Ever since I found out that my sister was an unusual person, I watched over her more. It happened quite by accident, at one of the parties, where, as always, I tried to pick up yet another drunk girl. I always had problems with ladies, and no matter what I did, no matter what advice I used, everything always ended with the same result - I always got declined. But I did not despair and continued my senseless approaches.
What I am about to tell you began with a scandal at a party. My sister, Lucy and her new boyfriend had some arguing and went out into the street with loud shouts. I wouldn't have paid attention to it if it wasn't for Sarah, her best friend, who came up to me quite unexpectedly during yet another 'attempt' of mine.
"And then I shouted at him - pull! Well, as you now know, we all fell down into the well." I summarized and laughed. And my interlocutor did too, with an incredibly hoarse voice. Apparently she thought that the story was very funny. I didn't remember her name. She just approached me at some point with a glassy look of a drunken sailor. She was pale and very thin.
"I still don't understand who Eric is." She said. I sighed, slightly disappointed. This was the third time I was telling her this story, and she still wouldn't understand who Eric was. Damn it! That story was supposed to work in my favor and help win her over, which was enough for a one night stand. That was when a sudden voice from behind distracted me.
"Jesse, can I talk to you for a minute?" The person from behind turned out to be Sarah - tall, slender, fit, as if from the cover of a fashion magazine.
"Bad timing! I almost..." I started gesturing "...had her." I hissed through my teeth, barely opening my mouth, but Sarah didn't let me finish. She was furious.
"This chick doesn't even know your name! And you won't be able to sleep with her anyway, because you are just a loser!"
"Why is that?" My drunken interlocutor mumbled in an indignant manner. "He is Eric, isn't he?"
Sarah quickly got tired of all of this and pulled me away with force. I had to admit that she had a strong arm. Well, why, of course - when your boyfriend is the captain of the wrestling team, you have to have strong hands.
"Listen here! I don't have time to talk to you. Either you bring Lucy back here or get out!"
Her voice was loud enough and many nearby mates overheard our unpleasant conversation. Not a clever moment, especially considering her status in college as the most charming and attractive girl. I decided to dilute the tension and shouted cheerfully with a smile on my face.
"Don't worry, everything will be OK. You'll see."
I tapped her shoulder and left that huge gorgeous cottage, which was usually rented by the wrestling team to celebrate every victory. Yes, I have to admit that I was invited to such parties solely because of Lucy, the 'queen' of our college. A huge number of guys intended to get through her underwear, but not everyone succeeded. For some, it was an impossible task, but those who were very initiative stood a chance. It went without saying that most of those guys were from the wrestling team. Sometimes, when their own methods to win my sister over weren't working I came to the rescue. The guys asked me what to do. At this very moment, I started to think that with this new possibility, I could also have some fun with ladies myself. Materialistic, but it worked - with a little push I acquired the permission from the wrestling team to attend all their late night gatherings.
Strange, but considering our relationship with Lucy, it was surprising for me that I actually did help those poor guys. We had the usual relationship between brother and sister, of which there were thousands. I've always tried to stay away from her affairs, but something told me that Lucy seemed amused that a guy like me found a way to spend time in her world.
Nevertheless, that day, I suddenly had to deal with a problem that I knew nothing about. Sarah didn't give me any information that could help me. Lucy didn't like it when people got into her relationships, but I had to sort it out somehow. Probably, if I had ignored Sarah's request, I would have simply been 'excluded' from their party, but what I saw that night turned my view of reality upside down.
I went outside, and the cold wind immediately pierced me to the point of shivering. I looked around - the dark night enveloped the neighborhood, obscuring all borders. The houses in the distance were barely lit and there was complete silence around. My eyes scanned the surroundings - there was no one anywhere and only the light cast from the lanterns helped me to distinguish objects. Where should I look for her? I can't just yell at the whole neighborhood, can I?
I decided to go around the cottage. It was full of fun. Wandering around the house, I felt this piercing wind again. It started to annoy me a lot, (because I was a little bit drunk) as if someone wanted me to come back.
Who wants to be left on the sidelines? I asked myself. Well, since I was kicked out, I needed to prove my worth.
After walking a little more, I noticed a gazebo from which voices were coming. I didn't run headlong, but decided to sneak to have a closer look. First I heard male voice, which was saying something inarticulate to someone, who answered almost nothing, only occasionally uttered moans. I think it was a voice of a female. After hearing this I easily guessed what was going on, and thought that it would be right if I didn't watch such a private event. But this time I sent my conscience to hell. I really wanted to see who was lucky today. And even though it could be my own sister, the desire to see it tripled anyway.
I approached and heard a familiar voice. I recognized it immediately - it was the voice of Eddie, Lucy's new boyfriend. He pronounced each word slowly and contentedly.
"Yeah, baby... Yeah... I'm yours... forever... I'm yours..."
