Shattered Realities (Chapter Four: Fear)

"Don't you just close your eyes on me like that! What are gonna do, make yourself comfortable and take a frickin' nap?" The harsh voice continued to drone on and she opened her eyes, appeasing the rage-filled stranger. Short, black hair hugged her jaw line and muddy green eyes were dangerously narrowed. "That's more like it. You don't barge into my camp and just settle in like you belong here because you don't!" Pulling the hood of her cloak further down, obscuring her face deeper in the shadows, she heard the angry girl protest further. "Don't act like you can ignore me either! I don't know who you think you are, but the world doesn't revolve around you!" The hood was thrown back off her head, the black haired girl right in her face. "What was your name again, punk?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, she narrowed her one visible eye in response. "Elizabeth," she answered curtly, now stretching out on the deflated bean bag chair she had spotted when she had entered the decaying building. This girl had not let up on the questions or the yelling since Adam had returned with her in tow. Despite the barrage of questions and insults, she felt safe in this place; a feeling she had not felt in quite a long time. Of course, it was best not to get too comfortable. Being on the move was always a better plan of action.

"Leave her alone, Aurelia," Adam sighed, grabbing a bottle of water from a pile of supplies in the corner of the darkened room. He sprawled out on the lumpy sofa, avoiding the loose springs that had jutted out from the fading cushions. Lumps of sparse foam spilled from the gashes in the furniture, littering the already cluttered floor. "She was running away from the ninja earlier. Maybe she just needs to take a little snooze. Heaven knows I'm beat and I've barely done anything today." He unscrewed the thin, plastic cap from the bottle and took a big gulp of the water. "You don't always gotta be so hard on everyone. She's obviously clean. No purple eyes. No grey skin. She's one of us." He shot Elizabeth a wide grin and raised the bottle like he was toasting her.

This was practically the apocalypse and he wanted her to just let strangers into their already established home? "I don't care if she's 'one of us'", Aurelia hissed, scooping an old DVD box up off of the floor and pegging it at the easy-going man. He deflected it with a wave of his hand and laughed slightly before returning to his beverage. "She doesn't belong here. You said the ninja were chasing her? They must have had a good reason." Seeing Elizabeth ignore her and turn away, Aurelia gave an angry growl, grabbing one side of the bean bag chair and lifting it quickly. The cloaked girl tumbled off the other end, falling onto the floor. "No need to get comfortable anyways. You're leaving now. We'll give you a bottle of water and a can of food and you can be on your way."

A surge of anger seemed to blossom in Elizabeth's mind and she jumped to her feet. The smirk on Aurelia's face was absolutely infuriating. She surged forward, grabbing the bossy girl by the front of her shirt, the crimson material balled up between her fingers. "I didn't ask to come here," the red head growled through clenched teeth, forcing Aurelia back into a wall. There was a strong pounding in her head, a cold sensation rising up her left arm. You need to calm down, her thoughts protested. It felt as if her body were moving of its own accord as she threw the raven haired girl to the floor.

"Whoa, let's all just get a grip!" Adam was on his feet in seconds, pinning the newcomer back against the wall with a strong forearm. Elizabeth tried to fight against him, her eyes locked on Aurelia who was unsteadily getting to her feet. Disoriented, the dauntless girl rushed back towards Elizabeth, but Adam held her back at an arm's length. "We are not doing this right now," he yelled, glaring daggers at his friend who quickly backed off. The older man then turned his dark grey eyes on Elizabeth who seemed to have calmed down. "I'll have none of that here. If that's how you're gonna act, I'll gladly show you the door." The red head nodded quickly, visible eye looking remorseful. With that, Adam released the new girl and watched as she sank to her knees.

It had all been so impulsive. There had been no need to attack Aurelia, but she had anyways. She had just been so mad, so fueled by rage. Keep your cool. You don't want it to get any worse. "I-I'm so sorry," she apologized, glancing over at Aurelia who now stood behind Adam. "I don't know what came over me, really! I'm not normally like that, I swear!" You need to find him. You need his help. "If I can even find him," she mumbled under her breath. "If he's even still himself."

