'For some reason, I just got a chill.' I sneezed randomly and rubbed my nose curiously, sitting on the black three-piece sectional in my underwear and a tank top. Sitting in the fairy-lit living room, I looked around the colorful, spacious apartment. Potted plants and succulents filled empty bookshelves while giant ferns occupying the corners of my house. A thick, cozy blanket was wrapped around my shoulders while my school items rested on my oaken coffee table. The flat screen was on silently playing some generic commercial. 'I should review my notes.'
Flicking through the notebook, I peered at my notes on the particular potion that I was working on for my thesis. It was supposed to act as a Panacea, although everyone knew that the idea of a Panacea was utterly off the wall. There was no such thing as a potion that would cure any and everything. So, instead, what I proposed, was something much more mundane and a tad bit more devious.
A poison that would make the drinker feel as if they were on cloud nine, any ailments that the drinker had would be "cured," and the body would show signs of cell-like recovery.
However, within an hour, the person's body would start to shut down on itself, and the symptoms that they had before taking the potion would come back become worse within the next five hours.
The proposed subject of this experiment was going to be on fishes, zebrafishes to be exact; however, the only problem was trying to produce a cure for the poison. "Why is it always easy to kill, but never to heal…" Scratching my head through the satin scarf, I went through the notes again.
"Woof." I froze and slowly turned around to find glowing red eyes peering at me from the darkness of my kitchen; I could see the outline of the figure as it shuffled with an almost painful gait. Too large teeth gleamed in the light as the thing shuffled forward, viscous drool dripped down from its maw onto the tiled floor; I frowned disapprovingly.
Scooby, the large black hound, trotted into the living room. His shaggy black fur seemed to move with a life of its own as he found his way next to me onto the couch.
"I know I've told you to stay out of my kitchen, Scoob." He ignored me and chose to lay his head onto one of the decorative pillows strewn across the sectional. "Scooby don't be ignorant, you hear me! Stay out of my kitchen, or I'll cut off your supply of milk bones."
He slowly turned his monstrous head in my direction; the milky white of its iris yellowed with disease gazed at me. "No." The voice was raspy, sounding like the sound of a tree limb scraping up against a shingle. Balking again, I looked at the creature with a frown.
Everyone is trying to test me today…
"No? Now look here - "
"Don't you have something more important to do than harass me about a kitchen? A kitchen that doesn't even have food in it." Letting out a little huff, his head dropped back into the pillow, and he stretched his legs out, kicking me with his clawed paw in the process. I narrowed my eyes at the act but deciding against saying anything. I switched the TV on to the news.
A smartly dressed woman appeared on the screen in an oversized puffer coat, her back towards a large building blocked off by police tape. "-anks Jan. Yesterday at around 2 am in New York City, the embassy for Leanan Sidhe's was reportedly broken into by a group of unknown assailants. The two guards at the time stated that it happened in the blink of an eye; masked individuals with dark cloaks, and giant eyes sewn into the fabric, broke through the first three security runes before triggering the last one. Once the security officers realized what was going on, they tried to stop the people, but two were harmed in the process. The Officers' status is not looking good, and unfortunately, the individuals did get away. Nothing of value was reported missing or stolen at the time, so authorities are a little confused about what this could have possibly been about. At this time, the Agency of Supernatural's Security has gotten involved and is working closely with local authorities and the embassy to find out what happened. The Agency has released a general message to the public, 'We are here to ensure that everyone stays safe and that no one is harmed. Therefore, we are working closely with the embassy and other local authorities to investigate this crime and make sure that this does not repeat itself.' And to the assailants, only one sentence. 'We are coming for you.' Once we get more information, we will be sure to update viewers. Until then, Konnie Laestauidus, Channel 5 News." A commercial started playing soon afterward.
Letting out a low whistle, I peered over at Scooby. "Someone broke into one of the Fae embassies. Why didn't you tell me?" Staring at the black hound, he rolled one massive bloodshot eye at me and let out a snort. "There was nothing to tell. The other Fae is just as confused as everyone. The Leanan Sidhe are not even sure how those things were even able to get through the runes."
"Things?"
The beast sat up, pulling his lips back to show blacked gums and sharp teeth. "What happened does not concern you, mortal. You would do best to mind yourself."
