ã€ŠFate of Yggdrasilã€‹


 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 1

    Part 1

    It was impossible to stay asleep with the incessant buzzing, clearly from my phone, persisting. Coupled with the growing intensity of the sun¡¯s rays, I relented, giving up on sleep and answering the call with a lethargic greeting.

    The screen read out: Mom

    ¡°H-Hello¡­¡± Clearing my throat, I reiterated. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Fate! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still in bed right now?! I thought you had a test today!¡± Being reminded of my upcoming exam made me give an exasperated grunt.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom. Class doesn¡¯t start until ten.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nine thirty!¡±

    ¡°¡­What!?¡± Like having an ice cube dropped down your shirt, that woke me up immediately! I rose from my bed, nearly smacking my dome on the ceiling and rushed for the bathroom! ¡°Dammit! Thanks for the wakeup call, Mom. Bye!¡± Tossing my phone and clothes aside I jumped in the shower! To go along with my metaphor, freezing cold water spilled from the showerhead onto my skin. It felt like I¡¯d jumped into the Arctic Ocean by mistake, but I just endured and washed myself. (Crap! I¡¯ll have to call the landlord about the water heater¡­again.) There wasn¡¯t much time left, but I didn¡¯t want to look like a total slob. I got out of the shower to check myself out in the mirror and brush my teeth. (Same dark brown eyes, and black hair needing to be cut¡­yup! Still the same guy I was when I went to sleep. Thanks, mirror, you haven¡¯t lied to me yet.) With the rest done, all that was left were my clothes. I grabbed my brown shirt and black pants while slipping on my sneakers, then dashed out of the small two-bedroom apartment we called home!

    (Wait¡­did I forget anything? Shit!) My phone, wallet, book-bag and keys all sat on the front table neatly arranged so I wouldn¡¯t forget them on the way out! Being in such a rush, I¡¯d forgotten almost everything, despite preparing them the night before. (Figures, the first time in my life I stay up studying for a test, I forget everything and could be tardy. I¡¯m a little nervous, but I should be fine. Running through the park should cut down on my trip, it¡¯s almost a straight shot to the campus.) The sack bouncing up and down on my back felt like a monkey latched onto me, but if I didn¡¯t rush, I¡¯d have been late for my midterms.

    Part 2

    My college wasn¡¯t a big one, in fact it was rather small, so much so that the campus fit smackdab in the middle of the city. Named after some rich old guy who donated enough money to get his name put on a bunch of buildings, Benson College was well-to-do, plenty of clubs and viewed as a jewel of Greenville. The security guards didn¡¯t stop me as I burst in through the front doors and dashed up the stairs straight past them.

    ¡°Better Hurry, Fate!¡± We were on good terms, the guards and myself, but I had to ignore their teasing.

    Running up four flights was the better option, since the elevator in the lobby was crowded with five or so other students by the door; that I¡¯d spotted on my way in. Out of breath, but with the classroom in sight I picked up speed. My hand reached for the door just as the professor was attempting to slam it shut.

    ¡°Fate Isley¡­just in time¡­barely.¡± My old, crotchety professor said as he continued to push on the door with one hand. It was obvious that he was still trying to force me out, though with my foot wedged between the frame, I continued to inch in.

    ¡°Yeah¡­I made it, Mr. Russell.¡± Calling him mister instead of professor was an intended slight.

    He finally released his grip on the door as I stumbled in.

    ¡°Sit down, or I¡¯ll have you removed.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­relax¡­¡± The workbenches of students already seated and talking amongst themselves ran up four rows back, on both sides of the large room. The others were already prepared, grouped up with friends or in their usual seats; someone was in mine, leaving me adrift as I awkwardly ambled by where I¡¯d normally be.

    ¡°Fate¡­over here.¡± A sweetly whispered voice came across the room. It was my friend, Gabriella; she¡¯d kept a seat open for me at the top left most bench. I gladly slid in beside her, flashing a smile.

    ¡°Thanks, Gabby.¡± I whispered to her under my breath.

    ¡°No worries.¡± She smiled back.

    ¡°Alright everyone, you¡¯ll have three hours to finish the test. Once you¡¯re done you may leave¡­that is all. I shall now hand you the testing sheets.¡± Mr. Russell was a stickler for the old ways.

    ¡°Using paper¡­what is this, the nineties? It¡¯s 2016, right?¡± I said in a hushed tone, so that only Gabriella could hear. She giggled a little.

    When Professor Russell came to me, with an irritated look in his squinty, gray eyes it felt like an old vulture wanting to pick at a small animal. His hair starting to fall out of that wrinkled, pale white head of his added to his bird like appearance. The more I noticed it, the more I had to stifle a laugh.

    He handed me four papers to pass down the row. After I took mine, I gave the rest to Gabby, and so on down the line.

    (I studied for the first time in my life for this test. I hope I pass.)

    Part 3

    Three hours sped by faster than expected. I finished filling in every answer on my sheet¡­but only barely. When I leaned back in my seat an unintended groan erupted forth from my anxiety riddled chest.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter Fate?¡± Gabriella remained seated beside me, calmly working on another paper for a different class. She finished her test quickly, before me and a few others.

    ¡°Nothing, I think I passed¡­maybe¡­I hope...¡± I looked down to Mr. Russell. He shot an ominous grin, which made my stomach churn.

    With midterms over, and it only being an hour past noon, I had the rest of the day to do whatever I wanted. Gabby and I exited the room and started to walk down the hall. ¡°So, Fate, want to grab something to eat? That new restaurant is open down near the train station.¡± From the eagerness of her eyes and leaning into my shoulder, I could tell she was attempting to sway me.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m free.¡± I acquiesced, without really to be persuaded.

    We exited the building and started a somewhat lengthy walk to the diner.

    ¡°Fate, have you been keeping up with The Alchemist of Hazzard? You¡¯re the only person I get to talk to about it in person, so please tell me you have!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I have. But really, what¡¯s with you and these ¡®young adult¡¯ T.V. shows anyway?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that. You make it sound like I¡¯m weird or something.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­anyway, yeah I saw The Alchemist of Hazzard. One thing I don¡¯t understand is why Serena keeps going back to Fredrick if he keeps treating her like crap.¡±

    ¡°*Sigh*¡­such a boy despite being a man. Fredrick isn¡¯t treating her like crap. It¡¯s just difficult for him to express his feelings.¡±

    ¡°If someone smacked my food off the table and called me a dog-faced bumpkin, the only thing that person would be expressing is how much pain they were in after I beat their ass.¡±

    ¡°Ohuhu¡­such a tough guy. Is that why you¡¯ve been working out so much lately?¡±

    ¡°Huh? I-I haven¡¯t changed my usual workout routine.¡± (Unless you count doubling up on my usual routine.)

    ¡°Whatever you say, Mr. Muscle.¡±

    ¡°Why poke fun at me?¡±

    She chuckled at that. Her beautiful smile was so bright and welcoming. Being with Gabriella made time flow so quickly. My chest felt warm, my hands would shake whenever she¡¯d touch me, and I¡¯d always try to not stumble over my words around her. I liked her¡­so much.

    My first year in college is when I realized I had feelings for Gabby, but we had been friends since our junior year in high school. Always the prettiest girl in every one of my classes and one of the smartest; it¡¯s amazing how long it took for me to notice how often I¡¯d catch myself thinking about her. With those robust chestnut colored lochs running all the way down her shoulders, how could my eyes not get fixated on her whenever she¡¯d walk by? She had great style, was tall and always stayed in excellent shape. Those slightly yellow eyes and extremely light brown skin added to her beauty, if only in my own eyes. She had one of the most beautiful faces; her small nose and perfectly set cheek bones¡­it was unfair for a person to look so good and be so nice, right?

    ¡°Fate!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I¡¯d gotten lost in thoughts of her, again.

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    My phone started buzzing as soon as we reached the restaurant¡¯s front.

    ¡°Go ahead in, I¡¯ve got a call.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The name ¡®Chester¡¯ and an image of my ghastly looking friend was on the screen. I sighed, knowing whatever it was would be annoying.

    ¡°Yes, Chester?¡±

    ¡°Comrade! Did you see!?¡± Chester yelled from the other side of the phone with his deep creepy voice.

    ¡°See what?¡±

    ¡°My god man, you need to come over to the club room! Right! Now!!¡± His voice bellowed from the receiver so loud people walking by could hear.

    ¡°Later¡­I¡¯m kind of busy right now.¡±

    ¡°Doing what? Are you hanging out with Gabriella again? You don¡¯t have a chance with her. Forget the girl and come join us on a crusade of both knowledge and discovery!¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut up, Chester!¡± I hung up the phone and went into the restaurant. Gabby got us a booth and we ordered our food, chatting while we waited for it to arrive. When our lunch finally got to the table, I took notice of the other patrons sneaking peeks in our direction. People being taken with Gabby was nothing new.

    ¡°You have to get tired of having people staring at you all of the time, huh.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t think they¡¯re staring at me.¡±

    ¡°Then who could they be staring at? Not me.¡±

    ¡°I think it is you.¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t give yourself enough credit. You¡¯re pretty good looking, you know that?¡±

    ¡°Nah¡­¡±

    ¡°No, really! You¡¯re lean, but not skinny. Your hair is unique, and very well kept. You¡¯re not a pale skeleton like Chester, and you have a really pretty face.¡±

    ¡°¡­You sound like you¡¯re complementing one of your girlfriends. You do realize that, right?¡±

    ¡°Haha, Sorry! Man, the food here really sucks, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it does.¡±

    Before I noticed an hour had passed.

    We walked back towards the college campus, since my apartment was in that direction and Gabby still had another class. While we were in the diner, the murky clouds swallowed up the sun and left us with nothing but a stuffy, gray sky. It felt like rain would start at any minute, which didn¡¯t bother me as I rather enjoyed the sensation of rain on my skin.

    We prepared to part ways upon reaching the college campus.

    ¡°Alright Fate, I¡¯ll see you later!¡±

    ¡°Try not to learn too hard¡­¡± (Learn too hard? What am I even saying?)

    ¡°Gabby!¡± Someone yelled for Gabby out of nowhere. It was a voice I was too familiar with and not fond of.

    The mound of muscles in a too tight shirt and strong body spray came storming over to us¡­Gabby¡¯s boyfriend, Ken. He was a hulking douchebag that thought he was way cooler and smarter than everyone else; seeing as he was with Gabby must¡¯ve meant he had something that I just couldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°Yo, babe, where you been?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­I was with Fate.¡± Gabby seemed rather annoyed, not even bothering to look Ken in the eyes as she crossed her arms and cut her head away.

    (Did they have a fight or something? Best not to ask. Last time something like this happened she pouted for a solid day.)

    ¡°Fate again, huh?¡± He shot me a dirty look. It¡¯s hard to take someone seriously when the first thought that comes to your mind when you see them is a 90¡¯s rap-rock band. ¡°Listen, babe, I just want to know why you¡¯ve been ignoring me?¡±

    ¡°Last time I called, you were too busy talking with some other girl.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°I told you that was my mom!¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t, I know what Mrs. Cockburn sounds like and that wasn¡¯t her!¡±

    ¡°T-Then you must have heard my sister.¡±

    (I will never understand why a girl as great as Gabby is with such a loser. They¡¯ve been going out on-and-off since we started college. They always seem to fight over him ¡®possibly¡¯ cheating.)

    ¡°Hang on babe, give me another chance! Let¡¯s talk about it¡­I¡¯ll take you to that new restaurant near the station that you wanted to go to. We can talk it out there.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­Fate and I just came back from there! The food was delicious!¡±

    (This is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.)

    ¡°¡­You know¡­I spend a lot of time hearing you say bad things about me, but then you go and hang out with Fate all the time! Come here!¡±

    ¡°Ahh! Stop!¡± Ken aggressively grabbed Gabby by the arm. In response, I¡¯d latched onto Ken¡¯s arm, my body moving without me even noticing.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± (At times like this you¡¯re supposed to come up with something witty and cool to say, right?) ¡°Hands off¡­¡± That wasn¡¯t cool or witty, and my voice cracked a bit. Not imposing at all.

    ¡°Get your hands off me, Isley!¡±

    ¡°Fate, don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s okay.¡± Gabby¡¯s arm was still tightly in Ken¡¯s grip, so even with me noting her worry, my pride and concern didn¡¯t allow me to back down. That baseless pride of mine had gotten me into bad situations before, it wasn¡¯t anything new.

    (Crap, I can¡¯t just back off after that!) ¡°I-I said hands off her! She doesn¡¯t want to go and you¡¯re hurting her.¡±

    ¡°You little¡­¡± Ken let go of Gabby and swung on me¡­and I dodged it!

    (Wow, guess I¡¯m a better fighter then I thought.) Shouldn¡¯t have gotten cocky because I dodged the first one, since I didn¡¯t dodge the second, or third, or fourth, or fifth, or any of the three stomps that rained down onto me. Eventually the campus police had to come and break it up.

    Part 4

    I sat on the ground still recuperating from the fight, or I guess, one-sided beating would be more correct. My legs had betrayed me half way through, so my head and gut ended up taking the brunt of the assault. Blood ran from my nose and a bit dripped from my lower lip all the way down onto my white tee-shirt.

    Gabby spoke to the campus cops who¡¯d escorted Ken away. Once finished, she rushed back to my side.

    ¡°I never meant to get you caught up in all of this, but thank you so much for helping me, Fate. Can you stand? Do you want me to call an ambulance?¡± She was just trying to be nice, but her words and sympathetic eyes stung at my pride.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m fine! I¡¯ve got to go; t-the guys are waiting for me in the clubroom.¡± I got to my feet and staggered away. Walking hurt like crazy, but I was too embarrassed to ask for any help. I didn¡¯t want to go to the clubroom, but going home with my face like it was, Mom would have freaked out.

    ¡°Hey, Fate! Fate!¡±

    Gabby called me, but I didn¡¯t want to turn around and show her my beaten and bloodied face again. That battered face of mine was attracting some attention from onlookers, so I took a few minutes to wash up as best as possible.

    The campus - despite being rather small did have a few extra buildings that were used for clubs and other functions. The club I was headed for was in one of the smaller, more alienated buildings, which worked to the club¡¯s advantage. We didn¡¯t need too many people around judging us for being ¡®weird¡¯. My sneakers squeaked on the somewhat dusty hall floor; clearly our spot was being neglected by the cleaning staff once more. I couldn¡¯t be too upset, since our front door was admittedly off-putting. To match the theme of the club, our front door was old and rusty, paint chipping and far heavier than any of the others. We¡¯d gotten complaints before, but for the ¡®Occult Research and Study club¡¯, it was very on brand.

    The usual bunch of dudes and a single girl sitting on their laptops, reading books, trying to summon ghosts or find pictures of UFOs somehow comforted me as I pulled open our chamber door. The room still needed a good cleaning and the windows were obscured with curtains which was perfect for the ambiance. Chester was the first to take notice of me entering the room.

    ¡°Hey Fa¡­whoa, what happened to you!?¡± His yelling took everyone else by surprise and they all turned to face me.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I waved it off and took a seat at the table in the center of the room. The others kept staring at me as I sat back in the chair and closed my eyes, trying to destress.

    ¡°Wait, Fate, don¡¯t go to sleep!!!¡± Chester leapt across the table tackling me to the floor!

    ¡°What the hell are you doing, you moron!¡± I kicked him off.

    ¡°If you fall asleep like that, you¡¯ll fall into a coma!¡±

    ¡°Quit yelling! I won¡¯t fall into a coma!¡± Screaming back at Chester helped alleviate some of the pent-up frustrations twisted around in my chest.

    ¡°N-No, he¡¯s right Fate. If you fall asleep, you¡¯ll fall into a-a coma.¡± Teddy spoke up from the other side of the room, having had just pealed the fresh plastic wrap off a mock Necronomicon. He was a big loveable type of guy. So large in fact, that the flesh bound book was dwarfed in the hands of his six-foot five frame. With his stutter, the imposing size did little to create an aura of intimidation; coupled with the tuft of curly red hair atop his head, no one could think of the guy as dangerous. ¡°M-maybe if he does fall asleep, we c-can read some lines from the book here a-and it¡¯ll reawaken him w-with new powers¡­¡± He trailed off talking to himself, as per usual.

    ¡°Huh!? I didn¡¯t hear you, Teddy! You¡¯ll need to speak up!!!¡± I continued to yell jokingly.

    ¡°Will you idiots stop yelling?!¡± Demica, the lone girl in the Occult Research and Study club chimed in as well. Her nose was pressed so firmly into a book; the pages hid my friend¡¯s slightly freckled face. Only her striking green eyes were glimpsable in between the strands of dirty-blonde hair masking her visage.

    ¡°Demica, why don¡¯t you just wear your glasses?¡±

    ¡°Because, I refuse to wear those enormous, thick, nerdy bifocals!¡± Demica wasn¡¯t a bad looking girl but believed the glasses coupled with her nerdy and reserved manner of dressing would make her look like the archetypal ¡®geek girl¡¯; slightly vain would be the best way to describe her.

    ¡°Fine, enjoy being blind. Perry, make sure you move everything out of your sister¡¯s path on the way home, so she doesn¡¯t trip and break her neck.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha, Fate!¡± Perry, Demica¡¯s younger brother, looked so like her that one could mistake them for fraternal twins; aside for the fact that he didn¡¯t need glasses for his smaller, gray eyes.

    Chester and I got back up off the ground, returning to our seats at the table.

    ¡°Sorry man, I just thought you could use a little pick me up.¡±

    ¡°Really, then why¡¯d you tackle me down? Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    We both pointed at each other in a joking fashion, eliciting an audible groan from the others. Chester plopped a laptop on the table in front of me and flipped it open with enthusiasm. He turned to some internet video and pointed at the screen.

    ¡°So, Fate, did you see this yet?¡±

    ¡°No. Is this what you wanted me to rush over here for?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s an unidentified flying object - a UFO!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Play the video.¡±

    Said video showcased an old white man with gray hair and numerous liver spots covering his head, reminding me of Professor Russell. He was standing in a field, holding a microphone with dark clouds looming over a small mountain range in the background. It was a report in the state just south of us in some backwater county I¡¯d never heard of.

    ¡°Turn it up. I can¡¯t hear.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Chester did so just in time for the reporter to reach his point.

    ¡°¡­and it appears that it was seen at some time between eleven o¡¯clock and one o¡¯clock today. Locals reported a strange object that flew to the top of the mountain range and stopped, completely suspended in midair. After sitting still for a few minutes, it suddenly took off at an absurd speed headed up north. We will continue to give you information as the story develops.¡± The video ended.

