"Alex." The gentle voice of Azure touched his mind. "You must get some rest. You can't keep going on like this."
"How can I sleep? How can I even rest when as soon as I close my eyes I see it all again. I see her death. Even though he was destroyed, his curse is still there."
"Alex, you can't keep blaming yourself for Ivana. It wasn't..."
"It was! It is! It always will be my fault!" He runs a hand through his hair. "If I hadn't suggested..."
"If I recall, Alex. Ivana didn't put up much of a fight, in fact she's the one who dared Kett." Azure comforted him as a blue mist began to form. Her voice more of an echo in his mind. "Sleep now Alex. Sleep. Yes, you will remember, that I cannot change, but you will not feel the hurt. Sleep, and remember."
Down deep within the depths of the Abyss sat Ivana and Kett cold, hungry and scared. They sat huddled in the corners of their respective cages each just out of the others sight. Pit fiends guarded the cages poking at them. Around the cubs necks were collars that prohibited them to change forms or make any telepathic contact.
?K? K?Kett? Kett, are you as scared as I am?? Ivana?s voice was shaking both from fear and from the cold.
?N? n? yes, and cold too. C? c? can you s? see or hear Alex??
?I saw th? th? that thing take him.? They hear his laughter, they both shiver at the sound.
?And how are my two beauties? Having fun with my pets?? His red eyes glowing as he steps from the shadows and into the dimly it room. His face a twisted, wretched mass of flesh. A tattered black and gold robe hungs about his bony body. The girls gasp in horror as they meet him face to face. Each of them trying their hardest not to let him know just how scared they really were.
?Where?s Alex? And what do you want with us?? Kett mustered all of her courage to face him, now standing at the front of her cage, hands on hips.
?Yeah, Mr. Ugly, why are you keeping us here?? Ivana takes a stand with her sister.
?SILENCE!? His voice knocks them backwards. ?Hasn?t your mother told you about me? We were so close too. I?m surprised she has enlightened you about what I have done to her or about your?? pausing, ?sister, Betsy. Did you know about her? Did you also know that I am her father, or did your mother keep that from you as well??
Kett and Ivana both scream out at him. ?You lie!?
?Ah, but I am. Just ask your mother when? let me change that, if you ever see her again?
?What do you want?? Ivana screamed at him.
Reaching through the bars, he grabs Ivana by the throat . ?Why little one, I want your mother back. She will come or she will never see you two again. She will be here at my side where she belongs.? Still holding Ivana he looks to Kett. ?You, you are not of her.? Then to Ivana. ?But you are. You will be useful after all.? The bars disappear as he takes Ivana and fades into the shadows. Kett covered her ears as the tormented screams of her sister echo around her.
Gato and Mary knew that Cambione would come back to the Keep for her so they went to the Lair. A place that neither of them had been in a very long time and it showed in it?s unkept state. The new cubs had been taken to friends. Alex was asleep, albeit restless, but he was asleep. If his parents only knew what was playing out in his mind.
Cambione burst through the floor of the Keep. ?Honey, I?m home! Honey?? He laughs. ?Good that they aren?t here. I love surprises.? Dragging a bundle behind him, he skips up the stairs. ?Hmm, let?s see now, where should I put you.? He stops and turns to the bundle. ?Would you like your soft bed again??
?Oh yes.? Talking in a girlish voice. ?That would be so nice.?
?Well gee whiz.? Mocking. ?Which one of these rooms is yours?? He starts kicking doors open. ?Ah, this one must be it. Or is it?? Looking into the nursery. ?What do we have here? Ivana my sweet, you didn?t tell me about them, but then again?? He opened the bundle and takes out Ivana, or what used to be Ivana. ?Let?s see. Wouldn?t your Mama just love to find this.? Laughing as he ?tucks? Ivana in each of the 5 cradles. ?Sleep well sweet Ivana. You were almost as good as your mother. Almost.? With a flash, he vanishes back to the Abyss.
?Enough for this night Alex. Sleep.? Azure?s voice comforting, he curls up. ?Take comfort in my mist. Sleep.?
