Teraphobia (ONC 2024)

Eight

I awake back in my room at the apartment. The sky is dark, and the stars are barely visible. They're heavily concealed behind the swirling rainbows of the viruses the countries carelessly launched into the atmosphere. Their leaders, hungry for power and dominance unleashed their bioweapons to wreak havoc upon the planet. Their people were made to suffer after swearing an oath to do right by them. I remembered the day of the outbreak; the pandemonium, the riots in the streets, the sight of people collapsing in the streets their screams of agony as the virus ripped them apart. I watched this all unfold from the confines of my home. I will be the first to say that I knew nothing of political science. I knew nothing of what led to the downfall of my fellow man. I will be the first to admit my ignorance. I was merely a spectator with a front-row seat to the end of the old world and the beginning of the new one.

I could hear voices coming from the living room. Mother Eve, Scout, and Sparrow all spoke in hushed whispers. I slowly got out of bed still in my outfit from before. I shed it quickly, the memory of my father and Nathaniel losing their tongues imprinted on the fabric. I shove them down the laundry chute walking to the closet. I select a silk nightgown; it reminds me of the ones my mother wore to bed. She looked like a goddess when she wore them. I feel tears in my eyes, I blink them away afraid Mother Eve will take my sadness away from me next. I am still reeling from Fear's absence. I have lived with it for so long, would I be able to live without it holding my voice hostage?

I slip into the nightgown the fabric molds to my body. I walk into the bathroom brushing through my hair. The action is calming. The action is comforting. I can hear my mother humming a lullaby in my ear, they'd help me sleep. They'd help me keep my nightmares at bay, at least, for an hour or two. I set the brush down on the counter and walked down the hallway. The voices grow quieter when I enter the living room. I meet Scout's eyes first, seeing the faintest hint of a blush on his cheeks. Sparrow smiles at me, the sight of it always had me smiling back. Mother Eve falls silent the purple smoke in her eyes has disappeared. In its place are a pair of garnet-colored eyes. She sets her wine glass down on the coffee table.

"Good evening, Nightingale." She greets me warmly.

I bite my lip, my voice may be free from its shackles, but my phobia is still intact. My brain knows Mother Eve is a monster. We still have yet to place a name on it. My bodyguards are dismissed with a wave of Mother Eve's hand. I remind myself that I am not the one in control here. This is Mother Eve's Ivory Tower and I am the Nightingale she has caged within its walls. I will not deny that it is a beautiful prison. She rises from the couch; she has changed too. Her evening dress is black velvet and it leaves nothing to the imagination. I feel my cheeks heating up and I look away.

"I wish to hear your voice again, Aislinn." She says, keeping her tone gentle.

I can tell she is being cautious with me. She sees me as a skittish animal that needs to be approached with care and consideration. I will confess to feeling like one. I confess that I feel as if I have been backed into a corner. My first instinct was to lash out, to fight tooth and nail, and escape into the night. I know I would not survive for very long. I would be hunted to the ends of the earth. I would never find a peaceful life. Mother Eve had eyes everywhere.

"You took my Fear from me." My voice sounds foreign to me.

"My apologies." She bows her head.

My eyes widen, I am taken aback by her sudden apology. The fearless leader of this brave new world apologizing to such an inferior being. The predator relinquishes their control to their prey. I can feel my legs trembling. I walk briskly past her taking refuge on the couch tucking my legs underneath me. Mother Eve reclaims her place on the couch opposite mine taking the glass of wine back into her slender fingers.