    ¡°Must¡¯ve been a really slow news day if they wasted airtime on that¡­¡± I leaned back in my chair, unamused.

    ¡°What are you talking about!? This is huge!!¡±

    ¡°Okay, stop yelling already!!!¡±

    ¡°Cut it out!!!!¡± Demica threw down her book and screamed at us. She then pulled out her phone and brought up an article. ¡°Here, you idiots!¡±

    The article read: Unidentified flying object pictures.

    ¡°A¡­Human¡­or a kite¡­¡± I had to hold myself back from laughing. The image was blurry, but I could tell from a closer look that it wasn¡¯t anything like a UFO. If I had to compare the images to something, they looked more like a cartoon depiction of a witch¡¯s silhouette; pointy hat, riding a broom stick and all. ¡°So, does this mean we can stop focusing on it since it¡¯s not an alien?¡±

    Chester¡¯s long uncut hair covered his eyes as he looked down. I thought that meant he¡¯d given up, but¡­ ¡°No, of course not! This is even bigger! Can you not see the type of story this is!? If we can dig up more information on what it is, we¡¯d be famous!¡±

    ¡°You moron! It was a kite or some dumb prank. It probably got caught on something near the top of the mountain and then got blown away by the wind.¡± Demica was always good at cutting down Chester¡¯s ridiculous assumptions.

    ¡°Woman, you do not understand!!¡±

    Once Demica and Chester finished their usual half an hour of bickering, we ended up watching a few old movies and did some actual research like the club was supposed to. Nothing turned up and at the end of the day we decided it was time for everyone to head out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see y-you guys tomorrow.¡± Teddy hopped on his bike and road off.

    ¡°Same here, come on Perry!¡±

    ¡°Alright, later guys!¡± The siblings strolled off as well.

    ¡°Well, Fate¡­now that they¡¯re gone¡­want to explain the bruises?¡±

    I let out a big sigh and with my back leaned against a nearby tree, told Chester everything¡­

    ¡°Welp, you really should¡¯ve seen something like that coming.¡±

    ¡°How was I supposed to react? He just grabbed her, and my body moved on its own.¡±

    ¡°Not the best excuse, but anyway; what did Gabriella say?¡±

    ¡°Nothing really¡­just that she didn¡¯t mean to get me involved. I don¡¯t really care though.¡±

    ¡°Because you like her?¡±

    ¡°Because I like her.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading home. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll discover the secret of the UFO! MUHAHAHA!!¡± Chester left with his same old strange laugh, like some kind of evil mastermind.

    Exhausted, I began trudging back home. Once home, I¡¯d need to ice my face and clean the wounds again.

    Chilling wind cut through my thin tee-shirt like water through a cheap napkin. Somehow the weather had changed so dramatically from the afternoon, my breath had become visible. The road leading home was well illuminated by the numerous street lights; however, it was a bit out of the way, but by cutting through the park I¡¯d make it home in half the time. Not wanting to freeze in the cold and not being afraid of the dark, the park quickly became my preferred route.

    Normally, the park exuded a calming and relaxed atmosphere, but cloaked in the dark of night, only lit by the few lamp posts set up, it felt more like a graveyard. The walkway for the park curved, ebbing in and out making unnecessary turns so that people could see the ponds, the fountains and the bridge. I just cut straight across the grass and headed right for the bridge so that I could get home quicker.

    The underpass beneath the bridge that most bike riders would cycle through when going around the park was where I was headed. At night, no one would bother to go through it since the lights inside would often blow out. The underpass¡¯s length basically made it a short tunnel. I could see from where I was standing that the lights were still on in the passageway, fortunately, so I decided to head through. The white bricks and reflective metal caused the lights to blare even more so than usual.

    As soon as I entered, a sudden, violent chill ran up my spine. Unease emanated from the other end of the tunnel. Without even looking up from the ground, I could feel a malicious gaze set on me. Near the very top of my vision, I could just barely make out a figure standing at the opposite end of the passageway. Whatever or whoever it was didn¡¯t look human. A long pointy head and some long, thin, blunt object was cast in the light, yet held only blackness. It didn¡¯t look very tall, but I couldn¡¯t be sure with the distance.

    The figure stood perfectly still, facing me¡­but I still couldn¡¯t make out what it was. Whatever the thing was, it didn¡¯t so much as flinch. Every time my head started to drift up so I could get a better look, fear radiated through my body like an electrical shock. I gave in - decided that the long way was much better than possibly putting myself in danger, but right as I turned to leave, the ominous feeling vanished. When I turned back to face the other end of the underpass, nothing was there.

    (Did I imagine that? No, there was definitely something there.) I proceeded with caution, guard up as if I knew how to defend myself, until reaching the other side.

    Exiting the miniature tunnel, I noted there was in fact nothing waiting for me. No one and nothing out of the ordinary.

    (Maybe I did imagine it. That stupid video must have freaked me out more than I thought and today was pretty freaking long.) Still a little jumpy, I quickened my pace a bit. As I sped up though, something swiftly flew overhead shaking all the trees and blowing everything about. I didn¡¯t get a chance to see what it was, nor did I want to. It wasn¡¯t any bigger than a bird or a hawk, but I didn¡¯t bother sticking around to investigate.

    Part 5

    I rushed into my apartment and slammed the door behind me, sliding down to the floor with my back pressed firmly against the threshold. Goosebumps still fervent on my skin, I caught myself laughing as the tension dissipated from both the air and my body.

    (Can¡¯t believe that I was freaked out over nothing! Damn, good thing Gabby can¡¯t see me right now, she¡¯d think I was a wimp¡­) After another minute of reassuring myself of my mental stability, exhaustion reared its head. Sleep became my main goal but the rumbling in my stomach overwhelmed even that.

    From the entrance, I spied a plate of saran wrapped food sitting on the kitchen table with a note attached, waiting to be read.

    The note read: From Mom, dear Fate, I¡¯ll be late, this food is really great, warm it up on this plate! I¡¯ll see you at two in the morning tomorrow¡­

    (¡­I swear¡­if you¡¯re going to do something as embarrassing as this, at least make the whole thing rhyme, don¡¯t just give up at the very end!)

    My Mother still treated me like a kid sometimes, which didn¡¯t bother me that much, though it was still irritating. She worked two jobs, so she wouldn¡¯t come home until the early morning most of the time, meaning that we¡¯d not get a chance to see each other in person that often.

    The microwave warmed my food as I dragged myself over to the shower. My body still ached all over from the fight. There was a cut on my scalp and lower lip, which stung under cold water; one of my arms was bruised and there was a crick in my neck, that¡¯s all without mentioning the boot print on my gut.

    ¡°*Sigh*¡­what am I even hoping to get out of this? Gabby probably won¡¯t even break up with that asshole. She¡¯s known for a while now that he was cheating on her, hell everyone has to know by now if I know! Jackass couldn¡¯t even think of a good excuse. I swear! Why is it so hard to understand women?¡± I got out of the shower, toweled off, got dressed and grabbed my food from the microwave. My long and annoying day was, for the most part, done. Kicking back in my room, watching TV while eating and trying to forget was how I¡¯d planned on ending the evening.

    All that action had made me very tired. I drifted off to sleep much to my dismay as I wanted to, at least, stay awake until my Mom came home. Sleep finally overcame me as I slowly drifted off.

    *Tap¡­Tap¡­Tap¡­*

    A tapping noise came from my window. It was barely audible at first, but then it got a bit louder. I got up, still dazed from being in a much deeper sleep than I¡¯d planned. Staggering, I dragged my feet over to the window and grabbed the string to pull up the blinds.

    Then it hit me¡­

    (Wait¡­I¡¯m on the third floor! How is someone knocking on my window? There¡¯s no veranda outside of my window¡­)

    *Tap¡­Tap¡­Tap¡­*

    The tapping grew louder again. (A robber - no, a robber wouldn¡¯t knock on the glass!) My curiosity got the better of me, so with my eyes firmly shut, I tugged the string! The old saying curiosity killed the cat, was never truer.

    Before me, in my window stood a dark figure, eyes gleaming red, a twisted, evil smile parsing its lips and long hair, as black as a raven¡¯s feathers dancing in the wind. I saw it as some kind of lanky, black monster at first. (¡­) My mind went totally blank. I was so shocked that I couldn¡¯t move a muscle!

    We stared directly into each other¡¯s eyes until I noticed the slender black legs stood atop a wooden broom. When I took notice of that, it snapped me out of my daze, then I also recognized how human like the figure was - in fact it looked like a girl wearing strange clothing. I didn¡¯t get a chance to say or do anything else, because they lifted their hand with a tiny, glowing, red ball in it. She curled it between her index finger and thumb, then shot it through the glass of the window and directly into my throat!

    (Huh?) It happened so fast that, the feeling of the small, dime sized object entering the front of my throat didn¡¯t register. However, once I fell back onto my floor the pain surged throughout my entire body.

    The pain of having my throat pierced was nothing compared to the insufferable agony the rest of my body was going through. My skin felt like it was being rubbed with sand paper. My muscles and bones felt like they were on fire. My eyes started shaking so much I couldn¡¯t see straight, until my vision just completely faded¡­only leaving me in complete and utter blackness. My body began to go numb, everything from my feet up to the top of my head. I couldn¡¯t see, feel or even move. I started suffocating, if not from my neck being pierced, then just from having a panic attack!

    ¡°Well¡­seems like this one is actually surviving. His will to live is astounding.¡± I could hear a voice talking. It was soft but was spoken peerless confidence.

    (I don¡¯t want to die! I haven¡¯t even lived that long a life; I haven¡¯t even had a chance to see the world! I want to talk with Gabby one more time! Investigate the occult with my friends! I can¡¯t leave Mom all alone! I can¡¯t die and leave this world behind without having achieved anything - without having achieved any of my dreams or done anything with my life!) I couldn¡¯t just accept dying like that without having accomplished anything and leave behind the people I loved.

    ¡°You keep crawling around, writhing in agony. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. From this moment on, you belong to me, and only me. You¡­shall be the one to bear the seed of Yggdrasil, and I, Anesha¡­shall bring about a new era for all, as the one and only goddess! I shall correct this world with my own two hands, remade in my elegant image! It will be built upon your grave. I appreciate your cooperation. Oh, and if you have any complaints, you can blame¡­fate, I guess.¡±

    Her biting tone and gorgeous voice were the last things I remember from that night. It was my first informal meeting with Anesha and the beginning of the downward spiral of my life. No longer was I a regular person, but the bearer of the seed that would be the instrument used to either bring about an age of endless prosperity for humanity, or endless servitude.

    End of chapter 1

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 2

    Part 1

    I can¡¯t move¡­

    I can¡¯t breathe¡­

    I can¡¯t see anything¡­I can¡¯t hear anything¡­

    Everything¡­is slipping away. I¡¯m going to die¡­

    Not yet¡­No, I don¡¯t want to die¡­

    I don¡¯t want to leave Mom all alone¡­

    I don¡¯t want to leave Gabby with that jerk¡­

    We¡¯ve still got to¡­explore the world¡­I still want to be with my friends¡­

    I can¡¯t¡­I won¡¯t die!

    Something¡­there has to be something that I can reach for. I¡¯ll stay alive no matter what! I can¡¯t just die now!

    Part 2

    My eyes sprung open to the painted white ceiling of my bedroom. For a minute, I thought I¡¯d passed over the brink of death¡¯s door, until a small piece of dust drifted down onto my forehead, leaving a fuzzy sensation; finally, I could feel again! I was laying in my bed, under the covers, like nothing had happened; it was inconceivable! In through the blinds came the warm and bright rays of the sun. They blared into my face, worsening my quickly growing headache.

    (W-what the hell? Why am I...?) Trying to recall the events from the night before worsened my headache. The sound of my phone buzzing startled me, with the screen reading out: Mom, I scurried to answer. ¡°Hello¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hey honey, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t wake you up when I got in last night, but you looked so tired. I thought you could use some sleep.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Fate, honey, you there?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah! Mom, when you came in¡­did you notice anything weird?¡±

    ¡°Weird? Weird how?¡±

    ¡°Like¡­was I sleeping weird¡­or maybe the windows were¡­I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I eased into the question while moving toward the window. Pins and needles ran through my legs, but the sensation of my bare feet on the carpeted floor as I went about inspecting the glass was a reminder that I was alive. Not a single crack ran through the window¡¯s glass.

    ¡°No¡­why? Fate, did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Huh, no. I¡­I just had a bad dream is all.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? I¡¯ll be home earlier today if you need something.¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s cool. Thanks, Mom.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­bye.¡±

    ¡°Later.¡± The phone call ended.

    My mind still racing, I staggered into the bathroom. (What the hell happened last night? I swear I wa¡­) My mind went blank when my gaze met the mirror. A huge scar, spreading outward across my neck as if it were tree roots, extended all the way across and around to my back. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this¡­?¡± Under my long hair, the scar only reached just short of my spine. A greasy and rough film felt as though it were placed atop the throat, laminating my neck. I poked at the wound, stupidly.

    An intensely sharp pain shot through my throat as I vomited a thick, purple and brown colored slush around the brim of my sink. It was like someone had mixed dirt and hair dye into a soup, pouring it everywhere.

    ¡°I need¡­to go and¡­see a doctor¡­.¡±

    Part 3

    (This turtle neck will cover the scar.) The warmth of that black wool turtleneck was appreciated, because the instant I stepped outside a frosty winter like breeze crept onto my shoulders. Though it was still spring, the temperature had dropped dramatically from the day before. (The doctor said that if I come down, he''ll at least checkout what''s up with this thing. Got to keep Mom from knowing; she has enough on her plate.)

    From cold to frigid, I was starting to wish I couldn¡¯t feel anything again, especially with the subway seats feeling like giant ice cubes beneath me. In the cart were some young highschool girls and an old homeless man. The constant bickering of the adolescent school girls annoyed me to no end. As I got ready to move away, I caught a whiff of the homeless man a bit further down in the cart and returned to my seat.

    (I really need to get a car.) The train slowly crept into the station, but I was already by the doors waiting for them to open. As soon as they did, I rushed out and over to the doctor¡¯s office.

    A few people sat in the waiting room ahead of me, but the line went fast. After some time, the doctor¡¯s assistant called me into the examination room. I took off my sweater to show the doctor my scar. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when he saw the wound. I allowed him to run his ice-cold fingers across it, then shoved him aside and threw up all over the floor.

    ¡°S¡­sorry¡­¡± That purple and brownish ooze spilled across the floor, burning my throat as I vomited.

    ¡°No¡­it¡¯s alright, Mister Isley. Nurse!¡± The doctor called for a nurse to deal with the bile. I apologized profusely to the nurse who glared at me with disgust, anger and bafflement as to the color, while we moved to another examination room ¡°How exactly did you get that scar?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± (What the heck am I supposed to say? ¡®I got it when some monster showed up at my window last night and blasted me in my throat with some weird red light¡¯?)

    ¡°This isn¡¯t drug related, is it?¡±

    ¡°No way, of course not!¡±

    ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m a doctor, I will keep your secrets. It¡¯s best you tell me exactly what happened if you want me to be able to help.¡±

    ¡°Doc¡¯ I¡¯m telling you the truth. It¡¯s definitely not drugs.¡±

    ¡°Then what is it? Because in all my years I¡¯ve never once seen anything like that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, honestly. I just¡­can you try feeling it again? I promise I won¡¯t throw up this time.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I didn¡¯t really get to feel it very much the first time. Just promise me you won¡¯t push me out of the way this time too.¡±

    He once again placed those icy digits on the scar. A bit gentler that time, but I could still feel the pain welling up. I held back as much as possible, but it felt so gross surging up inside of my mouth and throat.

    ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± He handed me a trash can, which I proceeded to fill with puke made up of whatever was left in my stomach.

    ¡°Thanks¡­again¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright then, now I definitely need to know what¡¯s going on with you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Too many things to count. First, how long have you had that wound?¡±

    ¡°¡­Only a few hours¡­I guess.¡±

    ¡°Hours? Impossible. If you got cut like that, first off, you¡¯d be dead within seconds. That scar is totally closed up.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­! Look, okay¡­this monster came to my window last night and¡­shot me in the throat! I don¡¯t know anything other than that, but it¡¯s definitely true!¡± The doctor narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Mr.Isley¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, wait! I know what you must think, but I¡¯m not on drugs, I¡¯m not crazy and I know what I saw!¡±

    The doctor sighed and sat back in his chair, polishing his small glasses and continued. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try and get some blood work done.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m not on drugs!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t believe you. The problem here is that I¡¯ve got no idea what this could be, so I want to run some tests. If you¡¯re willing of course; I¡¯m not going to force you.¡±

    ¡°Ok¡­I¡¯ll do anything.¡± After my blood was drawn, a few other tests were taken, then I was sent on my way.

    Part 4

    The rest of my time that day, I sat around trying to find answers on the internet, which turned out to be a pointless jaunt. My mind was still hazy, and anxiety started to cloud my ability to reason; with millions of guesses in online forms, and nothing definitive, I gave up, resolved to just wait it out. The next week, up to my appointment, I stayed inside and didn¡¯t bother to go to classes or the clubroom. College work could be done online, and I¡¯d given my friends a bunch of excuses. The only problem was Mom. I had to wear turtlenecks all day to keep her from seeing the scar, which wasn¡¯t fun as I only owned 2 of the sweaters.

    ¡°Fate!¡± She called, awakening me from my nap. With her hair pulled into a wavy red bun, neatly dressed in a button-up and slacks, Mom leaned over me with a frown. I¡¯d drifted off on the front room¡¯s couch while playing some crappy fighting game, one of many that I¡¯d amassed.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Groggy still, I responded while feeling the imprint left on my cheek by the controller.

    ¡°What¡¯s with this hermit routine? You¡¯ve been sitting at home for the past few days.¡±

    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m fine, Mom. Just taking a little break.¡±

    ¡°Is everything alright with you and your little club?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±

    Mom pushed my legs off the couch and sat down next to me. ¡°I¡¯m worried¡­¡± I could tell where the conversation was headed. My mother always attempted to be the ¡®cool mom¡¯ type. ¡°Not only are you staying inside all day, but lately you¡¯ve been distant. Also, why are you always wearing turtlenecks now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the new style.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re wearing them around inside? Why not go out, show off this new style to some of the girls?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­well¡­¡±

    ¡°Fate, you¡¯re really bad at lying. Whatever it is that¡¯s bothering you, just tell me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really nothing. Everything is fine, Mom. You worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Fine then. Take off the turtle neck and show me everything is fine!¡±

    ¡°What? No way, Mom, weird! I don¡¯t want to be half naked in front of my Mother.¡±

    ¡°I saw you naked before you saw yourself.¡±

    ¡°Mom, stop. I promise that next time I get into some type of huge life destroying predicament, you¡¯ll be the first to know.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± She left me in a huff, silently storming to her room which sat adjacent to mine.