I waved my hand, not afraid of his little act of aggression. "I'm not a nosey person. I know how to mind my business; I was simply curious."
Scooby let out a hacking noise that I soon realized was him laughing. "You are a complete fool."
"And you're a pampered pooch, now get your paws off of me." He let out a dignified snort and just shuffled closer, now resting his butt on me.
Petty.
My phone blinked with the signs of a notification, and I grunted. I slid my thumb across the bar and almost dropped my phone in surprise.
'Dear Regine Gray,
Thank you for applying to the Intern Position position at the Department of Supernatural and Fantastical Creatures. After reviewing your application materials, we are pleased to move forward with the interview process.
We would like to invite you to an interview at our office. You will interview as a part of a group with ten other applicants. The interview will last no more than 30 minutes to an hour, so please be prepared. Arrive 10 minutes early, as we will have you fill out some assessment forms prior to the interview.
To help us schedule the interview, please select your availability from the calendar link:
From there, I will coordinate between the other candidates and the hiring team to confirm a time that works for all involved. You will receive an email with a calendar link to confirm the interview. We can't wait to see you there.
Sincerely,
Lorelai Wiggins'
'Looks like things are looking up after all...'
I sat in the lobby of the waiting room patiently, waiting for someone to call me forth. Also in the room were other applicants. Applicants that appeared to be far more qualified than I could ever be. I don't even know why I'm here. There's no way in hell that I'm going to get this job. Not with all these other people here.
"Regina Gray?"
I shot up out of my seat at the sound of my name. "Here!"
The woman looked at me with amusement, and motioned for me to follow her. "Admiral Kahoku will see you now."
'Admiral? By the gods, what have I gotten myself into?!'
Inside the small room, a man looking to be no older than 50 sat at the head of the table, a file open in front of him. His appearance was meticulous, neatly put together, and dressed to the nines. He raised an eyebrow and waved a hand for me to sit down across from him.
I felt my face get warmer, and I looked into my lap as I did so. I placed my hands in my lap as he read the file silently, making little grunts as he flipped pages and pages of paper. As the seconds turned into minutes. I felt myself get more and more uncomfortable. Finally, he closed the folder and looked up to stare me in the eyes. His mismatched orbs seemed to peer into my very soul, look
"Who are you?"
…What?
"I-uh, I'm sorry?"
"Who are you. I don't think that's such a hard question to answer, do you?"
"W-W-well, um, I graduated from Commonwealth University wit- "
"I'm not asking you to recite something that I've already read from your files. I want to know who you are. What makes you tick, what makes you, well you."
I opened my mouth and then closed it again, as the seconds of silence felt longer and longer. What type of question is that? How do you even answer something like that?
The admiral let out a deep sigh, "I don't have all day, young lady. There are many other applicants here that could answer my question."
"Let's do this another way. Give me your hand." Noticing my expression, he reached out for me to lay my palm in his. "Your hand, Ms. Gray."
I hesitantly placed my palm in his, and once our skin made contact, a jolt of electricity coursed through my body. His eyebrows shot up, and he schooled his expression back to that blank slate. "You don't have any magic due to the lack of a core." That wasn't even a question. It was a statement, one that had me reeling. The question about magic showed up on the application, and although I did say that I couldn't cast. I knew magical theory.
"You also have no martial training."
My pulse quickened as I scrambled for an excuse. The truth was that I was a klutz. I had a hard time walking upstairs, let alone trying to learn some form of self-defense.
"I-!"
"But you are a highly skilled apothecary. One that has ranked high enough on the Federal registry that you were given a master's license on your first try."
Here's my time to shine! I could talk about potions all day. "Yes! Potions ar- "
"You also have a fairly decent amount of medical knowledge. You also have experience in surgical techniques? Hmm, you picked them up during your time Winnebago. Sad, what happened down there really. I didn't think there were too many survivors from there. How many are there? Five? Four?"
A cold shiver slithered down my back. I balled my fists and tried to force a smile on my lips. How does he know about that? I didn't put my time in Winnebago down on my CV because I hadn't wanted anyone to know about it. "T-Ten. T-there are ten, sir. I- "
"Hmm. Interesting." He took his hand back. "Alright. Thank you for your time, Ms. Gray. We will get back to you with our decision within three weeks or sooner. Please be on the lookout in your email and your certified mail for any further information- "
"I-is that it?" I asked in a small voice.
