Hi everyone! Selina's past part 2 is here and... it's long... maybe it's too much, but there is always a reason 😁! Perhaps you can tell from the title, but... grab some handkerchiefs or whatever and get ready for a lot of drama!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or its characters. I entirely own only my OCs, arcs and ideas/themes not mentioned in any form of the franchise (manga, anime, games, movies or musicals).
Chapter 38: The Tutor, Losing Everything
Ciel yawned and shifted in his chair obviously bored. For some time now, he was listening about how great and happy Selina's life had been when being in the same age the boy currently was and had already lost everything. Other than the pain of losing her parents - a haunting pain he knew very well, but the woman before him seemed to have... mended quite a lot - and her work for the reapers, he had got no information on why and how she came to be sent back in time.
"My lord, I know you might not like what you hear and think that telling you about my past happiness is useless and even cruel of me, but… I came to understand you better only when I saw what you had and then lost. In the same way, I hope you might be able to understand me too." Selina informed the young Earl, but it was quite obvious that her words aimed at the seemingly totally unaffected demon by his side.
"Yes, yes, go on. I said I will listen everything you have to say and I will." He waved his hand dismissively, and then turned one more page in Selina's photographic album.
"Do not people say there is calm before the storm, my lord?" Sebastian was heard with his silky voice. "Perhaps that part is this calm in our dear Selina's life. Should we expect the storm?" He asked the witch with a wide, fake smile.
"A-Absolutely." The witch answered and her voice wavered a little.
For a moment she did not feel very well and even she was not sure whether the reason was the next part of her narration, or the demon's obvious joy in anticipation of her imminent misery. His reaction did not surprise her - she was quite prepared actually - but that did not mean that deep inside she did not hope he could make an exception for her, that he would feel a little sympathy for her sadness, showing her she was, even a little, important to him… But of course she was wrong.
{~}
The storm indeed broke out one day and it was horrible and so painful.
After graduating from school, Selina wanted to start looking for work immediately, be able to sustain herself and help her sister with the expenses of their manor, but Deanna did not hear a word; she insisted Selina should study further, go to university or college and find what she would love to do for the rest of her life. Therefore, it was a day of class for the freshman Selina, when her phone started vibrating like crazy and did not stop. It was Miranda, who probably had forgotten Selina had class today and was calling her to go out for a walk or something, since the red-headed was free of her school for the day.
Selina rejected call after call, but when the screen showed Mark's number on, she knew something was wrong, since the British man was very typical and would never bother her during class, unless there was an emergency. A subtle bad feeling she had all day took over and silently got out of class to answer the phone.
"Mark, what's going on?" She asked surprised.
"Selina…" It was Miranda who answered and sounded like she had been crying. "There has been an accident… I am heading now to hospital with Mark… The kids are safe with my parents but Deanna…"
Her ears did not listen the rest of what her cousin said, as a dull buzzing covered everything and a haze in her mind made her almost blind. She could not tell how she managed to find the way to the correct hospital, but she got there almost the same time as Mark and Miranda.
"Wha-What happened?" She asked the pale lawyer who now looked white as a paper.
"I do not know; I have no idea… They just called me while I was at home with the children and told me Deanna was involved in a car crash and my number was on speed dial." He was nervously walking back and forth running his hand through his hair ruffling them.
"Wait… Deanna was not at the café today?" Selina asked.
"No… I gave both of us a free day and we would spend it with the children, playing and going for walks. However, before they woke up she remembered she needed to go buy something; she left and said she would come back in ten… But in ten minutes I received that call." He was so scared.
That moment a doctor came out of the surgery room the receptionist had told them Deanna was in. The man looked at them and the look in his eyes was dark and heavy.
"Are you the family of Deanna Clark-MacMillan?" The doctor asked.
"Yes, yes! Husband, sister, cousin." Mark said pointing to each respectively. "Please tell us what is going on! Is Deanna all right?"
"There has been an accident. A taxi driver working all night and having drank a beer or two fell asleep on wheel… his car got on the pavement and crashed on the wall of a supermarket… The problem is that Deanna was crossing that part of the pavement that very moment and the car… crashed on her too." A small cry from Miranda was heard before she could stifle it with her hands. "The front of the car hit her in such a way that the middle part of her body was severely crashed... We couldn't do anything..."
Mark's legs felt wobbly as he lost his balance and landed hard on a chair behind him. His lips were mumbling a constant "no" as his mind refused to accept what was said, and before long, tears started running down his face. Miranda tried to hug Selina, but the blond girl slapped her hands away in a way that was screaming "do not touch me, nobody touch me", and so she sat next to Mark and hugged him, while her own tears and pain were rushing out of her to meet his.
Selina's stomach was turning, the taste of bile and vomit was in her mouth and she dashed towards the closest bathroom, where she leaned over a sink and took everything out. Her breath was coming in gasps and more than once felt like a hand was strangling her. The short panic attack gave place to burning fury as she started screaming in denial, punching the mirror in front of her, breaking it and cutting her hand too, but she did not care, she did not feel that pain at all. Another visitor entered the bathroom, saw her bloody and kneeled on the floor as she was crying sobbing in pain and immediately called the doctors that injected her with a sedative. She slept for one hour only and when she woke up, numbness had taken over her and the buzzing was more intense.
She simply stood there apathetic, when they were taken to the morgue to see Deanna one last time. The doctors suggested them not to pull the sheet further than the shoulders while seeing her lying there, frozen and silent, pale; but she looked like she was just sleeping, she even had a small crease between her eyebrows she usually had when dreaming. Mark could not contain himself, touched her, kissed her and warmed her cold skin with his hot tears, but of course nothing could ever change. Miranda was crying silently by his side and Selina was just staring at her sister without crying or speaking; her eyes hurt from the bright thorium light and she had even forgotten to breath, her body was doing it on its own by instinct, while her mind was screaming "You said you'd never leave me!"
Her numbness subsided only a little, when announcing the twins the death of their mother – they were only four years old, too young to fully grasp the extent of their loss but still the pain they felt was heartbreaking – and returned stronger for the rest of the week, while all procedures were made to have Deanna's funeral and during the funeral itself or when Mark asked her to keep Deanna's ashes, place them alongside their parents. No sound or word left her lips and her face was an emotionless mask, only the tears escaping her eyes showed the deep sadness she felt.
The same went during the driver's trial. She was in the court hearing everything, but did not seem to actually listen to the devastated driver, crying and apologizing again and again to Mark. She seemed not to care when the jury sentenced the man in prison for ten years due to involuntary manslaughter under the influence of alcohol consumption, or when her aunt looked at her with fear in her eyes, Selina did not know why she might be suddenly afraid of her, but could not care at the moment.
She started recovering little by little, only when after two months, one chilly and rainy night ran to the cemetery, and furiously started pounding on the metal plate sealing the ashes of her until recently so lively sister in the tomb of the family of witches. She finally allowed herself to cry to her heart's content and curse all the powers in the world that played with humans' lives.
