A year already passed and I'd changed so much since Jude left. Sometimes, I still felt really suck-ish and mentally drained about life generally but even though I still thought of suicide and stuff like that, my life was sort of okay. I didn't talk at school and most people if not everyone doubted my speaking abilities. My room looked spotless and I had painted it grey. A side of my room was dedicated to posters and pictures of certain people like Billie Eilish, NF, Jessie Murph, Imagine Dragons, Eminem, Britton, Neffex, and lastly, my mum. On another side were poems, lyrics and drawings alongside the timetable my dad drafted for me. And school? It was hell…probably worse. I had to deal with the Chemistry freak all alone. Cedric was also pretty annoying lately. I ran a hand through my hair before making my way out of the house. Thinking about my life, I bumped into a rock hard chest. Way to go Jo, you just ruined another day of your life. Cedric effortlessly straightened me, his grip on my forearm firm and a heat igniting inside of me. I really regretted wearing a tank top now. I pulled away and I could feel the fire extinguish again at the loss of his touch. All that was left in me was my usual cold dark self. I walked away and I heard Cedric mumble something under his breath. I didn't totally get that but it related to me losing my sense of speech. Oh the guy was that dumb. One, there are only five senses and speech is obviously not one and two, how could the jerk believe that rumor. The day went by and I was finally free. I walked over to the library. What? Call me a nerd, I don't mind. I pulled out my book and pen focusing on my assignments. Great, I'd forgotten all about the history assignment. To write the history of an ancient god…either Greek or any other random one of our choice. Well, everyone got paired and though I normally wouldn't mind, I think I really needed help now. I bit my lower lip.
"We'll help" Norwin said. I let out a sigh, my psychosis had hit a new level in the last year. I could hear and commune with spirits. Sometimes, they really helped especially in class. It was kinda cheesy and hard to deal with but I'm getting used to it. Really. I mean, since I was the only one who could really see and talk to them, whenever asked a question in Chemistry class, they always helped check his book and give me the answers. Other times, they tutored me and believe me or not, spirits know everything and are great listeners too. I have about 7 "spirit friends" I don't mean to be sexist or anything but they were four males three females- Norwin, Blake, Cole, Cider, Anther, Nadir and lastly Kerim. Quick personality check –smart, flirt (tells me how hot my school girls are all day), cheeky, thoughtful, gives great love advice, listener and Kerim, well knows how to get revenge like sneaking in their house and tearing their clothes or ruining their homework. Although, sometimes I felt like they were just voices in my head. They kinda were because I could hear them in my head and reply them mentally but you get the point. I let out a sigh and Norwin crept to the surface.
"What god are you thinking of, Jo?" Norwin inquired. I shook my head
"Hades?" I felt Cider's presence. "Everyone will go for the popular ones, try something different that isn't that common. Then it hit me. "Of course, I'll do Oizys" "Great." "Sure" the duo said acknowledging my plan and I spent two good hours of my life learning more about her, and with the guys help of course. I pulled out my note and started writing all the facts down. At least, it was just homework not a big oral presentation. I packed my things and made my way home. It was just 7:30pm but thanks to the damn earth's rotation or whatever the bald headed guy had talked about in that documentary, it was already extremely dark. As I walked by, I saw two people sitting on a bench-a male and a female. They were dressed in black clothing and, me just being me, I took a mental picture of them. Their eyes reflected emptiness and their aura was dark and thick. Pretty weird, isn't it? I shook my head, what's wrong with me. First, I make up seven friends in my head, now I'm seeing extremely strange creatures disguised as human beings? This is far beyond being psychotic
"She can see us?" the lady begun
"Yeah, how." The man replied quite tense and uncomfortable. I slapped my head really hard. Shit!! I'm really going crazy. I opened the door to my house and without even undressing, I slapped my being unto the bed.
>>>
It looked like I'd been transported to another scene, again and I REALLY did not like it. Whenever I was 'transported' to any scene, I always woke up with taunting memories and a throbbing headache. This place looked really strange. I was dressed in black skinny jeans and a black short sleeved dress. I was bare footed and the ground was really hot. Not warm, but HOT. Sand endlessly covered the surface of the ground in low irregular heaps and the sky looked sort of orange. Not like the sunset but more… fierce. The clouds hovered above my head and it seemed to go thicker as I walked. Then I saw people, but even though I had a high level of hate for people, I didn't like what I was seeing.
A girl was tied on the floor, a few feet away from me. Blood recklessly spilled from her mouth and oozed at great pace from her wrists and ankles. It was hard to believe but she was tied with a rope specially encrypted with thorns. Indeed, some people are just wicked. The girl squinted her eyes studying me hovering over her.
"Leave before it's too late" she said her voice weak and her breathing troubled. I bit my bottom lip until I could feel the metallic taste slowly spill on my tongue. I really wanted to help her but she didn't want me.
