I knew the second it happened that my body was no longer mine to control. I didn’t feel it coming; you never do. It just happens, and then you’re left at the mercy of that stupid kid who takes people to be his playthings. Once he has a hold of you, you can’t do anything to stop him. Just wait until he lets you go.

Damien didn’t notice right away. He walked next to me, chatting as we walked through the damp tunnel as the kid using my body forced words out of my mouth that weren’t mine. I wanted to scream at him to get out, but I couldn’t; I was a prisoner in my own mind.

I knew what this kid does to people who come after him. He gets rid of them. I couldn’t let Damien fall into his hands, but I couldn’t even warn him. Couldn’t send him a sign. Couldn’t get him out of this cursed place. 

It didn’t take long for us to reach the cliff; the place where Damien said we would find this kid. My heart would have been racing if I hadn’t been trapped. 

“Well, here we are,” Damien said, looking out over the underground grotto. “So, what now? They didn’t exactly tell me what we’re supposed to do after we get here. Like, where do we find this kid?”

“I don’t know,” the kid said through my mouth, “maybe down there?” He points my hand out at the water. 

“I guess it’s worth a shot,” Damien said, making his way over towards the cliff’s edge. 

_No no no, _I thought, _this is a trap, this is a trap, this is a trap_. But I couldn’t do anything about it.

Damien looked out over the edge. “I don’t see anything-”

His words were cut off when my arms extended, pushing him over the edge. The kid released me a fraction of a second later, allowing me to dive forward and grab Damien’s wrist. 

“No no no, please don’t fall,” I muttered, trying my best to hold on. 

“Livi?” his eyes were wide and I could see his heart pounding through his t-shirt. “What… what’s happening?”

“He had me,” I said, breathing heavily, trying to pull him back up onto the ledge without any success. 

Damien looked down to the ground and his eyes widened further. 

“Livi, you need to let go,” he said, heart racing.

“What?!” I exclaimed, “I’m not letting you go! I’m not going to lose you!” 

“Please,” he said, shaking his head, “I’m finished. You still have a chance to get away from this place.”

“No no no,” I murmured, shaking my head. “You’re all I have left. I can’t lose anyone else.”

He looked back down, then back up at me. His eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “I’m sorry, Livi,” he said, “but I won’t let you die.” He pried my fingers off his arm, leaving me to watch as he seemed to fall in slow motion down to the ground, out of my sight. 

I sat back from the edge, filled with confusion. Grief. _Anger. _He was all that I had left. He was the only one. I wiped my eyes and stood up, anger filling me. I’m going to find that kid, and I swear to the gods, I will get my vengeance.