The Pain Read online

  "What the heck do you want, Derek?"

  He laughed. "Oh, so you remember me? That's good."

  "How could I forget eleven years of rape?"

  Blake tried to stand in front of me, but I held him back.

  "No. Blake, stay back."

  "They were the best eleven years of my life, Anna."

  I jumped on him and had my hands around his throat. "No!" Charly screeched. She pulled me off and her eyes were black. The entire eyeball was coal black. I stopped and cursed. A stupid Demon possessed her. "What do you want with him?" I asked. She got him in her lap, cradling his body. "This is my son!" the Demon said. "You must leave the girl's body immediately. Return to the dead and leave her at once!” I chanted while the Demon/Charly screamed as it left her and returned to hell. Charly was panting and passed out cold. We ran to her.

  "Come back to life. Do not leave us. Do not leave me! I am your sister, God, help me!” I cried out. She slowly woke up and seemed to be fine. I hope Joshua did this. I really do. I'm not letting her out of my sight.

  Derek arose and slapped me across the cheek. I cried out and said, "No, please no. Don’t hurt me anymore! I am seventeen years old. Don’t rape me anymore. Don’t kill me." I cried as he prepared to strike me again. Suddenly, his eyes bugged as he spit up blood all over my face and the light died in his eyes. He fell on top of me with Blake having a bloody knife in his hands. That's all I remembered before it all went black.

  Chapter 8

  Wake up, oh God, please wake up." someone frantically was crying and clutching at me. I awoke and sucked in a deep breath. "Anna?" A soft voice asked. I looked around for Derek's lifeless body but it was nowhere to be found. "We took care of him." Blake told me, and I realized he was the one clutching at me. I breathed a sigh of relief and tried to get up but toppled over as soon as I tried. Blake caught me. "You okay?" I nodded. "Where's my phone?" he pointed to the dining room table. I dialed Rebekah's number.

  Phone Conversation (Rebekah and Anna)

  "What?" she snarled.

  "Jeez, calm yourself. We need to talk." I said.

  "We can talk now."

  "Alright I'm fine with that." I started pacing and then resigned myself to the couch.

  "So, what is wrong, oh wise one?"

  "Shut the heck up. You of all people should know that I wouldn't be talking to you unless it was a life or death situation." I snapped into the phone.

  "Are you going to get to the point or what?"

  "Who sent him?"

  "Who?" she feigned innocence.

  "Oh you know who. Derek."

  "Oh, that was Jayden I think."

  "Do you know why?"

  "Maybe he wanted to protect you? I don’t know."

  "Well, you’re no help.”

  "Okay, look. Let's end the feud here, if not for anyone's sake, for Lauren."

  "Back off, Demon Girl. If you see Jayden again, give him this message."

  "What message?"

  "If we ever cross again, I won't hesitate to rip his head off. Got it?" I hung up.

  I walked up to my room and changed into a black tank top, black gold studded leather jacket, black skinny jeans, and motorcycle boots. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and jumped out my window. It's time Jayden be taught a lesson.

  I tightened the tendrils of light gripping Jayden as Blake ran my Angel-killing blade across his arms, legs, and torso. I looked over and saw Rebekah watching us curiously and seemed deep in thought. Taylor had his arms wrapped around Charly who was leaning back to kiss him. Suddenly, my phone rang. The caller ID read Lauren.

  Phone Conversation

  "Hello?" I answered.

  "Anna? I need your help." she said in a terrified and shaking voice.

  "I'm here. What's wrong?”

  "These hooded figures watch me, follow me. I believe they are now. Please, come and help me."

  "Where are you?"

  "South Forest"

  "Be there in ten."

  "Okay, I have a new plan." I announced. "That was Lauren and she seems to have gotten herself into some trouble. Blake, you stay here and make sure Jayden doesn't do anything stupid. Charly and Taylor, if you can manage to untangle yourselves from each other I would appreciate it if you two would stay here. I do not need two more bodies on my hands. Rebekah," She looked up. "You're coming with me." She started to protest. "Why can't I stay here?" I glared at her. "I don't trust you. I will never trust you. I actually dimly remember you telling me to go to Hell and you'll escort me there in more words or less, now c'mon. She's your best friend too."

