Colors Bite Sized Adventures EP8 - Zombie Dance Part IV: The Dressmaker

Urrrgh. I thankfully wake up from my sudden slumber with a splitting headache and I’m certain I can feel blood pouring down my face, dripping onto the floor. I go to wipe it off, but as I should have expected, once again, I’m tied up to a chair. Today really hasn’t gone as I expected, though honestly, that has always been true. No matter, I can just- no! My ring is gone!

“So you’re awake? I was just coming to wake you up.” I hear someone behind me saying to me, and though I know exactly who it is, my brain doesn’t really want to confirm it.

From behind me, Claryssa walks out, gripping a bucket of water that she was about to throw all over me to wake me up. As I see her there, knowing that not only was I the wrong one, but everything that they said was true, my eyes start to build up misplaced tears. I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“So, you stumbled upon my little secret, huh? Which means it was you who took the key from my sleeping quarters while I wasn’t looking.” Claryssa says, speaking as if summing it all up in her jacked-up head.

“That wasn’t me. But who cares about that right now? Please tell me this is all a big sick joke or a simple misunderstanding. Please.” I say, not wanting the last wall of my new trusting nature to crumble in on itself.

“I could, but there’d be no point anymore. You’ve seen what I’ve done now. But if I keep you here, then those rumours will stay just rumours. No one else can know, outside of us three.” Claryssa says, giggling frantically to herself like a hysterical crackpot, as she fumbles around the room, looking for something.

“Three? I assume you mean Mandy, yes?” I ask her gently, not wanting to give away my plan, and though I feel sick for thinking this, I need to stall for time until she comes to the rescue... I suddenly feel so mad at myself for getting myself in this situation.

“Let’s just say she and I share some kind of understanding, though she knows not what I do in here. But to fully know about that, I suppose I will have to run you through the whole thing. Consider it my way of saying thank you for the company.” Claryssa says, on her hands and knees as she looks for something under a dirty table, covered in dust, dirt and dry bloodstains. “Found it!”

After she helps herself up from the floor, I can’t help that her hands are now much dirtier than before, coating her palms in a black dust. In her right hand, she brandishes a rusty rotary cutter as she walks towards me. In her left hand, she picks a small black book up from the top of the table. Struggling to keep my tears of fright at bay, I just watch as she decides to stand next to me, smiling down at me.

“I knew I would eventually need to tell this story to someone, so I thought I would spice things up and make a book about it. It’s not going to win awards, but it gets the point across just fine.” Claryssa says, opening the book and flipping to the first page.

“Once upon a time, there lived a fair girl, the only daughter of a world famous tailor. Widowed by the time he reached 30 years old, he was tasked with the heavy burden of taking care of the family business, but the daughter he never planned for in the first place, grew more and more restless and desperate for his attention. Over the years, her needy nature grew greater and greater until it exploded out of her, triggering a war of words. Playful banter became serious talks, the serious talks became hostile, and through the hostility came violence, as the daughter was struck with the bottle of silly water he had already consumed. Feeling hurt, she made a decision to herself, so that night, she tucked away her essentials, stole some money and escaped into the night, never to return. The streets were cruel to the 12 year old vagabond. With nowhere to run to, and more enemies than friends, she turned to the underbelly of the city, but she was saved by a couple who had recently amassed a small fortune. The middle aged couple, along with their 12 year old son, took her into their home... as a maid. For many years, she performed her job well, with a nice roof once again over her head, and quickly grew close to the son. Life was great for the girl... until she met him.” Claryssa reads from her book, before looking back towards me, then back to the page.

