A Hundred Years (Michaeng)

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Hot Burn the Fires of Hell

A week passed and Chaeyoung was staying in the fifth floor apartment with Mina. She was beginning to grow comfortable with it, though a darkness seemed to build around them having Mina near calmed her. She dressed in the darkness of the bedroom she shared with Mina, who lay asleep in the bed. She watched her sleep for a minute before opening the door and stepping into the living room. She checked her phone, 3pm. Lunch time.

She took the elevator down and started her bike, heading for a small restaurant she knew downtown. She ordered her usual, a turkey sandwich w, and sat down to eat by herself. Living with Mina has been better than I expected, much better in fact, but I can't shake the feeling that she has an ulterior motive. It seemed so sudden for her to ask me to stay, something must be going on.

She finished her sandwich and decided to take a walk, it being a warm day out. She heard sirens seconds before she saw a firetruck pass in the opposite direction, but thought nothing of it as she let her mind wander. Vampires, wolves and Black Princes, when did my life get so complicated? I wonder what my life would be now if I had never met Mina? Probably still just working and living alone.

She hopped on her bike and headed back to the apartments. She was a block away when she noticed the sirens. She pulled up to the apartments and the breath caught in her lungs, the entire building was engulfed in flames. She threw off her helmet and tried to remain calm as she approached, but she couldn't keep the panic from her voice. Mina was in there! "What happened?"

"Step back, miss." A tall, broad shouldered fireman stopped her, "We don't know what's happened, it could be a gas leak, it could be electrical, we won't know until we get an investigator out here. Did you live here, ma'am?"

She choked back a sob, "No, I was on my way to visit someone." She walked back to her bike and drove away.

The fireman pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number, "She was here, mission accomplished."

___

Chaeyoung drove her bike straight to Pantomime, tears blurring her vision. What happened? It had to be the wolves, but how did they find her? She walked somberly into the bar, only four other patrons were seated around the place. The TV behind the bar was tuned to be news. This just in, three fires all seemed to start at precisely three fifteen today, one in a downtown hotel, one in an apartment building north of downtown, and the other in the sub urban home of Kim Jisoo. Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fires, but the timing points to some kind of attack. We will have more details as they become available.

Momo was cleaning glasses when she noticed Chaeyoung's panicked expression. "Was that Mina's apartment? Is she okay? What happened?"

"I don't know. When I got there the place was on fire and there were firetrucks everywhere. She was in there when I left and it's impossible for her to have gotten out. I don't know anything."

"Chaeyoung."

The voice belonged to Jackson. Chaeyoung started, "Jackson? Where have you..." She spun around and her voice caught in her throat. His skin was pale and hung from his bones like he hadn't eaten in weeks, his face was sunken in and deep bags were under his eyes like he hadn't slept.

He held a hand out to her, "Chaeyoung, this will all go smoother if you just come with me."

Chaeyoung's eyes widened in horror as her stomach did flips, she backed up into the bar. "It's you."

He took a step towards her, "Your precious vampiress is dead, as well as her fellow confederates. Just give it up." He took another step towards her, she shoved him away, drawing her .45 and aiming for his head. The other four patrons of the bar stood up and transformed into wolves. "Take her."

They charged and she fired three shots, sending a silver bullet through three of their skulls. The fourth managed to pin her against the bar, but she pressed the gun to his chin and blew his brains onto the ceiling. With a speed that defied his emaciated looks, Jackson charged and pinned her gun arm against the bar, holding her by the throat with his other arm.

A round of buckshot threw him back onto the dance floor. Momo pumped the shotgun she held then pulled Chaeyoung behind the bar. From the back room came a small, brown-haired girl Chaeyoung remembered as Momo's girlfriend Tzuyu. She placed a large floor sticker on the ground before her and stepped in the middle of it. The sigil immediately filled with power and Jackson tried to rush her but was repelled. "By the power that flows in my veins, I call upon you for sanctuary." Sigils carved at strategic places around the bar lit up, "Grant us your blessing and expel this darkness." The sigils burst with energy and an unearthly scream escaped Jackson's mouth. "Leave here, and do not return."

Jackson ran for the door, "You've won this round, witch, but I will return. You can't protect her forever." The door slammed behind him and all three women relaxed a bit. The sigils still pulsed with energy, keeping the darkness at bay, Tzuyu sat down in the sigil and started chanting. Chaeyoung leaned her back against the bar and silently wept, for Jackson's lost soul, for Mina wherever she was and for her own role to play in this dark prophecy. Mina, I don't know where you are, but I really want you here right now.

____

The day passed into night and Momo and Tzuyu consoled a somber Chaeyoung, who had consumed more liquor than was healthy. Her words were heavily slurred as she spoke, "Mina should never have gotten involved with me. She'd still be alive if she hadn't."

Tzuyu sat beside her, "It's not like that, I'm sure she would stay with you, even knowing what would happen."

Chaeyoung looked at her, "That thing you did, what are you?"

"I was born in Salem, Massachusets, the blood of witches is in my veins. I don't know a whole lot of spells and stuff, but wards like that are pretty easy to put up, but they don't help against physical things, just spirits and the like."

Momo still held the shotgun in her lap, "That's why I have this. Don't worry, Chaeyoung, we'll protect you until Mina gets here."

"If she's not dead." Chaeyoung started to fall over but Momo held her up. "I miss her. I wish she was here." Chaeyoung's head rolled once before it fell to the bar, she was unconscious.

Momo and Tzuyu carried her to a small room in the back and set her on a cot that she sometimes used to let drunks sleep one off. She put an arm around Tzuyu, who asked, "Is she going to be alright?"

Momo nodded, "We'll look after her, it's Mina I'm worried about. I hope she gets here quick, because if more of those wolves come I don't think we can stop them."