Adriana had woken up panting as she gasped for breath. Her entire body ached and was sore from what she presumed were hours of tossing and turning that night. As she would lean up her green eyes would begin to dilate. Sunlight would pierce her window as she realized it was morning. She let out a yawn and tried to stretch her sore and aching body as she would look around, towards the shelf where she kept a book.
Of course, it could have just been another bad dream. Perhaps the simple stress of the previous day was getting to her, but then she thought to herself. Was last night even real? The book was laying right there without it's wrapping or string, so Adriana must have opened it last night. However, everything afterwards. Did that actually transpire?
She took a few deep breaths and began to look around. To many thoughts were going around her mind at once. However, the most paramount one was of course simple hunger. Perhaps Adriana thought, if she got a nice breakfast and took a bath she would be able to clear her mind of all this madness.
"I need to get Sabrina and myself some food to eat. Last night was some bad hangover" she said as the anthro vixen would get off her bed and go over to put her pawed feet in a pair of slippers.
As she would go across her floor she would head back into the kitchen of her apartment. Sabrina was still on the couch sleeping as she would head over to the refrigerator. Adriana opened it and got some synthetic milk and some "Ironside Iron Bits", or more mass produced 'healthy' synthetic cereal that she could afford. Although Adriana despised this generic and tasteless cardboard of food supplements, her hungry belly and her pet demanded nourishment.
Adriana would go over to the table and put down a bowl and the milk before going to grab the Iron Bits. As this happened Sabrina would wake up and begin to hover over to the table. Adriana would come back with the cereal box and put it down as Sabrina tried to open it, but failed to do so.
"Glad you like these, it makes one of us at least" she replied to her pet chao as she would go over and pick out a spoon for herself.
Moving over to the table, she began to open up the box of cereal for her pet and poured some in a bowl for herself as well. She would then put milk in her bowl. Adriana knew Sabrina had a weak stomach so milk wasn't that good for her. As she would leave some bits of cereal for Sabrina to nibble on she would begin to poor milk into her bowl. However, this would be interrupted by loud booming noises outside of her room. At this remembered, it was one of those days.
Within moments her apartment would rumble at the sound of a large hovering Raven gunship coming nearby, but also bringing loud noises of a course, her brother's favorite method of controlling the populace. Loud propaganda speakers on the Raven would deafen the area outside her apartment and even her kitchen.
"It's a military parade day...great" she muttered to herself rather sarcastically.
"ATTENTION! GRAND CITIZENS OF THE GREAT CITY OF SIAG! THIS IS YOUR BARON SPEAKING! I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR EFFORTS ON THE PRIME WORLD ARE GOING WELL! WE ARE WINNING THIS WAR AND WITH YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! WE CAN BRING PEACE AND PROSPERITY TO NOT ONLY SIAG, BUT FOR ALL OF MOEBIUS!" she heard blasting on the loud speaker, causing her table to shake.
"You're a liar brother, you always were a liar.." she muttered to herself knowing her brother's voice pre-recorded on the propaganda speaker device module connected to the hover ship outside.
As the gunship would go past, it would cause her milk box to spill all over her as it toppled over. This made Adriana groan. Now of course this wasn't her favorite pink dress, but still now she'd have to go wash up to get spilt milk off her nice lavender robe. She simply would slam her fist on the table and yell, causing Sabrina to become anxious.
"I'm fine Sabrina, just let me got get cleaned up" Adriana said to her tiny chao friend as she would get a rag to wipe off the table before heading towards her bathroom.
"Chao?" Sabrina would simply let out as she would watch her mistress stomp into the bathroom, with her hair mystically flaring up and flowing around. A common side of Adriana's psychic potential and emotions.
"Stupid flying machines, Grief just can't help show off his big shiny metal toys. I wish we never invented those. Things" she muttered to herself as she would enter her bathroom and close the door.
"Now, where did I put the soap? Oh, right"
Adriana would move over to pick up the soap and turn on the water, yet suddenly something would catch her eye in the corner of her eye that would send her into a state of terror. In the mirror, right in the corner next to her bathtub was a figure standing there. At this she became tense and started to shriek. Who was this person? Why did they come here? Adriana was defenseless and she couldn't take her eyes off of them.
The figure looked feminine, around her height. But it looked, like they had on a long red dress. Was this some sort of assassins'? If so, why were they here? Adriana did her best to power up, perhaps if she could feign being able to harm the being or mind control them they'd be able to deal with. She would turn and point her finger, activating her mind control powers.
"Stop! I order you to-"
It appeared as she turned around, there was nobody there. Now a shiver was being sent down Adriana's spine. Whoever it was, whatever it was. Was able to move away at a blink of the eye. Nobody she knew could move that fast. Adriana would look over to that corner of the bathroom and nothing was there. She began to pant deeply, perhaps if she could go and get that gun she got off the black market she would be able to use it? But what if they harmed Sabrina? Where did they even go?