“As she went to run an shopping errand one night, out of the foggy night emerged a hooded figure. A lanky salesman, his face covered in a hood. He spoke to me in a voice like pure gravel, offering the girl a chance of a lifetime, to see pure whimsy beyond any imagination, before opening the curtains to a small grotto. With a childlike sense of wonder, the girl went inside, unaware that the man was already baring down on her like a bird of prey. With no remorse, the man tackled the girl to the ground, and bit into her neck with two teeth, sharper than any blade. The girl took a nearby lamp from the table and smashed his head with it before taking off into the night. But little did she know that it was already too late. Abandoning her duties, white as a ghost, she stumbled back into the house as the family crowded around her, comforting her and taking her straight to bed. That was when they found the strange bite mark, and that scared the couple, enough to make them leave the room. The girl grew weary and confused of her predicament, but the night proved to be too much as she dropped into a deep sleep. Later in the night, the girl awoke to the feeling of extreme pain in her hands. Her hands were penetrated and stuck to the bed with two knives. Looking above her, she saw the man who took her in, and in an ironic fashion, the one who saved her life... will be the one to take it back. Smothering the girl with her own pillow, the girl lost all breath and slipped into darkness. However, this was not the end for her. After some time had passed, she awoke on the floor somehow, and all of the pain had disappeared seemingly overnight. Though her scars were the reminder that it wasn’t a dream, the knives were missing. Searching the house for clues to explain what happened, she discovered something beyond her worst nightmares. It was the man who took her in, butchered, mutilated and stuffed into the cupboard. An expression of pure terror written plainly on his face. In the next one, his wife fall out onto the floor in the same state. In a cold sweat, the girl rushed upstairs to the son’s room, but she was too late. The son was in a similar state, though his face looked peaceful, as if he slept soundly throughout. In that one night, the entire family was wiped out without so much as a fighting chance.” Claryssa says, looking a little bit down as she places the book on the nearby table, still open at the same page.

“If this is a work of fiction you created, your mind is more messed up than I could have ever imagined.” I say to her, still wanting to believe that she can be a good person underneath.

“This is no fiction, my sweet. This should be enough proof to the fact.” Claryssa says, as she takes off her gloves to reveal that her palms both bear a scar of past torment... and that she is now wearing my ring.

“Now. I don’t need the book to tell you how everything ended for the girl. The girl was only alive after that because she had become a vampire. She was taken in by none other than the harvester of souls, the avatar of death itself... your sister. I owed a great deal to her. She took the broken girl and gave her a new purpose in life, but the other inhabitants didn’t take too kindly to her, because she was a different kind of beast. One of them had the stones to attack me, but by this time, the girl was used to defending herself, so she showed no remorse in cutting through his skin like fine silk, and drinking the gushing blood to satiate my newfound cravings. It was that analogy that gave her the idea of a lifetime. If it is her destiny to be hated and feared, then it was worth getting creative and having a little fun with it. As she gained the master’s trust, she was given her old shed to live in. Someone would take on the girl, the girl would then end their miserable existence, suck their veins dry, take their skin and fashion them into lovely clothes, just as Daddy once did. This spread the rumour further and further, and so the cycle began anew. Again and again. Again and again and again and again and-“ Claryssa explains, losing her cool eventually as she devolves into screaming in hysterics, tugging at her own hair, knocking loose a couple of her fine curls on either side.

“Alright, I get it now. But you’ve been found out now. Now’s the best time to retire. You’ve made your point, you’ve had your fun. Just give it up while you still can... please. You can make a new life for yourself. One that you are in charge of. You need not answer to another master again, if you only let me go.” I say to her, hoping to get her to see the light in a language that I’m sure will reach her human soul.

“Sorry Lizzie. This is who I am now. The people wanted a monster, and surprise! They made one, they got what they wanted. I would love to just stop, but this is something more than just a insatiable bloodlust or a need for revenge or even money. This is who I am... what I was brought to. So as much as it pains me, I will make sure your memory will live on once I reach the outside world.” Claryssa says in a more serious tone, with a smile on her face, but a tear in her eye.

“What? What do you mean?” I ask, as my blood runs cold and my heart sinks into my stomach, making the tears start to fall from my own eyes in pure fear.

“Ghoul flesh has a unique texture, but once you’ve taken one, you’ve taken them all. I think I’m ready to broaden my horizons and start testing on living humans. I’ve been wanting to for a while now, but a living being here is a rarity in itself. That is until you showed up. I thought of ways to gain your trust, but thanks to your generosity or just the desire to get into my pants, you saved me the legwork... and all it took was a tell of defencelessness and a couple of compliments thrown your way. I do wish I could keep you around, but you will only tell on me in the long run, so to thank your sister one last time, I will grant her the gift of a coat, made out of the only one who can kill her. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.” Claryssa says, taking out the rotary cutter and turning on the power, as the terrifying hum of the saw turning goes louder and louder as it gets closer to my face.

“Nah, that’s not really my style. I was thinking more of a tea cozy or something more practical.” A familiar voice says from behind me, as she opens the door and closes it behind her.

“Mast- No... Mandy. You surprised?” Claryssa asks, seemingly not even caring that her facade is now gone, as she holds her devilish smile.

