Chapter One - Monsters
CHAPTER ONE - MONSTERS
“You’ll vacuum the house?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ll make sure to lock the doors at night?”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“Do the shopping?”
“Yes.”
I heard a frustrated sigh at the other end of the call, and I could clearly picture my uncle pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Is all you can say is ‘yes’?” My uncle demanded, letting a bit of irritation through.
“Sorry, Sebastian,” Was all I replied. My mistake.
Sebastian huffed loudly, and I could feel his rage building. “What is going on, Noya? You barely speak to me anymore, and it’s been years since we’ve had a two-sided conversation! You shut me out every day, locking yourself in your room, when you should be enjoying your summer with friends! Is it drugs?”
“Uncle, I have to work now. Can we do this another time?” I cut him off, insisting through gritted teeth, hoping my voice wouldn’t crack.
“Oh. No, you’re right. This isn’t the best time. When I’m back in two weeks, we’ll sit down and have a proper conversation. Understood?”
“Hmm,” I hummed in half-heartedly, dreading the moment when it comes. I watched as a group of friends walked on by in their flip-flops and swimsuits; Elvis Presley boys, and Marilyn Monroe girls alike, all smiles. One of the girls, a redhead, with translucent skin, looked in my direction – I hung my head.
“Noya, you know I care about you. I just want to know what is going on with you. Let me in, will you?” His voice was strained.
I didn’t reply right away. Biting my lip as I struggled to find the words. I needed an out. “My boss is calling me, got to go. Have a good lecture, uncle.”
“Noya-,”
I hung up on him, the sound of the rejected beep echoing in my ears. I leaned my head on the steering wheel of my car. I had lied, once again. My break wasn’t over for another five minutes, but I had just needed to end the call.
“Why don’t you let him in, little Noya?”
“Leave me alone.” My voice cracking, my throat choking up. I couldn’t deal with him right now.
The tormenting voice cackled in my head, knowing my exact thoughts. “You’re afraid of what your nosy uncle will find, right?”
“Shut up,” I protested bitterly. Frantically looking around for anything that would help block out his voice. I learned long ago that covering my ears, did nothing to stop the cruel sounds.
“What do you think will happen, once he figures out that you’re-,”
I cranked up the classical radio, blocking out his final words, the dramatic orchestra drowning everything out. All I could hear was the symphony of woodwind instruments, carried by the string instruments, decorated by the brass, and finally the percussion matching the rapid beats of my heart. As I sat there, in the driver’s seat, submerged in the melody, I felt the breath that I was holding finally release. However, it was only a fleeting moment of peace as my phone alarm rang: my break was over.
Turning down the radio, I was fortunately met with silence. Collecting myself, I left my car, closing and locking the car behind me. I sauntered back in Cherry’s, a small café in the center of Illys, where a majority of customers are university students. Once inside, I made a beeline for the kitchen, giving a small nod to my boss, whose eyes snapped up from her magazine at my passing.
Mrs. Cherry appeared to be in her mid-sixties, her grey hair consistently permed, as her blue eyes peeked out just beneath her bushy brows. She was always adamant about her appearance, wearing her signature red lipstick day and night. She also had a habit of calling her workers ‘doll’, especially when she wanted something to be done. Just like now.
“Noya, doll, Archie had an emergency, so I’m going to need you to take the front of shop,” She stated, popping the ‘p’.
I felt my hands disappear in my uniform sleeves, clutching at the material. Hanging my head, I wanted to hide in the kitchen rather than interacting with people that I might know. “Um, Ma’am, if it’s alright with you-.”
“Tut, tut. Doll, you’re never going to get anywhere if you don’t listen to others. Now get a move on, people are not going to serve themselves,” Mrs. Cherry clicked her tongue harshly, before returning to her page.
I felt my throat close up as I shuffled to the counter, my hands still fisting at the cuffs. With my breathing shallow, I felt it hard to move, much less serve and respond to customers accordingly. I would stagger over to tables, stutter through my sentences, and fail to meet any of their eyes. I’m a disaster.