He scoffed and straightened himself in his chair, "Well, I did tell you that I have many other applicants to analyze. You are just one of the few, now if you'd be so kind as to leave. I need to get ready for the next person."
I stared at him owlishly, trying to process what just happened. It had to be because of Winnebago; they always find out about Winnebago. Heading for the door, I felt my eyes sting.
'I knew this wasn't a good idea.'
Dreams were supposed to be your haven. They were supposed to be light and fanciful, telling you of things that you could only wish to come true. But I always had night terrors; they started when I was five and were a constant occurrence. So much so that I had to take draughts so I wouldn't have them. I won't rule out that it probably had something to do with my elder brother locking me in a pitch-black cabinet when I was little. He had played loud music so no one could hear me screaming to get out; I had to have been in there for almost 3 hours. Ever since then, the stygian darkness has held no place in my heart. This was no different; this time, the dream felt too real. As if the dark could reach out and skim its cruel cold fingers against my cheeks.
It was dark and smelt of musk and mold. The dark cast shadows, and it almost seemed as though the tendrils were going to jump out and grab me.
"...-egina..." It was soft and barely audible, but it caught my attention. The voice was high-pitched and sounded as if nails were being dragged against a chalkboard. It felt too real, too familiar, and when it spoke, I flinched.
"It is all your fault... You did this to us. You called him! It is your fault." I looked at the shadow figures all circling me, pointing their blackened fingers accusingly, yelling curses. The ghostly figures all fleshed out into solid ones; their forms shrouded by the dark they came from. "You are the reason we are dead! You!"
The figures mingled together until they became one entity. She was of average height and had beige-colored skin with deep chilling vermillion eyes. A sharp face with soft lips. Her black hair swirled with the darkness as she raised an arm. She spoke softly, her words lilting, "You could have saved me... You could have saved US all! But your vanity and greed wouldn't let you."
The woman morphed and changed into a man whose face and the body were obscured by darkness. "You're nothing but a little slut! A fucking whore begging for any man's cock!" He raised his arm and smiled softly at me. "The little moon whore has bought ruin upon all." He cooed.
The smell of burning flesh hit my nose, and the familiar heat of fire started to crawl up my skin. The masculine figure crumbled to its feet in a cry of pain and then looked up. Its burnt skin was utterly raw in some places, showing off red flesh that oozed out a pungent yellow puss. It stared at me with one glossy storm-colored eye as it began to crawl to me. I shook my head back and forth, crying out. "Enough!"
The burnt figure crawled towards me. Flashing a toothless grimace, it reached it's hand out, caressing my cheek. Hard and flaky, the thing cooed softly. "You cannot escape from fate... Just give in." I scrambled away from the burnt monster and felt myself bump into the arms of something fleshy and muscular.
"لا يمكنك تشغيل من مصير ليتل."
Two weeks had passed, and life was its regular monotonous schedule. I was seated outside of the Alchemy Departments' building with a few other colleagues. Ever since we came out here, Rebecca was trying to guilt me into feeling bad about keying that man's car. She had told anyone who would listen to her long, drawn-out story and added almost twice the amount of dramatics to it.
"So, you think I'm wrong too, Ezekiel?" Staring at the Hispanic man, I waited for his response. He pursed his lips for a long moment and then shook his head, avoiding meeting my eyes. "Natalie?" The timid wiry-haired woman squeaked once hearing her name. Her emerald eyes widened before all at once she pushed her head back into the book that she was reading.
"So, everybody thinks I'm wrong then?" Out of the four of us that were sitting at the picnic table outside. No one had decided to affirm me in my quest for vengeance. While Ezekiel and Natalie had not come right out and said I was wrong for the vandalization, Becca had condemned me for my actions. She was taking every chance to harass me, lest I forget that she was DEEPLY disappointed in me.
Scoffing at the apparent favoritism that the two showed to Becca, I leaned against my propped-up elbow and rolled my eyes. "I honestly don't care what you guys think of the situation; my life was almost lost. I deserved compensation."
"By keying the man's car up?" Ezekiel finally said, taking a sip out of the gigantic mug steaming in his hand. "Regina, you know I think the world of you, but that was wrong. Even by your standards."
