Warning of blood and language!
The Mummy's Curse
Walls of sand were swirling around Anzu as if ensuring that she wouldn't stay from its center. Wind tore at her being and clothes in a way that made her think invisible hands were attempting to strip her bare. Split and chapped lips begging for moisture parted but no sound came from between them as her hands rose to cup her throat. What had happened to her voice? How had she gotten here in the first place? She shook her head as a cut appeared on her right cheek. Staying here wasn't an option.
The moment her hand extended to touch it, a gust would force her to retract and instead curl into a protective ball as howling filled the air. She'd never heard such a sound before! It belonged to no animal that she knew of and it definitely was not one that any human being was capable of.
Cerulean eyes fluttered open as the wind lessened. What was that just now on the tail end of the sound? Could that have been a voice crying out for an answer? Her head slowly rose fro the bend of her arms to search the swirling walls of sand but found nothing.
A howl began again but just before it reached the highest pitch her ears somehow picked up the same sound again. Someone was out there! Just as she was about to call out to them in hopes of rescue, the voice became clear enough for her to distinguish it was masculine that was crying out for something.
"I don't get it, what are you trying to understand?"
As if answering her whispered question, the sand in front of her froze in the shape of a dome above her head as the howling wind died. A roar that shook the very earth beneath her feet threatened to deafen her if not for the way it was suddenly cutoff by a deep baritone yell. There, within it, was a word that made her skin crawl: "betrayal".
Oxygen flooded her lungs as she gasped, hands patting across her being as she found herself leaning against a hard surface. A shaky open palm met its deteriorated surface as she wiped the sweat from her eyes with the collar of the jacket while attempting to breathe normally. Her chest rose and fell as she counted the pounding heartbeats within her ears. It was much too fast but what was she supposed to do if trying to get her breathing under control? The tune of her childhood lullaby that she'd thought would be the last thing she ever heard softly began playing in the back of her mind, as if providing her a rhythm to follow, and in little time at all Anzu was breathing normally with a strong steady heart beating within her chest.
She silenced the melody so as to better hear the pumping of blood. Did this mean what she thought? "Am I…alive?"
Though her eyes were wide there was nothing around her as the hushed words echoed like haunting ghosts from the darkness. She was human, and like most they were afraid of the unknown or of the things that could be lurking in the dark. The hand on the flat surface she'd been resting on slipped from the amount of sweat that had accumulated on her skin that sent her crashing downwards into more sand, earning a disgruntled yelp as something bit into the flesh of her lower back. Cerulean eyes widened as the arm that had reached back reflexively came into contact with something that caved slightly. The carryon was with her!
Hands fervently tore at the multiple zippers to search the inner contents and could have cried as a familiar little rectangle fell into the palm of her hand. The cell phone's screen lit up the moment she raised it, casting her face in its faint glow. It was better than nothing! Victory, though it was small, gave her legs the strength to stand, but fell back to the sand with a hair rising scream the moment her finger had turned on the flashlight.
Inches from where her face had been when standing was a mutilated corpse whose mouth was wide open as if trying to take a bite out of her.
The heart in her chest that had returned to its steady rhythm took off like a horse at the races as she hurried to cover the new light source as she nearly sobbed while clenching her eyes shut tightly. "Wake up, Anzu, this is nothing more than a horrible nightmare!" Shivers shot down her spine as the echoes of her own voice eerily filled the air. Realization that she had been able to stand hit her like a slap in the face and while keeping both eyes closed, used the flat surface behind her to shimmy a short distance to the left until her being was met by sand. The crunching of her footsteps gave way to soft earth, signaling a difference in walking surface. First the right cracked open then was followed by the left when the cell phone's light revealed nothing to be in front of her.
Darkness lingered beyond the light's weak range but it was better than nothing. Against her better judgement, she cast a glance in the direction she had just came from and felt the blood drain from her face as the corpse came into view thanks to the rising of the phone. It looked to be incredibly old, if the stretched skin over the bones were any indication, but what had her attention was the ancient weapon that had pierced the poor person that pinned them to the wall level with where her head had been. Looked like the wall disappeared upwards out of sight but looked sturdily made of mud bricks.
