Dianna's pain grew more and more intense. A terrible pain that was slowly leading her to death. She couldn't move and was barely breathing. She was bleeding from her nose, ears and a little from her eyes and mouth. Her body was stiff and her heart felt like it was going to burst. Two paramedics were trying to save her life, between strong swaying movements. They were trying not to lose their composure, although they were talking too loud to each other. Loud enough to be perfectly audible despite the sound of sirens.

Dianna was on her way to the hospital, in an ambulance that never seemed to reach its destination. In the middle of so much hustle and despair, a thought about her mother crossed her mind. "Maybe mom felt something like this before she died? Was it really my fault that she died of a heart attack? Is it true what that nasty old woman said? Am I so selfish that I only think about myself? Is that why no one ever talks to me? Is that why I don't have any friends anymore? Have I always been like that or is it that thing inside me that pushes me to behave that way? I have never felt that I was like that, but that doesn't mean that..."

She remembered the old woman's mocking voice in her head. "You humans, disgust me. Always trying to shirk responsibility. It's always someone else's fault, isn't it?" She also remembered her beloved grandmother's voice. "Karma is inescapable, child. You reap what you sow." Dianna felt a huge wave of regret swallow her up voraciously. "Shit, shit! If I had another chance. I would try to be someone better. I would try to make things right. Although the truth is that don't know how to do it. I've never done anything but make bad choices..."

All at once, she heard again the voices of the paramedics who were trying to save her. One of them, a desperate man unable to prevent the girl's life from slipping through his fingers, was looking at the woman next to the driver. "It's incredible the fortitude you have, madam! You must be very confident that we will save your granddaughter's life! You haven't said a word the whole way. However, I am afraid I don't understand how she can be bleeding like that and have a heart attack at the same time. It's just impossible..."

Dianna felt a strange sensation, beyond understanding that she was going to die. "Grandma's in the ambulance too? But she died years ago! If it's not her, who the hell is coming with us?" Her uncertainty lasted barely a second.

The voice reached her as well. "That's because I have no hope that you will save her, asshole! She'll die yes or yes, no matter what you do."

Dianna recognized the voice, as she felt the cold embrace of death. It was the voice of the old woman-like being who had made her see so many things. "Damned motherf...!"

Incomprehensibly the old woman addressed the ambulance driver, as if he obeyed her. "Now turn to the right Tony. Crash against the gate of that old abandoned house. Our destination is in there. Accelerate! Don't be afraid, Tony. I want you to go all the way into the kitchen."

The other paramedic, the one who was still trying to revive Dianna, shouted in desperation and disbelief. "Tony, Tony! What the hell are you doing, man? Stop, dammit! You're going to kill us! STOP!!!" Dianna felt a tremendous crash that surely smashed the front part of the ambulance. But the second impact was the terrible one.

Only a few tenths of a second later, all the ambulance's instruments flew into the air. Dianna and the two paramedics hit against the front seats, crushing the driver and the old woman. They all flew through the windshield, but never hit the ground. A dense liquid blackness swallowed them up. Suddenly, everything stopped and became pitch black.

For some time; which seemed like hours, Dianna didn't feel, see or hear anything. Likewise, her mind remained blank, although she was aware of it. Finally a strange voice was heard.

"Initializing protocol. Initiating scan and parameter reset. Please wait!" Just as the progress bar was about to start, an alarm went off, and thousands of silver-blue tendrils completely immobilized her. They restrained her tightly, though she couldn't move. Finally, in the midst of the blackness, a dimensional portal opened behind her and something came out.

Very slowly, Dianna began to regain her senses. She slowly opened her eyes and heard someone walking behind her, without being seen. The being emitted strange vibrations, which seemed to came from the beating of its heart. She could tell it was tense and furious. As the seconds passed, she stopped feeling the tremendous vibrations as a 3D image began to form a few steps away, right in front of her. The image had sound. There, the amused laughter of a mother and her three-year-old daughter could be heard.

Dianna was shocked at the sight. In front of her, a woman was playing with her daughter. The girl had a doll with only one arm and almost no hair. The doll had come out of the garbage and didn't look out of place with the rest of the misery in the house. But that didn't seem to matter to them.

They both had a lot of fun pretending they were having an imaginary tea and pastry snack, since they didn't even know what it tasted like. They thought it would be something delicious, just like that. Perhaps because they saw it in a neighbor's public television movies.

Dianna smiled, unaware that tears were streaming down her cheeks again. Especially seeing her mother hugging her and playing with her. Dianna mumbled unconsciously. "Mom."

It had only been three and a half years since she had passed away, but almost fourteen years had passed since that particular moment. She wanted to move forward and embrace her mother's body, but the tendrils were still holding her. Filled with rage, she thought. "Fuck! Let me go!"

Helpless and realizing that she couldn't release herself, she turned her face to see her mother again. But she was gone. She saw only an image of herself, nine years younger. She was on the phone with her mother.

"I have to work late, honey. In the meantime, play with the dolls. Dinner's in the fridge." The little girl was in a much better house, with much better clothes, a bed all to herself and lots of new dolls. Despite of all this, she was not happy. All she wanted was to play with her mother, but that never happened again.

