“Detention!” Ms. Trunkle shouted, cutting him off. “You little brat! You have detention for a month!”
“Whatever,” I said turning and walking out of the office. I could hear her shouting at me to stop, or she would have me suspended, but I couldn’t have cared less. The old man was following me now. We reached the edge of the walkway that would lead out to the parking lot and the security guards.
I turned to him and said, “Who are you? And why did she say that we have the same last name?”
“Agnes conjured me an ID, so I could come and get you. She said you would probably be at school-”
“How would she know that? She doesn’t even know what school I go to! Where is my dad? And Bruce? Why aren’t they here? Or at least just my dad. Who in the hell are you?”
“I’m a friend.” He smiled at me and then said, “My name is Lucian. Please, I need to take you to Agnes now. She is very worried about you.” He grabbed my elbow gently and began trying to lead me to the parking lot.
“Hey!” I said, yanking my arm away from him. “Don’t touch me. I can drive myself to Agnes. I don’t need you leading me anywhere.”
“She is not at her shop. She is elsewhere. She specifically asked me to bring you. So, please,” he said, reaching out to grab my elbow again. I quickly backed away from him, then turned and started walking towards the parking lot.
“I’ll follow you, okay? I have my own car.”
“Audrey,” he said, coming after me, “You need to come with me in my vehicle. We should not take two cars. That is pointless.”
“No,” I said, stopping and turning to face him. “Driving with you is pointless. Haven’t you ever heard the saying ‘Never talk to strangers’? Well, you’re a stranger…and you’re totally strange. So get the hell away from me if you don’t want me to scream.”
He came up very close to me, and I tried to step away from him, but he grabbed my arm tightly and pulled me roughly towards him. “Listen to me, you little twit. You will get into my car, and you will shut your filthy mouth until I tell you to open it. Do you understand me?”
What the hell? This guy was crazy, and a total perv. Suddenly something dawned on me. “You’re from The Council, aren’t you? Son of a bitch.” I shook my head in frustration and then tried to pull away again.
“If you don’t want your father to be killed, you will do what I say and shut up.” He was gritting his teeth and trying to make it appear as if we weren’t arguing. I glanced around and saw a security guard looking in our direction. I stopped struggling and said, “Tell me where he is now, or I will scream bloody murder. If you really knew where he was, and wanted me to believe you, you would give me something that would convince me.”
He glared at me angrily and said, “I don’t have to tell you anything. Start walking.”
“That’s what I thought you would say.” I opened my mouth wide and screamed as loud as I could. He let me go quickly after that and tried running away to his car. The security guard who had been watching us seemed to be anticipating this however, and he approached Lucian and stopped him where he was.
I took this as the perfect opportunity to get out of there, and I ran out to my car, not bothering to look back. I thought I heard someone else shout my name, but I didn’t care. I booked it to my dad’s car and jumped in, jamming the key into the ignition. I tore out of there and headed for Magick Eye.
When I got there, the main entrance was open, but the annex was dark. I went into the main part of the shop and asked a girl who seemed to be my age where Agnes was.
“Ohhh…” She looked up from what she was doing, totally dazed, and glanced lazily around the shop. Then she slowly made her way back to some sort of hazy eye contact with me and said, “I don’t know!” She smiled absently and then looked back down at some papers she had been shuffling around.
What was with people today? A raving bitch, a psycho, and now a complete airhead.
I sighed loudly, resisting the urge to reach over the counter and throttle this chick, demanding information on Agnes’s whereabouts that I knew she probably didn’t have. “Excuse me,” I glanced down at her name tag and thought, how appropriate, “Star?”
She looked up at me again and gave me a blank, dreamy smile. It was as if I were a new customer. How did this chick hold down a job? She definitely wouldn’t last long here. “Hi again, I really need to know if Agnes has been in today. At all. Is there anyone else who can help me maybe?
“Agnes? No…she’s not here. Is there someone else who can help you?”
Okay…that was it. I reached across the counter, grabbed her frilly shirt by the collar, yanked her forward, and bit her cheek as hard as I could. I started digging my teeth into it so that I could try and yank the flesh right off when I felt her begin to struggle, and she also started screaming super loud, and I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that I would have to run. But I just wanted a piece of her warm, salty flesh to take with me. It tasted amazing.
I felt someone suddenly start beating me on the back with something hard, and I reluctantly unclenched my jaw from the idiot’s face to quickly knock away whoever it was that was hitting me. I swung my arm behind me and missed, and then turned around, licking the blood and little bits of skin I had managed to tear from her face off of my lips. I was suddenly facing a tall, gawky D&D nerd, made obvious by his twelve sided die t-shirt, with some witty remark on it. As if he really needed that damn shirt to make it obvious to everyone that he was a nerd. His buck teeth and coke bottle glasses alone could have made that point loud and clear.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked him coolly.
I must have looked pretty terrifying, because he started sputtering, and backing away slowly, holding out the large wooden figurine he had hit me with which appeared to be some Egyptian god or goddess that I couldn’t have cared less about at that moment.