    (She¡¯ll be fine. Once I confirm what is going on isn¡¯t going to kill me, I¡¯ll let her know.) With my back laid against the couch I went back to sleep.

    My ears started buzzing, waking me up¡­sort of. I could feel the couch beneath me but couldn¡¯t move. It was as if my body slept while my mind and senses were wide awake. I tried to force open my eyes and was barely able to crack them. (Not again!) It was marginally different from the night I almost died, but the similar sensation of being enfeebled sunk in immediately.

    Just out of the corner of my eye, Mom walked into view. She looked down at me with her pale, freckled face, and said something I couldn¡¯t as her voice sounded muffled. Watching mom leave the room, closing the front door behind her as I could only scream in my own head was maddening! (Mom! Mom, come back!) There was nothing I could do. I couldn¡¯t move an inch!

    Again, out of the corner of my vision I could just barely make out something. A blurry black figure with a wide smile on what seemed to be its face was leering at me from the corner of the front room. As the monster approached me, I tried desperately to move again, with all my might, but my body remained motionless. It stood in front of me, obscuring my view with a curved and human like physique. The apparition was wrapped in some type of black fabric stitched together with weird luminescent purple threads radiating some unknown purple energy.

    A burning sensation, like a sharp, hot knife started cutting its way into the side of my neck! (Stopstopstopstopstop!!) Every part of me screamed, but my mouth remained still. It felt like my flesh was slowly being seared and peeled away. (Anyone! Someone please, make it stop!!!) The pain felt as if it would never end. Through my skin, then my muscles, and into the deepest part of my throat, the scorching edge reached my esophagus and hen almost as fast as it started, the pain left me, and I could move again.

    (What?) Awe struck, I felt the side of my neck where I¡¯d previously felt the intense pain. Not even a scrape. I franticly ran to check every inch of the apartment. ¡°Where are you!? I know you¡¯re here! Get the hell out here!¡± Yelling at the top of my lungs, with no regard for anyone who could hear me, I barked at the creature. ¡°I know you¡¯re here! What the hell do you want with me!?¡± At last I made my way to the front window, opened it all the way and yelled¡­ ¡°Leave me alone!!!¡± My voice echoed across the streets; people walking down below looked up at me with confusion. They must¡¯ve thought I was crazy¡­and at that point I wasn¡¯t sure how sane I was myself.

    I sat on the couch rubbing my neck. (Am I crazy?) Then chuckled to myself. (No way¡­) My phone started buzzing, which signaled that it was time for the appointment with the doctor, clearly far more time had passed than I realized, hours even. (Answers¡­please let this yield some answers.)

    Part 5

    The subway again¡­and almost as if the universe were mocking me, the same group of people from before rode alongside me in the same cart. The bickering girls and homeless old man joined me again for my ride. My mind was still frayed. Whatever demon that¡¯d been tormenting me wasn¡¯t going to stop.

    (I¡¯m feeling so damn nervous.) All of the forms, and articles I brought up on my phone about monsters, cryptids and demons didn¡¯t help. My tormentor could¡¯ve been anything from a succubus to a ghost! My chest was cramping due to anxiety, as I drummed my heel on the subway cart¡¯s floor. The noise I was making must¡¯ve woke the old man as he turned and looked at me. I tried to ignore him and control my nervous tick. (When the hell is my stop?) The man got up and ambled in my direction. He reeked of body odor even more up close.

    ¡°Hey bub, you got some food on you?¡± His missing teeth and matted beard were so close to me when he spoke, that I could see every uncleaned part of each tooth.

    ¡°No. Sorry.¡± I tried to blow him off.

    ¡°You sure? I smell something on ya¡¯.¡±

    (He¡¯s going to be persistent?!) ¡°N-No. Seriously, I don¡¯t have anything.¡± He was only a bit taller than me so if I had to, I could push him away, but I was still seated, and he was towering over me. The girls in the cart and I made eye contact, but they just pulled out their phones and started filming without reservation. (Do something you brats!) The man began closing in on me. Just when I prepared to shove him away, the train stopped causing him to fall to the floor. It was my stop so, I took that perfect opportunity to run past him and off the subway.

    After jogging for a few minutes, I made it to the doctor¡¯s office. Totally out of breath, I spoke with the receptionist about my appointment while huffing and puffing. She told me to wait to be called so I took a seat and attempted to calm myself. People walked back and forth, running in and out of offices working with the many patients.

    (I know I¡¯m not a priority, but crap¡­no one is even looking in my direction.) Just as I thought that a female nurse stopped right in front of me.

    ¡°Uh¡­hello.¡± She smiled sweetly.

    ¡°Hi¡­¡± I responded.

    ¡°Are you here to see the doctor?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think my appointment is at two¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Come in to the examination room. I¡¯m sure the doctor won¡¯t mind.¡± The nurse hurriedly pushed me into a room and sat me in an operating chair.

    ¡°Are you sure this is okay?¡± I asked, but as a response I got the door to the room being slammed shut, and the nurse taking a very close and intimate seat next to me. ¡°U-Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s fine. What¡¯s your name again?¡±

    ¡°I-I never gave it in the first place!¡± She started leaning in close, with her hand drawing closer to my scar.

    ¡°What the hell is going on in here!?¡± The doctor opened the door with his face full of disgust. ¡°Amanda, go to my office! I¡¯ll talk with you once this is done.¡± He pointed the nurse out of the room as she left, hanging her head in shame.

    ¡°Thank God! What the heck was all of that?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s normally not like that. Mr.Isley, do you know Amanda?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve never met her before.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± The doctor closed the door behind him as he entered the room which made me flinch a bit. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­So¡­what did the tests say?¡±

    ¡°You just want to jump into it?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely! Things¡­seem like they¡¯re getting worse.¡±

    ¡°I can tell something is wrong. You look like you haven¡¯t slept, and your face is flushed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­probably because of before¡­things have been keeping me up.¡±

    ¡°By ¡®things¡¯ do you mean this ¡®monster¡¯ that attacked you last week?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t believe that I can help you, Fate.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°Not even one of the tests we ran came up with anything out of the ordinary.¡±

    ¡°But this scar¡­!¡±

    ¡°I know. It is in fact strange, but I can¡¯t see it as anything other than an old wound. All the tests that we ran came back negative. If you¡¯d like further assistance, I can recommend a psychotherapist with whom I¡¯m acquainted.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± I was so frustrated I couldn¡¯t even think of anything to say in response.

    ¡°¡­It¡­It¡­¡± He began stuttering which caught my attention.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Do you¡­have something on you? Were you smoking something before you came in here?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Lord all mighty!¡± The doctor pulled open the door. ¡°Mr.Isley¡­speak with the receptionist! I can¡¯t stay in this room any longer!¡± The doctor rushed out of the room, leaving me befuddled as to why. I got up and grabbed the paperwork from the receptionist at the front desk and left, dejected but not totally defeated yet.

    Part 6

    I did something I normally wouldn¡¯t and walked to the library. The man at the front desk told me that they had books on the occult and supernatural happenings, so my thought process led me to believe that the answer I was searching for could¡¯ve been written about in one of those books. (If nothing is really wrong with me physically, then it has to be¡­a monster or a ghost, right?) Mr.Russell¡¯s speeches about reading old books if you wanted real knowledge had gotten to me. (I know I¡¯m not crazy¡­I can¡¯t have just started losing my mind out of nowhere.) There were tons of books all over, so I grabbed two of the biggest and oldest ones I could find on the occult and paranormal activities. The library was crowded, leaving me with only one free table to sit at, far away from most of the other patrons. My spot was near the ¡®kids¡¯ area¡¯, which the adults stayed far away from as they watched television, laughing and playing recklessly. Noise like that didn¡¯t bother me, as I¡¯d gotten used to Chester arguing with Demica in the background while working in the clubroom.

    The books mentioned lots of different creatures, from the jersey devil to Yaga-baba. The problem was, none of them were even remotely what I saw. I had no choice but to seriously start considering my sanity again. I got up and walked through the aisles of the library again, my hope of finding more information in books running thin. (Am I really okay?) The thought of going insane terrified me. If I lost my mind, I could hurt someone, or myself. (When would I even notice that I¡¯d lost my mind? Would just happen all at once? Have I¡­already lost it? Maybe I took more blows to the head than I thought when Ken and I got into it.) I started rubbing my head, wondering if I had some kind of brain damage, but then I noticed¡­ (Wait¡­what happened to that cut on my scalp?) The cut on my scalp wasn¡¯t too big, but I didn¡¯t think it would close up so soon.

    I remembered the beating I¡¯d received, taking note of all the wounds I¡¯d compounded and started checking myself. The bruise was totally gone, my lip had healed up and even my neck felt great! (Is it normal to heal up this fast?) Not being a fighter, I wasn¡¯t sure when I should¡¯ve been done recuperating. As I exited the drab corridor, some people started staring which made me feel self-conscious. A little girl in the ¡®kids¡¯ area¡¯ sat next to a doll which caught my eye. It¡¯s glassy, unblinking eyes stared me down with unfeeling silence. Chills ran up my spine and I tried to focus on the books again but couldn¡¯t. The dolls porcelain white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes were far too life like.

    (I hope whoever that thing belongs to, moves it soon, or I¡¯ll do it myself.) I saw children start standing up, leaving the ¡®kids¡¯ area¡¯, but none of them grabbed the little demonic looking doll. (Did someone forget it?) That thought seemed like a possibility until I noticed that everyone else started getting up. One by one everyone walked out of the library, without a word, without breaking stride. ¡°Uh, hello!?¡± I attempted to get someone¡¯s attention but failed as they ignored me. The librarians, the other patrons, the children, and even the cleaners¡­everyone simply walked out of the library; leaving me totally alone.

    ¡°What¡­the fuck?¡± Total silence is something I¡¯d never experienced before. Not the normal silence where there¡¯s still the sounds off in the distance. It was a muted, almost deafness blanketing the library.

    *Tonk*

    ¡°Spectacular! To think it would all work out so very well.¡± A velvety smooth, confident¡­familiar voice spoke from behind me. I could feel my heart jump in my chest and my blood start to run cold. ¡°Even if this little thing is here, it should not pose an issue for me. My¡­are you too frightened to even face me?¡± The voice¡­that I could clearly identify as a girl by that point, spoke to me. ¡°¡­That piece of rubbish over there had you so frightened, no? You needn¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll rid us of the little creature now!¡± A sound akin to music being distorted and played back over and over followed her words. Then suddenly the smell of brim stone and a burst of bright light came.

    I finally turned around to see¡­a girl. No older than me standing atop the table and staring at a raging fire in the ¡®kid¡¯s area¡¯. The embers turned from a warm orange flame into the visage of an agonized human head. As the fire subsided, where the doll once sat, all that remained were scorch marks and ash. She turned on the heels of her black platform boots to face me with a smirk. A pointed, and almost mechanical looking hat adorning her extremely long, raven black hair, that flowed down far past her knee length skirt. The girl¡¯s clothes were pitch black, woven with glowing purple threads; covering her pale and unblemished white skin. She simply continued to stare at me with her deep brownish red eyes. I was totally horrified¡­to be finally confronted with what I recognized as the monster that attacked me¡­

    End of chapter 2

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 3

    Part 1

    ¡°How much longer are you going to stand there, mouth agape?¡± She spoke with such confidence. It was as if she expected every single word that flowed past her lips to be listened to with the utmost attention, by anyone lucky enough to be graced by her voice. After the feeling of astonishment faded, I realized that I could finally get some answers.

    ¡°I¡­Y-You¡­who are you!?¡± Her expression soured.

    ¡°Taking such a tone¡­ I¡¯ll allow it for the time being. You¡¯ve not been broken in¡­as of yet. Has my name not etched itself into your mind? I believe I gave it before; then again you probably were too occupied at the time.¡± Her gestures so regal and dismissive, the girl clearly saw herself as so much more important than me. ¡°I am Anesha. For the foreseeable future, your fate and mine shall remain intertwined, as you carry the Seed of Yggdrasil.¡±

    ¡°Yggdrasil?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Yggdrasil. Now¡­¡± She - Anesha suddenly stopped talking and looked upward. Those brown-red eyes narrowed, looking to something far beyond the library walls. ¡°That should be nothing¡­not a problem.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Nothing you should concern yourself with.¡±

    ¡°No! Tell me! Tell me everything! You just showed up one night, out of absolutely nowhere, then you shot me with¡­whatever, and you kept fucking with me! What¡¯s going on here!?¡± Anesha turned back to me, with malevolence and disgust on her face.

    A purple glyph encircled her small pale hand. ¡°¡­I said I¡¯d allow such insolence once, but I see when it comes to a pet, you truly must not coddle them. Know your place!¡± With a cold gaze, she tightened her grip, crushing the translucent, ribbon-like energy. The strange writing within violently distorted and erratically shook, sending chills up my spine.

    ¡°What¡¯s-¡± My throat instantly closed. I couldn¡¯t talk, take air into my lungs or barely even make a sound. The very beating of my heart pounding was so loud and fierce my chest ached, as my skin began to numb. I was going into shock, just like before, just like that night! ¡°Keh!! Hah¡­!¡± I tried to call out for help as I fell to my knees and crawled across the floor.

    ¡°You should still be able to hear this, if not, I¡¯ll say it one hundred times over. You¡­belong¡­to me. Body, mind, and soul. You are now my property!¡± Anesha released her grip and the glyph disappeared, at the same time I regained my ability to breathe as the other conditions faded. ¡°Now, while you sit there, gasping for air on the ground, listen carefully. There are things I must attend to - preparations that must be made. You will meet me at¡­what time do you use here? Midnight¡­? Midnight. We shall meet at the field nearest your dwelling. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but shiver, barely able to respond.

    ¡°¡­Answer me, now.¡± That commanding tone shook me.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­I understand.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± She jumped up and began floating toward the ceiling. ¡°Don¡¯t be late by even a second, or you¡¯ll be punished again.¡± The dark handle of a broom zoomed in through an opened window. Anesha landed gracefully atop it with her black platform boots and flashed a grin. ¡°Don¡¯t look so dire. You have yet to even hear the entirety of your situation, your sought-after answers. You should be proud. For now, I must go, lo¡¯ tonight we¡¯ll meet again. I¡¯d suggest you leave this building too. Soon, my spell will wear off and those people shall return.¡± She sat down atop the handle, as another purple glyph enclosed the other end, exploding into a set of amethyst spikes, propelling the apparent floating vehicle out of the open window. Leaving me dumbstruck.

    Part 2

    I ended up dragging myself to the club room, completely out of habit, and tossed myself onto our couch that sat toward the back of the room. The old piece of furniture that Chester forced us to drag all the way from his house to the campus served its purpose outstandingly well. We mostly slept in between classes on the oversized sofa, so it was one of the few things in the room we kept super clean. With the curtains closed, the room was nearly pitch black, save for the PCs running with flashing lights. The calming hum of laptops and PCs fans helped ease my nerves, but I couldn¡¯t completely relax. With my eyes closed, I¡¯d feel my body start to seize up. An image of that woman - Anesha, outstretching her hand reaching for my neck, digging her long fingers into throat, jolted me back awake again and again. Somehow, after an hour or so of tossing and turning, I drifted off.

    Even while I slept, my mind raced endlessly, and I caught myself grabbing at the worn brown leather of the sofa. Nightmares of being unable to move and being picked and prodded while staring into her eyes made my heart beat violently. The nightmares continued until I heard a sudden bump come from the hallway. The bump was small, but I still shot up from my slumber with my eyes becoming instantly transfixed on the door. At first it seemed that maybe one of the other club members was entering, but it came again, something lightly tapped at the door. By the third tap, my mind started playing back images of Anesha, toying with me from beyond the threshold. The tapping subsided for a minute and then a loud bang! I finally got up and rushed to the door to find Gabby, seated on the ground with rolled up papers and picture frames spread out across the dust caked floor.

    ¡°Fate!?¡± She was as surprised as I was. With my bad luck, of course the first person I see when I get back to college, is the one I want to see the least.

    ¡°Oh¡­hey, Gabby.¡± A frown came across Gabby¡¯s face as she jumped to her feet.

    ¡°Where the heck have you been?!¡± She got so close that her nose was only about an inch away from mine, which probably shouldn¡¯t have made me as happy as it did. Gabby, on top of all the stuff I was already dealing with, was too much to process with how overtaxed my mind was.

    ¡°W-Well¡­around¡­you know¡­¡± No ideas of falsehood came to me in that instant.

    ¡°Around? Like where? I haven¡¯t seen you since that stuff with Ken the other day. I texted you, you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­Lost my phone.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Silently pulling out her phone, Gabby started entering something on it, then put it to her ear. My phone, that was in fact in my pocket, began to ring. ¡°Lost, huh?¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°*Sigh* whatever.¡± She bent back down collecting the arts supplies. All the materials Gabby held were so big they eclipsed her face, blocking her view entirely.

    ¡°Hold on! There¡¯s no way you can see like that.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± She said dismissively.

    ¡°Here, let me help.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Again, totally dismissive. I reached for a few of the frames, but then she handed me more and more until I was carrying everything but a single roll of paper.

    ¡°Uh¡­Gabby¡­you¡¯re really mad, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± I followed her out of the building. Night had fallen by that point as did the temperature. The campus was, for the most part, barren except for the security guards who appeared to be getting ready end their shifts.

    (Shoot, I slept way longer than I meant to. I must be more tired than I realized.) We walked for a few minutes in silence until it got too uncomfortable for me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been ignoring you, okay? There¡¯s been a lot of stuff going on in my life lately.¡±

    ¡°You could¡¯ve just said that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were mad at me. Because of what happened, I mean.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not at fault for that shithead being a¡­shithead.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s totally my fault though. Should¡¯ve broke it off permanently, forever ago.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ none of my business. Anyway, where are we going? I don¡¯t remember you being in any type of art club.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. A friend asked me to bring these to one of the clubrooms. Of course, they didn¡¯t bother to lend a hand. Thank goodness, I bumped into an actual good friend.¡± We finally reached the main college building and got on the elevator. The 5<sup>th</sup> floor was our destination, so it wasn¡¯t a long ride, but my arms started to get tired. I persevered, as looking weak in front of a girl was not a blow my confidence needed. While we waited for the elevator doors to open, Gabby started sniffing the air as if something was off. I quickly and discreetly checked to see if I smelled, hoping she wouldn¡¯t notice. ¡°Fate, do you have food on you?¡±

    ¡°What? No. Where would I even hide it?¡± No to stinking, hopefully no to her noticing.