"Wow, buddy, that definitely looked like it hurt." She sympathetically studied it, noting how the spear would have missed the heart directly but the sheer force of the thrust had been enough to cause the chest cavity to cave in just enough to put pressure on the lungs; if they hadn't died of internal bleeding it would've been the severed spinal cord. Her foot that had unconsciously taken a step to the right of the corpse was accompanied by a sickening snap that made the blood in her veins freeze as cerulean shifted downward to see that it had been a rib that looked to belong to a large animal.
Doctor in training? Yes.
Able to stomach the sight of dead beings mutilated? Nope!
Another scream was on its way up her throat when she caught sight of a horse skull and hurried to catch herself from tripping over its pelvis that was sticking out of the ground just enough to catch the toe of her shoe. Everywhere the light went revealed a horrid corpse covered landscape that spoke of casualties. The armor and weaponry ranged from various countries of the world, as if a mass invasion had occurred, but her worst subject had been ancient history. She wouldn't be capable of telling one era from the back of a horse's saddle flag even if she tried. The sand and ground beneath her was darker than the golden sand she'd come to identify with Egypt, did this mean that the grains here were stained with the blood that would have been shed?! A gasp caught in her throat as a shift of her being caused the point of a curved sword to shot upwards from the sand to just miss the tip of her nose.
Somehow she'd stumbled upon an ancient era battlefield beneath the quicksand!
Every cell in her body grow cold as she found her hand now jammed between the jaws of another skull, this one appeared to be another human yet it looked to be half crushed by the battle axe plunged deep within its cranium. From between her lips erupted the scream but it ended in a hoarse croak as something shifted within the central chest cavity of the armor clad skeleton. Soft chirps sounded, causing her to momentarily forget about the human and animal remains surrounding her. Her free hand tore at the rusted armor until it crumbled away and flinched backwards as whatever was inside appeared in a flurry of wings.
What appeared to be a falcon hobbled slightly before gaining its balance upon the handle of the ancient weapon. It's breast was a beige that matched the toasted surface of a tempura shrimp, riling the stomach that was within the young woman for a moment, but she was overcome with awe as it gave way to cream towards the rest of the body then the tail feathers and those of the wings were a shimmering gold with crimson patterns that looked like those that would be found on a compass. Atop of its swiveling head was a plume of pitch black that rose whenever their gazes met that matched its wide eyes that watched her carefully. She was no animal expert yet even she could tell that it was indeed a fine specimen.
Cerulean blinked as a the bird regarded her with a sideways tilt of its head then became filled with anger. "What the hell were you doing in there?! You nearly scared me to death!"
It squawked loudly, ruffling its feathers and clicking its beak as if arguing, but ceased all motion as its left wing twisted in a way that earned a high pitched chirp.
"What's wrong with your wing there?" Her hand that had been inching towards it flinched when its sharp beak snapped. The pointing finger instantly appeared inches from its face. "Hey, don't give me that attitude. I may be a human doctor but I might be able to help you with that wing."
The bird seemed surprised at her sudden outburst but it gave a soft chirp that she took as an apology.
"Accepted. Now come a little closer so I can reach you better." She could have sworn that it narrowed its eyes for a moment but after a minute long stalemate it shuffled closer until well within her reach. The arm not carrying the phone offered its length to it as she stood, paying no mind to the crunching underfoot of bones and armor, thankful for the durability of the jacket's sleeve that protected her left arm as its claws sunk into the fabric, and rose to her full height as it found its center of balance on her forearm. Her gaze rose along with the weak light but found only empty darkness above their heads no matter how hard she searched. "Well, looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while."
There was a few snacks and granola that would sustain her for a while in the bag at her feet, along with a camelback water carrier built in that would keep the inner contents a cool temperature thanks to the gallon of water it contained, but it would be best to ration for now until it was certain of how long she would be here. A glance at the cell's battery confirmed that it would last several hours despite the flashlight being engaged but she dismissed the brush of worry for the device when recalling the power banks that she'd brought along. Two were fully charged and one was the brand new model from her adoptive family's company that was solar powered.
Fat good that did her since there was no sunlight to be seen.
Chills passed down her back as she began walking, the cracking underfoot of the bones she attempted to avoid causing each heartbeat to sound like rolling thunder. If it wasn't the crunching of bone it was the sand that filled the air with teeth aching grinding noises as she found a pathway that wove through the carnage. The bag fell from her back with a thud, earning a startle from the bird that caused it to move to roost on her shoulder instead as she came to a stop. "Alright, that's it! A person can only take so much of this!" She dug out the small case that was the wireless earbuds and placed them within her ears. "It's bad enough that the only source I have is my phone but now I'm starting to talk to myself?! No way. I'm not going to fall into madness that easy."
