Chapter 52 Joanna Lost Her Mind

Kayden tried to free himself from his mother's grip but her grip grew even tighter.

Joanna finally mustered up the courage to open her eyes. The first place her gaze went to was where Kayden stood.

She stared into his eyes and all she could see was the look of disappointment. Her vision was clouded by her current situation to see that Kayden had nothing but concern in his eyes as he stared at her.

"He is disappointed in me. He must hate me now," Joanna chanted as tears flowed from her eyes.

With her confidence gone, the murmurs she had blocked off came and this time around it was a thousand times louder.

The picture of Adhara, Laura, Tiffany and her friends laughing at her occupied her mind.

Joanna's head began spinning. In a matter of seconds, she saw her entire world come crashing down.

"No… no… this can't be happening," Joanna screamed in anguish. She stood up and ran out of the place.

"Let go, Your Highness," Kayden spoke coldly. His tone showed he had lost every patience he had left in him.

"I said let go, Mother. Don't try my patience…,"

"Let's see how thin your patience is because I am not letting go of you. The only way you will get what you want is by killing or cutting off my hand so choose," Queen Mother Theresa said unfazed.

Kayden looked at Joanna's disappearing back. He was lost at what to do.

No matter how often he and his mum clash that doesn't change the fact that she is still his mother.

How can he cut off her hands or kill her?

"Chris, follow her and make sure she is safe," Kayden gave the orders when he saw that nothing he did would make his mother change her mind.

Audrey chased after her friend who was running like someone who had lost her mind.

"Anna, stop running and wait up," Audrey shouted as she tried to catch up to the girl who was running like a cheetah.

She resorted to using her powers when she realised that there was no way she would catch up to Joanna.

"Let go of me," Joanna violently pushed Audrey's hands away. She resumed racing again afterwards.

These actions repeated until Audrey realised that they were in the forest. By this time there were so many injuries on Joanna's body because of the constant fall she suffered from.

Even her long white dress was torn so badly. Audrey's red dress wasn't spared from the cruelty of the sharp branches either.

​ The running Joanna bumped her feet against a big root of a tree shooting out from the ground.

Audrey ran to help her up but Joanna rejected her help once again. She stood up and took to her heels like some invisible beings were pursuing her.

"Are you going to keep this up, Anna?" Audrey shouted, not moving an inch from where she stood.

"If you are so eager to kill yourself then why don't I join you huh? I am sure you won't feel bored or inferior to them, right?"

Audrey's words made the weeping Joanna stop in her tracks. Audrey felt so relieved that her words had some effect on Joanna.

She appeared in front of where Joanna stood.

"Do you think that they will praise you and take pity on you if you fall off a cliff or jump down from a building and commit suicide?"

Audrey asked. She hated seeing her best friend so miserable.

Her heart ached badly to see her in this state. How she wished there was something she could do to ease her best friend's pains just a little.

"No, they will not pity you neither will they praise you. But instead, they will use this opportunity to mock you even more. In fact, I am sure they will spit on your corpse so snap out of it already," Audrey grabbed Joanna's shoulder and shook her violently.

"They want you to feel small. They are all dying to see you break down since all their attempts have failed. Anna, don't give them what they want. You…,"

Joanna squats and buried her head in her legs. She cried her heart out.

All the tears she has been suppressing all these years flowed down like a river.

"Drey, what should I do now? How am I gonna survive?" Joanna asked in between her sobs.

Audrey squats also. She raised her hand and patted Joanna's back. "We can do this. We can fight through this together". Audrey tried to sound optimistic.

"Being powerful is not all that there is to life. Even the most powerful get mocked too. In fact, there is no guarantee that they would let you be if you had shifted earlier so there is no need to beat yourself up over what happened…,"

"Who am I? Who on Earth is Joanna Anderson?" Joanna asked rhetorically.

"I am not a werewolf, human and neither am I a vampire. If I am neither of these three things then what am I?"

Joanna wept inconsolably.

"Am I even my mother's daughter? Is my father really my father or am I someone else's child…,"

"Anna, stop saying all these. You are breaking my heart all the more. Also, it hasn't come to the point of questioning your origin," Audrey said.

Tears fell from her eyes as she tried to wipe Joanna's never-ending tears.

She kept on consoling Joanna. After what felt like forever she finally got Joanna's emotions stable.

They were quietly sitting on the ground covered with dead leaves when Audrey felt the presence of third parties.

"Who is there?" Audrey asked coldly. She tapped Joanna laying on her legs for her to sit up.

Clang***

The broken sound of a dead branch made Audrey jump to her feet. In a flash, she transformed and took her stance. She made Joanna stand at her back.

"Come out now! I swear I will break all your bones if you keep on playing a prank on me," Audrey turned around to face the direction the growl came from.

At first, she heard howls from one direction but after she spoke the growls came from all directions. It was as if those hiding in the dark were just waiting for her to say the threats.

Audrey was still observing her environment when two werewolves from opposite directions jumped at her.

In the process of dodging their attacks, she got spared from Joanna.

When she realised this she tried to go and stand with her friend but two vampires who were hiding in the forest emerged and obstructed her path.

While Audrey tried to fight her way out, Joanna got surrounded by fearsome-looking werewolves.

When the attackers saw that they stood no chance against Audrey they resorted to playing foul.

Audrey was still fighting and exchanging punches with the two vampires when suddenly a chain appeared from nowhere bound both her hands and legs.

She tried to free herself but those holding the chain wouldn't budge.

"If you think you are gutsy enough then I dare you guys to let go of me if you all will not find your dead bodies on the ground," Audrey shouted.

She tried every trick she knew to free herself but in the end, she still couldn't free herself.

"Save your breath tomboy because we are not here for you. We just wanna have fun with her. It will be quick so just be a little patient…,"

"You scoundrels!" Audrey charged forward to grab the guy who talked. She was violently pulled backwards with the chains before she had the opportunity to rip the guy's mouth off.

"I swear you all will die in my hands if you dare lay your filthy hands on her. I will kill you," Audrey shouted furiously when she saw the werewolves begin attacking Joanna.

"Let go of her you scum," Audrey yelled desperately. She tried to free her hands when she saw how cruelly the werewolves were all biting Joanna despite all the poor girl's pleas.

"Please have mercy on me," Joanna pleaded with tears in her eyes but the cruel werewolves didn't let go.

In a matter of seconds, Joanna's gorgeous white dress was turned into rags.