“I will ask again. Do you want to be healed?” Although said in a calm, even tone, the words still felt mocking. Evelyn felt her lips trembling, and she dropped heavily back onto the bed, avoiding looking at the shadow by glaring up at the ceiling. “What a stupid question!” She dropped her wrist over her eyes, trying to choke down a sob. “Of course I do. I don't want to hurt so much. I don't want to die! I just... I wanted to live a normal, healthy life, that's all I ever wanted! And I couldn’t, so why are you here at the end of it, mocking me for it?” “Mocking? That is certainly not my intent.” The thing paused, then leaned forward slightly. Its voice sounded ever so slightly eager . “If that is indeed your true wish… I will ask clearly. Do you want me to heal you?” “If you can do it, then why not just hurry up and do it already?” Evelyn grit her teeth against the throbbing beginning in her head in time with her heavily beating heart. She could feel the cough suppressant wearing off—she was going to start wheezing soon, especially if she kept talking, especially if she kept talking angrily . “Oh, because you can't , of course, because you aren't real , and my final minutes of this shitty life are going to be spent talking to myself and a particularly cruel hallucination. Fuck !”
It seemed to ignore her tirade entirely as it leaned over her. “Say yes. I need you to say that word, specifically, in response to this. Evelyn Barraster. Do you agree to let me heal you?” “ Yes , then,” Evelyn said sarcastically, closing her eyes instead of rolling them. Her chest heaved as she let out another rasping memory of a sigh. “But I know you can't. So go away , already!” There was the same soft clicking noise in triplicate. It seemed to have snapped its fingers again. “It is done. The contract is sealed.” Contract…? Evelyn let out a deep breath and closed her eyes, then half opened them, feeling strange and dizzy. It was still above her. I guess I'm dying now... but that... thing is still here… What a strange thing for my brain to decide to end on. Still… it’s nicer than I thought… to not be entirely… alone… The shadowy fog over it seemed to be lifting, somewhat, as her vision began to tunnel, and turn gray. It leaned over her further, as if watching the process of her death. She blinked at it as her eyelids became heavier and heavier. Evelyn had one strange, final thought before she closed her eyes for the last time. Are those... horns?
What, you want Evelyn & Az too?
Great news, their meeting in chapter 1 also ends with a deal! You can read it all now too 😊
archiveofourown.org/works/645717...
#amwriting #ao3writer #macaronoc