I blinked and sucked in a breath. The air was chilled and squeezed my chest. I felt like, besides being thrown against the wall, that a big ass bull just rammed into my stomach. The blood seemed to be leaking straight out of my chest---or maybe it was my head? I didn't even know, I just felt like crying.
Stretching my acking legs, I sat up. My chest filled with hope, thinking I was in my twin sized bed again-----I would never complain about the worn dent in the middle of it again----but of course I was wrong. I was still in the backseat of the car where I somehow managed to fall asleep.
I turned and glanced towards the backseat window. An image of the monster watching me the whole time I was sleeping flashed through my mind and I flinched. I scurried away from the door and placed myself in the middle, where I knew I was safe. I....could I even go back out there? What if it was just crouched down by the door, just waiting for me to come out?
I turned to face forward as I tried to make sense of everything. So I was...arrested. And I was taken....here---which obviously wasnt a police station. And then, me and some other lady were being interrogated for some reason----had no idea who the heck she was. And then....it must have something to do with the liquid. What was that pee-looking, ooey-gooey shit?
I brushed a hand over my forearm nervously. They didn't give that to me, right? I mean, I didn't see a second needle....b-but that doesn't mean----
Okay, I had to think. I had to get out of here. But I needed a weapon. I glanced around the back and underneath the seat. Nothing but the smell of a brand new car. Sighing, I climbed into the front and rummaged through the glove department. Nothing. Well, fuck.
I would to be going out there with nothing. Just....great. I scooted over towards the window and glanced in the rearview mirror. There was nothing there but rows of other sports cars. Which made me nervous, because it could be hiding anywhere at this point.
But probably not right? I mean judging by the giant windows that looked into the storage room, it was daytime. Monsters don't come out in the daytime, right? There was nothing to worry about. I just....needed to get out this place.
But fuck it. I was going to open that door. And if anything came at me....I was going to punch first, think later.
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the handle and opened the door. Stepping out of the car, my eyes widened as soon as my feet touched the ground. What if it was waiting for me underneath the car?? Having a mini heart attack, I danced away from the car as if it was going to grab my heels at any second.
Nothing happened.
I turned and darted away from the car, my flip flops making a smacking sound against the shiny, squeeky clean floor. Fuck the shoes! Kicking them off of my feet, I dodged inbetween three rose colored Bugattis and over towards a white door on the other side of the garage.
Don't look back, don't look down. Don't look back, don't look down----!
I swung the door open and closed it behind me. Oh....my god, that was nerve wrecking.
I was in a laboratory looking room. There was a giant machine filled with dials and knobs....and a bunch of tubes and wires were connected to them----they all lead to a table with....a monster on it. It was strapped down and didn't seem to be awake. I glanced at the shelfs of file cabinets diagonal to its feet. What....in the hell was this?
The machine suddenly came alive and let out a puff of steam. I glanced at the tubes that connected to the monster's body as a slow fluid worked its way over towards it. The thing let out a peircing screech and its body started to shake and quiver.
Oh my god.....was it in pain?
The screeching rose an octave and the thing was now violently thrashing against the table. Covering my ears as I tried to escape the pounding that its shrill cry was doing to my ear drums, I made my way over towards the machine. Ok, what do I push?! I waved my hands around frantically and flicked a few random switches. Becoming frustrated with the painful, constant screeching that was dulling my senses, I ran over towards the back of the machine and started pulling plugs. There were like....fifteen of them!
I pulled four of them before the machine bubbled to a stop and let out a slow sigh of relief. The screeching had stopped, and I turned around, the monster was looking directly at me. Gasping in shock, I shuffled to the side and turned to dash away----but I skidded to a stop when I glanced up at the glass dome over our heads. There were a bunch of people in white coats with clipboards frantically running around overhead. Whoa...what...?
I backed away, overwelmed. Okay....a science experiment....the pieces are slowly coming together. Did my mom work here?! This place was so freaking sketchy! Why were they doing an experiment right next to a car garage?? Did everyone here own a Bugatti or a Corvette??
I glanced at the monster again----it had turned its head and was still watching me. It looked more...intelligent than the one I had seen last night. And its eyes weren't a cloudy, milky color, they were pitch black. Honestly, the one before just looked like....a zombie version of this----like its skin was thin and greying and it was just....
I....I don't even know what I was talking about anymore. I needed to leave.
"What the fuck!" A man burst in through the door to the car garage. He was a white, middle aged guy in a pair of khakis and a turtle neck with a labcoat thrown on as an after thought. "Where the hell did you come from? Why are you messing with my shit?!"
I held my hands up. "I...I don't know. I don't know what's going on----!"
"Your Khatri's kid, aren't you?" He stared at me with a new found meaning to disgust.
A hand full of scientists flooded past him into the room and surrounded me, grabbing me by my arms and the back of my neck. I winced and tried to break free but one of the hands tightened around my neck, almost completely inclosing it. I glanced to the side as a few scientists set to work to fix the machine.
I looked back towards the man. "Where's my mom---"
"Stop acting like that's fucking important!" The man pointed an accusing finger at me as the veins swelled up on the side of his head. His face was watermelon red. "Just....just get her out! We'll get it out of her....dead or alive."
I glared at him as I was pushed out of the room. That didn't even make any sense. He couldn't get anything out of me if I was freaking dead. Well jokes on him, I didn't know anything.
Or was the joke on me?
_________________________________________
I wrenched forth from the bed, the sheets clinging to my back. 'twas another night that I dreamt of a creature---a young woman whose skin of copper. Somewhere---where ever she was, her long, abominable features and deathly hallow eyes haunted me. She came to me with visions of creatures of the twilight and an unearthly light. It was she who made my bones chatter.
I glanced to the woman that lay beside me. She lay in a shambled mess, her long, brown strands of hair flooded across the pillow----her naked bossom and soft thighs exposed for the world to see. I could not, however, remember what it was she was called. Though it was she who blessed me in the twilight hours.
"Alexander."
I turned to see mother standing at the foot of my bed. "Mother??"
Mother strode towards the woman with ambition and heaved her sleeping body to the floor. "Get out."
She did not have the patience to see that the woman left the room before she turned to me. "There is a word of a shaman."
"A shaman of whom?"
"You do not listen to me." Queen Olympias of Macedon clinched her fists together as she glowered down at me. "You need to rid yourself of these whores and claim your place before Attalas. You know what that shit-eater will do."
"Ay..." I ran a hand over my face and looked at her, calculating. "You would know, mother. He is your bed companion."
She clinched her teeth, but avoided my gaze. "You are foolish, in your quest for honesty and acceptance. Twice it is that you have made a stooge of your name. Be conscientious, you are the crown prince----I will not let a whore nor general break what I've worked so hard to build."
"....who is this shaman?"
Mother simpered, a look of content coming about her face. "You shall meet her today."