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“Mmm, so many of you seem to have forgotten what I am….what I used to be.”
Elli steps forward, the fog starting to roll in thick now. Martin turns and sees Simon looking almost….afraid, still maintaining his smile but now far more tense. Even Helen shifts uncomfortably at Elli's change, the energy from The Distortion wrapping protectively around her and seeming to further warp her form, like a spiky second skin. He holds Jon's body a little closer to himself.
“Though, I'm willing to bet that some of you are too young to even remember how it happened. Too young to remember how I was so brutally ripped apart.”
Elli vanishes, only to reappear at the side of The Dark, ripping off a small spider from its neck. They dangle the thrashing thing, humming as they do. The musical sound borders on soothing, a song Martin knows well by now, but it feels so wrong here, meant to be a comfort, but too far off, incorrect notes echoing too far in this open space. Elli slowly smiles at the creature in their fingers, dangling it by one leg.
“Why so worried, little one? Didn't your Mother tell you that I am of no concern? " The way they say that word feels like a vicious mockery, a "mother" that can't even be bothered to show up for her children, only sending them off to do her dirty work. "Just sweet little Lonely , kind little Lonely, ripped away from something big and scary, all to keep you all safe.” They coo, the spider thrashing more. “Did she leave out the part where she ripped me away from The End itself? All because she was afraid of what I was. Afraid of what I could possibly do one day to her and her little plans.”
Elli opens their mouth, tilting their head back and placing the spider on their tongue. Before the spider can get its bearings or try to thrash again, they close their mouth, leaving the head of the spider poking out, held in their teeth but still very alive. The spider tries to thrash but Elli just smiles, lips pulled away from glistening teeth and tongue pressed against it to keep it still.
Simon goes pale, gripping his cane tighter. Martin stares on in horror as, for once, The Eye falls completely silent.
Elli exhales, the thick fogs of its very Being pouring out of their lips and wrapping around the spider. Slowly, after all its thrashing, it stills, laying limp. They stick their tongue out letting it sit there for a moment, before letting the limp spider fall into their waiting palms.
“Do not forget who made me into this, Web. You were afraid of what I once was and you orchestrated the effort to tear me away from my whole.” Their eyes flick up, eerily cold, swimming across the little ‘family’ The Web has attempted to create. “Do not forget, all of your children will pass through my realm, for one reason or another. Each victim, each avatar, they must pass through Me in order to reach you, in order to become what you require of them. The Lonely. The Lost. The Fallen. The Isolated. The Aimless. The Forgotten. The Abandoned. All pass through my waiting hands.”
They throw the spider over their shoulder, The Dark rushing forward to catch it before it falls to the ground, while calmly Elli walks away. “You come and you damage my partner and my children, and yet you still choose to walk into my home and make demands. I would think very carefully on if you think you should choose to proceed with this course of action.”
They step over to Jon, kneeling down to his and Martin's level. They gently ruffle Martin's hair. Simon looks at them uneasily, unsure of this would even work, while Helen tenses, ready for a fight. But The Stranger and The Dark look uncertain, clearly shaken. The Dark wraps around them both, and they vanish, just as Elli places a hand to Jon's forehead.
“....you do know, you basically just declared war, yes?” Simon asks, still a bit tense.
“The Web declared war the moment She went after The Eye.” Is Elli's only reply.