The moans belonged to my sister, no doubt. These were most ordinary. But apparently it was enough to make Eddie feel even better. Lucy never pretended to be a 'bad' girl, but seven months ago everything changed. She used to be in love with Thomas, a graduate who was going to make a career in the big city. But his mysterious disappearance, plus, as I understood it, the breakup with Lucy led to the fact that she became a girl of an easy virtue. Guys continued to run after her like little puppies, fulfilling all her whims. They walked in a group and were ready to help Lucy at any moment. I didn't know all of them by names, only heard that students called them Royal Guards. How and where she suddenly got so much charm, I do not know, because none of us in the family had such natural qualities. It was probably all about Sarah, with whom Lucy became friends after the tragic disappearance of her beloved Thomas.
Coming closer and closer, I began to distinguish the outlines in the darkness. One figure was standing, towering, and the second was directly opposite on its knees. It wasn't hard to guess what was happening at that moment. I smiled with lust - I had already made all the conclusions for myself and was about to leave satisfied when I heard Lucy's voice.
"Jessie, come here," Lucy said as gently as she could. I was taken aback and decided to play a kind guy. Better this than to look like a pervert in her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Sarah asked me to find you. I..."
"Please, Jesse, come here. I beg you..." It sounded like Lucy wanted me to join. It wasn't any of my business, and something told me that it was better to stay away. However, it was my sister and it was better not to ignore her, because she had the power to turn my college life into hell. I pondered a little and, on a drunken head, after thinking about it, approached her. I wish I hadn't have done that. Everything I imagined with my drunken, sick imagination turned out to be exactly the opposite - Lucy was standing with her hands pointing over Eddie's head. Blood oozed out of his eyes, mouth and nose, which transformed into thin threads in an unimaginable way. These threads led to Lucy's hands. These were not the only threads. They came from different sources of Eddie's body, forming a network - they started from the head and ended with the feet.
Lucy looked like an evil puppeteer trying to control Eddie. She was twitching her arms, and at the same moment, Eddie was following her commands, moving his arm or head. It was a terrible sight, but I couldn't take my eyes off it. I couldn't unsee it either. I almost lost concentration in my legs while trying to comprehend the things I was witnessing, but I resisted.
"What does this mean?" My voice became barely audible.
"I shouldn't tell you. I have committed myself to remain silent about this forever." Lucy continued to speak in a sweet voice, as if things she was doing to Eddie were not something terrible or frightening.
"Yeah baby, yeah. I'm yours forever." Eddie kept repeating himself over and over again, each time quieter and quieter.
"What do you want me to do?" I tried to squeeze any words out loud, but I couldn't. Fear and horror were more intoxicating than I could have ever imagined.
"Eddie is too strong, I need help."
"I can't... I won't..." I moaned. My legs felt heavy, and my vision became blurred. I couldn't make a single step, all I could do is just stare at poor Eddie, who kept saying those words like a mantra.
"You have to help me, otherwise..."
I shuddered. My head was spinning, my temples were throbbing. I looked at Lucy, and when I met her gaze, I realized that if I didn't help, something terrible would happen to me. That was not a part of my plan. My heart began racing faster.
"What do you want?" I squeezed out of myself. I couldn't stop looking at Eddie, who was like a doll in my sister's hands. What did you do to him, Lucy?"
"Close your eyes and obey my voice."
I nodded, because I had no strength left for anything else. The fog in my head became so strong that my brain seemed to shut down. And so did I. I didn't remember any further events at all. Only some distant echoes of a language that I didn't understand and some strange actions that I performed.
I woke up at home, in my bed. After looking around, at first, I didn't understand where I was, but the walls covered in wallpaper with abstract dark orange triangles quickly brought me back to my senses. It was my room, silly and boring, as usual.
Thoughts in my head reinforced each other with a speed of light. What was that I saw? Was it yesterday? Did it really happen or was it a bad alcohol trip after all?
As I walked towards the window I heard a sound of a car approaching, which signaled a couple of times. I peeked out of the window and saw the front door of our house opening and Lucy coming out of the house with books in her hands. Her dark blue hoodie with the emblem of the college wrestling team flaunted the entire back. The unknown guy came out of the car. He was very nice and handsome, his face reminded me of someone. I was close to remember who it was, but it slipped away from my mind. The unknown guy tumbled out of the car and, like a devoted puppy, eagerly opened the door for Lucy. My sister didn't waste a minute and quickly jumped onto the front seat. The unknown guy started the car, and it disappeared from sight in less than a minute.
I stood and stared as if mesmerized. I started to ask myself the same questions about yesterday and Eddie, but couldn't find an answer. What happened to Eddie? Who was this new guy? All I could remember was a quarrel that got me kicked out of the party. And then was something unpleasant... everything seemed to be in a fog...
After getting dressed and going downstairs, I found my mom coming in with the dog from a walk. She threw me her usual 'Hello' and took a dog by the name Cody by its collar to the bathroom to wash his paws. My mom seemed to care more about the dog than about Lucy and me. I didn't blame her at all, probably all parents became this way after sending their kids to college. I went to the refrigerator, took out a couple of cold sandwiches and threw them into the microwave. Turning on the coffee maker, I noticed a note from my father that he was going to come home after nine. He worked in a nearby town, as a construction foreman, and very often came home late. Mom continued to be a realtor for many years. She did not succeed, but she did not give up trying to sell real estate and become successful in this endeavor.
