Rage in Pain Roz: The R.I.P. Series Book 2

by Kris Johnston

  Cindy and Devon stood slowly from their seats and walked around the room to the tall dresser that was covered in different forms of potions and herbs. I could smell them, the scents of leaves and seeds and other essences of nature, as the girls began to mash and mix.

  Curious, I looked around the room. Nicole was eyeing me warily, sitting calmly in her seat. Her hands were poised, ready to strike me with her magic.

  What the-?

  Belle, Erica, and Jess stood in the far corner, whispering anxiously to one another. They kept throwing worried glances my way, and would cover their mouths with their hands to prevent me from lip-reading.

  What the hell was this?

  The only one who wasn't watching me like a serial killer was Roz, but I could tell from the stiffness of her back and shoulders that she was on guard.

  “What's going on here?” I demanded. “What's this all about? Someone tell me!”

  It was then that Roz moved her arm across my stomach as she pulled away from me, and as she did, a sharp pain ripped throughout my abdomen, spreading to my limbs.

  “Argh!” I screamed from the fire coursing throughout my body. I pulled my knees into my chest in an effort to thwart the onslaught.

  “I'm sorry Jimmy!” Roz exclaimed, wide-eyed and terrified. “I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to touch it!”

  “Touch what?” I gritted my teeth. Something was definitely wrong with me, that's why they were all acting so weird. I must be dying. Or something worse.

  “The symbol!” She yelled. “Devon! Nicole! My hand brushed across it, I swear. That's all I did!” Frantically she jumped to her feet and pointed down at me.

  “Look!” She yelled.

  I moved my hands away from my knees and unfurled my legs in agony.

  What I saw made me hiss.

  A symbol had been carved into my stomach, just above my navel. The exposed blood glowed from within it, as it pulsed and moved like lava. It took only one second for Parker’s magic to understand what it was.

  “Get it off me!” I screamed in terror, as the magic within me confirmed exactly what this symbol was, and what it meant.

  It was a centuries-old rune symbol, simple in its form. It was a straight line with a triangle attached to its left, almost resembling a backward flag. It was filled with various dark, evil meanings, chilling my blood as my brain tripped over the symbolic nature of it.

  “Get her out of here!” I demanded, knowing what was coming. “NOW!”

  Roz stared, confused. “What is it, Jimmy?” She asked in desperation.

  I looked to Nicole in panic, who stood from her chair, watching me.

  “Do you know what the symbol is?” She asked.

  I gasped as a new pain ripped into my stomach. “Yes,” I panted. “It's a combination of things.”

  “A combination?” She asked worriedly, glancing to Jess. “What things?”

  “Hate,” I gasped. “Chaos. Compulsion. Initiation. Rape.”

  “Oh my goddess,” Nicole breathed. “Initiation.”

  Jess scurried forward, looking at my body, her eyes inspecting.

  “Oh my god,” she whispered. “I got it wrong. It's reversed. It's not only hate. It's far, far worse. This hasn't been to turn him Dark. It's his initiation.”

  Devon came behind Roz and gripped her shoulders roughly.

  “You have to leave now!” She shouted. “Now, Roz!”

  My girl stood still, unmoving. “I've made it this far,” she said firmly. “I'm not leaving him.”

  “You don't understand!” Erica cried. “Initiation is cast within the summoning. It won't matter what we do now, he will be Dark when this is over! And it is infused with rape! Do you know what that means for anyone still in this room when it’s over?”

  “No!” Roz screamed in denial. “Not my Jimmy!”

  “We all have to go!” Nicole exclaimed as loudly as she could.

  I moaned from my place on the floor as one by one, the witches all rushed to the door. They were terrified of me, and I didn’t fault them for that. All I could do was implore them to leave. Devon and Nicole pushed Roz forward, grabbing her arms and yanking as hard as they could to make her move.

  She planted her feet firmly and refused to budge.

  “I'm not deserting him now!” She screamed and pulled away. “You can go, leave us! I'll never leave him!”

