No. 179

Chapter 2

Nelly didn't know whether to slap the boy or to stand there, her face like blooming roses, and mouth agape and just bite down a smile. The moment he touched her hand, it felt like sparks caressed it; the feeling was frail as if it could break at any moment. Though, she couldn't say she didn't like it. The warmth from the boy's hand lingered on her skin, spreading slowly up her arm. As she licked her lips she backed away, hesitantly, "That's a strange name… Your parents must have hated you, huh?" She tried a small chuckle but it failed miserably, leaving her with a choked half smile. Even that too failed as the boy stared at her, his gaze eating at her attempts to remain cool, leaving nothing but a shivering puddle of desire instead. "Um…," she stuttered and mentally kicked herself, "Yeah, I get it. I have a terrible sense of humor. However, I doubt it's worse that this weather." She couldn't believe she just made another joke… but this time about weather? 'What is wrong with me!' she screamed in her mind. She wasn't exactly awesome when it came to flirting, but she wasn't ever this bad. She concluded that it was definitely high-time to just stop, save what was left of her pride, and make a dramatic exit so that at least he would remember that, if or when he was going to remember her at all after this.

"Yes, I assure you, your humor is as bad as the weather." Nelly glanced up, her cobalt blue eyes meeting his reluctantly. She felt as if she had been stabbed with a needle and the words 'fail' were being pumped into her veins. 'The story of my life', she thought miserably. She cleared her throat and gave a forced laugh, but as she tried to play it off as nothing she realized that the boy was actually smiling.

"You-"

"You have a nice laugh. But, I am sure it would sound beautiful if was actually real." The girl stood there speechless as she watched Alastor run his hand through his black hair and sigh, "It's a shame when people do that…-" His mumbles were cut short as the boy suddenly glanced up, his movements were quick like a dog that looked up as if it heard its name. After a few heartbeats he spoke again, though his green eyes were still looking at the line of trees at the edge of the forest, "I am sorry, I interrupted you…"

"No, no, no…" Nelly flinched when she heard how squeaky and nervous her voice sounded, compared to the boy's even silky voice she must have sounded like one of those yappy purse dogs. She frowned, "What's wrong?" The boy shook his head slowly, "You need to leave." Something was wrong. His body had stiffened, his calm hands were now in a fist, and he wouldn't even look at her. "W-why, I thought we had something-"

"Enough of your jokes!" Nelly backed away, the boy's eyes were burning almost with anger, she couldn't get the words out of her mouth so he spoke again, this time in a most terrifyingly monotone voice, "Leave-." His eyes widened, "NOW!"

Nelly stood frozen in place, she didn't understand. She didn't understand then, but she understood now, but it was a little too late for that. The swiftness was inhuman, the blow short but powerful; enough to knock the wind out of her lungs and maybe a little bit of blood. Okay, a lot of blood. Nelly's knees buckled as she crumpled up and hit the ground with a thud, she had no time to scream, she couldn't, not with his hand already on her mouth. A cold chill swept across the nape of her neck, she strained her eyes around and saw the creature that stood before her in embrace; black as tar, and a mouth full of needle-teeth, and the chilling smile of a demon; it screeched and sent blood curdling screams to the heavens. Spit—or at least she hoped it was spit in her semi-conscious state—flew and landed on her cheek, she didn't even have the time to wipe it off, much less the blood dripping down her neck. Her ears were bleeding and the world suddenly went mute. The sound was agony to her body and a shock to her brain. Convulsing, Nelly laid there struggling with each shortly-lived breath, beneath the vile creature whose iridescent, reptilian eyes glared at her with malicious intelligence.

It's growling turned into a bellowing call, or warning… She had no idea, the world had turned into a seriously weird place for her now, black dots littered her vision, ringing came from nowhere and it was slowly dimming. Was it really going to kill her? Nelly tried not to squash her own hope as reality set in, mercy and last minute survival is just something one wishes for before dying. It doesn't mean that they'll get it. Nelly gathered all her strength and shrieked for help, her voice was frail and sounded like a frog, another blow to her rib-cage shut her up. Running her hand down to her now tender spot. Nelly was bleeding and was losing grip on the situation. She was sure she was going to die. When she saw it, another one, lashing out at the one on top of her; its green eyes gleamed with anger and sadistic hate. She felt it all, the hate of the creatures, the pain of fighting, and the queasiness of seeing and smelling the sweet metallic scent of the scarlet liquid that splashed and splattered on green grass. The bigger, green eyed creature reared up on its slender legs and lunged at the Nelly, the one on top of her blocked it but before she could make out what was going on, it all turned to black…

The distant sounds of monstrous screams had died away, but Nelly could still hear something. Something calling her. A familiar voice in the dark void of her mind, echoing and resonating within her very being as it spoke to her with a tone of resolute importance… "Nelly. Wake up… We have chocolate-chip pancakes…"