THE MONSTER INSIDE ME: The Immortal Chronicles: Book One

by Tristin Clark

  “Auggy. Don’t threaten your mother,” she flatly warns. She grips my arm and lifts to my feet. We both gaze out towards the void.

  “I might have left a few things out, but this was the only path I saw where she’d survive,” she states. “This is the only way, my boy. I’m so sorry, Auggy. I’m so sorry.”

  “Tell father to lift the sentence. I need to go after her,” I tell her. My heart is racing. My blood is boiling. My rage just on the cusp of releasing a wrath so terrifying, it’d have all of Earth praying to their God for salvation.

  “I can convince your father of many things but that I cannot do, my son. You knew the rules. Take the thrown or wait an eternity for your soulmate,” she says.

  “But I would have never met her, had I taken the throne. What did you both expect?” I say, turning to her.

  I make eye contact with a driver and watch him swerve, barely missing us as we stand in the middle of the road. His car flips several times, screeching across the pavement. It comes to a halt and explodes. Bright flames erupt, lighting up the dark night. Screams of pain, fill the air. I return my eyes to my mother, and we continue our conversation.

  “We’d knew you’d pick her,” my mother states.

  “Then why did father get angry and cast me out?” I ask.

  “Why did his father get angry and cast him out of Heaven, tormenting him to an eternity in Hell?” she asks, knowing very well that I know why. I’ve only heard the story more times than I can remember.

  “Because father challenged his father over his love for the humans. Father fought for what he believed in. He stood up for his angel brethren and disobeyed his father, so he casted him out, to serve as a lesson to all who disobey him,” I recall.

  “And?”

  “And by casting him out, his father wanted him to learn a lesson,” I add.

  “And what lesson did your father learn?” she asks.

  “That not every command deserves to be followed. Even when it comes from your own blood,” I tell her. Her hand reaches for me, and gently grips my shoulder.

  “Your grandfather wanted to teach your father a lesson, but it backfired. God may love his humans, but sometimes you’ve got to know when to put your toys down and give your attention to those who matter most. We fight for what we believe in son. We fight for what we know is right. That’s what separates our kind from the light. They fight to restore order. We fight to abolish it. Don’t ever forget why we fight,” she tells me.

  “We fight because we know we must. We fight for our kind, so that we can live the way we want to live.”

  “And we fight so that we can love. You fought for your Emilia, just as your father fought for his brothers and sisters. Just as he fought for me. You disobeyed your father, because you chose to fight for what you believed in. Your lesson is learned, my boy and we are so proud of you,” she happily states.

  “Then why does father not tell me this? He hasn’t spoken to me since he sentenced me to this realm. If he’s so proud of me then, where is he?”

  “Don’t think your father does not feel guilt for having to teach you the same lesson he had to endure. He’s not the enemy here. He believes in you Augustine. He always has, always will,” she enlightens. I take a step back from her, shrugging away from her grip.

  “Then tell him to lift the sentencing! I need to go after her,” I urgently state.

  “No. I cannot,” she calmly replies. That did it for me.

  “She needs me! She will not survive!” I yell, which releases a rumbling quake beneath us. The ground splits, sending a deep, broken trail up the road. Both our heads turn and watch it spread, before

  returning our gazes back to each other. “I will not survive. We will lose our minds…” I devastatingly admit.

  Another car nearly misses us, swerves and crashes into the blazing vehicle ahead of us. It too explodes. I take a deep breath and try to relax and then the quake ceases.

  “I know. That’s why I’ve already talked your father into allowing you back in Hell. We can protect your sanity there, but you will not be allowed to leave. Not until later. We have to see this scenario through,” she adds. I cannot do that. I cannot abandon my mate. I could never leave her alone on this retched planet. She needs me. She needs my protection.

  “And what of her?” I ask, pointing in the direction she disappeared towards.

  “You know my gift. You know that I can see. She will survive, Augustine, just as you will. Come home son,” mother urges.

  “No. No. I won’t leave her. I’ll wait. If father won’t lift the sentencing, I’ll wait. She’ll return,” I state. She will. One way or another, she’ll return.

