Hellfire On The Other Side

Chapter 27

   "Clara, baby, calm down what's wrong?" Clara was pacing fast and muttering. Her hands were shaking as they went through her hair. "Clara! You haven't been like this for a while, what happened?" Claytin asked trying to get close to her but she backed up to quickly. Shane suddenly appears next to Claytin, his hands also shaking. "Clara! Get yourself together!" he says. When she saw him she backed up even more. "Don't, just... just give me a minute..." Clara stopped pacing but what breathing heavy. "Get out of my head..." she muttered under her breath. "Clara..." Claytin started. "I'm fine, everything is fine..." Clara interrupted. Shane holds his head and groans. "Ugh, my head. Need to focus," he says. Clara looked at him, "Are you trying to calm me down?! Or what are you trying to do? I don't even know anymore!" Claytin quickly went over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her still and stuck. Shane hits himself on the head repeatedly. "Typical Shane, doing something stupid! Why'd I cast that dumb spell?!"Clara rolled her eyes. "That was all you!" Claytin felt something metal under her dress color. He took it and saw the cross. "Clara what is this?" he took it off and Clara got out of his arms. "You said you left all your crosses and Bibles back in your old home." "Kiss me quickly..." Clara said. "What?" "Just do it!" Claytin went and kissed her. She calmed down enough to where the panic attack settled. "I did leave them all back in the mansion..." she muttered. "No..." Claytin sighed. Shane was hunched over, nearly breathless. "Okay, Clara. What the heck is going on?" he says. "Nothing, I don't want to rope you into it..." Clara said sitting down. Claytin threw the cross at her. "Clara, I am not stupid, there is only one person who could have given you that!" Claytin said raising his voice. Clara looked away. "Frollo gave it to you, didn't he?" Shane asks calmly. Clara didn't respond at first, "That's none of your business..." she said quietly, it was hardly a whisper. Shane turns to Claytin. "What reason would she have for speaking to Frollo?" he asked. Claytin shrugged, "She has been avoiding every guard and making sure they stay away from Adrianna and I. Do you think she was forced? He has a tendency of backing her in a corner. I want to know why she has a cross but she is still somehow on this side of Paris. She came back not too long ago and just starting to have one of her panic attacks. She just kept saying something about mind clouding." Shane comes to the realization that Frollo and the Villains of France were working together. "Well, that explains a lot," he says to himself. Clara started fidgetting with the cross in her hand, muttering under her breath, and staring out the window. Shane pulls Claytin close and says, "Listen, whatever's going on with Clara, it's not good. There has to be something we can do." "She isn't talking to me..." Claytin said before getting interrupted by his phone ringing. Clara flinched when she heard it slightly but otherwise continued muttering, staring out the window, and fidgetting with the cross. "It's Roma. I'll be back," Claytin said answering and going outside. Shane walks over to Clara. "What did those fools get you into?" he asks, referring to the Villians of France. "I don't mean this in a bad way Shane, but I don't know if I can talk to you right now, and no I am not mad, just... nevermind, forget I said anything..." Clara muttered before putting her head down and was clenching the cross now. She started muttering under her breath again, the only clear thing was "...clouded my brain..." Shane takes a deep breath and places his hand on Clara's head. "Brace yourself," he says. Clara tried to push his hand away but she was weaker than normal. "What are you doing?! Just leave me alone!" she asked nervously. Shane begins to probe Clara's mind. "I'm sorry, Clara. But I need answers. This is the only way I can get them," he says. Clara gave a scream in pain as the memories of everything that had happened earlier came back all at once. The Villain Kids of France and the plan, Claude forcing her to come with him, the conversation, her fight with Roma. "SHANE STOP!"She screamed trying to push him away again. "Not enough information," he says. "This isn't looking good!" "I'LL TELL YOU JUST STOP!" Clara screamed. Her father's words hitting her. Everything from how Shane was clouding her brain to her having to meet him every week and threating Shane. Shane jerks back in fright. "Clara..." he says, breathing heavily. "He's messing with your head again. Telling you lies and making threats. All to keep you in check. Of course, they'd get him involved!" Claytin had come back in, "What just happened?" Clara gave an annoyed groan stood up and slapped Shane. "How is that supposed to help a