"What are you babbling on about?" questioned Aurelia, sharp malice in her voice. She watched the girl shake her head back and forth, as if in a daze, before staying quiet. Adam rested his left hand just above his hip, keeping his elbow in front of Aurelia. "You don't need to be so protective," she complained, pushing past the man. "I can take care of myself, Adam." Aurelia approached Elizabeth who was still on the ground, looking sympathetic and a little frightened. With the corners of her thin lips tugging up into a small smile, the girl sent a hard kick to Elizabeth's side and stood with her arms crossed over her chest. "Now we're even, you little witch."

Strong hands gripped her shoulders, pulling her back roughly. Aurelia lost her footing and stumbled as Adam threw her onto the rotting sofa. "That was uncalled for," he chastised, taking the DVD box she had thrown at him earlier and smacked her on the top of the head. "You may think you can take care of yourself, but you're only fifteen, Aurelia. You act more like a spoiled child than a level-headed adult like you claim to be." She wrinkled her nose at him, sticking out her tongue. "Yet you continue to prove my point," the man sighed, rubbing his temples.

She wrapped her arms around her abdomen, breathing hard. Don't get mad. Try and stay calm. Both hands clenched into tight fists and the cooling sensation rose a little higher, licking at her left shoulder. Elizabeth closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing and fight the new bout of fury that was rising within her. She thought of her brother, back before the battle that had changed everything. His kind smile and mischievous habits. The way his emerald eyes would light up when he was excited. Elizabeth opened her eyes and nearly screamed, seeing a small girl sitting on the ground in front of her, just staring. "Brynn, you scared me," the teenager breathed, leaning her head back against the wall.

Tilting her head to the side, like a dog, the girl gave a small smile. "That's not my name," she laughed lightly, bright blonde hair falling over her right shoulder. She hugged a very ratty stuffed animal in her arms and, upon further inspection, Elizabeth discerned it to be a dragon. "I'm Constance, but you can call me Connie if ya really want to." The smile widened into a full grin and the small girl held out the dragon in her arms, placing it in Elizabeth's lap. "That's Finn and he likes you."

Brynn? I don't even know a Brynn. The name had just sort of materialized in her head out of nowhere. "S-Sorry, didn't mean to call you by the wrong name. It's nice to meet you, Connie. I'm Elizabeth." She lifted the dragon off of her lap and held it delicately in her shaking hands. The fur on the animals had long since been worn away, a few dirty tufts here and there. The soft mesh that held the stuffing inside was visible and had been sewn up in a few areas. All of the dragon's plush teeth were bent to one side, most likely from the weight of the girl sleeping on top of it. "So, you said this is Finn? He kind of reminds me of a dragon my…uh…friend had once." The girl nodded vigorously, almost entranced with Elizabeth's words. "I'm glad Finn likes me though. I wouldn't want a dragon as an enemy."

"I'm gonna call you, Liz," Connie giggled, reaching out to take her stuffed animal back. Elizabeth obliged her, handing Finn back over to his owner. "You're so lucky you've seen a dragon, Liz. I've always wanted to see a dragon. I read about them in my books all the time." She let her warm, brown eyes focus on the new girl for a moment before the conversation took another turn. "How old are you, Liz? You don't look as old as my brother, but you could be. I'm five and my brother is twenty-three." Connie swiveled her body around to see Adam and Aurelia arguing with one another before turning back to face Elizabeth. "The yelly girl is Aurelia. She's fifteen. I bet you're about Aurelia's age. You look like you'd be her age. How old are you, Liz?"

Connie sure had a lot to say. She felt a little bombarded with all of the information she was being given. So she was Adam's younger sister by a significant amount of years. Since the two were related, she was beginning to wonder how Aurelia fit in with them. "I'm eighteen," Elizabeth answered, shifting uncomfortably under the small girl's gaze. It almost felt like she could see right through her. "So, um, your brother seems like a nice guy. He saved me earlier and brought me here."

"Adam is the best!" Connie giggled, throwing her dragon in the air and falling backwards before catching him. She kicked her legs in the air wildly, her fleece pajama pants bouncing around her ankles. "He's the greatest brother ever." Her eyes rested on her older sibling who now noticed her presence, leaving Aurelia on the sofa. "We were just talking about you, brother," Connie announced, holding Finn out towards the older boy. He gave a crooked smile before grabbing the dragon with one hand and scooping his sister up with his other arm.

