As always, this chapter is dedicated to Syd- who is quite possibly one of the sole reasons for the continued survival of this story.
Recap: Evangeline’s father has just tried to attack her at the bookstore where she works selling crappy self-help books. This event follows the one she had the night before when some creepy black blobs attacked her and she displayed some powers before running off to a café to meet her best friend Carter. She also meets Demetrius who is kind of rude and really familiar. Enjoy.
Working at Charlene’s book store was one of the only times in my life that I felt, if not at peace, calm. Even if it was the single most boring place to work; it was here among the shelves, stuffed with books that promised to turn my life around in three easy steps while showing me the proper way to flambé and teaching me the history of the asterisk, that I didn’t feel constantly on edge. Or at least, that’s how it used to be. As I worked through the morning stocking shelves and reducing prices my hands shook violently, so much so that even Charlene- who is notoriously oblivious to the goings on of everything around her- noticed and sent me to the back to do invoices.
Even the monotony of typing wasn’t enough to distract me from what had been happening and soon I gave up on the endeavor all together, knowing that I wouldn’t get anything done until I calmed down. Instead, I thought back to this morning and my father and once again a dull note of hysteria crept up on me as I remembered his screams and the way the door shuddered underneath his weight. It was at this moment that something flew at the window in the small office, cracking the glass and causing me to shriek. I whirled around in the spinning chair while pushing back with my legs causing it to bump into the desk. I looked up at the window where a small black stone was lodged, smoke wafting lightly from it. Swallowing, I stood hesitantly and walked toward the window and kneeled on a stack of Xerox boxes piled underneath. My heart pounded in my chest as I rested my hands on the sill and looked through the window. My brows scrunched in confusion as I looked at the empty alleyway.
Shaking my head I reached up and grabbed the rock, still smoking but cool to the touch. I pulled on it and the glass cracked before shattering, the stone falling into my hand along with a shard of glass that slid along my palm before hitting the floor. I cursed, dropping the stone as well before scrambling off the boxes. My blood dripped to the floor as I examined the long cut across my palm before walking to the desk and pressing several tissues against it. I looked back to the floor searching for the stone when I saw it, lying amongst the shattered glass. As I reached for it it moved, wriggling against the shards and causing an odd tinkling sound in the quiet office. I snatched my hand back, my eyes widening as I stepped back. I’m going crazy, I thought to myself before squeezing my eyes shut. I am suffering a psychotic break from all the stress. I am going crazy. My eyes, after opening again, were met with the stone which had stopped moving.
I let out a sigh which caught in my throat as the surface of the stone seemed to ripple. Like water it spread out, becoming a black puddle on the floor before it began to bubble. A scream rose in my throat as I stumbled back, hitting the desk, my hands gripping the wood behind me. I was struck dumb in horror, unable to move as the puddle bubbled and shuddered. It was then that another black stone tore through the shattered window and whizzed beside me, embedding itself in the computer screen. I shrieked, jerking away from it and stumbling sideways before remembering the bubbling black puddle which, as I looked, seemed to have doubled in size. Just as a large bubble rose in the tar-like substance yet another black stone flew through the window, this one landing at my feet. I screamed again and stumbled, falling on my butt before scooting back with my legs to the corner of the room. There I sat and watched paralyzed with fear as the stone in the computer became liquid and oozed down the screen to the desk before dripping down to the floor where the newest stone was beginning to shudder and spread. I shook, bringing my legs to my chest and rocking back and forth as the two new puddles began bubbling. In almost perfect synchronicity, bubbles rose in the two puddles to join the first and together they popped.
Out of each bubble came a black hand, which began to claw at the floor towards me, bringing out with it an arm. A gurgling sound came out of my mouth followed by another scream as I crawled toward the door before pulling myself to my feet and running for it. As I reached the doorknob another stone flew in and hit the wall by the door frame and I resisted the urge to back away from it as I twisted the doorknob and pulled. The stone wiggled in front of the door and as I opened it, the stone rolled onto my foot where it