Dianna closed her eyes in grief. "Why were you so worried that we'd stop being poor? I was already happy playing with you. Much happier than I've ever been."

Suddenly, shouts of children were heard. They were insulting her as she walked down the street, dressed in her school uniform. Furious, she opened her eyes and searched for the source of the screams directed at the girl. She didn't wonder who they were. She knew it. She remembered that moment perfectly. In front of the young version of herself, there were six children, screaming and throwing small stones at her. She was whimpering, trying in vain to hold back her tears.

"Even though you no longer live in that pigsty with your fat mother, you are still an outcast. Stay away from us, you filthy pig! We don't want your lice and ticks sticking on us. Dirty rat."

Dianna looked at the boy, recognizing him. She remembered that she had hated him for years. Long years in which he had made her life impossible. She also remembered that, one day, that hateful bastard just disappeared.

Suddenly, a voice that could be heard from everywhere asked. "Tell me! Was that damned child also an obstacle to "your" happiness?". At first, Dianna was taken aback because she couldn't see who was speaking behind her. The tendrils had bound her arms and legs spread apart. Like an X suspended in the air.

After waiting too long, she became angry; but she didn't speak out loud. She just thought. "Damn it! I know my life very well! There is no need to show me all this, or do you find some kind of satisfaction in it?!"

Dianna heard footsteps behind her again. She guessed it must be the scar-covered being the old woman had shown her earlier. Dianna felt less terrified than she had expected. She was expecting a being with a more terrifying voice. Instead, his voice didn't sound like much.

Finally, the being responded. "I understand this is awkward for you child, but please be patient and understand me. I'm supposed to know who you are, but that's not the case."

The being walked until he stood in front of her. It was very strange to see a hooded and scarred being in the middle of those children, frozen like a paused video. The being pointed to the boy who had disappeared.

"Tell me, bastard! Are you trying to please her by killing others? How far did you get? Do you consider this host better than the one I carefully chose for you? Didn't you realize that she's just like all the ones I discarded?"

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Dianna didn't understand why he was addressing her like that, or what he was referring to. It seemed like he wasn't talking to her. "I don't think he's talking to what's inside me. I've never had a conversation with that ever again." Instead, she felt confident, believing herself to be better than the high school pariah, Emily. The completely black, deformed, female-looking being had rejected the pariah and chosen her.

"Did he really pick her? What did he see in her? I guess he didn't see her today. She's really pathetic. She's a coward and a crybaby. Always trembling. I hate looking like her." At that very moment she regretted it, remembering that not many minutes ago she had been begging for a second chance. "Why the hell do I always act like this? Why do I hate her so much?"

The being interrupted her seriously, raising its tone a lot. "How could a petty being like you, whom I have given a second chance, use me to hide in such despicable beings as Beth, Rebecca, Nina, George and so many others?!". The scarred being paused slightly, trying not to vent his anger on the "vessel" that contained the object of his hatred.

Dianna gave in to a strong urge she felt from within and tried to defend what she carried inside her. They had been together for three years and she knew how much it had improved her. "I've become stronger, braver and I want you to know that I'm going to change. I want to..."

The scarred being couldn't contain himself and his voice suddenly changed. So much so that it was almost terrifying. Like an earthquake of an impossible scale. As if the end of the world had come without warning. "I'm not talking to you, child. You'd better wait a moment. I have some unfinished business to settle with what's inside you."

Dianna would have wet herself if she'd had something to let out. The voice shook existence itself, bringing darkness with it. For hours, she couldn't see, hear or feel anything except an immense emptiness. As if part of her being had been ripped away. Much deeper and more painful than the death of a mother. But, tears never come to vent her terrible grief. She couldn't feel anything. Only emptiness.

After a long time, the voice of the scarred being became audible again. More relaxed and less aggressive. "Open your eyes, little one! It's time we talked about you and your destiny."

Dianna finally felt her body again. Relieved, she slowly opened her eyes as was able to see again. She was no longer restricted by the thousands of tendrils. In front of her, were hundreds of eyes watching her. They belonged to hundreds of male and female figures. Shadowed by a darkness emanating from themselves. Dianna wanted to step back, but realized there were many, many more behind her. From among all of them, one approached, addressing her. It was the scarred being.

"Maybe all of this will give you an idea of why I made a deal with Emily and not someone like you. Dianna was dumbfounded. "Emily made a deal with this being? Why? What did she have that he wanted? Would he want something from me, too? Maybe he's a being similar to the one inside me? Will he still need a host even if it's much more powerful?"

Dianna was so shocked that she didn't even realize that she no longer despised Emily. But the scarred being did realize it, though he didn't want to show it. "You are just one more. One of so many others I've ended up discarding. I don't need another being whose only qualities are strength, iron will and aggressiveness. I don't need another being who only has the courage to be able to face everything."