"You promised!" She screamed between tears. "You promised you would never leave me, but be next to me even if you were away… always! But you broke the promise and ran to them! Why couldn't you wait longer? How am I going to live so long without seeing any of you? How about the twins?"
She kept mumbling and sobbing for a while, without knowing what she was saying and then slowly felt a warm darkness enveloping her in an embrace. It did not surprise her because she never feared the darkness and always felt comforted in it. It hid the ugly truth from her eyes, even for a while, and calmed her mind and heart, helping her in thinking her next steps. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink in that feeling; she could swear two warm strong arms had hugged her pulling her on a chest taking away the chill of the night and constant pain, she wanted to open her eyes and see her saviour but did not dare, afraid it would break the spell.
"Thank you…" She whispered and the breath of a soundless smile brushed her face.
At some point she must have fallen asleep and returned home clearly by instinct, because she woke up in bed, dried up and in her pyjamas but had no memory of getting there. However, it was the first time in two months she had slept so soundly, without the assistance of sleeping pills, and had to admit she felt much better. The pain was still there and knew it would never go away, but now felt like it had moved a little closer to the pile of old pain that was her parents' death.
Soon she dropped out of college and asked Mark to let her work in the café in Deanna's place. Miranda and her father were against her decision and even Mark seemed really hesitant, but Selina had made her mind and everyone knew it was useless to try and change it. Therefore, she became a permanent waitress in the café and at nights resumed her work for the reapers. She could not deny that they were quite kind in asking her if she would really be in a position to continue or if she wanted to stop once and for all.
"Our family's manor is big and getting older, it needs a lot of maintenance which is expensive. My uncle can't help me a lot and my sister's husband has to take care of their twins, therefore I need the job and the money." She answered them coldly in a business-like manner, satisfying even the British stern and stiff reaper, that for some unknown reason was checking on her progress and performance from time to time.
Miranda had just graduated from the architectural school, had already decided to become Architectural Historian and was on job hunting, when she announced moving in with Selina whether she liked it or not, since she could not accept that the grey selfish cat was enough or even good company. The blond witch smiled gratefully to the only person left knowing her too well and easily detecting the misery and depression threatening her every time she was alone in the big house. Poor Merlin was trying to comfort her by cuddling in her lap purring blissfully, but Miranda was right, his company was something but never enough when a hug was needed.
Her work at the café and with the reapers, assisting Mark with the kids and her cohabitation with the always talkative and cheerful Miranda, filled the void in an everyday basis, leaving her little time to think about her loss although Deanna, just like her parents, never actually left her mind. Soon, she chose to remember Deanna's smile and all the good times they had together, than allowing to dwell on pain and the last image of the cold and dead Deanna.
Before she realised, a year had passed. Selina was slumping in a chair munching on a cookie, trying to keep it away from Merlin's grabbing paws while listening to an enthusiastic Miranda talking about her first assignment in the architectural firm she was hired.
"You have to see the building, you will be thrilled!" She said with sparkling eyes. "You remember the noble's manor in England, right? Well, if you ask me they are built by the same person to the smallest detail, even to the nail from which the noble's portrait hangs."
"Why not? I don't think it as improbable. We are talking about a British noble of the late Victorian era, why would it be difficult for him to bring here the architect that built his manor there?" Selina shrugged her shoulders as she lightly slapped Merlin's paw, only to receive a hateful hiss she ignored.
"And he brought over every single builder? Anyway, that building is so perfect and harmonious that seems like it is actually made by just one person in a blink of an eye… Even the records mention very few about a building crew, and the factory, along with the noble's chambers above, were built almost in a flash!"
"I got it! The noble had supernatural connections and that's why…" Selina said smiling teasingly as she closed her right eye and waved her left hand.
"Eh? No way, don't go that way, I refuse to accept it. He wore that patch ever since he was a kid… but that doesn't mean anything. Yes, his background was dark and painful, but I absolutely refuse to believe that a small kid would lay its trust on a vile creature… an ex-human!" Miranda was terrified by what her cousin suggested.
"I agree but I never said anything about trust, it could be just a business transaction."
"At the price of his soul? Too extreme."
"Excuse me? You told me he lost his family at the age of ten and soon after that received his family's title and everything. Well... he somehow should protect himself from the hungry, ravenous wolves, also known as the rest of the nobles, who would covet his position and wealth."
Miranda remained silent for a while. "Still that is an adult's thinking not of a small and innocent child's and that can't change-"
The look Selina gave her made her stop in midsentence. Her cousin's eyes were clearly saying "Are you seriously that naive after all these years?"
At that moment, Miranda imagined her cousin in the place of that boy noble of the past and realized that yes… it was not difficult for a desperate, scared child alone in the world, to grasp any kind of helping hand at whatever cost. She thought how lucky Selina was that the helping hand that came in her greatest time of need was that of Deanna's, of a person that loved her so much, and what could have happened if there was no Deanna.
"I guess you're right… However, I would very much like to keep believing that was not the case. It would be really horrible for a young soul to resort to that." She sighed.
"To that I totally agree… But I guess we will never find out since everything is in the past." Selina said and Miranda agreed. They both kept staring for a while the black and white photo of a handsome young man with serious face and a black eye patch on his right eye.
{~}
Ciel moved in his chair feeling quite awkward and confused. On the one hand, he just heard about an important landmark in his tutor's life - that finally started making him realise why she was so understanding towards him and even accepted his cruelty as natural - and on the other hand, he had just found out something about his own future and did not know how to feel about it.
He knew he should be pleased and hopeful that his life would not be terminated any time soon, but that also meant the 'hide and seek' constantly playing with himself and the demon would go on for longer than he would like. He would be forced to bear with himself longer. He did not dare glance at his butler, as he knew he would only see a cold mask and two red eyes flashing with hunger and displeasure.
Selina however did look at Sebastian, saw exactly what the boy imagined, and that blew out the small sparkle of hope of seeing a hint of sympathy in her… ex-lover's, as everything indicated, eyes. Her lips stretched in a small, bitter smile, telling herself it was for the best, and resumed her narration.
{~}
"God damn it!" Miranda yelled one day visiting the café.
Selina and Mark were on a break, discussing the twin's schedule now that school would start. The red haired dropped her bag on the table quite violently; her eyes were burning angry.
"What got into you?" Mark asked with raised eyebrows.
"The toy factory… a buyer appeared out of nowhere!" Miranda said in a huff with hands on hips.
"Well… isn't that good for your firm and the local agency? The expenses for the museum will be split in two." Selina said.
"Yes, that would be the case if the buyer intended to follow the governmental plan, but he wants to open a club in the factory!"
"What?" Mark and Selina yelled at the same time.
"Hold on, hold on. You investigated the building and identified it as preservable with historical value for our city, worthy to be turned to a toy museum of the company. So how can he suggest something so different? He will never take the building." Mark said.
"Do you guys remember that old elementary school, just a block away from the factory?" Lawyer and witch nodded. "The buyer said, if the local community agrees on the factory, then he will gift a great amount of money and the school will be repaired and be able to open again for the good of the children."
