by Sin Ribbon
Sirius bolts upright, his ears perking in alert. He notices his owner’s jerking movements and whines. He licks at Orion’s hand hanging over the side of the couch, but she’s too entranced by her dreams to react. Her eyes move rapidly beneath her eyelids, and a muffled cry escapes her lips.
The concerned pup paces the living room with his tail tucked between his legs. Orion’s twitches become more erratic, her body now convulsing in seizure-like spasms. Her strained whimpers bellow into grumbled howls. Sirius lets out an anxious bark and shrinks to the dining room, taking refuge beneath the table therein.
As Orion shakes wildly, the front door latch unlocks, and Thane enters the apartment. Immediately noticing the troubled state of his roommate, he rushes to her side and attempts to rouse her awake.
“Orion! Hey! Wake up, Orion!” His eyes are wide with worry. He grips her shoulders and gently shakes her.
The spasms recede as Orion’s eyelids flutter open. When they do, Thane is taken aback. No longer the evergreen hue, her irises have clouded with a deep, ominous red. Sirius barks from beneath the dining room table. Thane’s mind races, unable to process yet another bizarre event in his surreal evening, but with the speed of a blink, the red fades, replaced by Orion’s usual green.
“Are you all right?!” he asks, scanning for signs of injury.
She shakes her head and moves to sit upright. “Yeah ... crazy dream.” She rubs her head before checking the clock on the living room wall. “You weren’t gone long.”
“Yeah, well, it’s been a crazy night for me too.” Thane exhales with relief and flops on the couch next to his roommate. “You sure you’re okay? You were shaking pretty badly.”
“I was?” Orion rubs her neck, recovering. The redhead can tell her energy is deflated by more than mere tiredness. She curls her knees into her chest and embraces herself. “I guess I’m not surprised after a dream like that.”
Gathering her thoughts, she notices Thane isn’t himself either. He’s shaken, apprehensive with the type of wrinkled forehead that anticipates bad news. Few things wear down that confident exterior, but she knows when they do, he’ll confide in her.
“What was it about?” Thane probes.
“Hmm ... You seem like you have a lot more on your mind. Why don’t you go first?”
“Trust me, you first. Then I’ll fill you in.” He follows with a nervous chuckle.
“Oh, it’s gonna be one of those nights?” Orion takes a deep breath. At this point, Sirius feels comfortable returning to his master’s side. He warily approaches and allows her to run a supportive stroke down his head. Satisfied that she is back to her old self, he rubs up against the couch and has a seat next to her.
“I was in a strange place,” Orion begins. “Fog, smoke, I dunno. It was everywhere, and it was hot as hell. The air was ... boiling. I kept hearing this hiss, like something was sizzling.”
Thane firms his gaze. His grip on his knees tightens, but Orion is too engrossed scratching behind Sirius’ ears to notice.
“I saw these figures in the mist,” she continues.
“How many?” The words blurt out sharply.
Orion turns, surprised by Thane’s pressing interest in the topic. She pauses to think. “Um, three, I think? No, a small figure too.” The memory returns to her: steam parting to reveal a fragment of the shorter figure’s face and a glimpse of its penetrating, milky white eyes. Orion tenses. “That’s right ... The smaller one, a girl maybe. So it was four then. Together.”
Thane goes rigid. Glancing at him, the redhead feels a chill run down her spine; something has him disturbed in a way she’s never seen him. “Thane, what happened to you?”
He inhales deeply. “A lot. For starters, I had a similar dream earlier today. I saw four figures watching me from the shadows, and then ...” His words trail off as he touches his chest, breath straining.
Her emerald eyes widen. “It happened to you too.”
Thane blinks, trying to stay on track. “That’s not all. The girl I met earlier—the phone number—she told me it would happen.”
“... Okay, this just went from surreal to fucked.” The redhead throws her palms into the air, conceding to whatever greater forces are at work. Thane doesn’t flinch, his intensity communicating the severity of the situation. Orion gawks in disbelief. “You’re serious? She—I mean,” she fumbles for the right words. “Like she predicted it? Did she drug you? Somebody drugged you.”