A press of her thumb caused a piano to begin playing from the earbuds and earned a scowl. It was unmistakably the boss theme of a popular centered around the excursions of a covert organization responsible for biological warfare. Her thumb pressed against the skip button. Drawn out organ notes accompanied by a flute and plucks of a harp caused the fine hairs to stand upright across her body.
"Of course it picks the soundtracks of a horror game to play first. Why the heck do I even have these on here when I don't play RE or SH games?!"
The pad of her thumb repeatedly hit the skip button until giving up on one of the songs she'd once listened to as a young tween, one that spoke of a never ending dream of sand and sun, and continued onward with steps that were in time with the beat. Her eyes drifted to the corner where the service bars were normally visible and found only a bright red "X"; looks like she didn't have any reception and mobile data was unavailable.
She sighed, raising a hand to brush the back of her fingers against the bird's feathers. "Well, we're not going to accomplish anything just standing here in the dark. Let's start looking for some materials to help that wing of yours."
It chirped softly as she paused, backpedaled far enough to swipe the bag while facing forward.
"Yeah, we'll definitely be needing this. Good catch-" A sigh was heard while the young woman hung her head. "Yep. I'm talking to a bird…"
For how long she walked was uncertain. The passage of time only consciously measured by the number of songs that played and the bodies unconsciously counted, but the odd duo eventually found themselves before an impressive gate made of twin sphinx statues whose gazes were locked on the path that they had traveled upon. They were seated upon walls that disappeared out of sight to the left and right, leaving the only passage forward to be in between, and were just low enough to see their stoic features. One was missing several chunks os rock on its right hand side but the other was in pristine condition; painted and decorated with white then adorned with various gems around its neck and within its eyes that would make any treasure hunter envious. The clarity of the jewels was astonishing to her, rivaling those that she's seen her adoptive father insist on wearing in large gaudy rings on his fat fingers, and hurried to snap a quick picture of the guardians before hesitantly stepping through.
The falcon upon her shoulder gave a squawk as a shadow appeared in front of them, earning a startle from the young woman as she quickly dodged the pillar, and ruffled its feathers when she voiced thanks for the warning. Her jaw dropped though as she came around the side of the cylindrical column.
Before her stretched a pillar lined road made of large sandstone brick that disappeared upwards into a shadow much darker than the darkness that lingered along the edges of the small light she held. There weren't as many corpses here, actually there was none that she could see, but the sheer destruction of the buildings or neighboring architect left little to the imagination. Whatever had caused the battlefield she'd found herself within must have found its way to this place as well. Broken carriages, shattered pottery, stalls that must have been a marketplace but now were rotted and falling apart were everywhere she looked as she walked. A few times she paused to peek into the large glass-less windows to see empty straw beds or crumbling tables, the sound of the camera shutter briefly interrupting the music that now had her head bobbing slightly. If she ever made it out of here alive this would be one heck of a story to tell. The temperature here was warmer for some reason, relieving her of the brief shudders that would correspond to her body protesting against the chilly air, and soon the hairs that had risen across her being lay flat once more.
Unbeknownst to her the falcon was not paying any attention to the small device within her hand that would cause its screen to light up for a split second in correspondence to each photo that she took. It's sole focus was on the other that lightly trailed across the various surfaces they came across. The slender tips of her fingers would find crevices within the stone and unconsciously follow them until they found another. However it wasn't the motions that had caught the bird's attention but the flicker of gold that would follow like a phantom after her digits.
She came to a stop in front of a building that had a bench in front of it, a familiar symbol above its door. "That's the medical cross!" Her fingers rose from the wall to lightly tap the falcon's head, earning a chirp. "I think this is the perfect place to look for materials."
Several songs later Anzu stepped out from the building while wiping the sweat that had appeared on her brow. Even though she was a human doctor her skills had still managed to come in handy while treating the bird and had managed to wrap it within supportive makeshift bandages. "None of that." She lightly scolded as they stepped back out onto the road, lightly tapping the top of its head when it made to fiddle with the bandage. "All I could find was some linen sheets and some unlabeled jars with powder medicine. I had to use a bit of my water to hydrate them but it seemed like the cuts on your wing joint will heal nicely in a few days once those tendons have some time to rest. Until then you have to leave it alone."
