Promise - Chapter Six





"Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most." -Ruth Carter Stapleton




'~-Spencer-~'




December 25th, 2001




"Merry Christmas,"  I mumbled to myself as I woke up. The sun was barely peeking through the window to my bedroom, and the time read "7:02". I threw off my comforter and lowered myself off of the bed. 


I exited my bedroom and made my way to the kitchen. However, a small figure was cooking breakfast. I was usually alone in my apartment in the mornings.


"Spence, you woke up early!" Amelia exclaimed after sensing that I was in the room. I looked at her in confusion.


"I thought you hated cooking?" 


"When did I say that?" She asked, flipping a pancake onto a plate that already had two pancakes stacked on it.


"Like a week ago?" I wrapped my arms around her waist.


"That- that's so odd." Amelia finished making the pancakes and turned around to give me a peck on the lips.


I rested my nose on hers, swaying her small body from side-to-side, humming a melody to her.


"Merry Christmas." She whispered.


"Merry Christmas," I whispered back, kissing her neck.


"C'mon, the pancakes are getting cold." Amelia led me over to the table, pulling the chair out for me. I sat down, and she danced over to the counter once again. She made my plate and poured syrup onto the pancakes as she set it down in front of me.


"You're so sweet. Thank you." I smiled at her.


"Of course, now eat up." I nodded and began to eat. Amelia took the rest of the pancakes and poured about a gallon of syrup on them before sitting down to eat across from me.


After we finished eating, Amelia cleaned up our plates and set them down in the sink. I took her by the hand and we appeared inside of her family's house. The walls were a pearly white, gold tracing every edge. I had only had a few glances at the inside of the place, so the extravagance of it all caught me off guard.


"Spencer!" A voice called, and I turned toward its source. Luna, who had long, strawberry-blond hair, was motioning us to join the rest of her family with one hand. She was carrying Derek in her other arm.


Amelia ran towards her sister, engulfing the older woman in a side hug. They began to chat excitedly, and I joined the rest of her siblings. Matt, Midnight, and Nick were sitting on one side of the couch. Matt was aimlessly scrolling through his phone while his twin, Dusk, was sitting on the top part of the couch, looking over his shoulder. Midnight and Nick were talking to Zachary and Michael, the other set of twins, who were sitting on the other couch with Crystal, Alina, and Tycer. Alina and Crystal were around the same age, with Crystal being almost three years old, and Alina being five. I remembered asking Amelia about her little sister's age, and she told me it was actually closer to fifteen or twenty. Someone had cursed her so that she would age very slowly.


"Alright, everyone! Get off your phones, please!" Amelia shouted, bringing her siblings' attention to her. "It is time to unwrap your presents! Youngest to oldest!" The Divine family cheered as Midnight and Tycer brought out the few presents meant for the little kids. 


First up was Derek, who was barely old enough to speak. Tycer and I helped unwrap his present, which was a stuffed bear about the size of my head. Next was Crystal, who we also had to help with unwrapping her present, and she got a small, yellow one-piece with the words: "Favorite Child" in black lettering on the front.


After Alina got a hair bow, it was my turn, as I was the youngest out of all the adults there. I grabbed two presents that were labeled with my name; one was a sparkly purple, and the other was a deep blue. 


"Open the blue one first; that's from all of us." Matt encouraged, and so I opened the delicately wrapped box. Inside was a dark blue mug, coffee creamer, and a variety of different coffee packets. 


"'Yeah sex is cool, but have you ever read Shakespeare?' Oh my god, guys, this is amazing!" A wide grin placed itself on my face.


"Alright, Spence, it's time for you to open my present." Amelia smiled at me, a hint of nervousness masked behind her piercing eyes.


I carefully unwrapped the purple gift, the glitter practically coating my hands. Inside was a small box, which I took out for everyone to see. As I opened it I gasped.


"I may have gotten us a house." She chuckled, and I pulled out the house key. "I thought that your apartment was a bit too small for the four of us, and this old place is a little too busy, so...."


"Wow," I breathed out. "I- I can't believe it. This is awesome, Amelia!" I was too excited to see her wince slightly at the mention of her name.


Everyone else broke out into lively discussion as Amelia ran to snatch her presents next, as she was barely older than me. She tore through her siblings' gifts for her. When she got to mine, she opened it with care. At first. Eventually, she became frustrated, so she stopped caring about the wrapping paper and tore it apart.