Orion hops to her feet and paces the living room. She waves her arms in a nervous huff. “Man, have you got a penchant for crazy!”
Thane groans as he rubs the bridge of his nose. “Can we leave my love life out of this for once?” He stands and pulls Orion to look him dead in the eye. “I’m serious, all right? Now, can we calm down and figure this out?”
“Booze first. Logic later.” She hustles to the kitchen and grabs a bottle of tequila from the top cabinet. Pouring herself a couple ounces, she takes a sip and a deep breath.
“Good now?” Thane asks, his arms folded impatiently.
She nods. “Okay. Let’s assess. I just had a dream where a tall, creepy figure plunged its hand into my chest and tried to strangle me. You’re telling me you had the same dream. Oh, but not just that! Some random chick you met on the street told you that it was gonna happen. Ahead of time. Have I got that right?”
He shrugs. “Pretty much.”
“I dunno what the hell is going on, but I hope that I’m still dreaming.” She downs the rest of the tequila and pours herself another. “So if I’ve got the pretty much, are you gonna fill me in on the details?”
Finally feeling his muscles relax, Thane pulls off his leather jacket and tosses it on the couch. He stretches to clear his mind. “I first spotted her when I was picking up your Agent Orange album. She followed me for a while. No—it was more like she knew where I was going.”
Orion leans against the counter, her drink firm in hand.
“She said I was going to have a dream that would change me and told me to call when it happened. I met her at Diablo’s, and she promised to explain everything afterward. Claimed she had the power of clairvoyance. The show started, and then ... I don’t know. I had some kind of vision.”
Orion shifts forward. Even Sirius lets out a concerned whimper in response to the rising tension.
“It felt a lot like the dream from before, but I was awake. I saw this woman, and like a piece of meat, she was hanging from the rafters.” He squints his eyes shut. Orion can see the subject is difficult. “And the crowd reaching upward for her. She was ...”
“Hey, I got it. It’s okay.”
“Hell, you know me, Orion. I’ll take on a survival horror game any day. I’ve cleaned the rot off most of the skulls in here, but this was real. It was happening right in front of me. I could smell the blood, and this pain in my chest? I still feel it.”
The redhead nods, placing her hand over her own chest. “Yeah, for me too. The pain, the dream ... it was so vivid. That was night terror level.” She shakes it off. “What did you do after that vision?”
“Got the hell out of there for starters. Rushed home and found you fucking convulsing on the couch.”
“Yeah and apparently to the same dream you had.” She bites the rim of her glass as she mulls over the information. “So you’re sure this woman didn’t drug you or something?”
“I did feel strange after having a drink at the venue, but that doesn’t explain her accosting me on the street before the fact.”
“Suppose you’re right ... Wait, didn’t you say something about her explaining everything?”
He nods. “Yeah, and I think it’s time we got some answers.” He takes out his phone and begins texting. To Orion’s comfort, his usual tenacity seems to be returning. After a moment, his phone beeps in response.
“All right, she’s on her way.”
“So ...” Orion smirks.
She can tell Thane already dislikes her change in tone. “Don’t start.”
“No, no, hear me out. I just thought of how we can find out if all of this is legit.”
He stares with reserved interest.
“She claims to be clairvoyant, right? So we’ll test her. If she nails every question, then we’ll know all of this is real and obviously something bigger is going on. But if she doesn’t, we’ll just have to hope this is a bad trip we can sleep off.”
His face falls deadpan. “Your carefree approach to even the most serious situations continues to astound me.”
She winks. “I try.”
An abrupt knock on the door spurs Sirius to bark. Orion jumps at the sound, shocked that Thane’s guest could arrive so soon, and judging from the expression on her roommate’s face, he feels the same. Orion quickly swallows the last bit of tequila in her glass before Thane opens the door. When he does, she’s surprised to see a beautiful young woman enter. She’s dressed in vintage clothing with a cello case holstered on her back.
