces from impact. “Shit.”

“Language.”

The voice comes from my right, and when I turn my gaze in the direction that it came from, I find a woman with long white braided hair, wearing a black Victorian dress, sitting and enjoying a cup of tea.

“You’re a lady after all.”

For a moment, I don’t speak as I shift my gaze from the woman, taking in the small cabin around us.

It’s cozy to say the least with its crackling fireplace, large couch that the woman sits on, and the small desk to the side with an oil lamp. There isn’t the slightest sign of technology here, and that’s when I’m certain that I’ve made it. I’m in the inbetween and this woman must be the crone.

Slowly, I begin to sit up while the woman examines me over her half moon glasses with curiosity instead of confusion. And when those eyes sparkle with questions, I wait until she speaks again.

“Well?” She asks me, placing her teacup on the coffee table in front of her. “Who are you?”

“I’m…” I begin, but stop as a window to the left bursts open and a crow flies in and lands on the table in front of the woman.

“Oh,” she murmurs, untying a slip of paper from the bird's leg and opening it. “Oh my, well, this isn’t good.” As she speaks, she shifts her gaze to me once more. “Tell me, child, did you come from the world of the living?”

“Is there anywhere else I could have come from?” I ask her.

“Fair,” she chuckles. “Then let me ask you something else instead…” I wait as she trails off, considering, and when she leans closer, I brace myself for whatever she may have said. “Are you here because of the calamity that is about to take place in that land?”

“I think so,” I admit, because honestly, I don’t know for certain. “I came because I need your help.”

“My help,” the woman repeats. “And why on earth would you do that?”

“Because my friends and family are in danger.” I tell her. “If I don’t do something then they’re all going to die.”

As I speak, I see Denali breaking down, I see the unbearable pain that flashed in her eyes, and I remember that shriek that was neither human nor animalistic.

“Please,” I push. “There has to be something that can be done.”

“I’m sure whoever sent you here told you that I do not interfere with what the fates decide.” The crone tells me. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing that I can…”

“I’m an anomaly!” I tell her, that’s what I was told before coming here.”

“An anomaly,” the crone repeats, eyeing me. “And how on earth is that?”

Frowning, she slowly rises from her seat, and then moves toward me. Once she reaches, she hooks a long fingernail against my chin and lifts my face toward hers.

“An anomaly,” she repeats, leaning in closer so that I see swirling within one of her eyes. I immediately feel myself getting pulled into that swirling black hole until I feel like I’m being slowly peeled apart until the crone can see everything hidden within me. “I see,” she murmurs, releasing me so I collapse against the ground. “Well, that certainly does change things.”

“Does that mean you’ll help us?” I ask her as she moves back to her seat and folds herself into it. “Please, there has to be something you can do.”

“The only way to change what was not meant to be is to go back to the source and stop it.” The crone explains, repeating the same thing that Maria said.

“Anything but that,” I tell her. “My friend…she…she will end up devastated if we were to do that.”

“Then there’s nothing I can do for you,” she shrugs. “To eliminate the thing that shifted everyone’s fate, you have have to stop that event from happening.”

“Is there not another way?” I ask her, suddenly feeling defeated. “Anything that doesn’t involve changing the event that took place?”

Come on, I beg silently. There has to be something else. Anything.

“Well,” she says slowly. “I do suppose I could take you back to where you cheated fate.”

“Me?” I repeat in confusion. “But I didn’t…”

“Two souls in one body.” She murmurs. “I don’t know how you managed it, but I can take you back to the moment where you died and became intwined with this child’s fate.”

“And then what?” I demand. “What am I supposed to do after that?”

“Figure it out yourself,” she shrugs, lifting her teacup and taking a long sip. “Ah, that’s good.”

Infuriating woman, I grumble silently. Of course she doesn’t care since she isn’t on earth.

“Go on now,” she tells me. “Go back and do what you can. Maybe you’ll figure something out.”