The Portal - Pain Is The Password

Chapter seven - The letter

Audrey's eyes are still glued shut as she tries to cling onto the last sliver of sleep. Her body slowly awakening, her fingers feeling the slight morning breeze. She comes to realise a heavy weight on her chest, it is neither a pillow or duvet. A claw jabs into her left shoulder and pain releases itself everywhere except the punctured area. 

Prying her eyes open was an incredibly bad decision and she wishes that she had just kept them shut. Confusion is the first thing she feels when she sees the creature on top of her.

In the beginning, all Audrey can see is one huge talon, yellow like the leaves when they begin to change for autumn. She pulls her head back so she can have a better peek at the animal, a huge orange bird with four necks stretching from the singular body. On top of those four necks,  were heads, one head for each neck and the eight eyes, the souls peering out of them were beady and judging, their beaks ready to peck.

Audrey stares into the third head's eyes for at least three minutes. The bird spreads its wings wide, at least a metre on each side and lifts itself a few centimetres. It drops a letter onto her lap, turns around and takes flight, heading straight for the wall. Audrey braces herself for impact but the bird glides through, like a ghost from all the movies she had watched.

She sits up straight, staring into the spot the bird had vanished, forgetting all about the envelope. When she does remember, she picks it up, it weighs more than she expected. The only writing on the envelope is her name, no address to indicate that it was heading for the house; there isn't even a stamp. She opens the envelope and hastily unfolds the letter, drinking in the words.

Dear Audrey-Shay

 As the newest resident of my country, I am expected to write you a letter of welcome, wishing you all the luck in the world with your time in Ruskana. I will not wish you the luck because I suppose you believe that I need it more than you. 

I am not aware whether you have or have not heard the "nursery rhyme" as the lower classes call it if you have not than I shall not inform you. If you have heard the nursery rhyme then you will have come to understand that only half of it is available, nobody remembers what the second half sounds like. Except for one man who I will find and use the information to tear you down.

 For your information, Audrey-Shay, I do not care who you are, how old you are or what your story is; I will not be threatened by you or your power. 

You will be threatened by me.

Be prepared, Miss Smith.

Sincerely,

Meona

Audrey turns the paper over expectantly, refusing to believe such a formal letter is so short. She examines the words one more time and only spots a few key points. After a few moments of procrastinating Audrey shakes awake Fate, who in turn, cries out in shock.

"What are doing?" She yells out and hits Audrey's arm, hard. Now it's Audrey's turn to cry out in shock.

"I have a letter," Audrey tells her, expecting her to sit up straight and act like this is the biggest moment in history but instead she glares at her miserably.  "From Meona." Fate still looks like she'd like to take a bite out the letter itself.

"This couldn't have waited twenty minutes," Fate grumbles, "I mean what is the time?" She asks Audrey, who shrugs her shoulders, waiting patiently for her friend to return to her senses. Fate fishes out a similar rock to the one Sias had last night, except this one was glowing purple with glitter thrown out in random specks. After pushing the red button she sighs dramatically and falls back into the pillow.