"How can I sleep? How can I even rest when as soon as I close my eyes I see it all again. I see her death. Even though he was destroyed, his curse is still there."
"Alex, you can't keep blaming yourself for Ivana. It wasn't..."
"It was! It is! It always will be my fault!" He runs a hand through his hair. "If I hadn't suggested..."
"If I recall, Alex. Ivana didn't put up much of a fight, in fact she's the one who dared Kett." Azure comforted him as a blue mist began to form. Her voice more of an echo in his mind. "Sleep now Alex. Sleep. Yes, you will remember, that I cannot change, but you will not feel the hurt. Sleep, and remember."
Down deep within the depths of the Abyss sat Ivana and Kett cold, hungry and scared. They sat huddled in the corners of their respective cages each just out of the others sight. Pit fiends guarded the cages poking at them. Around the cubs necks were collars that prohibited them to change forms or make any telepathic contact.
?K? K?Kett? Kett, are you as scared as I am?? Ivana?s voice was shaking both from fear and from the cold.
?N? n? yes, and cold too. C? c? can you s? see or hear Alex??
?I saw th? th? that thing take him.? They hear his laughter, they both shiver at the sound.
?And how are my two beauties? Having fun with my pets?? His red eyes glowing as he steps from the shadows and into the dimly it room. His face a twisted, wretched mass of flesh. A tattered black and gold robe hungs about his bony body. The girls gasp in horror as they meet him face to face. Each of them trying their hardest not to let him know just how scared they really were.
?Where?s Alex? And what do you want with us?? Kett mustered all of her courage to face him, now standing at the front of her cage, hands on hips.
?Yeah, Mr. Ugly, why are you keeping us here?? Ivana takes a stand with her sister.
?SILENCE!? His voice knocks them backwards. ?Hasn?t your mother told you about me? We were so close too. I?m surprised she has enlightened you about what I have done to her or about your?? pausing, ?sister, Betsy. Did you know about her? Did you also know that I am her father, or did your mother keep that from you as well??
Kett and Ivana both scream out at him. ?You lie!?
?Ah, but I am. Just ask your mother when? let me change that, if you ever see her again?
?What do you want?? Ivana screamed at him.
Reaching through the bars, he grabs Ivana by the throat . ?Why little one, I want your mother back. She will come or she will never see you two again. She will be here at my side where she belongs.? Still holding Ivana he looks to Kett. ?You, you are not of her.? Then to Ivana. ?But you are. You will be useful after all.? The bars disappear as he takes Ivana and fades into the shadows. Kett covered her ears as the tormented screams of her sister echo around her.
Gato and Mary knew that Cambione would come back to the Keep for her so they went to the Lair. A place that neither of them had been in a very long time and it showed in it?s unkept state. The new cubs had been taken to friends. Alex was asleep, albeit restless, but he was asleep. If his parents only knew what was playing out in his mind.
Cambione burst through the floor of the Keep. ?Honey, I?m home! Honey?? He laughs. ?Good that they aren?t here. I love surprises.? Dragging a bundle behind him, he skips up the stairs. ?Hmm, let?s see now, where should I put you.? He stops and turns to the bundle. ?Would you like your soft bed again??
?Oh yes.? Talking in a girlish voice. ?That would be so nice.?
?Well gee whiz.? Mocking. ?Which one of these rooms is yours?? He starts kicking doors open. ?Ah, this one must be it. Or is it?? Looking into the nursery. ?What do we have here? Ivana my sweet, you didn?t tell me about them, but then again?? He opened the bundle and takes out Ivana, or what used to be Ivana. ?Let?s see. Wouldn?t your Mama just love to find this.? Laughing as he ?tucks? Ivana in each of the 5 cradles. ?Sleep well sweet Ivana. You were almost as good as your mother. Almost.? With a flash, he vanishes back to the Abyss.
?Enough for this night Alex. Sleep.? Azure?s voice comforting, he curls up. ?Take comfort in my mist. Sleep.?