Slowly, Dianna stopped feeling as special as she thought she was. She lowered her head slightly and looked down at her hands. "I thought I would have what it took to face whatever came. I thought..." She looked at him again and asked. "What does she have that I don't?" She paused briefly. She felt like crying, but anger wouldn't let her. "Shit! I..."

The scarred being watched her calmly. As if probing into her soul. "In my past I didn't always seek respect, empathy, honor and truth. In the past I was like you. Proud, selfish and very, very aggressive." He paused and looked at the scars on his hands. "I built ladders based on violence, destruction and death. I brutally punished my enemies. Those stairs allowed me to ascend to where I am today. But taking a look back." He paused again, clenching his fist. He looked uncomfortable and regretful. "I am not proud of the road I have traveled and the trail of death I left behind me. For that alone, I'll give you a chance."

For an instant, Dianna felt a small glimmer of hope. Hope that the powerful being was going to wither a little. "I take it you know Ian, right?"

Dianna looked at him in atonishment, thoughfully. "Ian also knows this being? So he made a deal too?". Then, Dianna answered without delay. "Yes. I know Ian. We go to the same high school and the same class."

The scarred being quickly added. "You like him a lot, don't you?" Dianna blushed, trying to avoid his gaze. The scarred being smiled slightly. "There shouldn't be anything wrong with that in another situation, I guess. I hear the boy causes a sensation wherever he goes." Dianna remained silent, not wanting to reveal something that was quite obvious.

The scarred being continued. "From now on, you will see Ian differently. I'm afraid his eyes have been opened" He paused, avoiding delving deeper into the subject. "Because my friend has forcibly brought you here, I will give you a chance, even though you don't deserve it."

Dianna pretended to pay attention to what he was about to say, but ended up interrupting him. "Sorry! When you say you'll give me a chance, do you mean you'll make a deal with me? I'll be able to keep my..."

The being's interruption was like being hit by a truck. "You are not worthy of a deal. Besides, everything that was inside you is now gone.

You'll even find that you're free of its petty influence."

Dianna felt sad, but she didn't want to show it. Therefore, she couldn't look him straight in the face. "With that inside me, I felt capable of anything. I wasn't afraid of anything. I was ..."

The being added. "The opportunity I'm going to give you is so that you can come back to life out of this place. You will still carry essence within you, although it is not the same one that entered and possessed you three years ago. If I remove it completely, you would die without remedy. It's just neutralized. It has made too many changes within you that require its presence. On the other hand, the amount of essence you contain now is small. So you don't really have all the benefits of a complete essence or the treatment that would come with it. You don't need to know what they are, because you are not worthy of a deal with me."

Dianna clenched her fists in anger, feeling insignificant. Not wanting to dig any further into what a complete essence was or the conditions of the deal. Perhaps out of pride. "I'm sick of you repeating it to me all the time. I already know I'm not worthy." She felt like a moth with nothing more to contribute.

The being raised only his forearm and turned his palm upward. "Typical of the proud, the aggressive and the selfish. They never take no for an answer. Prove me wrong then! Prove to me that what I took away from you didn't make you different! Prove to me... that you're worthy!"

The scarred being concentrated his strength in the palm of his hand. His fingers were stiff. As if they were squeezing a small invisible sphere. In the center of the fingers, she appreciated concentrating a strange black and blue glow. Then, everything began to shake and out of nowhere a mixture of completely black smoke and sand began to rise from the ground and take various forms.

In just a few seconds, Dianna was on a narrow street between two buildings. It was night and there was no one else, except for a little girl at the end of the street. She seemed to be afraid. Dianna watched her for a few seconds, not knowing whether to approach her or not. Tense, Dianna looked up and down the street. "Where the hell is that sinister being? Is this an illusion, like the ones the old woman made me see?"

The scarred being's voice was heard in response to her thoughts. It came from everywhere and nowhere. "There is nothing fictitious about this, child. If you die in this trial, there will be nothing left to resurrect you." Dianna's hair stood on end at that. The scarred being added. "Isn't this what you wanted? Didn't you want to shut me up and prove me wrong? Didn't you want to show me that you're worthy? Then prove it to me!"

Suddenly, footsteps were heard at the end of the street. The little girl, terrified, stepped backwards until she touched the wall with her back. Right after that, she sat down on the sidewalk, whimpering in fear. Dianna stepped forward, wanting to see what was going on, only to discover to her chagrin that not all the footsteps were coming from across the street. She turned quickly and saw behind her, three silhouettes slowly approaching. All too familiar. As soon as she heard the farthest one sneer, she felt her blood run cold.

"Don't even think about screaming, cutie, or things will get really bad for you." She recognized the voice instantly. It was burned into her worst nightmares.

Hearing the click of the automatic knife as he pulled it out of his pocket almost made her scream in terror. "What's wrong with me? Why is my body shaking like this? I'm not like that. I'm not afraid of anything."

For some reason she couldn't understand, she didn't feel what normally made her blood boil with anger when something threatened her. She didn't feel the courage and the rage. She only felt terror. Three hooded men were coming towards her. Calm and self-confident. They intended to get what they wanted from her. They would hurt her if she dared to refuse.