Power.
I want it.
Jude called out to her from the ground. “Ash! Get away from her. Throw me the locket. We need to bury it.”
“Silence, boy!” Rose hissed and stretched out an arm. A bloody gash opened across Jude’s cheek and he grabbed his face, screaming. Rose looked back at Ashley and sneered. “Be my daughter in this. Say the word and I will show you what real power is. I’ll show you what women like you and I can do to men like him. Give me the locket, girl.”
Ashley was still holding the locket up in the air. Seeing Jude hurt was unexpectedly satisfying. Anger filled her as she recalled the many times he hadn’t stood up for himself. He was weak and she was strong. She had always been the strong one. Perhaps he deserved to die. The rage inside her almost demanded it.
All these years, he’s been holding me down.
One down, two down.
How strong could I be without him?
She saw something glinting in the mud at her feet. A silly gold plastic coin. Part of Jude’s dorky, childish magic tricks.
Ashley knew what she needed to do. She grinned at Rose and offered the locket. “Here, take it.”
Rose grinned, her lips splitting apart and bleeding. “Yesss.”
But just as Rose reached out to take the locket, Ashley yanked it away with a shimmy of her arm. She followed it up with a spin and a kick that would have made Michael Jackson proud. “Think I’ll pass on being your kid, Rose. I don’t want to end up like your last ones.” With that, she pulled the locket up and over her head and let it fall onto her chest. Immediately she felt a burning sensation, even through her T-shirt. Her fists clenched in agony and her jaw set tightly. Her entire body cried out in pain.
Then the pain stopped.
Fury flowed through Ashley’s veins, but for once it was comforting. It no longer had control of her. She had control of it.
Rose’s mouth opened wide and the decayed flesh of her diseased body turned jet black. Her rotten teeth fell out one by one, as did her hair.
With a shrug of her shoulders, Ashley said, “Fuck off and die, bitch.”
“Fool!” Rose spoke between mouthfuls of thick black tar. “Wretched little bitch. I… I see you. I see your heart and it is putrescent. There is no victory in this for you. I shall seize you in your nightmares and squeeze your insides until you pop. Every night, I shall… I shall be with you. Stupid… child.” She reached out to snatch the locket, but Ashley kicked the weakened woman in the leg and sent her to her knees.
“Stay down. It’s over.”
Rose glared, but something in her eyes made it obvious that she knew she was finished – she was afraid. As a final defiant act, the dying woman threw out her arms like Christ on the cross and stared up at the night sky. “Let the devil take me, but no man will shall own me. I shall make Hell tremble.”
Rose’s body burst apart and scattered on the wind. In a second, she was gone, her evil finally at an end.
Ashely bent over and took deep breaths, her heart thudding against her chest.
It’s over.
I did it. I beat her.
The oppressive air of the clearing went away, leaving behind only the pure scent of the woods. The moon grew brighter above the treetops.
Jude stood nearby, clutching his face and moaning. Blood covered his face, but he was relieved when he looked at her.
She picked up his plastic coin from the mud and took it over to him. Seeing it on the ground had reminded her of how innocent and pure her best friend was. He lived in a world where magic was only pretend and was supposed to put smiles on people’s faces and make life a little more fun. He wasn’t a coward or a wimp. Jude was a kind and gentle soul who had the strength to say no to anger. The Rickys, Lilys, and Roses of the world would never be enough to change him. He would never sink to their level by letting in anger and violence.
And if it wasn’t for him, my anger would take over me and I would have nothing good left inside me. I need Jude, because without him, I’m alone.
Jude took his muddy coin and examined it. “Thanks, but I think I’ve had enough of magic.”
She cupped a hand against his wounded cheek. His blood was hot against her palm. “Let’s never come to these fucking woods again, yeah?”
Jude nodded seriously. “The warrior princess and her trusted mage agree to retire. Never again will they dare the perils of Devil’s Ditch.”
The two of them shared a laugh, but then Ashley noticed something that wasn’t funny at all. When she pulled her hand away from Jude’s bloody cheek, his wound had miraculously healed.
Jude was still hurting, so he had to lean on Ashley as they made their way out of Devil’s Ditch. It was late, but his watch was cracked and broken, so he had no idea how late. For now, he was happy to enjoy the gentle breeze on his face and the complete silence of the woods as they trudged through the undergrowth.
The woods felt different now. He had never realised before how thick the air had been, but he could breathe deeply now. There was no scent to the air, and the trees and bushes swayed gently. Ashley’s hand was on his back beneath his T-shirt. Her touch was hot and it soothed his aches. They both knew what they were walking into, but he was glad they were doing it together. “Ashley?”
“Yeah?”
“What happened back there? How did you beat Rose?” He also wanted to ask how she had healed his cheek, but he could only think about one thing