“Get out!” He suddenly screeched at me. He was shaking, and he came close to dropping the figurine a couple of times. I glanced over at the girl, Star, and she was frozen in terror, holding her cheek in place. I realized I had torn it open when I bit her. It was barely holding on.
Suddenly it dawned on me that I wasn’t exactly behaving rationally. “I think I should just…go.” I said slowly, backing away from the nerd, putting my hands up in a calming gesture.
“That’s right! Damn it!” He brandished the figurine at me as I backed out, yelling a few choice phrases at me that he probably picked up from some cheesy action movie.
As I stepped out of the shop, I turned and ran to my car, heart pounding, with the taste of someone’s flesh and blood still in my mouth. And I liked it.
__
I sat in the Nova, hiding out in an underground parking garage far, far away from Magick Eye, thinking about what in the hell I was supposed to do. So obviously, Agnes’s last spell hadn’t worked. That girl’s flapping cheek back at the shop made that pretty apparent.
I glanced up at every person that walked by. Did I want to go after them? I didn’t necessarily feel an urge to. It just seemed totally natural to rip into Star’s soft, tender, juicy flesh…and chew. Man, it was so good.
I shook my head quickly from side to side to try and stop thinking about it. My reaction, or I guess I should say the attack, seemed to have been triggered by my anger, and how close we were. Once I had smelled her that was it. That chick was so stupid though! She deserved it… I shook my head again. This was bad. No more socializing.
But I had to find my dad! And Bruce, too. Shit. Where were they? And where was Agnes? No, you know what? Who cared about her? Her stupid spells hadn’t worked, and a majority
of this was her fault anyway! She could rot, for all I cared. Or…if I did find them…I could get her alone and-
No! I shouted to myself. Man, what was happening? I was so screwed. I had to go somewhere and hide. Somewhere no one could possibly find me. Some girl’s life was permanently damaged now because of me. I slammed my head down onto
the steering wheel in frustration and jumped when I made the horn beep by accident. I leaned back up and then after a moment, I started the car. I was going to head back home and see if anyone had shown up. And I would explain to them what was happening to me now, so that no one would come near me.
Damn it! I thought to myself. Now I would never be allowed back at Magick Eye. I sighed loudly. Oh well.
__
I pulled up slowly to the front of my house, parking on the street. I sat for a few minutes in the car, realizing no one was there still. What was I supposed to do? I felt totally lost. I got out of the car and walked grudgingly to the front door. I unlocked it and walked into the living room. Lucian was sitting in my dad’s chair, facing me.
“Hello Audrey. Have you been having fun?”
I froze, not knowing if I should run or stand my ground. This was my house after all, and he had broken in. Did he have a key or something? I couldn’t even tell that the lock had been messed with.
“It’s called magick, Audrey,” he said, seeming to read my thoughts. “Please, sit down. We really do need to talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you! You tried to kidnap me, and now you’re in my house? And you want me to just sit and pretend everything is okay? You’re totally nuts!” I folded my arms across my chest and said, “Get out. This is my house and I will call the police-”
“Dominastre,” Lucian whispered fiercely.
Suddenly I began walking over to the couch, not of my own accord, and I sat down and stared straight at him. “What is this? Some sort of mind control?” I was fuming. I couldn’t even uncross my arms! I sat there, struggling to pull my arms apart.
“Could you please refrain from flailing around like a moron? I will explain why I am here, and what I need you to do.”
“I’m not doing anything. Do you hear me? If I could move you would seriously be regretting this right now.”
“Oh I see. You would bite my face then, would you? Leave my cheek gaping open so I could feed myself without even having to open my mouth?”
My eyes opened wide in surprise. “How did you…?”
“I followed you,” he said stonily.
I looked down at my lap, slightly embarrassed.
“Now will you just listen to me?”
I grudgingly nodded my head yes. It’s not like I had much of a choice.
“We need to find Besnik and your family, as well as Agnes. He has done something with all of them. We need to locate them and bring them back here.”
“Why do you need to find my family? Why can’t you just worry about Besnik? I can find my family on my own.”
“No, you can’t. You’re changing too rapidly. By the time you locate them, if you even could for that matter, you won’t care who they are anymore--you will eat them. We are trying to save them from you. As well as everyone else, of course,” he added as an afterthought. “Besnik is a valuable resource to our team. Just because he is retired, does not mean we do not still need him.”
“So what exactly do you need from me? It seems more like I shouldn’t be around.”
“Precisely. I need you to agree to stay here, doing nothing while I go out and search for everyone. I want you to agree to not leave this house. This will keep everyone around you safe, and keep you from being tempted. And I will get your family back.”
I stared at him, not understanding why he wanted to save my family, or where the rest of the council was, for that matter. Shouldn’t we all just be dead now? That’s what Agnes had told us.
“Where is everyone else?” I asked him.
“What do you mean?”
“The rest of The Council. Why are you the only one here? I figured they would send in the troops or whatever.”
“They heard of your situation. Of it being…unique. They would like to see if Agnes is onto something, with stopping the transformation. Although, now, with what happened at the shop a little earlier, I think we need to try something else as soon as possible. That is why I would like you to please listen to me and stay here. Do not leave. I will find them and bring them back. I have an idea of where they could have gone.”
