Kathy's Revenge

Disclaimer: Most of Faiths past is from a book called go ask malice. Again made no money

Chapter 24
Faith’s POV

I’m here again. I’ve been here a million times before. It’s almost strange being back here, in the middle of this field in Ancient Greece after all these years.

Something’s wrong... different in some way. Starting with the fact I’m me. Don’t worry too much, I’m not that mad. I know I’m dreaming. This particular dream haunted me for years. Before I was even called.

It’s doesn’t take me long to remember what happens. The old sounds of scratching and heavy breathing again bombards my ears.

I take off across the damp grass as fast as my legs will carry me, looking for the two other souls that should be here at this point in time. I hope this is the right direction.

It doesn’t take long for me to reach the huge wall made of skull and bone. This would happen to be the wrong point of the wall though. Well I couldn’t just run right to the gate could I? That would be far too easy.

Takes me a few moments to decide which way along the wall I should run. I’ve got to stop them crossing through the gates to the other side of this wall.

My sense of direction say’s left. What else do I have to go on? So left it is.

Once again running. This is my dream damn it I should be able to fly. Once again that would be too easy.

I can see them up ahead. But I can’t run any faster. I can’t seem to even shout loud enough for them to hear, or for them to care, for that matter. They would technically be being chased. I watch as the little girl in the tall woman’s arms reaches out and open the gate with ease. Then disappears through the gate.

It seems like hours before I manage to get there. By this time there is nothing beyond the confines of the gate. They have must have run into the forest by now. And guess what. Someone can’t open the gate.

I pull at it, when that doesn’t work I push at it. I finish with kicking it a few times. This is stupid! I’ve broken many bones in my time but I can’t get through this! As if my mind refuses me entry.

I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention, which makes me stop my personal war with the gate. I can feel the cold breath against my ear. Not liking this turn of events.

I feel the hoofed hand grab me by the shoulder and spin me around. And there he stands. With the deep scar across his face where I split it open. “You think you can save them?” Kakistos’ voice sends me ridged on the spot. “Like you couldn’t save her.” He strokes my face. I can feel the rough bone of his hoof against my skin. At the same moment I’m somewhere else, sometime else. I’m watching the vampire that was in front of me push his hoofed hands through my old watcher and literally pull her in two.

The scream ripped from me hurts my throat.

By the time I wake up I’m already sitting bolt up right drenched in a cold sticky sweat.

“Faith! Are you awake? Are you okay? It was just a bad dream; it’s all over now. It wasn’t real.” I feel Reds arms around me holding me close. I lean into her embrace and take some deep cleansing breaths. I hate that fucking dream!

I jump up scaring Red a bit. “I’ll be back in a minute.” I say pulling on some sweat pants and a sweater. I walk to the bathroom and stand for a second; I reach my hand out for the doorknob, fuck this. I turn and instead take the knob for the other door. I walk into the hallway, past the elevators, down the stairs and out the front door to the cold street outside. Where I break into a run.

The peace around here is nauseating; all I can hear is the slap of my sneakers on the sidewalk and my own heart beating in my ears. I don’t know how long I have been running, it is starting to get light but I didn’t look at the time before I set out. No watch equals a very late Faith most of the time.

Up ahead of me is a group of people laughing and tripping over themselves. I have no idea who they are but I don’t want to get caught up in whatever is going on. So I duck into a side ally.

Without the lights from the sidewalk I’m plunged into darkness. I stop in the middle of the darkness. Letting my tired muscles rest for just a moment. My hands clench into fists at my side. I don’t know why. It’s like my muscles are getting agitated just because my mind is.

I have to force the muscles in my hand to relax, so I can run my fingers though my hair.

My palm opens and presses against the red brick wall next to me. It’s cold against my skin. I don’t know why I felt the need to know. It’s a cold night so it stands to reason that the brick wall would be cold as well.

My back crashes against it as I push the base of my palms into my eyes. I feel as my back slides down and my knees bend. I rest the back of my hands against my bent knees trying to curl myself up into a small ball.

My head is pounding. That nightmare always keeps hurting me even after I’ve woken up. All I want to do is push the memory so far away that I never have to think about it again. It never works. When I fall asleep when I lose that little bit of control it comes back. Well that or some other memory that I don’t want to think about.

I lift my head and let it rest against the brick wall behind me. Watching as my warm breath hits the cold air in front of me, turning to steam. All it does is remind me how much I want a smoke.

I level my line of sight expecting to see the opposing wall or a dumpster or something. Instead the sight in front of me makes it feel like my heart stops dead. Just for a moment I wish I were back in my nightmare. A smile spreads across his face showing me his pearly whites. “Firecracker.” His voice is low and steady just like I remember. I also remember that I preferred it when he was shouting at me to when he used to look at me like he is right now.

“Gable.” The name leaves my lips as nothing more than a whisper. I can feel my lower lip trembling and my whole body shaking which has nothing to do with the cold night.

He takes a step towards me and I find myself trying to curl into a tighter, smaller ball on the floor. Trying to melt into the red brick behind me. Just trying to get away, as far away as I possibly can. He bends down in front of me and I can see as he opens his palm and goes to touch my face. “What do you think you’re doing here Firecracker? You don’t belong out there. You belong in the darkness with me.”

Just before he actually touches me he breaks up and floats away in the cold wind around me. With that smile still stretched across his face. Burning it even deeper into my memory.

“Not real.” Just my mind, playing tricks on me. Making things in the dark look like something more sinister than they actually are. Pulling my dreams further so I can see them while I’m awake. I pull my arms around myself trying desperately to forget. If I could just start with a clean slate I’d be the happiest person on earth.

I lash out at the dumpster at the side of me. The sound echoes around both the hollow interior and the empty ally. My hand begins to throb and the dumpster is dented.

I need to get out of here. I pull my body up as fast as my muscles will allow and make my way back out into the brightly lit street. I don’t need the darkness anymore. It’s always so painful when it’s so dark.

I guess I better head back; people will be all worried and shit… I am gonna have so many questions to answer, don’t mean to sound like a spoilt brat but… I don’t wonna! Eurgh, it was so much easier to be evil, rouge slayer Faith than reformed, good Faith.

Okay, okay… I’m going back… I turn on my heel and run back in the direction I came.