by Alex Apostol
“I couldn’t even imagine going back to that life after all I’ve seen,” I said, letting my smile fade as I turned to look back out at the campus.
The best thing about Sari was he knew when not to press a subject any further. He could read me like a book because he knew me better than anyone else. He knew the difference between the times I needed him and the times I wanted to be left alone with my thoughts. We sat in silence, soaking in the sun while I finished my coffee. I found it hard to concentrate on other’s conversations as I let my previous life plans play out in my head some more. My vision was focused on an empty table not too far from the one we were at. Staring more through it than at it, my mind was wondering. I was brought back again when a teacher and a student sat at the table I was using as my empty escape.
He was clearly older than the girl was. His hair was fully gray and he wore nice, creased slacks with a complimentary sweater vest and button up shirt. He looked at the young girl across from him with longing in his eyes. The girl, on the other hand, looked completely bored. She twirled her long straight black hair around her fingers as she chewed on a piece of gum, periodically blowing it into bubbles. Her eyes were captivating, painted into catlike points in the corners. They drew me in and held me there. Her lips were full, painted a flirtatious shade of pink. What was a girl like that doing with a teacher? Well, it’s like my mom always said I guess; there is no accounting for taste sometimes. This was obviously one of those times.
As the girl stood up to leave her compelled admirer at the table, I was in awe by her movements. The way her hips swayed as she walked away was mesmerizing, enhanced by the skin tight leggings she wore.
“Wait! Mia!” the teacher yelled, stopping the girl in her tracks. “You forgot your key to the auditorium for tonight.”
Sari and I looked at each other wide-eyed. We tuned ourselves more into the conversation by leaning in closer. The ravishingly beautiful girl walked back to the table and bent down in front of the befuddled teacher. He stared at her with intensity, as if she were some mythical siren leading him to the rocks. She smiled a wickedly sensuous grin as she took the key from his hand. The man was left staring dumbstruck, a satisfied grin on his face as she walked off, hips swinging left and right as her high heels clicked on the pavement.
“That’s her!” I whispered to Sari in excitement and panic. “What do we do?”
It took every restraint I had in my body not to chase her down and kill her right there in front of everyone. Sari scooted his chair all the way around the table so it was right next to mine, our backs to where Mia had walked off. He put his arm around my shoulder and smiled.
“We’re going to finish enjoying our coffees and take a tour of the campus.”
I looked at him in shock. There was no way I was just going to let her walk away. I started to stand up when Sari’s strong hand pushed me back down into my seat.
“And then tonight we’ll meet her in the auditorium,” he concluded as I turned to watch Mia walk around the corner and out of sight.
His plan made more sense than my impulses did. I laughed to myself as I pictured running after the young pretty girl, gun in hand as fellow students watched in horror. I could just imagine the looks on their faces when they saw Mia’s transformation and my special way of killing her.
“So, why do you think she’s going to the auditorium after hours?” I wondered aloud, sipping up the last drops of coffee.
“She’ll probably have someone with her tonight, so you’ll need to be extra careful,” Sari said, leaning his elbows on the table and staring at me. “There’s no telling if that person she’s with is there as a victim or an accomplice.”
I hadn’t thought about the fact that she might not be alone in her evil doings. There could be others out there like her and what if they were teaming up together here? I was nervous and unsure about my ability to defend myself against one demon goddess let alone multiple ones. There was no way I would survive. And Sari didn’t know it yet, but he wasn’t going to come with me tonight either. I said it to Don earlier, but I had meant it for the both of them. This was something I needed to do on my own, even if it was the last thing I ever did.
Endless hours of walking around the campus wore my legs out. As we sat in the crowded college diner, I rubbed my ankles under the table. The sky turned from pink to orange to a deep navy blue as night fell outside the window next to our booth. Sari sat there, watching me as I took a bite of my mushroom Swiss burger. A dribble of burger juice ran down my chin and I wiped it away with the napkin in my lap.
“Could you not watch me eat? It’s weird…” I asked, putting my burger back onto my plate.
Sari picked up my half eaten hamburger and shoved as much into his mouth as he could. The site of his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk storing nuts for winter made me burst out into laughter. He attempted to chew the mass of food in his mouth and swallow it as I watched, trying to contain myself.
“There. Now you don’t have to be embarrassed,” he said once he finally got the mass of food down his throat.
I rolled my eyes at him and picked up my dinner again, not caring if he watched me or not anymore. He always knew the right thing to do or say in order to put me at ease, even if it was a little silly. We finished dinner and paid the tab before walking back out into the campus. Not sure where the auditorium was at, I picked up a map from outside one of the administration buildings we passed and opened it up.
I turned the map one way and then another, trying to make sense of it. Every building looked the same to me and the little labels in the corner were no help. After a few frustrating minutes of trying to figure it out, I crumpled up the map and threw it in the trash. I had special ways of finding things. Why didn’t I use it more often? I closed my eyes and concentrated.
