Destroy the World

It was well past midnight when the darkness of my room enveloped me, and it was so silent that I could hear the cars that zoomed past. Awakening at once, I stretched my arms and was about to roll over when I heard that wailing once again. It was so sharp and made my ear ache in such a distinct way; I knew it must have been the same wailing as I heard in the forest.

The ghost?! Is she still around? Now what?

I gulped down and covered my ears, sinking back into the sheets.

Maybe I’m still dreaming.

I shut my eyes and breathed heavily until she screamed in my ear. I rolled over to the other side of the bed, covering my ears, and shrieked. It was dark even when I opened my eyes. Sweat trickled down my neck as I wondered if I should turn the light on. I heard someone else breathing near my feet. I shrieked once again after curling up and flicked the light switch. After panting, I looked behind me and saw Comet with her hands on her lips; her eyebrows were knitted together.

“Janessa, what is the matter? Is everything alright? I am certain it was a bad dream,” she said.

“No, Comet. This is serious.”

I swallowed once again as my body became still.

What am I doing? I can’t just stand there! I’ve got to do something.

I flipped my pillow over and grabbed my pendant that was beneath it. As I hyperventilated, I scanned every corner of the room and walked around in circles. I slammed the kitchen door open and clicked the light switch on.

“There’s an intruder here somewhere. Stay alert,” I said.

Comet flew into the kitchen and stared at me with wide, blinking eyes, and flew across the room in circles.

“No one is here,” she said.

Comet sat atop my shoulder and rose once again. She gave me a soft head pat, but I let out a scream.

“Relax, Janessa. Everything is…” she said.

“Where are you?” screeched a woman.

Comet huddled close to me, shivering. I gripped my pendant and turned in the direction of the sound.

“Someone, save us, please,” said Comet, in a weak, muted voice.

The walls that surrounded us began to wither away as red eyes blinked open one at a time. Looking around, my blood pulsed swiftly within my body. Poor Comet rolled into a ball and glued herself onto my shoulder. The whole room was shrouded in darkness.

A green light flashed, revealing the woman with bulging sets of eyes, sitting in a spiralling tunnel in front of us.

I backed away, but red arms grew out of the woman and pulled me by the legs as I tried to kick them off. Comet gasped and flew away, into a corner.

“No! Let me go.”

Upon saying so, their grip tightened further, making my legs hurt, and it felt like they were being pierced with pins and needles.

“Let go, already!”

I slid and slammed onto the hard, wooden floor.

“You leave me no choice. It’s cosplay time!” I yelled.

My pendant transformed into the staff, and I twirled it around several times.

Their grip loosened as pink light traveled through my body, freeing me. Soon, I flew up and found myself in the green and gold room with racks of fabric and a sewing machine.

Then, I chose a white linen fabric, rolled it out, and cut it in the shape of a historically accurate medieval pattern. Sewing the fabric with magical thread and the machine, it changed into a flowy, long white dress. I tapped my feet, and they transformed into brown boots. Flipping my hair, it tied itself into pin curls, and a wig cap gathered over it. A light blonde, straight wig fastened onto my head. I touched my ears, which then sprouted into elven ears.

The final piece was a bow with arrows.

Eek, I’ve never used a bow and arrow!

“Lila, the peacekeeping elf, and the protector of peace! Eh, it’ll do.”

We began to fall from the dimension. I landed on the floor, which was covered in a pool of blood. As soon as I stopped falling, blood splashed upwards, staining the bottom of my dress.

“Eww, not my brand new dress!”

Comet flew right above me. As I watched her, a flock of hundreds of red-eyed pigeons flew over us. Gliding down, they landed on the crimson liquid.

They began drinking the blood, and my face twisted in disgust. Backing away, one of the pigeons pecked my boot with its beak.

“Oww! The audacity,” I said, chasing it away with my arrow.

That really hurt! Their beaks are so sharp.

I retreated a few steps, only to slide and fall into the scarlet pool. The iron-like stench made me cough several times until I could no longer breathe.

This is so gross. Why did I ever mess with that damned ghost?

The pigeons continued to drink the red fluid as I stood up, wanting to throw up.

“What kind of psychopathic pigeons are these? Shoo!” I remarked.

It was no use. They had already cornered me.

My weapon is completely long-ranged. I can’t win here. What is this place? It must be hell.

Loud footsteps from afar caused the floor to vibrate, and all the birds flew away at once. Their caws echoed in the sky.

“Listen to me,” said a voice.

My legs shook as the floor shifted, and I bent back, trying not to fall.

“Y-yes?” I said.

It was the same woman from before, her hair was black, her skin was blue, and her eyes watered. Her legs were shackled, and my machete still lay within her back.

“Let me possess you, and I will spare the world,” she said.

“Heh! I don’t think you’re capable of that,” I said, aiming my arrow.

“Are you underestimating me?”

If she had the power to destroy the world, she could have killed me back then, right?

I released my arrow, it shot out, but it flew into the distance, without touching anyone.

What have I done? I gravely overestimated myself.

“Someone like you should be ashamed of yourself,” said the ghost. “You can’t even aim an arrow right!”

The rate of my heartbeat increased rapidly as I tried to run away, skidding and falling into the crimson sludge.

“Pathetic. There is no need for me to possess someone as useless as you. Now, take this weapon out of my back.”

I stood up, gritted my teeth, and walked toward her.

If I can reach the weapon again, I might be able to deliver the killing blow.

Walking toward her, Comet yelled, “Watch out! She is hiding a spear.”

“Silence! Fine then, I will destroy the world.”

I sneered at her and said, “I’d like to see you try.”

She approached me from behind and said, “What makes you think that I cannot?”

“If you were so powerful, then you wouldn’t need to possess me, right?”

However, she began chanting in some foreign language. Soon, the scenery melted away and we found ourselves at the edge of a cliff.