《Reign Again》 A Nightmare Fear, shame, regret, and anger. Emotions Nastasiya had felt many times before. But right now, they pressed intensely upon her as she gazes down towards the bloody metallic platform beneath her. She felt fear for knowing she had no way out of the situation presented to her. All of her years of hard work had made her prideful, and a single moment brought her shamefully down on her knees. Body shivering violently from uncontrollable fits of emotions, Nastasiya covered her face with hands she no longer recognized. She was asked if she''d like to speak, but no words were able to form from her now contorted posture. Only wailing cries of regret were released. She had put her trust in those she thought deserved it. How could such evil come from something that once made her so happy? She knew that even if she looked up at the people she once loved and cared for, to plead to them, it would be useless. She hated them. Her wailing turned into bellowing screams of frustration as she realized they would never be punished for their betrayal. She felt the pressure of the metal device around her as it began to pulsate. The count down had begun. They were cheering as Nastasiya screamed in horror. Her own vocals began to sound louder yet distant, as she thought she felt a sharp pain slice through her neck. Nastasiya eyes shoot open, only to meet darkness. She began grasping violently at her throat. Air refused to escape her lungs, so she opted in for the next best thing. She screamed. She cried. She was dead. They had killed her. They had murdered her! "Nastasiya Ruth Tally!", a woman comes bursting through the once pitch black room. "It''s the middle of the night! What-", she cuts off. She had turned on the lights and her face creases in worries. She takes in the state of the young woman in front of her and quickly approaches her bedside. "Stasi, baby, what''s wrong?", the woman makes room for herself in Nastasiya''s bed and pulls her in close. She begins to softly stroke Nastasiya''s back and braided head with her fingertips, as Nastasiya buries herself deep into this woman''s embrace. "Stasi?", the woman calls out her name with such affection that Nastasiya began to sob uncontrollably. "Mommy!" She squeezed the woman she once lost tightly. "Mommy!" It felt like the only word Nastasiya knew as she repeated it over and over again. Nastasiya''s mother rocked her back and forth with soothing words of reassures until Nastasiya felt calm enough to close her eyes and sleep. Nastasiya''s sleep was short and restless but the sun had risen. She woke up desperately from her nightmares searching with frantic hands and eyes. There her mother sat on a chair she must have moved by Nastasiya''s bedside. Nastasiya slowly reached out towards her mother but let her hand linger midway. Not daring to touch her because she didn''t want her to disappear. Her arm and hand began to shake as new violent fits of sobs took over her body. Finally, she drops her limbs palms faced upward towards her. Nastasiya went still as she stared into her own hands. Her mind began to explode with thoughts. Everything g felt real but is it a dream? Was it a dream? No, that was real. Her moment of stillness gone, she began to convulse with emotion. "I was executed." Nastasiya''s mother stirred as soon as the words were spoken. She opened her eyes and slowly directed them towards her daughter. Nastasiya had raised her hands to cover her face. She wanted to blackout everything. None of this is real, she thought. Her mother continued to watch her daughter with her own thoughts swirling about. She had no idea what could be wrong with her daughter. Mrs. Carlisa Tally was lost and concerned. She reached out and wrapped Nastasiya tightly into her arms. Nastasiya went still. This closeness with her mother felt real. But Nastasiya remembers. She remembers where she was, what had happened, and most importantly, how she had felt at that time. They day she walked into her old home and found her parents lifeless bodies. She remembers falling hard down to her knees and reaching out. Just like she had while Carlisa was asleep. She reached out and tried to pull her mother into her arms. Trying to force her to embrace her. To reassure her with soothing back rubs and head strokes like she use to. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Nastasiya remembers that no matter what she did her mother refused to move. Her body was cold. She was gone. Nastasiya knows that was real too. Carlisa had finally finished tumbling down the list of subjects that could be affecting her daughter. She decided it was time to direct these questions openly to her. "Stasi, baby," Mrs. Tally began as cautiously as she could, " What''s wrong? Is this about your sister? Or maybe the party next weekend?" Nastasiya suddenly lifted her head up and shot her mother a terrifying gaze. Her face appeared to be on the verge of tears with something else underneath. Was it anger? Carlisa couldn''t tell but she assumed this was the answer. "Stasi, I know Nati can be a immature but you have to try to understand her." Carlisa rolled her eyes as her daughter let out a scoff. Nastasiya''s remembers this conversation. She never understood why she had to understand someone like her sister. Especially after what she had done to her. Wait. "Mom, how old am I right now?" Carlisa was now very confused by this question. "You''re about to turn 15." She answered because she had a point to make. "Old enough and a lot more mature enough to ignore your childish sister." Mrs. Tally shook her head at the thought of her oldest child. "She''s going through enough as it is." At this remark Nastasiya was finally able to raise her voice in disbelief. "She''s going through what?", Nastasiya''s brain began to spiral as she began to list off her burdens. " I, the youngest sister, had to grow up faster because you all expected great things from me. I had to give up the things I cared about to satisfy Natalia because you all were afraid to hurt her feelings!" Nastasiya scoots herself to opposite side of her bed away from her mother but