Anastasia sat back in her desk with her arms folded across her chest. Her eyes were narrowed into slits as she glared unhappily at the teacher. Her hair was pulled back into an unruly pony tail and she wore an oversized black sweater.
Math class seemed to pass by even slower than normal. Mr. Drent, the math teacher, was a very dry teacher. His class consisted of spending the entire period going over homework from the night before. No one in the class knew how to do the homework, because Mr. Drent never taught the students anything in a coherent manner. He was a short, plump man. He had greasy, black hair, and his face had lizard like features.
"Ms. Litchfield, what did you get for number fifty?" he demanded.
"Ten."
"Ms. Litchfield, you'll have to talk louder, my hearing isn't very good."
"Ten."
"What? You'll have to speak up, I can't hear you."
"Ten, God dammit, TEN! Are you deaf or something?"
"Ms. Litchfield, sit down," Mr. Drent ordered.
"Fuck you! I hate you! I hate your stupid class. I hate this, I hate everything! Get away from me. Don't touch me!"
"Get out of my class." Mr. Drent shouted.
"Fine! Anastasia yelled back. She stormed out of the room slamming the door behind her. The class sat in absolute stunned silence. Calvin got up and started after her.
"Mr. Nix, please sit down." Mr. Drent ordered.
"No," Calvin said plainly. "I'm going to find out what's wrong." He too, left slamming the door behind him.
Anastasia stood leaning against a locker. Tears were streaming down her face. Calvin put his arms around her. She pulled away and stared off into space.
"Anastasia, what's the matter?" Calvin begged. "You've been acting so differently. I want you to yourself again."
"He was there," she whispered.
"Who?"
"The one who will never leave me alone. He was the one chasing me on the hill. He was going to take me back. I couldn't let him!" She sobbed.
"Mr. Drent was chasing you?"
"No, it was someone else."
"Who? I didn't see anyone."
"Of course you didn't, he's very powerful."
"Anastasia, who are you talking about?" Calvin asked worriedly.
"The Master," she whispered.
"The who?" Calvin asked.
"The Master, he's making me play his game."
Calvin's eyes carried a concerned look. "What kind of game?"
"It's a game of power and control, and most of all fear," she told him quietly. She pulled up her sleeves revealing deep gashes across her wrist and forearms.
Calvin stepped back stunned. He was unable to say anything. He was at a complete loss for words.
"But you know what Calvin, I've figured out how to end this, and I'm going to fix it. Everything will go back to the way it was. I'm going to do it for us. I know I've been acting strangely and it's been hard on you. I'm going to fix it though, and we can be happy together."
Calvin put his hand on her pale cheek. It was burning hot. "You don't look so well Anastasia, you should go home, and get some sleep. I think you might be getting sick."
Anastasia looked him with the haunted look in her eye. She smiled at him. "Yeah, that's what I'll do, I'll go home."
"That's good. I'll come and see how you're doing after school. I don't care what your Uncle says. Just try to get some rest."
"I will," Anastasia assured him, "I promise."
"She's going home," Calvin said when he returned to math class. "I think she's really sick."
Mr. Drent raised an eyebrow. "Send her my best wishes then. Next time, please ask before leaving my class or that will be a detention!"
Anastasia slowly climbed down the rickety old wooden steps. She had tried to get some rest just as she had promised, but she could stop thinking of her plan, she was going to stop the Master once and for all. Her heart pounded, echoing through her mind as she carefully stepped down. She checked the tiny sword that she had securely tied to her thigh with a handkerchief. Anastasia reached the bottom of the stairs and marched with her head high, to the back wall of the cellar.
"Come and get me!" Anastasia shouted into the darkness. "Come on, I'm waiting, O' Great Master!"
The only reply she received was the echo of her own voice.
It had been an accident. He never meant for the family to be killed on his account. The whole thing was a misunderstanding. Surly Ishmar could have realized that. But he didn't understand, he blamed him for the deaths, and threatened the deaths of his own family. But when this didn't come, he forgot the warning of Ishmar, and what happened those long years ago. It simply faded away with time.
But Ishmar never forgot his promise, "I curse you, I curse your family, you will pay with their lives."
"I know you're here," Anastasia shouted. "I can feel your presence. So you might as well come out. I'll wait her all day if I have to."
She sat down on a crate of vegetables and waited.
Calvin glanced at the clock, thirty seconds left in the school day. Tension began to rise within in him. He was worried about Anastasia, some of the thing she said had frightened him. Who was hurting her? He had a horrible feeling that something terrible was going to happen to her if he didn't get to her right away.