It chirped when moving as if to nip at her fingers but its beak remained closed as it instead rubbed the side of its head against the backs of her knuckles.
Lips still lingering with the taste of blood from the splits lifted into a smile. "Well, now, I think you're starting to warm up to me finally." She blinked as it shifted closer to her head and giggled when it nibbled at her ear. "You're welcome, little guy, I just hope that expired medicine won't make it worse." A soft squeal slipped up her throat as its beak brushed against the side of her neck. "Hey, that tickles!"
A fit of laughter overcame her as it continued to rain its thanks upon the young woman until her back met the wall.
The music that had been playing within her buds became static, causing her to flinch and recoil from the flare of pain while hurrying to turn the volume down but was forced to remove them when it only succeeded in making the noise louder. She'd thought the songs playing since passing between the gatekeepers sounded off but now she was certain of it as any vocals were replaced by incoherent noises between breaks in the static. No sooner had the case containing the wireless earbuds been returned to her pocket did her azure gaze slowly shifted along the ground to rise along the very wall she was leaning against.
Within the stone were golden patterns that reminded her of veins beneath opaque skin that sourced from where she made contact with it. It was as beautiful as it was odd. A familiar hum of electrical currents were coming from the strange tendrils until she moved away, causing both the sound and sight to fade away until she was staring at a blank wall. Her hands rose and clamped themselves over her ears as what sounded like a deep inhale filled the air, wind stirring up so strong that it nearly forced her to stumble down the road and into a broken carriage wheel if not for bag on her back catching on a stall's fallen support beam. A resounding heartbeat seemed to cause the air to grow warmer for a moment that rivaled that which she experienced back home during the hot summer months but the temperature returned to the lukewarm level as silence fell once again.
The hands that had been protecting her ears slowly fell to rest at her sides as she looked to the falcon. "What was that about?" Anzu chuckled lightly as its head tilted. "Right, as if you would know." With a sigh, she made mental notes of the nearby debris so as not to misplace the medical supply spot then set off in search of some means to make the straw beds within a bit more comfortable for her to rest upon. Not that she felt capable of closing her eyes for more than a second but keeping up her strength was important as was her sanity and both were in desperate need of relief. Best not to waste energy by worrying about something that wasn't threatening her life as of right now.
It was as she turned her back on the building that the cross above its door became outlined in gold for the span of a second, its internal holding appearing crimson as blood when the outer trace flashed dully, then the gold vanished along the wall following an invisible thread or path that no human eye could see.
. . . .
The head of gray that belonged to the Egyptologist snapped upward and hurried to where the sole opening in the tarp was as a presence approached. Weathered eyes widened as the black shapeless figure with blazing twin infernos in place of its eyes stepped out of the swirling vortex of sand lingering several leagues away. It's pace was slow, unhurried, as if it were taking a pleasant walk, but the chilling howl that came from its gaping hole of a mouth caused Solomon's heart to seize with fear. "So it must be true…" he whispered, staggering backwards until the hands of Arthur caught him. "The curse of the land is coming to claim all who are not of blood of this land."
"Get a hold of yourself, old chap, that is nothing more than superstition!" The British teacher lightly shook him then placed the lip of the bottle of water to his friend's lips. "Here, you must be thirsty."
It was knocked away, earning a protest from several of those who were close enough to witness. They voiced how he shouldn't be wasteful being as their supplies were limited but neither of the men paid them any mind though a few attempted to salvage the spilled liquid in vain. The greedy sand beneath had already soaked up the fallen water within seconds, leaving them to scramble in vain.
A hand fell on his shoulder, directing his attention to the two pilots who had moved to sit beside them, both wearing similar expressions of anxiety. "Elder, you know of it?" Marik asked hesitantly.
"That I do." His head of gray nodded. "My great-grandfather once told me several stories of how he and a traveling group of archeologists were caught up in a sandstorm that came out of nowhere, trapping them within their own camp for several days, and when it finally blew over only he and the local digging teams were left. Anyone of an ethnicity other than Egypt's had been eliminated."
"So that must mean that you have ties to this land." Odion bowed his head in respect. "For your relative to have been spared back then is testimony to your inheritance. Have you explored your genetic inheritance or ancestry background?"
