Methra stepped on the gas pedal and watched the speedometer reach 70 mph. She then steadied the speed. She knew that while she could get away with driving 15 mph above the speed limit, any subsequent increase in her current velocity would get her pulled over by the road police. The gravity of the situation dictated stealth as much as it necessitated haste. It was Methra’s propensity for simple, yet keen insight that led to her being hired by Adara in the first place.

After thirteen minutes of driving, Methra passed the lone pothole on Snyder Avenue and parked underneath the beautiful birch tree. It was rare to find a birch tree in this part of town. Methra always felt a romantic feeling about a birch tree being so close to the office. Right now, it was virtually the only comfort in what seemed to be the climax of some horrible nightmare. With one swift stroke, Methra took the keys out of the ignition.

“Paige, honey. Wake up, darling. We’re here.” Franco softly spoke the words, knowing any additional stress would be detrimental to Paige’s health.

“We’re at my mom’s office?” Paige replied with weary eyes.

“Yes, dear. Please hurry up,” Methra answered Paige as she closed the car door behind herself.

Methra was almost in a jog as she made her way to the front door of the stone edifice. Franco followed next, holding Paige’s hand as she clumsily stumbled behind him.

Moments later, all three of them were at the door. Methra noticed the chipped wood, courtesy of Charlie as he fled. Methra hesitated to open the door. There was a frightening possibility that some malevolent being might be in there, ready to ambush anyone brave enough to enter. Franco nodded to Methra, motioned Paige aside, and swiftly opened the door. His eyes darted from wall to wall, floor to ceiling. His glance penetrated every crevice of the carpeted office. Finally, after seeing no apparent danger, Franco let his eyes fall slowly onto the cowering figure hiding behind the desk.

“Adara!” Methra shouted, before Franco could even open his mouth.

Paige stood and stared, scared-stiff by her mother’s eerie trance-like state. Adara was on the floor, crunched up into a ball, hugging her knees. It was unnerving, but not quite as chilling as the ghastly visage that adorned Adara’s face. It was the expression indeed that held Paige in her place, unable to move or say anything.

“Adara? What happened?” Methra tried again.

“Adara!” Franco yelled in a distressed voice, shaking Adara in an attempt to wake her from her seeming catatonia.

A tear rolled down Adara’s cheek. Something had definitely spooked her more than anything had before in the past. Franco and Methra stood by waiting for something to happen. It almost seemed hopeless, judging by the state of Adara’s condition.

“M-mom,” Paige finally murmured.

Consciousness began to fill Adara’s eyes slowly. Methra knew that if it was going to be anything, it would be Paige’s voice—Paige’s unmatchable presence—that would snap Adara out of her dream. She glanced over at Paige and nodded at her, silently asking her to call for her mother, once more.

“Mom, it’s me, Paige. Mom, it’s me. Mom. Please…mom?”

“Paige,” Adara whispered under her breath, “Where’s my Paige?”

“I’m right here, mom!” Paige answered back, unsure if she even heard her mother speak.

“Paige?” Adara’s spoke with added substance, “PAIGE!”

“Yes, yes, it’s Paige, honey,” Franco said with relief, “We’re all here. We’re all here for you.”

Adara tilted her head and caught site of Paige standing at the far end of the office. Seeing Paige after so long—seeing her safe and sound right in front of her—brought tears to her eyes. Adara wept from the happiness of seeing her daughter. She juggled her emotions—the relief of being reunited with Paige and the frustrating fear she felt of what was to come—what Jimmy had let her see.

“Oh, Paige. My baby. Where did you find her? What happened? Franco? Methra? Methra! What’s going on?” Adara exuded an aura of exhaustion and confusion simultaneously. She knew not how the pieces fit together. What had happened? Where did they find Paige? What was Methra doing here?

“All these years, Adara. All these years I spent working for you. I mean…why did you hire me in the first place? You never questioned the mental pull?”

“Methra, I—”

“We have the gift, Adara. You, me, Paige…all of us. And Franco—Franco’s been watching over you.”

“Watching over me? What—where did you find Paige?”

“Adara, you must listen,” Franco urged suddenly. “I am a white light. We exist around the world. We look human and we live our lives out so, except for the fact that we are also here on this earth to help, to protect a designated person or two. We mostly watch, but we are deeply tuned into the lives of those we watch over. We help in different ways. I was stationed with you, Adara. The forces above put me here to be your guardian—yours and Paige’s. I fell in love with you Adara. I did not know how to tell you. It’s not safe anymore. I had to let you know, now.”