Suddenly, Cody rushed into the room and started jumping around me. I didn't remember the breed of the dog, but not because I had a bad memory, but simply because I didn't like dogs. I preferred owning something more extravagant, like lizard or snake.
The mother's loud voice distracted Cody and the dog immediately found himself at her feet. She, at the same time, went to the coffee maker and quickly brewed coffee for herself. The dog obediently stayed nearby.
"How are you?" I asked by default.
"Everything is the same. Where's Lucy? I haven't seen her today yet." Mom turned around as if looking for her.
"She has a new boyfriend..." I began, but was quickly interrupted.
"Oh. She's looking for trouble! Sometimes I wish that disappearance never happened. What a good boy that Thomas was! Eh..." My mom said it as if she would have saved Thomas herself given the chance. At the same time it seemed like she was tired of all the things she was hearing about her daughter. I guess no parent wants to hear rumors which more than imply that your daughter is "an easy girl". My mom sipped her coffee, took out a piece of dried meat and threw it to Cody, which he caught and began to chew. Then mom turned to me and continued. "Aunt Julie is coming tomorrow. Tell Lucy to be home by seven. No excuses."
"Okay," I nodded, but it was as if I said it to the wall. My mother, along with Cody, went to her office to do her job and didn't even wait for my reply. I quickly finished my coffee, and after biting into a sandwich, I left the house.
After walking a couple of blocks, I noticed a girl walking towards me. Looking closer, I immediately recognized her. She was the same girl from the party that I never managed to pick up. She looked the same way as she did yesterday - thin and pale. But today I noticed that she was also quite attractive. It was strange that I didn't notice it yesterday. I was probably more drunk than usual and everything that happened yesterday was probably a part of a wild fantasy.
We were already approaching each other when she suddenly began smiling, which was sweet. Surprisingly, there was no one else on the street and this emotion was undoubtedly directed at me. I couldn't just run away or ignore it.
"Hi, um... Eric?
"Jessie," I corrected, and we caught up. She seemed to be glowing with happiness, which made her face look even prettier. I had absolutely no time to admire her appearance, because I felt awkward. To be honest, Sarah was right, I thought, - I am a loser. Even though I've spent a lot of time at the parties, I only had sex twice. I am either too childish to build a relationship or most girls don't find me attractive enough. That's why this particular girl is something rather unusual and foreign for me.
"Exactly!" her voice sounded very clear. "I'm sorry, I had a little too much yesterday and I don't remember everything."
"Nothing happened." I mumbled and headed towards the college. She joined beside me, not lagging behind. What does she want?
"But I do remember you and your story about the well," she smiled sincerely to such extent that I couldn't help but notice it. "I really liked you and I asked the girls where you live. They were extremely open about it, can you imagine? "
"I probably can." my voice was getting quieter and quieter. She annoyed me a little. "Are you always chasing guys?"
"Oh, I'm sorry... "She replied as if she hadn't given much thought to what she was saying." It was an awkward situation..."
Yeah. I didn't buy it. It was obvious to me that she has come here with the intention to mock me. Girls don't like it when someone takes them off as some frivolous girls. But to hold such a grudge against me! I must have tried too hard. Damn, I don't remember much!
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry," I continued, being sure that this was the best option to say. "Just tell me straight away why you hate me and let's forget about yesterday."
"You're a fool, Jesse!" She blurted out angrily, as if I had offended her. "If you weren't so drunk, I'd be with you..."
Does she really like me? – I thought. This can't be happening! Nobody likes me - average height, average weight and average look. No, there must be a catch.
"Come on. I know your feminine tricks! You came to quarter me for a tackle, just say so. Don't pretend you're in love." I turned to face her and stopped. She was furious. A second later, I heard a loud sound of slapping and felt my cheek burning. I have no idea how I was still standing, but the pain grew rapidly, and in a moment it became simply unbearable. And only then, after a hit, I saw her hand going down. It was a slap in the face that I didn't even have time to react to. Her eyes filled with tears and the smile disappeared from her face.
"What a freak you are! I should have left you drunk there by the gazebo!" She shouted in my face and abruptly turned around, headed in the other direction.
Damn, I've ruined everything. – Went through my head. What a jerk I am! My emotions were overflowing. I have to do everything to turn this conversation back to normal.
"Veronica, I'm sorry."
"You remember my name!" She was surprised. Even I was. Does that mean that I remember everything well? I decided to give my memory a chance and opened my mouth. "You're new here and you have almost no friends except Greg, your brother..." I stood in front of her as if I was passing my life-changing test with one of the hardest teachers i 'be ever met. All of a sudden I started to realize, that I remember much more then my brain allows me to recall. I quickly started asking myself more questions. Is that all I remember? But how? So everything that happened yesterday was real?
