Where Spirits Roam

Chapter Three Drown

Eviee had been back at the orphanage for six months, her seventeenth birthday had come and passed. She was growing closer to graduation and finally leaving this town for good.

She was walking home from school, the other orphans lingering behind her with their group of friends. “She is so weird,” Charlotte says loud enough for Eviee to hear. All the teens giggle their laughter mocking Eviee. They catch up to her blocking her path.

“You know she might actually be pretty if she weren't so crazy.” One of the older boys taunts laughing as he pushes Eviee’s hair away from her face.

“Doubtful,” Charlotte scoffs. “Look at her pale skin and sunken eyes, who would want to look into those or kiss her dry chapped lips?”

“No one,” the other girls agree picking at all of Eviee’s flaws.

She tries to step around them only worried about making it the next block to the orphanage so she can disappear into her room. The boy who had touched her hair blocks her turning her so her backpack is against his chest. “Come on don't leave yet, it's no fun.” He whispers into her ear.

A shudder goes through her body, they had been bullying her since her return. Constantly trying to get her to make a rash decision that would put her back at the asylum. She wouldn't let them force her hand though. That is what had led to her last stay. The memory bubbles to the surface clouding her vision and pushing her into the moment.

Eviee had thought she had finally found someone who cared about her, the boy she sat with had been walking her home from school daily and they were currently working on a project together. As she wrote down the final sentence he leaned closer.

“You're so beautiful Eviee.”

“Oh, um thanks.” A blush covered her pale cheeks tinting the skin a bright pink.

“You don't have to thank me it's true.” He said pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear and leaning closer. Eviee’s heart thrummed in her chest she had never been kissed before and she wondered if she would be any good at it. She had a heart-shaped face which accentuated her plump pink lips. Just as they were about to connect Charlotte and her friends fell into Eviee’s room.

“You didn't think I would actually kiss you, did you?” Zack had mocked standing and tossing his arm around Charlotte.

The group burst out laughing causing tears to gather in her eyes. “Get out all of you,” Eviee yelled. No one moved and Eviee grew angrier. The temperature in the room dropped and she felt power surge into her veins. She shoved Charlotte causing her to stumble. “I said get out,” Eviee yelled. Her voice wasn't just her own. It was deeper, darker, it sounded more gravelly than usual. The teens scrambled to the door trying to escape her. They hadn't listened though so she pursued them.

The boy pushed closer to her holding her small frame tighter against his larger body, his height allowed him to rest his head atop her short five-foot-two stature. She was pulled back to the present the memory cutting off when she had lost consciousness.

“Let me go, Zack” Eviee says yanking her body forward only to be slammed back into his chest.

“What are you going to do witch? Scare us again?” Charlotte challenges stepping closer until she's looking down on her.

“I'm not a witch.”

“Sure you're not, we're just going to prove it.” They all laugh and Eviee’s body is hoisted into the air. Zack cradles her bridal style toward the back of a house. She sees a large swimming pool as they approach. As much as Eviee fights she can't get free and tears burn her eyes.

She can't swim.

“Are you guys sure?” one of the girls asks fidgeting with her fingers.

“We're just having some fun,” Charlotte assures “throw her in, let's see if the witch floats.”

With that, her body is released and she goes flying into the air. Her body hits the cold water and her heavy backpack causes her to sink. In her shock, she gulps down a mouth full of water and it fills her lungs. It feels like fire scorching her throat and burning into the pit of her chest. Terror paralyzes her body, she watches her life flash before her eyes.

She was going to drown.

She can hear their garbled laughs as her life slips away.

“s**t Charlotte she's not coming up.” Zack's voice is filled with worry, what would happen if she died? The street cameras surely saw them come this way.

“Don't worry, it's not like anyone will miss her,” Charlotte argues turning on her heel and walking away. She makes it a few steps when she hears water splash and turns just in time to see Zack diving into the pool.

Zack can see Eviee laying on the bottom of the pool as he propels his body through the water. Her body is laid out like she's making snow angels, her long hair splayed around her, and her eyes shut, she looks peaceful like she's sleeping. Her fair skin looks even fairer giving her an ethereal glow like an angel. When Zack is finally able to reach her he grips the strap of her backpack pulling her body through the water behind him. Even soaked in water she's no more than a hundred pounds. His head bursts through the top of the water and he greedily gulps down lung fulls of air while shaking his wet hair from his face. He grips the edge of the pool his knuckles turning white from the force and he hauls Eviee up with the other arm pushing her tiny body onto the solid ground. Her limbs flop down like a broken doll. She's not moving. Zack lifts his body from the water at the same time a tall blond woman dressed in all black strides into view. Lily had been watching from the shadows, she was going to step in sooner but her superior had advised her to see what would unfold. He always tried to let the new recruits figure it out on their own. Zack looks up as the woman's heeled boots clack on the pavement. His eyes dart to Eviee who's still unconscious and doesn't seem to be breathing and then back to the woman. All his friends had left. Some friends they are. He thought looking in the direction they had gone. He couldn't risk getting in trouble so he stood running like the track star he was until he was far enough away that he couldn't be seen.