"Oh!" They both exclaimed fully understanding the gravity of the man's promise. Only a community of fools would decline such an offer, not for the sake of an old toy factory of a long dead man, who was not even a local benefactor.
"Doesn't that noble have any heirs? What do they say about it?" Mark asked again trying to find a solution.
"I have been searching for them for a long time, I found only an email address and the only answer I ever got is that they have no problem in turning it to a museum. I sent another email this morning, as soon as I heard and still nothing… I doubt I will ever get one. And what's left of the company in England doesn't seem to care." Miranda sighed and sat heavily on a chair. "Oh man! I was so happy after the evaluation, it went so well and I was praised… plus, the building is extremely beautiful for a factory and that bastard will ruin it!" She crossed her arms on the table and threw her head on them.
"Give me the buyer's name, I can do a background check on him and see what might come out of it." Mark said and Miranda's face lightened up.
"Can you do that? Really? You are the best, indeed!" The young woman hugged the man beside her, while Selina was chuckling at her cousin's antics.
Unfortunately, Mark's research was fruitless; the man seemed to be quite a legal businessman in the field of night entertainment. Even though the trio was convinced he wanted the factory as a front for his shady business – especially after he visited the café while Miranda was there, under the pretence of meeting a worthy opponent defying him with so much passion – they could not find a substantial proof. His visit was not only to see Miranda, but also the people surrounding her and whose lives could be useful as a means of extortion to force her stop the campaign against him. Therefore, it came to no surprise when some anonymous letters suggesting Miranda to cease her war against him, started coming at the manor.
Miranda was undeterred and continued refusing to sign the papers, thus binding the businessman's hands, as he should hire a new architect and go through the time consuming evaluation process again, in order to finally get the legal papers allowing him to go on. He would not try to hasten the process, since that could jeopardize the building's safety, and the way he legally covered for himself until now showed he would not risk to be exposed.
Soon, the letters stopped coming and when the man made a second visit to the café seemed to rethink the situation and retained a milder attitude towards Miranda. The young woman was sure it must have been some disgusting strategy of his, but could not help feel a little hopeful victory was hers. She had so many reasons to want that.
Miranda really wanted to turn the factory to a museum of the toy company, where many toys that kept company to her and her parents would return to their home. It was a beautiful building and could become a nice place for an afternoon visit for families, and younger kids would learn about old toys, very simplistic but enough to trigger kids' imagination to create whole new stories. She still remembered her fight with the four year Selina on whether the rabbit was a pirate dressed in a noble's clothes or a noble having lost his eye in a battle… with pirates. Also, this victory would skyrocket her career as she could help in many similar situations.
However, these dreams and hopes were crashed once and for all one evening when Miranda was murdered.
Selina was returning from the café as quickly as she could, since the bad feeling she had since morning was getting stronger as the day was drawing close to its end; it was the same feeling she had when her parents and Deanna died and was determined not to ignore it this time. She had made sure Mark and the kids were safe and sound and Miranda reassured her she was just fine. That was an hour ago…
As she was getting closer to the manor her heart was beating faster and louder, she wished she could grow wings on her feet to go and make sure everything was all right. The sound of police sirens getting closer, made her run and the moment she turned at the corner of her block, saw four shadowy figures exiting the manor running and getting in a car without plates that sped away like the devil himself was chasing it.
"No!" Selina started and crossed the last meters in a flash.
She froze when saw the door broken in and the decorative stained glass smashed. She slowly entered the house and called for Miranda. She heard a weak meow and walking in the living room, utter terror and pain almost drove her mad in view of the horrible scene in front of her that made her scream and cry in despair.
Most of the furniture were turned upside down or broken, the stereo and the television system missing, but that was nothing compared to what lied in the middle of the room. It was Miranda with a bloody face from beating and her throat slit open just a few moments ago, as her warm blood was still flowing from her body; the blinding light of the setting sun failed to make Miranda's dead eyes sparkle as it usually did. A little further lied Merlin, blood was coming out of his nose as he looked at his mistress for one last time, before he drifted to the eternal darkness that had just swallowed Miranda.
Selina fell to her knees and, ignoring the sounds of police cars stopping outside as well as the pool of blood, took Miranda in her arms, holding her tight while a scream much like that of a wounded animal escaped her throat. She did not care that her cousin's blood was getting all over her clothes; the only thing she did care about was the excruciating pain in her heart, in her very soul as an invisible clawed hand was tearing one more piece away.
"A little sooner! Just a little sooner! Why didn't I run?" Her crying voice screamed to the air without receiving any answer.
The police had difficulties prying Miranda's eventually cold body from Selina's arms, and the blond woman had to be restrained and then sedated, as she was struggling the officers keeping her away from Miranda and Merlin. A police woman took her upstairs, helped her out of the bloody clothes and clean herself, before wrapping her in a warm blanket and put her to rest. The sedative finally started to affect her, as she felt her head ready to burst from the same buzzing she had when Deanna died; she needed to rest even for a while, she needed to find the comforting darkness.
The last thing her brain registered was a policeman's voice saying the cat's skull was cracked severely. It seemed he attacked the murderers in an effort to protect his owner, and was thrown on the wall with great force. Everything pointed to robbery turned to murder. Selina's mind screamed 'no' but no one could listen to her.
When she woke up, the buzzing was back and stayed with her longer than before. Mark was always by her side, supporting her as best he could, and in exchange she put on her brave mask not to worry him further, and for the children's sake that again were inconsolable and scared they would lose their dad or Selina too. Miranda's parents were in a similar situation; her father had aged significantly, his blue eyes had darkened and wrinkles indicating to paths carved by tears appeared on his face; his wife's hair greyed in a night and her emerald eyes turned to a dull green. She never looked Selina straight in the eyes, and when the young woman sought her aunt's embrace to console each other, she was always stiff and quick to escape Selina's arms.
The reason for that was revealed right after Miranda's funeral at the gathering in the house. Her mother could not take it any longer and at some point that Selina approached her, started screaming hysterically in front of everyone.
"Don't touch me! You are a beast, a devil! You kill everyone around you and you are never satisfied! Your parents, your sister and now my child, my daughter! Who's next, my husband? I won't let you, stay away from us! You're Death in the flesh!" She kept screaming, even though her husband was trying in vain to make her stop; finally he was left with no other choice but to slap her, the only time in their life.
That seemed to shock the woman and stopped her rant, as she dissolved in new tears and heartbreaking sobs. The man started apologizing while affectionately stroking her hair, before he took her out of the house, giving Selina a pained and apologetic glance. Mark kindly asked from everyone to leave and apologized on behalf of the family. When he was left alone with Selina – who had not moved a muscle since her aunt's break down – tried to hug the woman and comfort her, by saying it was the unbearable grief that made Miranda's mother talk like that.
