The Alphabet Superset: Week 9: I Know You're in There Somewhere Fight

 

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    Faith is a tricky subject for Gabriella. She is a magic user, but also believes in God. She attends a school that practices magic and attends church every Sunday. By all standards of society, she should pick one and renounce the other.

    But her parents never drew that line. Her mother always believed that God controlled everything, so He must've given her a magic daughter for some reason. Gabriella never questioned the logic.

    As such, Gabriella always found herself in a sanctuary when things got too stressful. She didn't talk to preachers, or perform some ritual. Sometimes she didn't even pray. She would just sit there and enjoy the silence of an empty sanctuary.

    This was where she found herself when Miguel broke up with her. It had been a couple of days since the break up. The raw emotion was burned out, leaving behind the smoky clouds of confusion. Why? Why would he suddenly break up with her? Was it something she did? Was it because she pushed him to focus on grades? Was he telling the truth? Was he lying? Was he protecting her? The questions swarmed her mind as she stared at the empty altar.

    "So, when did you and Miguel become a thing?" A voice asked awkwardly. Gabriella turned to see David, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. She wasn't too surprised to see him.

    "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be training with the Order right now."

    "It's complicated."

    "Same here."

    "Our usual deal then?" Gabriella looked at David for a second, contemplating. Their usual deal was that they would never lie to each in a church. It meant one of two things, either they would talk about their problems or leave the church. Gabriella couldn't recall a time in their friendship when they had chosen the second option.

    "Yeah, our usual deal. Well, if you ask Miguel, we never were a thing." Gabriella responded. She knew she agreed to tell him, but it didn't make the conversation easier.

    "And if I ask you?" David gently prompted, taking a seat on the altar in front of her.

    Gabriella smirked. "Okay, smart alec, about six months ago."

    David face lit up with realization. "The camping trip prank war you two had?"

    Gabriella laughed. "Yeah, though we weren't a thing when we did that. He stole my phone and told me he would spam my phone if he lost. Not that it mattered cause we spent a week arguing on and off about who won and lost anyway."

    David laughed. "I remember. That was all you two talked about whenever I got you together."

    Gabriella laughed as she recalled memories of her and Miguel all but shouting at each in the mall while David watched from the sidelines.

    "So, uh, what changed?"

    "I don't know. We had different schedules this semester and wouldn't be able to hang out. He told me he changed his schedule so we could hang out. We got into an argument three weeks ago because I found out he lied and was skipping classes to hang out with me. I didn't want to break up or anything, I just didn't want him to fail out of school."

    "So he broke up with you?"

    "No. He just told me he promised to not skip classes anymore. He got transferred to the Barrymore Dorm and then completed ghosted me. I couldn't find him anywhere. I found out the kids in that dorm have to go to lunch together as part of their schedule, so a couple of days ago I went to the cafeteria while they were there."

    "What happened?"

    "Miguel was completely different. It was like he didn't even recognize me. I asked him why he was ghosting me and he just said he wanted to break up."

    "What, just like that?"

    "Yeah. He said he wanted to focus on his classes and didn't have time for me anymore."

    "That's rough, I'm sorry."

    "Anyway, your turn. What leads the ever righteous David to skip a training?" Gabriella teased, trying to lighten the situation.

    "Getting suspended."

    "The fight?"

    "How did..."

    "You know everyone in the school knows about that fight right? You had it in one of the most crowded places in school and nearly killed someone."

    David runs a hand through his hair and groaned. "Don't remind me. The school is investigating the whole fight and asked the Order to suspend me from trainings until they can get to the bottom of it."

        "Sorry to hear that." Gabriella replied simply. She knew how important being a paladin had been for him. The thought of one misunderstanding ruining that for him seemed unfair.

    The two sat awkwardly for a few moments. They each felt they should do something, but weren't sure what. Finally, David spoke up.

    "Well, we can't do anything about my problem, but maybe we can do something about yours?" He wondered optimistically.

    "Like what?" Gabriella asked.

    "Well, if we can find him, we can at least figure out why he had a sudden change of heart. Maybe even get him to change his mind. It's not like Miguel to do something like this without any reason, especially when he just got in trouble for skipping classes to be with you." David reasoned out. Suddenly, things began to click for Gabriella. Why would Miguel skips classes to be with her one week and then ghost her the next. Even if they had had a fight, there was no way there wouldn't be any fallout from that.

    "Alright. We can catch him after he does lunch with the Barrymore kids. That's the only time of day where I know where he will be." She said determined. Now that she knew something was off, she had a fresh desire for more answers.

    "Sounds like a plan."

    The next day, the two waited outside the cafeteria. They wanted confront Miguel in some place private so that they could avoid making a scene. Gabriella wasn't sure she could handle that kind of exposure again. 

    They were both caught off guard when, as the Barrymore students left the cafeteria, Miguel broke away from the group. They quietly followed Miguel from a distance as he made his way to an isolated area of the school. He dipped into a small alleyway between two school buildings. When they peaked around the corner, they saw holding a paintbrush and a small can of gold paint. He seemed to be painting some kind of symbol on the wall. Gabriella was now very confused. Why was Miguel painting a symbol on a wall.

    "What's that symbol?" David whispered to Gabriella, motioning to the it. It looked like an eye ball, but the lines in the symbol were replaced with some kind of writing that Gabriella couldn't make out from their position.

    "I don't know. It's not anything I have seen taught in the Magic Program." This observation only spurred on more questions. If the school didn't teach anything about this symbol, then how did Miguel know about it.

    David nodded before walking around the corner, leaving Gabriella in hiding. "Hey, Miguel. Lets talk buddy."