  We arrived at the South Forest in no time at all. We walked to the middle when I saw Lauren gagged and tied to a tree. There is no way she could have called us. This was a trap. I suddenly realized two things. One, Rebekah was no longer beside me and two; I was surrounded by hellhounds and Fallen Angels. "Oh, this is just great." I muttered. A voice laughed. I knew that laugh, but it couldn't be...it's not..."Hello, Anna." Stefan said as he strode toward me.

  Blake continued to stare coldly at Jayden. "Aren't you going to say something?" Jayden asked. There was more silence. Finally he said, "What do you want me to say?" Jayden sighed. "Why are you keeping me here? Why are you following Anna without question? Why do you love her?" Blake's gaze turned icy. "Anna is calling the shots. You are here because she wants you here. I am following Anna because she is the best thing in my life right now. I love her because she's just her. There is no other explanation." Jayden pondered over this. "I have one more question. Which side do you think she will eventually side with in The War?" Now that was a question that Blake had no answer at all for.

  "What the heck do you want?" I growled. He laughed. "Well, you of course. I want you to suffer, to bleed, to die a slow and painful death in which I am doing the killing." Well, straightforward then. "You will never kill me. Don't you see? I came back last time and I'll do it again and again and again, forever. You will never get rid of me. I can promise you that." I said in the coldest, iciest voice I could manage. He slapped me and pinned me against a tree. Suddenly, a girl stepped up behind him. She was beautiful. That's the only way to describe her.

  She had long flowing black hair down to her waist. Her skin was a dark natural tan and her eyes were milk chocolate brown. She had high cheekbones and full pink lips that were covered in red lipstick and was wearing a gorgeous outfit. She had a perfect figure but there was one flaw. She had the hardest eyes full of hatred and darkness in them. She tentatively touched his arm as if to calm him down. She held a need in her hand with a microchip at the end. "You stay the heck away from me!" She was going to plant a tracking device in me. I wasn't going to go down without a fight.

  She got closer and closer until finally the needle was roughly stabbed into my arm and the tracker was implanted along with a sleeping sedative. I couldn't stay awake no matter how much I fought it. Sleep claimed me.

  Jayden stared at Blake expectantly. "I don't know. I will support her no matter what her decision is though." Blake said. Rebekah walked in moments later with a terrified expression on her face. Lauren was trailing along with her looking distraught and petrified. "What happened? Where's Anna?" Blake demanded. "You are never going to believe this, but it's true. Stefan is back and he took her. He kidnapped Anna, Blake. I am so sorry."

  I awoke with a start. Ropes were tying me down to an old rickety bed. I used my powers to burn the ropes. It really helps to have Joshua on your side. I looked around and spotted my phone. I dialed Blake.

  Phone Conversation

  "Anna! Are you okay?"

  "I just woke up on this old rickety bed and it looks like I'm in a basement. I don't think I have a lot of time. I love you and I'll make it out even if it's the last thing I do. I will."

  "Wait-"

  I hung up and put the phone down. I found that the door was locked but a window wasn't and was not barred. I crawled out and was about to make a run for it when I see Joshua at the end of an old field. "My child," he wh
ispers and then it all goes black.

  I woke up, again, in a strange house. This one was much nicer. There was something familiar about it. It was then that I remembered. This was my old home in Heaven. I have been brought back. I'm home.

  Chapter 9

  I looked down at myself. I was wearing a snow white gown, silver heels, a pearl necklace, and my hair was piled on the top of my head in a loose bun. It seemed as if I were going to a party. "Unhh," A voice behind me moaned. I spun around and came face-to-face with a disheveled Blake wearing a black tux. I knelt down beside him and shook him mildly. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Ariana, is that you?"

  I looked down. "I don't go by that anymore."

  He sat up. "Who are you?" He had wondrous brown eyes.

  "Anna."

  "No, my Ariana would never want to be named after that stupid bitch."

  "What? What are you talking about?"

  Blake stood up and I did the same. "Anna is the girl who killed Ariana's mother. She was a witch. She probably goes by something else now, though."