"No… perhaps she is right, perhaps I am Death… A demon-to-be and that is why everyone dies. If I did not know my mother, I would say she had me with a demon… perhaps she was raped and I'm a devil spawn." She said while her eyes were glimmering crazily from pain and grief. She felt like a sword had ran through her.
"Selina, what are you talking about? I know you are in pain but please be serious." Mark begged.
"I am serious… Why? Just because my eyes don't turn red, my teeth are not pointy and my nails black? Does that make me human? Either way, our family is not, but even that didn't help saving Miranda, it didn't help her protect herself…" Then a new agony appeared in her eyes. "You are right wanting to leave and go back to England with the kids, you have to get as far away from me as you can!"
Mark had been thinking and discussing for some time now to take the twins to England. His parents were there to help him, and he finally admitted he could not continue working at the café; it was too much for him to be constantly reminded of Deanna all day, every day.
"Selina stop! I am not leaving because I am afraid of you but of myself!" The man said finally and that seemed to confuse the woman. "I have a problem for some months now; I see how similar to Deanna you are; you talk, move and behave very similarly. When I hear you talking with the twins I think it is her and my love and desire for her reawakens stronger than ever… I am afraid that soon I will be imagining her in your place, and that might make me wanting to make love to... her." Tears of helplessness started streaming down his face, seeing the terrified look in Selina's eyes.
The meaning of his words shocked Selina to her core. "I am sorry… I never intended for this… I thought that if I acted a little like Deanna would be helpful for the kids, it would ease their pain. I'm sorry, I don't… want to take her place, I don't want to become her." A new wave of sadness chocked her and she had to stop and sit down.
"I know… I know that at some point I might be able to find someone to love again, but I cannot do that while I am here; so close to her and you. It is not that you cannot make a man fall in love with you, of course you can… it is just that… it would be unfair for you to have me claim that I love you, since we both know I would love the Deanna in you and not Selina, not who you really are." He said calmly. Selina nodded in agreement and remained silent.
The truth helped her support his decision, and talk it over with the twins that refused to leave Selina. However, her promise of talking through videocalls everyday or whenever they wanted, along with the gift of a small Chartreux kitten – since the kids were as sorry as Selina was for Merlin's death – helped them accept their father's decision. The goodbye was hard and bitter but necessary.
The same dark and warm, comforting embrace came to Selina every time she visited the cemetery and made her feel less lonely, since now she was left truly alone, living in the big house with her memories as the only company; even her uncle tried to keep contact with her but in secret from his wife.
She never tried to find who embraced her in her darkest moments, she did not need to know; it was enough that there was still someone or something that cared to help her even a little.
{~}
"I believe the next part will be to your liking, Sebastian." Selina said trying to keep her voice straight and calm. She did not look at him, but knew he would smile satisfied to hear about her murderous side he liked so much.
{~}
Now Selina's life was shared between searching for a day job, as she quit the café along with Mark – thankfully the owner was very understanding and knew it would be too much for them to keep working in a place filled with memories of their loved ones – and trying to convince the police that the factory buyer was behind Miranda's murder, but nobody seemed to listen since she had no proof.
Now that Miranda, the main obstacle, was gone, the local government agency responsible for the factory gave permission for the man to buy and turn it to whatever he wanted. The procedures were going quite fast and Selina was almost rabid with fury at her inability to legally bring the man down. It was then she decided to take the situation in her own hands and investigate the possibility Miranda had never thought to look into.
One night with fury boiling inside her, she went down to the basement where her family's witchcraft tools were kept. She opened the big trunk removed everything and the second bottom followed.
Underneath were more tools, only this time were for the real dark practices grey witches could do if they wanted. She took out a piece of black fabric with a red pentacle on it, spread it on the floor and then black and red candles – for the demon – were positioned on the pentacle's points; a pure white candle – for the victim's soul – in the middle. Selina kneeled at the centre with the city's map and a crystal.
She lighted the candles and started a chant, as she allowed the crystal hanging from a chain to hover over the map. At some point the candles' flames roared and grew tall the moment the crystal was pulled on a very specific point on the map. Selina bolted up hurrying to her room to get ready and run to the pointed address. A contracted soul was to be devoured soon and that was her chance. A dark and determined look never left her face.
The demon got dressed in a flash, put on his spectacles and straightened his hair. "Your Highness, I think it is time now." He said coldly.
"Yes, my Claude, I know. I am ready to be with you forever." The young, beautiful blond man lying still naked on the bed said with a happy and dreamy look on his face. "Please, be gentle with me, just like now. Shower me with your love!" He said and stretched his hands to the demon.
"Yes, Your Highness." The gold eyes turned to blood red as the demon cupped his master's face.
The demon covered the man's mouth with his left palm, a light flashed and the Faustian seal both on his hand and on the man's tongue brightened. He removed the hand, leaned closer and started sucking his master's soul and life out of him.
However, his ears caught a strange chanting and utterly surprised saw the soul leaving the man's lips, but never reaching his as the dim white vapour took a turn and headed towards the darkest corner of the studio apartment. The demon dropped the lifeless body on the mattress, and with a furious hiss turned to the vile creature that dared steal his meal.
"Now now, calm down; I am not a competitor and most definitely my palate is not suitable for consuming souls… not yet at least." A female voice said as a blond woman dressed in black came out of the shadows; a pair of blades hanging from her waist and a green jar in her hands.
The demon hissed again in disgust. "A grey witch! What do you want? A contract? Give me my meal and we can work something out." He smiled devilishly.
The woman laughed. "A contract with a demon? I am not that crazy yet. Well… I might end up being eaten by a demon either way, but that will be my decision and I will choose who the lucky one will be… Definitely not you, who show not even the slightest respect to the source of your food! You just gifted him with an illusion of love he very much needed and now you drop him like a rag doll! Shame on you!" She scolded him as she passed him and went to the bed.
She put the green jar, that kept the delicious soul away from the demon's clutches, under her arm, and with gentle moves placed the young man in a more comfortable position in the bed, crossed his hands on his chest and covered his naked body with the sheet. Lastly, she stroked his blond hair and closed his sky blue eyes. The demon saw a glimpse of sympathy towards his victim and that angered him more.
"Since you have not developed a twisted liking for consuming souls, and you have no desire to make a contract, what the hell do you want from me and stole my food? You… damned Green Flame." He spat disparagingly.
"Oh, he is smarter than I thought. Bravo! Claude was it not?" The woman applauded mockingly, as she moved and sat in an armchair; never leaving the jar from her arms. "Only that you made a small mistake, which is understandable as I have this with me. I am actually the Blue Flame; the Green was my cousin who made this beautiful phylactery to protect souls from demons when I work for the Grim Reapers… Unfortunately, she was murdered a month ago." She said quite casually.
"Oh, so you want to know who did it, if it was a demon… I assure you I was not the one, therefore give me my meal." Claude stretched his hand demanding what was rightly his.
The woman seemed unfazed and looked at the demon indifferently. "I know who did it and he is a hundred percent human. What I want to know is, if he has any kind of affiliation to a demon. And you will help me with that, if you want your precious… what was his name?"
