Ashes of Fire (#1)

Chapter 7: I Thought You Like Surprises

Alex’s POV

            I stare blankly on the open window. The room feels hollow. I just see the most traumatic thing, which is to lose my cousin and a best friend morph into a person. I used to think that breaking up with my charming boyfriend is the most traumatizing. My heart was broken back then, but now, it feels like not only my heart that is, but the whole world too.

“Essie,” I call her name once again. “Oh my gosh, please tell me I’m dreaming.”

            I twirl around the room like a dog chasing its own tail. I cup my mouth in frustration and just give up. Suddenly I feel a buzz on my phone. Please tell me it’s Essie. I look at my phone before I pick it up. It’s Aunt Judith—Essie’s mom.

“Hey Aunt,” I sigh. I seriously have no time to even explain this fairy-tale-like incident that’s like boom it just happened.

“HeyAlex. I’m really sorry, I got so busy at work and I’m going home late. Anyways, why can’t Essie pick her phone up, seriously? Teens these days,” she rants.

“Firstly, her phone is with me. And secondly, she just flew off with a random hot Asian dude.”

“Please repeat that Alex?” she asks.

“I know exactly that you hear that phrase perfectly sweet- I mean, Aunt,” I points out. She stays silent. “And by that, I mean she literally flew off,” I adds.

I wait for a reply, but none come. I slouch to Essie’s bed and just patiently waiting for at least a hiss from her. But all I hear is just a beep, and that means that she ends the phone call.

“Wow. Thank you,” I mutter sarcastically.

***

            I change my sweater into another sweater; a plain gray sweater to be precise. I clear my throat and tuck both of our phone cells into my jeans pocket. The doorbell ring as I expect. With that, I rush downstairs and open the door with a tired face greeting me as always.

“Where’s Essie?” she demands.

“I told you what I saw and I know that it seems crazy and you—“

She cuts my line by raising a hand to stop me with her drunken face. She sinks into the couch and stares at me with an oddly calm expression. But her drunken face still lingers, although she isn’t drunk, she just always look drunk.

“Did he have any,” she pauses. “Did he have any wings by any chance?” She continues.

I frown. That is a fishy question and certainly odd in many levels. She doesn’t take our gaze off and keep it lock for as long as she wants. I clear my throat once again, but this time its cause is by nervousness.

“Yes and how do you know?”

“I was just... curious,” she smiles. But it’s not quite a pleasant smile. Her lips crook in a very odd way. I just don’t understand what’s beneath those creeping smile that presumably will haunt me in my dreams. “What color is it? White, maybe?”

“No, black,” I blurts.

“Black. I see,” she raises both eyebrows. “Thank you Alex that was very useful.”

“What do you mean?” I say clueless.

“What I meant is that you’re crazy. I already called the mental hospital that you are telling nothing but nonsense,” she smiles again. Once, it was annoying, but now, it’s nothing but a total nightmare.

I step back cautiously.

“You know I’m telling the truth!” I shout helplessly.

“Exactly. Sometimes there are just some things that you aren’t supposed to know.” Pause. “Yet you know,” she adds. 

She stands up from the couch and simply walks towards me. I quickly grab a knife that lies on the counter top. I mouth ‘don’t’ yet she just comes nearer and nearer. Suddenly there’s a loud bang of the door slamming.

It’s the nurses from the mental hospital.

“Help! He’s trying to kill me,” she acts.

“No! No! She’s lying!” I scream. Great, now I look exactly like a crazy dude.

I guess she just drags me into the rabbit hole of hers.

A/N: Soo it's been 3 days, and I guess I'll update every 3-4 days. The news is that I'll go overseas (is the spelling correct?) Anyways, the next update will be on 23rd of December then wloop I won't be updating for like 2 weeks :(