"You were just talking about me, huh?" He flipped Connie upside down, her legs resting over his shoulders. The bottom of her shirt fell, revealing her pale stomach and Adam leaned down, blowing a raspberry on her exposed skin. Connie giggled wildly, throwing her hands up in defeat as her brother gently laid her back down on the floor, handing the stuffed animal back to her. "I hope you only had good things to say." His eyes lingered on Elizabeth who still sat against the wall, her face an emotionless mask.

Connie pushed herself back up into a sitting position. "Uh-huh, only good things!" She was brushing the back of Finn's head with her fingers as she talked. "I met and talked with Liz. Liz was telling me that you saved her and it didn't surprise me." Both eyes sparkled in the very dim light as she locked eyes with Adam who gave a small smile. "I know my brother is the best because he is gonna help make the world better again."

"Are you hungry, Constance? I bet if you ask Aurelia really nicely, she'll go get you some food."

Without a word, the young girl bounced away, towards the sulking teenager, waving good-bye as she left. Adam's gaze settled solely on Elizabeth, her knees pulled up to her chest and head bowed down low. She looked broken and frail, the hue of her hair the brightest thing about her. Giving a soft sigh, the older boy took a seat next to the mysterious girl and placed a reassuring hand on her left shoulder. Elizabeth shook violently, the flinch overwhelming her entire body as she lifted her head, visible eye wide with fear. "Take it easy," Adam coaxed, removing his hand. "You're safe, just take a deep breath and try to relax." He watched her shoulders slump in relief as she spent a short amount of time just inhaling and exhaling. "You seem a little on edge. Well…more on edge than you were when I first brought you."

"My brother was supposed to save the world," she said slowly, focusing down on the floor in front of her. "He just wasn't strong enough and now he's dead." Tears were beginning to pool now and she took a deep breath, forcing them away. "You wouldn't have to 'make the world better again' if we were more prepared for the fight; If we were more prepared for the Overlord."

The hand on her shoulder was back and she involuntarily slapped it away. Adam gave her a stern look. "Who are you really then?" She refused to look at him, finding the straps on her black gloves much more interesting. "What's with the eye patch?" Running her fingers through her short, unruly hair, Elizabeth turned her gaze up to the ceiling and hummed an unfamiliar tune underneath of her breath. "Why won't you talk to me? Why so mysterious?"

"The less you know, the better it is on you," Elizabeth replied, her tone devoid of life. "If they come and find you, the ninja, and you don't know anything, maybe they'll let you go." She knew it was a lie. They never let anyone go. The Overlord wished to rule the world and that could not be fully accomplished until everyone was consumed by darkness. "My eye is just a little worse for wear. It was badly injured in a fight and I didn't want to have to look at it in a reflective surface. I wish I could tell you more, but it's risky. Just know that I want to leave as soon as possible, for all of your sakes." She got to her feet, pulling the hood back over her head. "Do you have a bathroom?"

Everything about her was just so odd and clouded in secrecy. He felt as if he was getting a better picture on who she was though. "Yeah," Adam replied, pointing towards the doorway across the room. "It's just through there."

Without a moment of hesitation, she was through the doorway, closing the creaking wooden door behind her. A single bulb hung from the ceiling of the small room and she tugged on the flimsy string that was attached to it. Buzzing to light, the dim bulb cast a soft glow throughout the room as Elizabeth reached to turn on the sink. Chilled water sprang from the faucet, some of the stream splashing up and out of the sink, sprinkling on her shirt. Groaning slightly, Elizabeth removed her gloves and reached behind her head, untying the knot that secured the eye patch. Cupping both hands together, she collected the water before splashing it on to her clammy face. With a distraught expression, she looked at her reflection in the cracked mirror.

A blue eye and a purple eye stared back at her.

She raised her left hand, frowning at the grey hue of her skin. Rolling up the sleeves on her shirt, she compared both arms. The right was pale, but still normal. The left was an ashen hue of pure evil. Grey. Everything always became grey. It was getting worse, much worse. The anger earlier had helped spread it. She needed to find the one person who could help her. He had managed to quell it before, so he could do it again. The icy grip of fear clawed at her heart. What if he was already gone? She had to go look for him nonetheless. It had to be soon though, before she was completely overtaken.

If that happened, there was no going back.