Seraphina: Initiation

by Sheena Hutchinson

  “Oh get over yourself pal, Puh-lease,” rolling my eyes dramatically.

  “Admit it, you miss my psychic charm! Maybe my coffee? A Panini perhaps?”

  “Maybe,” I finally laugh breaking the last shred of oddness between us.

  “Well, I can’t disappoint the lady,” he replies hopping to his feet and heading over to the counter. I laugh climbing up after him and following him to the register.

  Admiring him as he makes my latte the special way only he can before he turns around and hands it to me over the counter, just like old times. Smiling up at him, I almost want to believe it’s a few weeks ago and that things might have turned out different.

  I’m about to take a sip of my coffee when an explosion of glass shatters onto me. I automatically duck into a defensive stance to escape the rain of glass as my eyes dart around for the culprit. All my senses are on alert, I’m preparing to use my new training to kick some ass when I see Jack being thrown back over the counter. Jack skids to the floor in front of me before jumping back to his feet like a cat. I scramble back to my feet and turn around to lock eyes with a very hostile Nate. My heart drops.

  “YOU!” Nate yells over me, pointing at Jack, “You told her to come here?!”

  “NO! Nate! I came here myself! Leave Jack out of this!” I scream trying to stay between the two as Nate walks determinedly around the corner of the counter.

  “Why don’t you let her make her own decisions!” Jack yells defiantly.

  “Jack! Will you please?” I snicker over to him before turning back to Nate, “Nate, I just came here to talk to Jack, I’m leaving now, come on.” I walk forward to take his hand, but he shrugs me off.

  “No! I’m going to take care of this guy once and for all,” he half tells me, half taunts him as he continues walking past me.

  “NO!” I scream scrambling to get between them again.

  Jack holds his ground as Nate approaches him and goes in for a swing that Jack nimbly ducks away from.

  “NATE!” I scream again, trying to reach for the arm he is pulling back once more. I miss and it swings towards Jack’s face once again. It misses and catches the side of the espresso machine. It slides off the counter like it weighed nothing before shattering to pieces.

  I take a step forward again when I hear Jack, “As much as you would love to keep her in a bubble, things are coming for her that you can’t control.” At the sound of his words Nate flips over a table that goes flying into the corner holding my favorite chair. Feeling helpless, I finally get in between the two and spread my arms out as far as they will go. Nate is pushing against my arm trying to close the gap between him and Jack, but I refuse to falter. Jack is screaming things to antagonize him into doing something, but I begin to zone them out. My eyes are closed and my mind is focused. They need to stop fighting now, I think to myself as my hands begin to swell with power. I feel them glowing and growing as the two boys finally hush their arguing. Once silence fills my once happy place, I open my eyes to see both Jack and Nate encased in their own transparent bubble. Finally content, I walk over and pick up my coffee from the counter and finally take a sip as they both stare at me. Jack is wide mouthed and Nate just has a frown on like a child that has been put in time out.

  “You guys are ridiculous, you know that?” I begin my long-winded reprimand, “I owed Jack an explanation and as much as you hate it, me and Jack will always be friends.” At the sound of ‘friends’ Jack winces, but I pretend not to notice as I carry on, “And Jack, Nate is always going to be in my life as well. There will be no more fighting over me, no more arguments, no more discussion about this and if you even think about tearing each other up I will walk willingly into a pit full of Demons unarmed and alone, is that understood?” I knew I had them both at my own self-harm. It’s the one thing they both have in common, their love for me. I take another sip as I wait until they both nod in agreement, Jack was first then Nate reluctantly second before I close my eyes and relax my mind as I release them from their bubbles.

  The air in the coffeehouse is thick with unspoken agendas, but we stand here in awkward silence until I speak. “Nate, Jack said there is a ton of weird happenings going on around here.” I try to change the subject to something useful.

  “What kind of weird happenings?” show-casing his protective side.

  “Break-ins, abnormal amount of missing persons, ghost sightings… that sort of thing,” Jack informs him unable to look at him.