    ¡°Something smells really sweet. Intoxicatingly so¡­¡± As the doors opened, I exited leaving Gabby in place, totally preoccupied with the scent.

    ¡°Yo, Gabby are you coming?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yeah, sure.¡± Gabby and I walked to the empty clubroom nearest the edge of the hall. The heavy silence that blanketed us was only broken up by the sound of her constantly, and concerningly, sniffing the air. From wall to wall, the dark room of the art club was covered in paintings of people dressed in old garb - petticoats and old suits galore! There were busts of men wearing powdered wigs, shelves of art equipment and deconstructed lighting rigs in the corners. The room felt dead, like it was used for storage, not an active club.

    ¡°This is the art room, right Gabby?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­yeah¡­uh¡­the art room. Hey, you smell this, right? I¡¯m not going crazy, am I?¡±

    Gabby¡¯s continued sniffing started becoming annoying, but I tried to ignore it. The corner of the room seemed like the perfect place for the frames and scrolls filling my arms, so I broke from her to deposit the supplies. ¡°It¡¯s¡­like¡­I guess it¡¯s vanilla¡­¡± Before I had noticed, Gabby had come in close, hungover top of me still tracing the supposed strange scent. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ It¡¯s absolutely you¡­¡± Gabby had boxed me in against the wall. Normally, I stood a few inches taller than her, but she¡¯d caught me whilst crouched on the floor, so she towered over me, looking down with a glazed over expression.

    ¡°Uh¡­yeah, cool. Space. Please?¡±

    ¡°¡­What is it¡­this smell? It¡¯s coming off you.¡± Gabby came in very close. I could feel her breath on my face as her long hair started obscuring my view. My heart raced; it was as if all other sounds had faded from the world.

    ¡°Gabby¡­hang on. Slow down. W-what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re wearing, the cologne¡­it smells nice¡­is all.¡± Her breathing got heavier.

    ¡°It¡¯s just regular deodorant! Gabby, stop¡­¡± Even with me saying that, I wasn¡¯t putting up much resistance. The girl I¡¯d longed for was advancing on me, like a dream, or something. The mood wasn¡¯t ideal, but my body was more into it than the rational part of my brain. When she grabbed the neck of my sweater, I snapped back to reality. My scar was something I didn¡¯t want anyone to see, Gabby most of all. I grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her away. ¡°Gabby, stop! Something¡¯s up with you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±

    ¡°Gabby?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    ¡°Seriously! Gabby, get a hold of yourself!¡± Even with the lights off I could see her pupils were dilated. ¡°You need to listen to me. Are you listening? Are you sick?¡± When I placed my hand on Gabby¡¯s forehead to check her temperature, it felt like she¡¯d been sitting under a heat lamp for the last few minutes. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re not well. Here, if you need to, you can use my shoulder.¡±  Gabby nodded and slowly staggered upright while keeping a hold of me.

    ¡°Fate¡­I don¡¯t feel so good. Ugh¡­BLEEGGGH!!¡±

    Part 3

    My sweater was covered in Gabby¡¯s vomit. Admittedly, it was probably the time I found her the least attractive since knowing her. After she threw up all over my turtleneck we walked to the bathroom and I washed it as best I could. Since I had a tee-shirt on underneath, it wasn¡¯t a huge issue; the scar was though, that was different. Gabby waited for me outside the entrance, while I wrung out my black sweater, clearly embarrassed.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Gabby yelled into the bathroom.

    ¡°Relax, you¡¯re sick. Not your fault.¡±

    ¡°But Fate, I didn¡¯t feel sick until a few minutes ago. I¡¯m fine now¡­for the most part.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Pieces started to fit together. Just like the nurse from the doctor¡¯s office, Gabby also suddenly started acting weird for no reason; and of course, back even farther on the train, that homeless man mentioned something about the way I¡­smelled. It occurred to me, whatever was happening must¡¯ve been the cause of that woman¡­Anesha. ¡°Fuck!¡± My fist slammed down onto the sink.

    ¡°Fate, are you okay in there?¡± No answers, and she had some kind of spell on me. I was at her mercy, dreading our meeting at midnight, but for all I knew she¡¯d just kill me, or give me more orders without telling me a damn thing! The feeling of being trapped made my blood feel like it was running cold. ¡°Fate?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­? Oh, I¡¯m coming.¡± Absentmindedly, I walked out of the bathroom, still lost in thought.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡­HOLY CRAP! What¡¯s with that scar?!¡± Was shouted in utter bewilderment.

    ¡°Huh? Oh¡­¡± Looking beat in my wrinkled tee-shirt and wet jacket in hand, I¡¯d forgotten to cover up. ¡°I¡­got¡­¡±

    ¡°You got what? Is this why you¡¯ve been missing this whole time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sort of.¡±

    Just then, I picked up on the sound of someone dashing down the hall towards us; their sneaker swiftly beating on the floor in a familiar pattern alerted me to who it was before I even turned. It was too late to brace myself and I got tackled, which was more of a shoulder to the gut, knocking all the wind out of me. Down to the floor I went with a thud; my attacker was, of course, none other than Chester.

    ¡°Hmhmhm! Filthy shapeshifter, taking the form of my close friend¡­how dare you! I shall now, take this chance and rescue this fair damsel from your clutches! As I know, my close friend, Fate Lyle Isley would never return to school without informing me!¡± Chester rambled in his typical obnoxious and over the top way.

    Gabby covered her mouth attempting to disguise her giggling. ¡°¡­Lyle¡­teehee¡­¡±

    ¡°Chester!!¡± I got up ready to throttle him, though realizing that in his way, he was saying he missed me and was upset that he¡¯d not heard from me in a while, so I relented. ¡°You could just say that you missed me, asshole.¡± My body wasn¡¯t hurt, my dignity however, was slightly bruised from having the girl I liked snickering at my middle name.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Chester, you moron! What would you have done if he were hurt!¡± Demica charged up with a book in hand, slamming the spine down on the crown of Chester¡¯s head. Teddy and Perry followed suit as both of my other club members began arguing.

    ¡°F-Fate! It¡¯s good to see you back!¡± Teddy ran over gesturing for a hug, to which I denied the big guy. I wasn¡¯t in the mood for any type of physical displays of affection.

    ¡°Happy to see you too, man.¡± Seeing all my friends in one place gave me back some of the relief I¡¯d lost from the incident earlier. ¡°What are you guys even doing here?¡± While asking that, I walked over to Chester, locking in a headlock, for a bit of payback. No one else should¡¯ve known I was on campus, so it was surprising to see everyone.

    ¡°Gabriella texted me. She said you were here, and since everyone was really worried about you, we dropped everything and rushed over.¡± Demica¡¯s matter of fact attitude was one of her best features, in my opinion; she¡¯d tell you how it was, and I appreciated that. ¡°You¡¯re gone for days, and only say you¡¯ve got to take time to get stuff together. You didn¡¯t even text us since then. As much as that moron over there is at fault for attacking you, I can¡¯t blame him too much.¡± That cherished feature could also be a pain when she would begin berating you. ¡°Also, what the hell is up with that scar?!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­uh¡­it¡¯s a long story. Plus, it¡¯s getting late, you know?¡± My attempt at making an exit was quickly shut down.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone is willing to miss a bus or two in order to hear your explanation.¡± As stern as a catholic school nun with the eyes of a lioness.

    ¡°Hold on, Demica. Let¡¯s not go overboard. He just got back. I want to know what¡¯s going on with Fate too, but maybe give him a little break. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all something personal. Plus, the buses are running on a weird schedule today because of the library incident.¡± I hadn¡¯t even thought about the library since I left. Whatever Anesha did must¡¯ve caused enough of a stir that even Gabby had heard about it. Despite really wanting to pry for information on what the populace knew, I wanted to get off the topic even more.

    ¡°Y-yeah, it is getting l-late¡­¡± Teddy brought out his phone, displaying the time; it was nearing eleven. When I fell asleep in the clubroom it was getting dark, but I¡¯d slept far later than I¡¯d wanted to.

    ¡°I have to go. Guys, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll¡­explain everything¡­next time, I promise.¡± Fearing whatever repercussion awaited me should I¡¯ve been late, I tried to get to the park as instructed to rendezvous with Anesha.

    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll walk down with you at least. I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re done with our research anyway.¡± Demica said whilst brushing her dark blonde hair out of her face.

    ¡°No! I mean, no. I¡¯ve got to run¡­and¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being suspicious¡­also I think Chester has had enough.¡± Chester, who was still in my grasp, which I positioned wrongly and wrapped my arm around his neck, had started to lose the little color his normally pale face had. I released him and tried to make my exit, but the others all followed me down to the lobby.

    ¡°Alright guys, I¡¯ll catch you later.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­my friend, let¡¯s chat.¡± Chester pulled me to the side away from the others. ¡°Fate, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Really? Even going to say that with the scar on your neck?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s something really bad, just let me know, man.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± The entire situation was beyond unbelievable, beyond inconceivable and far beyond what I¡¯d ever imagined to be a part of my real life. Explaining the ridiculous course of events to Chester seemed impossible. ¡°Everything is fine, but it¡¯s not fine.¡± The only way I could prove it to him was to take him with me, but I didn¡¯t want to put anyone else in danger. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know how to explain it to you. Not now, at least. Can I ask a favor though?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m apprehensive, but what is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Would you¡­Never mind.¡± I was too choked up to speak, basically holding back tears. It set in again, fear. I was afraid but couldn¡¯t ask for help. If anyone else had gotten involved, there was no way I would be able to forgive myself.

    ¡°If you need to ask me something¡­¡±

    ¡°Nah. Forget it. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow!¡± I yelled back while running for the meeting spot.

    Part 4

    Deserted and nearly silent, the dead air of the park was very graveyard like. It felt as if at any moment a monster could jump out and attack me; that thought kept running through my head. Crickets playing their tune into the night sky along with the lamp posts keeping the darkness at bay was comforting in an eerie way, but the calming atmosphere couldn¡¯t stave off feelings of uncertainty. Music crept just over a nearby hill. The myriad of clubs around town opened up at night, so I wasn¡¯t surprised to hear the beats begin to pick up off in the distance.

    I paced about the paths while waiting for Anesha. I was on time, but she was late. Fearing the consequences of what would happen if I were to just head home kept me in place. The wait was agonizing. It may not have even been that long, but since I was anticipating the worse possible outcome, it felt like each minute lasted an hour. My phone started buzzing, signaling a text had come through. When I checked, Mom had messaged me.

    She was home and wondered where I was. I lied. The lie was, that I was with people from the club. She was happy to know that I was out having fun and said not to come back home too late. There were so many things I wanted to say to her, but I left it at: Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back home after a while. I love you.

    Sounds in the distance grew louder, but I tried to ignore them. The wait continued for an hour; it got unbearable. Again, the sounds grew, finally piquing my interest enough to draw me, wondering toward the commotion. Thick fog billowed over from the other side of a hill, slowing my approach. Upon viewing where the fog emanated from, I noticed a bunch of people dancing about as if there were music. They were dancing like mad, flailing their arms and shaking their bodies as if they were being attacked by a swarm of bees. So many of them seemed totally off their rockers, some even began stripping off their clothes and shrieking incoherently. My eyes were fixated on the party, be it due to morbid curiosity or whatever else, I was enraptured, until I noticed a strange person standing in the middle of the group.

    The figure stood out like a sore thumb. Their tall, long frame was a head and shoulders higher than everyone else dancing around them. The person¡¯s head was very wide, but not long, like a watermelon laid on its side. The arms of this person moved about like an orchestra conductor. Their ran so very long and slender, running up to a stout, thick body. It was just far enough away that I couldn¡¯t make out the person¡¯s features.

    After about a minute it stopped, bringing its arms to its sides as everyone surrounding it collapsed, unmoving. ¡°Wha¡­¡± I said without thinking as the fog dispersed. The unknown, weird shaped person turned and faced my direction which I responded by unintentionally hiding. I got down on the ground and covered my mouth. Whatever that guy was doing wasn¡¯t normal, obviously. (What the hell was all of that? Is that thing with Anesha, or¡­is it like the doll back at the library?) I thought. Holding my breath and covering my mouth, I tried my best to remain as quiet as possible. My heart was beating like mad as light footsteps closed in on me. (What do I do? Should I run? What if he just walks past me? No, I¡¯ve got to run! It doesn¡¯t matter if he doesn¡¯t have anything to do with Anesha, I can¡¯t take any¡­)

    A pale, porcelain visage adorned with an unkempt goatee and mop like black hair draping down over huge, white, golf ball looking eyes stared down at me. The tall man was upon me, before I could get up from my seat in the grass, with his smile so wide that even his oblong head could not contain it. He wore a black coat, slightly open at the chest level with lengthy strands of hair spewing out. A belly laughing in a deep grunt caused the man to convulse.

    ¡°Huhuhuhu¡­you smell so nice! Is it mana? I haven¡¯t smelled mana from a man in years! Delicious!!¡± He quivered while happily jostling side to side in those small boots.

    ¡°¡­¡± Dumbstruck, I was unable to get myself together enough to say anything.

    ¡°Boy, would you do me a favor and stand up, so I can get a good look at you.¡±

    Silently heeding his request, I got up. My head only went as high as his ribs, as he leaned in and took a deep whiff of me. ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­mana! It¡¯s certainly mana! How many years has it been¡­? A century? Yes. Oh yes!¡± His surprisingly tiny hands gripped my shoulders with great force as a perverse, joyful smile displayed itself. I was given a good look at his pure white, spaced teeth housed within his maw as he drew me in closer.  ¡°Come with me bo-¡± I¡¯d had enough, and with a swift kick to his gut I took off running in the opposite direction as fast as I could.

    I sprinted at full speed attempting to escape the park but weaving in-between the trees at night was difficult. I made the mistake of turning back to look and ended up crashing into someone, tumbling down to the ground, rolling in the dirt. ¡°Ow!¡± I¡¯d crashed into some boy around my age. His disheveled hair spread out across his head as he laid on the ground. ¡°Hey man, you need to run! There¡¯s some weird tall guy over there and I think he¡¯s killing people or something, we have to go!¡± The boy grabbed both of my ankles and tugged my feet from beneath me, causing me to fall to the dried ground with a hard thud. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± His eyes, when I got a good look at them, were huge, white, misaligned golf ball like orbs.

    The boy¡¯s eyes were far too big for his face, so much so that his skull had deformed. The bridge of his nose was bent, the orbital bones were pushing up against his forehead forming small tears and cracks in his brow. He moaned in agony with blood rolling down into his mouth.

    ¡°Aghhh!!!¡± The horrific sight caused me to just scream and irrationally kick the boy¡¯s distorted face until he released me. With my legs free I sprinted away as hard as I could, my lungs feeling like they were on fire as the cold air entered them. In my peripheral vision, I could see other people closing in. No doubt in my mind they were with the tall man as they ambled closer. ¡°Someone, help! Anyone!¡± The echoing throughout the empty park was disheartening. No one was around to save me; and clearly, I hadn¡¯t learned my lesson from before. My foot caught a tree root as I ran, next thing I knew, I was rolling down a small grassy incline into a stream beneath a bridge. (Shit¡­my ankle.) It hurt really bad but hadn¡¯t broken as far as I could tell. Moaning almost in harmony¡­like a chorus crept in from every direction. People with their heads deformed by those bulbus white orbs ambled closer, standing on the lip of the hill.  ¡°Get away! Someone help!¡±

    ¡°Huhuhuhu¡­you¡¯re awfully feisty.¡± The tall man slowly trotted down the incline and up to me as I tried to distance myself from him. My back ended up against the dirt hill, leaving me with no escape.

    ¡°Get the hell away from me!¡± I tossed a rock at him which missed completely. ¡°What do you want¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re completely ignorant then?¡± He laughed again, then closed the distance. Towering over me again with that wide smile, licking his lips with a black and pink tongue, he pulled a cane out of his pocket and jammed it into my shoulder, hard, until I heard a snap.

    ¡°AGGHHH!!!¡± Something in my shoulder popped under the pressure sounding like bubble wrap. The adrenaline faded as pain ravaged my body, coupling the shoulder and my ankle, I was in agony. ¡°Stop! Please!¡± The tall man dug the sharp point deeper, until it broke the skin and wormed in between muscle. All I could do was scream, unable to even think straight.

    He pulled the cane¡¯s tip to his mouth, still dripping with my blood, and licked it. ¡°AHHHH!!! Yes! This flavor! What is this? I¡¯ve never tasted mana in the blood of a person from this generation that tastes so good! So sweet, so pure, so¡­rich! Yes, I¡¯ll keep you. You¡¯re worth a hundred of them!¡±

    ¡°Hey what are you all doing over there! Hands up!¡± A streak of light came across and blinded me as a police officer stood atop the bridge next to his bicycle. ¡°I said, hands up!¡± The shaking of his drawn firearm betrayed his attempt at looking brave. He nearly broke and ran once the tall man made eye contact. The tall man just giggled.

    ¡°I guess having another one wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± The tall man started to wave his cane, as if he were a musical conductor.

    ¡°What on earth? Stop that right now!¡± The officer steadied his gun, training it on the horrifying monster of a man as he continued dancing the cane about. Fog rolled in, as the other people with the golf ball eyes began to tremble. They howled, slowly beginning to dance, a strange, bobbing waltz. Their groaning eventually harmonized into a song. ¡°What the fuck!? What¡¯s going on? Get on the ground! All of you!¡± Frightened as he was, the officer still refused to fire his gun.

    ¡°What are you doing¡­shoot them!¡±  I yelled to him, but it didn¡¯t help. My voice couldn¡¯t overcome the ¡®music¡¯.