"If you're one of Grief's agents, why did you come now to shut me up? I know nothing!" she called out.
At this, Adriana would frantically open the door to her bathroom and dash through the whole apartment, there was a gun under her bed. She thought if she could go and get it it would be at least some protection. However, as she entered her bedroom. She saw to her horror the very book she read last night on the bed. Whatever this was, either some trick or some attempt on her life. The book was important to them.
Still, Adriana didn't have time to think about that. She would dive under her bed to grab the gun as she would arm it. Even if she hated lasers, it was what she had to defend her home. She armed the energy cell and had her hand on the safety as she would take it out and aim around.
"I don't know what you want with this stupid book, but I'm armed! You hurt Sabrina or try to harm me and I'll shoot you on the spot! " she called out in the room as she would point the weapon.
"Now...is that way to speak to your nonna?" she simply heard in the back of her mind as she would turn around and aim.
"Cut it out, now!" she said as she would aim only to face a empty wall.
"Bambina...you are afraid, but for what reason?" she could hear.
Things would begin to levitate in the room, move off the shelves. The room was filled with a haunting mystical energy. At this very instant, Adriana was filled with regret for opening the book. Maybe if she threatened to shoot the thing, whatever or whoever would stop.
"C-come closer and I'll shoot the damn book!" she said as she aimed her laser pistol at it.
"It's not polite to break gifts from your familiga. The book is yours as I said" she heard as what looked like a literal shadow crept upon the wall. Forcing Adriana to aim and fire a hole in her wall.
"What type of game is this?!?" Adriana yelled out.
"Che-cosa? Game? This is YOUR game, bambina. It always has been, and it always will be now."
Suddenly, coming out from the wall would materialize an ghastly form. It looked like a fox woman like her, but with ghastly features. For one their hair was long and white grey, their dress was long and crimson, but it looked burnt and their eyes would glow hellish red. Upon their face was a sinister smile that looked like it grinned from the abyss itself.
Adriana tensed up. Whatever this, ghost was. She tried to shoot at it before and it didn't work. She tried to put the gun and thought maybe if she used the book she could somehow cast it away. But to this the apparition simply grinned and pointed at the book before it would levitate over towards her. Adriana could only instinctively just grab onto the book. She would frantically open it to try to banish the creature.
"Be at peace, mio descendent. I am not here to harm you, but to help" the spirit said.
"Wh-who are you?" Adriana said as she paused and tried to look at the ghost.
"I am Aurelia, your nonna" the spirit replied.
"Y-you must have been dead for thousands of years! What business do you have among the living?" Adriana asked.
"To get my revenge, signora...but not on you" Aurelia said to her in a warped and whaling call.
"I sense your ambitions mio bambina. Your anxiety, your very soul. You should embrace mio gift, take the book and do as you wish" Aurelia replied.
"Why do you want me to have this?" Adriana asked, trying to calm down with a few pants.
"They say apple does not fall far from tree, si? I sense anger in you, potential, and desire. I was like you once, scared, helpless, wanting revenge. The book is bound to you now, why not make the best of it?" Aurelia asked Adriana.
"I suppose your right, nonna" Adriana said as she was lost for words as she simply nodded at the apparition.
"Va bene, now go forth mia bambina. The book is yours to enjoy. Addio.." she said before she began to fade away.
Adriana just turned around and sat on the bed as she began to try to calm down to pant. She'd either chalk this up to delusion, if the book that Aurelia spoke about was in her very hands. Still, all this was just too much for her to comprehend. Still, it looked like Aurelia was being sincere about the book, so if it was hers to control. Then at least she could try to better understand her predicament with a little research.
"Maybe at work I can look up what that spell means. I need to learn what these spells even do before I cast them" she said as she would go over to her bedroom and pick out a larger purse that could carry a book before putting it inside.
It was time for her to go to work at the nearby library, she would go to take a simple shower and cleanse herself to get ready to get dressed before putting on her pink dress and going and putting on her good pair of red heels. She would pretty herself up with putting on makeup and lipstick before getting fully ready. As she picked up the large handbag with the book in it she would go out to find Sabrina has eaten all the cereal.
"I should had expected you to do this, as she tried to calm down and chuckle."
"Chao chao!" Sabrina said, trying to act all innocent.
"Well, I need to go to work now Sabrina. Be good, so I can make more money to get you some actual food" Adriana said before she would begin to walk out the door.
Adriana would begin to head out to work as she stepped out of the apartment. The day had began and the sun was blaring and drying up the water. She would step off the steps and head towards the library where she worked. It was a modest job, but with her high functioning autism and her need for quiet it was a rather good position to be in.
She would walk rather daintily down the sidewalk as to not arise any suspicion. Perhaps if she just acted normal, nobody would understand what was going on. After all, Siag had a 99% non-religious affiliation rate. Perhaps, if for once she tried to blend in keep her book a secret.
"Just keep calm Adriana. Perhaps some fresh air on your way to work will do you some good" she muttered to herself.