The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch

21

Ariel awoke in her own bed, her raven nudging her cheek. She looked at the time on the microwave of her 'kitchen' and saw it was time to get going if she was going to make it to her job on time. The thought of having a regular job to show up to filled her with a sense of thrill. It was so normal an activity.

She had arrived through the back door of the diner, bid Tyrone a good morning, and went to the sidewall to take a plastic bag to secure the emergency money she had held grasped in her hand the entire time she had walked here. She had forgotten that women needed to carry a wallet and a bag with them to hold their personal effects. She currently had neither. But a hidden plastic bag of money was probably less conspicuous than a sock. Tucking the tied baggie into her apron. Ready to start another shift.

Once morning rush was done, Beth-Ann again wanted to practice makeup on Jenny. Who felt she had no option than to agree. Ariel enjoyed seeing Beth-Ann's work when she was done. It was nice to look at her reflection and feel like she could be pretty. After her lunch break, Beth-Ann had been distraught. Calling and texting various people, and not appearing to get the answer she was looking for. A half hour before shift change, she had approached Ariel as Jenny and asked. "When did you last dye or colour your hair?" Hesitantly.

Ariel pretending to be Jenny was at first baffled by the question. Answering honestly. "I never have?" She said. Not knowing the real question she was answering.

Suddenly Beth-Ann dove into a tragic tale of needing a model to demonstrate that she could bleach hair successfully to pass a class, but her model, and back up had now backed out and she couldn't find anyone else.

Ariel didn't know how she could say no. It was just hair, and Beth-Ann had been so nice. This was such an easy way to repay the kindness Beth-Ann had shown her. Which was how Ariel found herself with silver, platinum, bleach blonde hair, and a fancy new layered and modern hair cut. Beth-Ann had done her makeup beforehand, when she was finished and turned Ariel around to look at herself in the mirror, she had barely been able to recognize herself in the reflection.

She looked, normal. Her skin was bright, no sign of bags under her eyes thanks to the expert makeup. Her hair had volume and waves, was fresh, and stylish. Beth-Ann had even dressed Ariel in her own clothes for the judging. Telling Ariel as Jenny that she could keep the sweater and bag as thanks for agreeing to let Beth-Ann demonstrate on her hair.

The next day everyone at the restaurant had been so complementary towards Ariel that she had felt even more awkward than usual. Face aflame in a blush with every nice word. Even a couple of the patrons who must be regulars had complimented her on the change in hair style. It was so pleasant to be Jenny the waitress. Jenny had income, a home, she was well fed and people who were kind to her. Jenny had exactly the kind of life that Ariel had once dreamed would be possible.

Until she had stopped dreaming. Dreams only led to more unfulfilled wishes and bad feelings. The best part of being Jenny was how well Ariel had been sleeping in her new apartment. She ensured that the window and door were locked, crawled into her raised bed, and slept better than she could ever remember. Her raven keeping watch over her as she slept.

She knew it was strange that a wild raven came to sleep in her room every night. She didn't care. Jenny was feeling better than she could remember feeling in so long. If feeling this good came with conditions as painless as a semi pet bird she was more than willing to pay such a price.

It had been several days since Beth-Ann had colored Ariel's hair, since then Beth-Ann had donated a fully stocked makeup bag, purse, wallet, several sweaters and shirts and even some shoes to Ariel. 

Ariel had fallen into being Jenny like a duck into water. She wanted to be Jenny. This was a simple happy life. She could pay rent. Save money. Eat enough to feel full, shower ever day. Ariel had never been happier. Jenny had a good thing going.

***

Ariel's first night in the apartment, he had been summoned in the dream world. Binh responded to the summons, surprised to find Ariel's raven was the summoner. "Make her nightmare's stop. Living through it once was enough." The raven bid Binh.

Binh nodded. "As you command, so I obey." Leaving the dream, Binh used the doorway mirror to enter Ariel's apartment. Her nightmare had immense power. The raven was perched on the safety rail of the bed while Ariel thrashed and whimpered in her sleep, caught in the riptide of painful memories that wanted to drown her in their darkness.

Binh found the nightmare, and fed. His pupils blowing wide in his eyes, until there was nothing but black. Binh saw everything. From both Ariel's and the raven's perspective now. Ariel had been in an abandoned and long closed campground. She had been in what had at one point been an event space for celebrations. A large dining room, washrooms, and a full kitchen.

Ariel had been in the kitchen trying to cook food for everyone. Gisella got the best of whatever they had. Had specific requirements that Ariel had long since memorized. Gisella was easy, follow her rules and there would be no pain. Then as much of some kind of meaty stew or casserole to feed all the hyena in the cackle.

When the others had eaten, then the breeders could eat whatever was left if they had earned the meal. If there was nothing left, then the scraps from others plates could be scooped into a pot with some water to make a weak soup. The hyena weren't supposed to bother them while they were working. They were supposed to be glad to work, Gisella told them she wasn't a monster, there had to be limits and rules for everyone.

Except the madness was growing in more than one of the cackle members. Their beasts demanded heirs. The line needed to continue, but no one had managed to impregnate any breeder since before Ariel had been taken. No baby or even pregnancy in years. Desperation was driving the beasts to follow their nature. Turn feral.

Three Hours Past Midnight had been watching. He knew this moment was coming. A hyena was beyond madness, he had been attacking every one of the girls during the meal prep this week. He was the same who had first lured in Ariel. Poetic in a way that it would be him. The raven had entered through a broken window in the upper level. Exactly as he had done every time this week, Galen had taken off the gun and ammo belt holster, left it on the counter. The raven moved like a shadow on silent wings. Landing, lining the silenced gun barrel up with his target.

Getting the book of matches he himself had scavenged and  hidden on the counter, he grasped it in his talons, lit the corner on the propane burner that was currently being used to cook a stew. Setting the tiny fire under where the bullet in the chamber rested. Praying that Ariel kept her head down, please please just keep her head down and out of the way.

Ariel couldn't do anything. If she resisted, he would hit her. It was worse to protest. She had learned that lesson long ago. She went limp. She wasn't here, she wasn't real. Trying to be as close to dead as she could as she felt him move her pants down out of his way.

She had screamed when the gun went off. Eyes open in terror as he opened his lips only for blood to pour out from his mouth onto her face. His eyes rolled back in his head as he fell on top of her. She had scrambled her way out from under him and saw the ruined back of his head. The back half had been blown off. She had never wanted to know what colour human brains were.

She had ripped the cuff from her ear. Had no idea what it was but if Gisella wanted it on her body, she wanted it off. Her guard was dead. There was no one else nearby right now. Grabbing the dish towel from the table to staunch the blood flow from her ear she ran. Binh inhaled the last of the nightmare. It would never haunt her dreams again. 

Binh levitated himself up to look at Ariel as she slept, now peacefully in the bed he had made for her. It had been a delicious nightmare. Acting like a drunk man, he retreated through his gateway to his own quarters. Mapping out all the options he could think of so that he could ensure his new addiction stayed nearby long term. He would find her nightmares in the dream world wherever she was. It was much more enjoyable in this plane.