Blake tightened his hold, forcing Rose to maintain eye contact. "Fight it, Rose! Come back to me!" He poured more of his will into the command, trying to reach Rose's true consciousness.
"SUFFER!" the voice howled back, as Rose's skin began to blister and crack from the intense heat she was generating. Her eyes, though locked with Blake's, swirled with darkness fighting against his influence.
The struggle continued, Blake's mental commands clashing against the entity's vicious resistance. The air around them shimmered with heat and psychic energy, the ground beneath their feet cracking from the intensity of their battle of wills.
"Remember who you are, Rose! Remember us!" Blake shouted, his voice breaking with emotion and strain as he pushed his mind control ability to its limits.
For a moment, Rose's eyes cleared, a flicker of recognition passing through them. But then the darkness surged back, stronger than ever.
"SHE IS MINE NOW!" the voice roared, as Rose's body erupted in a fresh wave of flames, trying to break Blake's hold.
Blake held on, his flesh charring but rapidly healing due to his transformed state. He was locked in a desperate struggle not just for his life, but for Rose's very soul. The battle raged on, neither side willing to yield, as Blake fought to use his mind control powers to free Rose from the entity's grasp.
"Fight it, Rose!" he yelled, dodging another attack. "I know you're in there. You're stronger than this thing. Fight it like the bloody Shelly you are!!!"
For a moment, Rose's body went rigid. Her eyes flickered rapidly between black and brown, her face a mask of agony. "Blake," she gasped, her voice her own again. "Help me. I can't... I can't hold it back much longer."
Blake reached for her hand but before he could make contact, the blackness overtook her eyes again. The creature snarled, shoving Blake with supernatural strength. He flew backwards, crashing into the garden shed.
As he struggled to his feet, dazed and winded, he heard a small, terrified voice.
"Mommy? Daddy?!!"
Celena stood at the edge of the garden, her eyes wide with fear as she took in the scene before her. The creature wearing Rose's face turned towards her, a predatory gleam in its black eyes.
"It's okay, baby," he murmured as he ran. "We're going to fix this. We're going to get Mommy back."
Behind them, he could hear the creature that wasn't Rose laughing, the sound echoing unnaturally across the yard. "Run all you want, Blake," she called. "You can't escape me. I'll always find you. I'm the love of your life, remember?!!!!"
Blake didn't stop running until they reached his car. He buckled Celena into her seat with shaking hands, then slid behind the wheel. As he started the engine, he glanced in the rearview mirror.
Rose - or the thing possessing her - stood at the edge of the driveway, watching them with those terrifying black eyes. It smiled, raising one hand in a mocking wave.
Blake peeled out of the driveway, gravel spraying behind them. His mind raced as he drove, trying to formulate a plan. He needed help, but who could he turn to?
More importantly, how could he save Rose without endangering Celena?
As if sensing his turmoil, Celena spoke up from the backseat. "Daddy? Are we going to save Mommy?"
Blake met her eyes in the rearview mirror, seeing a mixture of fear and determination that mirrored his own feelings. "Yes, sweetheart," he said firmly. "We're going to save Mommy. No matter what it takes."
'I'll be back,' he thought at the back of his mind looking at the side mirror as he drove away.
####**Author's note#***
Quite surprised no one is yet to figure out what is going on with Rose. It's quite clear isn't it? Damn. Comment what you think is off with Rose.
Also, can we please get more support on the other book? Please?
Thank you all and God bless you!!
Elder God, out! Hehe