    The officer squeezed his temples and fell to one knee. ¡°Ow¡­what¡¯s happening!? I¡­can¡¯t¡­look away!¡±. With the gun dropping from his hand into the stream with a splash the man got up and started to dance along, slowly, getting into rhythm. He began screaming in agony along with the others, until it harmonized, and his eyes began to grow. They rolled to the back of his head as they swelled, enlarging the sides of his skull, protruding as his face stretched to its limit, then broke. His upper jaw cracked loudly with a sickeningly thick breaking noise, like a watermelon being smashed. Blood dripped from the tops of his eye sockets as the moaning reached its highest pitch, then all at once stopped along with the tall man lowering his cane.

    All the people stood motionless, drooling with a mixture of blood and saliva running down to their feet while the moaning gradually returned to a low hum. ¡°Ah¡­what a lovely song. Every time I play it¡­I simply feel euphoric.¡± He sensually ran his small fingers through the exposed hair on his chest. ¡°Now then.¡± With a quick jab, the cane went right back into the wound on my shoulder.

    ¡°AGGGHH!!!¡± My ankle was likely sprained, badly, leaving me at that monster¡¯s mercy. (I¡¯m going to die¡­I¡¯m so sick of feeling this way! Alone, confused and scared¡­this sickening pit in my stomach, I want it to go away!) I took a deep breath and screamed into the night sky. ¡°ANESHA!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?¡±

    Nothing. The sky remained silent. ¡°Don¡¯t worry young man. I will most certainly not kill you. I want you to keep living. If I have the mana you keep oozing, I¡¯ll be able to turn this entire city into my playhouse. Servants as far as the eye can see, and a beautiful melody, echoing far and wide!¡± With my consciousness fading and the last of my strength, I grabbed the end of his cane and pulled it with all my might trying to remove it from my shoulder.

    The disgusting sensation of the cane worming around inside of my body appalled me. His ugly, toothy smile enraged me. The thought of being captured and used by that foul creature infuriated me! I got to my feet, busted ankle and all, ignoring the excruciating pain shooting throughout my body. As if someone replaced my blood with fire, all the pain burned away, leaving only anger. I pulled that long-headed bastard¡¯s cane from my shoulder, looked him in the eyes and snapped it like a twig.

    ¡°Wait¡­wait, wait, wait, wait!¡± My blood was rushing so fast, that I could only hear my own breathing. The tall man backed away, scurrying through the stream like a frightened animal, but I limped closer. Red was all I saw; the sudden surge of strength and rage was joined by adrenaline that I¡¯d never felt before. Unfortunately, my body went cold again. I fell to my knees, my head landed in the stream just barely missing a rock. I had to roll over onto my back quickly, otherwise I¡¯d have drowned.

    The tall man came closer, and stomped on my chest, pushing my head back below the surface. I struggled to get air, but the tall man continued to push me down, repeatedly dunking me, then allowing me back up for a second of air, only to repeat the process over and over. ¡°S-Stop!¡±

    ¡°Stop¡­? Oh, young man, I thought you¡¯d somehow learned magic! How foolish of me. It took me decades¡­decades to learn even something this basic! Yes¡­I¡¯ll just let you suffer, only a bit.¡± He pushed me back under the water¡¯s surface. I could see him laughing at me. His heel was pressed so hard against my chest, if he didn¡¯t kill me by drowning, he would by crushing my sternum. It continued like this until a random, bright spark floated near him.

    It suddenly exploded, engulfing his head in flames out of nowhere. He flailed about and ran away, giving me the opportunity to sit up from the water. When I did, I was greeted with a dismissively innocent wave by the object of my torment, Anesha. ¡°My, my, my¡­I run a little late and this is the situation I find you in? Nearly drowned in a stream, a hole in your shoulder and some disgusting homunculus casting magic as if it were actually a living being.¡± She floated just above the stream, seated atop her broomstick, legs crossed, looking ever so relaxed.

    ¡°You whore!¡± The tall man, Anesha referred to as a homunculus yelled at her. The fire engulfing his head had gone out leaving burned pale skin and having had charred almost all of his hair. He lifted the broken cane back up and began to wave it about causing the people under his control to move towards Anesha.

    ¡°Look out!¡± I yelled, but Anesha didn¡¯t even seemed the least bit concerned.

    ¡°You disgusting retch, who taught you magic? So crude¡­so archaic¡­¡± Anesha raised her hand up and with a simple snap of her fingers all of the people fell to the ground.

    ¡°What!?¡± The tall man backed away in fear. ¡°You whore, you whore! What have you done!?¡± He charged at Anesha. Another spark floated over to the homunculus from Anesha¡¯s finger and burst into flames consuming the tall man. ¡°GAAAHHHH!!!¡± He cried flailing about in the water with the fires refusing to subside.

    Anesha grabbed me around the back of my collar and pulled me onto her broomstick. We then began to float back up the hill and onto the ground out of the stream. ¡°Whoa, whoa¡­¡± I was scared until she dropped me off as soon as we were close to the ground. My ankle and shoulder were still hurting, but Anesha didn¡¯t seem to care as she tossed me onto the ground with total disregard for what I¡¯d been through.

    ¡°That took far more time then I would have preferred. To think that erecting a ward in this world would be so difficult. It wasn¡¯t as trying at the library. It must be the sheer size of this area¡­¡± Anesha muttered to herself.

    ¡°Hey¡­can I get some help over here?¡± Exhausted, I tried to get to my feet, but my ankle kept me down.

    ¡°Hm? You¡¯ll be fine. I demand silence while I think.¡± Spoken so earnestly, Anesha began muttering to herself.

    ¡°HAGGGGHHH!!!!¡± The tall man leapt up over the hill with a blood curdling scream, holding the remains of his cane high overhead. ¡°You horrid bitch! I¡¯ll kill you!!!¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± Anesha retorted, then said something under her breath as red strings shot up from the ground, wrapping around the tall man¡¯s arms and legs holding him in place in midair. ¡°I¡¯d planned on allowing you to simply slink back to whatever waste filled mire your creator had ejaculated into to bring you to life; but now, you¡¯ve insulted me on multiple occasions and you made me waste my valuable time. The punishment for that, shall be severe.¡± The strings quickly began to extend, covering the body of the homunculus.

    ¡°HAGGHH!!! Stop! Stop! Stop! Please!!¡± Desperately, the tall man cried as he scratched at the strings. The threads cut into his arms, legs and body, looking as if they¡¯d break the skin, but held steady. They began tugging at the arms and legs, ripping and popping joints and muscles loud enough that I could hear them over the tall man¡¯s screams. His arms and shoulders wrapped and bent around his head as the legs and lower body were dragged upward over his shoulders. The noise¡¯s he made went from screams to muffled shrieks. The tall man¡¯s body was no longer recognizable; it was nothing more than a round, red ball no bigger than my hand; struggling about, held in place by strings.

    Anesha pulled a small silver cross out of her blouse and threw it into the air. It slammed down onto the ball, severing all the strings and ending the cries of what was formerly the tall man. Anesha got down off her broomstick and walked to her cross. She simply plucked it from the ground, making the ball of the tall man disintegrate into ashes, as if blown from an ashtray. ¡°You had questions, no? Now¡¯s the time to ask them.¡±

    That offer made my blood run cold. Finally, I¡¯d get to know what was happening. I wanted to ask hundreds of questions, but I started to feel weak. My body wasn¡¯t getting cold from excitement, but from blood loss. My eyes became heavy as I stared at Anesha¡¯s face, thinking¡­ (I¡¯d be happy to look at the face of such a beautiful girl, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was such a horribly evil bitch.) I faded into unconsciousness, staring at the face of a beautiful devil.

    End of chapter 3

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 4

    Part 1

    ¡°Where¡­?¡± It took a minute of staring at the desensitizingly white ceiling of my own room for me to realize that I was back at home. After the nightmarish evening I¡¯d had, waking up in the warmth of my bed was a relief. While passing out before, the thought of dying had barged into my mind, so just being able to open my eyes again and breathe was a godsend. Exhaustion overtook me as my eyes began to droop, but a cheerful, melodious humming came from another room in my apartment snapping me back to attention. I could hear footsteps coming down the hall as whoever the person was approached.

    ¡°Awake, I see.¡± Anesha; she sauntered through the door to my room with the smuggest smile I¡¯d ever seen plastered on her face, with an apple in hand. Those wicked red eyes gleamed, causing me to sit up, but even the slightest movement caused my entire body to ache. I fell back into a wet sensation down on the bed. By my arm, a crimson pool of blood built up, staining the sheets, and dripping onto the floor. The wound I¡¯d sustained from the tall man to my shoulder was poorly wrapped in white gauze that¡¯d been soaked through.

    ¡°W-What the hell are you doing just standing there? Help close this wound!¡± I tried to place pressure on the injury, noticing Anesha¡¯s expression sour out of the corner of my eye.

    ¡°Need I remind you of your position?¡±

    ¡°No, stop! I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± That woman began to raise her hand, which horrified me even more after I¡¯d seen her magic in action. ¡°But¡­w-what about my shoulder?¡±

    ¡°Calm yourself; It¡¯ll be fine. The seed will do everything possible to keep its bearer alive.¡±

    ¡°The seed¡­right.¡± Ignoring the intense pain, I propped myself upright and placed my back against the cool wall. ¡°¡­¡±

    Anesha sat down in my computer chair and removed her strangely mechanical looking black hat. Upon closer inspection, the pointed, long hat was fitted with luminescent purple lining running to the tip. Every few seconds a slight purple glow would pulsate from the stitching like an LED. Intrigued as I was, I didn¡¯t want to bother Anesha with questions. I quietly observed her, with apple in hand, slowly typing away on my keyboard. ¡°I cannot seem to advance beyond this. Your computer is asking for a password. What is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh¡­It¡¯s ¡®extrasensory perception¡¯ with a space in between the words.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Quite the mouth full¡­enter it!¡± She pushed the keyboard into my face, and I logged her in. Playing around, going onto the internet, searching articles, and rifling through some of the folders on my desktop, which made me rather nervous of what she may come across, Anesha was enamored with everything. ¡°My¡­it¡¯s so different from what I was told. This is the internet, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, the whole thing isn¡¯t¡­that¡¯s my computer, which connects to the internet and the internet is¡­¡±

    ¡°Such a long-winded explanation.¡± Anesha became totally engrossed with the PC again. It occurred to me, wherever Anesha had come from must not have had computers or the internet.

    (Is that hat not mechanical?) After a couple of minutes, she stopped and with a sigh and a stretch, finished. She turned to look over at me with a satisfied half-smile.

    ¡°Now, you were unable to ask questions before, but I¡¯ll allow it as you¡¯ve been good to remain quiet.¡±

    ¡°I¡­can ask whatever I want?¡± Anesha nodded.  ¡°¡­My mother!¡± I¡¯d just remembered. ¡°She was home, right? Where is she?¡± Obvious moonlight shown onto the blinds of my bedroom signaling it was still night.

    ¡°So, the woman who was here before is your mother? I¡¯d not have guessed that with her red hair, and how¡­ different you look from her, but you two do share the same eyes. Regardless, I placed a ward on this household. When a ward is in place, depending on the parameters, it¡¯ll cause all those who aren¡¯t allowed in its area of activation to leave. They will complete any gaps in logic as need be to justify their actions.¡±

    ¡°Mind control, then¡­¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯d like to call it.¡±

    ¡°¡­You did that before in the library too, right?¡± A dismissive nod signaled I was correct with my assumption.

    ¡°This is rather surprising. Your first question was about your mother, but not your situation, or who I am, or what¡¯d happened last night. Why is that?¡±

    ¡°I pieced together a lot by living through this¡­hell for the past few days. You¡¯re a witch, right?¡±

    ¡°In the simplest way put. I¡¯m a little surprised that term is still used so readily.¡±

    ¡°¡­And, you mentioned it yesterday, but that thing¡­the tall man was a homunculus.¡±

    ¡°Also, yes.¡±

    ¡°And he wanted the seed of¡­whatever, right?¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡± Anesha stood up from the computer chair and walked over to me. She pointed her finger at the scar on my neck and continued. ¡°Right now, within you is the Seed of Yggdrasil.¡±

    ¡°Yggdrasil?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It exudes copious amounts of mana, and for those not used to the scent of mana, it can be tremendously intoxicating. For there to be a homunculus not just simply wondering about, but also using such archaic magic, I¡¯m rather fascinated.¡±

    ¡°What is the seed, and what¡¯s mana?¡±

    Anesha lowered her hand. ¡°Those two, they tie into each other as a matter of fact. The seed produces mana, mana is the lifeforce for the entire world itself. Every living being on the planet produces, at least a very, very small amount of mana, but the seed has the power to produce nigh infinite amounts. Mana is what I use to cast spells. I¡¯m sure you remember the fires and the strings from before. I used the mana within my body to do such things. After all, we witches and warlocks have far more mana in our bodies than you humans.¡±

    ¡°So, there are more of you?¡±

    ¡°There are. You do ask a lot of questions, goodness.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    ¡°You needn¡¯t apologize. This is your reward after all, relish in it. Alas, the time has come¡­if you¡¯ll excuse me. I¡¯ll be leaving.¡±

    ¡°Huh? I still have more questions!¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯ll wait. I have other things to handle and I¡¯ve grown quite tired. Your mother shall return soon; I¡¯d suggest cleaning the blood off your bedding to avoid suspicion. I¡¯ll not waste my time cleaning your mess, so I¡¯d urge you to hurry. Also, allow me to state this so there are no qualms about it in the future. I don¡¯t want anyone else knowing about me; so, keep silent as to my existence, understand? Now, be quick about the cleaning.¡± Anesha walked toward the front door nonchalantly, and with the snap of her fingers, her hat glided back to the top of her head. Fighting through the pain of my aching body caused me to flop onto the floor as I chased after her.

    ¡°But, if I have a hard time cleaning, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to help me?¡± I didn¡¯t think it was out of line to ask that; I was wrong. Anesha stopped and turned on her heels, walking back to me. She knelt down and grabbed me by the chin with a stiff grip.

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, boy. Allowing you to still live what little of a life you still have left in as much normalcy as possible, why, that¡¯s me doing something out of the kindness of my own heart. I could have made it so that you¡¯d not be able to move, speak, see, hear or feel until the day the seed was ready, but I took mercy on you. Asking any more of me would be insulting. Remember, Fate, you¡¯re a tool¡­an incubator¡­with only slightly more use than soil.¡±

    Her deep brownish red eyes stared into mine, unflinching as she conveyed her superiority. Everything she said, she felt. To her, I was barely more than dirt, and to her, I should see her as God. Again, Anesha walked toward the door. ¡°What¡­will happen when this is all over?¡± I didn¡¯t care what she did to me as punishment, I desperately needed an answer to one last question.

    Anesha sighed and with a simple tilt of the head responded. ¡°In a little short of 1 years¡¯ time¡­when the seed bursts forth from your chest, you¡¯ll die, and your soul will be destroyed.¡±

    Part 2

    ¡°Why is it so humid outside!? I swear, global warming is going to kill us all. Hmm? Fate are you home? I see your bag is here¡­so.¡± As my mother closed the front door behind her, she crept to my room. I could hear the rustling of a thin plastic bag when she reached the doorway. ¡°Fate honey, are you awake?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, I¡¯m up? What¡¯s going on?¡± I answered while laying with my back to her.

    ¡°Well, on the way home I saw a nice car that was right in our price range and wanted you to check it out with me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know¡­I went past the clubroom and stuff¡­¡±

    ¡°Right! Does this mean the hermit routine is over?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, sit up! If you¡¯re feeling better, than I¡¯d like to see my son¡¯s face a little.¡±

    ¡°My stomach¡¯s hurting me a bit, so I was trying to get some sleep. I¡¯ve got plans tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Also, would you really want to see my face as I look at you disappointedly, knowing that you¡¯re breaking your diet with the ice cream you bought?¡±

    ¡°Uh!¡± I heard her stumble a bit, the bag once again rustling as she quickly hid it. ¡°D-don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s¡­fat free¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯m too tired to check, so I¡¯ll let you go for now.¡±

    ¡°Ok¡­wait a minute, I gave birth to you, remember? I¡¯m the parent here!¡±

    ¡°How many parent¡¯s make promises that they¡¯d eat healthier and break them, again?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­goodnight, Fate!¡± She closed my door and I could hear her walk to the front and into the kitchen.

    I rolled over in my bed and clutched my shoulder tightly, hoping to slow the bleeding. The blood-stained covers for my bed were sitting underneath the mattress and I¡¯d grabbed a replacement set. The fact that my mom hadn¡¯t said anything must¡¯ve meant I was successful in hiding the details. With the scar on my throat being totally visible in anything but a turtle neck and blood still dripping from my shoulder, Mom just giving up and going about her business was the best outcome. I agonizingly rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling of my unlit room.

    ¡°You¡¯ll die¡­and your soul will be destroyed¡­¡± A feeling I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time over took me; helplessness. ¡°What did she mean¡­soul?¡± I chuckled a bit, but then stopped out of fear it would turn into sobs and whimpers. There was no reason to not trust her words anymore at that point. I wasn¡¯t going to live beyond a year. ¡°1 year¡­left¡­huh.¡± The dark ceiling looked back at me. ¡°Funny¡­you¡¯ll probably be here after I¡¯m gone.¡± Again¡­that overwhelming feeling of helplessness overcame me. ¡°Will¡­you¡­watch over my mother for me¡­?¡± I covered my eyes and tried to hold back the tears¡­I failed at that.

    Part 3

    The next day was filled with moping around the house. With no way of knowing when I¡¯d see Anesha next, I was left with a chest full of anxiety and mind full of nihilistic thoughts. I caught myself doing some of the most depressing things. On my laptop, I started plugging away at a bucket list. My fondest dream, having our own occult investigation T.V. show and traveling to Japan, India, Italy and South America.

    We¡¯d dreamt of having a show named Paranormal and Occult: True investigations. I¡¯d work with everyone from the club and we¡¯d travel from country to country. The strange mysteries and myths of every culture and society the world had to offer were endlessly fascinating. Our fondest belief in the Occult Research and Study club was that uncovering things shrouded in mystery was our goal. With none of us having had traveled very far before, and not having any real connections, we were going to fund and produce the show by ourselves if need be. It was a dream, but we all wanted to try our best and make it a reality.

    Kids, I didn¡¯t want kids, but I did want to get married one day. Even if it ended badly, I wanted to find someone that I truly loved and see what happened from there. See if I could make it work, see if the commitment would change me, see if I would be happy, deep down. I really wanted to try and have a happy marriage.

