Young Writers Society

*This story is underneath my folder titled “Marcia and Rush”. Gacha Club character designs are under my forum titled “My character designs <33”. Enjoy!*

Elestia walked carefully down the garden, so as not to alert the Night Creatures.

Mom and Dad said that Night Creatures were demon and vampire hybrids, true evil that could not be stopped. They always warned Elestia and her little brother, Anthony, that if they walked too far in the garden, they would have to be quiet, or else the Night Creatures would devour their flesh.

The only reason Elestia and Anthony were even going too far in the garden, to the part that was a forest, was to bring back home special stones for Mom’s potions. Elestia was part of a family of proud, good witches, and she wouldn’t let the Night Creatures stop her from getting what she needed.

“Elestia, can’t we go home now? We can just tell Mom that we didn’t find anything!” Anthony quivered. She held onto his hand tightly, so that he wouldn’t leave her.

“No. We haven’t found any glowing stones yet. We just need to find a few and then we can go home.” Elestia said, trying her best to hide the strain in her voice.

Didn’t he think that she was scared too? That she was also thinking about her flesh being devoured? But she couldn’t run. If her parents told her to do something, then she’d do it. After all, her parents knew more than she and Anthony did. They should never be questioned.

In the distance, Elestia caught sight of an intestine-pink glow, green, pulsating vein-like lines striking through it. It wasn’t the sign of a stone, but a sign of something terrible happening in Hell.

“Follow me!” Elestia cried out as she let go of Anthony’s hand, running towards the light.

Her parents said that she could help anyone in Hell but the Night Creatures. The Night Creatures were irredeemable heathens.

Bits of dirt flew into her eyes, but she ignored it. Her legs were starting to ache, but she ignored it. Anthony was calling after her to “stop!”, but again, she ignored it.

Finally, Elestia made it in front of a hole, where the flames almost touched the soil. She had made it in between the living world and the supernatural world.

Down below, she could hear frantic screams and could see…

A boy and a girl?

Elestia knelt down to get a better look.

Yes, there was a boy and a girl. The boy had crimson hair and swamp green eyes, his black wings covering the purple-haired, yellow-eyed girl protectively. The girl had wings too, but they were much smaller than the boy’s.

Both of the children were shaking, as though their bones might break. The girl screamed, the boy tried to comfort her.

Elestia’s heart felt like it would shatter. Why, why were they suffering? Sure, Hell was Hell, but they were demons. They were born in Hell. She could see it from their wings. Only demons had wings, and it was so they could return to Hell. Without them, they would be trapped on Earth.

Elestia focused on extending her love towards them both, on bringing them out of the rubble, on saving them.

After a few minutes, a soft white glow appeared on both hands. She leveled the glow towards the hole and focused on strengthening her love, on extending her love…

“Quick! Climb on!” Elestia cried out.

For after all of the focusing, she was holding a white rope for them to climb to safety. They could have used their wings, yes, but their wings looked so broken, so worn out. Only a witch could heal them, and Elestia was more than happy to take them to her parents.

The boy and girl looked up at her, shocked and startled.

The boy was the first to climb the rope, wasting no time in standing still. The girl, however. She glared at Elestia and almost ran away, only to glance at the boy and reluctantly climb the rope.

Why was the girl so hostile? Elestia and her family wouldn’t hurt them. They were witches who cared about their fellow monsters. There was nothing to worry about.

………………………………………………

Years had passed since Elestia had extended the rope towards the boy and girl. The boy was the same age as Elestia, ten. The girl was the same age as Anthony, eight. The boy was Rush, the girl was Priscilla. Rush and Priscilla were running from something. Elestia didn’t know what, but she trusted that Rush would tell her when he was ready.

For Rush, like Elestia, was sixteen. Priscilla, like Anthony, was fourteen. Years had passed, yes. Rush visited Elestia’s family as much as he could ever since he was healed, yes. Priscilla didn’t visit at all, but that was alright.

Because throughout all the years of seeing him, Rush had become more than a friend to her. He was abandoned, and she saved him. He was forsaken, and she helped him. His words were sweet, his love was infinite. For a demon, he wasn’t the slightest bit harsh. He never slashed at her, never cursed her. Even when Elestia lost it, he always brought her into a hug afterwards. He understood her. He let her do as she pleased. He loved her.

Which was why she was sitting with him in the garden at the family ball. Elestia invited him and his sister. Of course, only he came along. Priscilla was much less agreeable, like her brother, Anthony, who didn’t even come out of his room for the ball. He didn’t appreciate extravagance.

Rush inched his claw towards her hand and clasped it so tightly, yet so gently at the same time. Elestia blushed, feeling as though her heart would splatter all over her white gown.

She hoped that he would never leave her side.

“Rush, you’re going to marry me, aren’t you?” Elestia asked.

She was referring to marriage as something that would happen in the future, not at the exact moment. Her parents always said that they knew they were perfect for each other when they were teenagers. She held onto that story like the one about the Night Creatures, letting it ebb into her like strings of thread.

“Yes, Elestia. I am. However, there’s one thing that you should know.” Rush said, clasping her hand more firmly.

What made him look so frantic? He wasn’t a savage demon, nothing could make her stop loving him.

“Don’t be so frightened. I’ll always love you, no matter what.” Elestia said, moving her hand out of his hold and placing it on his claw instead.

It was her turn to give him love.

“I-I-I…I’m a night creature. Part demon, part vampire.” Rush said.

Was he telling the truth? He couldn’t be, Night Creatures didn’t have wings…unless they evolved.

“You’re a night creature?” Elestia asked, drawing back from him. If he was, then she couldn’t let him touch her. Night Creatures were bound only by rage, and all deserved to burn.

“Elestia, please. Don’t let this change what we have.” Rush pleaded, reaching his claw out to her.

The absolute nerve he had. He was a Night Creature, she could smell it in his blood! Why didn’t she notice earlier? Was she too caught up by…love?

Elestia’s eyes caught a black stone with red lines on the dew-dropped grass. The stone had a steady hum to it, like a heartbeat.

It wasn’t just any special stone. It was a Terror Stone, and it would give anyone the power to administer deadly curses.

She couldn’t believe her luck!

“What we had doesn’t matter anymore, because you lied to me!” Elestia yelled out, touching the Terror Stone.

Mixed with her own wrath was the malice of many demons. She could feel other powers, but more importantly, her own power getting stronger. It was coursing through her in rogue red veins, and simmering out of her in burning white.

“Elestia-“

“May you be bound to this Earth forever until you take the soul of an innocent. Let your evil eat you out and reveal the world what you truly are!” Elestia screeched, focusing all of her betrayal and funneling it into Rush, just as how she did with the rope years ago.

Rush crumbled to the ground, his wings breaking away from him until there was nothing left but a bloody back.

He looked up at her with crocodile tears, but she wouldn’t fall for it. Rush was a monster, and he deserved to be left in Hell to die. Why did she ever save him? Why did she love him? Why did she trust him?

If only Elestia looked for the stones like she was supposed to, then none of it would have happened.

Oh well. Her parents were waiting. They weren’t upset at her for bringing Rush and Priscilla home, but that was before they knew of the kids’ true natures.

Her poor parents! They would be so heartbroken…

But not as heartbroken as her.