  "Like Kira?"

  "Yes! That is the name which she seemed to always be so fond of."

  "Well, she is in Hell right now so it doesn't matter."

  Suddenly a man dressed in all black came running toward them. "Ariana, Ariana!" he yelled in what seemed to be a panicked voice. "What is it Carson?" The name suddenly came to her mind. "The Gates of Hell have been split wide open. Every Demon that was confided in there escaped. Kira even escaped. We have to do something!"

  Me and Blake exchanged glances. "That's impossible. I signed with my blood that the Gates of Hell never opening again." I said in a calm voice when I was freaking out on the inside. "Someone reopened them. We must do something." I sighed. "Please, go get Joshua. This calls for the King's expertise." Carson nodded and flew off into the morning to fetch Joshua.

  "What are we going to do?" Blake asked me.

  "I don't know but what I do know is that someone out there deliberately opened them to destroy what little life I have left. They freed Kira and every Demon ever created. And that means whoever did it released the one person who could bring the real Apocalypse raining down."

  "Who is that?"

  "Lilith."

  Joshua walked in just as I mentioned Lilith. His voice hardened "Why are you discussing Lilith?" I looked at him showing no fear whatsoever. "Someone freed every freaking Demon in Hell and that means they freed Lilith too." His face showed rage but he kept it intact. "You know what this means right?"

  "What does it mean, Joshua?"

  "It means that she could bring the Apocalypse."

  "I already knew that."

  "The only way someone can bring the Apocalypse is if they bring Lucifer back to life and she has that power."

  "DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS TO KILL THAT (INSERT WORD OF CHOICE)? DO YOU?"

  "Calm down. It gets worse."

  "What could possibly be worse?"

  "She's out for your blood."

  "I kind of figured that.”

  "She's your mother, your real mother."

  And it officially got worse.

  I marched out of my house and found that I had wings. I remembered how to fly, right at that moment, and I took off to the woods (why Heaven has woods I will never know). I flew into the highest tree I could find and screamed until my throat and voice were raw. It was in that sad, depressing moment that I knew what I had to do. And even if it meant my life I would do it.

  I flew back to my house where Joshua and Blake were still waiting. "I know what I have to do. And you're not going to like it." I told each of them my plan. I was to hunt down Lilith and kill her, eventually. I knew what the consequences were though. If you kill your own flesh and blood, you die along with them. And you can probably guess who objected first. "No! You will never do that, not in my lifetime!" Blake roared. "It's the only way!" I yelled back. Joshua spoke up. "I have to say I agree with her. She has to do it. She is the only one who can."

  Blake shook his head in disbelief. Anticipating a fight, I flew off and created a portal back to the Earth Plane (I am not going into detail because then wouldn't I be giving a key way to get into mysterious places?) I walked up to Charly's door and knocked. She opened it with a look of shock on her face. Then she screamed and cried and hugged me tight. "Come in!" She shrieked in excitement and pulled me inside.

  I told her of my plan. And she didn't agree with it, obviously. But hey, I can't please everyone. There was a knock to her door and I rushed to get it. You'll never believe who I was face-to-face with. I came face-to-face with my mother. Lilith.

  Chapter 10

  I stared at my mother in shock at her showing up on my doorstep. "It's nice to see you again." she said to me with a smile on her face. "Why the heck are you here?" I demanded. "Can I come in?" She asked gently.

  "No. And don't talk to me like I'm some fragile piece of glass. I know who you are and what you have done."

  "But, Anna, I'm just trying to help."

  "I don’t want your help."

  "Please, be reasonable."

  "Good-bye, Mother." I attempted to shut the door, but she stopped it from closing.

  "We need to talk. Alone." It was then that I realized that everyone (Taylor, Charly, and Blake) were looking at us intently.

  I sighed. "It's not a good time." I said. Lilith nodded as if she understood. Wait, what am I doing? I should be killing her not speaking in a calm manner with her! I thought. "One way or another, Anna, we will meet again and talk, even if I have to kill every single one of your friends to get to you. I will. You can count on that. Have a good day, Anna." And then she disappeared.

