THIRTY: Sanity

KIERAN

Something feels off. Something doesn't seem right. The air that clings around Erica feels tight and is suffocating. I quickly summoned my ability and send my powers into the air for a quick sense around the room, but before I could Erica took a glance at me. I was taken by the look of her expression written all over her face, angry. I took a step back afraid. Little Amy scurried away hid behind Samuel, scared. 

Then when she looks up at me in rage an image hits me. Something like this also happened to William back then when I was just a kid and my father had to subdue him. "Samuel," I yelled. "We have to get Erica into the torture room."

"What?" he exclaimed.

"No time to talk, Samuel. We have to get her to the torture room. Now!" 

Samuel was hesitant in doing so. "Do what he says," Erica commented. "Hurry! Before I lose myself." 

"What is happening Erica?" Fay demanded, "Why are they taking you to the torture room? Please..."

"Samuel! Go. Now!" I shouted. I didn't give Erica the time to explain to Fay or else we will be running out of time. Samuel quickly came to my aid when I rushed up to Erica. When I attempted to grab her hand her purple eyes shone brighter. She lets out a loud scream for a fight to control her body. Through each screaming process, I tried to ignore it and had quickly put her arm over to my neck and pulled her body into my arms. Erica was wincing in pain in every way while Samuel followed behind me. 

We had to go under the basement which was far from this lab. Before I had to chance to walk out of the mansion. Erica was slowly losing herself and my legs were stabbed by ice shards. She couldn't fight the control of her body anymore. I wince at the pain. Samuel shouted at my name. "We have to keep going," I said. He opened up to say something but in the end, he obeyed and continued to run. 

I tried to run with each throbbing pain on my leg with blood going out of my legs every time I run. Sweat was piling out of my body, but I have to keep on running. Nobody is safe inside the mansion if Erica stays inside of that house bearing that thought in mind. I continued to run. 

"Erica, wake up," I tried, but it was useless. She was looking at me with cold emotionless eyes. 

"Watch out!" Samuel warned, but I couldn't. Erica's powers were too powerful her ice shards were targetting me even if I were to run in a zig-zag position. I was ready to get stabbed and it really did. I stopped in my tracks panting with a trail of blood running down my lips. I was stammering my way to the basement. 

"Let me," Samuel held his arms out to carry Erica, but I shook my head. I can't let him be injured. I love him too much to see him injured. 

"Open the basement door, Sam," I demanded.

He swore underneath his breath at my opposition, but there is no time fighting over this. He listens and opens the underground basement as we both walked down the ladder. Swiftly, I grabbed the chains and clasped it onto her hands and legs. Within the moment Erica wasn't in control of her body anymore and everything around us became frozen even the sweat that was formed out of my body drops down to the ground turned into ice. 

I plopped down to the ground with injuries all over my back and leg. I choked up a little blood and spat onto the floor. Samuel ran to my side and pulled me into him. I was shivering badly from the cold. It's too cold in here.

"Stay with me, Kieran. Stay with me." 

I groaned and winced at the pain. Every part of my body was feeling sore. Somehow my blood keeps slipping out of my body and the temperature within this room did not at least freeze my wound, but the blood that had left from my body.

I was struggling with breathing. Did the ice shards hit my lungs? I put my hand over to the chest and it was wet and sticky. Will I die here?

Samuel was staring down at me his eyes were in shock and all teared up. He is so afraid. He held my hand and closed his eyes for a moment. Then something happens the pain from my body was slowly taken away. He opens his eyes back up and I smile. He never told me his ability and this is a nice ability. He has the power to take the pain away.

I sighed. "Stay with me, Kieran. Please."

"Thank you for taking my pain away and know that I have always loved you." I smile.

"Kieran. No. No!"

I couldn't stay awake the darkness was too tempting and I closed my eyes my hand slipped away from his. I knew I was gone.

~*~

Everything was so dark in here I can't even see myself. It's cold it's like my body hasn't even left the basement. I think the darkness here is endless. I wonder do every dead come here? Am I dead?

I don't feel pain but my body does certainly feel lighter than usual almost as if I can fly. It is a stupid idea but I did it anyway. I hopped into the air hoping to float or fly but it didn't. I shook my head. 

"What am I doing?" I asked myself. I sighed and walked and kept walking it felt like forever. I wanted to give up halfway until a line of white light shone in between this darkness. I ran inside and I was surprised.

"Dad?" the word left my mouth. He still looks as young as ever like he is back in his 20's looking exactly like a modern-day rock star. 

He smiles back at me. "Hello, son."

I couldn't hold my tears and ran into his arms like I was a little kid who missed his father. He left us too early. I was only ten when he took a bullet for William and died in his place. "I missed you, dad," I cried.

"I missed you, son," he whispered. "But Kieran now is not the time to talk there are more important matters in hand."

"What important matter?" I laughed. "Aren't I dead?"

"Mentally, yes. Physically no," he said. I arch my eyebrow confused. "Your lover, Samuel not only has the power to take the pain away but also has the power to send his life force into someone else body."

My eyes widen. "I can't let him do that. He'll die! I have to go back to him."

"And you will," my dad said. "This is never your time, but there is something I have to tell you before you go. You have to find Olive Jamison he has something of Erica that he has to return or else everything will all be returned to the ashes."

"What?" I said confused.

"This is good-bye, Kieran. I will always be watching you."

"Wait-"

Too late. A bright light shines upon us and I was forced back into the world of living with a sharp gasp on the laboratory bed. Samuel! I turned too quickly and almost fell towards the ground if it weren't for Samuel hold. I groaned and was put back onto the bed with his help. Everywhere was sore.

"You have a crazy-ass ability," I scolded him. "Don't ever show it to anyone."

"And how do you know?" He question.

"I became a ghost and saw it."

"Zip it, doctor," he said and hits the wound on my chest making me since. "I have called Jamison. He'll arrive here in a couple of minutes." He tried to take the first aid kid away from the desk but I stopped him from doing so. He looked at me and his face has gone terribly pale. My heart throbbed painfully to see him like this.

"Don't leave," I said. "Stay." He was looking at me reluctant to do so, but I could see in his eyes that he was tired. He wanted to take a chair but I patted on the bed for him to stay beside me. He didn't complain and whined like he usually does. He sat down onto the bed and I pulled him into me. There was a slight pain from the wound that Erica gave me, but I didn't care. I wanted him to rest.

I can't bear having the thought of him leaving me letting along dying for me. I stroke his soft and messy hair it was within seconds that he fell asleep. I kissed him on the head and he smells like menthol both spicy and relaxing.

I looked over to the window and watched as the birds sang its song. Soon Jamison came into the lab he wanted to hello to me but I quickly stopped him and shushed him to be silent.

Jamison came and put his hat onto the table very slowly he walked up to me. He placed his hand over to my forehead with his power flowing out of his body and into my body. I breathe and every part of my body was healed.

I wish I could tell him to heal Fay with his healing ability but there was some limitation to his ability and he can't heal someone if the wound of the person has been there for too long over a period of time. He has a powerful ability but with limitations.

"It's the first time I have seen him sleep so deeply like this," Jamison whispered smiling. "It's finally nice him sleeping like this."

"Why is that?" I whispered.

"Have you not heard? Samuel has gone through a lot of shit back when he was just a normal human. His family was killed in a car accident with his sister inside of it and he was the sole survivor and he blames himself for the death of his family?"

"How do you know so much?"

Jamison grinned. "That's because I'm his roommate."