“Guardian? Franco, this is no time to say such things. Paige, where were you, darling? I thought I lost you for good.” Adara still had tears in her eyes. She couldn’t grasp the current situation, and all she could think of was taking Paige to a safe place.

“Adara, you must believe. I was there when Methra found Paige. She’s been to the cave,” Franco began to explain.

“The cave?! Oh my god! Paige, are you alright? What did he do to you?”

Paige’s eyelids quivered as she remembered the horrendous acts the terrible entity made her commit. Adara saw this and hugged her daughter who was already kneeling beside her.

“Why is this happening to us?” Adara cursed the heavens out loud.

Methra saw Adara's frustration and decided to bring her up-to-date on the dreaded events. Methra explained how she ended up in the cave. She spoke of finding Paige, and also of Paige’s bout with the other entity. However, to anyone sensible, what Methra described as a struggle was more of a surrender. Silent Jimmy was powerful. Taking control of Paige was a walk in the park for him. After all, Paige did not have a strong grasp on her ability. Just like her mother, Paige was only now beginning to realize her true potential.

By the time Methra mentioned Franco’s role in the recent dealings, Adara had already begun to accept what her ears were letting her hear. Had her life always resembled some ridiculous piece of fiction? There were many questions Adara couldn’t muster up the courage to ask. Instead, she let out a few silly statements along with some patronizing inquiries.

“Magical powers? Guardians and elders? I never knew I was part of that silly show on television…you know the one with the witches. What is it called again? Charmed—that’s the show. Are you my Leo, Franco?” Adara finally muttered, starting to accept her fate, yet displeased with the way things were going in her life.

“Adara, I understand h—”

“No, Franco, I get it. There’s something I have to tell you. There’s something I must let all of you know about.” Adara, thought back to her very recent and very horrifying experience with Jimmy—totally forgetting that Charlie had been over at the office just a little while back. “He came to me…you know…in my mind. He wants me next. He’s an arrogant individual,” Adara said hesitantly, not knowing if Jimmy was tuning in at this very moment. “He is sure that all his plans will come to pass. He plans to ‘take care of me’ for my so-called sins. And my power…the fact that I can pose him some trouble in the future…that just adds zeal to his prized endeavor. It is this gift, perhaps, that made me a target in the first place. There’s more. I know his location. He let me glimpse his whereabouts. He believes he’s powerful enough to let me know intimate information about him. In some sick way, he feels that it brings me and him closer together. He’s truly a vile creature—and I guess it makes sense for him to be stuck in that prison.”

“Prison? Where?!” Methra inquired with urgency.

“The Clarendon Penitentiary two towns away. Why? What can we do?” Adara, already catching on, asked almost rhetorically.

“We must call the police and tell them everything,” Methra replied, not suspecting the obvious remark that was to come.

“What will we tell them?...that a prisoner has been using his psychic energy powers to control people around him…that he’s been committing murders from within the confinement of prison walls?” Adara spoke in a tone that radiated bewilderment and hopeless frustration.

“You must believe you have a white light on your side, Adara. Have faith in the power of good, and with a little help, anything will be possible.” Franco stood smiling, watching Adara’s face radiate understanding. Franco had the power of good on his side. His presence would work to convince the county sheriff of these unbelievable events.

Without being asked, Methra phoned Sheriff Hathern and requested his presence for an “emergency.” She was thankful enough at the remarkable fact that the sheriff was actually available, yet she stayed apprehensive about the events that were to come.

Adara looked at Methra with kind eyes. Seeing her in action—so loyal, so responsible—made her feel truly glad that she had hired Methra that while back. Adara was now beginning to understand that everything happens for a reason. She held Paige in her arms and waited for the law to arrive.

*  *  *

Jimmy lied in a sweat. He might have been silent in person, but his mental ramblings often drained him of his energy. Getting through to Adara turned out to be a more difficult task then he had planned. He would take this extra time to rest.

Jimmy lied on his mattress and stared at the ceiling. He wondered what it was about the gift that made him stronger every time he used it. He couldn’t help but draw connections between this fact and the way those Highlander characters grew stronger after battling and beating another of their kind.

One thing was certain. He would get Adara one way or the other. He would make sure that they all perished under his hand, or his mind, rather—either way, it was all the same to Jimmy. To Jimmy, it was Adara’s destiny to die. He knew exactly how it would have to go down. It would be the same as it had been recently. In a self-righteous world with a myriad religions, Jimmy saw it fit to expose everyone for their own sins. As far as he was concerned, everyone was guilty. After all, who wasn’t a transgressor?

