Something Worth Fighting For

Paul’s scream caused the last bit of his essence to leak from his body like a bucket with a hole. He was now having an out-of-body experience, and watched as the being that was once himself continued to protect itself from Maya’s purifying curved blade. He watched as the last remaining tentacle grabbed Maya’s wrist that held the blade, causing it fall to the ground, while the grotesque being known as Tal’shen put his two hands on Maya’s neck and slowly began to squeeze the life out of her. She tried to liberate herself with her free hand.

“No, stop, I’m trying to help!” she gasped as the hands squeezed tighter. “Please, Paul, stop, I know you’re in there somewhere. This isn’t you!!”

Paul. That’s my name, thought Paul’s essence.

Maya’s knees buckled and she was forced to fall to her knees. Her eyes moved to where the blade lay, and with her free hand she tried to reach for it. It was no use; it was out of her reach.

“Please, Paul, help me. I…I love you. Please….”

That was when Paul realised he had something worth fighting for. In this world of horrors, in this world of things beyond his comprehension, he had something worth fighting for. And then, Tal’shen loosed his grip on Maya and dropped her to the ground, dead. It was too late now – Tal’shen had killed her and Paul had just floated there, as nothingness, just watching. Tal’shen squatted, picked up Maya’s blade and stood back up again. A few moments later, footsteps could be heard outside Paul’s cell.

“What did you do?” asked Lysanna, standing in the doorway and looking at Maya’s body. “Paul, you fool, what did you do?! You killed your own fucking sister!”

Then a surge of energy pulsated through Paul’s former body.

“No!” screamed Tal’shen. “He doesn’t need to know the truth! The truth will destroy him!”

Lysanna shook her head.

“Tal’shen,” she said in a low voice. “I might have known it would be you. Where’s Paul?”

“Oh, he’s around here somewhere,” said Tal’shen, the tongue inside his beak flicking up and down. “But he’s no longer in this body. In fact, he’s no longer. Just his soul, nothing more.”

“Oh god, no.” said Lysanna. “Paul, if you’re there, Tal’shen is your-“

“If you speak another word, I will kill Paul!” screamed Tal’shen, placing Maya’s blade against the carotid where Paul’s neck used to be. “If I kill his body, his soul dies with it.”

Lysanna looked in the direction of where Paul’s essence floated about and mouthed the words “Paul, he’s your father.”

“FOOL!” screamed Tal’shen again, and slowly began to slice across his neck.