Ethereal

~Charlotte~

There he was, holding out his hand to me. Risun. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I shouldn't trust him but here he seemed so harmless. So kind.

"Come with me. Come on." he said coaxingly.

"I- I can't." I stammered.

"Why not?" he asked, his voice gentle, soothing.

I opened my mouth to explain, but I realized I couldn't. Why shouldn't I go with him? His voice was comforting, and it surrounded me, keeping me safe.

"You'll never have to worry again" he spoke softly and I relaxed.

"Never again" I repeated softly. What was the harm? I stretched my hand out to him.

"Charlotte!" Marcie's voice came through to me. Why was she here? My eyes stayed on Risun and I saw his face contort with fiery anger. I withdrew my hand taking a cautious step back.

But his expression had calmed.

"I know you." He said. Sincerity practically dripping from his wide eyes. "All the hardships you've had to face. Your insecurities. How you build walls." he paused "The loneliness... Just take my hand and all of that will fade away. Take my hand and you'll be safe. You'll never have to feel alone again"

"Charlotte don't! Charlotte please don't!!" Marcie's voice begged me through the haze. I was confused. Why didn't she want this for me?

"Don't listen to her." Risun cooed softly. "She's never had your best interests at heart. She doesn't care for you, only for herself." And then I felt angry. Why didn't she want this for me? Why was she being so selfish?

"Charlotte!" Marcie called out warningly. "Charlotte please! Don't do this! He's manipulating you! It's not what you think, it's a trap!" I stared at Risun's calm and open face, and what Marcie said floated out of mind like a summer breeze.

"Trap?" he laughed. "This isn't a trap. I just want what's best for you." I smiled and stretched my hand a bit further.

"Charlotte." Marcie pleaded

Risun kept talking over her.

"You could be beautiful." He snapped the hand that wasn't out stretched and a mirror appeared. I turned, almost involuntarily and gasped. The reflection staring back at me was beautiful. I don't mean the normal everyday beautiful. I mean breathtaking. It was me, minus about ten pounds. The reflection's hair flowed down in perfect gold curls, and her eyes were large and swirling with all different shades of blue and grey and green. The reflection had removed all the nasty red bumps that dotted my face and her lips were a perfect pinky-red. I smiled, and the she returned it with a radiance I could never accomplish.

"And you wouldn't just be a pretty face, you would do so much good."

The mirror changed and showed an image of an older me, verbally fighting wars and bringing people together. defeating world hunger, and saving lives. It displayed me in some sort of refugee camp, handing out disease fighting medicine, and administering vaccines to young children. I was changing the world. I was bringing peace.

"See?" Risun said, his voice calm and smooth "People need you. But you would never be able to accomplish all of that without me. And finally," He snapped his fingers again "you will never have to be alone" The image changed to show the improved me surrounded by people, and I could just tell they truly cared for me. I could not help the smile that spread throughout my face. I turned and reached out a hand, I wanted this.

"Come on." He coaxed

"Don't listen to him! Charlotte he doesn't know you! But I do! and the Charlotte I know would never go with him, not in a million years. Because she'd never abandon the people she loved and when you take his hand, you decide to leave us" I lowered my arm slightly. Confusion now plaguing my already delicate mind. "Just think about all that he just showed you, it's not possible. It's not normal!"

I tried to sort out my feelings, and organize my thoughts, but my mind was muddled. Though, through the gray haze, I began to realize how unnatural all the images had been. Such a happy life just wasn't possible... was it?

I turned back to Risun. His hand was still extended to me, he was so inviting. Familiar somehow, in the way he smiled. I looked into his open pale eyes, my hand reaching out without thinking. Our fingers were inches away. But then a thought jolted through my mind. Well many thoughts actually. Faces. The faces of every person I had ever cared about, ever loved, began to race through my mind, drowning out everything else. I tried hard to recall what Marcie had said. Was I really abandoning them? And if that was the case, could I do it?

Of course not.

But just as I was about to pull my hand away I heard Marcie give a cry.

"No!" she screamed. I turned to her, but it was too late. A sinister violet light had left her finger tips, aimed for my heart. It hit me, and I screamed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sensation I felt next has been branded into my memory. It was the singularly most painful moment of my existence. It was as though every single cell in my body was burning all at once, infecting every tiny particle of my being. My consciousnesses was slipping, but it was so unmercifully slow, and I was vaguely aware that I hadn't stopped my screams.


I don't know how long I stayed like that, but eventually I think the pain must have sent my body into overdrive, because suddenly I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was an empty shell, drifting, into never ending darkness.

So this is what death feels like...

I thought. My last thought until... nothingness.