by Jamie Loeak
Within minutes Kate was trapped in a ring of fire that spread all around her, claiming the gardens as its own.
Kate woke up screaming again. A moment later, she felt Rico’s strong arms around her. She stopped screaming at once, comforted by his presence, but she shook so violently that Rico rushed to the bathroom, turned the hot water on, soaked a towel, and wrapped it around her after ringing it out. When she was calmer he called Adriana and asked her to come over. His voice was strained, worried.
A little while later, Adriana slipped into Kate’s room, a worried look on her face. “You had another vision, didn’t you?” she asked. Adriana sat on the edge of Kate’s bed and glanced up at Rico. They shared a look.
Kate decided to ignore it and nodded, affirming what everyone already knew.
“What happened?” Adriana asked.
Kate shook her head back and forth, knowing, for some reason, that she couldn’t tell them when they were here, in her room. She had the strangest feeling that someone would be listening to the words she was about to say. Instead of speaking at all, Kate grabbed a notebook and scribbled down her thoughts. Adriana and Rico understood immediately, and the three of them silently snuck out, making sure to lock Kate’s door behind her so that her parents couldn’t get in too easily.
A few minutes later, Kate snuggled in Adriana’s bed, the blankets warm and cozy. The soft sheets and knitted blanket comforted her somehow, making her feel safe. Kate sipped on the hot chocolate that Rico brought her, preparing herself to tell Adriana and Rico everything that she had kept hidden. She knew that she couldn’t keep her darkest parts to herself now. Rico and Donovan had told her their blackest secrets; it was time for Kate to finally do the same. Now she realized that it had only hurt her before.
“I lied to you,” Kate started. She looked over at Rico and Adriana, taking in their calm, serene gazes. They seemed to know already. However, Kate knew that she had to continue her confession. She swallowed before talking. “I have had more dreams,” she admitted. “I was afraid to tell you because they were much worse than the dreams I had warning me about Erik. I was afraid of losing you, of you thinking that I was dark or evil or worse.”
Adriana put her hand on Kate’s, stopping her from talking. “Kate,” she said, “Rico and I love you. No matter what you say, we’ll be here. You don’t need to feel ashamed or frightened. You will never lose us.”
“I know that now,” Kate said honestly. She looked into Rico and Adriana’s eyes before continuing. Adriana squeezed Kate’s hand, letting her know that it truly was okay to be afraid of the truth.
Kate sighed. “In the very first dream, I was searching for something. I was walking in the woods, looking for something that I knew I had to find before it was too late. The worst part about it is that I craved it, the thing I found.”
Rico placed his hand in Kate’s empty one and squeezed gently, letting Kate know that he would always love her. Adriana sat patiently waiting, her hand seemingly warm in Kate’s own. It was so comforting, knowing that, for the first time, Kate had people that loved and cared for her, people that didn’t necessarily have to. She knew that her parents loved her because of who she was, but it wasn’t the same as this kind of love.
“It was the world,” Kate whispered, braver now because of Rico and Adriana. “The world was catching fire. It was being destroyed.”
Kate looked at Rico. “It was the same image I drew in the sand that day on the beach. I lied to you when I said that I didn’t remember it, but it wasn’t a complete lie. I don’t remember drawing it; I was in some sort of trance when it happened, but I did see it when I woke from it. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for lying, to you” she said sadly.
Rico shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, Kate. You’re telling us now.”
Kate nodded. Then, she told them about her next vision. “It scared me. I thought that I was evil for wanting this. I thought that you would hate me, that you would leave. I know now that I was wrong. Your friendship is stronger than all of this,” Kate said calmly.
“Our friendship, Kate. It’s ours, not just mine or Rico’s. And you’re right. We will never leave you,” Adriana stated, agreeing with Kate. She smiled over at Kate, her perfect teeth flashing in the dim light.
