The Inner Self: The Prophecy

by Raqurra Ishmar

  “Yeah, no. We’re going to get caught in that. Let’s take mine,” I say, leading him towards my grey Nissan. She’s nothing fancy, but she’s mine.

  “Why are you worried about getting caught? Can’t you just slip us out undetected?” he asks.

  “What? What kind of question is that? Of course I can’t slip us out undetected. Are you smokin’ crack?” I ask, face screwed up as if I smelled something foul. Of course, there’s no way he can be this fine and not be insane. If it’s not one thing it’s another.

  For some reason, he returns my look, as if I’m fucking with him or something. “Are you being serious right now?” he asks.

  “I should be asking you that!” I throw my hands up in exasperation. At this point we won’t even be able to get my milkshake before the bell rings.

  “Forget I said anything,” he says, shrugging off the whole encounter as if it didn’t just happen.

  “Gladly,” I say. I practically sprint the rest of the way to my car, as if Caylen would say something else that will hinder me from getting my milkshake. I unlock the car and start it all with a press of a button on my key fob. The start of my engine is music to my ears. I open the driver’s door and slide into my seat. Caylen quickly follows suit, and the sight of him jammed into my passenger seats steals a laugh from me.

  “Guess you’re not used to having tall people ride in your car with you, huh?” he asks while adjusting the seat to allow more leg room for him. Good thing it’s just him and I, because no one would be able to sit behind him.

  “Nope, just Cymone.” I shift the car into drive and quickly pull out from my parking spot. As long as we don’t get caught by campus security, we’ll be fine. They know that we leave, but as long as they don’t see it, they won’t report it.

  The drive to Chick-fil-a was quick and quiet. I’ve never been more thankful to live in such a small town.

  “Let’s eat inside,” he says.

  “Alright.” Great, so much for this being a grab and go.

  “Don’t act like you don’t like this. Maybe this is your first date with him.”

  “Huh?”

  “Yeah. This might be super important moment for you two. Defining, maybe. Don’t fuck it up.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  If I wasn’t nervous before, now I’m downright panicking. This can’t be as serious as it is making it out to be. This is just two friends getting milkshakes. Hell, we aren’t even friends. We’re just classmates. Just two classmates, getting milkshakes.

  “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

  We enter the restaurant, heading straight to the cashier. I already know what I’m going to get. The peach milkshake is only available for a limited time and I eat it in excess every time they decide to bless us with it.

  I order my milkshake, kind of surprised to hear Caylen ordering the same thing. Hmm, guess he has great taste in milkshakes. As we’re waiting for our snack, I can’t help but notice all the attention that Caylen is getting. Women of all ages, hell even men, are staring at him with unashamed lust.

  “Does this happen all the time?” I ask him, poking him in the side.

  “Does what happen?” he asks, glancing down at me with those soulful eyes.

  “You can’t be completely oblivious to all of the attention you’re getting right now?”

  He lifts his head, slowly scanning our surroundings. Some of the admirers drop their gaze as soon as his eyes land on them, but others aren’t so shy. “Huh,” he mutters. “I guess I can see what you’re talking about.”

  Our orders are called out before I can reply. Which is a great thing, because I probably would have said something full of attitude. We grab our drinks and head to a table in the corner of the store. There’s no way this is a date, since I paid for my own milkshake, so why are we sitting so secluded from everyone else?

  “So,” he began. “Does everyone call you Ren, or just your friend?”

  “You mean, Cymone?”

  He rolls his eyes, like I shouldn’t expect him to remember her name. “Yes, Cymone.”

  “Yeah, only she can call me that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because.”

  “Because why?”

  “Why did you get so pissed off earlier at lunch?” I shoot back at him, pissed that he’s being so annoying. I immediately regret my words, noticing the stiffness that set into his shoulders. His blue eyes harden, turning into cerulean marbles. He takes a big pull of his peachy goodness before responding to me.

  “Back on my home plan…,” he pauses, as if he realized what he said made little sense. “Back home, in our community, there are certain people that matter more than others.”