Mandy walks towards us, but notices a face that despite being ripped to flesh and bone, she recognises somehow. She taps the head with her little gloved finger, and the head falls backwards, dangling from the remaining dead skin.

“Can’t say I’m surprised, Claryssa. No, I’m more disappointed. I always had my suspicions that something was going on in here, but to this extent? Not even I handled my feud with that much cruelty.” Mandy says, continuing to walk towards us, shaking her head, though I’m not sure if she is only shaking it for Claryssa’s sake.

“Because you are weak. You wanted revenge as much as I do, but you let your humanity control you... hold you back from your true potential. While I am going to make millions with my products, you’ll soon be calling me Master.” Claryssa says, taking off her fleshy dress to reveal a red corset and black skirt underneath... knowing what the dress is made of, I don’t really want one anymore.

Suddenly, the already dead air starts to grow colder, as the chill runs down my spine, like the icy fingers of all of the spirits who lost their bodies in this very room. Mandy walks towards Claryssa with a morbid smile and unblinking eyes.

“It is not my job to be their judge, jury and executioner. I am just the harvester. I have only recently remembered that little fact myself, but-“ Mandy says, taking a little dagger from the nearby table and cutting my ropes in one clean swing as she passes me... she didn’t even look at me, so for all she knows, she could have slit both my wrists.

“You’re indeed welcome, by the way.” I say, knowing that I was the hand she needed to see the light eventually... for better or for worse.

“Shut up. You have no lines in this scene.” Mandy says with a harsh tone, as the two turn to look at me, before turning back to each other. “Claryssa, I’m sorry. I can no longer let this continue. For causing this atrocity to not only one, but multiple lives, and for daring to challenge my authority, I hereby cast you to Hell, back where you belong.”

Mandy takes off her gloves, storing them safely in the left pocket in her gown, before glaring daggers at Claryssa, who is still smiling with an expression that I can only explain as the look of a woman with no humanity left in her soul. The two charge for each other, before Claryssa manages to disappear into smoke, dragging Mandy inside. The dark smoke flies around the ceiling of the room before breaking through the closed front door. Now that I’m free, I can’t afford to just sit here. I have to do something. I leave through the front door and run after the two as fast as my normal human legs can take me.

They head deeper into the woods before they separate, launching each other in opposite sides. It doesn’t take long before they get back on their feet and continue their firework display that they call a fight. As I watch Mandy with her incredible magical fire that pours from her staff, I can’t help but wonder if I was able to fight against that before, or if Mandy was holding back when we fought back then. But I’m afraid I have to digress, as Claryssa seems to be taking the onslaught as if it was truly nothing, walking undeterred towards Mandy with hope painted on her face and her little rotary cutter tucked away in her clenched fist. Though in the same hand, it looks as if she hasn’t figured out how to make the ring work, otherwise I’m afraid Mandy won’t stand a chance.

“Look at you. Wearing my father’s precious ring so proudly. He treasured over his own children, and it makes me sick to look at it, but how about you give it back to its rightful heir, huh?” Mandy asks, reminding me of all the hardships and bloodshed that this ring has started... but I can’t swell on old wounds now, I should be thinking of how many lives can be saved by it in the future.

“Sure thing. Only after I’ve figured out how to unlock its true potential. I want to create a storm of fire, as I have witnessed with my own eyes. Lizzie, if you tell me the secret, I promise not to cause harm to you or your sister.” Claryssa says, as if she has the upper hand in the situation, looking at me with a smug smile.

“You’ve already broken my trust, how can I take your words as truth now?” I ask, still hurting over both my foolishness and shockingly open policy of trust... both things that will never happen again.

“I’m not asking for you to believe me. Mandy cannot die, regardless of whether or not I shred her to ribbons... what’s your excuse?” Claryssa asks, laughing to herself as she turns her focus onto me.

Knowing that I can easily die from that, I start an exercise in futility as I slowly back away. She slowly follows me at a faster pace. Suddenly, Mandy runs as fast as she can to behind me as I can feel her take my sock dagger before disappearing again.

“I’m going to give you until the count of 3. If you don’t tell me, I’ll just take great pleasure in shaving your silky smooth skin off.” Claryssa says, advancing on me as Mandy walks up just behind her. “3... 2... 1!”

She lunges for me, but Mandy leaps onto her shoulders, wrapping her legs around her neck and covering her vision with her gown. As Claryssa goes to move the gown from her eyes and swat at her, Mandy grabs her arm and with one clean motion, she cuts around the wrist and pulls her entire right hand, severing it from the bone as it gushes with blood.