  “What do you think is going on?” I ask them both before taking another sip of my coffee. No one answers so I continue, “Well, this was informative.”

  “I don’t want to discuss strategy in front of one of them.” My head automatically whips to Nate, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him talk with such disgust before.

  “That’s it!” Jack yells pulling his sleeves up preparing for a fight, “Let’s settle this once and for all!” Nate clenches his fists, all he needs is one word from me and Jack is toast.

  “Cool it! Both of you! I will walk the Demon Plank!” I roll my eyes. It’s like dealing with children.

  They both look away from each other like the thought alone will cause them to act. Jack begins to pace back and forth while Nate seems to look amused leaning against a back of a chair.

  “Okay, can we get back to the matter at hand?” I try yet again.

  “Something is happening, I can feel it.” Jack informs us still facing the broken front window.

  “This town is not my concern, she is.” Nate informs him looking at the floor.

  Jack whips around, “You think it’s the town that they are getting worked up about? NO! What ever is happening is coming for HER!” Jack screams pointing his finger at me still up on the counter. I pause with my latte still at my lips and process what he is saying, he’s right. It’s me they want. Nate knows too I can tell by how his face changes to one of fury and he has to look at his feet again.

  “Do you have any idea what they are planning?” I finally find the balls to ask.

  “I didn’t tell you, but the break ins were all hunting stores,” Jack whispers unable to meet my eyes now, “People missing, they are now armed… he’s building an army Sera.”

  My coffee falls to the floor as my whole body goes numb. I think on some level I had put two and two together already, but I was trying so hard to suppress it.

  “We got it from here,” I hear Nate state coming to my side offering me a hand to get me down from the counter.

  “I can help! I’m here for her too!” Jack screams waking me out of my trance and I stare at him before finally responding.

  “Jack, I don’t want you involved.”

  “I’m already involved! I was involved the moment you took a step into my store!” he pleads with me his eyes full with a mixture of hurt and determination. Staring into those gorgeous blue green eyes my heart breaks a little when I realize just how much he cares and I know he’s not going to give up that easy. I know that to protect him I must keep him away from this. If anything should happen to Jack because of me—I don’t know what I would do.

  “You may have been, but I am not. I think it’s best if you stay away from this Jack, this doesn’t concern you. You’re only going to get in our way.” I state shoving my feelings down and putting my high school drama classes to good use, “Thanks for the information Jack, we’ll be taking it from here.” I state hopping off the counter, reaching down to link my fingers with Nate’s as we walk towards the door. I don’t know what possesses me to do it, maybe I’m just a masochist, but I glance back to see the hurt plastered all over Jack’s face as he watches me leave him in his destroyed store arm in arm with the man I chose over him. Maybe I am evil.

  I refuse to let Nate open the car door for me. I make sure I beat him there and slump down into the car wishing I could disappear. Nate climbs in puts his key in the ignition, but before he puts the car into drive he states, “I’m sorry, I know how hard that was for you.”

  Something so simp
le, yet it was all I needed to hear. I sigh turning to glance out the window at the scenery of my old town blurring past me as Nate heads back towards our home. Only as I continue to stare, something doesn’t feel right. This town is different from the one I had left only a few days ago, this town is an imposter.

  “STOP!” I suddenly scream, surprising Nate to screech to a halt as I jump out into the middle of the street. I dash across the sidewalk towards Mr. Green’s supermarket, where I thought I saw something, although I’m not sure if it was with my eyes or my senses. Nate is on me before I even reach the parking lot.

  “Sera what are you doing? What is going on?” grabbing my shoulders trying to stop me from continuing forward.

  “Nate, look…” I point ahead to the broken front window of the supermarket. He’s silent. “They were here…” I think out loud as a crack of lightning sounds and thunder rumbles close behind in dramatic irony. I slowly approach the glass-shattered sidewalk inspecting the damage. All that seems to be missing is food. Shelves and shelves of food spewed all over the floor, like a pack of wild ravenous dogs just invaded.

