Chapter 1: Blood for Blood
Her life was anything but normal. That is, if normal is considered "usual", and "usual" is common as well as lacking in any aspects either insane, impossible, or mixes of the two.
Wake up in the morning, go to university, have friends, do normal people things like "get brunch with the girls" or "go on dates."
Ha, go on dates. Yeah, right.
Try: accidently staring at a man until he becomes scared or so impossibly uncomfortable that he either walks away, leaves the room, or just plain blurts "Could you stop?" Sometimes, if she was especially lucky, he'd do all three. Apparently, she was awkward. As well as slightly intimidating.
And also just scary in general.
To her credit, it wasn't as if she would be staring at them, per se, but rather near them, at nothing in particular, whenever she was deep in thought. She stares a lot, or glares. She prefers nicer terms, but glaring would be a more accurate descriptor.
As to how she hallucinated seeing ghosts sometimes; that was just like the cherry on top.
They wouldn't even look like people, or be that scary for that matter.
Mostly, she would see faint flashes of colors, sometimes somewhat in the shape of a body. But they would be much too faint and translucent usually to see properly, like misshapen shadows on the floor or in the light streaming through a window. They would appear and disappear right when she'd see them. Terribly worrying for her sanity, nonetheless.
But then she'd see some in her dreams. And apparently they had personalities, and made for ironically terrifying yet intriguing subconscious-sleep-self conversations. Who would've guessed. Too bad she wouldn't remember how they looked when she woke up. Or much of what they said at all, for that matter.
Funny she wasn't scared of them in her dreams, and only in person. Crazy is as crazy does, she'd think.
Her life was hilariously strange. She thought sometimes maybe she was the strange one, rather than her life, but then that would be admitting she's crazy. Or maybe she really is crazy, her life is a mess of random paranormal phenomena, and thinking about it too hard is just like scratching a huge zit; the more you scratch the bigger it gets, and then it pops and gross crap gets all over your face. She laughed. The metaphor didn't even make sense.
"Marie …" she felt a tap on her shoulder. And then a grip.
"Marie!"
Hehe, my eyes are shaking … wait, am I shaking?
"Oh my god, Marie, snap out of it!" said her sister, Cara, who was shaking her as hard as she could.
Marie giggled. "Cara … I … think," she swayed towards the bar, "I think-'
"That you're drunk?"
"Ssshhhhh," Marie said, putting a finger to Cara's lips, and then tapping her on the nose, "Hey, come closer. I needa … needa tell you somethin'."
"No."
"It's really …" Marie hiccupped, and then grinned stupidly, "reeaaallly imporn'nt."
Cara looked at her, an eyebrow quirked, her arms crossed, "Oh, really?"
She nodded, or more like bobbed her head vigorously, "Yes. Really."
Her sister sighed, and leaned in.
Marie cupped her mouth with one hand, "I think … I'm insane," she said in a very loud whisper, the type that could be heard from the other end of the small bar. They were already getting rude looks, and the bar tender was starting to look rather pissed.
A moment ago, Marie was blubbering gibberish, while banging the ends of two beer mugs together semi-rhythmically in a sort of trance-like state. Cara thought she was trying to sing, though whatever song it was she didn't know. She assumed it was an elven chant or something similar from Marie's favorite video game series, Dragon Age.
Marie was a complete geek.
Right then, though, she was talking about how crazy she was.
"Ya know, sometimes, when I'm asleep, I'm awake."
"Oh."
"Like," her face scrunched quizzically, "like I'm more there … than I am here …ya know?"
"Honestly? No."
"It's soooo coooool." she said. For a moment she stared into the distance, her face scrunched in thought, not that she was really thinking all that much. Her expression became as serious as she could make it and she looked at Cara pointedly.
"I also see ghosts, in my dreams. They talk to me."
"Ok, that's it. We're leaving."
"They're like colorful mist-people! I've met blue ones, and red ones, and- hey!"
Cara grabbed her by the arm and hulled her off the bar stool, followed by much drunken protesting by Marie.
Groaning, she put a tip down on the counter for the bartender and started pulling her stumbling sister towards the door.
It had been Marie's first time drinking (like that was any excuse) which was quite sad for a 25-year-old law student and supposed grown woman. She was a prude, in every meaning of the word. "Drinking is irresponsible and clouds the mind," she said. In reality, she was just scared of any possible situation in which she wouldn't be in control mentally. Her sanity seemed too questionable to trust. The only reason she agreed was out of blackmail and heavy persuasion from her sister.
