The Realm of Question

Chapter 20

I slumped back in my seat pushing my hair out of my eyes. The straightening stuff had worn off hours ago so the poof had come back and it would be taking new victims into its hairy claws. The entire secluded part of the library smelled of old books, my favorite kind, with crinkling pages and small almost invisible stain marks that you could only see if you pressed your face down really close. I got up again running my fingers over the spines of the books, my eyes marveling at the amount of literature stored inside a simple school.

A lone figure awaited me, leaning against the end of the bookcase. I could not see who it was but my heart told me something was not right. How did I know? Let's just say the vicious thrumming in my ears could just be a slight hint. The figure turned its head slowly toward me, red eyes flashing in the dull yellow lights overhead. Long crow-black hair fell from around her right shoulder, down the side of her face. Her red lips were turned up in a sort of smile, only it didn't make me want to smile back. It did however make me want to excuse the expression Josh, turn tail and run. But, neither my legs nor my pride whichever body part that was kept in, would allow me that. I clenched one fist at my side and walked forward until I was right in front of her, almost a head shorter.

"Regina Angelium, its been awhile," she said.

"Wh-what?" I asked. My voice shook. Did she know me? She, this person I had not spoken to in my entire visit to the realm of questions, did she know my true identity? Was Regina my real name? No miss, no mam. Not even an Anastasia or an Ana but¼ Regina? "What did you call me?"

"Regina, it is your name, isn't it?" She got closer to my face. "You've done a very good job of stealing away my confused brother, and taking his one chance at forgiveness. You would do anything to have him wouldn't you? It's your fault he's here in the first place. But, of course, you already knew that." Her face was contorted into a fierce snarl. My head spun, I didn't understand. What had I done to Mason, besides care so deeply about him?

"I'm certain I have no idea what your talking about¼" She grabbed my throat with one pale hand.

"Don't play mind games with me," she hissed through clenched teeth. My airway was being cut off. I choked and gasped, I brought both hands up to claw at her skin, but it was like trying to cut through a brick with safety scissors. She laughed harshly, throwing her head back.

"He above all else." She mocked maliciously. "Couldn't even give you a decent body," she teased. She smashed my head back into the bookshelf. "I've so long wanted to do this." My vision blurred and weaved in patterns I was sure were not meant to be there.

"All I needed was to get you alone without your little attack dogs, then I knew it would be so simple to just take you out." She punctuated each word with another slam of my head on the bookshelf. I thrashed hoping to wriggle out of her grasp.

"Don't fight it, it will only come slower," she taunted. My eyes flew open. I could see myself reflected in her eyes. My neck could be so easily snapped. She was playing with me. "Goodbye Regina." She smiled as she angled my head back so she had perfect aim at my heart.

"No," I gasped raggedly, my voice almost dead, as her hand crushed down onto my throat, drawing tiny beads of red warm life liquid. I could see almost nothing through my bangs, I could only feel. Feel as I died in the clutches of something inhuman, something so like myself yet so different. My bangs fell to the side, as she slowly singed through my sweater using her hand. Her eyes flashed fire. The promise of what she felt was vengeance, for whatever she thought I had done to wrong her.