Hugo stepped before the portal leading to hiraeths mind knowing that the force of her power can destroy a person from the inside out, but as he looked around his city the beautiful skies with puffy clouds that looked like cotton candy now were filled with smoke, the marble sidewalks dotted with shops and food carts that cast the most amrosial scents now were crushed piles of dirt and rubble, the people who filled the the streets now were covered in soot and either wounded, sobbing over their loved ones, or just lay there lifeless. He knew what he had to do, he looked back on his team one last time, but they have become more than that, the trials, the danger, the amount suffering they faced together they were a family. A dysfunctional, wacky, slightly crazy, family, and as hugo was about to take his , what he feared, last steps he heard them ,along with the Cazadores of the past, call out "Though in the darkness we shall stand, united we shall fight!" Then putting up their hands for the Cazadores sign, hugo nodded then gingerly stepped in. It was cold, not like shivering longing for a blanket cold, more like an eerie, tingly, mysterious cold, also it was dark but hugo's eyes quickly adjusted. Hugo took his first steps in this infinite void, he cringed as the floor which he could not see echoed his footsteps for he felt powerless here and would not be able to defend himself if something were to attack him. After what felt like hours, he stumbled upon a young 12 year old girl crying by a familier lake her head in her hands, hugo reconized this place, this is where The tale of two sisters took place he cautiously walked over hand knelt down, "What do you want?" She sobbed "Hiraeth?" He asked, the girl nodded hugo looked out to the a dreary lake, the air felt hot and dry yet there was a sharp brease that pierced hugo's skin. "What is this place?" Hugo asked "the isle of sorrows, where my sister sent me" she replied "after you tried to kill the cazadores and inslave the world" hugo said as if he was saying something as simple as 'when you broke the window' "how dare you I would never do such an atrocious thing!" She yelled now crying tears of anger, "what do you mean?" Hugo asked "I mean thats not what happend, let me show you" hiraeth led hugo closer to the lake, there feet crunching on the sand that looked like the night sky exept with a few less stars. They sat on there knees peering into its calm obsidian waters, at first it only showed their reflections peering back at them "I dont see anything just us" hugo asked a little frightend now, "hold on" she ever so carefully, tapped the water causing it to gently ripple, mist swirled around them until all that was to be seen was the ivory smoke. After a few seconds it cleared Hugo was still at the lake exept, it was thriving, the water was a beutiful emerald green, birds that could not be seen were singing in the great oak trees that loomed high around him, willow trees giving sweet shade, and a fresh water trickling down from between two rocks, not at all as hugo rememberd. "Look towards the waterfall" hiraeths said just then a girl with blonde hair, clarity, jumped into the lake followed by hiraeth, it was the exact story that hugo was told as a kid but it was switched. "Whats going on here?" Hugo asked "what really happend" she anwered grimly "It was clarity who tried to kill the cazadores" " yes, she used to be my kind older sister then she touched the crytal and sent me to the sent me to the" hiraeth eyes were flooded with tears and was trying not to start sobbing again "to the isle of sorrows while she got to live a happy life" she nodded breaking into a much needed sob, part of him still hated her for having Rosierra killed but part of him understood her, sent to place of eternal torture constantly reminded of a home you can return to, of the happiest moments in your life and that you will never be happy again, just despair.

Act one: The warping rippling darkness wraps me up in its cold hard warmth. Everything is nothing. Nothing is everything. I wonder how to describe the indescribable. I do not see, but I know. And I do not feel, but I know. and I do not hear, but I know. And I know that I am standing on water. And that my reflection is blurry and that a faint light whispers for me to come closer, my feet leave the ground, softly. and I know that I do not know who I am, or who I was, or who I will be. Or if I ever will be. I am terrified. And try to turn back.

But this inexistente world of known, swirls around me, and I open my eyes, slowly, slowly.

Act 2: I am laying on a stiff mattress in the glaring bluish light. I’m heavy, my own weight pulls me painfully down as I try to sit up. I forgot about gravity, and it takes all of my strength to lift my head. Eyes hover over me. some hopeful. But the others are confused. “I want to sit up” I whisper, relieved I can still talk. Someone, fumbling with the little remote, slowly brings me to a more upright position. Now I can see that I am bony and frail, and wonder why I am so heavy feeling. I don’t look very strong though… just pale. Someone across the room catches me off guard. The only one in the room that sparks my memory, even if can’t tell what that memory is yet. She stares back at me, her eyes wide. She is laying in a cot like mine. Maybe she is in the hospital the same reason I am. She looks the way I feel. Her eyes are water and sky, but dulled and rough edged. She is hollow looking, and reminds me of an old aspen tree, that could fall any minute on a windy day. She is still. And never takes her eyes from mine.