  Another pain ripped through me, this one fierce and ruthless in its power as I wailed and writhed on the floor.

  “Please! Get out of here!” I hissed.

  The fire was unlike anything else I had ever experienced. It was nothing like when I had died in my mother’s car decades ago. That had been oddly peaceful, despite the wreckage. It had been something I’d welcomed and reached for.

  This was something else. This was the fire of hell, all-consuming. It was death and fear and pain and sorrow and hate and loss all wrapped into one element. It was blackness. It was torture. It was brutal in its neverending torment. It held onto me, coiling around me and squeezing the life from my soul. The harder I tried to fight it, the harder it squeezed.

  Then suddenly, it stopped. The pain was gone. The torment ended. My body felt stronger than it ever had before. I looked down to my stomach and the symbol was gone. I sighed in relief.

  The others stood hovering near the door, their faces uncomprehending, their eyes fearful of me. Roz, her face full of love and fright, gazed at me upon the floor.

  “Jimmy?” She whispered. “Are you alright?”

  I sat up and slowly stood to the floor. I flexed my muscles, rejoicing in the feel of such great strength and power. I cracked my neck, smiling at the sound of the ‘pop’ it produced. I looked at her pretty face, at the innocence it contained, and suddenly my vision became swathed in a dim, red light.

  She looked at me and gasped in terror. The sound of it excited me beyond measure.

  “I'm better than alright,” I said darkly. “Come here, little dove, and I'll show you just how fine I feel.”

  “It's too late,” Jess whispered, “He's Dark.”

  I rolled my head around on my neck and turned to look at her.

  “His eyes….” She said, staring at me.

  I grinned at her, unaware of what she saw in my eyes, but thrilled at the terror they made her feel.

  Throwing out my hand to where they stood by the opened door, I uttered a word- “Ablatio!”

  The witches were flung into the hallway in a group of limbs and hair. With a swipe of my hand, the door slammed shut.

  I turned back to Roz and delighted in the look of horror on her face.

  “No,” she choked out. “Please Jimmy, no. You have to fight this.”

  I took a slow step toward her, and grinned when she took two steps away from me.

  “I can't wait to see how much of a fighter you are, little dove,” I said wickedly.

  My soul had changed, freed with the spirit of all that was Dark and I was liberated at long last. I would no longer be the wimpy kid who killed himself just because his mother was a bitch.

  Poor, unloved Jimmy. Boo-freaking-hoo.

  I was stronger now, with this power. I was mighty with the evil residing inside me. No one would ever use me, leave me, torture me, or hurt me. Not ever again. I would never need to be loved by another. I would be a loyal follower of the Dark from now on. I would do all of its bidding without question. I would destroy anyone who stood in my way and claim those who would deny me.

  And to prove myself to the darkness, I knew exactly where to begin.

  “Come now, little dove,” I said with a wicked smile. “You know this was meant to happen.”

  I watched her eyes scan the room quickly as someone began pounding on the door. I threw a pulse of my dark magic at the door, silencing the noise.

  She shook her head at me and I laughed.

  “I'm not doing anything you say,” she replied stubbornly. “Not until I know my true Jimmy is alright.”

  In a flash, I advanced on he
r. I needed her innocence. I wanted to feed upon it. I craved her terror, and ached for her to feel more. I felt nothing but glee as she yelped and cowered before me, her body shrinking to the floor as she tried in vain to protect herself.

  In an instant I picked her up and threw her onto the bed, slamming my body down on top of hers. She struggled weakly against me. She was no match for my newer, improved body strength.

  I gripped her wrists and forced them above her head. She wriggled her legs against mine, trying in vain to raise her knee into my groin.

  I chuckled at her puny efforts.

  She cried and continued struggling, shaking her head furiously back and forth.

  “Not like this Jimmy,” she cried. “Please, not like this!”

  I lowered my head, nuzzling my nose into the silk of her delicate neck, wondering at how much pressure it would take from my newly-strengthened hands to make it snap.