    Miguel turned to David a little surprised. David watched as Miguel seemed to process who he was before responding. "Oh, hey David. I'm a little busy right now. Can we talk later?" With that, Miguel turned back to his work. Gabriella was now even more confused. Even if he was mad at her over their fight, there was no way he would treat David that way.

    "Well, normally I would say yes, but you know defacing school property is against the rules right?" David teased.

    Miguel froze and turned to David again. Then he sighed. "It's fine. It's part of my punishment for skipping classes. I have to do community service."

    "So the school asked you to draw an eye in an alley where no one can see it. Look I don't know who you are, but Miguel would never do something like this. He got in trouble for skipping classes and bad grades, not doing graphitti." 

    "I'm sorry David, but I really wish you would've just dropped it." He set down the can of paint slowly and turned to David, small bolts of electricity beginning to pop around his arm. Red flags went off in Gabriella's head as she watched the fight about to unfold. This was wrong. Very, very wrong.

    "Oh, Heavenly Father, grant me protection from the force of evil." As David talks a  shield made of fire forms around his arm. He raises the shield in front of him, readying for Miguel's attack. He watches as Miguel's hand fills with electricity. Miguel raises his hand, throwing the electricity at David's shield. David is literally shocked as the attack hits him, completely ignoring the fiery shield he had raised. David is knocked on his butt by the pain as the shield disappears. 

    "David!" Gabriella shouts, helping him get up. She waves a hand up and a wall of earth rises between them and Miguel. David grunts as he gets back to his feet shakily.

    "I'm okay, but we got a problem."

    "Why did that go through your shield? I thought Paladin shields could block all evil attacks?"

    "They can, yes. Which is why we have a problem. Whatever is controlling Miguel isn't malicious."

    "It took over his mind."

    "I can see that, but the fact remains that whatever it is doesn't think its doing anything wrong. Which means my powers are practically useless."

    "Oh no." Gabriella thought for a second. "Do you think you can get him against a wall?"

    

    "Maybe." Then, as if an idea dawned on him, he looked down at his shirt. "Yeah, yeah, I can do that." David pulled off his shirt and wadded it into a ball in one hand. Gabriella didn't ask any of the questions that popped into her head, choosing instead to focus on the wall before her.

    "Ready?"

    

    "Ready."

    Gabriella dropped the wall as David rushed forward. As soon as David and Miguel saw each other, David threw his shirt straight into Miguel's face, effectively blinding him for just a moment. Miguel didn't see David get low and body slam Miguel into one of the walls of the alleyway.

    "David move!" Gabriella shouted. David quickly backed off to one side. Miguel pulled away David's shirt just in time to get hit with a white ball in his chest. A ball which splattered outwards into a web that pinned him to the wall.

    As Miguel struggled against the webbing, Gabriella walked up to him slowly. She put her hands on either side of his face and forced him to look her way. "Miguel, please, you have to fight it. Whatever is controlling you, you have to fight it. I know you in there. I know you have been trapped with it for three weeks and I haven't been here to help you. I'm sorry. I should've known better. Should've seen it sooner. But I am here now and I promise I won't leave without you again. Even if we have to be here all day, I will stay with you."

    Inside the creature, Miguel's mind fought to get out with renewed vigor. He pulled and screamed and struggled. "Please, stop, please just let me go." Miguel screamed out, pulling against the undulating wall restraining him. "I just want to be with her."

    The Entity focused in on new emotions from one of the human minds. Something wasn't right. The new minds had been consumed by its presence. It had never felt them individually before. More just a constant nuisance of fear and panic in the back of its own mind.

    But this was a new sensation. This was like what the Barrymore had described as pain, but deeper. As if the mind itself was in pain instead of the body it controlled. The creature focused on the new emotion as hard as it dared, not wanting to risk breaking the fragile mind acting as one of the few gateways to new knowledge. The pain was strong as the small mind attempted to break free. The pain seemed tied to a longing, similar to the other minds. But while the other minds longed for freedom, this one longed for an attachment. A mate in the other world. A mate begging and pleading with the mind's original body. 

    The scene stirred something deep inside the creature. New emotions welled inside it. The entity felt bad about what it had done. That it had taken this specific mind from its body and its mate. It didn't know what to do with these new emotions. They were already starting to get in the way of learning about this new world. The emotions compelled the creature to surrender the minds the Barrymore had given it.

    But it would not. The creature would not return to the oppresive solitude of the void. It wondered if there was a way to compromise. An untapped ability that it was lacking so far. It could not and would not completely sever any connection to the outside world. But maybe it could put the mind back.

    Miguel watched as a part of the wall seemed to wrap around his neck. It became firm and tight like a choker he had seen other people wear, but otherwise did nothing. He felt the wall release his arms and he immediately reached for his neck.

    "Get off me." He screamed.

    "Miguel?" Gabriella's voice was no longer distant, but close. Miguel then realized he could feel. The warmth of the sun, the cool breeze, and even the weight of his clothes. He looked around in wonder. There was no more walls of flesh and darkness. Instead a vibrant world of light and colors and things.

    "I... Fine, I'll just go." Gabriella sounded so defeated and drained. Miguel was so happy to see her with his own eyes that he had forgotten the situation they were in. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him in a hug. A hug that broke the dam of emotions he had been fighting for months. Gabriella felt so warm and soft compared to the hell he had just escaped.

    "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I tried so hard to get back. But it wouldn't let me. I'm so sorry. Please don't leave." He pleaded, desperately clinging to her as if she might be pulled from him any second.

    Gabriella was stunned at first. Then she broke down as well, gripping Miguel tight for the first time in weeks. They both sank to their knees, holding each other and crying freely. Oblivious to the world around them. It felt like hours before either one moved, though it was only moments in reality. Miguel didn't want to end the moment, but he knew he had to.

    "Gabriella, we don't have much time. Professor Barrymore is planning something."