  “So be it then.” She shrugs and glances away for a second. “Your father is calling me,” she says and then looks back to me.

  “Does father know?” I ask, just as another vehicle swerves and skids across the road, crashing into the other two cars. Mother turns her head towards the crash when the vehicle explodes. She sighs and turns back to me.

  “I suspect he does by this point and I already know he won’t be too happy about my intervening. I may know how to block him, but I can only block him for so long before he notices my silence.”

  “Tell him to go fuck himself,” I spit.

  “Right. Let me just tell the king of Hell to go fuck himself. I’m sure the almighty Lucifer will get a kick out of hearing that from his sweet baby boy.” She takes a step towards me, gazing me seriously in the eyes. “Look kiddo, you’ve got quite the mess to clean up, yet again. I’ve got to go. Don’t get sloppy. I’ll check back in with you,” she tells me.

  I watch her toss her head back roll her eyes.

  “Ughh! I’m coming! Damnit you big red Devil.” She glances back to me and smiles warmly. “I love you Auggy. You’ll get your Emilia back. This is only one more obstacle. One more lesson before you can have her, indefinitely. Hang in there, my boy. There was once a time where your father thought he would never have me and look how that all worked out,” she ends, smiling brightly, but I am not.

  “Father started the apocalypse and burned one reality of Earth to the ground to claim you,” I remind.

  “Yeah! And then we had you!” I eye her annoyingly before she continues on, “Everything will be fine. Don’t cause too much Hell on Earth. The last thing we need, is another war, against your father’s brothers. I got to go now, Augustine.” She backs away, but I stop her.

  “Mother.”

  “Yes?” she asks.

  “Watch over her.” A warm smile widens across her face.

  “I’m way ahead of you. She’ll be fine. You both will. You’ll hear from me soon, my sweet boy,” she says, while smiling warmly before vanishing.

  I turn to face the direction of my mate. I can still feel her pain. I can still hear her desperate cries. I have to make it stop. I needed her to calm, not just for her sake, but for my own.

  She left me no choice.

  As much as I did not want to, I needed to make her forget. For now, at least.

  “Forget, my sweetness,” I whisper within, and then feel a calming wave wash over and ease her mind.

  Her pain is gone, yet my remains. It will always remain. It will always haunt me, until the moment she is back in my arms, I will never rest. For one cannot rest, when one’s soul is torn from their flesh.

  Emilia’s POV

  I lose it.

  “NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOO!” I scream over and over and over. It hurts. Everything hurts. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t stop crying. It hurts. Everything hurts…

  “EMILIA! EMILIA!” my dad keeps shouting.

  “NOOOOOOO! I NEED HIM! I NEED HIM! TURN BACK! TURN BAAAAACK!” I frantically yell, while banging my fists against the seat, beside me.

  “What is wrong with her?” my hysterical, crying mother asks.

  “I don’t know. I have no fucking clue. Emilia! You have to calm down princess. Please calm down,” he begs me.

  “Nooo,” I
continue to cry. “Ahhhh. I need him. PLEASE! Turn baaaaack… pleeeease!” I beg, sobbing uncontrollably.

  “We’re almost there, princess. We’re going to get you help. It’s going to be alright. Hang in there, baby,” my dad tries to assure me. We’ve been driving for so long. So long. We’ve left my mate far behind. I need him. I still feel him. I need him. He needs me.

  “Austin… Austin…” I cry out. “I need you… please… ahhhh!” I continue crying.

  “She’s clearly in pain!” my mom shouts. “We need to turn back and—”

  “No!” my dad interrupts her. “I already notified the clinic in Mayfield. We’re taking her there. She needs help. She’s not right. That monster did something to our baby. She needs help…” my dad trails off, in tears.

  “Okay. Okay Todd. We’ll get her help. She’ll be fine.” My mother pauses. “Wait... she’s not crying,” she finally realizes. Both my parents turn back to face me.

  “Emilia?” my dad asks.

  “Yes?” I answer, sitting quietly, gazing at him.

  “You okay there, princess?” He seems confused, concerned.

