Sophia, I know it's been a while but I finally added to chapter 4. So, here's the whole chapter so far. What do you think? Anything that needs to be improved? Any ideas for what to add?
They stood in Samantha's basement. The air was damp from the humid summer weather. Ally had no clue what she had agreed to, but she knew she wouldn't like it.
“The question isn’t “will you like it,” but if you’ll play along,” Samantha said. Samantha moved so that she was standing behind Ally. She moved to grab Ally’s arms, but when Ally stiffened, she stopped.
“I will not hurt you, I promise,” Samantha whispered. When Ally didn’t respond, she added, “I mean it. I want this to be your choice. We won’t achieve anything if you fight me at every turn. No one is getting hurt. So, are you going to trust me or not?” Despite her better judgment, Ally willed her arms to relax. Ally sensed the thin smile as it formed on Samantha’s face.
“Thank you,” Samantha said.
“Don’t make me regret it,” Ally mumbled. Samantha grabbed Ally’s left wrist and latched it inside one end of a set of handcuffs. Anger and panic rose inside Ally.
“What are you doing?!” Ally hissed.
“I asked you to trust me. Now, trust me!” Samantha begged. Before Ally had the chance to resist, Samantha grabbed Ally’s other wrist and locked the set of handcuffs. Samantha let go of Ally’s wrist and moved to face her.
“If you want out, you know what you have to do,” Samantha said.
“No. I’m not doing it. You wonder why I didn’t trust you. It’s because you do things like this!” Ally shouted.
“I know, but tell me honestly, would you have agreed to this? Actually, don’t bother, I already know the answer. You’re too scared of the possibility that I’d betray you or lie to you; that’s why you wouldn’t agree to something like this. I told you, no one’s getting hurt. So, you’re going to stand there until you decide that you’ve had enough. That was the only way this was going to work. Just remember, I am as patient and stubborn as you are. There is no need for you to make this any more difficult than necessary,” Samantha said.
The silence came first, then she noticed that Samantha watched her with a steel gaze, telling her that Samantha would not give up. Finally, she noticed that she had subconsciously begun to shift on her feet.
Ally had no clue what to do. She desperately hoped there was another option, but she knew in her heart that there wasn’t. It was her will against Samantha’s, and they both knew whose would prevail. Ally could be as stubborn as she wished, but the outcome would be the same.
“Samantha… Just let me go!” Ally pleaded.
“You didn’t even try,” Samantha scoffed.
“Unlock the handcuffs,” Ally ordered, her voice surprisingly calm. As she said it, she identified the subtle release of power that flowed through her every word, but somehow, she knew it wouldn’t be enough. For a second, it seemed to have worked but as quick as it appeared, it vanished.
Samantha smirked and said, “Ah, that’s better.”
“How hard are you going to make this, Samantha?” Ally asked.
“The point of this is for you to learn to use it and control it. It doesn’t really matter how hard I make it because you’ll get out of those eventually,” Samantha explained. Ally knew she was right. They were going to stand there until Samantha was content to let her go.
Ally tried again and again. Summoning the calming yet harsh power that resided within her but to no avail. Every time Ally tried it, Samantha had that smirk, the one that told Ally that Samantha was enjoying this; their sick, twisted game. After seeing that smirk half a dozen times, Ally snapped.
“You’re enjoying this! How could you possibly be enjoying this?! I’m your daughter, not a pawn for your amusement!” Ally shouted.
“You’re right. But also, you’re not trying. If you were, you’d be free already. I understand. Out of everything you’re capable of, this is the one thing you would never do, but that’s exactly why you need to get a handle on it. So that no one gets hurt. It’s what you want isn’t it?” Samantha said. Ally knew she was right.
“I do have a handle on it.”
Samantha looked Ally dead in the eye and said, “Prove it.”
The adrenaline came in a rush, filling Ally up, stretching to every inch of her body. She closed her eyes and the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, taking the adrenaline with them. A second later, the sound of metal on concrete reverberated through the room and every cell in Ally’s body.
Samantha stood in front of Ally, wearing an expression Ally had never seen on her mother; proud and self-satisfied. As repulsive her actions may have been, Ally couldn’t help but agree.
“That is the last time I’m doing that. I am not you. And for the record, doing that made me sick.” Ally said as she passed Samantha and went upstairs.
They stood at the base of the steps. “ I know you’re not me. That’s exactly why I’ve been trying to help you because I don’t want you to become me. If I wanted you to be me I would have let you believe you were insane,” Samantha said. Ally stood facing away from Samantha. Ally didn’t want to hear any of it. Ally spun around to face Samantha.
“You say that, but I’m not sure if I believe it! You’ve made a point to know me better than I know myself! You’ve always known what to say!” Ally shouted.
“Why are you so angry all of the sudden? All I’ve tried to do is help you,” Samantha said calmly.
“How can you be so calm? When did you decide to be so infuriatingly calm?”
Samantha half smiled, “It’s not as hard as you think. I know why you’ve gotten angry at me so often in the past three days; it’s because of things I’ve done. Believe me, Ally, I’m trying to change - to be better.”
“I know. I’ve seen it.” Ally said. As soon as she said it, she regretted it.
“Have you ever wondered why I was expelled when I was only eleven years old?” Samantha asked.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“You may have known me for your entire life, but there’s still a lot about my life before you, that you don’t know. Much like the only Ally, I’ve known is the angry, bitter, one that hated me her entire life.”
“That part is on you, not me. You drove andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer) away, and eventually, you drove me away too,” Ally said. Neither of them had mentioned Ally’s father in over a year and at the mention of his name, Samantha averted her gaze.
“You’re right. That is on me. You know, I wasn’t always like that. I let these powers turn me into the worst version of myself,” Samantha said.
“What happened?” Ally asked.
“I can show you,” Samantha said. Ally was well aware that she could. It was an ability where Samantha could project her memories into the mind of someone else.
“No. I’m good, thanks. Besides, how do I know it’s not a trick or a lie?! You could show me anything you wanted.”
“I’ll make you a promise,” Samantha said as they locked eyes. “I will never lie to you ever again. Whatever I believe is the truth, no matter how hard it is to hear, understand,” Samantha said, sincerely.
