Devils | ONC 2023 SHORTLISTER

one

The first thing she saw when her eyes focused was the pair of empty eyes staring back at her in terror.

It took her a few seconds to understand she was looking at a dead body and she sat up so fast, the world spun. After her head cleared again she looked around, taking in the crimson pool surrounding the lifeless body a few feet away from her, trying to calm down her frantic breathing that came out in wheezing gasps. She slowly stood up, wincing when a throbbing pain pulsed against the inside of her skull. Her feet hit something and she looked down, breath hitching as she expected to see another dead body. But it was just a bag; a bag full of cash.

"What have I done?" Her voice came out in a weak rasp.

She frantically looked around trying to remember how she got there. Where was she? Who was she? What was her name? Everyone has a name, right? Something that other people call them? Then what was hers?

"Remember, remember, remember," She muttered to herself, clutching her head, feeling tears build up under her closed eyelids. "What did I do?"

Assess the situation. Don't lose your calm, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. A voice she didn't recognize.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She stood up, turning around in a slow circle. She was in an empty dark room. It looked old with wallpaper peeling off and curtains almost falling apart. The windows were shuttered from the outside by some kind of wood or board. The dead man wasn't very old, maybe about thirty. She gathered her courage and peered closer trying to remember if his face seemed familiar. But it didn't stir her memories, it just bought a bitter taste to her mouth. She felt like throwing up.

She took a step towards the window and looked at her reflection. It was coated in dust but she could make out her tall bony frame and dark hair that was in a tangled braid. She was wearing dark jeans and a T-shirt with a jacket thrown over it. There was no blood on her. She had no physical injuries but she couldn't remember anything at all. Not a face from her past, not even her name.

There was a door behind her. She stared at it for a second considering her options. It was either stay here with no memory and a rotting dead body or go out and face whatever consequences she has to face. The latter seemed more appealing.

The first thing—person—she saw when she opened the door was a woman about thirty-something leaning back against the wall across the door, her arms folded across her chest. She looked at her with warm brown eyes and smiled like she was expecting her. She had hair the colour somewhere between red and brown that was pulled into a long ponytail. The woman's outfit wasn't much different to hers.

"Hi, Elena," She greeted.

Elena. That is me.

"Should I—Should I know you?" Elena asked, looking up and down the empty corridor.

"I guess you have a small case of amnesia, so I'd say no, you don't know me."

"How do you know I can't remember anything?" Elena narrowed her eyes at the woman.

She shrugged, "I know a lot of things, Elena Lendorr. Anyway, my name is Nella Alden and I'm here to help you."

"Help me with what?" Elena asked.

"To remember, of course!"

Something in the back of her mind told her not to trust this woman even with her warm smile and kind eyes. But what other choice did she have? She was alone, with no memory of anything; Nella was the only other living being present. That dead man didn't count. Speaking of the dead man...

"That man," Elena pointed back at the room. "What happened to him?" Did I kill him? Tell me I didn't kill him.

"Oh, him?" Nella pointed one manicured nail at the body. "I killed him."

She said it as if someone might say "I made lunch", Elena stepped back in surprise, her eyes widening.

"Relax," Nella held up her hands. "He was going to kill you. I merely saved your life. You are welcome." She gave a charming smile.

Elena nodded shakily, not knowing what else to do. She felt like curling up in a ball and crying...which won't be very helpful, given her situation. 

"What am I doing here?" Elena asked carefully. "Where are we?"

"You will be overwhelmed if I go on and tell you your whole life story, won't you?" Nella set a hand on her shoulder, side-stepping her question. "Let's get a bit of rest and then talk, shall we?"

Elena nodded wordlessly. She suddenly felt cold, making her hug her elbows.

"Wait here," Nella said, stepping into the room. She returned with the duffel bag full of cash.

They walked out of the building, which turned out to be a really old empty apartment building somewhere. It was half destroyed, a side of it lying in a pile of dust and rubble. The whole area seemed to lay in ruins. There was no living soul Elena could see. Nella's bright red car looked alien in the middle of these ruins.

"Where are we going?" Elena asked as she buckled herself.

"To a motel," Nella gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll tell you the whole story after you rest a little bit. You must be shaken up from all that," She waved a hand towards the building they were driving away from as if to indicate "all that".

"What is this place?" Elena questioned as she watched the ruins start to gradually disappear and small shops and houses appeared on either side of the road.

"We are in the Lost City. That is what it is called."

"The what?" Elena blurted out. "That sounds...odd." But right. It sounds right. But why?

"It is called the Lost City because it is lost to humans. It is hidden from the human eye."

"And we are not human?"

"I will tell you everything."

No. I need answers. Now.

She didn't say it aloud. There was no pushing Nella into telling her what is going on. Elena could tell she was someone who does everything her own way, even though she had only known this woman for about ten minutes. She'd have to wait. Wait and hope she's not doing something wrong.

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