"Yes, it was" Veronica raised her head and wiped her tears. "I have never run after guys. And I won't do it again."
"No more. Forgive me." I tried to correct my mistake as best as I could. "I deserve everything you said to me. And you have a strong punch, of course."
"Does it still hurt?" Veronica seemed to come to life. I nodded, which provoked her smile. "I've been doing Taekwondo for many years." She said. "And I've never beaten guys before. Only girls."
"I sympathize with them. You have a heavy hand. And a fast one, I admit." I smiled back. It seemed that luck was on my side again. Veronica smiled sweetly, which meant that she had changed her anger to mercy. Now I could not leave the thought of what a girl like her was doing at such a party.
We walked together towards the college and continued the conversation. As it turned out, we had a lot in common, we were generally interested in the same things, and I gradually began to feel better and better. Each time I looked at her she lowered her eyes. Her modest reactions made me feel soft and tender. Was it really possible for me to have a serious relationship after all?
Also, during the conversation, I discovered that Greg, who was also at the party, drove me back home, when Veronica found my unconscious body in gazebo. She told me, that if it wasn't for Lucy, who was very gentle and friendly, I would be staying at gazebo longer. Yes, Lucy could be a very nice girl, I heard those rumors too, but it was long time ago and I couldn't believe she was the way Veronica described her.
When we approached the college building, there were a huge number of students. Veronica suddenly stopped. At first I didn't understand what had happened, because everything seemed normal, but she simply froze in her place. I looked in the direction of her gaze and was slightly taken aback - Lucy was walking along the main road to college surrounded by her friends, including Sarah, and other girls, laughing merrily. And nearby there was a group of guys watching their "queen". And it would have been all right if Veronica's brother, Greg, hadn't been among them. When I saw him, I immediately recalled what face he reminded me of – Veronica's. So everything became clear for me - Greg brought me home and there, where no parent's eye can reach, Lucy did the same to him as what she did to Eddie, who was now standing in front of the Royal Guard, searching for possible threats. At the same very moment I felt like I was struck by a lightning. It was no ordinary ritual yesterday, it was an initiation into the club of the Royal Guards.
I decided not to tell Veronica about my conclusion and wished to continue the conversation. When I turned to her, she was not even standing close to me, approaching the Royal Guard. She quickly appeared in front of Greg and grabbed his arm. Her lips were moving and she was clearly trying to appeal to him, but it seemed like he didn't listen to her, his eyes were locked on the "queen. Then Greg pushed Veronica aside and moved further with the Royal Guards, completely ignoring her. Veronica was stunned. She froze again, left alone with books in her hands. Then, I approached her.
"What's wrong?"
"Greg... he has never pushed me before... and he is with them..." She pointed at the group of 'Lucy's fans', who moved inside the building.
"Ahhh... the Royal Guards... you are new here, so let me explain the rules of this eight's-world-wonder."
Of course, I said it with irony in my voice, but I guess, it was the last thing Veronica wanted to pay attention to. As for me, irony was my main weapon in conversations.
"Tell me everything." Veronica said with sadness in her voice. I decided to skip few classes to give Veronica a better understanding of what she was going to face. During my monologue I had a strong feeling of deja-vu, as if it was the third time I was saying this. It was hard to explain, but it seemed like we have known each other for ages. As I was talking Veronica was listening to my every word. I saw in her eyes sadness and rebellion. She was forming a plan, I think, on how to bring Greg back to reality.
I lost track of time and when we appeared in front of the college entrance, the scene with Lucy walking merrily and the Royal Guards following her was taking place again. It seemed so unnatural, that I wanted to tell Veronica about it. So, as I turned my head to Veronica ready to tell her what I saw, the dark clouds occupied the sky as if I was taken into a parallel reality. Everything around somehow faded in color, smell and sound.
"This needs to stop." Veronica turned to me, quickly handed me her books and headed to Lucy. She was incredibly serious. Everything happened so quickly that I didn't even have time to say a word. Veronica stopped Lucy by stopping in front of her. A verbal altercation began in raised tones. Then Sarah gave the signal and a group of Royal Guards quickly rushed to save their "queen". I should have hurried, but there was no need. Veronica, as if from the Bruce Lee movies, began to scatter the guys around widely throwing her kicks and punches. There was something beautiful and stunning in her actions, or maybe I was in love. Anyway, the Royal Guards never stood a chance against Veronica. I even felt sorry for them at some point – as I could clearly hear sounds of the impacts she way making. Then everything stopped abruptly when Veronica's eyes met her brother's. They stared at each other until a group of teachers appeared determined to stop the fight. The Royal Guards stopped being active at Sarah's signal, while the teachers began to gather students who participated in the fight in an orderly manner. Everyone was reminded that it was strictly forbidden to break the rules of the college, which could lead to unwanted act - those, who committed illegal actions had to be excluded. I wanted to approach Veronica, but she was completely upset and was simply following the teachers, who grabbed her first. When I called out to her, Veronica looked at me with hope that I could save her, but there wasn't much I could do.