  “In San Francisco?” I ask, not really understanding.

  “Yeah… San Francisco. We lived in a community where there is an Elder. He makes the decisions for everyone. Not really having to answer to anyone.”

  “Like a King?”

  “Yeah, like a King.” He clears his throat and takes another pull from his milkshake. I quickly do the same, savoring the deliciousness of my favorite drink while trying to keep an open mind to this story. “Anyway, only a few are born worthy enough to be recognized by the Elder. If you aren’t worthy, you’re shunned. Thrown to the bottom of the community and are considered little less than dirt.”

  “Ok… so why did you get so upset at lunch?” I ask, confused as to what this story has to do with anything.

  “My brothers and I weren’t considered worthy. Without the blessing of the Elder, we were cast down into the mud at a young age.”

  “How young?”

  “We were sixteen,” he states with a voice devoid of emotion. My hair rise up on my arm, goosebumps popping up out of nowhere.

  “Well, that’s fucked up,” It states.

  “No shit.”

  “What happened to you guys?” I dare to ask.

  “Our parents disowned us for fear of being deemed unworthy by association. We were orphaned and left to fend for ourselves. That’s when our dad found us and took us in. He was ‘unworthy’ as well and had no problem with raising us as his own. He saved us and there’s nothing in this world we wouldn’t do for him. Nothing.” He pauses, staring at me with a torn expression on his face. It’s like there’s something he wants to say to me but chose not to. “Well, there you have it. Nothing would make us more brothers than what we are.”

  “I understand now. I’m sorry. For earlier.”

  “It’s ok,” he flashes me a quick smirk before diving back into his drink. “This is amazing. Why do they call it a milkshake if it doesn’t shake?”

  “He’s definitely on something. I’m thinking shrooms or something.”

  “I’m with you when you’re right.”

  “Um, is that a real question or are you just messing with me?” I ask.

  He pauses as he inhales the rest of his drink, cocking his head towards me like a dog before squinting his eyes tightly. “Ah! Why am I in pain right now? My head hurts!”

  “You mean you have a brain freeze?”

  “What? My brain isn’t frozen?”

  “Ahm… let’s head back to campus. Last period is about to start.” I’m not too excited about being in the car with Caylen acting so strange, but I don’t have much of a choice right now. We make it back to school with just a few minutes to spare. I wave goodbye to him and sprint to my last class. Thank god the day is almost over. One more hour and I can be home, where everything makes sense

  I pull into my driveway, thankful to be away from the weirdness but dreading the silence.

  “You want me to sing a song?”

  “Why the fuck would I want that?”

  “You just said you didn’t want to be in the silence.”

  “Yeah, so I wouldn’t have to focus on you.”

  “You cut deep, Renee. I’m wounded.”

  “Yeah right.”

  I get out of my car and gaze at my house. It’s nothing special, but it’s home. The t
wo-story house has been the only home I’ve ever known. I walk inside, greeted by the stillness of an empty house. A deep sigh escapes me, the only moment of weakness I allow myself. I jog up the stairs and into my room. I flick on the light, instantly greeted by a bookshelf to my left. Instead of walls full of posters, I have walls full of bookshelves. It definitely takes up a lot of room, but it’s cozy and it’s my sanctuary. I toss my bag on my bed and quickly grab my robe. A nice shower is calling my name and I can’t ignore it.

  “Just like you can’t ignore me.”

  After my shower, I tackle some coursework that’s not due for another two weeks. Hopefully tonight I can get more than a few hours of sleep. I really need the rest. I stifle a yawn, glancing at my clock and seeing that it’s well past eleven and my mom still isn’t home. I grab my phone and see that there aren’t any messages from her waiting for me, so I decide to shoot her one instead.

  Me: Hey mama, is everything ok?

  I turn back to my homework while I wait for her reply. By the time she finally responds, I’m scared half to death by the vibration. Why did it take her so long to respond?

  Mom: Hey baby, yes everything is ok. Just finishing up with some paperwork. I will be home soon.

