Chapter 12: The White Corridor

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Freya gasped, awakening from the spell that she'd been using to search Elijah's mind. I ran to her, pulling her up. Hayley was also nearby. 

'Freya, what's wrong?' Hayley asked. 

'I thought I found him, but he just vanished right in front of me. That's not our only problem. I can't search Elijah's mind and sustain a spell at the same time.' She walked out of the circle to the table near her. '

'What if you sent me in?' I asked. 

'That would require more power.'

'You stay here and anchor the spell. He will respond to me. Send me in, Freya. I can find him. Nobody's closer to Elijah than I am.' 

'To place you into the pendant, I would need to channel another witch,' Freya said. 'A powerful one. Born of my family's bloodline.' 

'Hope. No. She's too young for this,' Hayley said. 

'She's young, but she's strong,' Freya replied. 'Stronger than I was at her age. Hayley, I would never hurt my niece, ever.' Hayley said nothing. 


Hayley took the magic-dampening bracelet off of Hope. 

'You don't have to do this if you don't want to,' Hayley said. 

'It's okay. I'm not afraid.' I knelt to the girl's level and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead and a gentle hug. 

'Thank you, Hope. I promise, I'll bring back your Uncle Elijah, safe and sound.' She looked down at me and touched her hand softly on my pregnant belly. 

'I can't wait to meet my cousin,' she said eagerly. 

'I know. Your cousin is going to be beautiful.' Hayley gave Freya the magic-dampening bracelet, who took it over to the table, and Hayley and I stood. 'So he's just in there somewhere, clinging to broken memories?' I asked. 

'The core of his very being has retreated deep into his subconscious,' Freya replied, 'but yes, he's still in there.' 

'And I just search until I find him?' I asked. 

'You don't have time. There are too many memories for you to randomly search. You have to think: where would Elijah find refuge? It has to be somewhere that represents the fundamental basis of who he is. Hopefully that's a good place. When you find it, draw him out and wake him up. But be careful, his mind is unstable.' Hayley stepped out of the circle, and I went to lay down on the ground. 

'Auntie Lilliana?' Hope asked. I turned to her. 'Be careful.' 

'I'll be right back, sweetie,' I said softly. The two of them linked hands and began chanting as I laid down flat in the circle, closing my eyes. 


When I woke, I was standing in a white corridor. All the doors had a small symbol on them. I began to look through the hall, searching. 

'Come on, Elijah, where are you?' I asked. All the doors were bland white - except for one. A wooden, rustic red door. And behind it, echoed the screams of a man. Painfully familiar screams. I paused near the door, then continued to walk down the hall, finding a white door and entering it, seeing the precise moment where Hayley and I fought the vampires. Seeing me kissing Elijah, just seeing him again, my heart ached. When my past self walked away, I spoke. 'Elijah.' He turned to find the source of the voice. 'It's me. I'm here. Elijah.' He stepped towards me. 'Look at me.' He seemed to look right through me, and then looked directly at me, completely vanishing into thin air. 


I closed the door and continued down the hall, coming back to the red door. 

'Must be in here,' I muttered, then touched the handle and pushed it open. Inside, the room was darkened, lit only by a fire. All around were multiple dead bodies. Someone - or something, was huddled in the corner, feeding, it seemed. 'Elijah,' I breathed. The person lifted their head. 'I'm here to help you.' The hulking figure dropped the body and I stepped back, the panic rising through my body. I turned and gasped, seeing his face. 'Elijah,' I gasped, taking in his bloodstained appearance. Then the predator that was wearing the face of my fiancé stepped towards me, slow and deliberate, calculating and cunning. 'Hey. Elijah, wake up,' I said softly, my voice rising in panic. 'It's me. Elijah! Stop! Stop!' I opened the door of the building and ran out into the surrounding area, the predator following after me. 


I kept running through the forest. 

'Freya! Freya!' I shouted. I stumbled into a forest campfire, with several more people, all dead. I stared in horror at the scene. Suddenly, a branch snapped from behind me. Turning to look at the scene, I just noticed someone behind me. I turned to see him standing there, staring at me with a cold look that made my blood run cold with terror. 'Elijah. Stop! Stop!' I screamed, beginning to run away from him. I began to back away from him, crying out. He got to my level, still staring at me with that cold look. 'I'm not trying to fight you,' I said softly. 'I'm just trying to bring you home.' His hand reached out and stroked the hair out of my eyes, my heart pounding as though it was going to beat right out of my chest. His gaze seemed to soften, but it did nothing to lessen the terror still coursing through my veins. He grabbed me suddenly, and threw me against a tree. I began to yell and struggle against his grip, but the the cold look in his eyes was back. Suddenly, I heard someone call out. 

'Auntie? Auntie! I'm here!' 

'Hope!' I screamed. 'Stay there!' I disengaged and began to run away, and just before I got to safety, he grabbed me again, throwing me into a pole, then slammed me into it. Grabbing me, he pinned me down forcefully. 'Please don't do this! Please don't do this!' His face changed, and his fangs sank into my neck, and I convulsed beneath him, letting out a scream. I gasped, a bright white light shining into the room. Then, just as it was there, it was gone. 

'Auntie, I can't find you!' I sat up, Elijah disengaging from me in shock. 

'Hope,' I called out. 'Stay there. Auntie Lilliana's coming.' I got up off of the table, and I heard his voice. 

'Lilliana.' I tore past him and out the door, wrapping my arms around the little girl tightly in relief. She disengaged from the hug. 

'Are you okay?' Hope asked. 

'I'm okay. I'm okay.' 

'Where's Elijah?' she asked. 

'I'm here,' he said, and I saw him stepping through the door, wearing a suit now instead of old garments. I stood, pulling Hope behind me protectively. 

'You need to leave,' I urged the little girl. 'This isn't safe.' 

'It's okay,' he said softly. 'It's me.' I stared at him warily. 

'Go home, baby,' I said, touching Hope's head softly. 'Tell Freya it's safe to fix the pendant.' She stepped away and reached out her hands, then disappeared. Elijah stepped towards me, and I stepped away from him until my back hit the wall. 

'Please forgive me,' he said softly. Just then, the lights began to grow bright within the room, until it was almost blinding. Then, I gasped and awoke inside the circle.

 

'Auntie Lilliana!' Hope shouted and ran to me. Hayley did too, as did Freya. Freya knelt beside me. 

'You did it. You saved him,' she said. I began to let out choked sobs, knowing it was only a matter of time before I could see him again. 







In the corridor, Elijah remained - standing alone. 

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