"Yes, darling. You know how I feel about revenge myself, but that was completely classless." Taking a sip from her chrome pink mug, Vivika, the self-proclaimed 'classy' socialite, eyed me. "If you're going to get revenge, slash the tires. No evidence, no case."
Groaning in frustration, I placed my hand over my face.
"Regina, come on. You know you're wrong."
Feeling my resolve start to slip, I removed my hand to stare at Becca. "Okay, well, maybe I do feel a little bad now that I think about it," Becca's eyes lit up, and she opened her mouth to speak, but I quickly raised my hand. "But what's done is done! What do you want me to do? Find the guy and offer to pay for a paint job? I hardly have enough money to feed myself and Scooby, so while I can apologize to him, I can't give him anything other than that…"
"Well, that should honestly be enough! I mean, you two both ..." I found myself tuning out of what Becca was saying when I heard a gleeful screech.
There was a slight commotion coming from across the street, where the magical artifacts and runes department was located. A sleek black car had pulled up during our debate, and the geeked-out students had waylaid the occupants.
'Hmmm, there was something familiar about that car….'
"-itch, this is what I mean!" Becca's exasperated voice cried out.
I hadn't looked over at her, still staring at the strange car. An oily, almost thick feeling started forming in my gut. Finally, tearing my eyes away from the car, I stared at Becca, who had finally turned her head to look at what caught my attention.
"…Does that car look familiar to you too?" I asked. She pursed her lips and tapped the side of her head.
"You know what, it kind of does?"
I started chewing my lip, going back to staring at the car. 'I pray to all gods above that this is NOT who I think it is.'
The gods were not listening.
The crowd parted like the red sea, and three figures walked through. 'By the gods, why am I so unlucky.'
The middle figure was dressed in a black trench coat with a burgundy turtleneck. The same wavy dark hair that had been loose was plaited this time to hang limply at his hip. His almost black eyes were shimmering with mischief as he nudged the tallest member. The man who almost smeared me was flanked by the same two men they talked animatedly amongst one another.
Please don't let him look over. Please don't let him look over.
On cue, his gaze left the group at the sound of a giggling woman. Almost in slow motion, his eyes met traveled from the noise to the courtyard before finding me. His expression morphed rapidly, going from intrigue to confusion and then stopping at pissed. He was about to walk over to me but stopped. Instead, he opened his mouth and began to speak.
The world panned out, and I was trapped in his cold glare. I watched his lips move up and down; despite not hearing anything, I felt the biting cold of his words. Feeling my breath stop, I felt cold hands creep over my body. The touch was light, ghostly, leaving a trail of goosebumps on my heated flesh. Moving up, I felt the touch palming my face, cold, clammy, and painful. From my peripheral, shadows danced in the corner of my vision, violent whispers clawed at my eardrums as my body grew heavy. It was as if dozens of ice-cold hands were reaching inside my chest and grabbing at my soul. They grasped and tugged, pulling as if they wanted who I was and what I was gone. Twisting and gripping, tearing at what made me, they probed deeper. I felt as if I was being violated as if I no longer belonged to myself but to him as well.
Yellowed grey eyes stared from the darkness muttering words of adoration and passion. Hands were traveling down my arms and chest. Fingers were moving to caress my face, loving and cooing words of hope. It didn't feel right. The hands felt slimy, and it just feels so utterly... wrong. The hands grip hard, begrudgingly hissing out words of hate and possession at the lack of reciprocation. Whispering out words of how 'if I can't have you, then no one shall' and expressions of how 'no one will love you as I can.' The hands become frantic as the grey eyes grew wide-eyed. They scratched and pawed at me with hunger, and those hands quickly moved to wrap around my neck. The grip tightened, taking all the ai-!
"Regina!" My vision came back, and I realized that I was staring at a concerned Becca. Feeling that the area around my mouth was wet, I licked at my lips and tasted copper. I touched my nose, feeling a slickness that I knew had to be blood. Everyone quickly talked between themselves, circling like buzzards around me, but my gaze didn't leave the man.
His eyes, which had been obsidian, were now vermillion. The two men looked between the two of us and pushed him back into the crowd. He didn't resist, a sardonic expression on his face. As he was being pushed, his lips began to move. This time, they were mouthing the same thing over and over.
"I'll kill you."