  Me: Alright. I’m going to head to bed. I love you.

  Mom: I love you too, sweetheart.

  Having a mom that’s a nurse can be hard sometimes. I know that she’s doing amazing things for people. Helping to save lives and all of that, but sometimes I selfishly want my mama to myself.

  A yawn overtakes me, followed by another and yet another. It seems like my body has had enough of staying up. I put away my homework and turn off my light. As I snuggle into my blankets, I do something I’ve never done before. I talk to it first.

  “Are you going to let me get some sleep tonight?” I ask, but the only thing to answer me is silence. Sleep slowly pulls me under, and I wonder why it didn’t respond to me. That has to be a good sign, right?

  4

  It

  Final-fucking-ly! I open my eyes, stretching my limbs as the alarm clock goes off. I reach over to shut it off, marveling at the feel of it against my skin. What is usually just an echo of a sensation is now a first hand experience.

  “Oh no.”

  “Oh yes baby. I’m in charge. You know what they say, Ren, patience is key.”

  “Please don’t do this.”

  “Don’t stoop to begging just yet. The fun has yet to start!” I clap my hands together as excitement courses through my system. Typically I wouldn’t even bother taking over during the weekday, especially not during the school year. Where’s the fun in that? No, I rather use my limited time wisely. “Hmmm, I’ve tired you out pretty bad this time. How much time does that buy me, you think? Five hours? Six? The entire day?”

  “I’ll never let you do this again.”

  “Ahh, not what I was asking you. It should take you at least the whole day to recover. Which means I have a lot of time to fuck shit up.”

  “It, please-,”

  “That’s the first order of business,” I say, cutting her off. “We need to change my name. Something that screams badass.”

  I roll over and grab my phone from the charger, quickly pulling up Google and typing in “Badass demon names” in the search box. A bunch of sites pop up, some boasting names that’ll have you up at night along with the folklore that’s behind it. I click on one of the links, skimming the content. I don’t have all fucking day to read paragraphs upon paragraphs for each name. I flick my finger up the screen, causing the page to scroll up quickly . I tap my finger against the screen to stop it, deciding that whatever name my finger lands on, is the name I’m going with.

  “Kobal,” I read, testing the name on my tongue. “It has a nice ring to it. Kobal.” I figure skimming the paragraph wouldn’t hurt, especially if this is to be my new name. Turns out that Kobal is the entertainment for hell. Hmph, I’m no one’s entertainment but my own.

  “You sure about that?”

  “You may want to be silent today. I have no qualms with answering you out loud. I’m sure you don’t want people to think you’re talking to yourself.”

  “You can’t bully me in my own body!”

  “Well, I would sure love to test that theory.” Humming quietly to myself, I stop on another name that seems to have just a tad bit more promise. “Ornias, eh? Let’s see, he was a fallen angel that hates female Virgos and loves to touch little boys and cause them pain. Interesting.”

  “Why are you looking at men names?! I’m a girl!”

  “Yes. You’re a girl. I am neither yet I am all. Besides, these names are strong, the stories are just not matching up to me.”

  “How about you look up names for ‘asshole’ or ‘psychopath’.”

  “Hmmm, you may be onto something, Dipshit.”

  I head back to Google and look up badass unisex names, promptly ignoring the smug satisfaction from my unwanted passenger. After a few minutes of intense scrolling, I finally come across a name I can get behind. “‘Aarsheya, of sacred descent’ this is it! Though it is a tad bit of a mouthful,” I muse. “I got it! Sheya. Hell yeah. Sheya. You hear that, brat? No more of that it bullshit. My name is Sheya.”

  “I don’t see why it matters. You shouldn’t exist anyway.”

  “Ouch, oh how you’ve wounded me,” I say. “Enough of this, it’s time for me to get ready for my fun day. I hope you’re paying attention, I’m about to make your life either a living hell or a dream come true.” Tossing the covers off of me, I hurry to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. Staring into the mirror, I try to decide what would work best with my plans; bare face or some make-up? After careful consideration, I decide a little red lipstick will go great with my light brown complexion. Once applied, I’m immediately against it. After wiping it off, I decide that a deep pink would better suit me. Satisfied with my reflection, I rush back into my room.