She let out a squeal of excitement as she gazed upon her presents. One was a modest, black-lace dress that shimmered in the lighting. The second was the hilt of a sword, the pattern golden and mystical.






"Spence, oh my Irene, I LOVE IT!" Amelia squeaked, throwing her arms around my neck. 


"I'm glad." I placed a loving kiss on her lips, and she smiled into it.




'~-Amelia-~'




January 7th, 2002




Wailing echoed around the small house as Derek began to cry, clearly in need of a nap. I sighed while picking up his small figure and set him down in his tiny bed. Crystal saw this as a sign to also take a nap, so she crawled on top of the other bed in the room. I tucked Derek in, kissed his head, then repeated the steps with Crystal. Soon, both children were asleep, and I could relax completely. I picked out a pair of blue pajamas that were patterned with cat faces and trudged to the bathroom. I needed a long, hot shower.


Thirty minutes had passed when I hopped out of the shower. I dressed in my comfortable clothes, then stopped to take a look at myself in the mirror. I smiled at my reflection, but it didn't smile back. What?


"Shhhhhh." Darkness enveloped the room and olive hands snaked their way around my neck. "Good girl."


I couldn't breathe. The walls were spinning around me and my lungs screamed for air. I needed air. 


A smile crept onto the face of the stranger, his face inches from mine, and his emerald eyes flashed at me. A knock sounded from the door.


"I'll kill you if you make a sound. Understood?" I resisted him, calling out Spencer's name weakly. He would save me.


I felt like passing out, white dots danced around my vision. Finally, my body shook as I gasped for air. I could breathe, and everything seemed... normal. The bathroom was bright but plain. There was no mysterious stranger. Just the place I had seen a hundred times since moving in.


Spencer opened the door, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. I buried my face in his chest and began to cry. A soft voice whispered in my ear.


"You're trembling. What happened?" His thumb rubbed my back soothingly. I gripped onto him, terrified that if I were to let go, that haunting vision would come back.


Spencer lifted me off the ground, and into his arms. He carried me for a few moments, then set me down on my bed. Quiet tunes traveled to my ears, making my eyelids heavy and relaxing my body. Soon, I left the waking world behind, Spencer's hands tangled in my hair and his voice in my ears, singing the song I had taught him.


"Even when the dark comes crashing through, when you need someone to carry you... when you're broken on the ground...."




May 17th, 2002




One year seems like a lifetime to most. To me, however, our anniversary came like a lightning bolt, as if it were yesterday that I shoved Spencer off of Heaven's Gate and, unceremoniously, rescued him. I woke up early, which was abnormal. Even so, Spencer was up earlier than me and had made breakfast: chocolate chip waffles with whipped cream.


"Happy one year." He had wrapped his long arms around my waist the moment I had stepped into the kitchen.


"I almost can't believe it," I told Spencer, leaning up to kiss him. 


As I looked around I noticed Derek and Crystal were sitting at the table, already digging into their breakfasts.


"Me neither," He muttered, digging his chin into the crook of my neck. After a moment or so, I escaped his grasp and dashed to the dining table which already had my serving on it.


"Where'd you learn how to cook?" I asked him jokingly while stuffing my face full of the treat.


"Only from the best," Spencer lifted my chin with two fingers and smiled down at me.


My nose scrunched. "I have never touched a cooking utensil in my entire life." 


My boyfriend stared at me as if I'd grown to six feet. "Wh- okay? Um, I'm glad you like it...." He trailed off, suddenly deep in thought.


"Spencer, your food is getting cold." Spencer snapped out of his daze.


"Oh, right." He sat down next to me and began to eat.


My phone began to ring as I finished my last bite.


"Hello?" I asked, my mouth still partially full of food.


"Amelia," Luna spoke with urgency from the other end. "I know it's early but I need you to come to one of the Magi planets. 23A. A battle just broke out." 


I made eye contact with Spencer. "A battle? Alright, we'll be there in a moment. I have to call Nova and ask for them to babysit." 


Luna hung up without another word, and I dialed Nova's number.


"Hey, I heard what's going on. I was actually about to teleport to your house now." I ended the call and looked up from my phone to find Nova in our house.