    Leaving Mom all alone was the thought that bugged me the most. She didn¡¯t have anyone else aside from me, not even her own parents. The thought of death was terrifying, and even more so the thought that after I died, my ¡®soul¡¯ would be destroyed. I didn¡¯t understand what that meant. Not being religious in any way, I¡¯d only known what was taught to me by my father and what I read about what it meant to ¡®have a soul¡¯. My soul being destroyed could only be bad, I¡¯d just stop existing. Before I noticed, an entire page of my document was filled with one word, ¡®damnit¡¯ typed over and over.

    The instant messenger app on my computer sprung open, signaling that someone was trying to contact me. It was from Chester, he asked in the club¡¯s group if everyone was online.

    [You can see that with your own eyes, can¡¯t you?] Demica replied, her icon being a Persian cat, fitting her self-crafted motif.

    [I¡¯m here. I was just on invisible.] Teddy joined in with his icon popping up on the screen. It was a famous MMA fighter holding up an Irish flag post fight.

    [I see! I also see that the shapeshifter pretending to be my close friend, @Fate_Isley, has found a way to sign into his computer!!!]

    Chester really knew how to keep a joke going way too long. He changed his profile picture to Sherlock Holmes looking inquisitive, which replaced his cute anime girl icon. [Anyway¡­] I replied. [Did you just send a message to make sure that all of your bad jokes and dumb gifs were seen?]

    [No! But, now that you mention it, I did find quite the cavalcade of hilarious gifs of small animals being unable to climb stairs. Quite funny, quite funny. However, I have something far more interesting!] Chester linked us an article. [This! It appears something strange is afoot within the city! According to this article 6 people were found with widely misshapen heads caused some kind of infection, making their eyeballs swell up!] I didn¡¯t need to read the webpage to know what Chester was going on about. The tall man¡­I¡¯d hoped that somewhere deep down Anesha would¡¯ve helped those people, but it was either impossible or she just didn¡¯t care enough. [The people all claimed to have seen some type of monster before losing consciousness, one of which was a police officer. When I looked into it, I found that this may also have something to do with the happenings at the old Rockwell estate.]

    [Rockwell estate? Why do you think that?] I chimed in, now more interested.

    [Over the past few days there have been a lot of investigations done in the Rockwell estate. The investigation took place due to the strange, loud noises and suspicious behaviors of individuals around and inside of the residence. So far, no information has been made public, but a friend of mine is saying that the reason some police officers have been so up in arms lately has to do with the things they¡¯ve been finding in the estate.] My thoughts turned sour. I assumed it had something to do with the tall man and Anesha after all.

    [Then that means your suspicions were correct for a change. Even a broken clock¡­] Demica wrote while posting an image of a patronizing cat.

    [WOMAN!!!] Chester countered.

    [Hang on, how long have you been looking this over?] I asked.

    [Just a few days now. If you¡¯d read any of the texts I sent, maybe you would¡¯ve been caught up.] Demica replied, clearly annoyed. [We¡¯ve been canvasing the area for a bit now, trying to get footage of whatever is happening.]

    [You¡¯re kidding!] My heart dropped.

    [Nope! And we¡¯re going in tonight! Isn¡¯t that right, doofus leader?]

    [I take it you mean me, woman?]

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    [Yes.]

    [Vile woman. Yes, as it sounds like this may be the best time.]

    [Are you guys nuts!?] I typed and screamed at my laptop. [That place has to be off limits! You know, against the law! We could end up going to jail, if we¡¯re lucky! If not, something more dangerous could be going down and we could get hurt!] My chest tightened. (If something like the tall man shows up again, then they could be hurt. I have to stop them.)

    [What happened to my adventurous compatriot? He, who would follow me into the underpass, over the most crowded highway in all of the city, just to see if we could get a shot of the supposed Owl Man that was hiding there?]

    [That¡¯s different!]

    [How so?] Couldn¡¯t think of a retort.

    Demica chimed in again. [I¡¯ve got no idea why you¡¯re being so weird lately, but this is the best story we¡¯ve gotten in a long time. If something really is going down, then there¡¯s 4 of us, we can handle it, and if not, run away. I was hoping that it could be 5 but doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re interested in joining us.]

    [That¡¯s not it! It just sounds dangerous!]

    [Well, I¡¯m still going. Teddy, are you down? Perry just said he¡¯s in.]

    [Yeah. I do think we should be extra careful though.] Teddy rejoined the conversation again after remaining quiet for most of the exchange.

    [And naturally, I¡¯m in as well. Doppelganger, will you join us too?] Chester asked as he sent me a meeting invitation on the phone.

    (I can¡¯t let them go. What do I do?) Racking my brain figure out a solution yielded no immediate solution. [I¡¯ll go with you guys. At least to make sure that you don¡¯t do anything dumb.] I settled on running chaperone, hoping I could figure out something by the meetup time of 1AM. At the very least, I could at least be there to figure out something out. (I need to contact Anesha if something bad happens¡­but how?)

    Part 4

    I waited on a bench for the others in front of the massive Rockwell estate. With my limited knowledge of medicine and the help of videos online, I struggled to rebandage my shoulder, succeeding to an acceptable level. When that was all taken care of, I rushed over to the meeting spot with hopes of being the first to arrive. Ivy dug into the old concrete and wood, reaching all the way past the dust caked windows with tendrils climbing toward the roof as nature had begun reclaiming its domain. Along both sides of the building, partially uncut shrubbery and age-worn, wrought iron gates framed the property. The overly excited feelings about exploring the estate that my heart was harboring had to be stifled, as my plans to that point of hindering my friends had failed. Calling the police, failed; on my way to the estate I didn¡¯t even see so much as a bike cop. They took my call and even heard me out but must¡¯ve taken my urgency as a joke. Trying to talk Chester out of it was obviously impossible. He was headstrong, more so than any other person I¡¯d ever met. My last option was to try and contact Anesha¡­which I still hadn¡¯t figured out a method for.

    Deep in thought, I completely missed Demica calling out my name at first. ¡°Fate!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The rest of the Occult Research and Study club, except for Chester, were exiting his shaggy, yet reliable van. The van owner in question, however, was walking around the back of the building. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s Chester doing back there?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s really excited. Come on.¡± Demica, Perry and Teddy all followed in behind Chester to the building nonchalantly.

    ¡°Wait! You guys, hold on!¡± The others stopped and turned to me.

    ¡°Fate, come on¡­what¡¯s with you lately? Normally, you¡¯re more outgoing than this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous in there¡­I think.¡±

    ¡°You think? Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Anesha was clear about one thing, that I wasn¡¯t supposed to tell anyone about her. ¡°I mean¡­with all the weird stuff going on¡­it could be dangerous¡­is all.¡±

    ¡°Relax, that¡¯s why I brought Dad¡¯s gun.¡± Demica opened her small waist coat and showed the handle of the gun peeking out from her beltline.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t know how much I trust you with a gun, when I can barely trust you to keep your glasses on.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I have them on!¡±

    ¡°G-Guys, Chester alre-eady went inside.¡± Teddy pointed out. With a dismissive hair flip Demica stormed off, followed by Perry and Teddy.

    ¡°Damnit! Anesha¡­where are you right now?¡± I ran after the others to catch up. Once we were around back, the place became even more mystifying. The utterly enormous back garden¡¯s foliage had wilted slightly but managed to overgrow onto hedges trimmed into the shape of people and animals. They were incredible, bigger than even the actual animals themselves, towering over us, wrapped in a combination of brown and green plants. A small shed off to the far end of the garden held a dried pond seated right at its nose with a finely crafted stone brim.  To others, it may have looked barren, a totally rundown property, but to me it was beautiful.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re still you at least. We¡¯ll get some shots of this area later, so you can gawk at them at your leisure.¡± Demica said while the others scaled a rope line up to one of the balconies.

    ¡°Is that a grappling hook? Where the hell did Chester get a¡­never mind. What did you mean, I¡¯m still me?¡±

    ¡°The normal Fate always gets engrossed in architecture. You get a wide-eyed look about you whenever you see old buildings and whatnot. What I mean to say is that you been acting weird ever since you came to the clubroom all beat up a few weeks ago. Chester is a moron, so he won¡¯t admit it out loud, but he¡¯s worried.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t know you cared so much about how Chester felt.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still my friend, you dolt. Also, me, the big guy and my brother are worried too. You just up and disappeared. I¡¯m guessing whatever it was must¡¯ve been bad; because you¡¯d normally just tell us what was going on. Does it have anything to do with¡­your Dad?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright¡­I won¡¯t pry anymore.¡± Chester called down to us as the others had reached the balcony. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s not leave them waiting.¡± Demica began to climb the rope, slowly as she was far from the most athletic girl around. I waited on the ground for her to make it up; partly because I was worried she¡¯d fall and hurt herself, partly because of my shoulder. It still hurt. The bandages seemed to have stopped the bleeding but putting all my weight on it could¡¯ve made things worse. ¡°You going to stand there and enjoy the view, or are you coming?¡±

    I looked up to see Demica still climbing. ¡°Right, well¡­not like there¡¯s much to really enjoy. Just a flat plane.¡±

    ¡°¡­I was talking about the yard¡­¡± Her eyes narrowed while looking back at me.

    ¡°Same here¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t talking about the yard. My shoulder hurt like hell as I started up the rope. I couldn¡¯t tell if my arm was starting to bleed, as the jacket I wore was black and wouldn¡¯t show, which was an intentional choice. Once I reached the balcony, I checked, but the wound seemed to have not reopened. (How? Is it closed?)

    ¡°Fate, are you coming?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± (Is this because of the seed? My shoulder still hurts, but¡­I¡¯ll check when I get a chance. I¡¯ve got to keep an eye out.)

    Chester cranked a window open with a crowbar, sending tons of dust airborne. He handed everyone flashlights and we entered the estate. The room we climbed into was a small library with a few lonely bookshelves, only streaks of dust housed within the wooden fixtures, not a single book left. Demica pulled out her camera, shoving it into my hands.

    ¡°Why me?¡± Normally, I wasn¡¯t the camera man, I would host the investigative parts alongside Chester.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t here the other times we came, so you get to sit this one out. Also, you¡¯re clearly distracted.¡± Demica turned on the night vision and placed the wireless mics on her and Chester.

    ¡°Woman, don¡¯t enter my given space without my permission.¡± Demica continued setting up unabated, ignoring Chester.

    ¡°Keep your voice down. Perry fixed the volume, so we don¡¯t need to yell, right?¡± Perry nodded as he checked the recording going through on his tablet. With a thumb¡¯s up, he confirmed we were recording properly.

    Demica pulled off her jacket and handed me the gun from her waist belt. I hated holding guns, but it was whatever. It was clear that she wanted to look good on camera with her stylish peanut colored, button up blouse, dark blue tight legged jeans and matching boots that were far too fashionable for the work we were doing. Chester glared for a second, then scoffed to Demica¡¯s displeasure. ¡°Heh¡­woman, are you attempting to garner us views simply by showcasing your good looks? I¡¯ll let you know; I won¡¯t have it! We are based entirely on soul filled content and endlessly top-notch reporting skills!¡±

    Demica looked into the camera¡¯s screen and adjusted her hair. ¡°Thanks for the compliment about my looks. Now then, are you ready?¡± Chester was aghast at her response, but with both of our hosts in position, we began. ¡°Alright! In 5¡­4¡­3¡­2¡­1¡­Hello everyone, Occult Research and Study club member Demica Fitzpatrick here, along with Chester Ramos.¡±

    ¡°Woman, you will refer to me by my official title!¡±

    ¡°No. Also, volume. Anyway, we¡¯re going to explore a local haunt that has showcased a few unknown phenomena recently. We are here¡­at the Rockwell estate! For those of you who are unaware, the Rockwell estate is best known in this city for being one of the first upper class residences to open its doors to the homeless during the incredibly rough winters of the 1600s, a sanctuary if you will. It wasn¡¯t until 1693 however that it gained another notch on its metaphorical belt, for the rampant speculations of¨C¡±

    ¡°Witch hunts!!¡± Chester chimed in, yelling and upsetting Demica who cursed under her breath. ¡°Witch hunting ran rampant during that period, and here, the Rockwell estate was the epicenter! Many of the homeless either disappeared or their bodies were found in the neighboring woods, disfigured, and dismembered! In early 1694 the locals began to suspect the residents of the Rockwell estate, but didn¡¯t act for months. This lasted until the disappearance of a young boy named Stanley Buckman. The locals moved into the estate and apprehended the residents which included the father, Richard Rockwell, the three daughters Mary, Margaret and Martha Rockwell, as well as the mother Nora Rockwell. The home was searched for the boy and for anyone the Rockwell family had taken in, but there was no one! Not a single body was ever found in the estate, despite it being well known by the townsfolk that the family would bring the homeless in out of the cold under the pretense of helping them. Less than a day later, the Rockwell family, in the center of town, were burned alive!¡±

    ¡°We plan on searching this place, to see if any of the recent unknown events have anything to do with the¡­deceased Rockwell family¡­and that¡¯s enough. Cut!¡± Demica sighed and furrowed her brow. ¡°Did you have to cut me off?¡±

    ¡°I was simply jumping in to provide a different flavor to our viewers.¡± Chester retorted. While they argued, I ran my hand along the dark walls for a door. When I found the doorknob, I opened the threshold slowly and peaked out. The upper floor was vast and empty with the exception of a few chairs and tons of dust.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised this place wasn¡¯t knocked down yet.¡±

    ¡°M-Most likely because it¡¯s considered h-historical.¡± Teddy said to me. I didn¡¯t see anyone or anything too suspicious, but still felt uneasy. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± I exited the library and turned off my flashlight. I didn¡¯t hear anything aside from things off in the distance, which I could just chalk up to being cars or night clubs. With a wave of the hand the others joined me in the hall. ¡°Guys, I really think we should get out of here.¡± The uneasy feeling was beginning to settle onto my shoulders.

    ¡°Fate, we¡¯re already in. Also, volume. If things get bad, I¡¯ve got it.¡± Demica smiled. I trusted her with a gun, despite my teasing. Her dad trained her to use one, and since she had her glasses on her vision was at least reliable, but that didn¡¯t stop the chills running up and down my spine.

    We traversed the grimy, spiderweb laden halls. Teddy kept filming on the secondary camera we had, for b-roll, and I¡¯d have been happy with it; if not for the fact that I was too preoccupied with thoughts of the tall man jumping out from around a corner. The numerous rooms had all been ransacked, nothing but a few old bedsheets and torn drapery. After searching the top floor, we walked down into the foyer. The expansive lobby also laid totally empty. No fixtures or anything.

    ¡°This place is barren.¡± Doing her best at stating the obvious, Demica sighed and turned off her flashlight. ¡°Is this a bust?¡±

    ¡°Perish the thought! I believe we did quite well on the history reading.¡± Chester seemed dejected.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to redo it. There was a lot of static, and Chester blew out the microphone.¡± Demica shot Chester a dirty look from what Perry told her. I wasn¡¯t as crestfallen as the others. A boring, uneventful trip was what I¡¯d been hoping for.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get out of here then!¡± I pushed for a quick exit and the others seemed to reciprocate.

    ¡°Fate may be right¡­We¡¯ve been here for, what, an hour and a half now? Nothing special. Let¡¯s get some more b-roll and maybe we can stitch something together.¡± The others started for the stairs, but just as I began to follow along, I felt a heavy and eerie warmth overtake me. When I turned to see what it was my eyes were drawn to a wall in the foyer. The blank wall was slightly discolored, with clumps of dust on the floor swept off to the side. ¡°Fate, what is troubling you, my friend?¡± Chester had picked up on what I was looking at by following my sight line.

    ¡°N-Nothing!¡± I tried to pull everyone¡¯s attention away from the wall. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll edit the video together, but we should probably hurry. That way¡­¡± Chester ignored me and walked up to the wall. He knocked on it and was met with a hollow thud.

    ¡°There¡¯s something behind this wall. Fate, Teddy, lend me assistance.¡± Teddy aided Chester in tracing their hands along the wall.

    ¡°You guys, stop!¡± Demica shushed me and pulled at my hand to bring back up the camera. I relented and filmed my two friends.

    ¡°I think I-I found something.¡± Teddy dug his fingers into the wall, beginning to splinter and peel, then swung open. ¡°W-Whoa¡­¡± Nearly the size of a door, an opening sat before us along with a spiral staircase leading downward into absolute darkness. Chester moved onto the steps slowly with Teddy flanking him.

    ¡°Fate, come down here.¡± Chester whispered to me. When I got in close, an aroma of decaying meat and wax permeated the air, choking me up as I descended. The horror was totally visible even without the camera¡¯s night vision.

    Part 5

    Mold caked brick walls and the repugnant stench of damp copper made me gag as I walked about the dimly lit room. The only light in the room came from glowing letters inscribed into the walls, in a language I couldn¡¯t understand. Multiple wooden operating tables sat about, tattered with blood, pieces of cloth and wads of matted hair.

    ¡°Fate¡­Fate, are you getting all of this?¡± I¡¯d forgotten about Chester. Through his long dark bangs, I could see the wonderment in his eyes, meanwhile I was struck with fear. Those letters carved into the walls, I wasn¡¯t sure, but they seemed magical to me. Chester called up to the others to join us down in the basement while I continued to film.

    Of the four tables in the basement, two sat broken, while one looked completely untouched. The problem, however, was the one furthest to the back of the room. It sat with a sheet over what appeared to be a body. I inched closer, my curiosity getting the better of me again, without looking around; idiotically, I slipped on a puddle of blood.

    As I fell, my hand reached out grasping for anything nearby. I caught one of the tables but still plummeted to the floor, slamming my shoulder into the ground. My wound that held up to that point had slightly torn open again. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Demica ran up to me; I covered my injury and pulled myself back up.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± Chester pointed toward the table with the supposed body atop it.

    ¡°Sorry, Fate! Hand me the camera.¡± He snatched the camera away from me and got in close to the table.

    ¡°Chester¡­hang on¡­¡± I struggled to say whilst wheezing in pain. He threw the sheet off and revealed¡­a wax body. Completely white, featureless and of indistinguishable sex, the fully sized wax human body laid atop the table motionless.

    ¡°What on earth is this?¡± Chester closed in with the camera. I rushed in, not sure if the thing was alive and would leap to its feet attacking my overly curious friend. As if the universe were laughing at me, I lost my footing again and crashed into Chester causing both of us to knock into the table sending us and the wax body down to the floor.