"Don't you wanna boyfriend?" Cara had said.
"I'm fine by myself."
Maybe, she thought.
"Well then, you have to loosen up. Bars are like the hunting ground for men. Also, alcohol. It helps."
Obviously, it didn't turn out as planned.
"Fenedhis lasa …" Marie said under her breath in a string of mumbles when Cara gave a particularly hard tug. They were almost at the door, and Marie was weakly slapping her sister's hand that gipped her wrist.
"Oh god, not more creepy elven again."
Marie went silent for a moment, wearing an angry expression that looked more stupid than threatening.
"Please don't say any more weird shit," Cara mumbled, "I actually like this bar-"
"GO SUCK WOLF DICK!"
"Fuck."
A floating city above the sea, crystal and stone, magic and blood, built on lives once lived and lost all the same. Spiraling paths and roads that lead everywhere and anywhere; mirrors of smooth glass that ripple beneath touch, whispering cold on skin. Dignitaries, nobles, Gods. White and bright and perfect-
But not.
She was broken, beaten. Blood on skin and chains. Tell me I am dead, tell me –
Screaming, whipping, flesh bare and broken. Red, too red. Metallic taste on tongues, eyes sunken and shallow. Eyes and arms and legs – help me, it hurts –
Carve yourself into my face. Mark me as your own. Red vines beneath eyes and brows, cresting cheekbones and painting lips. Let it be. Spirit-self in dreams where I am free. Myself, free.
Beat me. Tear me. Scar me. I will not relent.
Use me, defile me, kill me. We will not relent.
Never, for eternity.
Marie awoke, gasping for breath. The dream, it was too real. She'd had those that were similar, but never like this. She could hear screams, cries, sad whisperings too quiet to make-out. And the blood – the blood – dripping and swirling – oozing from bodies and falling like tears from eyes –
Too much. The dream was too much. Thinking about it made her head hurt. She didn't understand what it meant, and neither did she remember the words, but recalling the images and voices sent chills up her spine and made her blood run cold. Part of what she remembered reminded her of Dragon Age in some ways, but … that didn't make sense.
That was no dream of a delusional fangirl.
It was dark.
It was horrible.
It was … blood curdling.
Horrifying.
She felt like crying, and she wasn't sure why.
Dragging a hand up the side of her face, she held her head. Her forehead was wet with sweat, nearly dripping. Her breaths were still ragged, and she tried to focus on calming them.
1 – 2 – 1 – 2
Deep breath in, deep breath out.
After a few minutes, her calm was returning to her, but not for long.
The headache hit her like a pile of bricks. She forgot she went out drinking last night, for the first time. Ever.
She was going to kill Cara. Did she give her some sort of hallucinogen when she was drunk out of her mind?
Lying back down on her bed, she grabbed her pillow, shoved it over her face, and moaned. This was going to be a horrible day.
It was an hour until she got up. The sun was almost fully out behind the clouds and the rural area around her house was still slightly dark and misty from the rainy season.
Being a horrible morning person, as well as having a pounding migraine that wouldn't go away, on top of recently having her worst this-proves-I'm-crazy dream yet, Marie was in a very bad mood.
Her hair was a mess, her mouth tasted like stale bread and expired mayo, which she guessed was from the alcohol, and her head felt like it might split open. But school. She never missed school, unless she was physically unable to get herself there, in which case she would most usually force someone else to give her a ride. Bottom line, she was going, even if she had to drive herself.
She got out of bed and went to her bathroom first, grabbing some ibuprofen pills for the headache and swallowing them with a glass of water. She got in the shower right away, and sighed as she felt the hot water run down her skin. The house was chilly, and she was happy for the nice sensation to help her forget her migraine.
She brushed her teeth, flossed –yes, she's one of the few people who floss- did her daily face-care regimen, and then braided her wet, dirty-blonde hair neatly down her back. She wore one of her usual outfits; casual pants, a nice sweater, and a pair of flats. Overall, she looked very boring, but extremely well put-together.
She dug through her messenger bag and found her phone.
Marie (6:34 a.m.):
I have a migraine. Drive me?
Cara (6:37 a.m.):
Sure
But if you start talking in nerd-speak again I'm kicking you out
Marie (6:37 a.m.):
What?
Cara (6:40 a.m.):
Nothing
You freak of nature
Coming now
Marie put her phone back in her messenger bag and started heading out the door with a frown. Apparently, she did something stupid last night, not like that's surprising. She didn't think it would go well in the first place.