"Quick, run. It's for your safety." Then, dust covered the air. A troop of men riding on black horses approached. Each man dressed in an armour like he was going to war. They were adorned with weapons- ranging from swords, grenades, daggers, tonfas, scythes, bows and arrows. I looked at the troop then glanced at the bleeding lady. With an affirmative nod, she gestured me to run and I did. They chased after me while I ran zigzag. Maybe I thought I did because I felt an arrow dig into my flesh right above my ankle. I sunk to the ground and slowly crawled, still trying to get away from them. A woman appeared in front of me. She seemed familiar but I couldn't decipher who she was since I felt so dizzy. All the warrior-like men alighted their horses kneeling on one knee chanting:
"Oh queen of the sweet darkness,
A citizen of every foreign land,
A mighty one whose powers shakes the earth
The almighty sorcerer, Lilith is her name
Your task has been completed and we seek your word on the next step"
I shifted in discomfort on the floor as the pain increased. The arrow must have been coated with something and I felt a burning sensation cascade my soul. My skin itched like a million tiny insects were biting and crawling beneath my skin. I let out a shriek of horror as she clawed my scalp with her sharp long nails until blood seeped out.
"Depart!" She said in the coldest voice I'd heard in my whole life. The troop disappeared into thin air with a shove of her hand and she pulled me up, her hand still clawing my scalp. So much pain an already battered soul had to go through. She teleported me to a room and with a few hand motions and muffled words, I felt my body chained to a metal platform and my clothes stripped off me as my back hit the cold surface. The room was dark and almost empty except for the long creaked wooden table at its far corner. The table accommodated a great deal of potions and what seemed to be spell books- the pages brown and the cover hard and dirty yet unusual.
"Why can you see us?" She asked me then I remembered. She was the lady, the same lady who sat on the bench in the park, the lady who wore black in the car alongside her boyfriend or mate or whoever the freak was. She approached me again and violently dug her claws into my skin before pulling it down and forming a trail of blood from my breast to thigh. I'd cut myself sometimes but this was different. She did it mercilessly. I let out a loud cry and she pressed my voice box hard instantly muting me without a word. She plastered a sinister smirk on her face then said
"You're a special one. Now I see why your mum messed with fate on your behalf"
I furrowed my brows while Lilith pulled a chair I hadn't noticed earlier looking at me in the eye as if trying to see through my soul which she probably did.
"Your life is pretty messed up. Boy problems, Speaking ab-" The door creaked open and a small light made its way in but the darkness engulfed it with a loud gulp which was supposedly the door slamming shut. A lady identical to Lilith walked in. she was dressed in black fitted shirt and Jean alongside ankle boot. She had a necklace with a rusted key pendant dangling loosely on her neck all the way to her upper stomach.
"Hey, who's this?"
"The daughter of she who just had to mess with fate" For a second, her eyes popped out but she regained her composure while taking slow steps towards me. With a touch of her fingertips, the chains snapped into two and I could feel blood circulate round my body. She put the same finger on my eye for some time regularly nodding her head.
"She indeed is special"
"I know, Lucerne. You really don't have to spell it out". Lucerne sat by my side on the metal platform before healing the scar from my breast to thigh.
"Look, you're no longer human. You're now a class one wraith." Lucerne stated
"Thanks to your fucking mother" Lilith added. Lucerne mumbled something under her breath before stroking my hair.
"The earth and downworld is separated and there shouldn't be anything to join them. However, your mum fell in love with human and ended up having you therefore increasing the force of attraction between two opposite worlds" I was so confused at this moment I sub-consciously pushed my head back. Lucerne bit her lip as if thinking of the best way to explain this to me and I used this moment to study her appearance. She had thick lurks of dark black hair and an oval face. Her lips were pink and her nose was nearly invisible as the bridge blended perfectly with her skin. She had grey orbs as pupils which could literally see through your soul unlike Lilith who had black orbs which could draw you into the darkness. Lucerne clasped her hands then formed a fist with her two hands. One fist on each thigh, the black jean a stage
"So, imagine this's you and the other fist is Cedric. You normally don't like boys at all which made you and boys to be creatures on different dimensions. However, the school- a major force field pulled you guys together.' Lucerne dramatically bumped her fists together then looked at me "Explanation of this whole parable is that you represent downworld, Cedric is earth and your mum is the major force field binding you together" I nodded. Lucerne really knew how to explain. Fuck the Fs if she teaches me for just one class. Suddenly, Lucerne added
"That dude likes you though. Haven't you caught him staring at-"
"Her shoes ok." Lilith spat out." Enough of all this shitty boy talk." Lilith said mixing a potion" But, I prefer Cette though"
"Ugh c'mon. How'll you choose charlotte over your little niece?"
"What?" I literally screamed out." Mum said the twins died."
"Oh, wow! Drex really taught her how to lie"
"Hello!" I said shoving my hand in the air" I'm still here"
"Oh, true" Lilith replied pouring the potion into a cup." We'll summon you quite often"
"True" Lucerne added. I shook my head.
"Why did you hurt me at first?" Lilith immediately let out a growl and I could feel her aura. It was devious and mixed with hints of anger and vengeance "You were not meant to have anything to do with our world and the first time we summoned you, you messed with our rival". Lilith explained through gritted teeth.
"Oh" I mumbled beneath my breath when I felt a transparent liquid form a trail from my head down the bridge of my nose to the space between my breasts.
"What is…"
"Shhh, my child. We'll talk when we see"