As Jimmy rested, he felt his strength coming back to him. He felt himself getting stronger more quickly than ever in the past. Still, Jimmy wasn’t one to play around. Time was of the essence—even for his kind. He knew that his plan would have to be meticulous. Perhaps, he would use Charlie. He didn’t like Charlie, anymore. Who was he kidding? Jimmy had never liked Charlie. It was time for him to go, as well. Jimmy would get rid of him in his final plan. Jimmy didn’t even bother himself with thoughts about what he would do after his plan would come to pass. All he knew was that it was time to come up with his ultimate agenda to date. With uncanny clearness of mind, Jimmy stared at the ceiling and composed his masterpiece one stanza at a time.

*  *  *

Paige jumped at the buzzer.

“Thank you for coming Sheriff Hathern,” Methra stated on everyone’s behalf.

“Hello. What’s going on, folks? I heard there was some kind of emergency.” Sheriff Hathern seemed genuinely concerned. His rosy cheeks accentuated his puffy face. His tone was solid and sincere.

“Would you like a cup of coffee sheriff?” Franco needed the sheriff to be receptive. For this, Franco had to make the sheriff as comfortable as possible.

“I’ll have a cup of the regular stuff, thank you very much,” the sheriff said in a tone that let everyone know that he has accepted amenities plenty of times in his day.

“Sheriff, you’re not going to believe this, but you have got to try. We desperately need your help. Please try to understand what I am about to tell you.” Methra took action again, explaining the situation to the sheriff.

Adara and Paige stood alongside Franco and nervously watched Methra try her best to relay the information to Sheriff Hathern. Methra’s skillful way with words helped sway the sheriff. Several minutes into Methra’s dialogue, and the cogs were already beginning to turn. The serious and pensive glare in the sheriff’s eyes only meant one thing: he was beginning to believe.

“So what are you telling me here, folks? We’re dealing with psychic powers? That’s a tall order to swallow.” The sheriff took another sip of his black coffee and wiped some sweat off his brow. He looked Methra in the eyes and began to speak: “Alright, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. Jimmy you say? Okay, well, you folks are in luck. The warden of Clarendon Penitentiary and I go way back—knew that bastard since high school. In fact, he still owes me a favor or two. I’ll give him a call and see if we can get this Jimmy detained, maybe put into a less comfortable place. I know when they throw ‘em prisoners in the hole over at the pen, they put ‘em in a place with no windows, thick concrete walls—hell, ain’t nobody feel fancy in one of those things.”

“That would be great, sheriff. You don’t know how much this means to us. Thank you for believing.” Methra knew that this plan stood a chance. Thick concrete walls. She knew that thick walls stop certain radiation. In fact, not many types of waves could go through a barrier like that. They would serve to hinder Jimmy’s ability.

“Well, I don’t know if I believe you folks—heck I even think there’s a chance you may not know what you are talking about. However, I do feel interestingly inclined to help you all out.” The sheriff indeed felt the force of persuasion. This was just one of the perks of having Franco around. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to give Warden Robert Thomas a call and see if any of this information checks out.”

“Sure, sheriff, thank you so much.” Adara felt it was time for her to chime in with a little bit of gratitude.

The sheriff picked up the phone on Methra’s desk and rang up his secretary back at the county Jail. “Sally? Yes, it’s Sheriff Hathern. Would you be a doll and put me through to Warden Thomas? Yes, tell him it’s urgent. Thank you, honey.” The sheriff turned and addressed the nervous bunch standing before him. “You have nothing to worry about folks. Two minutes with Bob and we’ll have this thing wrapped up.”

Sally called the penitentiary and asked for the warden. After a minute of waiting and a couple of middlemen later, she was able to connect Sheriff Hathern with his long time friend: the warden.

“Warden Thomas speaking.”

“Ah, Bob, it’s me, Rick. Listen, I’m calling about one of your inmates—a Jimmy Garcia. Yea, I have these folks that—glrchhh”

Sheriff Hathern’s blood sprayed Methra’s face. Warm, crimson rivers made their way down Methra’s fingers and into the cuffs of her blouse. The pencil erasers protruded from under the sheriff’s jaw; graphite tips awkwardly jutted out of his eye sockets. Sheriff Hathern tried to grab his gun, but shock had set in, effectively causing him to expel his bowels in some evolutionary attempt to run—to survive.

