Know your Enemies!

Submitted into Contest #48 in response to: Write a story that features a protagonist with an archnemesis.... view prompt

2 comments

General

She knew she should run, as she felt her approaching behind in the crowd at the train station. Journey, knew if she stopped to say hello her "friendly" enemies words would spread hate to each inch of Journey's skin that was bare. As she thought of her outfit only her hands and face were bare. She knew she had to change up her look, her look was becoming too easy to spot. She didn't want to be rude, her heart was too kind, and she knew she had to start being a little stand offish, but she couldn't something inside of her always willed her to stop. Chem was always somewhere, Journey knew who she came through and almost every single body she borrowed to somehow have contact with Journey. Journey moved along and just as she thought she was clear of Chem, she appeared infront of her, only she wasn't in the body that appeared at first that was following her, she jumped in to another that was known to Journey as Sty. Journey just called all of them Chem, because like she said it was always the same soul jumping in to other beings. Journey tried not to get friendly with new people now that she learned this trait of Chem. The same dark soul that followed her, to try to create darkness.

"Hey Journey, looks like you were almost trying to run from me?" Chem loved to brag about hosting all the females Journey encountered.

"Ha no not at all, I'm just in a hurry as usual" Journey smiled. Though she already felt drained from the two second encounter. It was that easy for a bad vibe to interrupt the good vibes, that naturally lived inside of Journey. "Just busy enjoying the day"

Chem loved to create awkwardness in all her encounters with Journey, and it was so hard for Journey to talk to the one that she knew deep down disliked her. She never knew what the problem was, but she knew it stemmed over lifetimes. And for Chem she just didn't know how to let it go and was not interested in learning how to let it go. As for Journey, she tried to avoid each encounter, but somehow she found herself trapped here and there.

"So what's new Che.. I mean Sty?" Journey looked on with her bright eyes and soft smile.

Chem cringed as now she knew that Journey had learned how to emit her bullying, and didn't like the game of the hints that she was the same soul through most of the women she encountered. Some Chem could not get through, there were a few woman that bounced Chem out so fast, knowing she also had enemies. These ones would not host her silly games.

Chem answered quickly, "Well you know, she stammered a little, "not a lot" Chem looked uncomfortable, Journey knew she was finally starting to beat off the bullying from Chem, and everyone that knew their story and the story was starting to become old in a new world.

The entire world was changing except for Chem and her bullying toward Journey. Chem thought she was on top with her nose up in the air, she felt like she had some soul hosting status over Journey, but the world was starting to help Journey, by inserting strength and light within her so she wouldn't be affected by Chem and her trail of darkness. Journey felt it the change, her enemy was starting to look older and out of place, she was starting to fold at the shoulders and she was looking defeated as Journey tried her best not to make eye contact. Journey broke the uncomfortableness and excused herself from the undesirable encounter.

"Well take care Sty have a great day" Journey started to walk toward her bike that was parked outside of the station.

Chem looked annoyed, that she had nothing to keep Journey in her presence longer. Journey was moving away so fast and with that brightness all around her. Chem couldn't even hide her disgust it showed on her face as she watched Journey leave her. In her mind she thought our next encounter, I will be the one with the power, to walk away first. She will see.

Journey quickly unlocked her bike and rode down the street as she sang a freedom song and smiled within and oh yes the smile shone bright on her face, I guess you could say from ear to ear. Yes her freedom was to be as far away from the ones that tried to hold her from her freedom, which was riding her bike in the wind and being free from others that wanted to stop her moving. Journey was always one to be out enjoying the day loving the earth and she always got the feeling that someone was trying to stop her from that and she kind of smiled at that. She didn't know why it was something people liked to do to others. But she was careful, she didn't want to stir up badness, so she played the game back that way it didn't become a bad feeling for others around her.