panic attack?!" She ran her hands through her hair angrily. "And I know what he is doing! I am not dumb Shane! But it isn't easy to sort it all out in my brain!" Shane leans against the wall and takes off his cap. "Claytin, Frollo and the Villains of France are working together," he says. "Clara's backed into a corner. She can't back out of the deal anymore." "He doesn't even know what the deal is! And I never could have backed out anyways! Not if you want your girlfriend to continue breathing!" Clara said stiffly. Claytin tried to grab her hand but she quickly backed up. "No one touches me or I might snap. I am still having an attack." "I knew this would happen. I knew that this would happen! Now, what do we do?!" Shane yells. "We do nothing! I told you, I am not roping you into this one. This is my problem, let me fix it!" Clara went and sat down her hands slightly shaking. Claytin went up next to her without touching her but at least he was there. Shane scratches his head. He pulls out the sheets of paper that Verity gave him. The words are getting much clearer. "Well, at least I'm making progress," he says to himself. Clara gave him a look but didn't say anything. She just started fidgetting with the cross again. "I am sorry for worrying you. I will be okay, I am okay," Clara said after a while. Shane sighs. "I sure hope so. And I'm sorry for probing you. If you wanna hit me again, I'll let you," he says. Clara shook her head. "All I need from you is a promise that you really aren't clouding my judgment and stuff. I know you aren't but like a safety net sort of thing..." Shane walks over to Clara. "You might have to elaborate a bit, there," he says. "Clouding... how?" "It's a saying. When you cloud someone's judgment. Basically what my father has been doing to me for eighteen years. Tricking me into believing being a villain is what I am meant to do." Clara explained. Shane scoffs. "Not gonna lie to you, I feel like I have been clouding your judgment a bit," he says. "But I've always allowed you to do your own thing, even if I disagreed with you at times." Clara nodded, "I should go..." She was getting up when Claytin grabbed her wrist. "Oh, no you don't! You just had a full-blown panic attack and, apparently, you have talked to your father. You are staying right here thank you very much." he said pulling her back. "Claytin..." "Not hearing it, sit!" Clara grumbled something but sat down. Shane claps his hands together. "And assertive Claytin strikes again!" he says. "Claytin, where is my dagger?" Clara asked shooting Shane a glare. "Locked up, don't ask where the key is, your not getting it until tomorrow. For the rest of the day, you will stay in the cabin and trust me, I will make sure of it. Love you," Claytin said kissing her cheek. She slapped him away. Claytin was unphased. Shane stifles a laugh. "Oh, Roma, if you only knew," he says to himself, thinking back to Verity's story. "So what did my mom want?" Clara asked, still obviously annoyed. "Telling me about your panic attack not knowing if I knew or not which brings me to this, why didn't you tell me you're supposed to get sleep to get over this?" Claytin responded crossing his arms. Clara bit her lip and looked away. Claytin sighed, "You are helpless." He kissed her cheek again. "Oh, Clara. You haven't been sleeping? Even if you weren't going through a lot of things, that's unhealthy," says Shane. Clara shrugged. She tried to stand up but Claytin pushed her back down. "I am just going to go find Adrianna..." Clara said. "She is with my dad who will drop her off in an hour. I planned everything, you aren't getting out of this cabin until you have slept and are rested," Claytin said crossing his arm. "Oh come on Claytin, just let me get out for a walk at least! Back me up, Shane!" Clara said. Shane raises a finger and says, "I will put a sleep spell on you if you don't cooperate." "Don't touch me," she growled. Claytin rolled his eyes at her. "It wouldn't hurt you know." "I am not Snow White or Princess Aurora thank you very much," Clara said looking away. Shane smirks. "Watch this," he says to Claytin. He snaps his fingers, instantly putting Clara to sleep. He then snaps his fingers again after ten seconds, waking her back up. Clara went to punch him but Claytin stopped her, "No you don't. I will ground you!" "Ground me?! I am eighteen and you are..." "Your husband who cares and loves you," Claytin interrupted her. "Clara, just go to sleep," says Shane, once again done with her nonsense. "Even Shane agrees with me Clara, come on," Claytin said. "I am not even tired, lord you boys are pushy," Clara said rolling her eyes. Claytin turned to Shane, "You got my permission, please put her to sleep." "No!" Clara said sternly. "Oh, this is gonna be fun!" says Shane. He snaps his fingers again, putting Clara back to sleep.