Act 3: every thing seems to empty out of me, as I feel a sort of pull towards her. and my reaction to this must show, because the girl in the other bed goes even paler at the sight of me. But now I am lighter. so I stand shakily, and come to her. Which was a missjudgment. I stumble and so does my reflection. A mirror. My face turnes hot at my mistake. But everyone is still crowded around my bed, and see my body laying there stiffly. I cry out as I am tugged back to my body and wheeze my lungs full again.

Coughing, I gulp the water that is hastily pressed to my mouth. The person with the cup is suddenly laughing and crying. The cup falls out of his hand forgotten. As my brother wraps me up in his arms. And I laugh too because I didn’t forget the brother I love. It’s still not all there, but I know this is my older brother. With his light brown eyes and explosion of freckles. We don’t look anything alike but I know it’s true.

Act 4: the room throbs like a heartbeat and goes dark. I honestly don’t expect to wake again, but I do. And I’m sitting in a windowsill, my brother across from me. He glares into my face, and I notice tears on his face. He whispers something than shouts it “why can’t you remember!” He wipes his face with his sleeve, then “can you even talk anymore? It’s like you’re not even there!” “Yes” I whisper. I am now. But I don’t know if I was. “It was all dark” I shudder, wishing I could stop the darkness slowly creeping into my vision again. “STOP!” I choked. but it won’t. And my brother shakes me as I skip forwards. This time, I come back like lightning. My eyes snap open. And I am dancing. Leaping, and weaving my arms through the air as the light dims with the music, I finally slow. The audience explodes with applause, and the animals come to me and dance beautifully on the stage with me. But then they disappear, and I realized they never really existed. I wonder if I’m going crazy. Or if I already am. The darkness trys to close is again, but this time, I claw myself out. Clinging to the image of my brother’s face. But it’s not his face I see anymore. It’s mine. I scream until I find, again, that I am staring into a mirror. I grip my hair, still tense. But the mirror doesn’t. Instead, she looks at me calmly. “Why is this happening!” I whine. I sound like a maniac, but a can’t help it. I hate living like this. But she answers coldly “this is all because you turned back.” She reaches out and grabs me by the neck “you’re supposed to be dead” as she drags me, I try to pull away from the cool fingers that dig into my skin. I leap. The mirror shatters and clatters into an encore as I take a final bow.

Sorry that this doesn’t make any sense. Such is the beauty of this prompt. Read this like it’s a random scene grabbed out of a book. (I know the characters are inconsistent and the dialogue is trash. I’m outside if my comfort zone) Anyways :) read it and maybe you’ll enjoy the chaos!

Rowan spasmed in pain, doubling over and vomiting onto the grass. She stepped forward to do something—-anything, but he held out a hand to ward her off. Black bile poured out onto the grass from his throat, turning it brown as steam rose off of it. Confusion swarmed her mind, he said that they succeeded, that he couldn’t feel the darkness anymore. Did he choose to lie, or did she choose to believe?

“Don’t, please.” Rowan said firmly, “I can feel it, you have to get away.” He bent his head in shame, before another scream escaped his lips.

“Rowan…how long?” She sat down at a distance, aware of her stupidity, but she couldn’t let him face it on his own.

He looked up at her, his irises completely black. “It did stop for a while, I swear! But then-then-“ He gaze wandered to something over her shoulder and snapped back, unfocused and…feral. Something inside her was beginning to break, but she had to stay strong, stand tall.

“Listen to me Kira. You have to end this. Me. It. I can’t contain it forever, and it will use me to kill. I can’t do this anymore, I can’t.” He looked at his hands and let out a choked sob: they were dark and glowing under the moonlight, consumed by golden veins. It was a sick sort of beauty, like the steely glory of a knife before it killed.

He was her heart, but now he was a weapon.

“How can you ask me to do that Rowan! How can you say that to me after all of our suffering!” If she killed Rowan, the memory of his stupid smile and his tormented face would tear at her mind for the rest of her life. He would leave a empty husk in his wake.

“There must be something to do, some craft or spell. I’m literally fucking magical!” She tried to recall anything she missed in the previous ritual, nothing.

“Well I’m literally turning into a fucking demon!” he growled.

Suddenly, there was no Rowan. The creature lunged and she thrust her arms out instinctively, the protection runes on her arms glowing in response. The creature slammed into a silver wall, clawing at the magic as it wrapped around it, trapping it instead of her.

It screeched in pain and fury. Was Rowan gone, was that it. If she killed it, would she be killing Rowan, or the demon he had become? She walked towards it sadly, hands held in a defensive position. It’s head whipped towards her, and the creature spoke.