As Mandy jumps off from Claryssa’s shoulders in victory, she hands me the severed hand, complete with my ring on her ring finger. Claryssa screams, in fear but mostly in pure primal rage.

“Take the ring. Quickly.” Mandy says, standing in front of me, as if protecting me.

I take the ring from the hand and put it back on, before I toss the hand deeper into the woods.

“You- you two. I’ll kill you for this!” Claryssa screams in a high pitched squeal as her face alters from her usual pretty look to that of an atrocious beast, as if for a split second, like it was a look into the true face that she doesn’t show.

She runs towards the two of us, with her instrument of destruction in her hand... however...

“Feu!” I say, as the ring turns red and the fire once again surges through my body.

Mandy and I look at each other before we unleash a two-way storm of fire her way, strong enough to demolish an entire row of trees behind her, hitting the shed on the way and blowing it to pieces. When we decide to stop, the fire might have ceased, but the woods may have definitely taken a significant hit today. Throughout all of that, Claryssa comes out of this with only minor burns and bruises, though she looks a lot more upset than before, almost driven to tears as she kneels in the ashes and dirt.

“Why? Why can’t I ever be happy? Why must I always be the one who is hated for that which I don’t have control over?” Claryssa asks, punching the dirt as she sobs to herself.

“Oh please, spare us the crocodile tears. In the end, you’re only sad that you got caught.” Mandy says, pointing her staff at her, as she lifts my ring hand at the same time.

“Heh, maybe. Though before anything else happens, Mandy, for what it’s worth, it has been fun here while it lasted. And Lizzie... sorry that I can’t attend that dance with you. Really, it’s a bummer. Well ladies, I bid you farewell. As friends or enemies, I am certain we will meet again.” Claryssa says, turning into a bat once again, and flying up into the air.

“Oh no, you don’t.” Mandy says, firing her staff into the air, narrowly missing her each time as she disappears behind an artificial cloud and into freedom.

As Claryssa disappears into the night above, that leaves just Mandy and I alone together, and the silence gets awkward and tense between us.

“Errrm. With that over, we can finally get the dance started. What do you say?” Mandy asks, trying to cheer me up, but failing on all angles.

“Fine. I might need a drink or five after today, though.” I say, feeling a sense of depression that I haven’t felt since my homeless days, before I settled down in Watcher Central... wow, it’s felt like so long ago since I’ve seen it, that I can’t remember what it looks like.

With nothing important to say, we walk back to the castle without saying a single word. Not even an hour since we said goodbye to Claryssa, the party is already up, running and going strong. With spooky decorations on the walls, bright pumpkin lanterns hanging from the ceiling, actual crows flying around the room, despite the fact I haven’t seen a single one outside, and a ghoul band playing some party anthems with significantly darker lyrics, it’s starting to feel a lot more like Halloween now. As I sit there at the bar with my drink, I can’t help but watch all of the ghouls with their little dates, which may be the first time I’ve ever been envious of the walking dead. Hell, even Mandy has found a dance partner in that Darius guy. I know I’m not that type of person in any sense of the word, but really, for the first time, I’m actually a little jealous.

As I just sit there with my odd-looking but amazing tasting purple drink, I can’t help but take glances at Mandy from the corner of my eye, but when the song ends, and the crowd applauds softly, Mandy breaks away from Darius and walks in my direction, as I catch more and more of a glimpse of Mandy’s costume as she is wearing a dress like a black cat, complete with little ears on her head.

“Hey. The same for her, please. This one’s on me.” Mandy says to... literally no-one, as the bar is and always has been empty since we arrived.

“Mandy, who are you talking-“ I try to ask her, but as I look to the bar, I can see a cocktail mixer, shaking in the air without so much as a reason why. “Ahh, never mind.”

“That’s just Jerry. He’s a little shy at social gatherings, but he gets the job done, and a hell of a good cook, if I recall correctly.” Mandy says so casually, and happily... quite a far cry from the cold and brooding killer of hundreds that I built her up to be.

“Hehehe, right. I’m still getting used to your different little rules here.” I say, finishing off my drink in one gulp before the next one slides towards me, and another one slides to the seat next to me, which Mandy takes. “Thank you, Jerry.”

