The Psychic Legacy

Chapter 18: Belief

All the glass in the windows rattled as Polly slammed me into the sunroom wall. She had a tight grip on my throat, pinning me in place.

"Not this shit again!" she snarled in my face. "You think I'm stupid enough to fall for this twice? I know you're not my sister."

"Polly—" I gasped, pulling at the fingers that were wrapped around my neck."No, listen to me—"

"Stop, stop!" Tory cried, jumping into the fray. He got into Polly's face. "You have to stop! Whoever is in there with her, that's still Rachel you're strangling!"

Polly's grip loosened just a little, just enough to give me some air, but she kept her hand in place, still unwilling to let me get away.

"Who are you, really?" she hissed, staring so intently into my eyes that I thought she was trying to see beyond them. "Who are you?"

Now would be a good time to step in, I screamed inwards.

Lillian didn't respond.

"Who are you?" Polly shouted, shaking me.

Do something! I shouted inside my head. Say something!

I felt a flare of anger somewhere inside. Anger that was not my own.

And then another voice moved through my lips.

"She's right, Polly," said Lillian, out of my mouth. "It's me."

Tory staggered back from us, his eyes wide with shock.

But Lillian's effort didn't help. Polly's eyes flared bright and she tightened her grip again, pressing me into the door jam so hard the wooden frame cut into my back.

"It's Rachel! Rachel!" Tory cried again. But his voice was starting to sound far away like it was down a tunnel. He appeared to be disappearing down a tunnel, too; the edges of my vision began to darken. And Polly and Tory seemed to be shrinking away...

Tory's cries were barely audible now. "Polly, let go—she's going to pass out!"

"Matchstick! Stop this!"

My vision went from darkness to bursting with light. I heard a strange thump and air rushed into my lungs. I coughed and rolled over, realizing as I did so that I was laying on the floor—the thump had been me, falling. Polly had let me go.

I propped myself up on my hands. I wasn't sure I could stand—my vision was still spotted with brightness and my head felt far too light. I looked up instead. Polly and Tory were standing over me. Though they both wore matching looks of horror, Tory was standing between Polly and me, his arms braced in front of her like he was ready to fight her off.

But Polly didn't look like she wanted to fight anyone. She clamped her hand to her mouth and the ice in her eyes began to melt.

"W-What did you say?" she sputtered from behind her hands. "What did you call me?"

What had I said? The lack of oxygen had made my recollection of these last few moments a little spotty—

"Matchstick, please listen..."

What? I raised my fingers to my lips. The words come through my mouth without me even realizing it.

Polly was trembling now. The tears in her eyes had escaped and were now spilling down her cheeks. "No. No, it can't be," she mumbled. She started to shake her head. "No, no, no!"

"Polly," came more of Lillian's voice. "Believe us. It's really me."

Polly began to shake her head violently, and then, without another word, she turned and fled from the room.