"Alois…" Claude fumed really angry but also intrigued by the woman's audacity. "Hmm…" He rubbed his chin thinking for a while. "So we have the lethal Blue Flame, who also works for the reapers, trying to blackmail me in order to do her a favour without risking her soul… So it is you, no doubt." He chuckled and took an alluring look. "Allow me then, my lady, to change in proper attire." He suddenly acquired a fine British accent, and with a movement he changed his t-shirt and jeans to a pristine butler uniform and bowed at her mockingly.
"Hey… what are you playing at? What's with the butler get up, are you making fun of me?" Selina said with narrowed eyes.
"Not at all… I am just trying to get the Blue Flame for myself; that is all. And since you have a thing for butlers-" He shrugged his shoulders with a smirk on his lips.
The woman seemed to shiver at that as her eyes goggled. "Where did that come from? Only once did I have to wear that despicable outfit and it was really… really uncomfortable! And how do you know about it? We did kill the bastard."
The demon straightened up his body and looked at her confused. "What are you talking about?"
"What are you talking about? You know what? I don't care. Of course, I would have the luck to bump on a mentally unstable demon, but that has nothing to do with our business deal. Will you look into what I asked you or will I deliver Alois to the reapers and save the poor man?"
"Umph… All right, all right. I'll do it, but if you dare give him to the green eyes before I am done, I will hunt you down and take your delicious soul in his place, even if your man kills me afterwards." Claude gave in quite quickly considering how hungry and fed up he was.
"My who?" Selina asked confused, but then sighed looking at the demon with mock sympathy. "Poor demon… hunger has loosened some screws up here, hasn't it? Anyway, I am Selina Clark and I will be happy to work with you, Mr. Claude…" She said standing up with a fake polite smile on her lips.
"Faustus." The demon responded really irritated by her carefree attitude. He was very well aware he could not touch her, or else end up in cinders either by her blue or his red flames, but that did not mean he stopped wanting to squeeze the life out of her.
Selina laughed really amused. "Oh how nice… The demon under the name Faustus makes Faustian contracts! Smart choice of name, I give you that. Okay, you have one week to find the answer I'm looking for. I'll alter the protection spells in my house and you'll be allowed to enter, but don't play any tricks on me, or else Alois will have an afterlife much better than what his life must have been, and your poor stomach will remain empty. Deal?" She said giving him a piece of paper with her address on and the name of the man she wanted researched.
The demon was fuming in anger as he took the paper and nodded, but was also curious what would come next in this strange deal with that mysterious woman. Watching her leaving the apartment through the door, in a totally casual manner, made him wonder how the hell she had entered without noticing her.
Claude did what promised, but found nothing of demonic nature; the man was indeed a really shady businessman using the various night clubs he owned as a front for drug dealing, and one of his techniques was to open clubs close to schools, using the place as a simple café at day time to attract students and make them drug addicts. That was why he insisted on donating money for the school. Unfortunately for him, but fortunately for Selina, he had no connection of any kind with a demon, no contract, no advisor of demonic nature, not even having met one in his entire life. He was simply an evil human making all of his choices on his own.
That made Selina smirk one night, perched at the factory's rooftop listening into the man's discussions with his gang. Plans to expand in the neighbourhood, if the kids from the school he would make were cooperative, and since that nuisance, the romantic young architect, had been removed from the picture. Selina silently and stealthily moved closer to the chimney leading to the noble's chambers above the factory, where the gang was at the moment, and being extra careful started to pull up a cord ending up in a tape recorder. With a smile, she checked the quality of the sound, removed the tape from the recorder and placed it in an envelope that in turn was put in her jacket's inside pocket for safety. As the men moved from the owner's office to the main area of the factory - in order to check the new stacks of goods received a few hours ago - Selina picked up all of her equipment, placed it in her backpack and descended.
Reaching the factory's back door, changed her black leather gloves to white elastic ones, took her swords and entered the building after allowing her flames to turn her in her ghostly state.
A clapping out of nowhere cut short the men's enthusiasm; they looked to where the sound came and were surprised to see an average woman of around one sixty five tall, in her twenties, coming out of the shadows that seemed to lovingly embrace her. A clearly ironic and dangerous smile on her face framed by black straight bangs.
"Bravo! I admit I am impressed at your craftiness for doing this kind of work for so long, without being suspected by absolutely anyone. You must be a genius who chose to waste your brain in drugs and stuff… What a pity. But you should be careful on who do you order to be killed, you never know what the people left behind might do." She said and her eyes were sparkling bloodthirstily.
All six men pulled out their guns and pointed them to her while shielding their leader. "You are her cousin, right." He chuckled. "I knew you would not get fooled easily, just like her and that young lawyer… Pity he was fast enough to leave America before I could get to him… his two cute kids would be a perfect addition to my business. Oh well, no reason to cry about what is lost. Perhaps you are smarter than them, and be able to see where your better interests lie… you might prove useful with your little blades." He chuckled evilly and the men followed, obviously not believing a young woman would be able to wield the two blades hanging from her waist.
"Hmm… I know that my true best interest would be to keep trying prove your guilt through legal ways, it would be the best for my soul, but… it would be unbelievably time and money consuming – which I obviously don't have – and… where is the pleasure in that? Don't take me wrong, I really think that just executing a criminal for his crimes is wrong because he just dies and that's all, without suffering enough while alive… Anyway, I can make an exception for you, because knowing that you are alive, breathing the air Miranda should breathe, while the police will label her as just another cold case eventually, is too much for me." With a swift movement she pulled her swords out of their scabbards. "They are really effective against demons… What do you think? Should I check them against humans too?"
The man laughed. "You will never pass through my men's bullets, plus… you don't have it in you, kido." He seemed very certain as he ordered his men to shoot her up.
Of course, they did not expect what would follow. They did not believe their eyes when blue flames engulfed the woman's entire body, making their bullets go through her without a scratch. In a few moments, she was in front of them stabbing and cutting with her blades while her eyes sparkled almost inhumanely; she really craved to spill the blood of those who did the same to her cousin with no hesitation.
Soon the mobsters started scattering away from their leader, trying to get away from the frenzied woman killing them without second thought. The leader himself was very certain he made a mistake underestimating that woman… that beast. He ran upstairs, to hide in the noble's bedroom, when he saw and heard the last of his men dying choking in his blood. Cold sweat broke out on his skin and his legs were shaking as he almost tumbled in the room and locked the door behind him. He took out his phone ready to call the police, but then a whistling filled with awe and footsteps approaching made him stop in the middle of his movement.
"Wow! Miranda was right, it is an amazing building and it really looks like it's made by the same person as the manor, and look at the perfect condition of it after so many years. Well, if that noble had really no connection to someone of supernatural nature, then… I am a simple human." With a loud crack the door opened as she kicked it hard and entered. "And you wanted to take this beautiful place and ruin it, allowing drunk and drugged people to pee, puke and even fuck wherever they felt like it. Thank goodness I got here before you start any reconstructions. Three birds with one stone! Saving the building, the local children from your drugs and taking my revenge… Good job, I must say." Selina smiled at him quite sharply and predatory.