    When my eyes opened, I was face to face with the wax mannequin as it laid atop me. I screamed and threw it off, shattering the body against the wall. My wound had full on reopened and gotten much worse by then. The body¡¯s fingers had gouged deep into my shoulder and tore a gash. A lot of blood started leaking out which drew the other¡¯s immediate concern.

    ¡°Fate! What happened?! Are you alright?!¡± Chester tried to help me to my feet, but just moving was an arduous task. I couldn¡¯t help but groan while pain surged through me. Teddy joined Chester in helping me to my feet and pulled me onto his massive back with ease to carry me.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine, Teddy.¡± Despite my grandstanding, it was excruciating.

    ¡°W-We should go, C-Chester.¡±

    ¡°You are correct, Teddy. We¡¯ll worry about this place another time.¡± Chester walked behind Teddy making sure I wouldn¡¯t fall, while Demica rushed up the stairs first. ¡°Perry! What are you doing? Let¡¯s go! Stop filming!¡± Surprisingly, Chester got actually angry when he noticed Perry still filming the wax body. He¡¯d picked up the camera that Chester dropped and was intensely focused on our discovery.

    ¡°But this is big, man. We never get anything good and this is our first break!¡±

    ¡°Fate¡¯s hurt! Come on! Woman, call your younger brother!¡± Demica didn¡¯t answer as she¡¯d made it all the way up the stairs ahead of us. ¡°Perry, worry about that later! We¡¯re going!¡± Perry sucked his teeth and followed suit as we made our way out of the Rockwell estate.

    Part 6

    Chester inspected my wound as we sat in the back of his van. He pulled out his first aid kit while Teddy brought up videos on his phone about how to properly bandage a shoulder. ¡°Teddy, thanks, but It¡¯s not as bad as it looks.¡± Demica glared at me, while Perry looked through the footage on his camera.

    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s because you somehow managed to bandage yourself up by the time we reached my van.¡± Chester responded, clearly suspicious. ¡°How long has it been like this?¡±

    ¡°Not long enough to heal, clearly.¡± My joke to break the tension didn¡¯t go over well, as all I got were aggravated stares.

    ¡°Seriously?!¡± Demica chimed in, her face turning red with anger. ¡°First the scar on your neck and now your shoulder¡­ are you a pit fighter now or something?¡±

    ¡°Pfft! Yeah right! Don¡¯t I look like the exact definition of a tough guy.¡± I said in jest. ¡°I thought it healed up enough, is all. It¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± There was only but so many times I could use that excuse, and for a second, I could see everyone shot me dirty looks as they must¡¯ve been getting sick of it. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to ruin the night.¡±

    ¡°Would you have informed us of your wound; we¡¯d have not ventured forth with you in tow this evening. Tomorrow, we can finish investigating, so long as the police don¡¯t make it here before us. You won¡¯t be accompanying us, of course.¡±  Chester spoke in such a matter of fact way that I felt I¡¯d get shut down regardless of my argument.

    ¡°Just¡­be careful. All that stuff in the basement looked weird.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but don¡¯t worry we will be careful. We¡¯ve never come across anything such as that body before. Perry got some good shots, so I¡¯ll be able to look into them on the computer. Maybe I¡¯ll be able to decipher the meaning behind those glyphs!¡± Chester began chuckling to himself. ¡°Do you wish to visit the hospital, my friend?¡± He asked after finishing up a surprisingly decent bandaging job.

    ¡°No. I can take care of it. Don¡¯t have the money for another doctor¡¯s visit this month.¡± (If it¡¯s like before, maybe it¡¯ll heal up fast. I just need to rest.)

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll drive you to your house. Is your mother - is Ms. June home?¡±

    ¡°Probably. I¡¯ll sneak past her.¡± We filed into Chester¡¯s van and drove onto the highway to get me home faster. Chester¡¯s van was older than any of us and we¡¯d always wondered when the shaggy, 80s vehicle would break down, but it never did. The van belonged to his father and had seen much better days, but since Chester did a meticulous job of maintaining it, there were never any serious problems. Being a group of young people, driving around in a van, and being in the Occult Research and Study club brought about some unwanted comparisons to a certain group of mystery solving youths from a certain cartoon. It didn¡¯t seem to bother the others nearly as much as it bothered me.

    The beautiful dark blue night sky whizzed by, as the noise of cars, clubs, and construction off in the distance, crafted a melody of the inner city. My heart began filling up with serenity, forgetting my wound¡­and even Anesha, I relished in the peace of riding with my friends. A moment of respite that left far too quickly. That dream, traveling around, alongside my close friends, seeing unknown and special places, seemed like it was a dream coming to the end.

    When we finally reached the back alley of my complex, Teddy attempted to help me get out of the van. ¡°Dude, a-are you a-alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I should be able to make it the rest of the way by myself.¡± I reassured. The alley had a long stretch of the parking lot that was rarely traveled by anyone, so my hope was that I wouldn¡¯t attract any attention.

    ¡°Make sure you call us and let us know you¡¯re alright.¡± Demica spoke with genuine concern. Chester, however yelled with a goofy tone akin to a cartoon character.

    ¡°Make sure to contact all of us! As soon as you reenter your domicile! Should you not, then, I shall return with all the fury and strength of one hundred-¡± Demica put her hand over his mouth and shushed him.

    ¡°It¡¯s nearly 3am, you moron. Keep it down. Bye, Fate.¡± Everyone waved goodbye as they all drove off down the road.

    Breathing a sigh of relief, except for myself, no one was hurt. That basement was absolutely a problem. The next time I saw Anesha, I¡¯d make her aware of it for sure. That¡¯s what I thought as I noticed a figure off in the distance slowly approaching. It looked slightly misshapen, making my skin crawl as it shuffled in my direction.

    (What the hell is that? Wait. Anesha?) I remembered before, underneath the tunnel in the park. (That was Anesha back then, right?). I started to get in close. ¡°Anesha¡­I¡­um. I need to talk with you about¡­¡± I stopped dumbfounded at the sight before me.

    The broken wax mannequin from before stood in front of me, put back together with red, pulsing veins. It cracked open a wide jaw and spoke¡­ ¡°Mmmm-oo-r-r-rr-e!¡±

    End of chapter 4

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 5

    Part 1

    (Run¡­)

    ¡°Mmmm-oo-r-r-rr-e!¡±

    (Run¡­)

    ¡°Mmmm-oo-r-r-rr-e!¡±

    (Run!! Legs, damn you, run!) I could only shutter before the sight of the malformed horror movie like creature that stood towering over me. Its nearly broken wax body clinging together by strands of pulsating red veins, and with those blood-stricken eyes gazing deep into my soul, paralyzed me with fear.

    ¡°Mmmm-oo-r-r-rr-e!¡± The wax monstrosity raised its hands reaching out for me. The instant it made contact, unconsciously my body moved on its own.

    ¡°G-Get off!¡± I pushed the creature down to the ground, causing my shoulder to, once again, bleed profusely. ¡°Dammit¡­ow!¡±

    ¡°Get down!¡± Instinct took over and I ducked at the call of a familiarly shrill voice. On the ground I watched as shadows warped and flickered in tune with a massive, intense burst of heat zooming across my back. When I looked up the wax creature had been consumed by flames. ¡°Honestly¡­why do you continually bring about problems for me?¡± That demeaning tone could only have been her; the object of my torment, Anesha. ¡°Stand back. You¡¯re in the way.¡± Rudely, but maybe only in my mind, she pushed right by me and up to the creature being immolated.

    ¡°Hhhuu-hur-hurt!! H-ell-ppp!¡± It begged pitifully.

    ¡°¡­Anesha, wait!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Are you daft? This thing¡­¡± She raised her boot into the air. ¡°Is even less alive than that filthy homunculus from the other day.¡± With great force she crushed the head, splattering what looked like blood across the ground. ¡°It only lives for the seed¡¯s energy - it¡¯s mana!¡±

    ¡°Then it was never alive?¡±

    ¡°No. It was just a doll with the ability to speak and need. Nothing more.¡± Though she said that, I observed what looked like bones fragment inside the melted wax.

    ¡°¡­The fire, it¡¯ll attract attention.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Don¡¯t concern yourself. I-¡±

    ¡°Cast another ward over the complex?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± A swift kick came to my knee.

    ¡°Ow! Why!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me.¡± Anesha waved her hand and the fire swirled, incinerating the remains completely. ¡°Now with that minor inconvenience cleared away¡­where did that thing come from?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­the Rockwell estate, I think.¡± With that response Anesha¡¯s expression soured¡­soured more so than before.

    ¡°What good does that do me? I¡¯ve no idea where that is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s downtown¡­er¡­¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯ll take you there?¡±

    ¡°Good. Come!¡± Anesha sat atop her broomstick and pointed her index finger at the other end, just above the spiky amethyst spines.

    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously want me to hold onto the end of that? My arm is still messed up and¡­!¡±

    ¡°Hmhmhm. Calm yourself, I merely jest. Now then, hurry.¡± It surprised me to see Anesha smile, let alone giggle in anything other than a sadistic manner. That demon in women¡¯s clothing would have been beautiful¡­if not for her twisted personality. She scooched forward and gestured for me to join her.

    ¡°Fine¡­¡±

    Part 2

    The wind whizzing by my ears and freezing cold air helped distract me from the absolute horror I was enduring at that time. Just below, more than forty feet down, was the street - no the earth! Anesha and I flew atop her broomstick at a crazy fast pace! Everything below moved by so quickly, it was a blur. Slight murmuring came from in front of me. I couldn¡¯t really tell what Anesha was mumbling about, but it didn¡¯t sound good.

    With my arms wrapping around her waist, I could feel a shockingly solid frame, and abs underneath her weirdly thin dress. On the outside, Anesha looked like a normal, very pretty girl¡­in weird clothing, but she felt so well-built that it was more like I was holding a model. Without really meaning to, I was enraptured with her strange clothing, and ended up thoroughly inspecting every piece she wore. Her platform boots gave her about 3 or 4 extra inches in height,  and looked to be decked out with actual silver chains and facets. She wore long black leggings that ran all the way up to her dress, which sat just above her knees with an intentionally torn fringe, hemmed by that purple stitching, similar to her hat. The sleeves ended at her forearms, flaring out like a flower and revealing another thin looking shirt underneath. Each of her fingernails were painted a dark shade of purple; by that point I could tell it was her favorite color.

    All of my studying was cut short as we suddenly descended at rapid speed, making me almost lose control of my bladder. Just stopping short of the ground, we¡¯d reached the Rockwell estate. ¡°Yeah, this is the place.¡± I said. A vice like grip grabbed my wrist and before I knew it, I¡¯d been flipped onto the hard-unforgiving dirt with a thud. ¡°Ow! Why this time?¡± Admittedly I had an assumption that it was to do with all my ogling.

    ¡°¡­¡± Anesha looked away. ¡°Guess I can¡¯t¡­even now.¡± She mumbled that to herself, clearly hoping I wouldn¡¯t hear her. The air was rough as Anesha took very deliberate deep breaths. ¡°This is the estate, no?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± My shoulder and my back ached but bringing that up to Anesha would¡¯ve likely received an ¡®I don¡¯t care¡¯. ¡°That thing, the homunculus came from the basement.¡±

    ¡°Basement? Show me.¡± I started for the back, but Anesha didn¡¯t follow. ¡°Why not use the front doors?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s locked¡­I think.¡± Even with my hardest pull and push the massive wooden double doors remained shut. ¡°See?¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± With a snap of her fingers the threshold to the building blew open. ¡°Magically sealed. My assumptions are all being met. Now, hurry and show me this basement.¡±

    ¡°Ok¡­¡± Even though it was probably one of the least most impressive things I¡¯d seen done by that point; snapping her fingers and blasting open the doors was still amazing to me for some reason. Maybe it was because of all the regal and dismissive gestures that she employed, but everything Anesha did made her seem larger than life.

    The loud clopping noise of Anesha¡¯s boots on the floor made me feel uneasy. If there was anything in the building that was hostile, it would¡¯ve definitely heard us coming a mile away. There was no doubt in my mind that the carnage in the basement wouldn¡¯t faze Anesha, and I was right. She walked into the room, unperturbed and began to study the walls, paying no mind to the operating tables covered in hair and grime or the pools of blood splattered across the floor.

    ¡°I see now.¡± The glowing letters continued emanating light as Anesha drew her fingers across them. She flicked her finger and the wall disappeared. ¡°This place is a disgusting mire of filth and simply amateurish craftsmanship that even as a child, I could¡¯ve achieved. Come here.¡±

    ¡°What did you do?¡± From the distance that I stood, nothing beyond Anesha was visible. Just darkness that seemed to extend on endlessly. As I approached though, behind her, there was something slithering and trembling.

    It wasn¡¯t until I was standing right next to Anesha that I noticed what terrible secret that basement really held. The walls hadn¡¯t disappeared, they became transparent, acting as a divider for what was on the other side. Tens of them, all malformed humanlike beings slinked around in the shadows, some being unable to stand due to their clearly broken legs or lack of legs entirely. Their deformed heads, tumorous growths, bulging guts from malnourishment and melted skin dragging across the ground¡­they were monsters. They crawled toward the glass a d ran their hands up and down while mouthing out words that I couldn¡¯t fully hear.

    ¡°¡­¡± My legs gave out as I fell to the ground, horrified at the sight. ¡°A-Anesha¡­what are these?¡±

    ¡°Unfinished homunculi. They¡¯re most likely incomplete works their creator felt the need to keep around, for whatever reason. Not properly disposing of one¡¯s own trash¡­how irresponsible.¡± So matter of fact, Anesha¡¯s cold words came as she walked back to the center of the room.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you want me to see this?¡± She began tracing something into the ground with her index finger.

    ¡°So that you¡¯d understand what adversities you will face in time. Ignite!¡± The small glyph that Anesha drew into the ground began to burn. ¡°Now, follow me. This building will soon be engulfed in flames.¡±

    ¡°What!? But what about them?¡±

    ¡°Again, with your compassion for homunculi?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to just let them die! They¡¯re so pitiful¡­¡± The fire grew slowly.

    ¡°Pitiful? Yes. No reason to let them die? That, I disagree with. See for yourself, if you were to free them, then you¡¯d regret it.¡± She directed my attention back toward the glass.

    I turned and was faced with a mound of flesh standing at the wall. An enormous homunculus, nearly eight feet tall with no eyes, but a gaping maw covering the entirety of its wide and muscular body faced me. The mouth was filled from back to front with nothing but teeth. It began pressing against the divider as if it could see me. The rest of the homunculi began crawling over each other, pushing against the glass while reaching for me. Their fingers dug into the glass until they broke, leaving trails of blood on the window. Some tried to bite through the divider, their mouths following me, hungering for me. The harrowing sight was all I needed to see.

    Part 3

    On the hill overlooking the Rockwell estate, Anesha and I watched as the manor burned to the ground. People started coming out of their houses, concerned with the fire as it quickly became a massive inferno. ¡°Will this be okay? It won¡¯t move to the other buildings nearby, right?¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve got total control of the flames.¡± Anesha took a seat on her floating broom¡¯s handle and stretched. ¡°I¡¯m quite tired. Hm? What are you doing?¡±

    She referred to me, on my hands and knees begging her. ¡°Please! I¡¯m absolutely begging you, Anesha. I have to know everything. All of this is too much! I know you don¡¯t want to waste your breath on me or your time, but I really NEED to know! What is going on? Please!¡± I pleaded with my own personal demon. Her typically callous gaze began to relent.

    Anesha sighed. ¡°Those homunculi wanted the mana that you¡¯re exuding. It must¡¯ve been because you were frightened. That mana is, of course, from the seed of Yggdrasil. The seed has the ability to¡­¡±

    ¡°I know that!¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Anesha jumped down from her broom and drove the toe of her boot into my gut, knocking the wind out of me. ¡°What did I tell you? You! Will! Respect! Me!¡± Each word, she stomped her foot on my head, driving my nose into the dirt.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­please forgive¡­me¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She remained quiet with her boot still holding my head down. ¡°I just want to know¡­what all of this is for? Who are you? What¡¯s your goal? Is there¡­anyway we can make it¡­so I don¡¯t die?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± I was allowed to lift my head, or at least I guessed I was as Anesha removed her boot. ¡°I am Anesha Kyteler. Simply put, my goal is to harness the power of the seed that is growing in your chest to become the Goddess of this world. That seed can rejuvenate this world and make it into a paradise, an Eden for humanity. Those monsters - the homunculi and more, most likely in the future, will come after you as this world will continue to be perverted into its truer form. A form lost long, long ago. They lust for the seed. There is no place on earth they could find a more rich and powerful source of mana.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing all of this just to be a Goddess?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. Just to fulfill my destiny and rule this world as its Goddess. I am the ruler this planet - no - you foolish humans need! I placed a spell on the seed so that I will have absolute control over it once it is ready in little under a years¡¯ time!¡± Anesha¡¯s eyes became fiercer as she spoke.

    ¡°¡­Why me?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear that either?! How silly! Fate¡­it is fate! Hm. Hahaha! A joke, I said that before and now I realize how ironic it is! You were only chosen as I ran low on time and options. The seed required an incubator and you were in the right place at the right time. The others met the same end.¡±

    ¡°Others?¡±

    ¡°They were simply incubators before you. Two men, I¡¯ve forgotten their names now, but I placed the seed inside of their chests and within a week, the seed had ignited their blood to such a level that their bodies were nothing but scorch marks on the ground. Make no mistake, you¡¯re alive not because you¡¯re special, but because the men before you had their flesh coat the seed. If not for that, then you¡¯d have ended up the same way in a week of the seed of Yggdrasil being implanted within you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you understand everything now, Fate?¡± A grossly merciless smile. Her eyes stared at me with a crazed and evil look. I wanted to kill her¡­but stood no chance.

