“I’ve been thinking about something,” Kellie stated. Katie and Merlin now looked over at Kellie who was thoughtfully rubbing her chin. “Well,” Katie stated. “What is it?”
“Mary Elise knows about the rings now,” Kellie said. “She’s seen their power. She saw it before she said anything to us when we were in the room. What if she’s trying to tempt us to use the ring for revenge?”
“Why would she want to tempt us?”
“No I believe Kellie is on to something Katie,” Merlin said. “Yes, that does make sense. Mary understands the responsibility a ring bearer would have. If someone were to use the ring selfishly it would cause that person to suffer grave consequences.”
“Like me,” Kellie muttered.
“So Mary is trying to get rid of us,” Katie asked, obviously confused. Kellie shook her head. “No I don’t think so,” she said. “I’m guessing she wants to bring us to her level. How can we say we’re better people if we would use the ring to punish her.”
Merlin smiled as he looked at his apprentice. That Kellie had been able to see Mary’s possible motives impressed him greatly. He had not considered that their could be alternate reasons for Mary’s actions. If she truly was as manipulative as they thought it would only make sense that she would try to poison the others and make them more like her. “Impressive Kellie,” he smirked. “I think you may have stumbled upon her alterior motive. The question is how do we deal with her.”
“Your grandpa is right,” Katie said. “Mary still knows about the ring, she could make things very difficult in the future.”
“I have a plan,” Kellie smirked. “And if it works not only will it keep Mary from ever bothering us, it might just make her change her ways.”
Katie, Kellie and Merlin discussed the plan with Kellie even showing aKatie what she intended to do. Katie had to admit it was impressive and it gave her a greater understanding of what Kellie missed from her original timeline. As the two made their way to school the next day they decided to put their plan into action. The girls all had a free period just before lunch. During that time Katie and Kellie would confront Mary Elise.
“So you ready,” Katie asked as they headed towards an empty classroom. Kellie nodded, gazing down at her ring. “As ready as I’m going to be,” she sighed. “Let’s just hope Mary shows up.”
“She’ll show,” Katie answered. “I had Lisa and Sammy spread a rumor that we were going to fight. Knowing Mary she’ll want to see her handiwork.”
As Katie and Kellie entered the classroom they could already see Mary Elise waiting for them. “Don’t mind me,” she smiled. “Just came for the fireworks. You two go right ahead don’t mind me.”
“There’s not going to be a fight Mary,” Katie said defiantly. Mary Elise tilted her head slightly before smiling Coyly. “I see,” she said. “So you decided to use that ring to what? Make me an infant? An old woman? Maybe just erase me from existence.” Mary slowly stood up, smiling, as she held her arms out. “Well go ahead. Do your worse, know this though you do that and your no better than I am.”
“We already figured that part of your plan out Mary,” Kellie said. Mary gave the girls a confused look as Kellie slowly approached. “I figured you would want something like that to happen,” she said as she stood in front of Mary. “That way you can justify that everyone is as crappy and evil as you think they are. No, I’m going to show you the girl that I knew and what you lost when you decided to go down this road.”
Kellie reached up with her ring and touched Mary Elise’s forehead before she could react. In a flash of light Mary Elise, Kellie and Katie now found themselves in a fog covered area. “What is this,” Mary Elise exclaimed. “Where are we.”
“This,” Kellie said sadly. “Is all that’s left of my original timeline. I’m going to show you the person I knew, the person you could still be.” Mary Elise frowned as she looked first at Kellie then at the fog. Slowly the fog seemed to part as images began to appear. As the girls watched thy could see themselves, the way they were before Kellie had erased Katie and Lisa’s existence.
In the image the girls could see themselves lounging outside on a warm spring day after class. The Mary Elise in this image was happy, surrounded by friends, and loved by them all. “So we were good friends,” she scoffed. “Do I look like I care if we were besties in your world.”
“Look how happy you were though,” Katie stated, pointing at Mary Elise’s smiling face. “All of us, we were like sisters we could of had that.”
“I’m happy now,” Mary Elise declared. “Just because Kellie is found of a reality that doesn’t exist anymore doesn’t need mean I should care either.”
“I thought you might feel that way,” Kellie said sadly. “I had hoped that by showing you that we were all friends at some point you would have second thoughts. I guess I was wrong, so let me show you what you something you’re truely going to miss.”
The image of their friends vanished into the fog as the continued to stare into it. Slowly another image began to appear, one Mary Elise was all to familiar with. “Why are you showing me my house,” She’s asked. “Just watch,” Kellie said quietly. As Mary Elise watched the image come into focus she could see her mother and sister sitting at the table happily talking. Mary Elise frowned as she watched her other self enter the room carrying plates for dinner. Mary Elise could only grit her teeth at the happy, smiling girl without a care in the world. As she was about to say something to Katie and Kellie she gasped as someone followed the other Mary out. “Dad,” she whispered.
Mary Elise gawked as she watched her father gently kiss his wife and daughters as he set the table. Mary Elise could only stare in painful silence the man she’s missed more than anything sat down next to his eldest daughter. As he ruffled her hair the girl in the image appeared to grumpily knock his hand away before smiling and hugging him. Mary Elise now slowly approached the image, hand outstretched, longing to just touch the father she had missed so much. Just as her hand was about to brush his cheek the image faded away into ether.
“No,” she whispered. Turning to face Katie and Kellie fresh tears trickled down her cheek as she stared at the two in despair. “Mary,” Kellie stated. “I believed that deep down you were a good person, you have proven me wrong. I could of helped you get what you desire more than anything in this world. Unfortunately you actions have now made that impossible, maybe someday, if you change your ways, I can help you.”
Mary Elise sunk to her knees unable to respond as she cried silently. She cursed herself silently for being so petty, so evil. “You are to leave all of us alone Mary,” Kellie said quietly. “The pain you feel right now is just a fraction of the suffering you have caused all of us. If you can change your ways then maybe.....someday...I can call you a friend.” Turning Katie and Kellie now left Mary Elise alone with the knowledge that she had blown her one chance to have her father once more.
“Do you think that worked,” Katie said as they walked down the hall. Kellie nodded as she sadly looked at her ring. If their was one thing she was familiar with it was loss, It had shaped the last 10 year she of her life. “I think so,” she mumbled. “Mary understands now what she could of had and what she lost because of her actions. Maybe for her it’s a turning point.” As the two now went to join their friends Kellie could only hope that her actions hadn’t left her aloneness in this world.