I looked at him skeptically for a minute, wondering if he was scamming me in some way or just trying to get me killed. But why would he be doing that? I was too naïve to understand the bigger picture here. I needed my dad, and Bruce. I needed someone else who actually cared about me to help me out. I was changing. I could feel it in my head. I couldn’t think clearly and it was driving me crazy. So I came to a decision then. I would agree with what he said to do, and if he did anything that I didn’t like, I would eat him. Simple as that.
I smiled slowly and said, “Okay, fine. If you can really find my dad and Bruce, and they don’t get hurt, then I will wait here like you asked me to.”
He looked back at me and seemed to hesitate for a moment, maybe seeing something in my eyes that scared him. “Alright them, I’m off.” He gathered his coat and a few items he had brought with him and headed for the door. He looked back at me and said, “Remember Audrey, do not leave the house.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something first?” I struggled to try and uncross my arms, and began to grow annoyed again that he could have this power over me.
“Oh yes, of course. Eliberase,” he said casually, walking out the door.
I felt instantly relieved at the sudden use of my limbs again, and shouted out to him as he was closing the door, “Remember not to hurt any of them!”
He had just finished closing the door behind him, but I knew he heard me. Suddenly I heard the locks click quietly into place. How did he do that?
__
I lay in my bed for a while, not really wanting to watch T.V. or do anything else. I figured having a snack (normal food) and then trying to take a nap would keep me out of trouble. It wasn’t working though. I was so completely wide awake.
How could I have bitten that girl’s face? Images of her cheek dangling all loose and everything from the side of her head kept flashing through my mind. And how she had tried holding it in place afterwards…I shuddered.
But then I thought about the taste and the way it made me feel to be that close to her, to feel my teeth dig into her soft, mouthwatering flesh. It had ripped apart so easily when I pulled on it.
Okay, this had to stop. Otherwise I was going to do something I would regret. Well, maybe not me. But whoever it happened to wouldn’t be too happy about it.
I got up and went out to the living room again and sat down on the couch. I turned the T.V. on and started flipping the channels, hoping to find some mind-numbing talk show, where the men vehemently denied cheating and the women screamed for tests to prove paternity, and the audience seemed to relish in their misery. Phantom sprang up out of nowhere and started walking around in a circle next to me, trying to find a comfortable spot. I watched him do this for about a minute, until he finally came to rest directly on my feet.
I turned back to the T.V. and kept watching, but after a few minutes I started to realize Phantom was really warm. He really gave off a lot of heat for such a little guy! I stared down at him, watching him breath, and eventually he glanced up at me without moving his head. We stared at each other like that for a few seconds until finally I began to pet him. He leaned his head into it and arched his back appreciatively, not knowing what I was about to do when I quickly wrapped both of my hands around him, pulled him to my mouth, and bit him on the ear. I was actually trying to go for his throat, but he swiveled his head at the last second. I gnawed into cartilage and pulled his little ear right off, chewing on it like a piece of beef jerky. He began yowling and hissing crazily, trying to claw his way out of my grip. I looked back down at him while I was chewing, and he clawed me right across the cheek.
“Damn it!” I shouted, choking a little on his ear as I swallowed it.
I stood up, still holding him tightly, and then suddenly released him. He streaked away so quickly I didn’t even see which direction he went. What was I
doing?? I had just bitten off my cat’s ear! What the hell! I needed to get out of here. No! I had to stay. If I did that to my cat, imagine what I would do to people. Like that girl today… My mouth immediately began to salivate at the thought, and I suddenly headed for the door, remembered to grab my keys at the last second, and bolted out of the house.
Chapter 9
Brains were funny looking things--gray, swirly…complex. And we didn’t even use them to their full potential! So what was the attraction of a damn brain for me, and why did I find myself staring at one through some stupid storefront window? I realized suddenly that I didn’t even know where I was, or worse, what I had been doing for the last few hours. Not since I had maimed my poor cat.
Suddenly I looked down at my hands to see if I had any blood on them or any other sort of evidence that would pinpoint what my recent activities had been. They appeared to be clean. I looked back up at the brain placed on a column in the storefront window and felt a fresh wave of disappointment when I realized again that it was just plastic. I shivered slightly and wrapped my arms around myself. When had it gotten dark? I needed to get back home and stay out of trouble.
I turned away from the window and began walking slowly, with my head angled down facing the sidewalk. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings, which in my current state was most likely a really bad idea, and I felt myself slam into someone who had been walking towards me from the opposite direction. I stumbled clumsily over to the street, almost falling off the sidewalk completely.
“Watch it, you little bitch!”
I managed to catch my balance before landing in the gutter, and I mumbled out a quick apology and then kept walking. I had no desire to confront anyone at the moment. I just wanted to get home.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
I could hear the person, a man, catching up to me, and I groaned inwardly. Why now? I had said I was sorry and it was obviously an accident! He sounded pissed off, too. I stopped, and turned around to face him. I waited for him to get up close to me.
Who is Audrey Wickersham? Page 12