"Go." They told us, and so we did. Our swords appeared in our hands as we entered the battlefield, the chaos contrasting the quiet home we had been in moments earlier.


Soldiers fought on different sides, becoming simple blurs of red and white as the battle raged on. I looked at Spencer and silently willed him to stay by me. He seemed to hear my wish as I pushed through the fray, and towards the front lines- where I was always stationed.


A figure popped into my vision, giving me just enough time to block their attack. I swung hard, gripping the golden hilt as the sound of swords colliding filled the air. I kicked my opponent and swiftly landed a blow to their stomach, leaving them on the ground to bleed out. 


'You just killed somebody.' The voice, my subconscious, told me.


'That is what a battle is. It is how we win wars.' I silenced it, charging at another enemy.


One after another, the same process repeated. Each time life poured out of someone's body, it gnawed at my soul as another piece of me was destroyed. But I pressed on, reassuring myself time and time again that it was just how it was. Sometimes, Magi died believing the wrong things and fighting for the wrong cause.


I lost focus as my weapon grazed the shoulder of another foe. However, the turn of the tide had been noticeable to anyone with half a brain. The soldiers in red began to retreat, tired, and less confident than they had been previously.


"ERLA!" I commanded, and my people froze, watching as the wounded enemies began to retreat. A shiver overcame my body, feeling someone's watchful emerald gaze on me. I glared in the direction, ready to fight if the person so much as stepped towards me. 


Staring right back at me was a man about the same age as me, with oily black hair and a visible wound on his shoulder. His eyes were unnaturally green, and his skin was tan. The man's face turned from a scowl into an unsettling smile. My hands traveled to my throat subconsciously, shivering as I remembered the horrifying vision I had witnessed. When I looked back at him, he was gone, as were the rest of the soldiers. 


The cheer my people let out fed the pit of uneasiness churning in my stomach. This didn't feel like it was the last time we would see these people.


We celebrated anyway, grouping up at the starry field and delivering the news of victory. An arm wrapped around my torso, and I recognized the hand immediately.


"Is it just me, or does something feel off to you?" I whispered to him, studying his body.


"I thought it was just me," Spencer mumbled back, kissing my forehead. "Don't worry, I'm not hurt. Just a couple of scrapes." 


We stayed in each others' arms for a while, glad that the battle had at least ended with minimal casualties on our side. A long time had passed before the clearing became quieter, and less crowded as Magi began to go home or to the hospital. I tugged Spencer back to our house, and into the childrens' room. Crystal and Derek were fast asleep, and Zarah, my cousin, sat on a chair in the corner, half awake.


I tapped her shoulder, and she smiled at me gratefully before disappearing completely. Spencer set me down in my bed, kissing me softly. 


"You definitely need a nap."


"What about our anniversary?" I mumbled exhaustedly.


"We can plan something special tomorrow. Now sleep." He pecked my lips one last time before leaving my room and closing the door. I sighed, reviewing the day in my head as my muscles began to relax.


As I began to close my eyes, I felt pressure on my neck. I tried to assure myself that I was imagining it, but as I opened my eyes I was face to face with the same man from the battlefield; the same man from my vision. His knee pressed into my stomach as I realized what was happening, my fight or flight response kicking in.


"You have no idea what you have done." He growled, his voice clear but quiet. "I will ruin you."


I let out a choked scream, which wasn't very loud but I heard Spencer's footsteps in the hallway.


"That's a promise." He whispered, his face inches away from mine as he squeezed harder on my throat. 


Spencer almost slamming the door open interrupted him, and he was gone. Vanished into thin air. I cried, my body trembling as Spencer held me in his arms.


"Hey, it's okay. Bad dream?" He cooed, looking at my face, then my neck.


I watched his face as he processed the red marks that had appeared: First was confusion, second anger, and the third was worry.


"Who... nevermind. Come here." Spencer tightened his grip around me, lifting me above the ground and apparating into his room. He laid me down on his chest as he settled onto his bed, stroking my hair and running his hand up and down my torso in a soothing fashion.


Soon, I fell asleep, the strange man's promise burning into my brain.


"I will ruin you. That's a promise."




"The problem with promises is that once you've made one, it's bound to be broken. It's like an unspoken cosmic rule." -Bree Despain




By far the longest chapter I've written; standing at 2740 words! I hope you enjoyed it. :D

Comment