I touched my forehead and instantly everything turned upside down. We were standing in front of the college again, Veronica was still dumbfounded. Faded colors were no more, everything around me was normal again.
"This needs to stop." Veronica turned to me, intending to hand me her books.
Wait a second, - I thought. - It's deja vu! It was as if I saw a future in which a fight would not lead to anything good. Now I had a chance to fix everything. As soon as this realization landed in my mind I grabbed Veronica by the sleeve and didn't let her go anywhere.
"Do you want to be expelled for fighting?"
"I don't want Gregg to become an object for another ridicule!" Veronica's face turned red with anger. Her pale skin was no more and now she looked like a she-devil plotting something amiss.
"Trust me, beating Lucy won't change anything. And you'll only make it worse." I was gradually bringing Veronica back to her normal state. Lucy and Sarah had bigger influence on teachers and on school in general, it would probably be better just to stay away from them.
Veronica was still sufficiently charged. It seemed that I was only aggravating the situation and not fixing it. But something managed to calm her down. Veronica looked at me and said with uncovered hope in her voice.
"She's your sister. Talk to her." Veronica was gradually coming to her senses. Her voice became calm, and pale skin appeared on her face again.
"Diplomacy! I hate diplomacy..." I muttered. I have been haunted by passive aggression all my life, which I need to somehow negotiate with. And now again. "Okay, I'm talking to her."
I walked away from Veronica, who was waiting for me. I was now on an equal footing with Lucy and her friends. They were not happy to see my face. One of the girls, Zoe, made me look silly for trying to pick her up at the party. This was a reminder for me to get it together. The girls stopped, and with the corner of my eye I noticed how tension grew among the Royal Guards. I silently asked myself not to do anything stupid. I noticed Sarah, who was the right hand of the "queen".
"What do you want?" Sarah began discontentedly. Lucy, on the other hand, looked at me very sweetly, like an old friend she hadn't seen for a long time.
"It's personal. Family matter." I began, but again Sarah interrupted me. In college, she has a huge authority, and she used it to her advantage wherever possible.
"We have no secrets. Right girls?" Sarah pronounced every word with such a vanilla intonation, that I could feel its sweetness in my mouth.
"Okay. Aunt Julie is coming. Mom asked us to be home by seven today. So you have to be present too." I addressed the message to Lucy, but unfortunately, that was completely not what I came here for. However, I knew that only at home I would be able to talk to Lucy more or less privately..
"Okay, I will. But not for long. We have plans tonight." Lucy pronounced her words with slightly noticeable happiness, I even felt a little uneasy, because she hadn't been like this for a long time. "I hope Aunt Julie could tell us the fortune from her cards again."
"Emm... she might… I think so..." there was no limit to my surprise. She hadn't asked Aunt Julie to tell her fortune in five years. What has changed today remained unknown. After the answer, Lucy immediately headed into the building, walking along the corridor with girls. The meeting went better than I expected, but worse than it was supposed to go. Soon, Veronica came up to me and put her hand on my shoulder.
"Well, what?
"She's kind of weird..." I said thoughtfully. Our communication went into a strange conversation which I had to analyze more. It seemed like Lucy tried to lead me to a hint of some sort. Looking at Veronica, I decided to keep those thoughts to myself, just added sadly. "We agreed to talk at home."
"Well, it's better than nothing. Tell her, that she needs to leave my brother alone." Veronica looked at me with confidence in her eyes. "Greg is not her kind of guy."
"You mentioned that he was a good wrestler. Could it be that guys from the wrestling team influenced him?" I asked, just to make sure that Greg didn't fall into that sort of bullying where to protect yourself you have to accept new rules.
"Trust me. It's hard to influence Greg."
I sighed heavily and together with Veronica, we went into the main college building. That's what I was afraid about - the ritual may have taken place when Greg brought me home that night. All day I've been thinking about yesterday's night and today's consequences. Moving from class to class, from lesson to lesson, I kept noticing Lucy, then Sarah, then Veronica. The Royal Guards were always ready and watchful. People were talking. I heard a few students noticing that guys from the Royal Guards even looked stranger than usual. Hmmm, they looked the same to me.
Before the last class was going to take place, Veronica and I agreed to meet later in the evening, as if we had a date planned.
I went out of the main building to freshen up a little. Out of nowhere, a quiet voice clearly called my name. I turned around - there was no one anywhere. After walking a dozen yards, the same voice called my name again. I started looking around, but I didn't see anyone approaching me. When turning around, I found myself in front of an empty college building. I turned around again and found myself at night in front of the entrance to the college. There was a huge lamp hanging over me and I was completely illuminated by its light. Everything else around me was pitch black. Then, I heard a voice coming out of the deep void that surrounded me. It was more distinct and a little rough.
"Now you've seen it, Jesse. But I don't have another chance..."
