Charity

Charity

                You five have been chosen. You represent virtue and the light; and you must fight the darkness. Keep your vows; Charity, Celibacy, Temperance, Patience, and Humility.

                “Nope! I’m putting it all in the charity box!” replied Charity, smiling. Her friend Alicia shook her head as the solidly built girl squeezed the wad of one hundred dollar notes into the box. Five thousand dollars, a huge prize (especially for seventeen year-olds), all given away. The charity box was setup in a little alcove just off the street (outside an office for the charity), and there was no-one but the two schoolgirls there.

                “Not even a little – you’re taking this new leaf too far, Charity,” said Alicia. “I mean, I know you won the prize because you said you were going to give it to charity but I kind of thought that was a play on words…”

                “It was a clever double play,” said Charity, smiling. She pulled back her hair and stuck it into a ponytail, the tip of which dangled to around the level of her chin. Her hair was light blonde apart from a solid, inch long stripe of black just before the tips.

                “Have you really changed that much?” asked Alicia. Until recently, Charity had been almost absurdly greedy – taking the bigger ‘half’ of everything, sneaking extra pieces of cake, never giving a cent or sharing anything she wasn’t forced to. Then, a few months ago, she’d started giving instead.

                Alicia had asked Charity why she was being so different, suddenly, and had been told that Charity had ‘decided to be good’. Despite her greed, she had always been a good person – fun to be around, and even caring despite her idea of an ‘even share’ being ‘all for Charity’.

                “I guess so,” said Charity. “I mean, I don’t even feel like going back on my word and keeping the money anymore. It feels better to be giving it away. It might just be because I don’t know what I’d buy with it.”

                “That’s… Actually that’s really good, Charity!” Alicia said. She pulled out her phone and fiddled with it while Charity smiled at the praise. “Four-thirty. Where on earth is Helen?”

                Helen was a recent transfer to their school; someone who had become fast friends with Alicia and often tagged along when she was hanging with Charity. It had been her idea to enter the competition, and she’d promised to be there when Charity followed (or didn’t follow) through with her written promise.

                The sound of solid school-shoe heels pounding on pavement came from around the corner. It stopped just before coming into view, and Helen walked around the corner at her usual pace. She looked a little flustered from the running she’d just done, her brown hair (featuring blonde highlights) haphazardly arranged.

                “Hi guys!” she said, walking up.

                “Why do you do that thing where you pretend to have not been in a rush, Helen?” asked Alicia curiously.

                “I, um, I can’t help it. I’ve been taught not to seem rushed,” replied Helen, walking towards Alicia and Charity.

                “It’s okay. Time for us to head off to the movies so we can meet up with the other guys and my sister,” said Charity.

                Charity was completely unprepared for what happened next. Helen pulled a knife from nowhere and used it to slice Alicia’s neck from behind, the blood splattering against the nearby wall to form a simple, bright red slash.

                “Alicia!” yelled Charity, running towards her friend as she collapsed to the ground. But Helen stepped over the fallen girl, and pointed the knife at Charity – forcing her to stop.

                “What the hell is wrong with you?” shouted Charity as she fumbled for her mobile phone. She wasn’t scared – she was a vow holder, and she’d use her powers if Helen tried anything.

                Helen chuckled. “How does it feel to have broken your vow?” she asked.

                “What?” said Charity. “You – I haven’t broken my vow!”

                As she yelled, Charity stopped fumbling for her phone. Activating the power of her vow-stone, she felt its magic change her school uniform into that of the vow-holders; and felt her weapon, a sledgehammer, form in her right hand.

                “Huh,” said Helen, surprised. “Oh well. If you gave the money away I’m guessing your vow can’t power you much anyway. That’s how they work, you know – the more you go against your nature, the stronger you are.”

                Charity gripped the sledgehammer with both hands and glared at Helen. She was right – Charity barely had the strength to hold the sledgehammer, which meant that her strength was only at the level it was normally. “You still won’t get away with this, even if I am weakened,” said Charity, stepping forward.

                Helen laughed. “He was right, you guys really do love to chat instead of actually fighting,” she said. Her knife glowed for a second, and lengthened into a sword. As Charity stared at it, Helen zipped in to strike.

                But what Helen didn’t know, and Charity was barely aware of, was something occurring deep in Charity’s subconscious, even in her soul. A decision. To remain charitable, as she had become, or to revert to her old ways in exchange for survival. It was tough, but her soul chose charity, not Charity.

                Charity barely managed to block Helen’s attack, and stumbled backwards after completely screwing up her footwork. “So weak,” said Helen, moving in for the kill.

                The next thing she saw was a bright glow that had suddenly begun emanating from Charity. Helen didn’t even see the blow that killed her – it was too fast to see through the blinding light. Charity had fulfilled her vow; something the light spirit had forgotten to mention or had not known was possible. She had become a vow-keeper, and the true power of the vow had been unleashed.

                Charity felt elated at her sudden victory and newfound power for only a moment. I killed someone, she thought, cold dread gripping her heart. But quickly her heart turned to steel, unaffected. An evil someone.

                Ignoring the mess that Helen had become (a mix of oddly orange blood, flesh, and grey bones) Charity stepped over to Alicia. Tears welled in her eyes, and dropped down onto the body of her friend. The dark spirit has gone too far. It’s time for the vow-holders to end him, she thought.

                As if cued by fate, her mobile phone beeped. I hope nothing has happened to anyone else! Charity thought as she fiddled with her phone.

                It was a message from someone she didn’t expect – Antonia Silenda, another girl in her year level that she vaguely knew. Antonia wasn’t one of the vow-holders, unless she was Secrecy (the mysterious vow-holder who kept showing up to save them).

                She opened up the message. The first line read, ‘I am Secrecy.’