Solomon blinked then nodded. "According to some online box where I had to send in a sample of my DNA, the earliest ancestor of our line dated back to ancient Egypt. It was so far back that they couldn't pinpoint who exactly they were but they estimated that whoever it was must have been of high standing."
Both pilots gasped, sharing a glance, then too took a peek through the opening in the tarp. "So you too can see that creature as well?" They chorused.
"I can." He blinked then gasped. "How are you young men capable to seeing that…that thing?"
"We come from a long line of tomb keepers from back in the ancient days." Odion began, settling beside Solomon. "It was once said that our people were charged with protecting the tombs of ancient kings from bandits. That was a long time ago and the times have such changed that our clan's duty is no longer necessary."
The trio nearly jumped to their feet as something collided with the plane, causing their makeshift shelter to sway dangerously, but Solomon was the first to the opening while the others tended to the panicking group. His eyes widened as he spotted the figure standing before the airplane's nose but its attention was locked upon something in the distance that he couldn't see. It's hand -or was that a claw?- had a hold of the curve propeller but it released it with a hair raising scream as whatever it was focused on caused the swirling sand to halt in midair as if someone had pressed the pause button. It stumbled and clutched at its chest as if in pain, head falling backwards until it nearly met the plane of its back. A resonating heartbeat caused its outline to waver, allowing what he could have sworn to be the form of a young man in his early twenties to become visible, before they vanished in a cloud of black smoke.
"By the heavens above- No, it must be a mistake, a trick of my vision." He croaked, burning the profile he'd seen into his memory. "It was as if I was looking upon my younger self!"
. . . .
"There!" Smiling with pride, Anzu nodded in approval as she surveyed the once lacking cot that was now several inches higher thanks to the multitude of blankets that she'd scavenged from the neighboring buildings.
Hopefully no one else would be needing them anytime soon and even if that situation were to present itself she would explain honestly and hope for their forgiveness. Nothing as strange as what had occurred earlier repeated itself, though she could have sworn that something or someone was watching her from somewhere, but had been unable to find the source of the hidden gaze that made her skin prickle. It hadn't felt threatening yet that didn't put her at ease any more so than finding that the entire space that she'd explored thus far was part of a large city that could rival that of Tokyo. That was her guess at least. She had come across a road that was twice the size than the one she'd stumbled upon that had led her to the medical building that probably once housed a healer of some sort. It seemed to go on for miles if she had chosen to continue on but turned back while ensuring to drag the stick she'd been using to mark where she'd been along her footprints in the sand to prevent herself from getting lost.
Cerulean blinked when the bird that had been perched on her shoulder the whole time despite all of her moving around hopped down her arm until it landed upon the mass that was now her bed. "What do you think, little guy?"
It shuffled around for a moment, as if searching for the best place possible, then settled into a tight ball in the corner of the walls with a chirp.
"I'll take that as a yes." She chuckled, raising her arms above her head with a grunt. Every muscle in her body was begging for rest but would she be able to sleep at all with all that has happened? A part of her highly doubted that any would be had yet that didn't mean she couldn't try. Taking a few sips from the camelback, she lowered herself onto the cushioned surface with a sigh of relief while kicking off the sneakers that fell with thuds beside the frame made of the same brick as everything else, and rested back against the mound of folded cloth that was to be the pillow that allowed her gaze to rise to the ceiling.
The battery of the phone was still in the green thankfully, surprisingly, and made her all the more grateful that she'd allowed Seto to talk her into the upgrades of her phone before leaving on this trip. There was no way that she would have known back then of the events that transpired yet now while looking back Anzu couldn't believe that she was still alive. How had things gotten so out of hand though? A faint memory, one that she'd nearly forgotten of that early morning, rose to the surface of her consciousness while pausing in the process of pulling out a small bar that would be her dinner.
"Looks like I'm the first one here, as usual." She sighed while taking a seat beside the loading gate with a huff, carefully maneuvering her carry on between the bends of her knees so as to prevent anyone with sticky fingers from being tempted to snatch it. A lift of the phone in her hand lit up the screen, showing that she was thirty minutes early, then settled back comfortably.
A tap on her shoulder nearly startled her if not for finding a shockingly beautiful fair skinned woman with long platinum hair and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen held up her hands in a non-threatening manner. "Apologies, I was passing by and couldn't help but notice you are about to board the plane I just disembarked." The woman's accept was a bit rough but Anzu was a capable girl who knew various languages and was able to pick up on what the other was trying to convey. Her attire consisted of a long flowing chiffon cardigan the color of eggshells that accentuated the floor length sheath dress patterned with gray lace and looked to have a faint pattern of pastel blue clouds that seemed to drift lazily when she moved. "Are you perhaps going to Egypt?"