made she to direct all of her grievances to her. "No matter how much I gave up, it was never enough for her! I agreed to it all because that was my big sister and I loved her though it all!" The tears started again. "Do you know what she wanted the most?!" Her voice cracked. "For me to disappear no matter the cost!" The memories were back. Nastasiya had thought that death would bring peace but she remembers. How her sister had dealings with the wrong people. How those people went after her family. Natalia begging to be saved. Nastasiya did save her. But her big sister used it all against her. Betrayed her. Murdered her. The tears refused to stop. Carlisa has become distressed at her youngest daughter''s breakdown. She rushes to her side, an attempt to keep Nastasiya on her feet. She failed. Nastasiya''s fell to her knees as she kept remembering. This is real. She can feel her mother''s presence smothering her. But she shouldn''t be here. She died. They all died. The smell of that room still lingers in her memory. How could her mind conjure up such a memory? She needed to think of something else. Something real. Carlisa''s voice drowned in background of Nastasiya''s thoughts. Nastasiya realized she was holding her breath. She couldn''t breathe. She had forgotten. No, that wasn''t it. This was something else. This was painful. She turned to her mother who saw the look of terror on her baby girl''s face. Carlisa called out to someone. Nastasiya couldn''t hear but she knows it was to her father. Someone else who shouldn''t be here. As everything around her began to blur and darken, she realized how real this situation felt. As Nastasiya head clumsily falls to the ground, her father rushes in. He''s carrying a device that took Nastasiya some time to realize it was her ventilator. An asthma attack! She had forgotten. Or she wanted to forget. Even though she had them often before her death. Her tormentors would often let her suffer before coming to help her. Nastasiya''s father quickly placed the mask attached to the little machine over her mouth and nose. Nastasiya''s breathing slowly became steady and the pain was dulling. She was extremely tired and her eyes became heavy. But before her eyes gave way, behind her mother and father, at the doorway, she saw a site that both broke her heart and angered her. Standing there was her little brother, asking questions Nastasiya assumed were about her wellbeing. Behind him stood the last person she wanted to see. Natalia stood there. She had been staring at the scene in front her emotionless. But Nastasiya knew the moment any attention directed at Natalia would start the act. The type of performance that would leave anyone, born from the same parents, to believe she was a loving sister. But somehow, Nastasiya caught it. She was not sure if it was because of the mask or the simple fact that her eyes were slightly closed. But through all the years that her and her sister have spent together, she was never ever able to see through the act. But there Natalia stood, behind everyone who oblivious, with her mask off. She had a smile playing on the side of her lips but she rolled her eyes when her father finally responded to their brothers questions about your health. Her slightly amused smile turned into disappointment. Once again, tears forced their way down Nastasiya''s face as she lay there. She was right. Her sister has always hated her and was always looking forward to her disappearing. Natalia has always wanted to harm her. And she succeeded on multiple levels. Nastasiya took a quick glance around the room at her parents and little brother. Please be real, she thought. Because if they were real and if they were alive... she can save them. Nastasiya prayed that this wasn''t a nightmare used to show her what she refused to see. She promised that if she wakes up from this, she will make sure to grant both her and Natalia''s wish. For them to disappear from each other''s lives. Finally, unable to stay awake, Nastasiya sleeps. Shadowed Memories Nastasiya slowly wakes up. For the first time in a long time, she is calm. It all feels so confusing. She doesn''t understand where she is and why she''s here. What she does know is that she''s still where she was when she dozed off. She''s woken up 3 times in the same place. Why? Where is she? Nastasiya was sure about one thing. "This isn''t heaven.", she thought. "Could 100% be hell." She began to question that theory because, if this were hell, what exactly was her punishment. And why was she being punished? For trusting the wrong people. She shook the thought and began looking around her familiar room. It''s the same as the day she had to leave it. Next to her bed was a night stand her father had modified for her. He was a great engineer and believed that everyone deserved privacy. So he created hiding places for each member of the house. Nastasiya had chosen the night stand. Her father, Stewart Tally Jr., was really proud of this invention. Nastasiya had come up with a unique form of magic infused with his technology to create her hide away. She used light and shadow magic to create a illusion which was the night stand. When Nastasiya touches any part of the illusion with index and middle finger, a locker rises up destroying the illusion until it¡¯s needed again. Inside the locker, Nastasiya kept her most precious things. Everything was still there. She pulled out her old diary and flip it open to the first page. ¡°Dear Diary, Mommy told me to start this off that way. To make this feel like I¡¯m writing to a friend. I don¡¯t really understand but I guess I really do need a friend right now. Talking behind people¡¯s backs is wrong but this should be okay. It¡¯s about my sister Nati. She¡¯s been really mean lately. I went to show her my new bubble trick and she popped it. I get that people like popping bubbles but she threw a laser pen at it and popped it. It almost hit me! We argued. Mommy made us stop and I said I was sorry. Nati went to her room and was mad. I don¡¯t want to argue with Nati. I don¡¯t understand.