She hoped it was just the alcohol. But she had this nagging feeling that it was something more. Shaking her head, she sighed and went out to wait on the driveway for Cara.
"There she is, my beautiful sister. As intimidating and badly dressed as ever."
"I'm not intimidating."
"But you're badly dressed?"
Marie looked down at her sweater. It was long, black, smooth, and formfitting. Her pants were a light brown.
"I look professional," she said, walking towards the car as Cara continued to look at her incredulously.
"No, you look like a middle-aged real-estate agent. A male real-estate agent. Who doesn't know how to dress. Just get you some khakis and you'd be set."
Marie got in the front passenger seat and slammed the door. She thought she looked nice. Dressing "pretty" was a waste of time. She was used to her sister's snark though, and knew that it was just her way of showing she cared. As well as just being annoying.
"Also, what's with that braid?" Cara said, as she pulled away from the curb. "Aspiring to be a part-time nun?"
Marie's head throbbed, "Shut up. Please."
"Or what?" Cara laughed, "You'll … glare at me?"
Marie glared at her.
"Heh. No wonder you scare off men."
Cara proceeded to laugh stupidly, while Marie stared holes through her head. She didn't need a man. The fact that she scared them off didn't bother her too much, at least. Her love life was nowhere near being a priority.
"Sooo, about your video game problem."
Cara took a turn onto the highway, which ran through the dense forest and rocky terrain of the area. The mist was heavier there, the trees blocking out the scant sunlight.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
The trees seemed to be pushing into the road, that's how tall they were. The eerie darkness made strange shadows, and as Marie stared out at them from the window, a sharp ringing in her head made her hiss in pain.
"Listen, last night you were speaking elvish, or elven, or whatever the hell it's called. At one point you were actually singing a little song. You even had a dance to go along with it and everything. It was fucking weird. And I'm … I was worried."
The forest was getting progressively denser as they drove on, the mist becoming more thick and grey. The highway was completely empty, no car in sight. A prickling sensation tickled at her neck and down her spine and arms.
She fidgeted uncomfortably.
"I told you me drinking was a bad idea."
Cara sighed, "That's not the point."
In the shadows of the trees, Marie thought she saw a flash of red. She blinked hard, and rubbed her eyes. The tingling sensation happened again, but this time was painful as it pulsed through her head and down her entire body. She shivered.
Cara was saying something, but she didn't hear.
A moment later, the red figure appeared again, making her jump in her seat. It was brighter. More solid. More there than before.
She might be crazy, but this wasn't normal. Even for her. And the strange feeling of fear in her gut was nagging at her, making her head hurt and her heart beat fast.
She felt like something bad was going to happen, and soon.
"Cara, I think … I think you should slow down," she said, timidly.
They were speeding down the open highway, still no other cars in sight. They were coming to a narrower section, where two of the four lanes on each side combined into one. The trees were growing gradually more close to the road, and Marie, for some inexplicable reason, thought the area was becoming darker, though the forest had not gotten anymore dense.
There was another flash of red among the trees, but this time Marie noticed it had a body; a see-through red-torso, no legs, red light from its form glowing in the mist. She thought it might be one of her hallucinations, but she had never seen one so bright, so tangible. And its shape … was familiar.
It flashed, and then was gone.
That looked a lot like … no, that's impossible.
"Cara, slow down-"
"We're the only ones on the road. It's fine. Also, don't change the subject."
The ringing in her head came back again, but this time much worse, and much more loud. It was like something was trying to get in … into her head?
Sharp pin-pricks ran through her body, like little needles stabbing into her down every nerve and muscle.
Riiinggggggggg
"AH!"
"Woah, Mar, are you ok?"
She keeled over in her seat, gripping her head with her hands, and grinding her teeth. Her vision glazed over, and went red.
"Marie?!"
Red, it's all red. Too red …
She could here Cara yelling frantically from the driver's seat.
The red ghost flashed in her mind, its corporeal eyes glowing and bright. Devoted. Vengeful. She recognized those eyes …
"Blood for blood."
"We will never relent."
She screamed.
The red figure appeared in the middle of the lane, fully formed, an entire body. It stood in the path of the car, right during a sharp turn.
The wheels screeched as Cara, shocked and screaming, swerved to the right to avoid it, and directly into the nearest tree. They were going 75 miles an hour.
Marie remembered, after her vision went black, her sister begging for her to wake up. And a red face, fierce and bright, with familiar eyes.
Elvhen Translation:
Fendhis lasa (general translation): go suck wolf penis