The Loop (Book 2)

Warden

Walking back outside, the woman went behind the counter and grabbed a bowl. The woman snapped her fingers and the human parts floated and mixed themselves, making a mountain while frozen blood dripped to the floor.

To top it off, the woman sprinkled the nails over the top and added a finger on the very peak.

"Intentional cannibalism? How basic"the man clicked his tongue as he waved his hand. The body parts disappeared into a gray mist while the woman showed a dejected expression.

"We have to start using the basics first. Then, once they realize what was happening, we can turn up the levels a bit.

Maybe a lil waterboarding, or a goose chase with some of their deepest darkest fears. Oh! I almost forgot! I got a present for you!"

The woman smiled happily as she skipped, carrying a small cubic box to the man whom merely gave a glance before looking away in boredom.

"Come on, Zix, open your birthday gift!!" The woman said, putting on the cutest pout she could.

"If not for the fact that 'he' asked me to 'look after' you, I would still be at home celebrating with my actual family instead, Warden of the Mist." Zix frowned. Despite her pleas, he refused to open his 'gift' fully knowing what it contained.

A gift of death

"I wanted to give you a gift of an early and painless death, instead, you refused despite knowing what it was. Seems like he has a sturdy leash on his closest pet huh." The Warden sighed regretfully

She took the box and crushed it with her gloved hand. When she crushed it, a small cloud popped out and she inhaled the entirety of it.

"Hmm, let's go take a visit to him. I'm sure he has a gift for his beloved pet for his birthday right?" The Warden hummed as black cloud covered her body.

After a few seconds, the cloud disappeared and the Warden, instead of wearing her uniform-like suit, now wore a dark red short dress with black laces near the edges.

To perfect the look, she molded the black cloud into a mini tophat. She clipped it to her hair after tying her head into pigtails.

"Okay" Zix answered, waiting for her to finish changing.

"The audacity! If it wasn't for the fact that you were assigned to keep me in your sights, I would've thought that you had wierd interests towards this miss." The Warden pointed at herself before conjuring a gray portal.

"Ladies first." Zix bowed and made way for the Warden.

"Tsk. How distrustful." The Warden muttured before the portal turned to a bright blue color.

Zix merely smiled knowingly as the Warden and him passed through together.

Meanwhile, Mary was shaking, her back scratched the wall as she tried to steady her breaths. Her hair was messy and her pupils were dilated.

"Evelyn...I have to get back to her. To them..." Mary murmured

She looked at the first aid kit above the bar through a window and furrowed her brows, a determined look flashing in her eyes.

_____

"What too you so long, aunt?" Evelyn asked curiously as she took the first aid kit from Mary's shivering hands. She then sat down and started to close up her own wounds herself while Mary sat at the driver's seat, still shaking.

Mere moments passed and she shook her head and slapped herself before she stood up and faced the two youths behind her.

"How are the wounds? Is it too deep? Do you need anything else?" Mary asked as she knelt down beside Evelyn while she tended to her own wounds.

Since Mary had little to no knowledge on basic first aid, she left the 'fixing' part to Evelyn as she knew Evelyn has been strictly taught by her parents since a young age.

"It's going fine. Believe it or not, I'm actually more concerned about you." Evelyn trailed off, finishing the last bandage and gently slapping a hello kitty plaster on the small wound at her wrist

She packed the box while Mary stood up and cooperated by placing it back to where it was- below the passenger seat before searching for a box of sheets she kept for a picnic a few weeks ago.

"What happened in there? You seem...Out of it. Did you see something?" Evelyn started to ask some questions that was plaguing her mind as they sat across each other on the ground.

"There was a few notable things I found in there. I don't think you'll want to hear it though..."

Seeing Mary's reluctant and scared expression, Evelyn started to wonder what happened in the ice cream shop.

"Hais, let's just go to sleep. I'll think of something for breakfast tomorrow." Mary sighed before she laid out a couple sheets on the ground.

After gently laying Jennifer down, Evelyn herself laid down on the not so thick cloth and let her mind wonder curiously.

Mary, however, just as she hit the ground and covered herself with a blanket, she immediately slept, snoring soundly like a pig in a barn.

'Should I go check it out? But what if whatever Aunty found was still there? I'm so curious though. What could possibly make my aunt, an ex military captain be so terrified?'

As her mind wandered, she saw that both of them were already in deep sleep, snoring loudly. The scene would've made he laugh if not for the pressing matters.

'How did I end up here? Why did I panic when I saw Javier? Where did Javier come from anyway? Didn't he disappeared?'

Thinking if this, she tried to trace her steps and realized that she couldn't seem to remember anything from yesterday. She only remembered whatever just happened just a few hours ago and also...

'The dream! Wait. So it wasn't a dream? Then what was it? A nightmare? Illusion? Argh!! So frustrating!'

She wanted to remember yet all she could do was frown and think. Her questions was all but answered.

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