¡± Nastasiya flipped to the next page. ¡°Dear Diary, Today was the lightning festival! Everyone had so much fun! Even Nati smiled a bit but she was still mean. Mommy says that¡¯s just how teenagers are. I don¡¯t understand but if mommy says so, then it most be true. Maybe next time we can ride the Holy Blaster together.¡± She decided to turn to the most recent page. ¡°Dear Diary, Nati broke my favorite tuning orb. She threw it against the wall but said it was an accident. I¡¯m really upset but mommy says I should try to understand her. She says Nati is upset that she didn¡¯t get the chance to place in the Magical Girl competition. I got first place and won the orb. But now it¡¯s gone. I¡¯m really upset but mommy says I shouldn¡¯t be sad because her and daddy are really proud of me. They promised to buy me a better one. Nathan said he was also happy for me. I wish Nati was too.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Nastasiya traced her finger around the edges of that last page. She began to remember what life was like before she had moved out. The only thing she could not remember were times her and Natalia ever bonded as sisters. There were none. Natalia had always disliked her. Everytime Natalia was hateful their parents loved to empathize with her because she wasn''t as talented or smart compared to her younger sister. They always had to reassure Nastasiya that she didn''t mean to be that way because of her complex. As a child, Nastasiya agreed wholeheartedly with her parents and loved Natalia regardless. But right now, after all that she experienced with her sister, she knows better. Natalia is a narcissistic sociopath and would do anything to get rid of her. Closing her diary with a drained sigh, Nastasiya began to pull her thoughts into another important anomaly. Why was she here now? Is this her punishment? Her hell? To show her how much her sister hates her? To show her what appears to be her mom, dad, and little brother only to have them snatched away again? Tears threatening her once again, Nastasiya adjusted her thoughts about her situation. If this is punishment, she would have to just deal with it anyway. Crying now won''t stop what is coming for her. She decided it''s best to try to control her emotions. Doubtful in her own train of thoughts, Nastasiya steps over to the side of her room where curtains hung as if there were a window there. She waved her hand to withdraw the curtains. What hid behind them was not a window but a mirror. The mirror was dark in color. She chuckled at her younger self. She remembers begging her father to do something about the mirror in her room. She had convinced herself that monsters were waiting to take her place on the other side. Her father designed curtains to hide the monsters in the mirror. But that was not enough for little Nastasiya. She still felt the monsters would come. It was at that time Nastasiya discovered her shadow power. Her younger self was so terrified of the mirror that she wanted to make her own reflection disappear. Suddenly a thick layer of darkness took over the mirror. Nastasiya was terrified at first and cried out for her mother. Both her parents came rushing through. They saw the shadow and panicked. Carlisa grabbed hold of little Nastasiya but the shadow stayed attached to the little girl''s feet. Nastasiya screamed, "It''s going to take me!!" Nastasiya''s mother turns toward her husband only to see his face turned and body shaking. "Yonah!", Carlisa frantically screamed, "What the hell are you doing? Help me!" Falling apart gracelessly, Yonah Tally revealed he was laughing uncontrollably at his wife and daughter. While failing to hide his amusement, both Nastasiya and Carlisa stared at him in horror. Yonah lost it. He pointed at them both tearfully shouting, ¡°It''s Nastasiya!¡± Carlisa looked over at her daughter who was now more upset her father was laughing at the danger she was in. She heard a sound that resembled a pig¡¯s snort being forcefully stopped. The sound had come from her own mother. Horrified Nastasiya realized her mother found her plight funny as well. Why? Tears began to fall down her cheeks and Nastasiya rose her hands to cover her eyes. ¡°Why are you laughing at me?!¡± She cried out, ¡°The shadows are coming to take me and you both don''t care!¡± Carlisa being the mature adult that she is, unlike her husband still a giggling crumbled mess; she regained her composure and took her daughter into her arms. ¡°Oh my poor baby.¡± She lulled and softly rocked Nastasiya. ¡°Everything will be okay. You are safe.¡± ¡°But the shadows!¡± Nastasiya wailed while burying her head in her mother''s chest. ¡°They are yours, Nastasiya.¡± The crumbling mess had finally calmed himself. Carlisa thought with a slight smile as she looked over at her husband. Yonah crawled over to where his family sat in a huddle. ¡°You can control the shadow.¡± He placed a warm hand on his distressed daughter''s hand. Nastasiya didn''t look at her father but squeezed his hand softly. She wasn''t mad at him. Relieved he instructed her to keep calm and the shadow will do what she wants. Following her father''s instructions the shadow went back into the mirror. She didn''t want it near her. So in the mirror it lived. Nastasiya laughed at the memory. It took her up until her 17th birthday to release the shadow. Even then she was still afraid of it. She had only used it once because of her and her father''s idea. It took them hours to get it working because of Nastasiya''s fear. Looking into the mirror, she willed the shadow to come to her. It slithered out the mirror, to the ground, and then under her feet. There it would stay until she needed it. Now that the shadow was gone from the mirror, it now reflected Nastasiya and her surroundings. The memory she once found comforting, now felt foreboding to her. What if Nastasiya was pulled into this world after all? What if she stole the place of this world''s Nastasiya? She stared at the reflection into the eyes of the 14 year old Nastasiya. Did I replace you? Suddenly the world began to twirl around her. The air became stifling. The shadow closed in and everything went dark.