Thanks to the following for their reviews:
Rinny Z, Jade, Oriontheancientone, and LilBlkHeart.
Enjoy!
Lydia turned and grabbed two glasses from the neighboring table. "Your Carbombz," she said, pushing one glass into Devi's hands.
Devi blinked. She hadn't seen the waitress put the drinks down...
It tasted great. Cherry Coke with a hint of vanilla, cloves, and nutmeg, over ice.
"You might be wondering why I asked," Lydia said, taking a sip from her glass.
Yeah, Sickness said sarcastically.
Shush.
"Yes, I did," Devi said carefully. "I mean, do you usually take such an interest in your customers?"
Lydia tilted her head, working the knots out of her neck muscles. "Not usually. Most of my customers are... full. They have their little lives, they have their little friends. They have a circle of... how to explain... a circle of comfort. Even the most shallow and pathetic people are basically full." She struggled to find words. "They may not be happy, or feel happiness all the time, but they aren't battling some sort of inner strife." Lydia took another sip. "But you are."
"What tipped you off?"
"You came in alone."
Devi sat back. "That's it? What about that guy?" she pointed at the Goth across the room.
Lydia didn't look at him. "He followed you."
"What?!"
"Oh, don't worry. He's not a stalker or anything. He's the one who figured out what was wrong." Lydia waved him over. "I think you'd benefit from meeting my friend."
Ooo, I don't like this, Sickness said suddenly, panicked.
What's wrong with you? Devi thought at her. Afraid of some random guy with a knife?
Yes, in fact. And so should you be. What did you expect? Walking into an unfamiliar place at the edge of the city in the middle of the night. You could be invincible right now, but noooo... you had to ignore me.
Shut up!
See! Like just now, ignoring me. And taking my eyes out. How impolite.
Shut up!
Devi squeezed her eyes shut hard.
"I won't bite."
The voice sounded slightly amused, tinged at the edges with an unfamiliar accent.
She peeked out of one eye. The guy sat down next to her, smelling faintly of... she couldn't quite decide. The smell reminded her of nighttime, though. Something running fast, wind brushing against skin.
"Devi," the waitress said softly. "It's okay, really. Open your eyes."
She did. "I never told you my name," she said coolly.
Lydia glanced at the guy. "Devi, this is Trochee. Trochee, Devi."
He nodded at her, smiling. The numerous piercings in his face glinted in the soft light.
"This is way too creepy," Devi said, rising from her chair again.
I agree. Out! Get out, Sickness implored.
"Sit," Trochee said, grabbing her hands in his. She stood still, unable to remove herself from his grasp.
Lydia looked up with imploring eyes. "We only want to help," she whispered. "Please, not everyone in the world is bad. We only want to help."
"Help what?" Devi said, her voice cracking with fear. "What do you know about me? Let go!"
Oh my god I'm gonna die, Devi thought, panicked. They're crazy, they're going to kill me. I have to get out.
"That's not your voice, Devi," Trochee said. "Listen very hard, that's not you."
What is he talking about?
"Let go!" Devi tried ripping her hands from his, but he was too strong.
He's gonna kill me! Run! Get out!
"That's not you," he said again. "Listen carefully, that's not you."
What the fuck is he talking about? Get out!
Her mind focused on one thing- escape. The world around her, though, blurred. Lydia stood up way too fast, grabbing her shoulders.
They're gonna eat me!
"What's its name?" Lydia asked, the question slurring with the hazy movements of her lips.
"I don't know, it's really lodged in there." Trochee crossed Devi's arms in front of her. She squirmed her shoulders.
Get the hell out of here, Devi! She thought to herself. They're gonna eat you, or something. You got to get out!
Where's Sickness? The back of her mind wondered fleetingly.
"There!"
Get out! Kick him! You've seen enough karate movies-
"I saw it, hold on-"
What are they going to do with my body?
"Holy hell! You should-"
"should see-"
"should see the-"
"the guy she got it-"
"got it from-"
The world was spinning. Devi's vision went black around the edges.
"She's flipping out!"
I'm never going to a club again. I'm never leaving my house again. I-
"got it from-"
I was almost there!
Devi's thought twisted into confusion. What am I thinking? What's going on?
I was almost there! You halted, you stopped me, but you didn't destroy me!
"I see it-"
"see it-"
"it's there-"
"Just a little longer," Lydia's voice echoed.
I was just minding my own business and now I have to leave!
Devi's mind split into two.
Dammit, Devi!
Sickness?
You had to go OUT, didn't you?!
What the hell is going on?
"Almost there-"
Almost fused myself to you! You forced me inside. I started work anew, but you had to go and-
"Shit! It's stronger than-"
"stronger than-"
"than she is-"
What? No!
He's not wrong! You were offered my greatness once, and this is a second offer! No one EVER gets a second offer!
I'm stronger!
I've taken over your mind, you know, I'm inside. You even put me here yourself-"It's lying, Devi! Like a curse- it'll only work if you believe it!"
I hear Lydia. I hear Lydia.
Devi! I'm in you! Ha ha ha! You can take my eyes, but I'll always have yours!"Don't listen-"
"listen-"
"not you-"
Oh, I know that's not me, Devi thought. That's Sickness. I knew she was here. You didn't know? Wait, you're some random guy I just met-
Fuck!
Devi felt Sickness scrambling, fumbling for a place to sink her claws in. Another part of her head to dig into.
You can't have me! I beat you once, and I had to live with you, and now-
"That's right!" Trochee's voice seemed less slurred. "You can banish her-"
Don't listen to him!
"Hold on, Devi!" Lydia tossed her some kind of mental rope, thick, warm, alive. Devi grabbed it in her mind. "We need to pull you out-"
Nooo! Don't touch that! You can have it all, Devi! All those things I said before, and more! I swear!
NEVER!
Devi felt something enormous pulling at her. The room, the faces, everything went black. She felt like she was being pulled out of her own body, inside-out, backwards. Everything was wrong. Everything was new. Everything was black.