"Who's here? Where am I?" I asked a little nervously, interrupting the voice from the darkness. There was a crack in the yard and a shadow came out. It was slowly moving closer and closer. I tried to recognize it and was a little in shock, when discovered who that man was. It was Thomas, Lucy's first love. Only now he was somehow pale, decomposed like a corpse, limped on one leg, and his face was covered in small scars.
"Remember me?" Thomas asked, and I nodded. He grinned and continued. "Well, congratulations to you."
"With what?"
"You have done something that neither I nor any of us could do," Thomas said, upset. He stood in front of me so that I could get a closer look at his face. It turned out that he also had a broken nose, and almost no teeth. "As I'm sure you now understand, I am dead and soon police will find my body. So follow the news."
"What is going on? Where am I?" I didn't believe what he was saying. Everything seemed unrealistic and far-fetched to me.
"Well, first of all, the fact that you are in a parallel reality but haven't realized it yet, suggests that the connection has been broken."
"What kind of connection? What are you talking about?" I was outraged and wanted to leave, but my feet felt like they were chained to the ground.
"How can I explain this to you?" At first Thomas was thinking, walking around. It seemed like he failed to find a better answer and so he simply continued. "It's better to show than to explain."
Thomas grabbed my arm and only now did my legs move and follow him. Everything around, like a slideshow, began to change, telling the story of Lucy and the Royal Guards. These were fragments of various events where Lucy, under various pretexts, lured guys to her and later performed a strange kind of ritual over them. During those rituals, she cut her hands and the blood, turning into thin threads, made its way through the face, body and other parts of each of the victims. Each of them was on his knees, and Lucy, like a puppeteer, forced them to do and repeat the actions and words that she herself produced. I didn't have time to see through, but it appeared to me that Lucy brought no intention into it. I felt like it was something else instead, as if something alien by nature was putting pressure on her, a kind of pressure she couldn't bear. During the rituals a mysterious host allowed Lucy not only to own male species - she became a part of their bodies and consciousness, indivisible and important. It has been going for years. Until now. Something went wrong.
I was in two minds about what I saw. Thomas was silent all this time, leading me in an unknown direction. I started to think a lot, focusing my attention on the scenes I was witnessing. When I came back to my senses, it turned out that Thomas was standing against a wall blocking the way.
"Where are we?"
"In the beginning." He declared, with a note of doubt. Thomas looked at me again, assessing the options. "What you're about to see is the last thing I can do for you. After that, I will disappear."
"What does it mean?" I felt lost, I couldn't believe the things I saw.
"Since my disappearance, I tried to stop it. As you can see, I'm in a bad shape. I just cannot die. But I really want to." Thomas sighed heavily. I still could not believe what I saw. Then he continued. "And luckily for me, the connection between Lucy and that substance in her has weakened. She is fighting inside, I can feel it."
"I don't understand..." I began, but he interrupted me.
"I understand you are more than confused. It takes a long time to explain, but for me it is a one-way road. Only you can stop it." Thomas became sad and happy at the same time. "Stop it before it's too late."
"But what should I stop? I don't quite understand..."
"You'll understand when you see it. Just walk along to the end of the tunnel and open the door."
He hit the wall three times, and then it crumbled into small pieces. Slowly, each one of them began to disappear into thin air. Thomas, who was standing next to them, disappeared with them. A tunnel opened in front of me, with a door at its end. I had to go through it to get out of a parallel reality. And I headed forward.
Around me there were huge pictures, like posters from the movie. Some of them appeared fast, with a blink of an eye, and were gone. Others remained longer. I went through pictures of Lucy and Thomas dating, their friendship, first love and first sex. As soon as I stopped in front of the door – new visions appeared in front of me. It was the night when Thomas and Lucy, somewhere in the countryside were looking at the stars. Then one of the stars fell down and Thomas offered Lucy to make a wish. Lucy jokingly said something very inarticulate and laughed merrily. Then, they looked up at the night sky again, discussing something pleasant, it seemed. Lucy noticed that an object that looked like a ruby was slowly approaching them. It turned out to be a pebble, light as a feather. The stone slowly settled on Lucy's hand and painlessly merged with it. Both laughed, kissing each other in a passionate embrace. But then, Lucy noticed that she was wrapping her arms around Thomas. When she looked down, she saw threads of blood around Thomas. Terrified, she tried to escape, but nothing worked - she and Thomas were stuck in each other. Thomas began screaming in pain, but it was too late. Lucy seemed to absorb his energy and couldn't not let them both get out. Suddenly, everything stopped and Thomas dropped dead. Lucy looked at herself in horror, tried to cry, but couldn't - crying turned into laughter. She got scared and ran away. At this point, the last vision disappeared and the door opened. I went through it as fast as I could.
I looked around again at the entrance of the college. It was getting late and there was no one around. Only the guard who knew me shouted something discontent. It took me a while to understand that I was in a place where I shouldn't have been.
"Have you forgotten something?" the guard asked me, coming up closer to me. Now I began to understand what he was saying.
"Yes, but now I have to hurry." I looked at my watch, it was already seven. I decided to run. Block after block I ran and thought about what I saw. A stone? Dead Thomas? Lucy was under influence? Too many questions and lack of answers.