"The police has no proof for what you say… A psycho murdered us and planted drugs to falsely accuse me. The donation is almost complete and I have other people to take over the business, while your precious, innocent community will still think of me as a great benefactor…" He said struggling to put on a brave face.
"I would not be so certain about that." The woman said and patted her jacket over her right breast where the tape with the mobster's own voice admitting everything was hidden.
The man realized what she meant, and turned pale staring at the dangerous woman getting closer. She towered above him, reached out and grabbed his grey hair, then dragged him in front of a full body mirror. For some reason, the look in her eyes paralyzed him with fear.
"I am sure you have never killed a person on your own… it's easy just giving the order, isn't it? But you never looked in their eyes while life left them. Well… it is horrible, haunts you for some time and stays with you always... Even if the person is an actual demon, a beast deserving it... more or less. However, you are about to find out." She whispered in his ear and then pulled back as much as she could, so that his blood spurting out of his slit throat would not reach her.
Just like his men, he chocked in his blood, watching the horror of a person dying mirrored in his own eyes. The woman kept holding him in place until he bled out; her face a cold mask of apathy. Once she was certain all life had left his body, dropped him quite unceremoniously, quickly pulled out an ordinary napkin bought from a super market, wiped her blades and dropped it there.
Without looking back she crawled out of the window, before the reapers come and collect the men's cinematic records. She disposed of the bloodied elastic gloves on her way to the local police department, where she had one last thing to do before the reapers come for her.
Entering the building wrapped in her ghostly flames, and then shrouding herself in an invisibility spell, Selina reached the desk of the detective assigned to Miranda's case, placed the envelope with the tape on the desk and left the same way she entered. She could not deny how amusing would be the face of the confused detective, finding an envelope, left by an anonymous visitor not appearing in the security cameras.
When she entered her manor, she sighed relieved and satisfied everything went as planned, but time was running out. She ran upstairs getting undressed at the same time, reached the bathroom where she dropped all her clothes, got under hot water to rinse away any lingering blood and then combed her hair. As the comb ran through them the black colour seemed to melt away while her natural gold-blond flowed from the comb to her hair. She smirked pleased with herself for having taken all precautions in case a mobster escaped or the invisibility spell failed.
She got out of the bathroom just in time to answer the phone. It was the detective asking her if she was home, something came up and he had to tell her in person.
"Yes, of course I'm home, I just got out of the bath. I'll be waiting." She said and as soon as she hanged up the phone, ran downstairs.
In the living room the lights and TV were on, while a somehow blurry image of herself was staring at the screen without watching. With only a word the illusion was lost, she turned the TV off, while drying her hair
The detective arrived soon after, to let her know some vigilante took upon himself to spy on the factory's buyer, record the man admitting doing drug business and his involvement in Miranda's murder, and then murder him quite brutally. He asked her if she had any idea who could that be.
Selina was obviously shocked and wished she could help the police but no, she didn't know someone close to them, able to do such a thing. In the end she could not take it anymore; tears started flowing from her eyes at the thought of something so horrible. Yes, she might have accused the man for murder, but never found any proof and for certain did not want him to die, only be trialled by justice. The detective felt bad at the thought she could somehow be involved in this, and quickly left after reassuring her she had nothing to fear or worry about the case, not anymore.
Once the detective's car was heard leaving, she removed her hands from covering her face and revealed her teary eyes and a vicious smile on her lips.
"Let me guess, you feel really satisfied and proud of yourself for thinking every little detail of your crime while taking the… Highway to Hell, as you like to say." A stern British voice was heard behind her.
She turned only to see whom she expected to. The dark haired reaper with the long garden clipper on hand, fixed his glasses as always and looked at her with his yellow-green eyes.
"I am not saying I feel superb for killing human beings, but… you know what? I don't feel bad either, not when I think of that sleazy man and his arrogant smile, thinking he can control everything and everyone with just a cowardly order or disgusting offer! Well… he won't be able to do any of these anymore." She said proudly facing her superior.
"With whose authority did you decide to cut men's lives short and send them to death before their time?" His eyes were flashing under his furrowed brows, he looked really angry.
"With whose authority did he decide to have Miranda killed, because she did not succumb to his orders? With whose authority did he play God?" She yelled in his face furiously.
The reaper could not answer to that, without telling something that would fire up her fury even more; he sighed. "There will be repercussions."
"Will the reapers stop needing my assistance?" Selina asked crossing her arms.
"N-No… You are quite good at your job, we need you… However, the money you receive with every assignment, will be reduced and know that if you ever kill a human again…" He grabbed her hand at the wrist and pulled it in front of her eyes. "The deal will change and we will bind you to us until the end of your life."
"Then I will try not to have a long one…" She almost growled at him without hesitation in her eyes.
The reaper sighed displeased with many things, the current situation being one, and disappeared, after fixing his glasses on his nose, leaving Selina to ponder on what she did and will choose to do in the future.
During the next few months everything about the businessman was revealed to the public and the donation was instantly cancelled. Miranda's boss and Selina teamed up, never to allow for her sacrifice to be in vain, and managed for the factory to be reclaimed by the governmental agency and turn to a public building, that would become a toy museum, even when some associates of the businessman appeared with the same offer.
Selina offered her help and was included in the cleaning team hired for cleaning the old factory out of decades' dust and neglect. The blood spattered in the main room of the factory was cleaned quite easily, even the one sipped in the carpet, where the businessman was found with his throat cut from ear to ear. Of course the leader of the team did not know the so persistent blood was miraculously cleaned thanks to Selina's tricks. She could not forgive herself for ruining the perfectly arranged room with the disgusting man's blood.
"Hey Selina, who do you think could do something as atrocious as murdering the businessman and his gang in cold blood?" One of the cleaners asked her obviously in the mood for some gossiping.
"Someone who had a great grudge against him, I guess." She responded from the staircase she was on, trying to properly place a big portrait found in the storage.
It pictured the noble in his teenage years along with his faithful servants. That was really strange, for a noble to choose to be painted along with his servants, instead of friends and family.
"It is said, his servants were not what they seemed and especially his butler, always by his side, was so perfect and efficient in everything; that most probably was also his bodyguard, personal assassin and that kind of stuff." Another one chimed in with sparkling eyes and pointing at the portrait. "It is also said he was not even human!"
The first one seemed to be shocked. He covered his mouth with his hand. "Perhaps he has haunted the place and kills off those who want to destroy it in any way!" He too seemed really fired up by the thought.
"Well… taking into consideration his devilishly handsome looks and smile, absolutely not fitting to a humble butler, I would bet he was a demon." Selina said casually standing next to the other two with the staircase under her arm.
The others squeaked scared at the thought. "B-But d-demons are supposed to be ugly beasts with goat heads and hooves, hunting humans persuading them to give up their souls!" The second cleaner said; her voice trembling. The man beside her agreed.