As I can’t think of anything to say, still dwelling on all the stuff that just happened, the mood between the two of us starts to dwindle into silence.

“Cheer up, will you? You’re at a party, and you’re here as my guest. That’s got to mean something, right?” Mandy asks, poking me in the shoulder as I stare into space, feeling her bony fingers and large nails under those gloves, which stab with the same intensity as darts.

“I know that. But about Claryssa. Because of me, she’s gone, she got out free, putting hell knows how many people in danger. I’m sorry, I should have listened to your warnings. It doesn’t help everyone here must hate me now, and honestly, I wouldn’t blame anyone.” I say, feeling the guilt hanging over me like some black raincloud.

“Oh, cry me a river. Honestly, between us, even though these guys kept their free will after their return, there still wasn’t much brain between them to screw in a lightbulb to begin with. Really, the only one person who doesn’t care for you here, is me. And that’s only because of your goals, and not to mention that horrible thing you wear on your finger. I’m sorry, I have to love you since we’re the only family we have left, but as long as you follow the man who let such horrible things happen in his name, we can’t see eye to eye.” Mandy says, ending the bleak and almost threatening speech with an obviously fake smile.

“I’ve told you my reasons before, remember? I do this not for Arc, for my family or for revenge, but because I believe in my friends... my first friends.” I say, just realising how sad that sounds out loud.

“Sure, that’s cute, sis.” Mandy says, not listening anymore as she takes a huge sip of her drink, and rimming the top of the glass with her finger.

“So they really didn’t care about me and Claryssa? I mean, I was really into the idea, but she probably didn’t think twice about me after all. Just a would-be victim.” I say, thinking of all the things she said to me, all the promises we made, and wondering just how much of it were truths.

“Oh, if it makes you feel any better, she likely did think more highly of you than her other more unfortunately kind souls.” Mandy says, finishing off her drink, as with the click of her finger, Jerry slides another two over to her... she passes one to me, but I have barely touched the last one.

“Really?” I ask, turning my body to face her, my eagerness standing out like a sore thumb.

“It’s only a theory, but those other people she was with. Not many of them did I ever see with Claryssa, but the ones I did see with her, they made the first move and they paid dearly the next day. I always questioned her about them, but she always had an answer, an alibi that she fabricated so delicately, that she could convince anyone of anything. Meanwhile, you survived this whole holiday period with her and she might have only attacked you because she was cornered. Or so I think anyway. I don’t know what was going through that maniac’s mind.” Mandy says, once again talking with such confidence while also somehow seeming like she is just talking out of her ass... still, I want to believe it too.

“Yeah. She was an enigma.” I say, feeling a little better about the whole situation now, like the raincloud has slightly shrunk in size.

“Anyway, I can’t help but notice you don’t have a partner anymore. You finish your drink, I’ll be right back.” Mandy says, chugging the last drink down and slamming it back down to the bar, like some machine.

As I finish my two drinks, feeling a little bit sick right now, I can see Mandy talking to Darius by the dance floor, though things look a little more sour than before. A few minutes later, Mandy comes walking back.

“Darius has agreed to be your partner for the rest of the night. However, I must warn you. He was hurt a little bit by your actions earlier this morning, so he might be a little rough around the edges, but hey, one hip shake and a little wink and he’ll be back to singing your praises. Go on, get.” Mandy says, pushing me out of my seat and towards the dance floor, before sitting in my chair.

As she fixes her gaze on me, and she would hate me even more if I turned back now, the only option was to continue to the dance floor and face the music, in two very different meanings. As I get closer, the once bouncy upbeat music slowly transitions into that finishing somber waltz ballad I was told about, the one that gets the couples all dancing slow and... I don’t know, even with another woman, this feels somewhat tacky and cliche. As I stand before Darius, and find it best to greet him with a courteous curtsee, he just looks at me with a betrayed and hurt look in his face, though keeping his silence, he dignifies me with a bow as a response.

After a few seconds, we take each other’s hands and begin something that resemble a waltz... like I have gone on record saying before, I can’t dance, but regardless, it’s not all that bad, though it can not compare to the rush I got when dancing with Poppy for the first time. Looking at Darius’ sad yet angered puppy dog expression, I think I can improve the night if I got on his good side again, and besides, I do owe him one for having his heart in the right place, and for trying to help.

“Listen, I don’t think I really thanked you for before. You were right about that whole Claryssa thing, and I should have listened when I had the chance. You can hate me all you want, trust me, I’ve got years of experience in that field, but I’ve been thinking of a way to make it up to you.” I say, just thinking of the perfect way to raise his morale.