As the hours ticked by, the sky gradually bled into twilight, and yet there was no sign of Archie. Customers came and went, their cravings satisfied, leaving one or two tips behind for my poor service. I preyed on the clock, begging for the seconds to tick by faster, praying for the end of my shift at the counter.
One by one my co-workers left, barely a nod in my direction, as I wiped the tables for the third time, even though they were already near-spotless. Anything to keep busy. In ten minutes, I would be done, and I could go home to my bed. No more customers would be coming at this hour, so I took my stuff and was about to head out the door, when I heard my name called.
“Doll! Don’t go yet.” I gritted my teeth in an effort to hold back my scream of frustration. Turning around, I spotted Mrs. Cherry all-ready to go, her phone by her ear as her lips smacking together as she chewed her seventh piece of gum that day. Her blue eyes pierced me, holding me to the spot.
“Yes, Mrs. Cherry?” I asked, madly hoping that she wouldn’t ask me to lock up.
“I’m running late, so would you be a doll and lock up for me? Oh, and don’t worry about the keys, I have a spare. Just make sure to return them next time, kay?”
Well, damn. I forced a nod, and without a thank-you, my boss flung her keys at me, skipping out of the café, the door shutting behind her with a bang. Dropping into a chair, my bag slipped off my shoulder and onto the ground shamelessly.
“Why? Why? Freakin’ why!” I exclaimed, slamming my hand down on the table, hissing in pain as the keys dug into my palm. Checking my hand, I saw that my palm had been scraped, a thin line of blood having been drawn.
As I inspected my hand, I suddenly heard tires screech against tarmac – Turning in the direction of the parking lot, I spotted a car swerving wildly around. Probably just a drunk person who thinks it’s a fun idea to drift at this hour. Glancing away, I shook my head, pushing myself out of the chair, resigning myself to my fate. I got to work, making sure the machines were turned off, the office secured, and that the floor had been swept for the seventh time. Once all was spit-spot clean, I made my way to turn off the lights.
Everything was dead silent.
An inch from the switch, I stopped. I had heard something. Like the gentle swooshing of a bird’s wings as it flew by. But what bird would be flying past the café at this hour? An owl? A bat? Heck, it had to have an enormous wingspan for me to hear it from the inside. I switched off the lights. Unless it was Batman, it was probably just a figment of my imagination.
I switched off the lights, with only the glow from the streetlights outside illuminating the shop enough for me to make my way to the front door. Exiting my workplace, I stuffed the key in the lock, and twisted it.
Click
The sound of the lock and key resounded louder than I thought was normal across the near-empty parking lot. Turning around, my gaze swept across the lot, and I noticed a car had been abandoned, its car doors open, without a trace of whoever drove that car. Was that the same car from before? It looked sleek and expensive. The area was deathly silent, goosebumps littered my body. I had to get out of here. Hurrying to my car, I dug into my bag, searching for the keys I needed to make my escape.
PLEASE NO!
A shrill shriek shattered the silence. My heart leapt out of my chest, as I jumped into my car, slamming the door shut. What the hell was that? Should I go check it out? As much as I knew I should, every inch of my body screamed not to go. I tried keeping my breathing steady, but images flashed through my mind, of someone’s mangled body, lying on the ground, blood gushing from their wounds, as they implored for help.
“Are you going to let them die? Are you that much of a coward?”
That cursed voice cackled at my indecisiveness. My hand shook as I fumbled to press the START/STOP button, my eyes squeezed shut, as my eyes still picked up the victim’s pleas. If I leave now, would I have killed them?
“That’s right, little Noya. You know what that makes you? You’re just-”
The car door was knocked closed, as I stumbled out of the parking lot, phone clutched tight in my hand, prepared to dial the emergency number. Why was I doing this – This was not the moment for heroics. Was I scared? Heck yes. Yet it was the promising guilt that drove me forward, following the sounds of panic. As my steps hastened, I could clearly hear the distressed sobs of someone… Wait, no. There were two sets of distinctive cries. Just what was going on?
