Serenity

10 Story Time

CHARLIE

"Charlie, it's ok! Don't freak out," Serene tried to calm me down.

It was too late for that. My lungs struggled to let in oxygen and everything was blurry. Serene's voice kept cutting in and out, making it hard to listen to her.

Just as I was about to be swallowed by darkness, Serene's small hands grabbed my face and pulled me close to her's.

"Breathe," She said. "Don't focus on anything else but breathing. Understand?"

I managed to faintly nod. I focused on how her nose was strangely small and pointed. Her cheeks were rosy and plump which resembled her lips that now that I'm seeing up so close, they looked tulip shaped. Bringing my eyes back to her large ones, I found myself able to breathe again, only a little more shakily.

Serene released my face and exhaled in relief.

"I've never seen someone do that before without anything relating to it physically," She looked at me curiously. "There was nothing wrong with the air and you weren't injured, how could you just stop breathing?"

Swallowing with what little saliva I had left in my mouth, I looked at her stoically.

"It's called a panic attack and it's the first one I've had in a very long time," I admitted. Damn. If I could punch myself in face right now, I would. "It's more so emotionally driven than physically."

Serene nodded, reaching for a torn of shred of her purple hoodie to dab the sweat off my forehead with. It was off her body, only leaving a white tank top in its place with her bold butterfly wings covering her back.

"Am I going crazy?" I asked staring at the silver wings.

Serene chuckled.

"Define crazy?" She smiled, then shook her head. "You're fine. Maybe experiencing a bit of trauma but nothing a good backstory and explaining can't fix," She said grinning.

I slumped against the oak tree behind me, trying to remain calm. How does one even begin to process everything they just saw?

"What are you? What was that thing? What just happened? And what did you do to it?" I questioned.

She cleared her throat and twiddled her fingers.

"That was an ifrit. Fire creatures, monster like beings that are usually found mainly around this place called Tabasco Mexico, but some like to travel. And I'm guessing that one did, heh heh..."

Monsters exist. Just need to repeat it a thousand more times to believe it.

"And it sort of maybe probably," Serene sighed in defeat. "Definitely was my fault that he came here and attacked."

"What do you mean your fault?" I asked becoming frustrated. "Serene what's going on?"

She frowned, setting her fingers in her lap.

"I don't even know where to begin," Serene said sorrowfully. She took a moment to think about her words before she spoke them. "Charlie, my real name isn't Serene Waters, it's Serenity Waterborne Cornelia. I'm not from around here."

So she shortened her name, big deal. If I could find a way to make Charlie Banks sound better I would.

"Yeah, I know. You're from Canada-"

"No," Serene shook her head. "I'm not. I'm from a place you can't find on a human map. A place where there are millions of others who look just like me."