Franco quickly shoved Paige behind him in order to shield the child’s eyes from any more terrible visions. Adara stood by Franco. They watched Methra in horror. They could not believe their eyes. The woman that has been so faithful, so good to them up until now, was not herself, not herself at all. Methra took the sheriff’s gun from his holster, and pointed it straight at his left temple—then she smiled. It was a twisted smile; Adara was quick to notice that it was not Methra’s.

“No point. He’ll be dead soon anyway,” Methra said in a deep voice; a voice painfully familiar to Adara. It was Jimmy. He had become strong enough to control Methra.

Methra lowered the pistol and watched as sheriff Hathern made his last dying breaths. He lied on the floor, prostrate in his own excrement. The stench was becoming unbearable.

“Don’t worry, my friends. We won’t stay here for much longer. You should be honored to be a part of such a masterful, divine end that I have planned for all of you.” Jimmy truly believed he was undertaking a holy crusade. “I’ll try to overlook your insolence in calling the sheriff.”

“You’re not going to get away with this. You’re nothing but a sick loner in a prison. You know how these things end, and I know you’re scared inside.”

“Hush, white light. There’s nothing you can do now. Your gift is but an impotency of power.” Jimmy knew what to say to make it hurt. “Now, why don’t we all take a ride?” Jimmy was ready to complete his agenda. He pointed the gun at everyone and motioned them to the door. “Oh, and why don’t we all stay nice and quiet—no unruliness, or I’ll arrange a little playtime for the little one with the sheriff.”

Methra—possessed by Jimmy—sat alongside Paige in the backseat. Franco was forced to drive with Adara in the front seat beside him.

“You know where to go,” Jimmy said to Franco.

With just a little hesitation, Franco put the car into drive and began retracing Methra’s earlier path from the cavern.  The terrain started to change. Urban trademarks segued into barren nature. Bus depots and railways turned into boulders and scattered cacti. Paige quietly whimpered, afraid to go back to the place where so many horrors had befallen her. Methra sat beside Paige, pointing the gun at her head and sporting a scowl that could only be Jimmy’s. Jimmy’s face indeed emanated a sense of dislike about something. He wanted Adara dead. He wanted them all dead, and he wanted it now. It was a nuisance for him to have to go to such great lengths to cleanse the sinners of this world. If he could just make all of their heads explode with the touch of some invisible button, he would do it. At the same time, Jimmy liked to savor his deeds. He liked to embrace his doings, and he liked to take a long time doing them. Indeed, Jimmy was a paradox. He wanted it all to be over, yet he wanted to take his time. The inability to reconcile his oxymoronic emotions drove him crazy. The humor in it was that Jimmy never fully realized that to all the people he dealt with, that’s exactly what he appeared to be.

Franco passed the skid marks left over from the time they had all fled from the cave. It was such a shame to have to be in this position again. Jimmy noticed that Franco was about to stop at the mouth of the cave and told him to drive on inside until the opening would be too narrow for the car to fit through. Franco did what he was told and Jimmy’s sense of pride boomed.

“Alright, everyone. Get out of the car, slowly. Step into the room. Don’t try anything stupid, white light.”

Adara was the last to come out of the automobile and found the place very unpleasant. The ground was damp with pointy rock formations abound. She could already see the horror that lied in the center of the rocky room. The sun glared through a window-sized opening in the wall of the cave. Perhaps that’s what allowed Jimmy’s psychic waves to enter so deep into the hard, petrified walls. He wouldn’t have had this luxury in the hole back in prison. No wonder he did what he did.

All four of them made their way into the center of the chilly clearing. Bodies and blood spangled the ground. A circle of wooden crosses—some with bodies tacked to them—stood ominously in the middle of everything. The images haunted Adara like they did in her visions. This time, the horror was greater. The whole realization that what she saw in her mind was actually real had never come to her so bluntly until now. It was a dreadful situation to be in. Jimmy felt everyone’s apprehension and gladly fed off their energy.

“Hello, there.”

“Charlie! Methra, I almost forgot, Charlie’s a part of all of this. He’s in cahoots with Jimmy. He came to the office today and attacked me!”

“Adara’s right, but I’ve had enough of this nonsense. I won’t be around to do this for much longer, isn’t that right Jimmy. This is my last job, just like we agreed.”

“Agreed. Hmph, hmph, hmph.” Jimmy found the double meaning in Charlie’s words amusing. It was indeed going to be Charlie’s last job. In fact, Charlie was right about one thing: soon, he wouldn’t be around anymore. “Tie them up.” Jimmy was no-nonsense.

