The Chosen

She was rapidly losing the little control she had left. Isabelle wanted him to hurt as Annalise hurt. She needed him to scream in pain and anguish. She wanted him to burn.

Somehow Isabelle knew she could make it all happen to him. Something powerful was building inside her. Like the sunrise, it only needed a small push to clear the hilltops and shine free in all its glory.

“If you leave now, I won’t bring your parents or the authorities into this,” he said. “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

A small condescending smile played around the corners of his mouth as he spoke.

It was the smile that did it. The sun cleared the hilltops and blazed forth inside Isabelle. She took two steps forward and grabbed him by the throat. He tried to jerk away, but was no match for Isabelle’s suddenly inhuman strength.

There was a flash of pure white light and thunder that defied sound as she released her power into him. It slammed him to the wall then down to the floor. The power surged between them for only an instant, but it was enough.

He saw for the first time what was lost, something inside him that had been good and fine and pure. He saw what he was and what he could have been. A voice of pure steel passed Judgment upon him. It rang in his ears and imprinted his soul. “You will never forget what you have done.”

He closed his eyes, trying to evade the memory. There was no escape, however. Annalise’s tortured eyes burned in his mind. Her soft sobs were the only sound he could hear. Her humiliation and rage burned like molten metal in his heart.

It all looped in his mind over and over; until he thought the images burned in his brain would drive him mad. When his vision cleared, he was on his knees before her.

She practically glowed with radiant power. Her purity made him seem all the more vile. He had stolen a young women’s innocence without a second thought, and now could not escape the horror of his actions.

With an anguished scream, Ralph pulled himself to his feet and raced out the door into the night. Isabelle slowly made her way outside to her fallen motorcycle.

She was dazed and unsure of what happened. As she pulled her bike upright and prepared to straddle the seat, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned and gasped at the sight before her.

In the street stood five men and two women. A moment ago the street had been empty. All of them wore some kind of light body armor in varying colors. Isabelle was astonished to realize she recognized several of the men.

Blaize, Cary and Tery and most astounding of all was her imaginary Dark Friend. They approached her, moving in unison.