“No, it’s impossible…, I can’t be dead!”
I stiffened. This can’t be happening again.
“Please, whatever you are, let me go!”
My phone felt useless in my hand now – It would do no good in this situation. This was a mistake – I had promised myself never to get involved with that side ever again. All I had to do, was to turn around, get back to my car and drive away. Simple as that.
Then why wasn’t I leaving? I continued to hear the weeps and begs, drowning out all other reasoning as I continued to make my way (like an idiot) towards the danger. I shuffled along Cherry’s Cafe’s wall, inching closer to the back alley, where we keep the bin. I could already smell the stink of rotten food wafting through the air and…, was that blood? Against all rational thought, I peered around the corner, into the dead end.
The moisture in my mouth dried up as I took a sharp intake of air, before slapping a hand on my lips, in effort to silence me. What I saw caused even my goosebumps to run scared, every hair froze like deer in headlights. Before me lay a pair of corpses. One, a burly figure dressed in head to toe in silvery-gold chains. As my eyes skipped to their face, I shuddered – Their blank lifeless eyes stared right at me, as blood trickled from his head, staining the ground. I had to pull my gaze away, only to land on something even more horrendous. A woman’s body had been mangled with a knife, slashed open from her chest to her abdomen. As thick, red blood poured from her gaping wounds, and the overpowering stench of the dead made my head spin, I thought I was going to throw up. However, even the bile in my throat refused to exit, as what I spotted next, brought back all my terrors.
“Someone, help…,” The ghostly apparition of the female sobbed, as she begged on her knees, her head hanging. Meanwhile, the other figure, shook a trembling fist at a shadow on the brick wall, foolish enough to try to fight whatever lurked in the darkness.
I felt my legs tremble, ready to give in. Ghosts. Spirits of the dead. All of that deceased supernatural that had plagued my whole life. I knew why, however I irrevocably rejected it with my entire being. I would never get involved with the other side anymore. Then run you bloody idiot!
Wait! There it was again: the flutter of giant wings beating through the air. I whirled around, trying to pinpoint where the sound of gentle feathers was coming from. Until, the spirits’ terrified shrieks snapped my attention back to them.
I watched wide-eyed as from the opaque gloom melted a being into form. They were unlike anything I had ever witnessed – They looked so very much human, yet they couldn’t be further from humanity. Skin like alabaster gleamed even in the dim light, and robes so dark that I could imagine them being woven from shade itself. Ebony hair tickled their slender neck, swaying eerily in the abnormally frigid night breeze. I shuddered, hugging my frame, yet whether it was fear or the biting chill, I knew not. As my gaze rose finally to reach the mysterious being’s face, two silver irises pierced through the curtain of hair – They looked murderous.
Go. Leave. Run. Disappear. Do anything, but not stand here frozen! I knew that if I were to linger, it would only be a matter of time before… that demon would sense me and devour me whole.
“Please, I did nothing wrong! I’m innocent!” The male spirit begged fanatically, but I knew that even if he had been innocent, nothing could save him.
The demonic figure glided forward, bleeding from the shadows, into full view. Their steps not making a single sound as they advanced towards the ghost of the dead man. They raised their right hand, the dark sleeve slipping down ever so slightly to reveal a coal-colored tattoo in the shape of an ‘X’ branded onto their inner wrist. Their lips curled into a snarl, almost if amused by their victim’s plead.
“Innocent?” They chuckled, taking another step closer, till they towered over the man’s head. “I wouldn’t know about that. All I’ve been tasked to do is collect your souls for the Shades. I don’t give a rat’s ass if you’re blameless or not. So,” They bared their teeth in a crooked smile, which was incredibly unsettling as the eyes remained hidden, “Why don’t you pray for a good afterlife?”