  “Yes,” I reply. I watch my father and mother share a quick, glance before my father turns back to me.

  “Emilia… we’re going to get you help, real soon here. We’re almost there. Everything is going to be alright. Okay, princess?”

  “Okay,” I say.

  I don’t know what he is talking about. Am I hurt? I don’t feel as if I’m hurt. In fact, I don’t feel anything at all. I am numb. Empty. Shallow. Emotionless. I turn my attention to my left. I notice the door missing. I glance around and notice the windows are missing as well. I gaze down and shuffle my shoes over the floorboard and hear the crackle of glass beneath my feet. I glance up when my dad reaches back and secures my seatbelt around me. He gives me a small, cautious smile and then leans back in his seat.

  “Is she okay?” my mom asks my dad.

  “No. She’s acting even weirder,” I hear him whisper to her.

  “What the Hell did he do to her?” my mom wonders.

  “Fucked her up obviously,” he says.

  “Todd…” she begins but trails off.

  “What?” he asks.

  “Tell me you saw what I saw back there.”

  “If you’re referring to the tall, giant, black beast with horns, that was standing in the middle of the road, then yes. I saw him,” he states.

  “I was so scared. I thought I was hallucinating,” my mom says.

  “Me too, but I saw him as clear as day. He was real. As real as you and me,” my dad assures.

  “Why is he after our daughter? I don’t understand. Why does he want her?” her broken voice asks.

  “I don’t know. Em said he loved her. She said they were married,” my dad adds.

  “Our daughter married the fucking Devil!” she exclaims. I’ve never heard mom curse before. “How did she even get herself into this mess?” my mom rages.

  “I don’t know Hailey! I don’t know! I know just as much as you know! Okay!” dad shouts.

  “Are we there yet?” I calmly ask from the backseat. My father turns to me.

  “Soon,” he delicately tells me. I sigh and gaze out ahead of me. It’s no longer night. The sun is just beginning to rise, leaving a slight orange glow along the surface ahead of us.

  “I think I’m tired,” I say.

  “You’ll get plenty of sleep where we’re going, baby,” he says.

  “Okay,” I reply.

  Not long after, mom pulls up to a large grey, brick building. Four people dressed in all white come walking out the doors. I watch them descend the stairs.

  We pull in. Our car comes to a stop. I see three of them. I observe their eyes widen and take in the condition of the car. One woman gasps and covers her mouth. I turn to the one with eyes as dark as night. He seems unphased. Oblivious to the scene. We lock eyes for a moment. He gives me a small side smirk and waves his fingers slowly, one by one.

  My dad and mom step out. I turn around in my seat when dad opens the door to my right. He bends and leans in, smiling lightly.

  “Come here, princess.” He extends his hand and I reach for it and take it. He pulls me out and helps me stand. Small pieces of glass fall from me. I glance down at where the broken pieces, puddle around my feet. “Let’s go, baby,” he tells me.

  I glance up as my dad’s arm weaves around my waist. His other arm grips my upper arm. He walks me around the car, towards the people in white. Mom is now standing on my other side and places her hand on my shoulder. We stop at the bottom of the stairs, standing before the others. A woman bends to my height and smiles before me.

  “Emilia. I’m doctor Edwards. It’s nice to meet you,” she greets.

  “Hello,” I greet.

  “We’re going to take care of you here. Make sure you get better. Would you like to feel better?” she asks.

  “I feel fine,” I say. She glances at my father, then my mother.

  “Let’s get her inside, shall we?” she insists.

  My mom and dad ushers me up the stairs. We reach the doors and enter. I glance around and notice others in white. I also notice some dressed differently… suspicion arises in me, stirring an uncomfortable feeling within. My heart begins to race with anxiety and confusion.

  “Where am I?” I ask.

  Everyone glances at one another but says nothing. So, I ask again.

  “Where am I?” I reiterate a little more seriously. Mom and dad move in front of me. Mom bends, locking eyes on me, while holding my shoulders. She releases a long sigh before she speaks,

  “Emilia, sweetheart. You’re somewhere, where you can receive help—” I instantly pull away from her.

