In Flames Lie Darkness (Incomplete Fist Draft)

Chapter 9

I wake up well rested in the early morning. I must've slept like 12 hours or something, and it feels like it too. I'm surprised, though. That sleep was dreamless, which I'm thankful for, but the thing is, any time I've gotten that amount of sleep it was practically promised to be riddled with nightmares. I didn't even realise this before, but I haven't had any dreams at all since this whole thing began, other than in that alleyway, and even then it was nothing like my previous ones. Why? Are the recent events and my nightmares related? Thinking back, when I first 'found' the box again, the flames were just like in my nightmares. But there's no way they're related, right?

I force myself to stop thinking about that and think about the deal I made instead. Now that I've had a good night of sleep, I better understand what I've done. I really messed up, didn't I? 'Allow me temporary control of your body sometimes'. What does that even mean? Is she going to possess me or something? Or is it just going to be like before in the N.L.O. building? Or what happened in the alleyway? Is this really a fair deal?

I get up and slip my shoes back on. I don't even remember taking them off, that's how tired I was last night. I head to the bathroom that's attached to the room, and glance at the mirror for a second-

What the hell?

My hair... What used to be blonde is now a bright red, which reminds me. I go back into the room and open the suitcase to grab a pair of fabric scissors. I don't want to cut my hair, but I feel like this is one of the best ways to make sure I'm not recognized. I go to the bathroom, grab a lock of my hair and make a cut halfway so it ends up at my shoulders. Snip. The sound of my scissors and my breathing are the only things I can hear as tons of my hair falls down into the sink. I feel a pit in my stomach as I do all of this. I've had my hair go down to at least my waist for years because it was easier and cheaper than having to go to the salon to get a haircut every few months. It's been so long since I had short hair that I forgot how light my hair could be. With one final cut, my hair is messy and a bit uneven, but it's good enough.

Just as I finish, a knock comes at the door. When I answer, I see the man who was at the reception desk standing there. When he sees my face, he pales. Dammit, I forgot to conceal myself! "You have to get out now, witch!" He exclaims, grabbing me and pushing me out, before throwing my suitcase at me. I wonder for a second if I time travelled a couple centuries behind, or did I mishear a B for a W? "You can't hide for long! The whole world knows now! They'll pay a pretty penny for your head!"

...The N.L.O. told the public about my 'abilities' didn't they? Of course they did. Honestly, I can't tell if they're stupid or genius for telling the public. Probably both, because now they'll find me, but there's also a high chance that people will try to kill me before the New Life Organization can get its hands on me. I quickly turn and run out towards the front and leave, hopping onto my bike and loading my suitcase on the back. I make sure it's secure before going. I ride and ride before ending up in a small town. I stop and purchase a tent and a radio before going into the nearest library. I need to check something.

I mean, if Tulas were known as demons or whatever, then someone probably wrote about them somewhere, right? I go over to the mythology section and start searching through the spines. Finally, after a bit of searching, I find one that looks like it might be of use to me. The cover is old, and made out of leather, and it smells musty, with the title being worn out and engraved into it. On the first page, the title is clearer: 'To Be Rid of the Demonic', though my eyes are glued to the illustration underneath depicting a monster with horns and wings. Is that what the person with this power looked like, or is this just a caricature of them?

"You have nothing to worry about, darling. Those morons were too busy running away to draw anything accurate." She rolls her eyes, as if it was silly they would run from some witch lady with supernatural powers.