  “Hey there, Red.” I whip around so fast at the disgusting nickname that sickens my stomach. Only this time my eyes are met with different ones. They lock with the black alien eyes of Gabe sitting atop a rack of carts. I can see his huge muscles even through the dark, but it’s the missing arm at the elbow that makes my breath catch in my throat. “Fancy meeting you here,” he tries his hand at sarcasm as lighting strikes across the sky behind him.

  “Yeah, you know, just out for a late night ride just trying to scope out how I’m going to die and all,” his sarcasm is still no match for mine.

  “I take it this is Mr. Account,” he mocks my attempt at turning him off at work. Nate tenses at my side. I may have forgot to tell him about Gabe.

  “Yup, my account, in the flesh,” I wrap my arm around Nate’s partly to prove my point, but mainly to keep him from full on attacking. I want to try and get more information out of this guy before the inevitable.

  “Hungry are we?” I joke pointing to the remnants of a store behind me.

  “Yea you know, I like to indulge after I shed my human flesh,” he states licking his lips while he stares at me. It’s not his eyes that bother me. It’s the snake like tongue that hisses while he does it that makes my insides crawl inside themselves.

  “Well, this new skin suits you,” repulsion dripping off my every word.

  “You know we could have made a great account together,” finally hopping off of the cart rack and coming towards us, “It’s too bad…” the sentence drifts off because we both know what he means.

  Before my eyes have time to keep up Nate has disappeared from my side and I whip around to see that Gabe is missing too. Behind me there is a boom that shakes the ground I’m standing on. My immediate thought is the thunder, but I turn around to see Gabe and Nate through the dust of fallen aisles locked in an epic battle. Oh crap. I break into a run, hop through the shattered window, and dash towards them. Nate must sense me coming for him because he never looks in my direction, but raises his hand to me as if saying stop and I go flying. He pushed me back out of the store with his mind, I fly back through the window and land on my back in the parking lot on a bed of air. Furious, I climb back to my feet as the pelting rain begins to fall and try again. I notice my hands are starting to glow with power that can only be coming from sheer anger. That’s when Gabe comes hopping through the window in one leap. Pausing directly in front of me eyeing my glowing hands as the rain soaks into his dark clothes. All I can think of is Nate. What has he done to him?!

  “Well, this has been fun Angel, but I have bigger plans for you,” he snickers with a strange creepy smile sprawled all over his face and humor behind his eyes. “I’ll see you soon,” he leaves me with that promise before blowing me a kiss and taking off into the trees next to the store and leaving me to stare at the shattered window debating whether I can handle this or not.

  Thankfully, I don’t have to debate long because Nate comes leaping over the window just in time to prevent my melt down. He looks pissed, I don’t know what happened in there but it Nate is out for blood. I don’t care. Lighting cracks across the sky again clicking my mind into action as I run to him through the pouring rain. I pull his dirty soaked shirt to me as I hop on my tippy toes and my lips touch his. I feel his body relax into me as the anger fades from the front of his mind. His strong arms wrap around me pulling me closer to him. Feeling the warmth of his body against mine makes my hands release his shirt and reach for his face deepening our kiss. His protectiveness has its downfalls, but it’s times like this that it’s so hot. The rain feels like it’s penetrating my skin by now, but I don’t seem to mind. I promised myself to live in the moment more –and this moment I needed Nate.

  Chapter 12: Lost Hope

  Jack

  Something happened. I can feel it, the evil. My senses are overwhelming right now as I dash out of the shop. I don’t care what Sera said, I can’t just let her blow me off like that. I love her. I wish I didn’t, I wish it was someone else. But unfortunately, Sera is all my mind can think about day and night. I’m running down the street in this pouring rain, but I’m determined to figure out what is going on around here. She must care about me! She came to me! I know on some level she has feelings for me too. Maybe if she can see how much I will go through to protect her, if she can only see what I would do for her, then she will realize she made the wrong choice. I’m getting closer I can feel it, the evil all over this place. Well, that’s different –it’s Mr. Green’s Supermarket. I pause before rounding the corner to the entrance, I hope whatever was here is gone. If having the sight has taught me anything it is not to be afraid of the unknown. I just hope whatever it is will see me as one of them and causes me no harm. It’s my one hope as I turn around the corner. Correction, it was my one hope. Looking at the sight in front of me all my hopes and endless dreams have just been washed down the sewer with the rain.