“Kira, daughter of Calypso. I can smell your power,“ It shuddered in delight, “and it’s smells devine.”

Malevolence is not always a result of free choice; it is sometimes caused by manipulation. The people who are creating chaos in our city are being brainwashed by the Martians. To stop the eradication of the human race, we have to do everything in our power to break the Martian spell.

My hand was steady as I got ready to pull the trigger, to kill the man who murdered the only person who was there for me.

"Please... please listen to me. We were something. Friends, partners. Why can't you remember?" His eyes darted over to the lifeless body of my savior. "Her. She did this. She ruined you."

I began to fill with rage as he accused her of something she never did. She saved me, showed me a new way of living and now you're saying she ruined me?

"Shut up..." I say, my finger moving on the trigger. I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him for killing her.

"Please don't do this.." He begged, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Shut the fuck up!" I scream, pulling the trigger and just then a ringing fills my ears.

Memories flash through my mind. Him and I during our childhood. Us in high school. During prom. My confession. His proposal. Our marriage. Our child.

Our life.

I fall to ground, realizing what I had done.

I just murdered my childhood best friend, my high school sweetheart, my husband, the father of my child.

Why couldn't I remember everything we had sooner? Why couldn't I remember what we had before I pulled the trigger?

I sob and scream over the corpse I killed, the now empty shell of my husband.

What have I done?

“Listen to me please!” I heard her scream, but why would I listen to such a pathetic attempt to save there life? I know for a fact what they’ll say is just a distraction for there friends to save them and to put it simple it’s sicking to know that of all the thing they are capable of doing to survive this they chooses to fall on there knees and beg making up stories about a different life one where we are friends.

“This isn’t you Lewis. You are kind and loyal you know me you went to college with me how could you have been brainwashed.” “Oh tell me where did we go to college.” “We went to rosemary remember!” She said with such a such a relieved voice as if she think I’m asking because I have behind to remember something fake. “Really dear then how come I’ve never been to college surely that’s something to remember.”

They deserve a standing ovation for there acting really but I was getting frustrated this is leading no where. “You loved college it’s where you felt free it’s where you met me.” “That’s nice and all darling but this is getting boring just give up surrender I promise you no harm will come to you if you do. Join me and you’ll never have to worry about anything again.” She started sobbing which I’ll admit shocked me I wasn’t sure what to do some part of me wanted to hug and comfort her but that part made my mind fuzzy and me confused the rest of me just wanted her to stop.” I can’t join you not when you don’t even know who I am.” She looked me in my eyes and I could see the tears from her crying it made me stumble and then I couldn’t remember anything as a syringe entered my neck and some liquid was pushed in.

I woke up but couldn’t open my eyes my body was burning everywhere and I couldn’t think it was torture but I could her people speak. “ what did you put in him?” Something that would help him regain his memory Anna! “Will he be ok? Tell me I need to know.” He should be fine nothing will happen to him. And then I blacked out.

I woke up once again and my body and head weren’t killing me anymore. I opened my eyes to see Anna staring at me “Love what happened to me?” She started to tear up and hugged me “They messed with your mind dear but it’s ok you are back with me.” “I’ve missed you never let them take me from you again.” “I won’t Lewis I won’t.”

I was sitting in the chair and I heard a crash on the other room, when I opened my eyes I saw them… the heroes trying to help us but we couldn’t remember anything before being brainwashed it was as if a cloud of smoke was in our minds trying to avoid getting cleared. One of the heroes tried to take out the leash around our waist but it was useless, the forced being it was getting in too close to us and we were being watched all of us the heroes were aware as well. Will we be able to get out of this mess, and remember and remove the smoke in our minds and go back to our normal lives?… I fear that it will not be possible at this rate.

“Henry, what you up to,” momma had said. “You fixin to go to that rally?”

Henry had the truck packed with gear. He was wearing camo and a bullet proof vest.

Julia watched her older brother as she ate her cereal.

“It’s tahm for patriots to rise up,” he said. “We are needed. He has called us. Dad would have wanted this.”

Momma slapped him across the face. “You’re a disgrace to your father’s name, with all this bullshit you’re involved in. Don’t bring him into it!”

Henry rubbed his face. “You’ll see, momma. Our country was stolen!”

“You’re sick,” the widow answered. “Listening to all that crap on the internet. They just want your money. They’re lying to you. Can’t you see that?”

Henry turned and went toward the door.

“I love you, son,” momma said. “But I can’t help you anymore. If you go there, don’t come home.”

