When Lights Collide Chapter 25

“What we do now is shed some love onto the fear.  Fear only holds power if it holds us in the darkness, if it can do that, fear wins.” Estelle said matter-of-factly while studying Cara.

“Which is where you’re stuck, ain’t it baby.” Estelle smiled at Cara before adding, “It's ok to feel the fear, but now you have to choose, to stay in the shadows with it or shine some love light on it.

Cara dropped her head in surrender and exhaled deeply.  Unable to find the words, she merely nodded in agreement with her eyes closed.

Estelle smiled at Daniel, “you’re not the only one who’s had experience with fear tonight, the fear that tried to grab you tonight in the backyard, has been living in Cara for a long time.”

Both Cara and Daniel snapped their attention to Estelle, and finally Cara found her voice 

“Are you telling me that this is all my fault?! Cara yelled, “That I am somehow responsible for all the crap that has happened since he showed up in my bathroom..?” she asked angrily while pointing her finger at Daniel.

Daniel raised his hands in surrender, “hey, don’t point at me, I walked into all of this, remember?”

Anger danced in Cara’s eyes as she grit her teeth and muttered, “exactly, you walked in, you weren’t invited, yet, here you are.  Go ahead and play innocent buddy, but we know the truth, this is all your fault!”

Daniel shivered as fear slid an icy finger down his spine, for the short time he had known Cara, this was new, she had been all peace, love and sarcasm, now she was some sort of venomous rage, waiting to explode all over him.  

Sitting frozen still, only his eyeballs moved to see if or what Estelle might have to say about all of this.

Estelle’s eyes met Daniel’s from across the table as they shared a silent exchange, no words were used, but they both knew that the other was uncertain, if not afraid, to move in fear that they would become the next target for this rage that was spewing from Cara’s lips.

Estelle’s eyes moved to Cara, and Daniel knew that she was doing that scan thingy again.  Cara now tipped her head and Daniel could see tears in her eyes as she whispered “please, help me.”

It was only then that Daniel noticed the battle that was being waged inside Cara, her hands gripped tightly to the arms of the chair while her body tensed and released, as if in spasms.

Daniel jumped from his chair as he yelled to Estelle “Is this the fear thing, is it battling within her? Wait, is that even possible?” He asked, shaking his head at his own words.

“Yes, yes it is.  Cara has been having fear thoughts since we started talking about it and somehow, it has expanded itself inside her.” Estelle regarded Cara warily, “normally, Cara can overtake the fear, shine her own love light on it and push it away, I don’t understand how it's now trying to take her over.” Estelle stated as she moved toward Cara, looking at Daniel she said, 

“we have to send her our love, we need to help her, tune into your Grams honey, we need that loving feeling again, Cara’s life depends on it.!” She stated as she wrapped her arms around Cara and tried to hug love into her.

Cara’s body stood up, sending the chair and Estelle crashing to the floor as she turned towards Daniel.

“Go ahead big boy, you think you can set her free? You can’t even free yourself.” Cara’s voice taunted, but Daniel could tell that it wasn’t actually Cara using it.  The tone and pitch were all wrong, like something had actually taken Cara over and was now trying to use her as a weapon.

He knew because he could see Cara’s eyes begging him for help as tears fell from her eyes.

He could see the war that was happening from within Cara as her body moved in jerks and jaunts, as though she was being moved like some sort of puppet on strings.

Daniel glanced in the direction that Estelle had fallen to and could see that she was ok, moving herself to get back on her feet.  

Closing his eyes and praying for his Grams to help him, Daniel tried to think of the best way to help Cara.

“Please, help me.” he heard Cara’s voice in his mind as his eyes flew open at the same time he felt the warmth of his Grams’ love fill his heart. 

Daniel felt it, all the love that his Grams had ever held for him was now overflowing his heart and warming his body, he looked at his hands as they moved over his chest, the warmth was spreading throughout his body, and he felt the icy finger of fear melt away from his spine.

Again he heard Cara’s voice, a whisper this time in his mind, “Daniel, plea…” and she whispered no more as fear used her voice to break the silence in the room.

Spiteful laughter escaped her lips, snapping Daniel back into the reality of the moment.  

Daniel grit his teeth, and muttered “screw this” as he rushed across the room grabbed Cara in a bear hug football tackle and held her tight against him as together they fell to the floor.

Again, Daniel called out to his Grams, “please, help me help her, whatever has to happen, help her!”

With his eyes closed tightly, Daniel felt the exact moment when his Grams did indeed help him, as it was exactly the same split second that Cara’s body began thrashing against him. Which was also the same split second that fear began using Cara’s voice again.

“Haha, you think you can make a difference?  You think you, of all people, can help me?! Fear screamed loudly at Daniel and he could feel the spittle and breath on his cheek, in response he could only whisper in Cara’s ear,

“I’m here babe, and I ain't going anywhere, you are safe, I am here, I got you.”

Another series of spasms ran through Cara’s body as he could feel the spirit of his Grams as it wrapped itself around Daniel and because he was still holding her tight, around Cara as well.

As Cara’s body began to stop shaking, Daniel feel hands upon his shoulder as a voice whispered in his mind

“It's just me, let me help.” Estelle stated and he felt her hands heat up.

“You have to allow me to help Daniel, otherwise, this won’t work, allow it.” Came Estelle’s plea and Daniel nodded in response, aas he whispered aloud, “I allow you to help us, I allow you to help us, I allow you to help us, I allow you to help us. I don’t know how this all works, but I allow you to help us.”

Daniel knew he didn't understand all things that they did, but he wanted to be absolutely clear with whatever needed to know that he was a willing participant.

While his mouth carried on with the chant, allowing whatever and whoever needed to help Cara, his mind wandered to his Grams, “please help me help her, please help me help her.” Became his plea.  From somewhere inside his head came the words “but you don’t even know her…” and he shut them down quick, certain that they were fear trying to stop whatever this was that they were doing.

He voiced aloud, “no, I don't know her, not really, but I know she deserves better than being destroyed like this, she deserves better!” Daniel hugged Cara tighter, as though he could squeeze this fear thing out of her body.

Soon, there was silence and calm, there was no more whispering in his mind, no more random voices.  No more thrashing around from Cara.

Just Daniel holding Cara tightly, her head now on his chest, and him, with his eyes still closed, determined that he was going to do all that he could to help her.

Until she started shaking again, different this time, her shoulders moved and he could hear her, “wait, is she, is that..  Giggling..?!?”

Daniel released his grip at the same time Estelle seemed to notice the change in the moment.

“Ok romeo, I think we can let her go now.  It seems the fear has left her.” Estelle commented randomly, then added “hold the love honey, leave no place for fear to try and claim you.”

Daniel nodded his head as he opened his arms and looked down at Cara, but she was already staring up at him.

Their faces nearly touching, she could feel his words before she heard them “are you ok?” he asked.

Cara nodded. 

“I am, thank you, you, umm, you can let me go now…” she smiled.

“Oh! Right, ok, uumm, here we go.” Daniel stammered as he tried to move away from her, only to find that all of them were tangled up and that the zipper of his jacket had caught in the knit of her sweater.

“Oh, sorry, umm, help?” he asked as he looked at Estelle, “It seems we’re stuck.” he giggled.

Estelle shook her head, and moved to untangle her two friends, and noted to herself, 

“Yes, my TWO friends.” she smiled as she noted that in spite of all that had happened in the past day and a half, that she had, indeed, met and made a new friend.

To keep reading, CLICK HERE for chapter 26!