  I continued to inhale her fear, running my nose along her jaw, taking deep, intoxicating breaths of her terror and fright. It was like a drug, and I knew I would gain even more power from it. Her body shook beneath me and I rejoiced, feeding off of her delectable innocence.

  She was delicious. I had to have more.

  “Once you submit,” I whispered into her ear, “You will be joined with me, and we will rule the Dark together.”

  “No,” she cried. “I'll never submit!”

  I grinned into her terror-stricken eyes and pressed my body weight into her.

  “That's what I wanted to hear,” I said, my voice laced with evil, “To take you by force will be so much sweeter. Your innocence will feed me for days.”

  She screamed as I lowered my lips to hers, but soon she was silenced as I demanded the kiss that my Dark hunger would not be denied.

  Chapter 42

  ~Roz~

  His lips descended on mine, covering my scream as I fought against him.

  No. No. No.

  This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Where are The Pastels? Nicole? Odie? Why didn’t I run when I had the chance! I was so stupid!

  Someone help me!

  His lips and tongue thrashed against mine and to my horror, I felt the stirrings of passion ignite in me. I whimpered as confusion slowly blocked out the fear, erasing my terror of seconds ago. He felt like Jimmy. Kissed like Jimmy. My heart ached for him like he was Jimmy. How could he not be Jimmy?

  Unaware of what I was doing, I began kissing him back. I couldn't deny the love I felt for him even now in this terrifying moment. Somewhere in my soul, I believed that if he knew and understood just how much I loved him, if I proved it to him, he would feel that love and it would save him from the Dark. And so, I began kissing him back with a fervor, as passionately as I could, until the feel of his lips and the taste of him assaulted my senses, leaving me gasping for more.

  He had me pinned beneath him, but in my sudden desire I somehow found I no longer cared. The feel of his strong, rough hands holding me down beneath him was heady. It made me feel powerful in an odd way. As if I was something he had to have so badly, he couldn't help himself but to take whatever he wanted, needed, from me.

  I felt a dark energy pulse itself into my wrists, where he gripped me. It made me gasp, it was so taboo, so forbidden, so wicked. It began spreading slowly through my arms, making me want and ache and need. My hips began to squirm against him in need.

  It was Dark. It was his Dark. And I suddenly craved it like air.

  My body began responding to his forceful kisses in ways I couldn't deny. It was so strong, this urge, this desire to submit completely to him. I knew in that moment I wanted to submit. I wanted him to claim me. I wanted to be his forever.

  And we would rule the darkness.

  I didn't care, so long as he always kissed me and touched me like this.

  I didn't care, so long as he always caused my legs to tremble and beg for his touch.

  I didn't care, so long as my breath came in fast little pants every time he touched me with his evil hands and kissed me with his wicked lips.

  I didn't care.

  “Fight me!” He commanded suddenly, breaking apart our lips to push away from me. He stared down at me with a look of dark, unleashed anger. “Resist me! Be afraid!”

  I gasped for air. “I can't,” I admitted, lost to the passion. “I want you too much.”

  He smirked. “Then I was right. You are nothing but a whore.”

  Suddenly there was a loud blast. The door flew inside the bedroom, ripping off if its hinges and coming to land with a crash against the opposite wall. Pieces of charred, smoking wood fell around us as I covered my head, both in fright and in shame.

  A weight was lifted off of me, as I glimpsed Jimmy flying up and away from me, his head smashing into the ceiling above us. I covered myself as pieces of drywall came collapsing down around me. I huddled on the bed, afraid of this new attack, certain it was Prudence who had come to destroy us all.

  The silence that followed was deafening as my head began to clear itself of the confusing desire I'd only just experienced.

  I raised up, seeing Jimmy unconscious on the floor, a large wound bleeding from his head. I cried out in horror at the sight, my heart stammering with fear that I had finally lost him forever. I was paralyzed from the sorrow that overcame me, unable to look around the room, only capable of shaking as I watched my love, bleeding and still.

  “He's not dead,” a voice said from the doorway.

  I knew that voice!

  Turning my head in what could only be described as complete and utter shock, I looked at the woman standing there.

