Destiny's Revenge (Destiny Series - Book 2) Straight, Nancy (book club reads .TXT) 📖

Rewsna was at my side helping support the weight of my torso. “What happened?” was all I could choke out.

“It was an invasion. Has that ever happened to you before?” Urgency was in her voice, tempered with something else: it sounded like fear.

Chapter 5

I managed to get out, “No, I think I would have remembered something like that. What the heck is an invasion? Is that like a seizure?”

“Silly girl, you keep equating your experiences to normal occurrences that anyone might have. When will you get it through your head that you are not like everyone else?”

Invasion? What could possibly be invading me through my eye sockets? As my vision came back into focus, I looked at Rewsna’s face and my inclination was exactly on the mark: she looked scared. Steadying my voice, trying to downplay whatever that was, “All right, I’ll bite, what do you mean by an invasion?”

“I cannot be sure. Did you feel a white light as if lightning had struck you?”

That was an understatement. Although I’ve never been hit by twenty thousand volts, I don’t believe it would have been any more painful than the last few minutes. I answered, “The white light hurt, but I couldn’t take a breath, and it felt a little like I was disconnected from my body again. What just invaded me?”

Rewsna looked torn as if she did not feel comfortable sharing her opinion with me. Finally, she answered, “I believe the Beast sent one of his pusillanimous legion to invade you, to try to possess you.”

“Pusill-what? What in the world is that?”

“A pusillanimous is a cowardly, spineless creature, who does the bidding of the Beast. Some have the power to possess humans and make them do things they would never normally do. They are spineless because they attack one’s mind. They are not a physical threat and cannot do any real damage to your body, but if it really was a pusillanimous, the Beast now knows you are alive and growing stronger. It will not be safe for you to stay here much longer.”

I looked at the closet and imagined throwing what few clothes I had into a shopping bag and heading out the door. Rewsna continued, “But I imagine they have never met the likes of you. You did not let him take possession of you. You shut him out and sent him away.”

“So that was good, right?”

“Of course, it was good. I can just imagine the Beast must be furious. By thwarting the pusillanimous’ attack, he may not know where you actually are. Not only can he not find you because you took his power of sight away, you shut down one of his demons without much of a fight; you wouldn’t let it in your mind, and you refused to give way to it. We cannot delay your recovery, but for the time being you are safe here.”

This time with Rewsna was very enlightening: I am supposed to have some pretty awesome powers, though I’m not sure what they are. I have somehow taken away a power from the Beast that stalked and nearly killed me; unfortunately, I don’t know how to use the power. I was just attacked by some sort of demon that I can’t pronounce, and the most comforting thing Rewsna could think to say to me was I am safe here for the time being. I knew she could hear the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind so decided to ask out loud, “So much for our calming game of scrabble. Is there anything else I should know about that you have neglected to tell me? I mean you are the one with all the answers, right?”

Rewsna scooted a little closer to me on the couch, “Lauren, all the fables you heard as a child, all the scary stories told around a campfire, did they ever really scare you?” I shook my head awkwardly that they didn’t. She continued with, “Is it because the storyteller did not embellish the story enough, or did you know deep within you that you would never in your life be a victim, that you would never allow evil to have the upper hand?”

Unsure how to answer, I finally responded with, “I don’t know about either. I do know that whatever it was that came into the campsite that night scared the crap out of me. I know that it took two years away from me. I know that I feel lost without Max telling me everything’s going to be fine. You tell me I have this crazy power, but you don’t know how to work it. I was just attacked by a cross between a migraine and a lightning bolt, now you’re telling me that I am Teflon for evil because I don’t get scared by ghost stories. Rewsna, I don’t know what to believe or even what to be frightened of anymore. I just want my life back.”

She was empathetic to my tantrum; she slowly started putting the scrabble board back into its box. “Rewsna, I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to help, but it’s a little overwhelming.”

“Lauren, you have nothing to be sorry for. I will help you when I can, and I will support you no matter what. I, too, want you to have your life back.”

After Rewsna left, I made my way to the veranda to soak up some sunshine. I sat with Joe listening to one of his stories about how good young people have it these days, when I started to get tunnel vision. I could hear less of what he was saying, which wasn’t a bad thing from my perspective. After a minute or so I lost focus on him altogether. The tunnel looked like a smaller version of the concourse connector at the Detroit airport. Lights swirling around the sides, it was inviting with no clear picture of what was on the other side. I couldn’t hear Joe anymore,