Tree Of Life

4

You stared out the window being reminded of your grandparents as you sipped on your coffee. You looked out into the ruckus of the beach missing your quiet life dearly. Glancing back at the table, you sighed at the every growing diamonds. They round up to being two months old now giving the occasional glow and shock. Even though afraid, you can't help but to smile at your creations. You placed a hand on your stomach, pressing down as if afraid to feel more to come. Filled with relief, your stomach is absent of anymore surprises, and to this, you find yourself spiking your coffee with a bit of tequila. You weren't much of a drinker, but you can only imagine how times like these will end once they're born. After all, you've never lived life much growing up and in college. Speaking of that, you can only imagine the F's you accumulated while being here becoming slightly triggered. You were no honor student, but you've worked hard to keep your GPA afloat. Now that it's gone to Hell, you feel a bit hopeless and had a need to something to occupy your time. You were about to take a seat bored out of your mind when there was a knock at the door. You instantly put a hand over your mouth as the liquor threatening to come back leaving a bitter taste on your tongue. This... was different from before. It was more vile and dark, but as you looked through the peephole, you are met with a kind smile though... too kind. You find yourself struggling to get to you bedroom where you reveal a revolver from your nightstand. Taking off the safety, you turn to the door where you only open a crack.

" Hello! My name is Mrs. Dodds. I heard you're new to the neighborhood, and I was wanting to welcome you-."

You interrupted her with a gag, and she gives you a look of concern. The gun shakes in your grasp as her sickening energy takes over leaving you defenseless.

" Is.. something the matter? Do you need help?"

Her cold grey eyes looked into your own; her brown hair put up into a tight bun containing a few white streaks from age. Her skin was beginning to wrinkle her own hands seeming frail. Are.. Are you wrong?

" I think... I.. I just need to be alone miss."

She smiles as a foot slips in between the door and the frame itself. A little giggle releases from that now tight mouth of hers, and you show her your weapon somehow grabbing ahold of some courage and determination.

" I don't know what the fuck you are, but I'll shoot you dead before you come into this house."

She lets out an inhuman screech before yanking the door off its hinges. Aiming at her head, you unloaded   the whole round of shells. Screams filled the air from all directions as the monster stumbled back; her flesh turning a leathery black as a pair of wings sprouted from her back. She hisses and crawls at her now deformed face, and you wondered how the Hell she wasn't dead. She lunges at you again, but out of she panick, you raised a hand to fdefebd yourself. As if out of thin air, yellow shard pieces deeply into her body; a pain erupted from your appendage. You look at where it resonated from, and all your could see a yellow, crystallized circle in the middle of your palm. The monster falls to the ground with a thud and tuned to dust before you.

You looked around to find that no one had even witnessed it, and as if on cue, you felt this invisible, heavy fog uplift from your home making things much clearer. What.. What was that? Fuck, it doesn't matter. You have to get out of here! You rush inside but not before retrieving the diamond spears that littered the ground. The more funds you had, the better off you were.

.....

You were smoking a cigarette this being your first one since the beginning of your college. You're shamefully admitting to yourself it's because you wanted to fit in with a crowd, but now, you do it to keep yourself sane. Here you were thousands of miles away from home on your own, have twelve children to care for, and you're being hunted by monsters and Gods. You find yourself looking back on the shards taking in also you just killed somebody... Well, something. It was enough to weigh your heart down as you're not ready for this life. You take out your phone wanting to call your grandparents and wishing they allowed you to come home, but for some reason, you hesitate. You didn't want to put them in danger, and also maybe it's your pride of being a new mother and not wanting to depend on someone else to save the day. Afterall, you have to stand up for yourself and adjust to this life. Then again...

What if you could just run away? Do what your so called mother did. The idea of stepping into a bew world was scary but also thrilling in its own way. Wouldn't it be right for the children to be raised among their own kind? Certainly, you wouldn't have to be so damn afraid in living.

Still yet, you can't find yourself to break your grandparents' hearts. Once done with the cancer stick, you collapsed in your bed crawling to meet your children. You sing them a lullaby as your tired nature causes you to close your eyes.

You were so close to the multi-color fire that you jumped back from it out of fright. You then found this silly for it couldn't hurt you, but as you looked upon the campers, you soon forget about it. There laid the boy Nico, and your eyes meet as he sniffs the air almost immediately. His eyes then narrow as if not believing something before waving you over to sit with him. You were quick with your motions wondering if you'll finally get the answers you so desired.

" Nico, what is it? I can tell somethings up?"

A Hispanic boy that reeked of motor oil speaks up, and he doesn't say anything as you take a seat.

" It's a spirit. She's.. been around one of my father's pets I believe. I just want to know why."

" Your father sent that damn thing that went by as Mrs. Dodds? Why?! I've done nothing wrong-!"

" Calm down and tell me what happened. Were you in the Underworld?"

You shake your head it dawning on you he thinks you're a ghost.

" Trust me when I say I'm very much alive! I was staying at my Aunt's house for my protection, and this monster just appears!"

" Are.. Are you sure you're alive?"

You nod frantically fearing you would wake up soon.

" I.. I only see ghost is what I don't understand. You sure-."

" I'm not a ghost! You don't even realize what's at stake her!"

" Then tell me. Your name was Y/n, am I correct?"

You mouth goes dry as you can't bring yourself to utter the truth for the sake of your children. It then dawns on you this is all a silly dream. You shake your head feeling helpless and wanting to wake.

" I'm just asleep. You're not a real person. My brain conjured this because I want a fucking solution. I... I wish I was human."

You muttered the last sentence it barely being audible. He places a hand on your shoulder to comfort you, but he quickly retreat it out of pain. He stands looking down at his skin as the pieces of diamond became glued to it. You apologize wishing to help even if he's a figment of your imagination. A few campers surround him as it begins to illuminate the darkness.

" What are you?"

He turns to you quickly, and before you could tell him-

You woke up.