Marie struggled for air as she clawed and fought against the many arms around her throat and body, restricting her from rising above water. Her feet and hands were bound as she kicked her legs fighting against the constraints.
She could hear the muffled sounds of laughter above the surface as she was forced deeper into the darkness. Anxiety built inside of her as the pressure weighed heavy on her lungs, as she struggled to find a moment to inhale. Her body inadvertently took a breath under the surface, expending her air supply.
Soaked with what appeared to be sweat, Marie woke up, gasping for air. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the dark as she looked around her room startled by the shadows cast by the moonlight that scattered through her windows.
She turned on the lamp near her bed and placed her feet on the cold floor as she sat up. "It was just a dream, only a dream." She whispered as she rocked back and forth with her arms wrapped around her. It felt so real. She couldn't breathe.
Her body felt tired from fighting in her dream. Her hands were shaking when she held them out in front of her. It wasn't uncommon for her to feel things in her dreams as though they happened in real life, but this felt way too real.
She looked at the clock near her lamp that displayed 3:33. Marie knew it had to be more than a dream. Someone was sending her a message or a warning. Not having her power was the worst thing that could happen to her now.
Reaching for her throat with her trembling hands, she massaged the sore, tender areas surrounding her neck as she examined herself. She stood up and walked over to her bathroom, turning the lights on. Her heartbeat increased when she viewed herself in the mirror.
She was startled to find her hair wet, dripping with murky water into the sink. Her face looked like death with dark blue lips and white pupils. Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to convince herself that she was still dreaming. When she opened her eyes, her face returned to normal, but her hair was still wet.
She began inspecting her neck and arms, noticing red, painful marks surrounding the sides of her throat and forearms.
Underneath her fingernails were filled with a reddish, thick substance. Vomit forced its way up her throat as she forced it back down while she frantically began washing the substance from underneath her nails.
"What is happening? How is this happening?" She whispered.
Someone was doing this to her. Fear enveloped her as she noticed her mother's talisman was missing from her neck. When did she lose it? She wondered. She would have felt the talisman missing as soon as it fell.
She ran out of the bathroom and looked around her house to see if anything was out of place. She also paid attention in case her mother's talisman was nearby or on the floor somewhere.
Checking the front door, she noticed the top lock was not fastened but the bottom lock was. She was sure both the top and bottom locks were secured before she went to bed. If someone opened the door, she would hear them. She hung wind chimes behind her door and on her windows to hear when they opened and to keep bad energy away.
Walking over to the window she looked outside, scanning her entrance and around her front yard. Nothing appeared to be different, but things always looked different in the dark than in the daylight. She would check again in the morning.
She wished she still had her cat. Kunzite would always act differently when something was wrong. The cat was better than a guard dog. She wouldn't let anyone come near Marie's home without making a fuss.
Kunzite's purple eyes, dark silky fur and enormous size were rare and beautiful. When her mother went missing, so did Kunzite. Marie always thought they both would come back one day, but they didn't.
Confusion filled Marie's mind as panic began to consume her. She was all alone, and she didn't have her magic. She couldn't sense danger or find out who was harming her or doing things to her through magic.
Realizing that it may not have been the best idea for her to be alone without her magic, she searched for her phone. It wasn't where she thought she left it.
Hunting through her nightstand and then her satchel, she grunted and growled through her teeth. "What the hell is going on!?" She bellowed as she threw her bag of ritual items on the table.
Plopping herself into a kitchen chair, she titled her head back and stared at the ceiling. She felt like she was losing her mind.
Something caught her eye in her peripheral view. She tilted her head to the side and noticed her phone on top of the kitchen counter where she would normally brew her tea. She stood up and grabbed it, then hastily searched for Sargon's number.
After several rings, the voicemail responded.
"Sargon, something strange is happening. I need you to come back as soon as you can. I think someone is trying to harm…" The phone died before she finished her message, but she was sure he would get the point. It wasn't safe for her to be in that house alone.
Suddenly, she felt something pulled over her head, causing darkness to cloud her vision. Her hands were pulled behind her back and she was forced to the floor as her face hit ground.
Marie struggled to move but she couldn't.
"Relax my dear. There is no use trying to fight. You will only hurt yourself. You cannot win this." A familiar voice spoke, sending chills throughout Marie's body.
"What do you want?" Marie asked as the restriction over her head muffled her voice.
"We talked about this. I want your power dear. I told you I would take it. Poor thing, you thought I was joking. How does it feel to be weak?" Sybil chuckled as Marie swung her legs, bringing them towards her chest, hitting Sybil in the face as she fell to the floor.
"You little wench! Bind her legs!" Sybil shouted at whoever was holding Marie's arms behind of her. Marie tried to kick but there was more than just one more person restraining her.
"Let me go! You already have my power! What else do you want from me?"
"Hmm…so, here's the thing dear. I do not get all of your power unless you are dead. Go figure, huh? You should already know this. You are 'the chosen'. Your mother really didn't tell you anything, did she? What a waste. I thought this would be more challenging." Sybil said with her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I don't understand." Why can't you just leave me be. You have my power. I don't have any of it."
"I have most of your regular power. I need the power you haven't accepted yet. Only you can give it to me because you are the chosen. Anyone else, I could just take their power and end them. Your regular power is so weak! I can't believe you have been getting by like this for all these years. You should be ashamed. The Gods must have made a mistake by making you the chosen. You are an embarrassment to your mother and all witches. At least your mother was a worthy opponent."
"Leave my mother out of this! I will never give you anything!" She pleaded as Sybil motioned for the others to lift and carry Marie out of her home.
"Oh dear, you have no choice. Just wait, you will see. I will show you exactly what your mother should have taught you… Oh, and don't think about trying to accept your destiny now. It is too late. All you must do is release your power to me. If not, you will just be a dead waste of power that would have been able control and change this world." She said. Marie could tell she was smiling through her words.
Suddenly, a loud crashing noise came from the window. Marie felt her body fall to the floor as screams escaped everyone in the room. A deep, monstrous growl filled Marie's home as Sybil stared into the eyes of her most hated enemy.