Enceladus 4: The Invasion

“With what?” Jae asked.

I hesitated, wondering if I should really ask him this. “I want you to help me control my dark side.”

Jae’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Wh-what?” he stuttered.

“I know this is weird. And I know I freaked out on you for offering to help me do the same thing. But I need you,” I whispered.

“How could I help?”

“I haven’t been doing so well lately. A few days ago, it threatened to come out. I barely stopped it. Barely isn’t good enough. If it bubbles up, I need to be able to stop it as easily as I control my normal abilities.”

“But how am I supposed to help you keep it at bay without saying the awful things I said to you?” Pain flashed through his eyes. He still felt awful about it. Good.

“I just need to think about certain things. What I need you to do is keep me sane.” This was extremely dangerous and if Jae failed, I would kill him and everyone on my planet.

“Okay. Anything to help you.”

That was easy. “If my horns or tail come out, run. Because there’s no bringing me back from that. Talia might be able to so get her. If my eyes go black, that’s when I need you to bring me back.” He nodded and we went into the forest. Okay, I could do this. I bit my lip and-

Just do it already. Look at him. He wants to die.

Perfect timing. I looked at Jae. He had said terrible things to me. He threatened to take away the most precious thing in my life. How could I let him get away with that?

You can’t. Take from him. Take it all.

“Amelia,” he said in a way that I knew my eyes had darkened.

How dare he mention that puny, weak side. Our name is Stacia.

“My name is Stacia.” It just came out. I wasn’t dark though. Not yet. But I felt it and damn, it hurt. I yelped at the pain that ricocheted through my head. This was a bad idea.

“Amy, hey. Listen to me. You don’t want to go dark. What about Talia? She’s the best thing in your life.”

Yeah, the best thing that he tried to hurt. I stepped closer to him, glaring.

“Wait, listen. If you go dark, you’ll never see her again. She’ll never forgive you for all the killing. She’ll never talk to you again. You’ll be alone.”

Alone. Alone. I didn’t want to be alone.

Don’t listen to him. Just snap his neck.

I gripped my head. The other me wouldn’t shut up. “She’s in my head, Jae.”

“Who, Amelia?” He inched closer to me.

No. He shouldn’t do that. She was going to kill him.

You bet I will.

“No, stay back.” I shot a hand out.

“Amelia, you can’t go on like this. Whoever she is will tear you apart from the inside out. Tell her to go away. Tell her to leave.”

“I can’t just tell her to leave! She’s a part of me.”

“No, she doesn’t have to be. Let her go.”

I dropped to my knees. It wasn’t that easy. He didn’t know.

Apparently, I had said that out loud. “It is that easy.” He knelt in front of me. He was too close. “I may not know anything about this but I’m helping you and I’m not leaving until you are okay. Let me help. Tell her to go away.”

Just let me out so I can kill this inferior being.

No! I said back to her.

Let me go. Let me go. Let me out!

I won’t. Leave me alone!

Oh, Stacia, just give up. It was my father’s voice this time.

I will not! Leave me alone. Both of you!

I’m coming out whether you like it or not.

“Leave!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I was breathing heavily but my head stopped hurting. I looked at Jae.

His eyes widened again. “Amelia, your eyes are back to normal.”

“Really?”

He nodded, grinning. I didn’t feel like smiling. “You did it.”

“No. You talked me out of it. What if no one is there the next time? If no one’s there, I will for sure turn dark.”

“No.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and peered at me with his blue eyes. “You did it. No one can stop you from going dark. No one can stop you from controlling your powers, your normal powers. It’s you. All you. You are much stronger than you think. You shut out the voice.”

He was right. I didn’t hear her anymore.

“Whose voice is in your head?”

“It’s my dark side. She tells me these awful things. I want to give in so badly. The voice just pops up when I’m doing simple things like thinking about what to have for dinner. She’ll say something like ‘take that boy’s life essence. Then you’ll be full’.” Okay, she hadn’t said anything like that but Jae got the idea.

“How long has this been happening?”

“Since October.”

“She’s gone now, right?”

I nodded. Then I leaned into Jae. He gladly wrapped his arms around me. “You’re going to be okay. No matter what you think. You’ll be okay. I know it.”

I had missed him. “I missed you, Jaeel. I forgive you.”

All he did was tighten his arms but I heard a hitch in his breath.