  "Okay, what the heck was that?" Charly exclaimed after I shut the door. "Alexia, really?" was what came out of Taylor's mouth. "God, I hate that freaking woman." was, of course, what came out of Blake's mouth. I sighed. "Okay, how do I put this? She is my mother that apparently was supposed to be dead and oh you know, human." I sat on the couch.

  . "Well, when are we going to be able to set this plan into action that you explained earlier?" Taylor asked.

  I got up and started pacing. I suddenly stopped. I kind of knew that Lilith would probably be listening so I was very vague. "Do not engage on the plan without my signal. We clear?” They all nodded. I suddenly got a sharp pain in my skull. I doubled over and tried to fight it, but I finally succumbed to the darkness that was threatening to overwhelm me.

  "No!" Blake yelled as he caught Anna (he still thinks of her that way). It was then, that he realized everyone around him was unconscious. Lilith floated into the room and didn't seem to notice him. She was talking to a man that he immediately recognized as Stefan. "Did you really have to hit Alexia that hard?" He glared at her. "Of course I did. She needed to be hit hard for what she did to me. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get back to Rose. Bye, Lilith." Stefan left out the door without another word.

  "Ahh, Anna. You have changed so much since we last saw each other. You were merely a small child when Lucifer took you away from me. But you did him good. You killed him. And I won't let anyone take you from me now. You don't see it now, but you will in time. I will get my daughter back. And they will not stand in my way. Lucifer will never rise again. I promise." Lilith had been beside her daughter at this time. She kissed her cheek and petted her hair, with Anna's head in her lap.

  Blake couldn't believe his eyes. Lilith actually had a heart? That was impossible. But something was bothering him. Why didn't they see him? It was then that he saw a body. It was his body. He was dead. He was a ghost.

  Blake knew there were strange things in this world. Everyone knows that, but what about this? He was so certain ghosts had not existed but what if he was wrong? He can't be a ghost. He has to protect Anna. He will not leave her by herself. Blake brought himself out of his conflicting thoughts and looked at Anna's body. Her fingers twitched. Yes! She's waking up!

  I opened my eyes and saw the wreckage all around me. "You aren’t dead. Y
ou can’t be dead.” I couldn't believe my eyes. They were dead. But why did it feel like they weren't completely dead? It felt like they were in somewhere in between but that’s impossible.

  I walked over to Blake's body and knelt down. I placed my hand over his heart and light shattered from my fingers but it wasn't enough to bring him back. I needed more power to bring him back. To bring them all back. That's when I saw Blake, an apparition of him. No, I screamed at myself. Ghosts don't exist. But how could I deny what was right in front of me? Blake tried to speak but was unable to. I looked at him curiously. He seemed to drift in and out and was staring at his body. He was looking over at his body and touched his heart. He jumped back into his body and became alive again.

  I gasped in fear and backed away. He rose and flexed his fingers. "Hello, Anna. I have been waiting for you for a very long time. I think it's time we finally met. I'm Damien. I am your husband. It's so good to be back." the guy in Blake's body said. That definitely was not Blake. Not even close. I froze in shock.

  Chapter 11

  "What?" I squeaked. "I'm your husband." he repeated. I snorted. "You drop a bomb like that and you expect me to not be surprised? And how do I know you aren't just lying to me?" He seemed to just grow larger and tower over me like a giant towers over an ant. "You would recognize me.” “Well, I do not recognize you so why don’t you just go back to where you came from.” I snarled. "Sorry, I can't do that. I am not going back to Hell."

  And suddenly, it dawned on me. "You are one of the Demons that escaped from Hell." I breathed. He grinned. "I was asked to gather you for the ceremony." I backed away. "What ceremony?" He sighed in annoyance. "I will perform the ceremony that will put you in a coma, forever." I started backing away and he started coming forward. I called out my blade and he started coming forward. "You really think you can hurt me that way? You would kill your little boyfriend just like that? Some friend you are." I started chanting to cast the Demon out of Blake. "And I cast you out of the boy. Leave the body or you surely will die. License is body. Leave the body. Leave the body. Leave the body. Leave the body." Blake's body screamed and black fog exited his body and the air. Blake slumped over.