Spectral Expression (Narrative + Eddie)
Effie gasped as she sat up, struggling to breath, a heavy weight on her chest and stomach. She raised her head, looking into honey brown eyes identical to hers, mouth opening to speak only to taste flesh as a hand slapped her in the face, long nails scratching her cheeks, drawing blood.
“The hell?” she asked, screaming as a hand fisted itself into her hair, jerking her head back to a painful degree.
“Poor, delicate little kitten,” Enigma hissed, looking down at her younger self. “All broken and falling apart. Stupid little whore. If you think for one. fucking. second I will let you destroy everything I have worked so hard for, destroy my life, you have another thing coming.”
“Not the whore,” Effie spat, her eyes narrowing. “Every memory I have of you is either blood or you spreading your legs. What’s the problem, run out of men to rub your skanky, disease ridden body over?”
Effie jerked, wincing as some of her hair was pulled out, laying back against the pillows and bringing her legs up, placing her legs flat against Enigma’s abdomen and kicking her off, before flipping to her feet, spreading her legs a bit to balance on the mattress.
Enigma gave a noise of rage, hitting the floor and rolling over, getting to her feet again. “I KILLED YOU!” she screamed, rage and pain pouring out of her as she stared at the girl she used to be. “I buried you. I don’t need or want you around anymore and you will Give. Me. Back. My. Life!”
Effie laughed, scooping up a pillow and pelting E with it, using the distraction to jump off the bed, blocking a leg that came hurling at her face, grabbing the fist that had followed it before countering with her own kick, trying to hit Enigma’s side. “It’s my life, as it always has been! You stole it all from me because you were too weak to handle mom and dad’s death! You broke and lost your fucking mind!”
Effie screamed as Enigma grabbed her leg, shattering her tibia with a hard downward thrust. She collapsed on the floor, tears streaming down her face, before gagging, gasping for air as Enigma’s hands wrapped around her throat, squeezing down, desperate and fully intent on bringing a complete end to the teenager.
Enigma shifted, straddling Effie’s stomach as she bared down on the girl’s throat, her lips curled back in a snarl of insanity and rage. “You are nothing...NOTHING! I will take it all back, I will live. I need to live...need to be free…”
Spots danced in front of Effie’s eyes, blackness encroaching on her vision and gaining rapidly. She clawed at Enigma’s hands, trying to buck the girl off, to hurt her, anything to be free, to breath. “W..n’t…” she gasped, mostly mouthing the words before collapsing, darkness closing in with the speed of a freight train.
--
Effie gasped as she sat up, struggling to breath, a heavy weight on her chest and stomach. She raised her head, looking into honey brown eyes identical to hers. “God damnit, Connie!” she yelled, shoving the cat off of her, before hanging her head, her body trembling from fear. She raised her hands to her face, trying to focus her breathing before wincing in pain as her cheek burned from the contact.
Slipping out of bed, she moved silently through the dark room, staring at her dressing mirror, the faint light from the hall revealing four long scratches across her cheek. Staring at her own eyes, she shook harder, wondering if she was losing her mind.
--
He tossed, emitting a soft groan despite not realizing it. All Edward could see was that face, the sutures...the maniacal laughter and giggles filled his ears and those songs. Dear Lord those songs.
An arm flew out into the air, fingers curled into a fist, hitting absolutely nothing. In the nightmare Eddie's hands were still bound but his subconscious was making his sleeping body move and shake the way he wanted to but couldn't at that physical moment.
His jaw fell open and unknowingly Edward released a blood-curdling scream similar to the one he had emitted after Scarecrow had burned his skin with the poker.
His skin was then on fire and the screaming continued. Edward flailed in the bed becoming tangled in the sheets.
Finally Eddie forced his eyes to open and he gasped, making himself stop screaming. He bit at his lips after closing them to keep them shut tight. It was the only way he knew to keep himself from screaming.
His eyes streamed with tears and he swallowed thickly against a dry mouth. He could still hear the sounds in his ears and he didn't realize he was trembling.
--
Effie jerked her head around as she heard her father scream, her own nightmare vanishing as she took off, running to go save the man who meant the most to her from his demons, burying thoughts of being attacked by herself at the back of her mind.