She's Behind The Mask

Chapter 42 - Taken over

"As long as we don't die, this is going to be one hell of a story."
-John Green

We sit and wait as they chat amongst themselves. I look at Lucas and think to him, 'They should be coming soon'. I start getting uncomfortable and shuffle to change to a better position. As I move I see Mr Popwell stop midsentence. I freeze in my place and look to Lucas in a panic. 'Maybe I was too loud.' I think to Lucas, I try to breath as quietly as I can.

I look back down and see the room go silent. I stay as still as I can and my muscles start shaking as I hold myself up. Mr Popwell glances around the room, his eyes going up and down until they find mine. His face turns into a scowl and I think to Lucas 'Run'.

Before they can do anyting the from door bursts open and supers rush in, surrounding them. I scan for Sasha but see her nowhere. Mr Popwell's pawns freeze for a moment in shock before the fights begin, and I leap off the balcony, flying down to catch Mr Popwell.

I fly towards him, my arms stretched out wide as they connect to his neck and push him into the wall. "You'll pay for what you did", I tell him and he smiles.

"For what I did?" He says bitterly, "What about what you did?"

I tighten my grip and scowl at him. "What did I do?" I ask him in a breathy voice. "You kidnapped my friend and killed Aiden."

"But did I?" He says and grins.

"We watched him die", I say to him. "So I don't know what you're talking about."

"It worked so well", he says and laughs. "You were distraught and couldn't concentrate. It's the perfect mindset to be in to overthink everything and miss small details."

"At least I thought it worked well", he says with an annoyed voice. "But you still found our hideout."

"You killed my friend to distract us?!" I yell and push him further into the wall.

"No", he says and smiles. "I told you I didn't kill him, kids never listen nowadays."

"Where is he then!" I yell and lift him so that his feet are off the ground. I feel a hand on my shoulder and look to see Lucas. I come back to my senses look as the supers fight around the room.

"What do you mean you didn't kill him?" Lucas says from behind me. "We clearly saw him die."

"But did you?" Mr Popwell cackles, "Did you really?" He says and glances behind us.

I look behind us and my eyes land on the man that we fought in the hallways of school, the man that could give us hallucinations, the man who made it seem like a tiger was chasing after me. He sees me looking and smiles. He reaches his hand out and Aiden's body appears infront of him. Blood oozing from his neck and across the ground.

Me heart beats in chest and Mr Popwell squirms under my hands. Suddenly I hear him in my head. "I didn't really kill him, just preteneded to."

Lucas sees what happened and moves me out of the way to grab Mr Popwell himself. But Mr Popwell is looking at me, speaking in my head. "I did kill you father though, I'll admit that", he says.

I stare at him, my mind racing, where is Aiden then? "Stop it", I tell him but hes already in my head again.

"I watched as that car crashed", his voice rings in my head. "I watched as a small girl rolled out of the car, the ambulance too late to save her poor father."

My body pumps with adrenaline, the world spinning around me. "He always put his nose into everything", he says. "It's what got him killed too."

I look around the room, and grab my head. I try to take a step but I'm so dizzy. "That's what happens to nosy people. They die."

"Turn around", he says, and I find myself doing what he says. "Good." I grab my head, I can't seem to control my own mind. Mr Popwell must be doing something to me.

"Look at Lucas", he says and I glance at Lucas, Mr Popwell's shirt clenched in his fists. "He's nothing to you, he doesn't care about you at all."

Lucas looks at me with a confused look and says something, but I can't understand him. "Now...", the voice in my head says. "Fight him."

I hesitate for a second but my body acts according to Mr Popwell's voice. My feet hover over the ground and I slam myself into Lucas, pushing him to the ground. I sit ontop of him and go to punch him, but he grabs my wrist. I pull back my hand and go to punch again, hitting him in the jaw.

Lucas pushes me off him and rolls away. He says something but all I can hear is Mr Popwell's voice, "Use your telekinesis for goodness sake."

I shoot out my hand and grab Lucas in a bubble. I slam him into the wall and walk over to him, kicking him in the side. I see his mouth moving but his voice is muffled. He struggles his way back to his feet and grabs my face. His concerned eyes capture mine and for a moment I break out of the trance that I'm in.

Mr Popwell's voice rings through my brain once more, "Hit him!" I slap Lucas' hands away and punch him in the stomach with all my strength. Lucas bends over in pain and tries to grab my hand but I push him to the ground.

I grab him with my telekinesis and pull him back to his feet, punching him in his face. He doesn't fight back and I push him into the wall, grabbing his neck and watching as his face turns red. He gasps and hesitates to push me. Grabbing my wrists he sends a small electric shock up my arms.

I flinch and loosen my hands. He sends another shock and my hands come off his neck, shaking with the electricity. He looks into my eyes. "Kaylee, please", he says. "Don't make me do anything I'll regret."

My eyes flicker between his as I try to think. "What are you doing?" Mr Popwell's voice says but I ignore it, taking my mind back from him.

"I'm here", I say. "I'm back." But Lucas must see my eyes gloss over again as Mr Popwell takes over, his voice yelling in my head.

"Don't be dumb", he says. "Just listen to my voice."

Lucas grabs my face and puts his forehead to mine, looking into my eyes and opening up his mind for me to read. I see all of his memories flashing past in a blur. "Come back to me", I hear Lucas say and relaxation washes over me as Mr Popwell's voice leaves my brain.

I look over to him and hold my hand up, grabbing him with my telekinesis. A look of fear shoots through his eyes and he stares into my eyes. When he can't get into my head again he sighs with frustration. "Why is it not working?!" He yells and struggles under my grip.

"Because bad guys never win", I tell him with a smile.