Selina rolled her eyes. "First of all, that is only a traditional depiction to make people scared of demons; we don't know how they could truly look like. Also, would you guys willingly give your soul to be gobbled by a beast, like the one you describe, or by a gorgeous young man who would smile and look at you like you are his most precious treasure? Who would persuade you more easily?"
"The gorgeous man of course!" They both cried out with red hot faces, the man fanning himself with a paper from his pocket and then fanning his friend beside him.
"My point exactly. Anyway, you know how much I love all this talking about the occult etc, but time passes and we have to finish by four o'clock for the mechanics for the factory machines to take over." Selina said showing them the time on her phone screen. "So move on, chop-chop!" She finished and turned to leave.
"Yes, boss!" The others cried saluting in militarily way. Selina looked at them, smirked, called them idiots and went on her way while they were chuckling.
When she was getting ready to leave, done for the day, her gaze fell again on the portrait and specifically on the butler, she looked at him for a while, thinking.
"A demon butler… Not usual for a proud demon, I must say." Her eyes sparkled as she remembered Claude. "Maybe that's why that idiot insisted on that butler outfit, maybe he was referring to him. But how does that connects to me, as he claimed?" She remained in thought for a few more moments, but then sighed giving up, deciding that Claude must have indeed been an idiot or mistook her for someone else.
The opening of the museum was a success! Thankfully, the murders' shadow did not hinder people coming to see the place that created their childhood stuffed friends and a big collection of all the toys keeping them company while growing up. An honorary plate along with Miranda's portrait was hanged next to the noble's; a gesture that really touched Selina, Mark and the twins visiting and being present at the opening ceremony. A genuine smile bloomed on Selina's lips after a very long time.
For the next four years Selina's life was a blurry whirlwind of her struggle to maintain the manor, as well as make a living by working for the reapers for less money than before - even though she had become more efficient - and multiple jobs of all kinds that resulted in her being fired for various stupid reasons. She was not clumsy but not perfect or too fast, the customers, however, liked her and left bigger tips... But her co-workers thought she was 'stealing' theirs, and that made the manager angry, as his woman was one of them... unless she wanted to become his woman instead.
That went on until one of her friends from the factory's cleaning team, suggested her a very elegant restaurant looking for a woman at the reception and making reservations on the phone. She went there and after a week's trial period was hired, relieved she would not have to hear idiotic complains from co-workers, being the only one in the position. She was never bothered by the long hours of being in the restaurant as they kept her away from her empty home.
The waiters were all men - and the manager a woman that reassured Selina she was not her type - but still there never was any problem; they were all really kind and friendly. Especially one, Paul, had taken a liking of Selina and often accompanied her during breaks or on the way home. He soon expressed his feelings in a very gentlemanly manner. He saw her as more than a co-worker or a friend, he thought she was very beautiful and cute, her smile made him happy and if she allowed him to try to win her heart, then he would indeed be the happiest man on Earth.
Paul was a pleasant, sweet guy of medium height with light brown hair and blond flashes, his eyes light green and a wide bright smile. He was smart with sense of humour and Selina was having a nice time with him. However, she hesitated responding to him and his discreet flirt, as her aunt's words came back again and made her fear he could get hurt if he got really close to her.
That was until a night in her dream everyone visited her - her parents, Deanna and Miranda - and told her to go on and live. There was no point in her dwelling in the past, if she had found someone to give her a future, a life. Sure, he may not be the exact type of man she always liked, but he was nice to her and obviously loved her very much. Therefore, she had to "cut the crap and give the man a chance", as Deanna and Miranda put it.
Selina was convinced and thus begun her second chance to happiness, as she called that period in her life. Paul was indeed an ideal partner in life; caring, gentle, hopeful for their future and in general a family guy material. Selina started liking him more and soon was indeed falling for him as their relationship was evolving, and at some point she opened up to him and told her story that made him really sad and promised he would never leave her.
The only things she never felt comfortable confessing were her witchy nature, her business with reapers and of course, the murderous revenge she took for Miranda. Paul was a very down to earth person, extremely sensible, and that was why he could not easily accept what logic could not explain; like the existence of magic, demons and how someone could get revenge by murdering and still not becoming a psycho killer. These were the only reasons why she wondered if she made the right choice to bind her life to his when he did a marriage proposal.
Her mother always said it was essential for natural born witches to find mates accepting their magical nature in its entirety, because only then they would be truly happy and loved. Her parents and her uncle and aunt were a strong proof of that, since both her father and aunt had knowledge of her mother's and uncle's true nature, and still decided on sharing a life with something beyond human, even if they did not understand it completely. The fact that her aunt had not wanted to see her again after Miranda's death, was an isolated event certainly caused by her maddening pain of losing her only child. And then, there was the example of Deanna and Mark, who due to magic managed to express their suppressed feelings and create a wonderful family.
Selina was thinking all these for some days, but one morning woke up in Paul's warm embrace, saw his blissful smile, as he pulled her deeper in his arms, and decided that not everyone could be lucky enough to find the perfect mate, so she should suffice to the true and pure love Paul had for her... even if it was for only a part of her, her human part. Protecting him and his love from the dangers of magic would become her lifelong duty, even if it meant she would lead a double life; one as the ordinary human woman that Paul would marry and one as the witch working in secrecy for the reapers and hunting down demons.
Selina's and Paul's happiness was completed when six months before their wedding she found out she was almost two months pregnant. Paul was ecstatic! He always loved children and dreamed of having at least one in his early thirties, so that he would have the physical stamina to play with his child and teach it everything he knew; now he was almost thirty, only four years older than Selina.
The future mother was also in seventh heaven, as she could never imagine how beautiful and fulfilling the feeling of a life growing inside of her was. She had witnessed Deanna's happiness during pregnancy, but seeing and feeling were two entirely different things. She could not wait to hold the tiny new creature in her arms, a creature that would be a part of her to continue living even after her death.
She strongly believed her life would finally be filled with joy and all together would be strong enough to overcome hardships in everyday basis. One summer noon, while pregnant at her precious son, she drifted to sleep and dreamed of a beautiful boy with hair at the colour of gold wheat and blue eyes, running around the house full of life, while she was trying to catch and dress him to go out for a walk. The boy's happiness made her happy too and more images of him older, celebrating his team's victory and forgetting the pain of his sprained ankle, while in his worried father's arms, and a little girl circling around them, cheering for her brother, made Selina cry happily in her sleep. When she woke up her previous strong belief had turned to certainty that put a sweet smile on her lips.
Unfortunately, none of these images and dreams would come to be as one autumn night, a year and a half of Selina's normal life and hopes for the future turned to dust in the most horrible way, leaving deep scars not only on her body but in her soul too; scars that would reopen her previous too, proving they had not healed properly. It was exactly two weeks before their wedding when Paul and the almost eight months pregnant Selina got attacked by what seemed to be a gang of robbers.
