Selene
Each agonizing scream accelerated the pace of my legs, fuelling them with a newly found energy. And in a flash of light, all my tiredness and sleepiness were long gone and forgotten as adrenaline took charge.
Was everything alright over there? Most especially with Esmeralda?
“Hey, come back!” One of the guards yelled before stretching his hands to grab me, but I dodged it and increased my pace.
Nothing would stop me from seeing Esmeralda tonight.
Not even thousands of guards.
“You, get back here!” Another guard ran after me, but I was quick to outsmart him, making him lose me.
Swerving left to avoid being caught by an incoming guard who was bent on taking me, I made my way to a huge door dividing both sections. Without thinking twice, I flung it open, throwing myself in.
My pace reduced as I was met with an unfamiliar building. Then it dawned on me.
I didn’t know which room Esmeralda was in. All I remembered was its pink interiors. But there was no way I could locate the room without recognizing it.
Fuck!
Closing my eyes and taking a relaxing breath, I opened my mind, allowing my heart to lead me to Esmeralda’s room.
“Please be safe for me, please be safe for me,” I repeated, letting my hands travel to the wall.
Seconds crawled into minutes before my hand rested on a door knob.
This has to be it. Please be it.
I could risk being caught by Vanessa. Or worse, Alpha Kade and his short-tempered Beta.
Carefully turning the door knob to avoid attention, I peeked inside the room, my eyes scanning everywhere, but I was met with nothing. No one.
Driven by confusion, I made my way to the next room, pushing the strange feeling that engulfed me away.
Something wasn’t right.
I just walked past an empty pink room with no traces of Esmeralda.
Giving in to the strange feeling, I retraced my steps to the pink room, opening the door wider before leaning at the entrance.
Had Esmeralda left the pink room?
Where does she stay?
Fuck!
I didn’t have a clue that finding her would be difficult.
Fighting the urge to call her name as I didn’t want to get into trouble with the new owner of the room, I waited patiently at the door, hoping for a miracle.
Maybe she was bathing. I should give her time.
Maybe she isn’t here anymore.
Running out of patience, I have the room one last stare, before proceeding to leave when my eyes caught a figure laying on the floor.
Who was that?
Was that the girl screaming?
Taking baby steps to where the figure lay to have a glimpse of the person, my gaze met with Esmeralda’s lifeless body on the cold tiles.
“What!” I yelled, rushing to her and scooping her in my arms like she was a baby.
“Esmeralda! Esme! Wake up!” I screamed, shaking her vigorously, but her eyes were tight shut.
“No! Don’t do this to me,” I gasped, covering my mouth with my palm to subdue my incoming screams, “Esmeralda, please. It’s me, Selene. I’m here now,”
“Wake the hell up. You are scaring me,” I screamed, ignoring the attention my voice would draw.
Do something, Selene. A voice said in my head after I froze in shock for minutes.
Like what?
I didn’t even know what to do or where to touch. I didn’t know what happened to her.
Selene, do something!
Its desperate scream rang louder in my ears.
Fine.
Wiping the tears pouring down my eyes with the back of my palm, I placed Esmeralda’s body on my lap.
“No! Phoebe. Leave me alone!” Esmeralda’s loud screams jerked me from my reverie.
Relief coursed through me at the steady beating of her heart.
She was alive.
“Hey, it’s me, Selene,” I gave her a gentle shake, hoping she would open her eyes but they were tightly shut, muttering inaudible words.
“Why do you want me dead? Why are you haunting me? Go away!” She screamed, throwing her arms in the air.
Then it dawned on me.
Panic attack!
Esmeralda was having a panic attack because Phoebe was haunting her.
But how did she begin to see Phoebe? It stopped months ago.
Someone must have triggered it.
Someone as evil as Phoebe.
But who could that be?
“I can do this. I can do this,”
I muttered to myself, summoning the remaining bravery in me.
I took off Esmeralda’s uniform and every piece of clothing that might be restricting her airflow, exposing her naked body to fresh air.
“Let me go,” She fought again, screaming in agony, “Take the silver chains off me. It burns. It’s hell! Help!” Her body jerked violently, panting hard and rolling off mine before she stopped, going unconscious.
Unable to help her get off her misery, tears cascaded through my eyes. It hurt to see my best friend in pain and so much suffering that while unconscious, it was hell and couldn’t help relieve the pain.
“I’m sorry, Esmeralda,” I whispered, almost choking on my tears.
Get hold of yourself. You are here to help her, not cry with her.
Scolding myself for being emotional, I scooped her in my arms, watching her like my child, “Esmeralda, if you can hear me, I need you to breathe. Phoebe is not here, just me,” I said calmly.
As if on cue, she gasped loudly struggling to catch her breath.
Good girl.
“It’s alright, Esmeralda. Breathe slowly, slowly,” I swallowed hard, almost bursting into tears as I watched her struggle for breath.
“No, not that way, take it easy. You can do it, girl,” I urged but her deafening screams and inaudible words threw me into a state of confusion.
What should I do?
“Don’t scream, Esmeralda. Breathe and don’t let Phoebe win,” I held her hand, “Please,”
But her screaming stopped, and so were the inaudible words.
“Esmeralda?” I called but was met with silence, long silence.
“No!” My eyes widened in horror the moment I made contact with her body.
Esmeralda was turning cold. Ice cold.
Phoebe was succeeding in killing Esmeralda.
But there was only one way to bring Esmeralda back.
My powers.