“Oooh, is it that kiss we’ve been teasing for the past few acts?” Darius asks with such excitement that I almost feel bad shooting him down now.

“...No, when did I tease- anyway, moving on. You remember how I will be taking over for Decain once Mandy retires?” I ask, wanting to know if he remembers about it.

“That’s right, my lady. After Mandy leaves, we all lose our binding to this world, so we will go to our afterlives. I’ll have to say goodbye to this place.” Darius says, looking like he is only just reminding himself of this little fact.

“Well, that’s if I choose it to be that way. I will have control of her powers, along with her throne. I choose who stays or who goes. I was originally going to let you all go, but I will need a right hand man by my side, and who better than a trained military man?” I ask him with a half smile on my face as his face starts to brighten up, looking stunned and amazed.

“You- you mean it? You still want me around?” Darius asks, shouting as we stop mindlessly dancing.

“Of course. You have my word.” I say, as my heart starts to feel a little lighter, and I can finally breathe easy... also, it would be nice to know more about this guy eventually.

Unable to contain his excitement, he picks me up and spins me around like a little rag doll, laughing to himself like a child getting that one amazing gift on Christmas Day. Eventually, he puts me down and puts his hand on my head.

“I accept the position. For queen and country, I will pledge my undying life to thee.” Darius says, bowing down to me a little, whispering softly to me.

“Alright, first royal decree, getting rid of this pretentious vow bullcrap. It just creeps me out.” I say, getting the shudders a little, feeling like I’m in some medieval erotica or something.

“Fair enough. Thank you, Eliza.” Darius says, smiling proudly as we continue dancing to the slow music, as I can feel Mandy’s eyes on me, watching my every move, though I don’t sense any malice... I hope not anyway.

After I set my head to the fresh pillow that night and immediately fall into slumber in my still charred room, wishing that I didn’t burn the sheets on such a cold night, I realised that Halloween is now over for another year.

The next morning, I wake up to the usual darkness, worrying that’s been so long since I saw any resemblance to sunshine, that it’s probably going to be a minor case of culture shock when I do get back out there. I get myself back into my normal clothes, pack my things and walk down the stairs carrying my case to find Mandy there, getting ready to walk up the stairs before seeing me.

“Ahh, there you are. I was just coming to wake you. I’ve already asked Aera to take you back to your home in like half an hour. If I were you, I would say my goodbyes now when I still can. See you out there.” Mandy says, turning around and walking away, as her gown sways with the motion.

With nothing else to really stay in the random hallways of the castle for, I walk into the main foyer. Not to my surprise, the place is looking a lot emptier than usual, as the staff are all back to their cleaning jobs, and most of the decorations have been removed. To put the confusion cherry on top of the disappointment cake, the bar is also inexplicably missing from the room, leaving just an empty corner, like it was never there to begin with. These guys sure work fast around here.

When my last sightseeing moment comes to a silent end, I walk out of the castle and step foot into the courtyard, where the dead air seems to slightly sprout to life, albeit a cold one. Like Mandy said, she was waiting alongside Darius, just waiting around Aera for my arrival. I walk up to them, as they notice me staring from the doorway.

“Hey. Hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.” I say, from the lack of a less awkward way to start the conversation.

“No worries, I’ve been out here for like 5 seconds. Eager beaver over here though, he’s been here for the past hour.” Mandy says, not to subtly pointing in Darius’ direction, hiding it from his point of view with her hand.

“I told you that in private, you know? I just didn’t want to miss her coming out, that’s all.” Darius says, as he scratches the back of his head, going all red and flustered in the face.

“Yeah, right. Well, I’ll leave you two to your moment. I’ll be here tending to Aera’s preparations and pretending I’m not listening in on you two.” Mandy says, walking about two feet from where she originally stood, starting to put a huge rucksack from the floor around Aera’s neck.

“So... there’s no hard feelings about what happened, right? I was a fool, as usual.” I say, talking to Darius as I start to get embarrassed, having to talk about both my mistake and my feelings... still, just this time a few months ago, I wouldn’t have spoken about them at all.

“You weren’t foolish. Trust me, I know too well. There’s nothing hotter than a slightly vulnerable fish out of water.” Darius says, completely out of left-field and slightly out of the character I had built him up to be.

