Hey everyone! This is my last installment for now-- I have to type up more! Please review!
“I’m… confused.” Sara murmured.
“I will give you a miniscule amount of my power. If you handle it well, then you will host me in… hmmm… around three weeks’ time. Most likely less.” Nerezza answered. “You could die. Then, if I have no host, everything on your earth will perish as well. That, by the way, is what killed the dinosaurs. I was only able to stop by finding an animal with an extremely strong soul. I believe it was a mosquito. It hosted me with no preparation, which is quite impossible for humans to do.”
“Mosquitoes have strong souls?” Sara queried.
“Well, they were much larger then.” Nerezza said with a sigh.
“And if… you… decide when it’s something’s time to die, how could I die in preparation? Couldn’t you keep me alive?” Sara wondered.
“I control only natural death. If you died by my hand, it would be unnatural, and I would not be able to control yours.” Sara still had many questions.
“Don’t bother speaking. I shall answer them for you.” Nerezza commanded, tapping her head.
“The reason I appear weak is the strain of controlling myself. It grows constantly as more things die.
“I can do just about anything in terms of my powers. When I kill things, their souls make me crave more. Rather like a drug. The stronger the soul, the more I want.
“Yes, humans tend to lose pigmentation in my presence, as you have. Yes, they quite often go mad. If you host me, I have complete control over you, but you keep your appearance. No, you don’t feel joy, love, or any other unnecessary emotion. Any other questions?” She finished.
“If I get a small amount of power in preparation, do I absorb souls?” Sara asked.
“Please, do not bother to speak. But no, controlling death is still my job.” Nerezza answered.
“I just had a thought. It’s really not fair for you to get people’s souls. Is there no heaven, then?”
“Again. I can read your thoughts. No, death isn’t fair. But neither is life. Human religions are terribly afraid of death. They think that if after death, there is a place where they will live forever, then death is so much less frightening. The Christian heaven, Viking Valhalla, and Greek Elysium are all simply tall tales. So really, some foolish humans spend their whole lives attempting to get somewhere that doesn’t exist.” Nerezza said. For a moment, Sara was horrified.
Then longing took over. She wanted power, and now. She needed it. Nerezza laughed.
“Fine, then. Come.” She waved her hand, and they were on a tall, grassy cliff. Clinging to the edge was a small tree. Looking over, Sara saw her town nestled between two hills. They were on Normac’s Cliff. Sara had been here once before, on a hiking trip.
“Indeed.” Nerezza murmured. “Now, stay very still.” She commanded. Then, she held one hand out in front of her, and gestured for Sara to take it.
Nerezza closed her eyes and black mist coiled around her. A tendril spiraled around her arm, and then hit Sara’s hand. It melted into her skin.
Nerezza let go and stepped back. At first, Sara felt no different. Then everything changed. She felt incredibly cold, as if her veins had been filled with ice water. Her skin burned and she collapsed on the ground.
She tried to scream, but no sound came out. Her vision blurred and faded. She heard nothing; felt only pain and fear. Then, everything stopped.
She opened her eyes and saw everything clearly. Every intricate detail on the little tree’s leaves, every blade of grass. She heard the wind, her breathing, the noisy sounds of her town.
The smells were overwhelming. Grass and dirt and moss and rot and gasoline and food from the town. Nerezza was hovering in the air overhead, looking bored. Sara saw that her cheeks had regained a little color and she looked slightly stronger. Sara realized that she had seen this thousands of time before.
“The worst is yet to come. Brace yourself.” Nerezza advised. Sara wasn’t sure what she meant.
Then it hit her. An invisible force so incredibly heavy it knocked her to the ground. It was as if someone had thrown a car at her. And Sara wanted it off. She pushed, trying to get it off. It obeyed, and flew at Nerezza. She looked frazzled, but nothing happened to her.
“Goodness child! Don’t waste your power on me!” She cried, annoyed. Nerezza gestured at the town below. “Pick a house, any house.”
The car was back. Her new vision let her see every house below. One had a red roof. The car pressed, pressed… then she flung it.
She felt it hurtling down, and as it fell, it became a black mass of shadow. Then, the red roof collapsed and the whole house disintegrated. She collapsed, too. She was so tired. She closed her eyes, but no sleep came.
Nerezza laughed evilly. “You will never sleep.”
Sara’s eyes opened, but she was too exhausted to move. She thought her questions, hoping Nerezza would hear them.
“Ah, yes. I can laugh, but I feel no joy. Typically, I laughed when amused. And since you have only a small bit of power, you will tire quickly if you overuse it.” Nerezza answered.
“Now, I shall send you home.” Nerezza said. She gestured at Sara, and the scenery changed. Sara was on her bed in her room. And, as Nerezza had told her, no matter how long she closed her eyes, no sleep came.
Hours later, Sara’s head started tingling. Her acute senses told her of a presence outside of her door. She could hear the deep breathing and could smell the aftershave. She knew it was her dad before the door opened.
“Honey? It’s me. I’m home.” He said softly. Sara could smell other scents besides aftershave. Mint, sweat, orange juice, and, even deeper down, fish. She didn’t want him here.
“Your mom said you must have been upset about Darryl and came home early.” Sara was confused. Then, she saw his thoughts. It was like looking at a picture book. She saw his worry, his surprise at her appearance, his plane ride home, and orange juice spilled on his lap. She saw his happiness as he shook hands with a large Asian man, and a logo of fish in a can. So many thoughts flew at her until she saw the most recent.