Lily ignored the boy, she proceeded to her charge, Eviee. The girl was strong she had been through a lot in the asylum. The doctor there was despicable but he would never hurt another again. Lily had made sure of that when she turned in her resignation.

Flashback

“Are you sure you want to turn in your resignation?” Dr. Fulton asks lowering the paper Lily had handed him and starting at the leggy blond.

“Yes Doctor, I have already found another job, this is not quite what I was expecting. I had hoped to help people.” She wasn't lying she did have another job and she did help people, unlike the malicious man who sat before her.

“Oh, but we do help people. Our studies have done such great things.” His eyes turn darker the beady orbs glistening as he replays his dark deeds. Lily's stomach churns and she clenches her fists. She had not been ordered to kill him though she would and she would never feel any remorse for ridding the world of such an evil soul.

“I understand Dr. Fulton, either way, I will not be remaining here.” Lily persists.

“As you wish,” Without her training Lily might have missed it. The doctor set the paper on the top of his desk while quickly swiping a needle full of sedatives he kept under his desk. Nurses didn't get to resign nor did orderlies. Once they saw his experiments they could not be trusted. He slips the needle into his pocket as he stands making his way around the desk to the young woman in front of him. Lily watches him getting closer and he holds his hand out. She reaches out gripping his hand in hers and feels his fingers tightening around her. She tries to hide her smirk as he pulls her arm hard crashing her back into his chest. She could have stopped him, she had expected it. His arm goes around her throat while he searches for the needle. Being a man he should've been able to overpower her. Too bad for him she wasn't a mere female.

“Usually they're begging by this point,” Dr. Fulton comments pressing the tip of the needle to her neck.

“You should be the one begging,” Lily snickers. Her eyes change to blood red and she uses her power to remove herself from his arms. She can control any form of water. The bodies are made up mostly of water so she taps into it forcing his arms to go wide and drop the needle. She then steps away turning to face him. His eyes widen, shock and fear swirling in their depths. She doesn't need his sedative to disable him. This way he will feel everything she's about to do, the same way his patients did.

“What are you?” He asks his voice trembling.

“Your worst nightmare,” Lily steps closer, they're the same height so she's eye to eye with him. Her breath landed against his cheek. “Did you know fifty percent of your blood is water? I'm sure you did being a doctor. That means I can control each drop pumping in and out of your heart.” She clenches her fist demonstrating for him. He opens his mouth, his hands struggling to claw at his chest. It feels as if her hand is holding his heart and squeezing it in her deadly grip. She slowly unclenches her hand, her white knuckles regaining their color. “That was just a taste, Fulton.”

“Please,” He stutters.

“Let me cut you off right there. I heard your patients pleading, you never cared, you enjoyed it. So no matter how much you plead and cry, I hope you know, I'm very much going to enjoy this.” She tells him studying his reaction. Her voice holds a hint of amusement in it.

Lilith didn't have much time to play with the doctor she was supposed to meet with her boss at eight and it was already seven thirty.

She moved around his desk grabbed his chair and pushed it up behind him. Bending his body to her will, she made him sit. She could make it look like he had an aneurysm and no one would ever suspect a thing but she wanted him to suffer. She attacked the vessels in his brain slowly inflating them and popping each one. His screams filled the space drowning out her laughter. No one would come to check because they were all used to hearing the patient's screams. With every pop, she could see the effects starting to take place. The whites of his eyes filled with blood, the bright red color seeping into the iris and retinas. The next pop and blood dripped from his left ear trickling onto the bright white of his lab coat. One more and rivets of blood poured from his nose and mouth. She let his head fall back releasing her home on his body and he went still.

End of Flashback

Kneeling beside Eviee’s prone lifeless form Lily connected to the water filling her lungs. Using her gift she slowly pulled the stream of water from the girl's chest. The last trickles dripped from the corners of her mouth as she started inhaling the air around her. Lily slipped back into the shadows watching Eviee’s eyes flutter open.

Eviee’s limbs felt heavy including her eyelids as she tried to force them open. She remembered landing in the water now she was laying beside the pool. Using her arms to push herself into a sitting position she looked around wondering who had helped her. Finding no signs of anyone she sighed. The sun was now setting and she knew she would be in trouble for coming home late and being wet. Clambering to her feet she set off toward the orphanage.