Charlie slumped as he dragged the thick loops of rope to where Jimmy’s victims were huddled on the ground. He dropped the heavy rope, causing a flurry of dust. Charlie looked at Franco. “Sorry Franco, you won’t be taking part in the main event.” Jimmy felt he had no real jurisdiction over white lights. Adara and Paige—they would have to be dealt with the old school way. He’d figure out what to do with Franco afterwards.

Charlie gagged the whole bunch. He then tied Franco’s hands and feet together. Charlie dragged Franco several feet and anchored him to a strong piece of wood sticking out of the ground. This way Franco would be less inclined to be the hero. He then went to work on Adara.

“It looks like the cross for you and your daughter—oh, I’m sorry…our daughter,” Charlie said with a snicker, “I don’t even know what pulled me to you in the first place. It’ll be a pleasure ridding you from my life, my dear. Not so tough now, are we?” Charlie said, remembering the scene at the office, “Not when there’s a gun pointed at your dear Paige.”

Indeed, Jimmy wanted Adara to feel the burden of the cross. His plan was to tie mother and daughter to a cross each. Jimmy didn’t want to nail them to the wood, however. He wanted them to be alert. He wanted them to feel the pain of the actual deed. He didn’t know any other way to clear them of their purported transgressions. To Jimmy it was a double cause. He desired to punish Adara and he wanted to make life easier for himself in the future. Lacking a sound mind, Jimmy couldn’t figure out exactly which reason for doing away with Adara would be his ultimate choice to kill.

“All done, boss.” Charlie had finally gotten Adara and Paige neatly tied to two crosses. “Franco’s tied up, and you got your two little Christs all nice and ready to roast on their crosses. Anyway, are we done here?”

“Yes, Charlie. Just one more thing. Could you please pick up that hammer behind you?”

“What hammer?”

These were Charlie’s last words. There had been no hammer. Charlie felt a bit foolish when he turned around, saw nothing, and quickly realized what was in store for him. His blood clumped with the dirt on the ground. His head glistened where the bullet had entered the backside of his skull.

“Well…I guess you should thank me, Adara. That benefited us both.”

“Adara tried to yell something back, but her words stayed muffled by the cloth in her mouth.”

“What’s that, Adara? That’s what I thought, it will all be over soon.”

Jimmy’s insane glare made Methra’s face look like she was possessed by a demon. Adara remembered the girl from The Exorcist and grimaced at the idea that Methra was overtaken by someone like Jimmy.

“Look at all these fancy tools Charlie was kind enough to lay out for me. I think it’s time we did a little surgery…maybe take out some vestigial organs…some unnecessary sin, perhaps?” Merriment had filled Jimmy’s soul. After all, he was finally about to get what he had wanted for a long time. Jimmy danced around the cave in a waltz. His hands conducted an unseen opera.

“Hun-huh-run, tum-tuh-rum,” Jimmy hummed as he pranced from side to side.

Jimmy’s psychotic episode looked increasingly more disturbing. Adara closed her eyes for a moment. Seeing Methra’s body twirl at the hands of a maniac made her ill.

“Adara, darling. Do not be afraid. Jimmy is scared of you. I can feel it. You have the power to end this. Look inside yourself. The answer is within you,” Franco spoke into Adara’s mind.

“It’s time.” Jimmy squinted his eyes at Paige. “First, thing’s first. Let’s take care of this little pest. She has mommy’s powers and we don’t want her getting rowdy with uncle Jimmy now, do we?”

“Dwon yu dhare twoch herr!” Adara threatened.

Jimmy ignored Adara’s cries and fingered the tools at his feet. He mulled over what to use and finally decided that he wanted to be over with Paige quickly.

“The pickaxe…that should do it. Let’s see if we can find some powers inside little Paige’s head…literally. Okay, darling, say hello to the sheriff for me.” Jimmy used Methra’s muscles to lift the heavy tool. “Atta-girl, Methra. Been working out, perhaps?”

With one strong heave, Jimmy swung the pickaxe at Paige’s small head. Paige squeezed her eyes shut and stood pale as a ghost. Through Adara’s eyes, it was all happening one millisecond at a time. Rage, but more of an indignation, inundated Adara’s heart. She wanted to rip Jimmy’s spine from his rib cage. Adara had never felt so focused. She softly closed her eyes.

