Lumber Avenue - Mundane Settlement
They are among us.
The warning was part of her morning routine growing up. Juliet sang it like Paul Revere- short of going from door to door with a bell.
Amelia drew in a deep breath, smiled and continued to look about the empty neighbourhood, from where she sat on the stone step leading to her loft.
Aside Julieta's tales of the supernatural realm, her disdain for humans was far worse. They were impervious to all of it, sure the dome played a huge part in it, but still, they were an innately clueless race. Speaking of domes, she was sure she saw and felt it when she entered the city but no one was counting.
Amelia smiled. While she believed her mother was deranged, she was inclined to believe certain things. Of course, admitting that meant she was almost as insane as Julieta. If indeed half the things she said were true, it begged two questions- how did she know and why did only she seem to know it?
She felt the cold hand on her shoulder and turned to find her roommate, Josephine, standing over her in baggy blue shorts and a snug white tank-top.
"Liking the town so far?" Jo asked.
She shrugged. Indifferent was more the word. She'd caught a little of her mother's crazy because she got a feeling from Rebrook she could not shake.
"It's peculiar," Amelia returned. It was how the sombre city felt. Were the air any more frigid she'd think she travelled back in time. Jo turned to her with that familiar scowl on her brows and Amelia rolled her eyes in response. She was going to insist on knowing more about the peculiarity.
"Tell me about it." Jo lowered to her side on the steps.
Amelia shook her head with a chuckle. She knew Jo too well. A certain realization dawned as she looked at Jo. There had been times she knew what was coming before it did: words, actions, anything.
City of the damned, as Julieta had called it, had called her for years. She finally answered, and all she wanted was to find out if magic truly existed. She suspected that it did but hope was a miserable thing because it would mean Julieta was right, and her disappearance was much too sudden for it to be normal. Now, who sounded crazy?
"You shouldn't read too much into the town's history. It's just a ruse to lure more tourists here," Jo said as she waved to the mailman making his way past their building on foot. He returned the wave, with a polite smile. "You really think witches and creatures of the night live among us?" Jo asked.
Amelia fell silent. She had a troubling feeling about her position on the matter. She couldn't say for a fact, but she knew there was more out there. She felt it in her core, and it worried her. Humans were not alone and the questions that plagued her were only compounding.
"No one knows Jo. Isn't that the problem?"
It was a low muffled response, heavy with conjecture. Amelia exhaled a sharp breath. The evening was cool and gloomy, and the sky as dark as a demon's soul. It was the same all year round, according to Jo. The sun was a distant memory in Rebrook, one of the many peculiarities of the city.
She noticed as Jo stole a glance at her. She'd been surprised when she received Jo's invitation to stay with her until she found a place. Discovering that Josephine lived in Rebrook was an even bigger surprise- there was a mismatch there, but she didn't care to think on that now. Jo had always thought of her as odd, there was no desire in making it worse.
Her mind left her again and like it had been since her arrival here, she felt it soar away from her. It stopped at the sound of approaching footsteps and returned to her.
"Ms Layla," Jo smiled.
"Josephine. How do you do?" Layla asked with a voice that reminded Amelia of the stimulating smell of incense.
Amelia assessed the red-haired woman with the beautiful ebony skin. She had green eyes, a little nose, and plump lips. Layla turned to her and smiled as their eyes held. Suddenly she could see the exotic woman on a beach, clothed in a red hooded robe, chanting around a well.
"Sapphire," Layla greeted her.
Amelia's eyes widened in wonder. That was her name, a name only she and Julieta knew. "My name's Amelia."
Layla nodded to her. "Of course." She paused and cocked her head to the side as she studied Amelia.
Amelia stole a glance at Jo who was smiling to Ms Layla and adjusted where she sat. Layla, whoever she was, was making her very uncomfortable.
"Layla. Nice to meet you, Amelia." She held her hand out to Amelia. Amelia took it in a firm shake.
Sapphire. We need to talk.
Layla's voice echoed in her mind, and she drew her hand away. Talk about what? How did she do that?
"What brings you here?" Jo asked the kindergarten teacher. She was one of the more popular teachers at the local school on Sparrow Way and a member of the town council.
"The Crofts annual feast is happening tonight," Layla said. Jo nodded to her. "Lady Croft has personally invited the two of you." Layla pulled out an invitation with a red seal from her lovely beige jacket and passed it to Amelia who took it reluctantly. She passed one to Jo as well. "Farewell." She smiled to the two and trotted back down whence she came.
"What was that about?" Jo asked once Layla disappeared into the bend down the street.
Amelia shook her head, she had no idea. She pulled herself up off the steps and Jo followed suit.
"By the way. I have been in Rebrook for over three years and not once have I ever been invited to a Croft party. Who do you know?" Jo asked. Amelia shook her head in confusion. "She said Lady Croft asked that we be there. Layla's her right arm, there's no way this is a sting, and she seemed way too interested in you."
"Lady Croft? What is this, 1954?"
Jo threw her head back as she laughed. "Lady Croft is the head of the town council. They are apparently the oldest and wealthiest founding family in Rebrook. We need to look incredible for this." She raced into the loft with an excited shrill.
Amelia gawked at the invitation curiously. Sapphire. How did she know to call her that? She ripped the envelop open impatiently.
Greetings Sapphire
Welcome to Rebrook, city of the damned. You are invited to the celebration of the Crimson Moon as a guest of The Core, to honour the summit that marks five hundred years of peace and harmony with mystic and mundanes.
Blessed be.
She scoffed in disbelief. Crimson Moon? The Core? What did all that mean? Were they watching her? She looked about, a wave of panic rushing through her. Did they know why she was here? She hung her arms on her waist as she pondered. What was she to do now? She had hoped Julieta was wrong.
It all made sense- well, not entirely. She could piece certain things together now. Julieta had come looking and found something. That explained why she'd disappeared for so long. But why bother about her, anyway? She was mundane. The Croft party seem a good a place as any to find answers. She pushed the door to the loft open and entered.