When I found myself in front of my house, I caught my breath and calmly went inside. Aunt Julie, Mom and Lucy were sitting in the living room. Lucy was holding the phone in her hands, waiting for something. Dad wasn't there because he was still at work.
"Well, finally, my beloved nephew." Aunt Julie got up and quickly greeted me with a tight hug. "How are you?"
"Everything's fine, Aunt Julie. I'm all good." I answered, smiling. My aunt looked at me intently, and then, after a few seconds, smiled back. She took me by the hand and led me into the living room. I've always been confused by the way she looked at me. She was a medium and, as far as I knew, quite a good one. Card reading and predicting the future was her bread and butter. Aunt Julie never told me where she got such abilities from, but Mom always told a story about a meteorite falling. Many years ago a meteorite fell on our city and Aunt Julie found a piece of stone from this meteorite. And, allegedly because of this, Aunt Julie's abilities began to appear. My mom didn't believe in all this, but my experience had proven otherwise - many of Aunt Julie's predictions came true, sometimes exactly the way she described.
"Tell us a fortune today, Aunt." Lucy addressed her aunt as sweetly as possible. Surprisingly, Aunt Julie was not surprised at all. As if she knew this would happen beforehand. Aunt Julie nodded and quickly pulled out a deck of cards. These were non-standard tarot cards, but specific ones made for Aunt Julie. Once she mentioned that she created them herself based on the visions that appeared to her. And only in her hands did the cards obey.
"What do you want to know? Past, future, present?"
"You're fortune-telling again!" My mom gasped for air. She wasn't thrilled at all. "Is it possible at least once a year not to turn my sister's visit into a consultation with a medium?
"It's nothing, I can do it for once." Aunt Julie touched my mother's hands and comforted her. "Especially since Lucy hasn't asked me for any predictions in five years."
"Okay, but only once." My mom nodded and bent over the table with veiled interest, where Aunt Julie's hands were already shuffling the cards with might and main. I looked at Lucy. She looked at me as if she was mentally trying to convey a message to me. Then her gaze fell on the table. She needed only one short glance to assess the layout of the cards. Then she looked at me again. I caught her looking at me again and figured that Lucy wanted me to listen to Aunt Julie.
"Hmm... a lady with a ruby necklace... someone has an influence on himself, very strong, some girl or woman. The moon is in the fog, so you have a common connection, but the horseman of death... I can't understand it."
My thoughts immediately overwhelmed me. I began to remember everything I knew. Now it all started to unveil. Stone has influenced Lucy, and created a bond. That's why Lucy became that distorted version of 'femme fatale'. That's how the Royal Guards came into existence, that's what really happened to all the boys. And I have recently participated in one of those rituals. And Thomas, I couldn't believe Lucy had killed him. Yes, it happened by accident, but she had to go to the police. And what kind of stone is this? My emotions were overwhelming me. I wanted to shout and tell everything, but didn't. I had to stay focused - the only way I could talk to Lucy was through predictions. The aunt continued her venture, revealing a card after a card.
"Strange. A dead warrior. I can't understand anything... the servants follow the image... and the house where the ceremony takes place..." Aunt Julie raised her head and looked at Lucy with a silent question, but my sister just smiled sweetly. "What does this mean? This is for you to figure out."
"Not really." Lucy replied, trying to hide the fact that everything Aunt Julie said was true.
Thomas is dead warrior, – I assumed. - The servants who follow the image - the Royal Guards, the House where the ceremony unfolds is the cottage where parties usually take place. Lucy looked at me again. It really was something of a message? For me, now, it was clear as day. Then she looked at Aunt Julie again. "It was the past and the present. And what about the future?
"Are you sure you want to know?" Aunt Julie asked, trying to break through Lucy's built-in wall with her gaze.
"Oh, come on. Don't make a drama out of the blue." My mom intervened. Although she was interested, she was still not enthusiastic about fortunetelling. "There are only three cards left. Just place them and get it over with."
Aunt Julie began to suspect something, but still decided to finish the divination. She shuffled her cards again and randomly began to pull out one by one. I closed my eyes for a second. And then, I heard a familiar voice. When I opened them, I saw a strange room in front of me, similar to a girl's. There were piles of different posters and photos hanging all over it. Everything was framed with delicate tones and the whole room seemed very cozy. Then I heard the voice again. I knew exactly who was talking to me.
"What's wrong with you?" Veronica looked at me with surprise.
"How did I end up here?"
"Very funny. Hahaha." Veronica was a little bewildered with the words I said. "You came to me, you wanted to talk. You stopped right before your Aunt Julie placed the final three cards."
"Sorry, I guess I'm just a little tired." I quickly got out of bed, and began to smile like a fool. "Can I have something to drink?"
"Oh, my bad. Would you like some coffee?" Veronica asked, and I nodded. She got up quickly and looked at me with an uncertain expression on her face. "Can you wait here for five minutes? Just don't go sightseeing around the house please."