Sirius does his routine investigation of the new stranger: He approaches in a protective yet tentative stance. After a quick smell, his tail wags with delight. His evaporated distrust surprises Orion more than anything. The brunette responds with a friendly pat.
She smiles at Thane then shifts her attention to Orion, catching the redhead off guard. There’s a weathered maturity to this woman, a depth belied by her cheerful exterior yet evident from the intensity in her eyes.
“Nice to meet you, Orion.” She beams and holds out her hand.
Orion shakes the mysterious woman’s hand, albeit with some hesitation. The redhead has about five inches and probably the same amount of years on the brunette. Despite that, Orion feels a sense of dread rising within her, the look of this woman sobering her irreverence.
“Um, hi,” Orion responds.
“My name is Siha.” She turns to Thane. “May I set my cello over here?”
He shrugs. “Yeah, sure.”
Still processing, Orion decides to head to the kitchen to pour a few glasses of water. Thane has a seat on the couch and crosses his arms with typical stoicism. Orion returns with the waters and plops next to her raven-haired companion while Siha sets her cello in the corner. Both assume Siha will start by explaining the bizarre circumstances, but instead, she immerses herself in their living room artifacts, oblivious to the tension. She moseys around, observing the animal skulls, esoteric book titles, and framed photographs. Passing by Scorpio, she taps on the glass with innocent curiosity before turning to the perplexed roommates.
Thane wastes no time. “So are you going to tell us what the hell is going on?”
“Fine, fine. You’re understandably eager.” Siha grabs a chair from the dining room and sets it down in front of the couch. After getting comfortable, she takes a humble sip of water and turns her interest to Thane. “First off, are you doing all right? You ran out of the club like the building was on fire.” Her word choice strikes Orion as patronizing, a contrast to the brunette’s sincere tone.
Thane stiffens. “I’m fine. Could say the same about your arrival here. Don’t think it took you five minutes.”
“I was worried, what with how terrified you looked back there. Besides, I thought you’d be wanting that explanation, so I was hanging around the area.”
“Uh huh.” He makes no effort to hide his sarcasm. “Speaking of which, care to fill us in?”
Orion observes their exchange. It’s becoming clear to her why Thane was rattled by their encounter; this woman acts like she knows him.
Siha prepares a breath. Her cheery expression falls to a solemn one. “As Thane probably told you, my power is clairvoyance. That’s my ability—and my purpose—in this group. I know Thane is part of the group as well, and that’s why I approached him. My visions showed me that he would have a traumatic dream, so I thought I should warn him.”
“Hey! I also had that dream, y’know,” Orion protests.
“You too?” Siha breaks eye contact, contemplative. “Then you must be part of the group as well, though I already suspected as much.”
“What group?” Thane interrupts.
Siha crosses her ankles and rubs one of her shoulders, like a fawn that cradles into itself to hide from predators. Orion scrutinizes these little movements and wonders why this woman seems so hesitant to deliver the news. “Ten people, divided into two groups, deciding the future,” Siha answers.
“Okay,” Orion proclaims with condescension. “It’s a bad trip after all. Time to get going.” She waves her hands towards the door.
The brunette narrows her eyes. “You and Thane met online fourteen years ago on a spirituality forum. Thane was fifteen. You were seventeen. You never dated, even though many expected you to. You’re kindred spirits because neither of you have been able to find a place in today’s society. You both feel a sense of emptiness accentuated by your traumatic pasts, and the one thing that seems to lessen that void is each other’s company.”
Orion stops dead. Even Thane’s mouth hangs open, unprepared for the onslaught of insight.
Siha continues. “Both of you began by replying to each other’s comments, but the memorable moment that solidified your friendship was when Orion said: If you ask me if the carpet matches the drapes, I will hunt you down.”
Orion spits out her water as an exasperated Thane pulls his hands over his face.
“Are you ready to listen to me now?” Siha cocks her head to the side, sporting a small but confident smile.
