Young Writers Society

*This story is underneath my folder titled “Zombies of Mariesville”. Gacha Club character designs are on my wall. Enjoy!*

Luisa hoped that what she was living through was real, and not an illusion. It’d hurt even more if it were all just a hallucination in death, and that her world really had crumbled.

But Josette was leading her and Oliver to safety. She’d find the rest of them, and they’d all be saved.

The graying, decaying walls of the palace around her began to fade into the background…she couldn’t feel the ground beneath her…

…………………………………………………..

She was in a room with painted green walls and a bed filled with stuffed animals. In fact, the whole room was filled with stuffed animals, but the boys occupying it looked to be thirteen, much too old to be seen with such toys in the eyes of the world.

“Watch, Elvis. I’m going to summon Helena Blackrose, the nightmare demon. Legend has it that she manifested from a little girl’s nightmares, and she now roams the streets, searching for children to take.” The boy said with a mischievous grin.

A realization hit Luisa in the head. The boys were Jackson and Elvis, and it was the moment that Jackson had summoned Helena, unaware of just how awful she could be.

It was where it all began.

“Remind me why you want to summon this supposed demon?” Elvis asked, a hint of paranoia in his voice.

Jackson only grinned wider and wrapped around Elvis’ shoulders.

“I’m a witch, Elvis. I can control what else is out there. You have nothing to fear, because I’ll keep you safe.” Jackson said.

“Yeah, right.” Elvis laughed, nudging Jackson away.

But Jackson sat crisscrossed on the ground, and from his lips, came the fading, enchanted words:

“Oh Helena, demon of the mind.

Creature of the shadows.

I call upon thee to come here tonight.

Show us your might, bring your greatest fury.

Bring all your misery, it’s mine against yours.

Come forth, show what you can.”

“This sounds wrong.” Elvis said. Yet he didn’t leave, so perhaps he trusted Jackson to some extent?

“It sounds evil, I know. But that’s what I have to say to summon her.” Jackson said.

He turned around and crawled over to Elvis, taking hold of his hand from his place on the ground.

“I’ve never hurt you before. You’re still here, in my room. You know that I’m going to make sure nothing happens. Don’t let the fear get to you, it’s your worst enemy.” Jackson said softly.

“You’re right. This spell isn’t going to harm a soul, you know what you’re doing.” Elvis said, gaining more confidence.

For a few minutes, nothing happened. It was just the two of them, in the room of stuffed animals.

Then, black smoke rose from the ground, growing and growing, till it morphed into a pale woman, black hair sticking to her sallow face, black dress trailing below her, black, spindly claws reaching out.

Jackson stood up, still holding onto Elvis’ hand.

“Helena Blackrose! Tis I’, Jackson Lavein, the witch who has called you forth. I herby bind you to my will, you will proceed with only my commands.” Jackson declared.

He reached out, and from his free hand, thin trails of golden smoke crawled out, latching onto Helena.

But she only snickered and pushed them aside, as though they meant nothing to her.

“Small child, you have not secured your spell. You know nothing, you are an inexperienced brat. Now, you must pay your debt. Give me the human, I need his soul.” Helena seethed.

She reached out towards Elvis, but Jackson shielded him. Elvis began shaking, his eyes wide with terror.

“Why can’t you just take mine? I have magic, you could use that to your benefit. I’m the one who summoned you.” Jackson said. There were tears in his eyes, but none spilled out.

Helena tsked and shook her head, as though she were a teacher conversing with a misbehaving child.

“You won’t do me any good. Only human souls sustain me. I need him, give him to me and I’ll be on my way.” Helena said.

Upon hearing her words, Elvis jumped onto Jackson, who held him tight. Jackson’s eyes blanked out into whiteness, and he extended his hand, golden fire emerging from within.

“Not a chance, demon. I’ll see to it that you’ll be controlled, just you wait.” Jackson said, voice laced with ethereal power.

The golden flames engulfed Helena, closing in on her. She was sinking to the ground, shaking, crying out in agony. Elvis hid his face in Jackson’s shoulder, avoiding the sight of Helena’s apparent demise.

Luisa watched with joy as she cried out in pain. The monster was dying, the boys would be saved, they’d never be taken!

But it was a memory, not a fairytale.

Helena’s blackened clouds of smoke overpowered the golden. Jackson’s hand was getting shaky, there was uncertainty creeping in his eyes.

Helena’s grin returned. She stood to her full, towering height. Jackson’s flames were so feeble compared to the clouds of darkness surrounding her and spreading out, like what circled out of factory chimneys.

“The magic of an insolent kid. No more games, it’s quite repetitive.” Helena said.

Right from his hold, Helena grabbed Elvis with her encircling black smoke. Jackson ran towards him, but the black smoke wrapped on his wrists and ankles, confining him.

“Tell you what, kid. I’ll give your friend back if you give me all the humans in this town. Give them to me, and you’ll be with him again.” Helena said.

“That’s all?” Jackson asked, tears spilling from his eyes. Elvis struggled to break free, but Helena’s grip was stronger than Jackson’s.

“That’s all.” Helena said, faux gentleness lined in her voice.

In an instant, she and Elvis disappeared in a pop, like a firework, but without the noise.

Jackson sat on the ground, unmoving. Tears fell from his eyes, but he didn’t bawl. He simply held his knees to his chest, face lined with shock.

It was a memory, she couldn’t comfort him, yet still, Luisa walked towards him, trying to put a hand on his shoulder when she got close.

It went straight through, as expected to.

“Marie!” Jackson called out, throat filled with caked sobs that dug deep through.

The room faded out, blurring into colors that melded into nondescript, muted gray.

…………………………………………………..

“I found this room when I was crawling in the walls, after I escaped. The vivus plants are here.” Josette said.

Luisa was back in the rotting palace, away from the moment of sorrowful loss. Her heart raced from the memory, but she simply held Oliver close and let Josette lead the way to freedom.

Josette creaked open the door. Just as she said, yellow C-shaped vegetables waited in rows, ripe for the picking.

“I’ll take one for Braden, you take one for Charles. We’ll find Marie and take the rest.” Josette said.

Luisa nodded. She’d find Charles and Ava, Josette would find Braden. Then, they’d find Marie and fix it all. There was no need to tell Josette what she saw. As long as Luisa knew, she could motivate Marie to get through to Jackson, and everything would be fixed.

The three of them were just about to pick the plants, when suddenly, there came an echoing thump from behind the walls that shook the palace and brought dust falling from the ceiling.

Oliver coughed raggedly, his barren lungs no doubt contributing to his vulnerability.

Luisa and Josette waited, ready to fight whatever came bursting through the other side.

They may have been trapped, but that didn’t mean that they would give up.