  She let out a long breath and then smiled sadly at me.

  “Hello, Gorgeous.”

  It was Bonnie.

  ***

  The few hours left before dawn came were enlightening, to say the least.

  I discovered my foster mother had been, at one time, the most powerful Light witch in all of Marion, before leaving her coven to marry outside of the witch’s community.

  “And I've never regretted it,” she said happily.

  I discovered that she only knew of my whereabouts and what was happening with me because my little sister was something called a seer.

  “Amie had the vision of what was happening,” Bonnie explained. “She woke me up because she could see me stopping it. That's how I knew where to go.”

  Amie was a seer. It meant she had visions sometimes, and tonight she’d had a doozy when she saw what was happening to me. She knew where to send Bonnie to find me, to save me. It was stunning, knowing Amie was a supernatural just like Bonnie. Just like me.

  I was going to hug that little girl so hard once I got home.

  I discovered that Bonnie knew exactly what I was, and who my friends were, the entire time. She even knew all about Jimmy and the love we shared, much to my embarrassment. But as she'd put it, she hadn't wanted to interfere in anything that was destined to happen for me. As long as I was always safe, she wouldn't use her magic to intervene, and she would always allow me to make my choices for myself.

  I discovered that Nicole and Bonnie had been close friends back in their younger days, as well as Gregor. They had frequently hung out and practiced their magic at the bookstore which had belonged to Gregor’s family before he took it over. But that was long ago, before Bonnie fell in love with Mitch.

  “I couldn't drag Mitch into that lifestyle,” Bonnie said. “He deserved all of me. I couldn't be married to him knowing he was only allowed to have certain parts of me. It was all or nothing, as far as I was concerned. And for Mitch, I went all in.”

  I discovered that Mitch did indeed know about Bonnie’s power but had never revealed her secret to anyone. He had cherished her as the woman she was, regardless of what she had been born into. Or, maybe, because of it.

  It certainly explained a lot of what made Bonnie the way she was.

  In the cleanup that followed, Jimmy was placed into a magical sort of coma. Bonnie healed his head w
ound with a potion she'd mixed on the dresser. And, with a wave of her hand, she restored the door and removed the pieces of wood and drywall that had exploded all over the room.

  I marveled at her as I watched.

  “I had no idea of what Bonnie was,” Jess said in awe as we watched from the hallway. “The amount of power she must have, to keep her true self concealed from us all this time… It's got to be unmatched.”

  Erica nodded. “She must be the one they've always spoken about.”

  I looked at her questioningly.

  Erica explained. “In our coven, there's a legend. It tells of one who was so powerful she could do anything at all with just a thought. Heal the sick. Bring life to dying things. Create something out of nothing. But,” her voice took on a nostalgic quality as she continued, “She gave it up for true love before she was even eighteen. She didn't want a life of magic for him, so great was her love. So she flipped a switch and turned it all off, removing the power that coursed within her.”

  Jess nodded, listening. “Yeah, but none of us knew she could turn the switch back on.”

  Erica shook her head. “No. None of us knew that.”

  Soon, Bonnie exited the bedroom, leaving Jimmy to lie unconscious on the bed. She led us all out to the living room where Will and Odie sat huddled together. They whispered frantically to one another, their voices hushed and scared. I'm sure they had been terrified the entire night, not knowing what the horrific sounds coming from the guest bedroom had signified, nor knowing what to do about it.

  Will stood as we entered the room. “So,” he said nervously, “It's all over, then?”

  Nicole and Bonnie nodded.

  “It's all over, for now,” Bonnie said. “I put Jimmy into a deep sleep. He'll be unconscious for at least another hour, but we have a lot of work to do once he awakens.”

  “Like what?” Odie asked, curious.

  Bonnie sighed. “For starters, he's Dark now. The symbols Prudence carved into him were spelled to attack him one by one. It was all done in such a way so that it would break him, opening him up to the evil that is constantly lurking around him. Prudence knew exactly what she was doing.”

  Nicole agreed. “He had no chance against it, not once the process had begun.”