The pickaxe reached Paige’s forehead and a tiny trickle of blood found its way to her eyebrow. Paige opened her eyes and saw Methra’s face in utter disbelief. Then Methra’s expression turned into one of excruciating pain. Methra’s body began stumbling every which way.

“I don’t believe it. This can’t be happening!” Jimmy roared.

Paige looked over at her mother. Adara was in deep concentration. Sweat was accumulating on her cheeks. She had finally believed in herself. She fiercely fought Jimmy for control of Methra’s body. But it wasn’t enough to free Methra from Jimmy’s grasp. He was still safely confined in his prison. Winning the battle, meant losing the war. Adara knew that she had to get inside Jimmy’s head. What she would do from there would come to her. She had faith in that.

“It’s time to say goodbye, Adara.” Jimmy understood that this turn of events necessitated drastic measures. It was time to get rid of Methra. Without Methra, Adara would lose her connection to Jimmy, and he would be safe…free to continue his evils. Jimmy used all his strength to grab the sheriff’s gun from the ground. He aimed it at Methra’s head and fired.

“What?!!!” Jimmy was furious. The shot had missed. “Paige!!”

Paige’s eyes were now closed and she was concentrating, too. “Don’t worry mom, I’m with you,” Paige relayed telepathically to Adara.

With Paige helping Adara, Jimmy’s worst nightmare had come to pass. Both Adara and Paige were now using their gifts against Jimmy. Paige fought for Methra’s sake, while Adara pooled all her energy into getting her mental waves into Jimmy’s cell…and then into his head. She felt a piece of her fly out of the natural cave window and then zoom into Clarendon Penitentiary. She flew past countless guards and prisoners, finally making it into Jimmy’s mental hub.

“No!!!” Jimmy cried out in person for what seemed to be the first time ever. Other prisoners heard him and called for the guards to see what the commotion was all about.

Adara’s strength seemed infinite. Jimmy strained past his limit to try to force Adara out of his mind.

“It’s no use, Jimmy. You won’t get to do these things anymore,” Adara declared to the struggling murdering.

Adara pushed on, her mental waves now acting like an immense fusion reactor. Jimmy began foaming at the mouth. His body shook in a seizure. He was wasting too much energy. Jimmy tried his utmost to tap into the littlest reserves of energy left within him. Adara knew what was to happen if Jimmy kept struggling. Jimmy kept acquiring energy, but in all the commotion, he never took a moment to realize what it would do to his physical body.

It had already begun. Jimmy lost feeling to his legs. Still, he was bent on pushing Adara out of his mental bubble. Adara stood her ground. Jimmy’s heart beat triple the normal speed. His eyeballs were spider webs of red vessels—his pupils dilated. Jimmy gave it one last effort.

Prison guards were now making their way into Jimmy’s cell, expecting to hear Jimmy speak. He had been silent for so long. It was almost like coming to see the world’s biggest diamond or the remains of an alien crash landing. When they got there, they were disappointed and confused. Jimmy wasn’t going to speak again. Jimmy was dead. 

Not many people would know about Jimmy’s double life, but it didn’t matter. His name would be his legend forever. He was as silent in life as he would now be in death. Adara was simply relieved and happy that Jimmy was no longer on this earth to ruin lives and instill terror into people’s hearts.

Back at the cave, Methra had already gotten her body back. She didn’t remember much but was glad it was all over. She wondered what had taken place and what had become of Jimmy, but these were only minor thoughts.

Adara blinked several times and looked around the room to spot each and every one of her loved ones. Everything was going to be alright from here on in…of that she was sure.

*  *  *

“…for further news, today marks the one year anniversary of the gruesome cave murders. It was only a year ago on this day that the “religious” killer murdered several people in a ritualistic manner, after which he shot his partner and then slashed himself repeatedly until he died from loss of blood. Police stated that Barton Bradley was a mentally ill individual who committed what he believed to be righteous murders. There’s still debate as to whether he alone—” Franco turned the television off.

“We don’t need to go there, again,” Franco exclaimed.

Adara had finally gotten what she wanted. She and Franco became everlasting partners forever in love. It had been a year since she was ambivalent about spending the rest of her life with Franco. Now she had the family of her dreams. Even Methra became a frequent visitor.

Adara’s visions came and went, but they never frightened her again. She knew she had a gift for a reason. She would use it for good. She would teach Paige to do the same. After all, life, as Adara knew it, was a constant struggle between light and darkness. As long as evil was out there to do harm, Adara knew it was her duty to meet it head-on.