The Two Sides of a Sword

[PART ONE] Chapter One

Rocki jerked the clear-framed glasses off her face and tossed them carelessly onto her desk, leaning back in her chair with a groan. Her eyes were burning, although that was her fault. She had been staring at her laptop screen for over an hour without taking a break. All her troubles only amounted to a measly thousand words on her manuscript, pennies compared to the thirty thousand the book was meant to be.

She rubbed her navy-blue eyes, feeling them blister behind her eyelids. The author leaned back, discouraged by her lack of ... She tilted her head a little as she considered. By failure of her abilities. The words didn't make it to her open document. They weren't meant for it. Sometimes she caught herself thinking in the third person, almost as if she was writing a book about herself inside her head.

Rocki opened her eyes again to evaluate the last words she had written. Her story was reaching the climax. She was renowned, by whatever fans she had, for writing renditions of original fairytales. Not like the stories that completely change the plot, but by adding better detail, more finesse, and simpler language for the newer audience without changing the original storyline. Her bestselling so far was a rewrite of The Little Mermaid that clung to the depressing, yet fascinating, storyline crafted by Hans Christian Anderson, not the perky version made by a certain big movie studio.

"It's true that he was always kind to her. Generous. Respectful. But how could she look past what her eyes saw? She could not see those attributes; she could only see his fur, his fangs, the animalistic edge to his eyes, the tail which so often startled her."

Rocki picked up her drink as she glanced at the open page of The Beauty and the Beast copy she had purchased earlier in the year when beginning to make plans for this book. She took a sip from the coffee mug, smiling slightly at the sour taste of sparkling grape juice. Usually, her coffee mug would be filled with wine but ...

I need to focus, not think about that, she scolded herself, returning her gaze to the laptop. "There's wine in her coffee cup," she hummed almost without realizing it. "It's her undercover pick-me-up." She stopped suddenly, groaning at her distraction. "Okay, time for a break." She glanced at her laptop clock, noting the time. 5:30 PM. I should think about dinner. I think I have some poi in the fridge still.

She yawned as she stretched her arms above her head, partially from a reaction in her body that made her yawn whenever she stretched like that and partially from actual fatigue. I already took a nap today, but I'm tired again. I wonder if that's me or him? She closed her laptop after saving her progress and stood, stretching again.

Eeeeeeee... uhhhh...

The squeaking sounds startled her, heart instantly beating double time. That sounded like a window. She grabbed her phone, tucking it securely in her pocket with her fingers still around it. I'm sure there's no one here. My house is just making weird noises again. Maybe it's the wind, although it's been a pretty still Hawaiian day. Just like the ones you see in movies. But her heart refused to settle no matter how she tried to reason with it.

Is that footsteps? It sounded like someone was softly walking into her house, somewhere in the living room or kitchen. I imagine footsteps all the time. It's probably nothing. Oh, it better not be Kahinu, I swear I will end him if it is.She grabbed her coffee mug with the intent of throwing her juice at Kahinu as she opened the calling app on her phone, just in case. No, I don't want to splash him with sparkling grape juice. I'll have to clean it up if I do. She didn't put the mug down. There's probably no one there anyway. I've got to go to the kitchen to make sure I have poi, so now is as good a time as any.

Her mind raced through multiple scenarios of what she would do if Kahinu had broken into her house, but she tried not to dwell on them as she put on her glasses, then carefully stepped out of her office and into the hall that led to the living room. Everything was quiet, just like always, even after she flipped the lights on.

"Hm." She shrugged, putting her phone in her pocket. She ruffled her shaggy brown hair as she walked through the living room to the kitchen. A quick search of the fridge revealed that she did indeed have poi leftover from when she visited her parents a few days ago. They always sent food home with her. It wasn't supper time yet though, so she closed the fridge again and took a drink of her juice.

Then she turned around.

She screamed, almost dropping her coffee mug, but managing to keep a grip on it as she stared at the six-foot menace leaning against the wall by the hallway. "Who are you?" The words came out jumbled, barely forming the correct sentence. She scurried backwards until she reached the counter with the knife block, pulling a blade out to defend herself as she set the coffee mug down.

The intruder was extremely pale. Even if he wasn't from Hawaii, he still looked too pale to be healthy. His features were masculine though, despite his long golden hair, no signs of weakness in his thin, muscular body. His lips were quirked into a smug smile as he watched her panic.

"I am Kofi'endes'lewpra'chamazar. Call me Kofi. A pleasure to meet you." His accent was mostly American, though she couldn't quite place it. But it mattered little compared to the way his dark eyes were skimming eagerly over her. "A great pleasure."

Kofi'endes'lew... what? Where is he from? Who is he? What does he want? "What do you want?" Rocki asked as fiercely as she could, keeping a tight grip on her knife. Her heart was pounding as if trying to free itself from her chest. I should call the police. But what if he needs help? Maybe he's not here to assault me. But why else would he have broken into my house? I should let him explain before jumping to conclusions.

"Your help of course." He grinned. "You're going to come with me and save my planet."

He's crazy. That was the only thing Rocki could think as she whipped out her phone to call the police. Kofi'end—whatever his name was stepped forward, but she brandished the knife, frantically trying to get her phone to unlock. "Don't come near me."

He raised his hands as if in surrender, but they looked ready to grab her at any moment. "Don't be afraid, little sweet. I'm not here to hurt you."

Her lock screen finally opened, revealing the call app she already had up. Trying not to take her eyes off him for too long, she attempted to dial 911, but her thumb was clumsy from fear.

The man came stepped closer again. Her eyes jerked up to watch him. "Don't come any closer."

He chuckled.

That can't be good.

"Flower, I can tell you don't know how to use that knife. Are you going to come with me calmly or do I have to drag you out?" His voice never lost its charming sound, remaining light and casual as if they were about to go on a stroll.

Everything was shaking on the inside, but Rocki finally managed to enter the correct number and hit the green call button, holding it up to her ear to hear the reassuring ringing. "The police are coming," she said prematurely, hoping to scare him off.

He sighed, as if she were an inconvenience to him, and put his long hair into a bun with a few effortless motions. "Have it your way, lovely." He gracefully shrugged his coat off, revealing the lumps she had noticed over his shoulders were not simply defects.

They were wings .