The bell rang; Calvin hurried out to his car. Tiffany saw him rushing off, and ran after him.
"Hey Calvin, where are you going in such a hurry?" she yelled after him.
"I think Anastasia might be in trouble." He shouted back. "I'm going to check on her."
"Not without me!"
They got into the car and sped off.
A mist began to form in the cellar. It quickly began to condense before Anastasia. Out of the mist rose the Master.
"I don't normally answer to the calls of mere humans, but I was intrigued by your call," the Master told her. He extended his hand outward, and a ring of fire appeared around the edge of the room.
"So what is it you want, Anastasia, my dear?"
Anastasia suddenly became very afraid. She struggled to choke out the words she wanted to say. "I . . . I want you to leave me alone. I don't want to play your game anymore."
Anastasia gained some confidence. She wouldn't let him intimidate her any longer. "I WON'T play your game any longer!"
The Master yawned and then said in a bored tone, "I really thought you were different. I thought you'd be more interesting than all of the others. You really disappoint me, Anastasia."
He sighed, "All right, we'll finish my game, right here, right now."
Calvin pulled into the driveway. He and Tiffany got out of the car and rushed to the door, and began banging on it.
Mr. Elga opened the door, "You aren't allowed her," he informed Calvin.
"I don't care, I think Anastasia's in trouble," Tiffany said pushing Mr. Elga out of the way. "Am I going to have to look for her or are you going to tell me where she is?"
"No, no, you don't understand, I'm not going to play your game anymore." She turned to walk out but the flame burned so high that she could not pass through the door.
"I don't think you understand," the Master growled. "We're going to finish the game."
Anastasia released her tiny sword from her thigh and thrust it forward menacingly.
The Master laughed, "No sword can conquer me. Now we are going to finish my game."
He took off his mask, revealing a horrifying, deformed and twisted red face.
"She's in the basement; use the trap door under the rug. But I'm going to get Mr. Litchfield and see if he has any objections to this," Mr. Elga warned.
They quickly rushed to the basement to help Anastasia.
The creature with long claws and glowing red eyes appeared beside the Master's side. They began to advance toward her, slowing cornering her. In sheer panic Anastasia thrust her sword out and stabbed the creature. It clutched its stomach and moaned in pain.
Anastasia was suddenly filled with vengeance for all that the Master had done to her. With her hatred, she twisted the knife farther into the creature's stomach and then pulled in forcefully out.
The Master's eyes glowed with fury. He stabbed his claw like fingers into her chest. Anastasia gasped and clutched her heart as she slowly staggered backwards and collapsed.
Calvin caught Anastasia just before she hit the ground.
"Calvin, what are you doing here?" Anastasia asked in confusion.
"It's ok, it's over now," he said as he pulled her into his lap.
"Why is there all this blood everywhere?" Anastasia asked hazily.
"Anastasia, you stabbed yourself," he told her trying to cover his own wound in his stomach so she wouldn't see what she had done.
Anastasia looked down to see the tiny sword sticking out of her chest.
"I think I'll be all right," she laughed. "The Master's gone, everything can go back to the way it was before. Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine," Calvin lied.
"That's good," she answered, her voice growing faint. "Calvin, I love you." She slowly lifted herself up and kissed him, the kind of kiss that let him know it was going to be a good day. Then she sank back, having breathed her last breath.
Julian burst into the room. "What the hell is going on here?!" he demanded. Then he stopped, and for the first time in many years Julian Litchfield was speechless.
"She's dead," he whispered.
"I loved her, Sir," Calvin proclaimed. He pulled Anastasia's body upright. "I love you, Anastasia."
He kissed her on the cheek, and died in his beloved's arms.
Julian looked at his niece, the only person that he had left in the world. "I'm all alone," he whispered to the stillness of the cellar.
It was then that he remembered the words of Ishmar, "I curse you; I curse your family. You will pay with their lives."
There was the soft sound of the Master's laughter; then it faded to a whisper and was gone.
Trapped in a world of darkness
Cold and restless am I
A pawn in the creator's game of chess;
And when the Master begins to sigh
All at once I am at nigh.
I am left without a heart
All that's left is just a shell
Never was one from the start
From the Master's hand I did fell,
To a land where tears shall always well.
Out of Hell his creatures lumber
With evil, his eyes glow red like the sun
Now I meet my eternal slumber
The Master's game has now been won
And my suffering at last is done.
Author's Note: If you have any suggestions or constructive cristism whether grammer, or questions you have please let me know!! I'd really like to publish this someday but the rough edges need to be cleaned up first so any help you can give will be much appreciated. Thank you!!