  She’s standing there her arms wrapped around him with her hands on his face kissing him like I’ve always dreamed about. I think I’m in shock, I can’t move. I think maybe I’m a masochist because I continue to stare at them flat out making out like a corny movie right here in the supermarket parking lot. How could she do this to me? Right here? Flaunt her choice right here out in the open for all to see? I feel the anger grow inside of me. This ignites something in me, I feel it spreading its way through my veins and envelope my entire body. My heart turns cold as stone, before I finally turn away and walk back towards my store. She will regret this—she will see she made the wrong choice. I want her to feel like I do right now in this very moment. Yet, there is something inside me that doesn’t want to give up on her. I will still do anything to have her, anything. I think it’s time to place a call I’ve been avoiding. I think it’s time I have her.

  Chapter 13: Demonic Dreams

  I’m walking along a wheat field at dusk. I notice I’m alone as I begin to feel the wind sway the wheat against my bare legs. I extend my arm down and run my hand through the stalks of wheat. I find it kind of tickles as I pick up my pace. I’m skipping through the field now humming a song I don’t think I’ve ever heard before. I begin to hear the crowing of birds in the background and I freeze in my tracks. Without warning, I begin to see eyes through the stalks of corn. Red eyes. They seem to multiply and they are growing larger and larger as they approach. Coming to my senses, I break into a run, but I already know it’s too late. I’m running as fast as I can, heart pounding, fists pumping so fast, I almost run straight into one. He seems to sprout up from the ground and block my path. He looks like, yea—it’s Gabe again. Demon-Gabe—tall with big muscles rippling from his tan skin and those eyes, dark and soulless. He turns his head to the side slightly like a creepy animal before letting out a sound I can only compare to an evil growl. I’m being surrounded on all sides as I spin around looking for a way out when they come at me hard and fast. All
I can see is a blur of red eyes and flesh. I can feel their hot breath against my skin as I begin to try and shield myself. I try and fend them off with my newfound strength and speed, but there are just too many. They are all over me, pulling me down. I feel my back hit the dirt hard and they are all grabbing for me at the same time. It’s as if they multiplied in a matter of seconds. I can count hundreds piling on top, trying to get a piece of me. I can’t breathe. I feel them pulling my hair, as they claw at me. They’re scratching, peeling my skin off it’s as if they all want a piece of me. I can feel them penetrate my skin and I scream as loud as I can. I’m still kicking and putting up a fight, but the more I fight, the harder they scratch and claw at me. I’m kicking and screaming trying to push them off me when I’m being shaken again and again as I scream so loud it echoes in my ears…

  “Sera! Sera!” Nate is shaking me awake. I’m looking around in shock trying to place where I am. It takes me a few minutes to stop screaming and realize I’m safe in my room, still in my bed. It was a dream!

  “Sera what happened?” Nate asks me as he reaches over to the night table and turn on the lamp.

  “I just had another bad dream,” I state rubbing my eyes as the light hits me.

  I can hear Nate gasp and I pull my hands away to look at him. Following his eyes down to my skin, I notice I’m covered head to toe in red scratches. They look like they are from hundreds of hands clawing at me, some are even so deep they are bleeding. I must be in shock all I can do is look up at Nate as I feel my eyes welling up with tears. Without another word, he picks me up and carries me to the bathroom. In his arms I begin to feel the tears drip down my cheeks. He places me on the corner of the marble tub as he draws me a bath and pours the whole bottle of lavender soap into it. He turns back to me to take my nightgown off, when I finally come to my senses.