The brunette offered a small smile. "Yes, I will departing for the University of Cairo soon."
This seemed to excite the woman, if the light up of her eyes and smile were anything to go by, and lightly clasped the girl's hand with her own. "I'm sure you will find much more than you expect, Anzu Mazaki." She blinked for a moment as fair cheeks tinted pink then bent her head so that her lips reached the shell of Anzu's ear. "I foresee great passion in your future that will rival those within poetry and fable." The woman straightened with a wink and then disappeared after briefly squeezing the fingers she held.
A twitch appeared in her right brow as she tore open one of the granola bars and ferociously bit into it. "Funny she never mentioned that I would be swept up by a sandstorm then plopped down in some ancient battlefield." She sighed while shifting onto her right side once finishing the meager meal, shimmying until the jacket was shed then dropped unceremoniously to join the discarded shoes, and curled into a ball as a yawn stretched her jaw wide enough to earn a protesting pop. "Not only that but she somehow knew my name too. Must have seen it on my carryon." Her fingers drifted across the rough blanket until it met the falcon's side, earning a subdued chirp before it nuzzled her digits, and shifted closer so that her face rested beside the bird. It's feathers were so soft and it hadn't wandered away from her even during all the exploration that they'd conducted. Was it a tame pet or someone's companion that it had gotten swept up in the storm as well? "I wonder where you came from, little guy."
Another soft sound came from the bird but it was barely above a huff as the slowing of its breathing testified that it was drifting off to sleep once more.
For the briefest of moments she entertained the thought of if her adoptive father or brothers would search for her but it was quickly extinguished like a candle flame. She of all people knew how busy they all were so it was highly unlikely that they would spare any time or resources in looking for her. Most would be saddened by that thought but honestly she was used to their lack of compassion towards her. The Kaibas were not known for their generosity or heartfelt emotions. And yet a flare of hurt sparked within her chest that caused moisture to blur her vision. A swipe of her finger shut off the small light while taking out the small case of wireless earbuds but decided against wearing them to sleep as she'd become accustomed to the silence and the darkness would help her hopefully find sleep easier. Down her cheek spilled a single tear that slid across her dirtied skin until it was absorbed by the coarse blanket she rested on.
The moment the salty droplet met the fibers of the cloth was when deep within the bowels of the vacant city came the sound of an exhale that lasted for several seconds. Sand and torn cloth fluttered or shifted silently in response to the faint heartbeat that caused veins of gold to faintly appear within the landscape that were thick and many within the city limits then diminished once reaching beyond the pair of sphinxes. Falling still, the dry lukewarm air became heavy with silence as from the hidden source that was responsible came a new sound, as if it were sensing her sadness and was attempting to respond with a soft sigh.
Above the head of the drifting young woman appeared a pair of red eyes that shone subtly. The emotions within were swirling, like a raging sea that would confuse any who would meet its gaze, as it closely watched the girl. It wasn't a hostile glare by any means, a bit more on the curious side if one were to guess, but they remained cautious while examining her from head to toe. Of course it had been watching as she explored the city's factions and had been surprised by the care and respect she showcased the belongings left behind from another time. This woman was strange, different, special perhaps? They narrowed as if in speculation as her being gave a collective twitch then settled back into slumber once more as it drifted closer to better see her features.
High cheekbones, fair skin hidden beneath the scuffs and dirt that covered her, a slender body with shapely mounds on front and back, hair that was similar in shade to cacao beans. The hidden smoothness within her steps while exploring spoke of grace and the few moments where she had lost herself within whatever was playing within her ears had caused the young woman to cease searching to dance for a few moments before continuing on. Mystery surrounded this girl like a cloak that it couldn't seem to penetrate; the strange way she dressed, the language she spoke, even the features that she sported were foreign.
Her head snapped upwards, grunting lightly as hooded eyes scanned the room to find it empty, then fell closed while falling to rest back upon the blanket.
The eyes vanished as her breathing returned to that which spoke of deep sleep. What a strange girl indeed. It would watch over her a little longer before deciding the young woman's fate.
Chao for now! See you next time!