My head spun around every which way before settling on the sight of a large brick building with many double doors on one side. There were large, wide concrete stairs leading up to the front of the building where tall white columns stood for decoration. I was drawn to the building, knowing the way by heart even though I had never laid eyes on it. I left Sari behind as I jogged through the dimly lit campus. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs I had seen in my vision not more than a few minutes ago. Sari appeared by my side as I tilted my head upwards to take in the whole building. The auditorium was clearly closed for the night. All the lights had been turned off and there were large chains holding the main doors closed.
“Doesn’t look like she’s here yet,” Sari pointed out as we stared.
The sound of giggling voices approaching echoed as we both stood there frozen. Sari grabbed my shoulder tightly, yanking me through the air to a safe place out of sight. I took a deep breath as I tried to stabilize myself after the unexpected relocation. I peeked through the bushes to see Mia walking up the steps with another breathtaking girl at her side. She was tall and curvy with long blonde hair flowing down the middle of her back. She walked as Mia did, her hips swinging side to side tossing her skirt around in the breeze. I felt my heart sink when I saw the two unlock one of the heavy chains and disappear through the doors.
“Don’t worry. The other girl is just a student,” Sari informed me.
He looked deeply into my eyes before planting his velvet-like lips onto mine. I knew there was more to the kiss than a good luck gesture. He was buttering me up for something I did not want to hear. And as good of a kisser as he was, it was working. I stared back at him and sighed, taken in by his beauty.
“I don’t want you to go in there,” he said, snapping me out of my love induced trance. “I’ll finish her. You wait somewhere safe for me.”
His eyes were soft and pleading. I knew he was only saying these things because he cared about me. I smiled softly at him as he searched my face for some sign of agreement.
“Please, Kamlyn, don’t go in…if anything were to happen to you, I don’t know what I’d do,” he begged as he brushed my cheek with the back of his hand.
His vulnerability pulled at my heartstrings as I looked at his pleading face.
“You know I have to do this, Sari,” I said, staring straight into his defeated, disappointed eyes. “And I want to do it alone.”
“No way,” he answered sternly, not wanting to hear a word of my argument against his response. “No way am I letting you go in by yourself. What if something happened? What if you need me? What if…”
I cut Sari’s panic attack of questions off with a kiss. I forced my lips onto his and put as much love as I possibly could into it, breaking away slowly in order to let him take in all my feelings for him. He looked away from me towards the warm dry ground, the moisture in his eyes filling to the brim. He took me in his arms till our faces were just inches from each other and he closed his eyes.
“When this is all over, we’re going to go somewhere no one will be able to find us and we’re going to start a new life together,” he whispered.
I nodded my head and he wrapped his arms around me tight. I’d fallen in love with Sari so quickly, I hadn’t even thought about our life together. I never thought such a perfect existence was ever possible. But suddenly images of me and him together filled my head. Although forever for me was a much shorter time than forever was for him, I knew he’d be there with me through all my years. No more nightmares, no more monsters; just the man I loved next to me.
“I will be back soon,” I whispered. “I love you.”
Instead of responding, Sari just ran his fingers through my hair and kissed me hard, not able to give me up so easily. Through the doors in front of us was a possibility of endings, but the ending of me and Sari was not going to be one of them. I could tell Sari was not going to be the one to turn away. I closed my eyes and started walking towards the big white doors. Once I climbed the stairs, I turned back to look at Sari but he was nowhere to be found. I guess the sight of the only one he’s ever loved walking away from him towards imminent death was too much for him to handle. If the tables had been turned, I don’t think I could have let him go at all.
I paused with my hand on the door handle, not sure what I was going to find on the other side. What were the chances I was wrong about this girl? What if I had found a different Mia who was just a normal human being? I had come so far and worked so hard to track down this nightmare. There was no way I could be wrong. I wouldn’t accept it. If anything, it had to be maternal instincts that had led me to her. She had taken my baby from me, and like a lion defending her cub it was now my turn to show her how fierce I could be.
I reached up behind my head and pulled out my ponytail holder, letting my long wavy hair fall. I zipped up the thin black hoodie I was wearing and pressed the latch of the handle on the door, hearing the soft click as it opened. I slipped into the darkness, letting the door shut quietly behind me.
17
“Her breath began to speak as she stood right in front of me. The color of her eyes were the color of insanity.”
– Flogging Molly
The auditorium was dark and completely silent. I reached my way through the aisles, making sure my right hand was touching one of the seats at all times. My heart raced. I saw my fears play out in my head. Mia crouching behind one of the seats like a tiger in waiting, ready to make her move and pounce on me. There was no telling if I could even save the girl with her. What if she was already dead? I remembered the night I’d found Danny motionless in his bed.
With a loud thud, the lights on the stage came on revealing Mia and her prey pulling large play sets out into the middle of the floor. I had enough time to duck down before I was spotted. I dove into one of the rows of seats and sat on my knees, peeking out around the corner to watch what was happening on stage. I was too far away to hear all they said, but from a distance it seemed completely innocent. They had brought out the sets to what I assumed was an upcoming play and then proceeded to bring out the supplies to paint them. The mystery girl had boxes with art supplies in them; paint brushes, marker, paint bottles, and scissors. Mia had a large toolbox and nothing else. Both knelt on the hardwood floor to begin their work. Occasionally, I could hear the loud giggles of two girls trying to make the best of their late night at school. It was a Friday and I was sure they would have much rather gone to a party with their friends than stay indoors alone, painting pieces of cardboard and wood.
