The Divine Assembly (IN PROGRESS)

Chapter 1-Lisa

I woke up to the sun streaming brightly through my window. I sat up in bed and looked down. My clothes were wrinkled, most likely because I fell asleep in them, and there was dried blood all over my arms. A bloody razor blade was sitting on the table beside my bed. I must have cut myself again the night before, but I didn't remember it. Maybe I took something. It had happened multiple times before, so it wasn't unlikely. I had gotten a vision of this person. It had been extremely unclear. God damn my psychic ability. The person was a woman, but, not. More. She was horridly, abnormally tall and thin, and I thought she might have had black hair. She had so much power, and I wanted it more than anything. I felt something wet on my arm, and when I looked down, one of the cuts was leaking blood. Thank goodness for long sleeves.

I was orphaned at age eleven. Someone crossed the yellow line, and by the time we saw them it was too late to stop. Needless to say, I had grown up in an orphanage. Due to this, my education was spotty at best, almost nonexistent at worst. Because of my limited qualifications and lack of any sort of diploma or degree, I worked as a receptionist at a law firm, so I had to dress somewhat nicely. I cleaned and bandaged the cuts, then stumbled to the closet and pulled out a white button-up shirt and high waisted gray pencil skirt. I pulled my unruly mop of wavy brown hair up into a headache-inducingly-tight ponytail. Then I shrugged on a gray blazer that matched my skirt, accidentally-on-purpose skipped breakfast, grabbed the keys to my shabby apartment, and walked out the door. I lived not far from the firm, so I walked to work every day.

I walked somewhat briskly so I wouldn't be late. I passed the same boy I always did as I walked by the local college. He always waved. I didn't. Today was no different. Why bother? We'd never have any sort of interaction anyways, so what's the point of trying? I got to work just barely on time, as always, and sat down at my cluttered desk. There were stacks of papers and forms everywhere, and sticky notes stuck on everything. Moving a pile of papers aside, I turned on my computer and moved the mouse around. The screen flared to life and I typed in my password. I put my head in my hands. I hadn't even done anything but my head was pounding, which meant one of two things; either I was about to have a migraine, or a psychic experience. I honestly wasn't sure which one would be worse. I rubbed my temples. It was probably the pills I had almost definitely taken the night before. Maybe that was why I didn't remember cutting myself. Suddenly the phone rang. I took a deep breath, collected myself, and picked it up.

"Thank you for calling the law offices of C.J. Barnes, how may I be of service to you?"

"Yes, what type of thing does this firm deal with?" The speaker was a woman, presumably middle-aged. Her voice was clear and cool, and something gave me the impression that she was pursing her lips as she waited for me to reply.

"Accidents and injuries." I said. "What can I help you with?"

"That will be all, thank you."

"Oh. I'm... sorry I couldn't help you."

"It's not a problem. Thank you."

The woman promptly hung up.

I was distracted by a splitting pain in the center of my forehead. A brilliantly bright light flashed behind my eyes. It was a vision then. Damn it. I saw a tall, male figure. I thought his hair looked vaguely auburn. I couldn't make out any of the details of his face. It was like seeing through smoke and water at the same time. The pounding and the headache intensified. Someone came up to the desk. He was a man who looked around thirty or so. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to look up at him and not grimace at the sharp lance of stabbing pain that followed the movement.

"Hello sir, what can I do for you?"

"I burned my mouth eating a pizza, and now I wanna sue someone for a lot of money!" He said angrily.