Chapter 14: The 2nd Trial, Pt. 3

She decided. She was gonna run away. If she wasn't allowed to leave, then running away was the next best option. It was an illusion, after all. Astrid packed her things: A flashlight, a few snacks, and Aa bottle of water, all in her bag. Out the window she went, and snuck out into the city. She needed to find something that could take her back. The first place she traveled to was the bar she used to work in. Well, that she was going to work in, according to this illusion.

***

"Huh? What's a child doing in here? Leave or I'm gonna call the police!"

The manager shouted at her.

'Still as short-tempered as ever...'

But Astrid attempted to negotiate. There was no other place that came to mind.

"Wait, sir, I think we can come to a deal." She reached in her pocket and pulled out a few bank notes. This pleased the grubby man.

"Yes...maybe we can...." He snatched the money out of her hand and walked off. "You have 2 hours in here. Then you leave."

She bowed in appreciation, though she wasn't appreciative at all.

'Now, what to do....' She was looking around for some sort of clue, but got distracted by something, a light floating around the bar. Was she the only one to see it. Thinking this, she decided to follow it. It floated away, out of a window, into an alley behind the building.

She rushed out back, and saw only a dumpster. This dumpster though, in fact, the whole alley felt familiar.

'Wait, this alley...It's the exact one I reincarnated into...What's it doing here?'

She opened the dumpster. The bright light cowering there, flew into her face, blinding her.

"Ah! What's with that? Damn light!"

When she regained her sight, a slight smile was given.

"Eta, you bastard. Coulda told me it was you."

She was in the white room, the room she met Eta in the first time.

"Greetings child, I see you're seeking guidance. What is it you might need?"

"I need to find a way out of the illusion."

"Oh, that's right. You should wake up after the threat in the illusion is gone."

"Right? That's what I thought! The hooded man ran away!"

"You're incorrect. The threat was never that man." Eta shined brighter. "Think about it. That'll be all I can tell you child. Have a good day." She emitted an even brighter light, blinding Astrid again. The moment she opened her eyes, she found herself in the alley, but it was getting dark.

'Think Astrid, think...Who could possibly be the threat?' She began to walk home. 'The man is gone, so the only possible answers are mother and father. And the manager, but I doubt it's him. They're the only people that mattered to me in my current life.'

It began to rain.

'Mother, or.....father. It has to be him.'

She began to hurry home. Mother was alone with him. It was dangerous for Astrid to leave the house anyways.

She bursted through the door. But, her parents were having dinner as usual.

"Oh, Astrid? How did you get to the front door? Weren't you in your room?"

The girl whipped her head towards her father.

'This is only an illusion...'

She ran full speed at him. Knocked on his back, the man staggered away, startled. However, Astrid was not done. A knife was on the table next to her. A quick swipe was made, and Astrid prepared to slice her father.

"Wait, Astrid! What's is it? What are you going to do?" Her father's face dropped.

Astrid stuck the knife down, and it lodged into his heart. The man fell limp and the light in his eyes began to drift away. Astrid's mother screamed in terror, but Astrid closed her eyes.

'He had to died in the illusion too...but now, I'm going back. Back to....my world.'

Or was she? She opened her eyes. Nothing happened.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. He wasn't the threat?!? Who is it?!?"

Her mother picked up the knife in her husband's chest.

"You are not my daughter! You monster! I'm going to kill you!"

"Not now mom, i'm thinking....Wait what? Wait a minute....Kill me? Thats not rational, let's talk it out." A sweat dripped down Astrid's temple. She killed her father, but she didn't have the guts to kill her mother. She just....couldn't. Astrid's mother charged at her, and all she could do was dodge.

"Mother, please, put the knife down!"

She was going to tear up. Her own mother, trying to kill her, looking at her as if she was a demon.

"Die"

Yet again, Astrid felt it. This urge. An urge of delight. It was disturbing her. Was she psychotic? No. It wasn't that. Then what was it? This thought gave Astrid's mother a chance to attack. A stab. To the stomach. On the ground, Astrid closed her eyes. Death. She never thought she'd die.

'Damn it. It must have been my mother then. The actual threat.' She let out a faint laugh.

Her mother on the other hand, was going crazy. Both her family members were bloody, on the floor. Her mind was going crazy. Anne, screaming out in perplexity, brought the knife to her neck.

Before anything else happened, Astrid died again, for the second time.