Maybe I really had gotten the wrong Mia. It would have been just like me to jump to conclusions and assume the first Mia I came across was the one I was looking for. It was very possible the girl I was staring at didn’t have a shred of evil or supernatural in her. She really could just be a drama major putting in extra time to get on her professor’s good side. I felt silly as I watched the girls laugh together. I decided the only way to know for sure was to stick around and watch. If I wanted to figure anything out, though, I had to get close enough to hear.
Every time their backs were turned for a moment I would crawl up one more row and hide behind it. In no time, I was close enough to make out what they were saying to each other.
“I think we should put a few more nails in to hold this piece together. What do you think Ashley?” Mia asked her friend who was bent over another piece of wood with a paint brush.
“Sure. Whatever’s going to get us out of here in the next hour sounds good to me,” she giggled back.
The two girls laughed as Mia stood up and walked over to the toolbox to grab the hammer and a few more nails. I watched with half interest, wondering if all I was going to witness would be set design related bullshit. In no more than a second my wondering came to an end. Mia stood just inches behind Ashley, holding the hammer in one raised hand.
“Look out!” I couldn’t help screaming to warn the unsuspecting girl of the danger behind her.
The young girl turned around just in time to see the hammer come down on top of her head. Motionless on the hardwood floor, she laid twisted with her blonde hair turning red where she’d been struck. Mia looked at her victim for a moment before turning to look at me. Her eyes had changed to pure black. The tiny yellow slit down the middle darted from side to side as she zeroed in on me. I could hear my heart getting ready to pound out of my chest as I stared into the same snake-like eyes I’d looked into one year ago. She blinked quickly once, changing her eyes back to their normal color. She plastered a fake smile on her face as she continued to stare at me from the high platform of the stage.
“Hi, there,” she yelled out sweetly and waved. “We’re just practicing late for the play. Sorry if we startled you!”
If she were dealing with a normal human being who hadn’t seen the horrors I had, her little lie might have worked. I probably would have smiled awkwardly and said ‘okay’ before turning around and leaving, but I wasn’t that person. I knew the degree of evil she was and I knew if I didn’t act fast, that poor innocent girl might die right there on the stage if she hadn’t already. I marched down the aisle, never taking my gaze from Mia’s eyes. I climbed the few stairs in front of the stage to stare down the stunning goddess. She was even more beautiful up close. Her skin seemed to radiate as if illuminated by the sunshine, but I knew deep down what it was that really made her glow like that and I was disgusted.
“This is private play business. You’ll have to wait to see it just like everyone else,” she continued trying to play it cool.
I realized she had no clue who I was. I thought once we were face to face she would remember me from that night, but she didn’t. A shiver ran down my spine as I grasped just how many fearful parents she had probably seen, unable to remember every horror-stricken face she looked into before disappearing. I stood my ground and took one step closer to the statuesque figure in front of me. Mia’s eyes narrowed as the anger grew inside her. I turned my head to look over at the once vivacious blonde now lying on the floor.
“Wow, your play-mate here is really committed to the part,” I commented with a sarcastically impressed tone. “She’s even pretending to bleed from the head and be unconscious
, all in the name of a good rehearsal…bravo.”
Mia’s eyes grew wider in shock. Not only had I figured out she was lying, but I wasn’t even scared of her. I turned back to her and waited for a reaction, ready to take on anything she threw my way. She blinked before letting her hallow eyes scan me up and down, sizing up the threat in front of her. Apparently, she thought there wasn’t any.
“I don’t have time for this. I’ll deal with you later,” she said as she rolled her eyes and walked over to where the other girl lay motionless.
My eyes followed her as she knelt over the girl she had called Ashley. As she rested her hand on Ashley’s stomach, I could see it move up and down with small ragged breaths. It wasn’t too late to save her yet. I walked over to where they were, planning to start the battle I’d played out in my head so many times. Before I could take three steps, Mia had whipped around holding her hands outward towards me as if signaling me to stop. She was trying to do something, I just wasn’t sure what it was. I didn’t feel anything strange happening to me. She squeezed her eyes closed tightly, really concentrating on making this something happen. I took another step closer. She opened her snake-like eyes and I watched them grow in fear as I continued to make my way closer.
“Why can’t I stop you?” she whispered to herself, just loud enough for me to hear. She made one last attempt to immobilize me before I reached her. “What are you?” she asked, bewildered as she continued to kneel by her victim.
I stopped just inches from her, kneeling down to look straight into her eerie, dark eyes. The corners of my mouth curled up slowly into a deranged smile. I’d never felt more in power than I did at that moment.
“I was a mother…but now I’m the one who’s going to kill you,” I growled, never taking my eyes off Mia’s disfigured, discolored pupils.
Her facial muscles twitched as soon as I finished speaking. Sitting there on the floor, she opened her mouth wide as she belted out her wicked laugh. In the position we were in, it seemed to me I had the upper hand, but she continued to shriek with laughter. I stood up, towering over her.