I nodded again and Veronica quickly disappeared through the door. I looked around the room again. I realized that I didn't remember how I got here at all. Apparently, I did everything automatically. It was like a fog in front of my eyes. And those three cards! I couldn't remember them at all, as if they flew out of my head. I began to strain my brain harder trying to remember what was happening at that moment. I remembered how Lucy's phone rang and she went out. I remembered how Lucy came back and how my mother was laughing with Aunt Julie over something. Then, there was a huge blank which lead me to another scene, where Veronica introduced me to her father. She mentioned some kind of project we were doing together, after which her father grinned slyly, but what I couldn't remember what those three cards were. Damn!
Veronica came into the room, with a tray in her arms. There were two cups of coffee and some cookies. I grabbed one and started chewing. Coconut, that's what I needed now!
"What were those three cards, I wonder?" Veronica began, and I had to give her the answer. And quick.
"Would you believe me if I say that I don't remember?" I decided to play honestly, without hiding anything from her.
"Hard, but possible. So what do you think about all this?"
"I think we need to start watching them. There is something wrong with the Royal Guards, and it may help us pull Greg out of it..."
A sudden knock on the door of Veronica's room interrupted my speech. Veronica's father was standing behind the door, clearing his throat loudly, as if he was giving us time to finish something that we were doing.
"Vera, your friend is downstairs. She said she wants to talk to you."
Veronica looked at me with surprise. I carefully looked out the window and saw Lucy, who was waiting by the porch. She didn't notice me and I quickly turned to Veronica.
"It's Lucy." I whispered softly. Veronica's face became even more surprised.
"Dad, I'm coming down now!" Veronica answered loudly. She didn't know what to do.
"Play along and let her do the talking. I know you are angry, but please, don't hit her."
Veronica nodded and quickly left the room. I approached the window again and looked furtively. Lucy and Veronica were standing on the porch and discussing something. It didn't last long. In a minute or less, Lucy left in a hurry, and Veronica headed back home.
"So?" I asked with interest.
"She asked me for an apology and gave this." Veronica handed me a note. I quickly opened it. Lucy's handwriting was very clumsy, as if she wrote it in a hurry. My eyes widened. Now, everything became clear. The note said: "Thomas was found. I can't take it anymore. Sarah is blackmailing me. Help me."
"Anything else?" I asked.
"Yes. Everything seems strange, but your sister asked me to give this note to you and said that the last three cards were a man on his knees, a dagger lying on a pedestal and a broken ruby ring." Veronica was still puzzled, but I was no longer. It just hit me so hard, like I've never been so sure of something in my life.
"I know how to get your brother back, but you have to promise me something."
"Um... I'm listening..." Veronica answered uncertainly, not understanding what was going on.
"You have to do what I tell you when I tell you. Agreed?"
"If it's a BDSM dynamics, then, I'm out." Veronica smiled. "I trust you. You know your sister better than I do."
"Don't worry, I'm not a pervert. I just need your support." I smiled. It seemed that I have not only found a girlfriend, but also was in the middle of some teenage sci-fi story about extraterrestrial beings. It was so exciting, I have never felt so happy and anxious at the same time.
Later in the evening, when I was in my own bed, after spending time with Veronica, I began to think about those three cards. 'The man on his knees' could be any man, even me, 'the dagger' could be the ritual through which it was possible to break the influence of this alien invader. But Sarah, who was pushing Lucy was the biggest problem. It would be hard to get her out of the way. And if she was really blackmailing my sister, getting her out of the game would be insanely difficult.
From now on, I have decided, I'll keep an eye on Lucy. I'm studying her part, looking for a weak spot and waiting for the right moment.
Every day I and Veronica met and I told her everything. I gradually brought her to what I have noticed myself. And it seemed that Veronica understood me. I, myself, was preparing a plan to transform myself into Lucy's doll. I didn't want to tell it to Veronica, but I was going to, but only if I failed to create a better plan. It would not be easy, especially since I've seen how much influence Sarah had on my sister. Especially after the investigation into Thomas' death was reopened. Like he told me there, in the unknown reality that I have witnessed, his body was found in the forest by the hunters. The news about it began to spread widely, after which Sarah and Lucy started seeing each other more often. My stakeout became more and more complicated. As the investigation progressed, I heard that the police allegedly had a version that Thomas was killed and then hidden. There were many different suspects, including my sister.
By the time of the investigation, I continued to see strange visions, similar to deja vu. Often it was something not very good or positive and I tried to follow these tips, hoping that at the right moment they will not let me down. Because of these events, I began to sleep poorly. At night, when I couldn't sleep, I asked myself a question - what was wrong with Sarah, what made her like this? Why couldn't Lucy resist her? Did Sarah ceased to be a person and turned into a monster in the flesh? What drove both of them? Guilt, fear or maybe temptation and impunity? I didn't have an answer to that, but I definitely was determined to find out, that's for sure.
Hold on, my beloved sister. I'll come to the rescue soon. I hope it won't be too late.