“Well, that’s a creepy way of putting it, I guess. Still, I’m glad we’re okay.” I say, wanting nothing more than to bring the topic back to the original point right now.

“Yeah, you were just trying to be nice. It’s too bad you have to get going. I don’t say this often, since seconds are like little eternities here, but these past few days have zoomed by like a flash.” Darius says, looking up at Aera, who is majestically flapping her wings, letting us feel the cold air... as well as making us eat her feathers.

“It has, but I will be back one day, so don’t go forgetting about me, okay?” I ask him as we both spit out the excess feathers that somehow entered our mouths.

“I’ll be counting on it. Until then, it was nice meeting you, Lady Eliza.” Darius says, holding his hand out to me, smiling his best smile.

“Likewise... Darius.” I say to him as I reach out and grab his hand in mine, shaking it as a weird sort of adrenaline rush starts to take form inside me, leaving a big stupid smile of excitement on my face, just thinking about how great it would be when I rule this place... not that I want to push Mandy out just yet or anything.

As Mandy gives me the okay to climb aboard an inviting Aera, the giant bird prepares to take off by flapping her wings rapidly.

“Good luck out there. If you do happen to see Claryssa out there, do try and rectify your little mistake, would you?” Mandy asks, talking louder as I fly high into the sky.

“Sure thing. When we meet again, I’ll be more powerful than you can ima-“ I try to say with confidence, but Aera starts to fly away at a ludicrous speed, going up until eventually I see something I haven’t seen in a long time.

...It was the glow of the sun. It burned my eyes, making me hiss like a vampire, but the feeling felt nice. I was finally out of Decain once again, but instead of coming out with a feeling of overwhelming pain and grief over people I’ve never met before, I actually had a decent experience this time around. Before too long, I found myself back on Watcher Central, somewhere I can truly call home now. I pat Aera’s head as gentle as I can, and send her on her way back to Decain. With no time to waste, I decide to take my case back home, finally charge my phone and then go and meet back up with the others.

Taking in the usual scenery and breathing in the air that already feels nostalgic to me, I make my way back home and set my case down on the living room floor, as I plug my phone into the charger socket. After about ten minutes of silence, the boot-up jingle plays and the usual apps that I never use start popping up like little bunnies. I decide to give it a few more minutes, then I’ll go around the Locksley House to see if anyone’s there. In the meantime, it’s only just occurred to me that I did take a couple of photos of Claryssa for my phone, and one of them was pure wallpaper-fodder, so I think it would be best to check through them all now.

I know I’m just teasing myself at this point, but I tense myself up, waiting for the pure sexiness to invade my screen as my finger presses the gallery button. The first photo loads and it’s... just a piece of scenery. Maybe that was a missed shot, I’ll keep going. I keep telling myself that, but they’re all the same, just the same background with nothing in the focus point. Suddenly, it all occurs to me, that her reflection was missing too, so photos would work the same. I drop my phone onto the floor as my heart sinks into the soles of my shoes. Even though it was for my own benefit, I did want to keep at least one memory of the moment... I suppose that would have made it harder to look past it really.

Trying to get over my disappointment, I pocket my phone, leave my case back at home, and finally go over to the Locksley House to check up on the others... my friends. I knock on the door, but no one answers. I wait a few seconds before I decide to slowly walk away, but as I turn my back, the door starts to open. I turn around and see Reeve standing there, dressed in a business suit beneath a yellow spotty apron.

“Hello? Ohh. You’re one of Masters Andrew and Blanchett’s friends. I was just doing a bit of cleaning up. I’m afraid they’ve all just left, though I haven’t seen Master Andrew in a while.” Reeve says, thinking to himself, as the worry shows on his face as if he was thinking of him as his own child.

“Andy wasn’t with them?” I ask, now wondering what could have happened.

“Last I heard, he was taking one of his friends to hospital, and the others followed afterwards. They all came back, but I think he stayed with the other one for a little while later. And now, they’re all gone again.” Reeve says, recapping the situation to me, and it sounds like I have missed some big things.

“Alright, I’ll head over to the hospital now. You just keep doing whatever it is you do.” I say, not putting much emphasis on my words, out of worry for the others.

I’m sure they’re alright, but I can’t help but wonder to myself. Who got hurt? What exactly happened? What’s going to happen from there? When I find out about all this, no doubt this will lead to another adventure somehow, but that’s another story for another day. This has definitely been the biggest Halloween yet.