Chapter 122: Drop The Curtain (1/2)

”What are you doing, Alton?” Scarlett questioned, staring idly at Alton who was sitting down low on the beach poking at the sand with a stick. She turned back to Zinnia frowning. ”What should we do with her?”

Alton shrugged his shoulders blankly. ”Tie her up maybe? We should probably look for Emil I suppose…”

Scarlett walked up to Alton who had frozen the small area around him. She chose not to get any closer giving him a judgmental look. ”What happened back there?”

”I did something stupid, that's what.” He blubbered jolting up, running his hands over his face already regretting his decisions. Pacing back and forth, he squatted down near Zinnia, scratching his face. ”You just had to pull my hand again, didn't you, girl? Why I keep sticking my neck out for you, I don't know.”

”Alton!” She yelled, making Alton jump up again, turning around serval times looking paranoid. ”Breathe… Just tell me what happened.”

Alton tried calming himself down breathing as he kept nodding shaking his hands. ”Alright, alright. Zinnia… she did the one thing I made clear not to. She took a deal with the Garden.”

”You're kidding me…” She whispered. ”Why would she do that.”

Alton fell to the ground staring at Zinnia conflicted. ”To save us. She's just someone who would do that. Now the five stages of Grief Bargaining have control over her to do his bidding for a false bargain. Now she must kill me to free herself.”

Scarlett's eye began twitching as she stared down at Zinnia. ”If that is the case, we… I'll take care of this.”

”Don't bother… It doesn't matter anymore.”

”How can you trust her now?! Bargaining could task her to kill you any moment now.”

Alton slouched overlooking defeated sighing. ”Because I took a bargain with him too.”

”No… Tell me that's a lie. It's bullshit!”

”It's true.” Alton frowned, hiding his head. ”I couldn't let Zinnia be consumed by him. The Garden will not take anyone else; I've seen it feed off people like a plague, she will not go through that. So, I made a deal with that smug prick. He will let her go if I complete his task.”

”What the hell did he ask of you?”

”You aren't going to like this… To save Zinnia, I have to join the stages of grief.”

Scarlett snapped, turning on Zinnia. ”I'm killing her now!”

A burst of ice held Scarlett on the spot as Alton was standing staring at her with ill intent. ”You will do no such thing!”

”Are you even hearing yourself, Alton Brantley?! Joining the Garden? They want nothing more than to kill us! They almost succeeded in destroying the world 400 years ago. How could you even compare that to her!”

Alton raised his finger, pointing it at her with a threatening tone. ”You won't harm a hair on her head, Scarlett, you hear me. I won't think twice about fighting you.”

Scarlett turned to Alton as the two stared at each other for what felt like an entirety. Her hand locked to her pocket as her eyes began glowing.

”That's it! Fight, kill, win!” Both streamers turned to flinch as their common enemy was standing before them. Eyes Over Reality sat on a rock twirling his jester mask around revealing his face for the first time. He had long chestnut brown hair and matching coloured eyes. His face, however, was off almost like it was another mask entirely. ”This is what I brought you all here for. A test of willpower and wit. Who will stand on top?! Isn't this all just thrilling?”

”EOR! It's about time you showed yourself.” Alton snapped. ”Whatever your plan is, it ends now. You have nothing on us.”

”Is that so?” He asks before holding his hand up smirking. ”And I reply to that, an absolute yes! Your darkest secret. Ha! Like I'd know anything about that, you here simply fallen for my trap.”

”All of this was a load of shit?” Scarlett snarled.

EOR laughed juggling three identical jester masks each having three bells marked on the chin and head. ”Why, of course, I was well aware there was no way you would join in with my little game if I didn't... Clickbait. And it worked like wonders. Not only have I got the might of Rhapsody here but they are already turning on each other. Please don't mind me, I will merely watch your death battle.”