Darryl was dead. She saw online articles’ headlines: Spontaneous Combustion Not Science Fiction? and: Local Man Killed in Mysterious Accident. She saw a picture of a house with a red roof. She realized then, whose house it had been. Sara smiled grimly as it dawned upon her that she had killed her old chauffeur.
“What’s so funny?” Her dad asked, as Sara burst into a crazed laughter. Then, she felt a tingling behind her eyes, a funny feeling. She turned her eyes on her dad, and his face went slack, his mouth hanging open.
“Get out.” She commanded. Obedient as a dog, he turned on his heels, and marched stiffly out of the room. The second the door closed, Nerezza appeared in the corner, clapping softly.
“Bravo, bravo. I see you’ve discovered hypnosis,” she said, “Impressive, considering that you’ve had no training. Tell me, how do you feel?” she asked.
“Crushed.” Sara whispered.
“Ah yes, the buildup of unused energy. Imagine that, multiplied by a million. The weight of every human’s life. That is the burden I carry, constantly increasing.” Sara gaped. “I presume you feel well enough for your training?” Nerezza questioned.
“Yes,” Sara whispered.
“Good, now get up.” Sara gradually stood, and shuffled to the center of the room.
“Look in the mirror.” Sara looked. Staring back at her was a face with a pair of black eyes rimmed with black circles, greasy white hair, and skin the bluish white color of leftover milk in a bowl of cereal.
“I doubt this is the image you want to portray. So change it.” She commanded, “Shape it to your will.”
Sara closed her eyes, and pictured her image behind them. She changed the sickly color of her skin to a healthy tan; her thin white hair to flowing snowy waves. Her black eyes she made sharper; rimming them with eyeliner instead of dark circles. When she opened her eyes, she saw that exact image staring back at her.
“Excellent. And the feeling of being crushed is lessened now, is it not?” Nerezza queried. Sara nodded. “Touch your hair.” When Sara did, it felt greasy and flat, even though it looked healthy.
“Your new image is merely a false form, an illusion. To actually become that image takes more energy than you are capable of producing.” She paused, making sure Sara was listening. “Maintaining an illusion such as yours will eventually drain your power. I, typically, keep the image of my host, altering only minor details.”
“Like your eyes?” Sara wondered.
“Indeed. Hers were a rather unremarkable shade of green. Now, we shall continue your training elsewhere.” She concluded.
Like magic, they were on a beach. The grayish sea stretched on for miles in one direction, meeting picturesque yellow sand that eventually became a field in the opposite direction. She couldn’t see anyone and her clear vision could see for miles on the flat landscape. There were odd smells, salt and brine and grass and flowers.
“Traveling is difficult, as is summoning people or things,” Nerezza said, interrupting Sara’s thoughts, “However, controlling the elements is not.” She lifted her hands, one palm facing the sea and one facing land.
Instantaneously, the field burst into flames, and the air was overwhelmingly smoky. A wave, fifty feet high, came hurtling towards Sara from the other direction, and she didn’t have time to scream before it hit. However, she remained dry, and when she summoned up enough courage to open her eyes, she saw that all the yellow sand was drenched except for a circle of dryness around her and Nerezza.
“Try it,” Came Nerezza’s voice out of the silence. Sara gathered her wits and took a deep breath. She wanted fire. She cupped her hands in front of her, concentrating. She screamed as they caught on fire. Her skin bubbled, and the pain was unbearable.
“Help me!” She pleaded, tears streaming down her face. Her sleeves were beginning to catch, and the charred smell of burnt flesh invaded her nose.
“Help yourself.” Nerezza replied coolly. Trying to think through the pain, Sara pictured water. Gallons of cold water, ice cubes floating in a glass. She felt a nudge in her head as the sea responded, and for a blissful moment, the agony stopped.
Then the salt settled on her wounds. She wailed, letting the mangled stumps of her hands drop to the ground. Nerezza gave a flustered sigh.
“Honestly, child, use your power to heal yourself!” She said, rolling her azure eyes. And as Sara stared through tears, her skin stitched itself up and her fingers grew back. She held them up in front of her to make sure they were real.
“Now, I must ask, what on earth were you trying to accomplish?” Nerezza questioned.
“I was trying to hold a ball of fire, like in a dream I had.” She whispered. Nerezza raised an eyebrow.
“Do not attempt to put it in your hand. Rather, try to conjure it above your hand.” She advised. Sara tried to imagine a target floating above her palms. But before she could aim, she felt something land in them. She opened her eyes and saw a target resting in her hands.
“Whoops.” She murmured. Nerezza rolled her eyes.
“Perhaps different techniques will serve you serve you better.” She decided. “Try flying.”
Sara stood, brushing sand off her knees. She crouched, got a running start, and jumped. She felt the ground fly from underneath her, and she felt herself rushing forwards…but then gravity pulled, and she hit the ground, facedown.
“You jumped far, but that is not the same thing as flying.” Nerezza said, appearing beside Sara. Sara tried to scream in frustration, but her tired lungs could only squeak.
“Well, you’ve done better than most, if that’s any consolation.” Nerezza huffed, frustrated. “But you have obviously overexerted yourself. Besides, you have a funeral to attend tomorrow.” She said, and with a wave of her hand, Sara was back in her bed.
“I believe this package is for you.” Nerezza placed a small cardboard box with an Amazon receipt on it next to Sara’s bed, and disappeared. Sara was curious as to how it had arrived so quickly, until she saw that her clock’s LED display showed 6:00, Wednesday morning.
Sorry it's so long-- I can tell you guys are getting bored of reviewing these, so I just posted one last long one-- for now, that is.