Henry paused, the screen door open, a blast of wind chilling the kitchen, as if thinking. Then he went through it and shut the door behind him.

Julia put her spoon down. “He comin back, momma?”

“I don’t think so,” she said. “He’s lost his mind, just like this whole fool country.”

I saw it happen. It was quick, a bright flash that my eyes didn't register in time to understand. A flash and then I saw him drop. He gasped for air. Desperately grasping his chest where the blood poured out, like he could somehow stuff it all back inside.

It only lasted a moment or two before he flopped lifelessly to the ground. All I could do was watch.

I turned back to the girl with the gun. Her eyes fluttered, tears glossing her vision. The gun fell from her hands and clattered to the ground.

"What have I done?" She gasped, slowly her grieving eyes turned to me. It's like her acknowledgment of my presence woke me from my shock.

"No no no, Lucy," I whisper, approaching her gingerly. "It's not your fault."

"HOW CAN'T IT BE MY FAULT? I pulled the trigger!" She shrieked at me, my body jerked away from her, unsure of whether she was fully in control or not.

After a moment she turned away from me and place her head in her hands. I continued.

"It wasn't you. You're not in control," I spoke softly. At my words she broke down into a sob.

I stared into his dark green eyes, so changed and clouded with hatred, as I tried not to flinch away from the gun pressed against my head. The gun he was currently holding against my head. My hands started shaking as I held them up in surrender. Not out of fear only, but also shock that he would ever do that; threaten me. I know he’s not in his right mind, but it still hurts.

“Please,” I begged, “don’t do this. This isn’t you.” I spoke barely above a whisper, but I knew he heard me. He took a step forward and I stumbled back a bit, closer to the edge. I stopped myself from turning to check how close I was. They’re sure taking their sweet time. What if they don’t bring it in time to save him, or me? If he ends up killing me after all this, I’m gonna find a way to haunt those idiots who killed us both by wasting time.

This isn’t how this was supposed to go. The serum was supposed to bring him back to his right state of mind, but it only provoked is anger further, and led to him hurting all those innocent- well, random, people. Some of them, he seemed to personally have something against, so maybe he had a reason, but then again he seems to hate me right now. And I know that isn’t true. It can’t be. Anyway, plan B is to capture him again until we can figure out the right way to... “un-brainwash” him.

“I’d stop talking if I were you. You’re only getting on my nerves, and it’s not very wise to annoy the person with a gun at your head.” He looked up as if contemplating something, then back at me. “Then again, you’ve always been rather stupid.”

I can’t stop my face from showing that I took offense at that, but it also hurt. “There’s a difference between knowledge and wisdom, you know,” I couldn’t stop my voice from trembling either, but I had to keep buying time, “neither of which you seem to be practicing at this moment.”

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Am I trying to get myself killed!? He glares at me and I shut my eyes, waiting for the end.

I know I was expecting it, preparing for it even, but my heart still broke when I heard the gun click. I opened my eyes slowly to look at him. His face changes from confused to frustrated as he continues to try to shoot me, to no avail. The gun ran out of bullets. He must have used them all up earlier. My arms feel weak and I let them go limp beside me. He throws the gun down and grabs my throat tightly, the force making me stumble back and almost slip off the edge. I don’t try to stop him as my vision darkens, but I hear the others as they finally arrive and -

And everything goes black...

Two weeks later, I can talk normally again and we’re all here, waiting for him to wake up. We tried twice already to bring him back to normal, and as the saying goes, third time’s the charm. Hopefully he doesn’t freak out when he sees us all just staring at him, as we’re gathered around his bed. He has restraints on this time. We learned that lesson the hard way.

I unconsciously hold my breath as his eyelids start moving, like he’s trying to wake up. He slowly opens his eyes and then blinks once, twice, and then his eyes suddenly widen and he sits up so abruptly that he falls back down when the restraints, well... restrain him.

Nobody says anything as he sits up slowly, looking at each one of us. When we make eye contact, I see no hatred, no anger, only confusion and... fear. Does he remember?

“W-what happened?” He looks down at his wrists and looks back up with more concern and fear in his eyes. “Why am I-?”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Someone tries to reassure him. I’m too preoccupied at the moment to take notice of who.

He turns to whoever said that, and tears start forming in his eyes, “What did I...?”

I walked closer to him and started undoing the restraints. “It’s a long story,” I say without looking at him. “We’ll explain after you’ve had something to eat.” We’ve kinda kept him prisoner for the past two weeks, but we didn’t starve him; he just refused to eat. It’s going to take a lot to explain what happened during the time he can’t remember. Apparently he does remember getting brainwashed, though. He... killed people. Almost killed me.

It’s gonna be a long day.