Forever Changed

chapter 24



The room slowly transformed back to normal. He rose up from the floor, after the flames had extinguished themselves out. I watched as the sheet, now black, slowly slid off of his body. I closed my eyes hoping he didn’t look as bad as I had pictured him, in my mind. When I opened them he stood before me with a look of confusion on his face. He looked like he did before he was shot, except that his body was battered and he was covered in ash.

He looked around trying to figure out where he was. No one moved, we all were still lying on the floor, watching. We didn’t speak either, for the fear that he had returned being the demon as he should be.

He looked at me and smiled a little. His smile was the one that showed how proud he was of me for succeeded in doing just what he wanted me, too. I smiled back. He looked at Landon and nodded his head a little, telling him with unspoken words that he did a job well done. Landon as well grinned a little and nodded his head back. His eyes then fell upon my mother. My mother of course was scared of him and you could see that she was bracing herself for him to start beating on her. Her body was rigid with anxiety and stiff as a board.

He revealed the biggest grin of all for her. I slowly watched as tears welled up in his eyes and he collapsed to the floor sobbing. My mother never stood up, but she crawled over to him slowly, until she was just inches from him. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“I am so sorry Maggie, I love you so much. I never wanted to hurt you, but I was forced to do as I was told. I was beaten every day and tortured by the demons for repeating your name. They were trying to break me and make me become fully one of them.” He sobbed between each word.

“Shhhhhh….” My mother told him softly like you would to a screaming baby. “I know everything; Elizabeth and Landon told me everything. I thought I would never see you again and I understand everything that you did. I love you Mitch and would die a thousand deaths to have you forever.”

He reached over and pulled her up into his lap and sobbed with his face buried into her neck. She cried just as much as he did, holding him and soothing him.

I sat there and watched. I felt like my broken world was put back together. I longed to see my parents like this, instead of watching my father beat my mother on a daily basis. Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched. Landon reached over and took my hand. I looked at him and he was smiling from ear to ear.

I looked back over at my parents and my father raised his head to make eye contact with me. The relief in his bright blue eyes told me that my father was happy for his second chance. My mother looked over at me too and together they both extended their arms out for me to join them in a family hug. I looked at Landon and he let go of my hand and nodded, telling me it was ok to join them.

I crawled into their arms and cried holding on to them as tightly as I possibly could. I looked up and over at Landon and he had his head down with a sad expression on his face. My father and mother both noticed Landon as well and then all three of us extending our arms out to him, when he looked up.

The expression on his face was absolutely priceless. He slowly crawled over to us and we all sat there for a while holding each other.

Finally, after all the crying was out of the way. Landon and I backed away and Landon grabbed me up in his arms. He lifted my head up so that I could look into his black eyes and he gently pressed his lips to mine, kissing me softly.

I felt like I was on cloud nine. I became lost in his sweet kiss, closing my eyes, and hoping it would last forever. I had been waiting on a real kiss and he pulled through giving me the best first kiss that I could ever imagine. He held me, while my father held my mother.

I was the happiest person in the world and nothing could change that moment in time.



******

After all the hugging and kissing was over with, my mother slowly led my battered father upstairs to give him a hot bath and fresh clothes. Landon and I put the furniture back where it belonged and headed upstairs as well. I was dying to talk to my father, but I needed to let him have his time.

We walked into my room and I shut the door behind us. I was completely and utterly exhausted.

“You need to rest Elizabeth,” Landon said quietly.

“You do to, sorry, but you look like hell and I am sure I do as well.” I laughed a little.

“I am sure your father will sleep for a while. His trip was not exactly a fun one and I can only imagine the torture that they bestowed upon him.” Landon said sadly.

“I don’t want to think about it right now Landon. It makes me angry.” I said becoming heated.

“We won’t then. Let’s lay down and rest shall we.” Landon said tiredly.

“Yes, we shall,” I said with a yawn.





We undressed and put on our pajamas. I had not realized that it was very late and I was overly exhausted, but I was happy.

I turned out the lights and I crawled into the bed with Landon and snuggled up to him. He wrapped his arm around me and buried his head in my hair. After a minute I felt shutters and I felt my hair damp.

“Landon, are you crying?” I asked with concern. I rolled over to face him. I had left the curtain back wide enough that we were lying in a ray of moonlight. I could see his face and I was so sad to see the streaks of tears that ran freely down his cheeks. “What’s wrong?”

“Elizabeth, I don’t want to go back. You and your family are so happy and I have never been a part of this kind of happiness before. You all made me feel like I belonged here.” Landon said through the sadness in his voice.

“You do belong, Landon,” I said with a small smile.

“My fear is though, that you won’t want me and I have grown feelings for you that I didn’t know existed. I do not want to go back, I want to stay with you and be with you always. The Dark Lord will rise, Elizabeth. I have foreseen his plans and he is coming to do harm. He is preparing an army, to come for you, and to finish off your mother and father. My fate has yet to be determined.” Landon said in a hushed whisper.

“I have more powers then any demon that the Dark Lord brings with him, Landon. I do not fear him and I refuse to.” I said with more confidence than I felt.

“I hope you are right, Elizabeth, no one has ever beaten the Dark Lord.” He said shaking his head.

“Let’s not think about it, ok?” I asked him, while looking deep into his eyes.

“As you wish,” he said with a weak smile.

“Landon,” I said trying to form the words, “I have feelings for you as well and if I am not mistaken, I actually, ummmm well love you. I couldn’t imagine going through all of this by myself or anything else for that matter. I want you to stay and I want to be with you always as well.” I said this as tears welled up in my eyes and my heart begin to ache.

“I hope you would choose to stay with me. I will set you free my love.” I said looking into his soul.

“You are choosing your destiny, Elizabeth?” He asked in wonderment, while cocking his right eyebrow up.

“Yes, Landon, I choose you as my destiny.” I said very sweetly. I meant every word.

Landon tilted my head a little higher and repeatedly kissed me on the lips. Between a groan and a sob escaped out of his mouth. I let my tears flow freely and I latched on to him, wrapping my arms around him tightly.

“You are my best friend, Landon,” I said between kisses.

“Your best friend, soon to be your lover, and husband, Elizabeth.” He said beaming with happiness.

I stopped kissing him and looked deep into his eyes. “Do you mean that, Landon? Like really mean that?” I asked afraid he was joking. This is what I wanted. I had dreamed about it and was afraid that I would never get it. Here it was slapping me in the face and I was afraid I was dreaming.

“I am dead serious,” he said and I knew he meant it. I kissed him harder this time and I could feel the passion in each kiss.

This very night, I embraced my destiny and became a woman, instead of the lonely teenage girl I used to be.