Free Possessed by Kira Saito Page A

Making resolutions was infinitely
easy but carrying through with them was an entirely different
story.
    I let out a giant sigh and placed the
ingredients on the floor and dropped to my knees. The blood
dripping from the walls started to swim down the hallway in a lazy
but determined stream. Under the dim hall light it was thick and
ghastly. Oddly, I wanted it to swallow me whole and carry to some
place that was far away from Darkwood.
    I placed my bloody palms over my face
and tried my hardest not to cry out of sheer frustration. At that
second, I didn’t want to be strong or heroic. All I wanted was
someone to wrap me in their arms and tell me that everything was
going to okay. That somehow this whole mess would be over and there
would be some cliché light at the end of the tunnel moment for all
of us.
    My temples ached madly as I tried to
block out Ivan’s incessant rambling and philosophical musings.
Every angry, hateful and spiteful word he said was quickly draining
me of my will.
    “ Arelia!” I heard Lucus’
voice call my name from down the hall, but I refused to pull my
hands away from my face for fear of what I might see.
    Secure arms wrapped around me from
behind and the curtain of anxiety that gripped me started to slip
away. Still, I couldn’t open my eyes. Lucus didn’t say anything.
Instead, he simply held me, as nasty drops of warm blood splattered
onto my head in a furious stream.
    “ I have to calm Sabrina
down,” I said. “She needs to take a bath because whatever happened
out there was plain strange and who knows what it’s capable of. I
need to help her.”
    Lucus stood up and gently knocked on
the door. “Sabrina, please let me explain.”
    “ Stay the hell away from
me!” Sabrina shrieked.
    “ Please let us help you. I
swear, Arelia never meant to hurt you. It was all my fault, you can
put the blame on me. Hate me. Be angry, but please open the
door.”
    “ You’re such an ass! Go
away! Of course you’re going to defend her.”
    I had to smile as I watched Lucus plead
with Sabrina. It was actually pretty entertaining.
    As if by some ominous force, above us,
the hall lights flashed and then went dead. Great.
    “ The electricity always
seems to come and go with summer storms,” whispered Lucus, as he
grabbed the ingredients off the floor. He took my hand and pulled
me up. “Come on, we’ll help her, but let me help you
first.”
    “ But…” My body refused to
move, as I heard Sabrina’s shrieks grow louder and more
agitated.
    “ Give her a few
minutes.”
    “ We need to help her
now.”
    “ Come on, stubborn one.”
Lucus’ voice was firm and unwavering. “Let someone help you for
once.”
    Reluctantly, I let him led me away from
the bedroom door and down the hall and into the familiar spacious
bathroom.
    I was the worst best friend
ever.
     
     
     

Chapter 11
    The First and Last
Time

    In the bathroom, the cool marble floor
felt fresh, innocent and soothing against my dirty feet. The large
French window was ajar and I could hear vicious raindrops as they
mercilessly beat the ground below. I inhaled the alluring smell of
damp earth as it mixed with the sweet smell of roses, jasmine and
lilies. As the vivid aroma wafted into the bathroom, it filled me
with a sense of uncharacteristic alleviation and pure, simple
joy.
    I realized that the strangest thing
about Darkwood was the constant feeling of conflict that it gave
me. One second it would present me with a side so ugly that I was
sure it was the most horrible place on the planet. But then, it
would lure me back in with its effortless beauty and otherworldly
charm. In many ways, Darkwood was kind of like a bad boyfriend who
was ridiculously good-looking. Darkwood was a Tony.
    “ Luckily, there are
candles,” said Lucus, as he headed towards the deep tub and pulled
aside the wine-red silk drapes. He quickly lit the thick candles
surrounding it. As he did, I was startled by what I saw. There was
something vastly eerie about