  With a flick of my wrist, I open my closet door with little more than a thought; I don’t even bother using my hands to do it. What should I wear? It’s too hot for leather, but skinny jeans are a good substitute for them. Grabbing a dark blue pair and a light purple cami, I head back into my bedroom. I quickly dress, not wanting to be too late to school. Detention would put a kink in my plans. Now what shoes should I wear? Ah! Those nice ankle boots with the heels. You know what they say about a girl and nice boots.

  “No, what do they say?”

  “Shit, I don’t know. I thought you knew.” I flick the closet door open again, beckoning the shoes to come to where I sit on the bed. They walk to me, as if someone is wearing them.

  “That’s creepy as hell.”

  “Huh? I thought it was pretty cool. I can see I’m working with a tough crowd,” I chuckle, slipping my feet into the boots. I take one final look into the mirror, happy to see the look that’s in the reflection. Showtime.

  I grab my bag off of the floor and head downstairs. Expecting to see her mom, I brace myself for the questions. What I wasn’t ready for is the empty kitchen.

  “Mom!” I call out. No one answers me. Hmm, this is strange.

  “She’s usually up before I am. Where could she be?”

  “I have no idea, but that’s a problem for another time. You know what they say, best not to look a gifted horse in the mouth.”

  Beating a quick exit out of the house, I lock the door and head to my car. “Today is going to be a great day, I can feel it,” I say as I slide into my driver’s seat and back out of the driveway. The drive to the school was quiet and quick. Quiet, as in Ren keeping her mouth shut. I can tell that her mother’s absence is really bothering her and that’s fine by me. I need to focus.

  I pull into the parking lot just as the first warning bell rings. Damn, so much for a grand entrance with a big audience. No matter, I have all day. Taking advantage of my long legs, I easily make it to my first period right as the second bell rings. As I enter the room, I let my eyes land on my intended vic
tim.

  “How did you know he would be in this class?”

  “I didn’t,” I say aloud. “It was just a hunch.”

  “What was that, Miss Harrington?” My teacher asks.

  “Oh nothing, just talking to myself,” I say. The class chuckles as if I made the funniest joke ever. Simpletons. I can’t help but notice the curious looks that are tossed my way from the guys in the class. I stand in the doorway, standing with the confidence that most would dream of possessing.

  “You can take your seat any day now,” Mr. Carmichael mutters. I toss a wink his way before strutting to my seat in the back corner. A seductive smirk adorns my face, giving away my inner thoughts just slightly. Sliding into my seat, I turn to look Titus in his eyes.

  “Good morning, handsome,” I purr.

  He quirks an eyebrow at me, grey eyes sparkling with the morning sun. “Good morning, Renee.” I flinch slightly, hating being called by her name when it’s me who is actually in charge. No matter, soon everyone will know that I exist. It just won’t be today.

  “You look…” I let my eyes roam his strong build. “...tempting,” I finish, letting my energy roll over him slowly. I’ve never tried this with a person before, but if I can control things like shoes, surely I can influence a person. His shoulders tense for a second and he cocks his head towards me. For a second I worry if he knows what I’m doing, but that worry quickly leaves as a goofy smile forms on his lips.

  Bingo, bitch.

  “You look amazing today, Renee,” his deep voice mutters.

  “If you two are done with your little discussion, I’d like to continue with today’s lesson,” Mr. Carmichael interrupts, walking to stand between us. In his hand is a pink detention slip and I can’t have my day ruined in just first period. Can I manipulate two people at once? I let my energy wash over Mr. Carmichael while struggling to keep a steady flow going to Titus.

  “Now that detention slip won’t be necessary, Mr. Carmichael. I was just introducing myself to the new student,” I respond, focusing on getting him to walk away without giving me that slip.