The roommates exchange a look. Orion purses her lips, satisfied that Siha has passed the test.
Thane groans. “If you’re really that perceptive, then you understand why we’re skeptical.”
“I do.” Siha laughs with an exhale. “I know it sounds grandiose, but the three of us and seven others have been chosen. We’ve been granted supernatural abilities for the purpose of determining the fate of this world, and whether we intend it or not, our paths will coalesce.”
Orion stares perplexed, unable to process the gravity of the words she’s hearing. “Okay, you’ve got the benefit of the doubt, but why would random people determine the fate of the world? Why does it need to be determined at all?”
Siha shifts her weight, expression somber. “That’s a good question. If it were up to me, we would all have the freedom to live normal lives.” The sudden severity in her voice gives the roommates pause.
Orion frowns, still unconvinced. “But why us?”
The young brunette slumps her head, tone abruptly curt. “What does it matter? All we can do is prepare for it now.”
The roommates exchange a look of suspicion, but only Thane interjects. “Then what are we supposed to do? What’s going to happen exactly?”
“You’ve both already seen the beginning. A dark entity is trying to claw its way into you. You have to resist it until the others reveal themselves; their powers will be able to help you. Sadly, the only thing I can offer is a head’s up.”
Orion sets her water glass on the coffee table, movements rigid from her dumbfounded state. “So you’re saying ... that to make us decide the world’s fate ... we’re being possessed ... with some supernatural power?”
“... Yes. As I said, there are two groups that make up the ten individuals, and as far as I can tell, they’re meant to fight against one another. This dark force will overpower you both to fulfill that end, but I’ve no idea what kind of future it wants the ten of us to determine.”
The redhead shakes her head, suspension of disbelief waning. “What does that even mean? Possessed by what exactly?” She leaps up, shouting all the while. “Psychic? Fine, I can accept that. Crazy weird dreams? Sure, the more the merrier! But you’re talking about some kind of great destiny—”
Thane rises to his feet, cutting his roommate short. His dark eyes lock onto Siha, and Orion recognizes that cold, forceful gaze. “Get out.” The words are brief but biting.
Siha doesn’t appear fazed however. She stands and heads for the door, pausing before she exits. “I know
it’s hard to believe now. I’ll be around when you need me again.” Sirius whines as the door closes behind her.
Orion huffs. “Shit. Haven’t seen you that serious in a while.”
“I stopped myself, believe it or not. I was torn between calling her bullshit or her bluff.”
“Well, she was right about everything else ... but she lost me at fate of the world.”
Thane breezes past her without a word and into the kitchen to pour himself a bourbon. Orion pouts, conflicted. A doting Sirius nuzzles his master’s leg and receives a few loving pets in return. As she loves on her furry friend, she catches a glimpse of Siha’s cello still nestled in the corner.
“Thane,” she begins. Her raven-haired companion doesn’t turn around. “What if the dreams continue?”
He grips the counter and slumps forward. “Then I guess we’ll have to reconsider.” He downs his shot of bourbon in a single gulp.
~ SEVEN ~
Riya
Mist hovers in the air on this grey, rainy day. The towering skyscrapers of New York City dwarf the five-foot-four Indian-American as she fumbles with her smartphone for directions. Outside the hub of the Greyhound bus station on Eighth Avenue, Riya scans the surrounding area in search of sustenance. She spots a coffee shop down the block and feels her feet moving before her brain has time to agree.
Phone still in hand, she texts a message to Cassy, “Arrived in NY. Couldn’t have done it without you. <3”
The city is loud and bustling, greater in size and population than Boston. It’s nothing the raven-haired woman can’t handle, but the sharp, geometric lines and slabs of concrete and steel loom like a procession of closed gateways, urging her to move along. She carries her backpack, messenger bag, and a small duffle bag—each housing the only items left to her name.
As she nears the coffee shop, her phone beeps in response.
“Happy to help. XOXO Where will you go next?”
“Not sure yet but I’ll see what the cards say. Suggestions welcome!”