It was not the first time they were getting back home using the specific, a little abandoned alley as a shortcut, but that noon eight people appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the couple, making their intentions clear by swinging knives and knuckle dusters, their faces covered with masks.
"Here, take my wallet with everything in it and my watch. They are not much but still… please, don't hurt us." Paul said with a trembling voice as he was shielding Selina, who was clutching his jacket in fear.
"Well… we could do that… if money was what we were seeking…" A muffled female voice said, as she revealed herself behind the other seven men. "Unfortunately for you we don't want money." The others chuckled.
"Then what do you want?" Selina asked with a steady voice as she had started understanding what they were looking for.
"The thrill of rich blood leaving the human body! It is quite a sight, I assure you!" The woman said again and laughed insanely. She then made a signal to the others that immediately started moving closer.
"No, please! Spare my wife and child! She is pregnant, for God's sake!" Paul cried out in despair. He was never a violent person and knew that even under normal circumstances he would not be able to successfully swing a punch in someone's face, let alone against seven men.
"Pregnant? Leave the woman to me!" The female that obviously was the leader of the gang ordered.
Selina did not wait to see what would follow. Keeping in mind to continue controlling her flames from bursting out and expose her supernatural nature in Paul's eyes, she did not hesitate to lift her leg and kick one of the approaching men at his genitals and then punch his jaw as it peeked out of the mask. As if she was a creature of wind, Selina started twirling around, hitting the others and leaving Paul watching her with his jaw dropping open. She was not hitting them as strongly as she wanted, but enough to make them step back a little dizzy; enough for her and Paul to run away… as she thought at least.
A loud bang was suddenly heard and a hot pain pierced through her thigh taking away all of her strength in an instant. Her knees buckled and she found herself kneeling on the ground panting behind clenched teeth. The gunshot and Paul's scream brought distant voices coming out of the few still inhabited apartments of the building above them, asking what was going on and then deciding to call the police.
"Now… look what you made me do… We won't have the time we wanted to have fun with you." The leader said and sounded really sad as she walked over to Selina, while hiding her gun back in her pocket.
"No! Don't touch her, you bitch!" Paul cried, deciding to leave aside his pacifism just for once, and do what he had to do to protect what was most precious to him.
The woman did a signal with her hand, and five men grabbed Paul before he managed to reach her, dragged him away just to throw him on the ground and viciously started to kick him anywhere they could, while the other two grabbed Selina's arms and pulled her up standing in front of the leader.
"Let us go now, if you want your life!" Selina threatened and her eyes were different from a bloodthirsty demon's only in colour and shape. Paul's painful cries fired her up even more, and was close to the verge of letting herself free to crush these pathetic, twisted humans once and for all.
A sharp pain, however, made her scream and be consumed by it as one of the men holding her, plunged a finger in her thigh wound. "It is not wise to go against or threaten our leader, you know." He said with a cheerful voice that under other circumstances would sound very friendly and welcoming. He chuckled right after.
"Don't worry. She will learn her lesson for good." The leader said as she started running one hand all over Selina's body, violently caressing it and obviously taking pleasure by that. "What a beautiful body, slim and strong, although it can fool you as small and ordinary… and you want to ruin it by getting pregnant and giving birth to a whiny baby. Quite disgusting if you ask me."
"Nobody asked for your opinion. Let us go!" Selina screamed once again, but did not have a chance to say something more as the sound of police sirens was heard in the distance, and a new pain was plunged in her body as the leader's knife stabbed her bloated from the baby belly… once… twice… in different places and twisted around a little making the pain even more excruciating tearing apart everything.
Selina tried to gasp, but nothing came out of her mouth other than a thin trail of blood mixed with saliva. No strength was left as the blood sputtered out of her body, feeling as if a hand was tearing away her insides. Her knees buckled once again and the men holding her left her collapse on the ground; all her weight on her stomach crushing the baby inside, while lying in a pool of blood. She heard a whistle and then fast running as the gang left her and Paul bleeding on the ground.
The feeling Selina knew well – that of having a piece of your soul cut away – came over her as she managed to lift her weight with knees and hands. She could hear Paul's shallow breathing lying on the ground almost unconscious from the beating, but still alive… in contrast to the dying baby in Selina's belly.
A dreadful chill covered every inch of her body, as she lifted her head and saw a vision that made new dangerous cracks appear on the wall of her sanity. At the end of the alley the boy from her dreams was standing... only this time he was not laughing happily. He stood there completely naked and covered in blood from head to toe, his blue eyes wide open filled with terror as his little chest was rising and falling in agony. He opened his mouth to call her and stretched his hand in need of help, but a new fountain of blood sputtered from his lips.
Selina let out a terrible scream, one that could pass as that of a lioness crying in unbearable pain at the loss of her cubs. She kept screaming and calling for her baby as she forced herself to crawl towards the vision, leaving a fat trail of blood behind her, until she heard a snapping sound as from great scissors, and the boy's image dispersed in the air. It was only then that she finally collapsed, losing her senses.
She lost counting of how many times she drifted in and out of the oppressing darkness that had enveloped her. Blurry images of the inside of a running ambulance and the ear piercing siren invaded her senses for a moment and then blinding white thorium lights and the heads of doctors asking her something her mind could not process right now. She could feel the oxygen mask on her face and the excruciating pain in her belly, making her feel her body was cut in two.
"My baby, I lost my baby!" Was the only thing she managed to whisper, before she dived again in the darkness that was not at all comforting this time.
😭😭 I know... I'm the one who wrote Selina going through all that but... Sometimes I wonder how did I manage to come up with all this stuff I throw on my poor witch and then... I blame G.R.R. Martin, to be honest! 😂
Claude & Alois: Fans of the infamous second season... How did you like my little present? 😊 Okay, to be fair. When I started watching season 2 I was excited because we would see a different pair with different dynamics and at first I liked that (despite how Alois freaked me out right from the start by gauging Hannah's eye)... I even liked Sebastian mysteriously making an appearance, but... yeah... as soonn as Ciel in the suitcase was shown, I felt that this would not end in a good way... And it didn't, in so many ways...
Anyway, just to be clear. I don't ship Claude and Alois... no way! And that is why I changed Alois to a MAN, not a teenager, but an adult man! But, since he had formed this twisted idea of seeking love and affection by being sexually provocative and yearned especially for Claude's affection, I thought I could do him the favor and give him what he wanted, even if it was for a short time. He was a victim too, after all.
Also... I forgot to say that in the last chapter, but... if the trio Deanna-Miranda-Selina remind to any of you the series Charmed (the original, please!)... Guilty as charged! I simply love this series ever since I watched it for the first time and the Halliwell sisters definitely shaped the whole witches thing in my mind! 😍
Finally! Did you, guys, see a pattern I was trying to make throughout Selina's life and how all these might connect to the title? There will be more instances in the following chapters that might help you more, but if you have found it already, I'd love to hear from you... as well as if you spotted a small Easter Egg in all this! 😉
Thank you all, you are amazing people! Till next time! Bye!