Airalin

The Gifted[CLOSED]

Eva didn't belong here.

She had scarcely spoken a word since she was rescued, instead silently accepting the food and lodging she was given. Fortunately, she could always find somewhere in the house dimly lit enough that her powers weren't completely deactivated. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling of self-pity that had been plaguing her since she had been caught. She had been utterly helpless, and now she had to accept the charity of strangers. The only reason she didn't leave out of pure shame was out of fear of being recaptured.

None of the events around her seemed to matter. The news, the execution of other Gifted, the relationships between the people in this house - all of it was insignificant compared to her complete failure to resist the DMA.

She stood up, wordlessly leaving behind the strangers who had been sitting near her. There were too many people here, and people meant a chance to be betrayed. Better to be alone. Even if she had to stay in this house for a while, she could find a room without anyone else in it. An attic, maybe?

The dark heart +18 mature/viloence/language

First, that bastard - the bastard I was paying! - refused to help me stop Frank. Then he locked me in a closet for two hours. And now he was claiming he'd never work for me again! Regardless of his intentions - regardless of whether his actions were justified or not - he had to pay. I needed to get back my necklace and make him pay as soon as possible! But I had no leads... nothing at all was working in my favor!

I exited the closet I had been imprisoned in, trying to determine the best course of action. Frank still hadn't been dealt with. As long as he was focusing his efforts on searching the house, he would never succeed in finding the necklace, of course. But if he heard of that story I'd seen on the news... things could become very pleasant quickly.

I made a beeline for Amanda's room. It seemed she was the only person here who had any chance of being an ally. If nothing else, I needed to get some of my money back, enough to bribe one of the policemen from the precinct that had auctioned off my necklace into giving me some information. And I needed a ride. Was there anything I could do on my own?

The dark heart +18 mature/viloence/language

My response to Vivian was, "Everything here is messed up... I think I'm going crazy again... I need my necklace back!" She was unlikely to be happy about that response, of course. I knew she was afraid of the necklace after what it had done to her. But there was no way I could let Frank get his hands on it, so I had to get it back - Vivian would understand, she had to!

After a quick meal, I found the nearest guard and asked him whether he knew where Frank was. Though it seemed unlikely (my guards had been quite useless so far), perhaps I could convince one of them to help me remove Frank from the household and grounds. He was trying to steal my stuff, after all!

The dark heart +18 mature/viloence/language

That dream was confirmation. I had completely lost my mind!

I couldn't find Frank on my own, so I decided to search for Amanda instead, heading toward her room. With her help, perhaps I could get the guards on my side, and we could all hunt down Frank collectively. I would murder him myself if I had to, just like all my reflections suggested!

However, stopping Frank would only ensure he didn't get his hands on the necklace. He clearly did not know where it was. That meant I needed to find some other way to figure out who was currently in possession of it. The police wouldn't tell me; they had auctioned it off and were respecting the confidentiality of the buyer. And since I was out of money for the moment, I wouldn't be able to just pay a gigantic amount to get it back - I would have to steal it from whoever had it now. This whole situation was such a headache!

The dark heart +18 mature/viloence/language

So it was all real!

Jamie mentioned a Freddy, but... who was Freddie? How did Jamie know anything about all this? The events happening around me brought more questions to light than they did answers! But I needed to stop Frank, and fast!

"Where is Frank?" I asked the mirror, "Can you kill him for me? He's trying to do something that would hurt me... he wants to mess up my life all over again! He even might be responsible for the things that happened in my past... so, please, help me stop him!"

The dark heart +18 mature/viloence/language

First Father had been behind my kidnapping... now Frank? Had the whole thing been a family conspiracy?

Where was Frank searching? In this house? If so, who was he emailing? It could have been his wife, of course, or he might have been in league with one of my guards. It could even be Amanda. Nobody here could be trusted!

I wanted to believe Amanda was really on my side, but I had been betrayed far too many times to be so naive. Anyone could be an enemy. That meant I had to do everything myself.

No... I might have one accomplice, one entity I could consider my ally despite how crazy it sounded to do so.

"House," I murmured. "Hurt Frank. I... want him dead!"

I dashed down a random hallway, beginning my search, uncertain what I would do to Frank even in I found him. After spending so long locked up, I was still wobbling a bit much to be running... but I had to risk it! Frank seemed to know something about the necklace, and it was bound to be a danger to me! Therefore, he had to die at once!

The dark heart +18 mature/viloence/language

So Jamie was only in a vegetative state. That still could explain her presence in my dream, her claim that she would not return. Could it be that the dream was real?

"What about me, Amanda?" I asked, "Do you think some horrible fate is bound to befall me, too?"

Of course, I could hardly blame her if she did think that. It seemed that everyone living here ended up suffering. But maybe that was because they were opposing me - ever since getting rid of the necklace, I myself had not experienced any great misfortune. So it was decided - fanciful delusion or not, this house would remain my castle, and anyone who made my life more miserable would have to suffer. That meant Frank was next in time, and his bimbo of a wife, too. I didn't feel that the airheaded woman needed to suffer - she hadn't done me any harm - I just wanted rid of her. And I would have it! Whether I was emancipated or not, I was the queen of this castle!

The Gifted[CLOSED]

After the door to Eba's cell - and the cells of everyone around her - were opened, she did not hesitate to follow the people in charge of this jailbreak.

She ran past the downed guards without taking one of their weapons. There were fewer weapons than there were prisoners, after all, and the hallways were well lit; her responses would be sluggish even if she did have a weapon. Besides, she was less likely to be targeted by the enemy if she was unarmed.

She barely dared to believe her luck. Rescued the day she was captured? She couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of test. If it was, it was a test she would be fine with failing. Death would be better than being forced into such a small, cramped space.

Therefore, the identity of her rescuers didn't matter. She followed them, attempted to blend into the crowd as best she could. Anything else was an invitation for disaster.

The dark heart +18 mature/viloence/language

Huh? Did Amanda drain Eva's $100 billion + fund, or only the "small" stipend she initially received to go with her inheritance? XD

The dark heart +18 mature/viloence/language

That dream... had it been real?

A house that would protect me without hurting me in exchange. It was a comforting thought, one that I wouldn't just ignore. If there was any chance that I would be unconditionally protected here, then I couldn't leave. Perhaps it would be unwise to ever leave. That meant I was stuck here whether Frank stayed or not. Except...

If the house would protect me unconditionally, then it was safe to put myself in danger as long as I remained here. I could push Frank to the point of violence and the house would prevent any harm from coming to me. In short, I could convert my protection into a weapon.

Of course, my dream could have only been a dream. It would be unwise to rely on that sort of protection unless I had no alternative, so I would have to keep my plan in reserve. Still, it felt much better to have some sort of back up plan at the ready.

I texted Vivian back, asking her how she was and how the proceedings were going. If all went well, we would be able to get rid of Frank before the situation could become too serious. For now, I had to get more information, and that meant tracking down Amanda. I dressed myself casually before making my way to the breakfast table. First and foremost, I needed to figure out what had happened to Frank's brats, especially Jamie. If she was really dead... that would give me all the more reason to trust in my dream. Of course, I couldn't ask Amanda about that outright. I would have to be very tactful in my prodding, or else risk revealing how much I knew.