The dead man, as if given a last chance at life, began furiously praying. However, before anyone had a chance to react, the humanoid beast snapped their fingers.
SNAP
It resounded throughout the inky night, and the cool draft picked up, wafting along the scent of something sickly sweet, but unfamiliar. A distant howling rumbled on the horizon, ominous for our fates. The man had stopped praying, gawking at the figure in front of him. Suddenly, murky-gray chains surged through the asphalt and swathed the man’s spirit, encasing him till his Adam’s apple. His eyes swelled madly. He gasped for air, which he did not need. Hands clawing at the sky.
The dangerous being’s smirk turned into a deep scowl, before announcing: “Praying will not save you anyway.” Pointing with a slight flick at the dumbfounded man, bright blue flames erupted, engulfing the spirit’s form hungrily. Almost immediately, the unfortunate soul let out an earsplitting shriek. The sound of his burning torture was nearly enough to topple me, but it was the sight of his flesh burning off his skeleton that did it. I turned around and puked my guts out. My vomit splattered the bottom of an empty bin I had grabbed, in an unceremonious manner, the retched stench filling my lungs as I emptied myself out.
Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I took deep quivering breathes, leaning against the brick wall. I glanced upwards toward the night sky, hoping that with some miracle, that this was all a nightmare. However, I knew that the chance of that was too far-fetched. This was all too real – The blood in the air, the aftertaste of bile on my tongue, the chilled goosebumps on my body, and the vivid, cyan light that burned around the corner.
Every bone in my body pleaded with me to run away – yet, after what I saw, there certainly would be no returning to the ordinary life I so longed for.
I peered around the corner once more, only to see that the man was no more, as only the fire’s cinders crackled its last dying breath on the ground. I could see the woman’s spirit watching in absolute horror, tears gushed down her face, as her mouth open and closed, like a clueless fish about to get eaten.
I want to help her.
I started, shaking my head vigorously. How could I even think that? She was dead, it was over for her. No matter what I do, it won’t bring her back to life. Yet, my eyes followed as the demon approached the female spirit, taking their sweet time, my gaze suddenly caught hold of the woman’s wide one. Then her lips moved soundlessly in the word I least wanted to hear.
Please
Don’t be the hero, Noya. You can’t be a hero. Not now. The hero is the one that always suffers.
That being raised his right hand once again, prepared to mercilessly snap away all hope of another chance. Because whatever waited for these spirits on the other side, would never be forgiving. As their fingers pressed together, what happened next seemed to come in a blur.
One moment, I was cowering behind a wall. The next, I had my hand grasping the monster’s wrist, halting them from doing further harm. They whirled around, and at that instant, their ebony hair reeled back and two deep ivory eyes, blazing at me with such fierceness that I became the lion’s prey. But as my hand felt as if it was becoming charred from holding a demon’s wrist, my gaze never left their face: they looked so human… too human. The only reason why I was still alive was because we were both momentarily stunned at the appearance of the other.
Suddenly, a cool waft of air zipped past us, shattering the spell. The ‘demon’ hissed in annoyance, sending me one last murderous scowl, before ripping his hand free from my grasp and once again melting into the shadows.
What have I done...? Why did I do that? As thoughts tormented my mind, I looked back at the mangled and bloodied corpses. What have I gotten myself into?
I dialed the emergency number for the police in a daze, unsure of what was happening anymore. As I dialed, my hand still burned – Turning it over, I gasped. My cut from earlier had completely healed, no marks, no blood, no burns of any kind.
The phone in my hand rang, calling for help, but I barely heard it, as the world spun beneath me. What was happening to me? This couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Hello, 911, what’s your emergency?” The operator’s voice came out clearly, but I did not register it. Instead, my torturer came back to speak the words I was too afraid to – For he knew me better than anyone else.
“Only monsters can touch monsters, little Noya. You know what that means, right? It’s like I’ve always said, you’re just-,”
“One of the monsters.” I finished.
