The Hauntings

Chapter 10

Scarlett heads to Elizabeth's dressing room, more confidence in her stride as she feels more secure with herself and the situation at hand. Her grandmother had given her a run down on all things Trickster yesterday, which was a first, that she had so readily released information, usually she ended up raiding her grandmother's study, when she came across a supernatural.  Hey, she 's banned from hunting them but there is no harm in knowing what is out there. 

Being an Orbital had it's perks, Scarlett has the sight so she can discern all the monsters that walk among us, obviously she tries to act oblivious to them but then legs it, in the opposite direction, the first opportunity she grabs, a cowardly act. But they are real, vile, gruesome, vomit-stimulating creatures that parade the streets. Therefore it's understandable that Scarlett just can't stand to be in their company for too long.    

She can't fight them and slaughter them like her mother could, as she does not have the training because she just can't bring herself to wriggle out of Christine's firm grasp on the matter. Scarlett, a natural rebel, can't go against her grandmother with this issue, if something terrible happened to her, Christine would break. They only had each other, now.

There is a man's voice echoing down the empty corridor. The Trickster's. The only door that is ajar is Elizabeth's,  the sound travels fluently to Scarlett's ears, who slows down her pace, so she lurks in the empty corridor, with only a trolley brimming with dirty dishes, parked at the side.

Her grandmother had told her last night, to find as much information as possible. This is Scarlett's chance, there is no cries of frustration nor explosions of items smashing, emanating from the room, yet, so she considers it safe to do some good old eaves-dropping. 

Scarlett hovers beside the door, propping up against the wall slightly, out of sight from the Trickster and Elizabeth but she can still spy them, sitting opposite each other, through the gap between the door.

"Do you believe in fate?" Francis sits on the sofa, his deep voice tinted with humour. Whilst Elizabeth sits in her makeup chair facing her dressing table, fiddling with some cosmetic bottles.

"Wow that's a deep question, even for you." Elizabeth glances up into her mirror looking at Francis, finding it peculiar that she could still see his image in the mirror.

"Can't I have some layers?" he asks in mock horror.

"I thought you were a Collector, not an onion." Elizabeth quips back.

Scarlett stands immobile, taken aback with the banter they had between them. How long has this been going on for, that they could have this sort of relationship? It's almost sounds like Elizabeth is comfortable with this creature, perfectly at ease to interact with it?  

"I can be whatever you want me to be, Lizzie." Francis smoothly replies, stretching on the sofa, reclining back on his hands further, making both Elizabeth and Scarlett secretly hope that he leans back too far tilting the sofa back, taking him with it. It would not take that much pressure from his part with his muscular but slim body.  

"Oh so your trying a new technique of being nice, to sweeten me up, so I can give you what you want?" Elizabeth questions through the mirror, she can't bare to face him eye to eye.  

"It's working, I know." Francis states confidently. 

"Well I'm still sitting here. Remind me again what you want me to do, for you?" She turns around spreading her arms out to emphasis her point, still quite missing his dark eyes. 

"I want you-" Francis stops in mid-sentence, his ears pricking up, eyeing the door. He could feel her, buzzing behind the door. 

Scarlett noticing his pause, slams flat against the wall, out of sight. Heartbeat  increasing. Why had he stopped, talking? Has he seen her, through the small gap?  

I know you're there little Orbital. Nice try. But not good enough for my sharp self.

Scarlett is momentarily winded. She can hear him in his head, again. Why is this happening? What's wrong with her? 

Scarlett can't seem to prevent herself from trembling. It feels like she is on a bouncy castle, everything jiggling around, unbalanced, unstable and uncontrollable. How is this happening? She is almost certain no mythical creature has ever noticed her, never mind talk to her, in her head.  

Get out of my head Trickster. 

Says the woman in my head. 

"You going back on your words now, Franchesco?" Elizabeth asks, oblivious to the unnatural, telepathic snipes being fired. 

Elizabeth's question gives, Scarlett time to close her eyes and make her mind blank from her crashing thoughts. She needs to block him out. How to keep out brain invaders? Imagine them being restricted off?

Scarlett begins to imagine brick walls, enclosed in metal shields around herself. Creating an impermeable membrane around herself, protecting her from any other future delving of the Trickster. As much as she wanted to find information about this Trickster's motives, she didn't want to communicate with him like this. This alien, dirty method.   

This is strange, crazy in fact. He must have sensed her, to realise she was eavesdropping beside the door, there is no way he could have spotted her through that tiny gap between the door.

She had been so close to finding out what he wants from her best friend but instead this bomb dropped, blowing up any progress she had been making. How could he sense her? She is positive that Orbitals are practically undetectable. Where is this neon sign that's attached to her? 

"Of course not Lizzy, dear. I am a man of my word." Francis replies back with assurance. This of course did not comfort Elizabeth but frightened her more, he is serious about taking her life.

This time she glanced into his dark, pitfall eyes. A sob or plea wants to be released from her lips but she clamps it shut. This is real and most importantly she has to find a way to crawl out of this very mind-numbing request. But how, when she has no one?  

"You know you don't have to do this Francis. Please." She meekly says looking down at her nails, all humour and teasing evaporated from her voice, she could not quite control the feeble words exiting her mouth. 

"I'm sorry, I do Elizabeth." He solemnly responds, with regret in his voice.

Scarlett is brought back to the conversation in the room, Her anger spikes at how well the Trickster is deceiving Elizabeth. No one is making him do anything. This is all for his own enjoyment. 

Don't listen to him Liz, he's talking complete BS! 

Scarlett desperately wants to storm into that room and attack him, rip him apart, with her bare hands. But she can't, she couldn't reveal herself to Elizabeth. There were rules, where an Orbital couldn't talk about the supernatural to an person if they did not have the knowledge or did not ask a specific question about the supernatural involved. Stupid, foolish boundaries.   

It's causing Scarlett to feel nauseous, standing outside, watching her best friend worry and despair when she could so easily solve this pestering problem. 

Instead she gulps back a warrior cry and stumbles down the corridor, ignoring to be inconspicuous. She has to get away. Scarlett can't take this anymore. She needs space, space to think up a plan, to destroy this Trickster.