Fifteen Journey - Chapter 27

“That would be suicide!”
“So, what do you suggest?”
“Anything but that!!! What about Ashley???”
“Would you just be quiet?!!!” Cassey ordered.
Fred and Mike eventually shut up.
“Rick, what do you think?” she asked.
‘I don’t want them to battle.’ Rick was lost in thoughts.
“Rick?”
“Ahm, uhm, what are you talking about?”
“We are trying to get a plan to defeat that Number 5 bastard and you are SLEEPING???” Mike was furious.
“So what? I must be full healed…”
The argument went on through the night finishing only with sleep. Annya seemed to be spreading discord everywhere she went. But Rick wanted to end that that night.

‘Can’t sleep…’
The distortion in Cassey’s head was worrying. Last day’s events were still bothering her. Rick was a good fighter, she knew that, but magic can’t be defeated with a sword. That meant they couldn’t defeat Annya.
She stood up and went out of the tent to breathe some fresh air. Once outside, she headed to the river to wash her face with pure water. The water wasn’t totally pure, but it satisfied her necessities.
Her hands headed once again to the moon-lighted waters but a silhouette hid the moon. Scared, Cassey stood up only to find a male from her age staring at her in the other side of the river.
“Who… who are you?” she felt her skin shivering with fear.
He didn’t stop smiling.
“I’m a Tourch player, just like you…”
“Wha-“
“Sorry, but I’ve gotta go now…”
He vanished in the middle of the forest. Cassey just stood there staring at the place where she had last seen the smiling face. Without realising, she was blushing.
‘What am I thinking??? What about Rick…?’
Rick. She had to speak to him. That was no way to treat a girl.
She went back to the camp lost in her thoughts. Once there, she noticed the fire was still lighted. The slight warm light was illuminating the short glade. She was in front of Rick’s tent.
‘Already?’
Courage…
Without hesitating, before repentance, Cassey entered the small tent were Rick were supposed to sleep. However, it was empty.
“Rick?”
Instead of him, a letter was lying in Rick’s pillow. He had vanished.

‘I can’t put my friend’s life in risk…’
Rick was running, following the dark perfume spread by Annya. He also hoped to find Ashley, who risked her life for them: Rick owed that. Eventually, the fragrance became intense, she was near.
Rick collapsed contorting with pain. That mischievous power was consuming his life, draining it. He slowly got by his foot again, and continued his painful trip. Once he got used to the sensation, he managed to walk faster, to save Ashley and finish once for all. But as long as we walked, the more pain he had to support. His hope was finally increased when he saw someone ahead.
Ashley was covered by black spirits, not allowing her to make any efforts. Her face was pale and, for a moment, Rick thought she was dead. But hope kept him calling her.
“Ashley!”
She managed to open her eyes.
“Rick?...”
“Yeah, don’t-”
“GET OUT, IT’S A TRAP!!!”
“Wha-”
Ashley spirits surrounded Rick body too, kepting him prisoner. The more he fought, the tighter the spirits kept him. Eventually, Rick stopped fighting. It seemed useless.
“Look who’s here…”
Rick raised his head with effort. In fact, it wasn’t even necessary to look, her presence made the pain increase. The cold eyes that regarded him with pleasure. Yes, squishing another bug would be a pleasure to her.
Approaching, she prepared a power blast to finish him off right in front of his head.
Charging… The blast was becoming bigger.
“This should be strong enough…”
“No!...”
“Bye, Rick Flaim.”
“NOOO!!!”
The blast was miraculously diverted. Rick had, with his fasten hands from behind, raised his sword till his head, so that it hit the power ball, making it disappear to the sky. Thynia was projected too, but Rick was safe.
“You…”
“Call me mister genius.”
“You won’t be able to survive another attack” she grinned preparing another blast.
‘I’ll be able to survive…’
This time, surprisingly, Annya was projected after receiving a kick in her face.
“What are you planning to do with our Rick?” a female voice asked amused.
‘I never thought Cassey would be able to kick that strong!’
Indeed, there was Cassey. After her, Fred and Mike came too, one by one, so did Horous, who went to check Ashley.
“Are you ok, dude?”
‘What’s your name?…’
“That was close!”
‘Oh, you don’t have to say it if you don’t want to…Wanna play?’
The scene, the memories evading her mind, the time she didn’t want to recall, it all came in one moment. The four youngsters sharing the moments she had never experienced.
‘Why…?’
‘Put yourself in a safe place, ok?’
“Let’s beat her!”
‘…does it have to be this way?...’
“WHY???”
Annya lost control of her power. Dark spirits flew everywhere and the floor lifted. The four youngsters sensed the terrible feeling of being in the middle of darkness while Ashley and Horous contorted with fear.
‘Why…?’
She screamed. A scream that could be heard by everyone nearby. Then, she opened her eyes, whose colour was now red. The battle had now begun.

Next Chapter:
“This is my battle, so let me do it for myself!” – Black reflection

Author’s Note:
I think that this is the chapter with the best written parts in Fifteen Journey. The part with Cassey is just brilliant, I can sense it, I had never written something like that. As for the rest, I kinda like this last part, it shows the effects f the power.
Sorry if this chapter is too long but, believe me, I was thinking of making it longer!!! Anyway, comment!!! Pleaseee!!!