Kate went on. “The last dream, the one I had just now, had a photograph in it.” She described her most recent dream to Adriana and Rico while tears tumbled from her grey eyes. “I drew the same image when I was five. I didn’t remember it until now, but after I saw the picture I kind of remembered that moment. I was scared of what I had drawn. I was so scared that I never left my father’s side again when we were on the beach. The first night here was the first time I had been alone on the beach since I was five. Even in Australia I was accompanied by my parents because we didn’t live right on the water,” Kate sobbed. She pulled her hands from her friends’ comforting embraces and wiped the tears that were still falling. Kate knew that if she didn’t pull herself together soon that she would hyperventilate, and she wasn’t prepared to look so weak; she couldn’t appear weak anymore. She had to be strong, for herself, for Rico, for her parents. She had to remain strong enough to fight this darkness.
“It’ll be okay, honey. Rico and I are going to take care of you,” Adriana said comfortingly.
“I’m afraid,” Kate said honestly. “I don’t know why I’m seeing these things. I’m afraid that it’s what I want. What I secretly want to happen. I just don’t understand it.”
“We know that it’s not, Kate. We know you would never want that,” Adriana said. She pulled away, noting that Kate was getting colder.
Kate shook her head, tears and snot covering her face at this point. She was trying to pull herself together but it just wasn’t working. She was not just crying out of fear; tears spilled out of frustration at her weakness as well. Kate grew increasingly embarrassed and angry at her faults, momentarily forgetting the real reason behind her tears. Rico grabbed a handkerchief out of one of Adriana’s drawers and used it to wipe her face. Kate looked into his bright eyes, feeling them pull her back into the present.
Rico sensed that there was something more. “What is it, Kate?” he asked. “I promise that you can tell us. I promise that you will always look the same in our eyes.” Rico, who had pulled away some time ago, reached back out for her hand.
Kate wiped away the rest of her tears and shook her head. She knew that she was just being stubborn, but she just couldn’t do this without them forcing her to.
“Kate,” Adriana said, “Rico and I have tried to kill. Rico has killed. You could never do anything worse than we have done, I promise that. Please tell us. We can help you overcome this. We can go through this together. You don’t need to hold the weight of this on your shoulders anymore. Rico and I are here to share this with you.”
Kate looked into Adriana’s eyes and decided to tell them the truth; she had no choice if she wanted this terror to end. Kate drew in a deep and shaky breath before speaking. “When I traveled to the alternate dimension, I saw the same burning world when I was there. I know that it contained my deepest desires so don’t try to convince me otherwise,” she added evenly, sensing the truth in her words.
Adriana and Rico looked at one another and nodded. They shared that same look. Then, they both turned to face her. “I think it’s time that we tell you something. It’s time that you hear the truth,” Adriana said with a sigh.
“Adriana and I believe that you were born to have visions,” Rico stated. “We think that you were born to determine the fate of the world, Kate. Adriana and I guessed this about you the day that I saw the image in the sand; we didn’t know for sure, though, until now.” Rico leaned forward, repositioning himself on Adriana’s bed so that he leaned back against the headboard. His feet hung off the edge of the bed, his shoes dirty.
“You see,” he continued when he got comfortable, “demons like Erik and Kern haven’t been able to take over the world because a catalyst has never been found. You are what demo
ns call a catalyst, Kate. You are what keeps the human race safe from demons. There has always been a catalyst on Earth. Once one dies, another is born. You are the single pure soul out there in the world.”
Adriana nodded and continued Rico’s story. “Kern has never been able to find a catalyst until you. We don’t know how he found you, but he did. And that’s why he’s sent Erik here. He probably wants to keep you safe until he’s ready to claim your soul as his own. If Kern claims your soul, the purest soul in the universe, he will tip the scales in Darkness’ favor. And we clearly don’t want that.”
Rico leaned forward, interrupting Adriana. “Do you remember when I told you that Light cheated Darkness by ensuring that demons die if they are unsuccessful in their possession?”
Kate nodded once, trying to make sure of Rico’s lengthy question.
“The catalyst was Darkness’ way of keeping things even. Neither being is all-knowing of each other’s thoughts or desires, but Darkness was prepared.”
“Kate,” Adriana said as her hand reached for Kate’s pale forehead, “How are you feeling about this new knowledge? Are you okay?” The look on Adriana’s face was full of concern but Kate couldn’t see her. She couldn’t see much of anything at the moment.
Within seconds, she