  “I don’t need help,” I quickly state. I back up, ready to bolt but then someone comes up behind me, grips my arms, and holds me against them. I shrug, attempting to free myself.

  “Let me go,” I warn them. I shrug away but the grip on my arms, grows tighter. I’m trapped. My heart begins to pound against my chest. I’m panting. Something in me begins to boil. A feeling. It’s strong. Overwhelming. It overpowers me. I lose control.

  “I said, LET ME GO!” I scream. I’m now thrashing uncontrollably, trying to free myself from my captor. “LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!” I yell, over and over and over in a fit of hysteria.

  My dad is holding my crying mom. They are both sobbing, while watching me being taken away.

  “MOM! DAD! HELP ME!” I scream for them. My crying mother cries even harder, turning away and hiding her face against my dad’s chest.

  “Everything is okay Emilia! It’s okay baby…” my dad trails off, while crying.

  “NOOO! LET ME GO!” I scream at the one holding me.

  Suddenly, everything calms. I glance down at the needle, that is currently injecting something into my arm. My head drops, my body goes limp. My feet are dragging, squeaking against the tiles, as I’m being pulled away. My eyes remain open. I’m still awake, still coherent, yet immobile. A tickle of warm breath against my ear, perks my attention.

  “You’re in good hands Emilia. My queen commands it and thou shall it be done. All will be alright. You will see,” he whispers.

  I want to smile at his promise. Something in his words, offers me a sense of familiarity and it calms me. A small smirk begins to pull at the corner of my lips until it grows into a full-blown, wicked grin. I may feel numb, but I am not empty. Not as empty as I thought I once was. There is a presence. A dark presence within and it is beautiful. It is calming and it fills me with a feeling. A feeling of peace. A feeling of love.

  “Hello, my soul,” it greets within.

  “Hello you.”

  CHAPTER 34 - HE NEEDS ME

  One Week Later…

  “AHHHHHHH!” I’m screaming, thrashing against the bed, while the nurses rush to subdue and inject me with another sedative. The pain is back. It’s not mine, but his. I feel his pain. I feel his rage. His Devil is back. He always comes ba
ck. He needs me. I need him. The bond calls to us. It must be completed. It must be completed.

  “AUGUSTINE!” I roar in agonizing pain.

  “EMILIA! EMILIA!” my Devil keeps screaming within. “I need you… I need you…” he cries. He’s in so much pain. I feel it. I feel him. He needs me. I need to go to him. He hurts. I hurt. Everything hurts…

  Suddenly, he enters. The dark-haired demon. He’s become my friend. The only friend I have. The only friend I know in this disgusting, claustrophobic place.

  “Leave us!” he shouts at the others. They obey instantly and rush away. He approaches and pins my arms against the bed. He leans down, hovering over my manic body.

  “Emiliaaa…” he cheerfully sings. “You must calm yourself. I don’t want to have to sedate you, but if you don’t calm, I’ll do it,” he warns. I hate it when he sedates me. It either knocks me out or silences my mate. I don’t want to silence him. I don’t want to fall asleep and shut him out. I gaze into those dark, black eyes of his with burning anger.

  “You have to let me go! PLEASE! I need to leave! He needs me!” I shout, but like every time before, he doesn’t listen. He never listens to me. He never lets me leave.

  “Now, now little Emi. You know I can do no such thing,” he tells me.

  “PLEASE! I’LL DO ANYTHING!” I beg. He leans closer in, hovering just above my face.

  “Never, give that much power to a demon. If you weren’t my future queen, I would take you up on your offer, little Emi and I would give you something to do. I’d give you something to do indeed,” he says, winking before he pulls back.

  “I should burn your soul for even thinking such thoughts, you pervert,” says the mother of my mate, after just now appearing in my room. I turn towards her. She smiles warmly and walks towards us. “You release my daughter in law, then you’d be disobeying your queen and you know very well what happens to those who disobey my order,” she tells him.

  She now stands beside Aza, my friend. She rests her hand against my cheek. Her warmth reminds me of my mate. I close my eyes and sigh in peace. I think of him. I imagine his touch. I imagine the tingles. I remember his love.