La Recoleto

6

"I won't remember."

"I will make sure you do. Pain is such a good teacher."

"I. Will. Never. Hurt. Them." He scoffs.

"Never? Who hurt them all these times?"

"I put them out of their misery."

"And truly heroic that is. You know what I see in you?"

"Weakness."

"The potential to become more. I will shape and sharpen you. You will die a lamb and come back a lion. My will become yours, and you will spread it throughout the land. You will be called the Red Lioness, and when people hear of you, they will fear you."

"That sounds nice," I say, finally giving in. Closing my eyes, I start to get a picture of it. I am a strong warrior with black hair and red ruby eyes. The townspeople scream, "It's the Red Lioness!" as they flee. As much as I want to hunt them, I have bigger fish to fry, so I let my soldiers take care of them. I stroll through the city; screaming and the flashes of metal whirl all around me. And blood. My eyes take it in, loving the sight of the precious substance that comes out of humans' bodies. It is so beautiful! My mind exclaims. I make my way to the castle double doors and burst through them. Screams and gasps announce my arrival. The soldiers who are smart bow down before me, and the ones that aren't get reminded. The human king tries to stand up to me, testing my patience. Purple always tells me how my impatience will end up getting the better of me. But how I didn't like it when they make me wait! And when all is said and done, I am the one on the throne, and if he is lucky, the used-to-be king is now bowing down before me. If not, blood is showered everywhere. I take out my phone and text Purple, "Done." Enemy armies are always searching for our messenger falcons when in actuality, we communicate with pocket-sized black screens. Moments later, he replies back, "Excellent." Putting my phone back, I rest my head against the throne's metal surface and revel in my handiwork for just a bit longer. And if anyone comes through those double doors, all they would see is a pair of blood red eyes staring at them through a sheet of white pillow feathers as they float down from the ceiling.

Darkness calls my name, whispering its sweet nothings in my ear. The burning sensation no longer hurts me. Instead, it soothes and comforts me, pulling me ever deeper into its embrace. I spiral deeper into the darkness. The fire nuzzles against me like a purring cat.

"Going down that easy, Gabri?" That voice, it sounds familiar. It is gentle and sweet like it's from a dream. I wake up, lying on the ground. Everything is dark, except for a glowing white figure. The figure is relaxed and has his hands in his pockets. Could it be...him? The glowing starts to fade, revealing his face.

"Roy?!"

"I know, I know. I am the last person you expected to see. You were expecting him, weren't you?"

"A little, yeah. I thought he would come back and talk some sense into me. He did save me, ya know?"

"That's true. I am afraid he is lost too though. He can't remember himself, and so, it is hard for him to find the light that leads the way back. So, I will be your guide today."

"Where are Selah, Ceon, and Tulip?"

"Currently, they are braiding each other's hair in a vast meadow filled with flowers of all types. They will be here soon though."

"Why would they come? After all what's happened, I wouldn't blame if they didn't."

"They still love you, Gabri. It is hard to know that, but even after all these times that you have killed them, the love in their hearts has not forgotten you. To them, you are a beloved friend that they haven't seen for awhile."

"Why have you come?"

"Because you need help, Friend."

"I have needed help for the longest time." My voice cracks as I say this.

"No, you have wanted help. You haven't needed it. There is a difference."

"So, do I qualify for needing it?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Are you going to tell me that if I choose this Path of Darkness, then all our friends' deaths were in vain?"

"No, what I am going to tell you is it is your choice whether you give in or not. I am also going to remind you that you have other choices. It is not just this one."

"What if one of the other choices is not so good?"

"Not so good how?"

"Well, I already know what I need to do, but it will end up in breaking an important promise I made a long time ago."

"Hmm. Will whoever you made the promise to be hurt?"

"He may be a little angry, but I think he will understand."

"Then go for it, Gabs. We are all standing behind you. If you needed our permission, you have it. You have our permission to live. Now go!" He then stretches out his hand to me, and I take it. He pulls me up, but instead of letting go of my hand when I get up, he keeps pulling me up until I start floating upward. I feel weightless. The Shackles of Darkness release me from their grasp unwilling. It felt like I was tied to the bottom of the ocean with a weight, and now, I have been cut free. I look back down to see Roy with his hands still in his pockets, but he is looking away at something. I follow his gaze and I see Ceon, Tulip, and Selah running out with different colored dresses on with many various colored flowers of all shapes and sizes in their now braided hair. They truly look like princesses. They look up and catch my eye.

"You can do it, Gabri!"

"We love you, Gabri!"

"Keep going, Gabri!" I start crying.

"I love you too!" I look to Roy. As he watches the girls with a smile, I can tell he loves this peaceful eternity. The brotherly love he has towards the girls shows in his proud face. Even though he may be younger, he acts like an older sibling. He looks up.

"Go get him, Gabs." I nod and turn my gaze up again. While I speed upwards, I hear cheers, loving compliments, and laughter from the girls, and I know that they are in good hands. They have a big brother to take care of them after all.