Journey, stopped her bike for a slice of pizza and basked in the Sun! She loved the days, though she was always alone with her bike or in her little Audi A5. The feeling inside of her was not that of being alone, she felt full of life and love. She knew she had to figure out a way to make Chem disappear and let go of whatever past they had together. The funny thing was the following only came in spurts and Journey realized that they had been fading in the last few months. Journey noticed she had to drop a few things in order to have Chem, not want to be around her, because the more that Journey continued certain habits the more Chem and her crew of hosts appeared.

It took a little meditation and clarity of the mind for Journey to realize this. Journey was a spiritual being that loved good for all the world, but there are the ones that believe that if all the world was full of good, it would be boring. Journey didn't feel this way, because she never found herself bored. She may have thought that when she let corruption host her mind, but she learned that that was not how she felt her body never felt bored, even when she stopped doing the things that seemed to make her happiest, it wasn't true. She still felt happiness when things hobbies were on hiatus. Put it this way Journey always found a way. She put her bike away for a little while, but not forever. She missed it, but it wasn't something she had to stop doing it was just on hiatus. She quickly finished her pizza and went to the prettiest park in the city. She knew after her encounter with Chem today, she had to fight her away it was working, she was able to fight her off with her mind.

Journey laid out her blanket took off her helmet and sat in the position to meditate and it all came to her quickly. Her visions and thoughts were correct. A few months back she realized that she had to stop using marijuana, because she thought it was starting to control her and all the things she was doing, it was also creating sour humans in her path. She stopped and noticed there were less sour humans in her path. She also remembered some of the people such as chem appeared less and less when Journey stopped doing the things that Chem did. And one of them was marijuana another was smoking cigarettes, once she stopped doing that she noticed bad things and feelings fading from her being. Living a cleaner life didn't just mean the products you were using, but it is almost like those products became humans Journey had known. In this session of meditation this came to Journey quickly. The smoking of both products tobacco and marijuana brought around certain encounters. Today when Journey encountered Chem, she realized Chem really had nothing to bother Journey about anymore. It wasn't as easy for Chem to be a part of Journey, because they bagan doing different things. Journey changing her habits, made it so much harder for her past to catch up with her. Journey smiled at this realization and she liked it. A real breakthrough for her.

Journey realized that since the pandemic she had been able to drop alot of habits, like coffee out everyday from the local coffee shop, made it harder for the ones that had such habits follow her and create her day. She wasn't sure if it was all true, but she knew that for now it was a nice break from controlling habits she once had in her life.

As Journey stretched her arms out she wondered if the enemies such as Chem were those of her own creation. Chem the pot smoker, the cigarette smoker the follower every person that Journey knew Chem was hosting was a smoker she always knew, because she could smell it. Journey also stopped dating in the past five years and noticed that Chem seemed to come across as the ex of some of her partners. Chem was fading fast due to the fact that Journey wanted none of what Chem had. Journey was not chasing the things that Chem cherished. Journey realized in past lives she dated too much, she smoked too much she drank too much liquor. She didn't know and wasn't too sure, but she didn't mind this clean living she was doing. Though she never felt fully harmed by some of the habits she had picked up she felt over time, they had become her enemy too much of anything can become the enemy.

Journey stuck to the plan of staying clear of those habits, that brought Chem's around. She noticed a change in her days since a lot of habits have been cut out.

For Journey was not closed to all she knew she was a smart girl The cigarette habit was leading her to a life of unhappiness and lazyness, disgust and darkness. As for marijuana it is a natural product of the earth if recieved in a form from the earth, but once "chemicals" are mixed in it becomes an enemy of unwanted Chems!

In all of Journey's days she was sent some wisdom of truth, love and light! live on and know your enemies!

The End

June 27, 2020 21:06

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

2 comments

Lynn Penny
02:21 Jul 05, 2020

Wonderful story, nice job!

Reply

Sheryl Reddy
18:18 Jul 08, 2020

Thank you!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in the Reedsy Book Editor. 100% free.