Reflections

Chapter 8

Callisto did not sleep a wink that night, nor did she sleep for the next two nights.

Her body was buzzing with adrenaline as her eyes panned the room every night, her mind taking in all the details and analyzing everything in sight. She felt exhausted while at the same time she also felt surprisingly ready to run a marathon, it was safe to say Callisto was not willing to test that out.

Activities became harder and harder to concentrate on, because the minute she felt like she was having fun the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she was instantly aware of someone watching her.

Where they were was a mystery to her, but she was certain it was true. Someone was definitely watching her and it all started with the stupid sword she picked up. She wasn't going to lie to herself and say she couldn't tell she was feeling different because there was a difference.

Passing anything reflective she began to notice that whenever she saw herself, there was always a sort of black smoke coming off her body, it sort of just stayed around her as she stared at herself, and just like every horror story only she could see it. Physically she had suddenly grown a bit, her clothes were slightly tighter around her shoulders and arms, her hair seemed healthier and she felt like she was much stronger than before.

And it was beginning to become noticeable to everyone else as well.

~

Her eyes stayed glued on herself, the mirror reflected a version of herself. The black shadow smoke curled around her shoulders and snaked up her neck, tangling in her hair that fell out of her bun. She sighed and placed her hands under the running water, lifting her hands up she splashed the water over her face. The cool liquid seemingly calmed the storm brewing within her, with a content sigh Callisto leant against the sink and lifted her head slightly.

Her breath lodging in her throat as she spotted someone behind her, spinning around she flung her head from side to side. Trying to spot this person, the thing that was behind her. With no sight of the thing, she slowly turned back to the mirror and sure enough there was something behind her, a shadow smoak in the shape of a human and this time she gathered her courage and reached her hand towards the mirror.

Her hand reached for the smoky shadows of the body, they shot up her arm and she leapt back. The shadow smoke danced across the bathroom floor as they moved towards the door, Callisto bit her lip. She didn't want to follow but something inside her told her to and she always trusted her gut.

Taking a step she took one last breath and looked towards the mirror, it was shattered from one point, no smaller than the end of a pen. It was almost as if her finger had broken the mirror. But she quickly discarded the thought when she remembered she never touched the mirror. So she spun around and made her way quietly out the girls bathrooms and into the forest. Following dark smoke she didn't even know she could see in the dark.

"I'm losing my mind. I'm following smoke. I'm following the smoke that was coming out of my body. Dear lord, I'm becoming the white person in horror movies." Callisto stopped in the middle of the forest in pure horror.

"Ya, no. I will remain as the person of colour I am. I am leaving this forest. I will be going to bed and..." Callisto turned around on her heel before she turned back and repeated the action a few more times before sighing and dropping her head.

"To the camp." She took a confident step towards the campsite before she stopped again and waved her finger turning around.

"But... I'll never know what'll happen if I don't go. I don't want to die. Who's going to kill me in this forest?" Callisto placed her hands against her hips as she looked up towards the trees and sighed.

"Alright. Ok. I'll check it out then, I'll go back." she agreed with herself before she looked back to the ground and walked after the smoke.

"I really need to stop speaking to myself."

~

Callisto ducked under a fallen tree branch as she finally saw the moon and could smell the salty water. She was close to the cliff now. Over a couple logs and rocks before she stepped towards the end of the tree line and stared in front of her.

"Shit." She mumbled as she slinked behind a tree and looked at the three people who stood with their backs to her. One was tall and muscular, another was lanky yet held enough muscle to probably hold off in a fight, and the person between them was about two heads shorter and curvier.

"There you are, Little Demon."

A large hand wrapped around Callisto's mouth and she instantly began to struggle. Her own hands grabbing the forearms of her captor as she flayed her legs trying to loosen his grip. But his grip tightened as vines began to crawl up her feet, around her ankles and suddenly pulled so tight her legs had become imobile. Callisto choked down her fear as the smell of earth and moss wafted through her nose.

"Look what I found." The man's deep voice said as he moved forward out of the treeline with Callisto still attempting to struggle.

"I thought it wouldn't be true, finding you in this place but here you are in human flesh." The muscled blonde said as he looked her up and down with disappointment writing his features.

Callisto glared at the people in front of her, unable to do much else, she did this to herself. She followed those stupid smokey shadows and this is where it led her.

"Hello darling, it's good to see you again." The lanky boy who was as white as the moon, drawled as he looked at her with a smirk.

Callisto stared back with narrowed eyes.

"Azar got your tongue?" The one in the middle said as a snake-like forked tongue hissed and smoke curled around their mouth, and all the bravado Callisto gathered plummeted to the floor like rocks.

"Thelonius please move your hand from her mouth so she can at least reply to us." Blondie said as he waved his hand and the hand covering Callisto's mouth disappeared. She gasped as she stepped aside, the vines falling from her legs into a limp pile on the floor. She pivoted around so that she could ensure all four of the people were in her line of vision.

"Who are you?" Callisto demanded to know as she looked at the people in front of her, noticing the glint of something at her feet. Dropping down she grabbed the black sword and lifted it in defence in front of her.

"Easy Akumu, we don't want to hurt you." The pale one said and Callisto spun to face the three who took a step forward.

"Don't move." She demanded and they stopped, their eyes lifted in amusement.

"She looks the same, so do you think she remembers us?" The boy who smelt like the ground asked as he took his place at the side of the pale boy.

"It would be better if she doesn't remember..." Blondie said and Callisto swallowed the feeling of fear settled within her stomach and began to root there.

"Who are you?!" Callisto demanded again and they finally turned to look at her, actually look at her and rather through her.

"We are The Riders. Protectors of Keleres."