    I was powerless to lift a finger against her, because she¡¯d simply cast the spell from before and I¡¯d become a vegetable. ¡°Yes¡­I understand.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll offer a few free pieces of information, since you¡¯ve been such a good boy tonight.¡± With a condescending pat to the top of my head, Anesha sat back on her broom. ¡°I erected a barrier over this entire city. It was quite the miraculous feat. Now, praise me.¡± I was too scared to take the chance and assume she was being playful. Sheepishly, I obliged by offering halfhearted applause. ¡°I wasn¡¯t serious, you fool. Continuing on, that barrier is made to keep our real enemy away. The Great Witch¡¯s Cabinet. They will continue to pursue us until they retrieve the seed¡­and if I¡¯m assuming correctly, so will the creator who housed those monstrosities.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°Like I said before, they lust for the seed. Those glyphs required constant maintenance, which in my mind means that the creator can¡¯t be too far away. They were also quite lackluster in their illustration. However, the person who taught the homunculus in the park that crude version of magic, must know some their self, no?¡±

    ¡°What do I do?¡±

    ¡°What do you do? Simple, you listen to my orders and stay alive. The seed will protect you as it¡¯s host, but if your head were to get lopped off or your body were to receive too much damage, even with its healing ability, you¡¯d still die.¡± Her small hand drew close to my face. She stroked my chin with her fingers and drew them up the side of my cheek. ¡°You need not worry yourself. Naturally, I¡¯ll keep an eye on you. I keep my possessions safe after all¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± I remained quiet as Anesha let out a yawn, loudly.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long now. The fire will kill all of those monsters and it sounds as if the authorities are on their way now. You¡¯d best hurry home.¡±

    ¡°Is there¡­really no other option? Can you take the seed somewhere else, give it to someone else¡­?¡±

    ¡°If I were to remove the seed from you, you¡¯d die instantly. I¡¯d have to dig a hole into your neck and pull out the seed as it burned your head clean off.¡± The thought of that drove home how hopeless the situation was. I was going to die and there was nothing to stop it. ¡°Now then¡­off with you.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I can¡¯t just ride with you again?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not! ¡­Find another way back to your home. I¡¯ll keep an eye on you, so you¡¯ll be safe. Hurry along!¡± With a falsely innocent wave and smile, Anesha floated upward into the sky and then shot off into the distance. My body began to ache again. Was it stress? I wasn¡¯t sure. I just wanted to go home and sleep.

    Part 4

    Finally reaching my complex, just past 4:30 am, I walked into the corridor and nearly collapsed on the steps. The sound of the fluorescent bulbs humming over head was bizarrely calming. I¡¯d grown accustomed to the noise as I¡¯d spent most of my adolescence in that building. It was old, in need of a good cleaning and with more questionable types around it than I¡¯d have liked to admit, but it was my home. The other tenants kept to themselves for the most part, often quiet despite my mother¡¯s insistence on being friendly with everyone.

    *Buzz, Buzz, Buzz*

    My phone¡¯s buzzing signaled that a message had come through. Perry posted something in the Occult Research and Study club group chat. ¡°¡­Way too tired for this today.¡± I walked to my front door and entered the apartment without entertaining the messages.

    ¡°Fate!?¡± My mother surprised me as she sat on the couch, cross-legged and typing on her laptop. ¡°Where were you!?¡± She said in a huff, her purple pajamas and red hair let down, showing that she was getting ready for bed herself.

    ¡°Oh¡­I was¡­¡± My shoulder was still in pain, but the bleeding had slowed down considerably. I could hide it under my jacket, so I began to let my guard down. ¡°Truth is¡­Chester took us to a nightclub and¡­¡±

    ¡°Bull!¡± Quickly shut down. ¡°I know Chester and I know he¡¯d never go to a club. You were out looking for the Owlman, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What about the Owlman!?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I must¡¯ve frightened Mom as she got a bit pale.  ¡°Oh¡­it was on the news and stuff. Also, I watch the videos you guys post online¡­¡± Hearing anything even slightly supernatural at that point was bad. I was so on edge, that I was actively watching my own shadow out of the corner of my eye.

    ¡°¡­Oh, right. Wait! You watch our videos? How did you find them?¡± Our website wasn¡¯t very popular and for sure wasn¡¯t easy to find.

    ¡°Hahaha! Never doubt a Mom when it comes to supporting her son!¡± Mom puffed out her chest with confidence.

    ¡°Geez¡­now I have to worry if I said anything weird in those videos. You didn¡¯t do anything like telling your friends or whatever, right?¡±

    ¡°What? Can¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°No way! That¡¯s too¡­having my mother telling her friends to watch our investigation logs is way, way too cringe!¡±

    ¡°Bah! Hang on, you never answered me! Tell me the truth! Where were you?¡±

    ¡°We were at the underpass again¡­¡± I lied.

    ¡°Really? Well, listen, if you¡¯re really going to try and track this Owlman down, then make sure you remember your martial arts training!¡± She mocked Kungfu while still seated on the couch.

    ¡°Yeah, right¡­you mean playing fighting games? That¡¯s about all I¡¯ve got.¡±

    ¡°Also¡­could you explain the scar on your neck to me now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Caught. I was about to head into my room and finally go to bed, but she¡¯d stopped me right in my tracks.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not going to say anything?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that important¡­you know?¡±

    ¡°I saw it while you were sleeping the other day. I came into your room and was going to wake you up to let you know I was leaving, but then you rolled over and I noticed your scar.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­¡±

    ¡°It looked terrible from what I saw. Also, it explains why you¡¯ve been wearing those turtle necks lately.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. I just didn¡¯t want you to worry.¡±

    ¡°You know what makes me worry?¡± She got up from the couch, looking distressed. ¡°When my son stops going outside and starts hiding scars! It makes me think you¡¯re involved with some kind of gang or drugs or whatever.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all, Mom.¡± Mom wasn¡¯t going to give up, I could tell by how her blue eyes sat transfixed on mine. ¡°¡­I got in a fight with Gabby¡¯s boyfriend the other day¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. ¡°He¡­kind of beat me up. It was embarrassing¡­okay?¡±

    ¡°Did he do that to you!? I¡¯ll call the fucking cops if he did!¡±

    ¡°No. That¡¯s separate. I didn¡¯t want to be around the college until everything cooled down. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been staying inside. As far as the scar, I went to the doctor¡¯s office and they said it isn¡¯t anything to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Mom pulled my head up in order to check the scar. I had to hold my jacket in place to avoid exposing the other wound I¡¯d sustained. ¡°¡­¡± She looked over the scar and touched it with her fingers. I got nervous, expecting to vomit all over her, but I felt nothing. No vomit, or even her hand, really. ¡°They said there was nothing to worry about when it comes to a scar like this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what they said¡­¡±

    ¡°Get a second opinion. Whatever doctor sees that and says that it¡¯s fine, needs to be fired, then punched in the face.¡± Mom walked back to her seat and continued working on the laptop. ¡°Go to bed¡­we¡¯ll talk more tomorrow. I¡¯ve got to finish fixing these backups.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Mom.¡± Finally, my mother relented and allowed me to head to my room.  As soon as the door closed, I nearly passed out. When I laid up against the wall of my secure, little room, I relished in the peace and quiet of my nonchaotic space. The numerous classic horror movie posters on the walls looking back at me, my game systems stacked up on the curio stand next to the books I¡¯d collected about film and video editing, my personal space was deeply personal. When anyone would enter my room, they¡¯d say I needed to clean it. I felt all the clutter around gave it personality, honestly.

    Toward the bed, I dragged my beaten and exhausted body, but then my eyes were drawn over to the window seated at the back of my room. The alley behind my apartment complex where I first set eyes on Anesha; for obvious reasons that view gave me a near anxiety attack, but¡­ (All of this is kind of cool, though¡­right?) The occult loving freak in me was fascinated by everything that was happening. Witches, homunculi, magic? I¡¯d always dreamt of uncovering stuff like that, but when it¡¯s dropped onto my doorstep I couldn¡¯t even enjoy it. ¡°Aggh¡­shit.¡± I started fussing around in bed until my shoulder popped and started hurting really bad again. Fortunately, the wound hadn¡¯t gotten any worse from the looks of it. ¡°Better bandage this back up.¡±

    By then, I¡¯d learned to store a first aid kit underneath my bed just in case I got hurt again. With my back against the wall I pulled out my phone to check the proper method for bandaging my shoulder. When the phone turned on, the screen read out that multiple messages had come through.

    Perry messaged a lot, but being totally exhausted, I just wanted to quickly skim through them. The messages read¡­ [Up editing the footage and browsing the internet. I found a bunch of weird news headlines that are just breaking right now! I¡¯ll leave these here, so we can talk about them tomorrow.] He posted 3 separate articles.

    The first one read off: Giant footprints found in Ireland!

    The second: Chilean man claims to have been attacked by strange monster known as Basilisco Chilote!

    The third: Owlman returns! Greenville in terror!

    When I read the last one, my skin began to crawl. The irony was getting to me. (This is¡­what Anesha said, right? The world will be perverted, or something¡­) So many strange and interesting stories were opening up, but deep down I knew it wasn¡¯t good. That all the dangerous creatures I¡¯d seen to that point would only make my life harder, but I was really excited too. ¡°What now¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if it were a dream or a nightmare come true.

    Part 5

    ¡°Anesha was¡­a problem that should¡¯ve been dealt with ages ago. We have only ourselves to blame.¡±

    ¡°¡­The human world is vast. We¡¯ve not had direct contact with those¡­I struggle to even call them this, people, in hundreds of years.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You stuffy old men. You just sit around and don¡¯t know how to enjoy life!¡±

    ¡°Edith! This is no laughing matter!¡±

    ¡°Reagan is correct. If not for your lack of aging, you¡¯d be no different from us.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°¡­That wasn¡¯t my point. My point was that we cannot track her, we cannot break the barrier she created to enclose us and worst of all, with her having the seed in her possession it won¡¯t be long until humanity knows of the existence of our civilization. Caelan, your thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­if I had to say, I¡¯d think we¡¯re in a better situation now than in previous years. As of late, we¡¯ve recovered much of our strength and if not for the barrier that young Kyteler had placed on our home we¡¯d have pursued her, captured her, and punished her accordingly by now. For the time being, though¡­we¡¯ll have to send someone who doesn¡¯t fit the parameters of the barrier until we can rewrite it.¡±

    ¡°My oh my, that¡¯s an idea! I¡¯ll decide on who to send, since Anesha was my responsibility. Is that okay, Reagan?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it in your hands. Remember, this is of the utmost importance. Our people, the lives of witches and warlocks alike rely solely on the Great Witch¡¯s Cabinet. We must bring Anesha to justice.¡±

    End of chapter 5

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 6

    Part 1

    ¡°Fate! I need you up front!¡±

    ¡°Gotcha¡¯!¡± The work day wasn¡¯t off to a great start. ¡°Is Reggie not on the counter today?¡±

    ¡°Nope, not today. He¡¯s out sick, so it¡¯s just the two of us. I¡¯ll finish stocking the back room, but you¡¯re way faster on the register than I am.¡± Despite doing the job for 8 years, my old boss had never learned how to work the register. ¡°Hey, look alive! Someone¡¯s coming in.¡±

    ¡°Welcome to SoftFix, best local computer repair around. How can I help you?¡± With a winning smile I conversed with an elderly woman as she laid her laptop down on the counter. It was a simple issue, the screen wouldn¡¯t reorient, which I helped her with in less than a few minutes. The elderly woman was very thankful, but when she asked for the prince, I waved it. SoftFix was a small computer store that I¡¯d worked at for a while, hoping to save up enough for a car. ¡°Wally, is there any word on the shipment that¡¯s coming later?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. They said they¡¯d call before showing up, so just be prepared.¡± Wally, my manager was a nice guy. People loved just coming into the store, dropping off their machines and chatting with him. The myriad of old machines littering the racks didn¡¯t perturb people, since scrappers and other computer repairers would stop in to purchase them, making it so the place never felt too crowded at the end of a long week. Softfix was one of the best places I¡¯d ever worked. The 80¡¯s synth that Wally would play in the background almost all day had gotten me accustomed to listening to it when I was home or studying. Everything about the job spoke to it¡¯s informal and relaxed atmosphere. ¡°Fate, I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯m going to grab somethings from my truck.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± Wally walked away, leaving me at attention, waiting for more customers. The front door to the store swung open and in, to my surprise, walked Gabby. ¡°Gabby!?¡±

    ¡°Yo!¡± She smiled, her lovely face lighting up the otherwise gray room. ¡°Busy?¡±

    ¡°No¡­why? What¡¯s up?¡± I averted my eyes a bit as she poked around the shop nonchalantly. She wore a skirt that showed off her thigh-highs and I didn¡¯t want to stare¡­okay, I wanted to stare, but not get caught staring. Dressed in winterwear, everything about her screamed ¡®cute¡¯. If I was ever able to get my eyes off her, maybe I¡¯d have been able to actually focus on other things when she was around.

    She pulled out her laptop and placed it on the counter. ¡°It¡¯s been bluescreening a lot.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that all? Yeah, no problem. Give me a few minutes.¡± I went to work checking all the files on the machine to see if I could isolate the issue.

    Out of the corner of my vision I noticed she kept darting her eyes back and forth to me. ¡°I see¡­you¡¯re not hiding the scar anymore.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­well¡­everyone¡¯s seen it at this point, plus wearing scarves and turtle necks all the time is silly.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. Hey, I¡¯ll be right back, give me a minute?¡± Gabby quickly walked out of the store, like something had just burst into flames. That was strange, but I just continued to work on her machine. I began setting up some recovery software when the sound of her reentering the shop drew my attention.

    ¡°That was quick. What did you leave for any-¡± Anesha. She stood in the doorway with a smirk on her face, looking at me with those deep brownish red eyes. She must¡¯ve found the fear on my face funny, as her grin turned to a toothy, wide smile. As Anesha sashayed her way towards me, her hips swaying like a pendulum and platform boots hitting the floor, all other sounds and sights faded into the background. She stopped at the desk, flashed a smile again while tilting her head and looked me right in the eyes. ¡°¡­Y¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t get a word out. Why did such a pretty face have to be worn by such a demon?

    Anesha sighed. ¡°Calm yourself. My oh my, you are truly an easy person to read. Though, that makes it so fun to upset you.¡± Giggling like the heartless monster she was, Anesha then eyed the laptop, Gabby¡¯s computer. ¡°Hmm¡­? Another computer?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­it¡¯s not mine though. Um¡­can I ask a question?¡±

    ¡°You just did.¡± An almost baffled gasp exiting my mouth. I couldn¡¯t tell if Anesha had just made a joke or was being intentionally obtuse. ¡°You may as well ask another¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­right. Why are you here? I haven¡¯t seen you in four days.¡±

    ¡°Four days? I must¡¯ve slept far longer than I had intended. That would explain why I am famished.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­hungry? Wait! You slept for four days straight!?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and yes. The reason I came to you actually concerns my hunger, but I had to wait for that girl to leave.¡±

    ¡°Gabby? Couldn¡¯t you just ¡®make¡¯ her leave. You know, with magic.¡±

    ¡°I did, in fact, use magic. It took longer than I thought. Do you know that girl well?¡± I nodded. ¡°She¡¯s got a decent amount of resistance to magic.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Some people have resistance to magic, but low resistance to pure mana. Enough of this! Assist me in finding food.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at work right now¡­c-can it wait?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± She crossed her arms and began tapping her boot on the ground.

    ¡°O-okay, just give me a second. Uh¡­can you turn off your force field thingy? I have to tell my boss.¡±

    ¡°The ward? Fine, but hurry.¡± She waved her hand and walked out of the store. I could see Anesha step onto her broom handle and float up out of sight. The street in front of our store wasn¡¯t being heavily trafficked that morning, most likely because of Anesha covering the whole area in a ¡®ward¡¯, so no one saw her as she flew away.

    ¡°Fate, sorry about that. I lost track of time.¡± Wally came back looking flustered. ¡°I was on the phone with my wife.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Hey, can I take a short break?¡± I cracked a smile, attempting to look relaxed. ¡°Well, I say short, but it¡¯s more of a lunch¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey Fate, I¡¯m back!¡± Gabby gleefully returned to the store. ¡°How¡¯s the laptop coming?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Wally smirked. ¡°I see how it is¡­yeah, yeah, yeah. Go ahead, Fate.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding, but I don¡¯t have time to explain.¡± I closed the laptop and handed it back to Gabby while tossing my store apron on the counter. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­uh¡­see you later.¡± Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t spend more time with her, since leaving Anesha waiting seemed like an awful idea.

    ¡°Okay¡­call me! I have stuff we need to talk about!¡± I heard Gabby yell to me as I ran from the shop.

    Part 2

    From a few minutes of looking for Anesha, it hit me. (How am I supposed to find her?) The witch was nowhere to be seen and I had no idea how to make contact. (Maybe if I go somewhere with very few people¡­?) That was the only idea I had. I walked into one of the many empty alleyways around the city, making a trash can lid became my seat while I waited, hoping she¡¯d show up. At the same time, a message from Chester came through on my phone.

    [Salutations my fellow occult explorer! How is your shoulder? Have you healed from the grievous wound you have incurred?] I hadn¡¯t made the connection until then, but his over the top mannerisms reminded me of Anesha a bit.

    [I¡¯m fine. My shoulder¡¯s fine.] A simple reply. (My shoulder has almost totally healed up in just 4 days. There¡¯s still a scar, but it¡¯s fine for the most part.) Just when I thought that, I moved my arm and heard a pop, which hurt like hell, making me double over in pain.

    ¡°Are you an imbecile?¡± That dismissive insult could¡¯ve only come from one place.

    ¡°No¡­I just thought it wasn¡¯t¡­that bad¡­¡± Anesha had appeared out of nowhere, but by then I was getting used to it. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±

    ¡°My word! You¡¯ll retrieve me food and bring it to the location I specify? How sweet of you. I¡¯d pet your head, if not for the odd sheen of your hair.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s naturally like this. What food do you want?¡±

    ¡°You will decide in my stead. I am not used to the food from here, so I will expect something of good quality and substance.¡±

    (A hotdog then¡­I¡¯m broke, so a hotdog.) ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be back.¡± Trailing off down the street, I searched for a hotdog cart. (What is my life anymore?) Finally, a cart came into view. A few people stood ahead of me in line, so I was back to waiting. Just as I placed my order, I felt a tap on the shoulder. When I turned it was a less than joyous reunion with Gabby¡¯s ex-boyfriend, Ken. ¡°Geh!¡± My unintended, yet natural reaction to seeing that muscle bound moron was to try and not throw up in my mouth.

    ¡°Fate¡­got a sec to talk?¡± I wanted to say ¡®no¡¯.

    ¡°What is it¡­?¡± I really wanted to make him go away.

    ¡°Just come on¡­it¡¯ll only take a second.¡± I wanted to tell him to fuck off. To tell him to wander into traffic. Tell him to go and choke on that douchey red hat of his.

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± I agreed, wanting to avoid any conflict and out of morbid curiosity. We walked toward a park that sat adjacent to the food truck, the entire time I clutched the inside of my jacket pockets, ever cautious of what laid in store for me. I¡¯d never been fond of Ken and with what happened before, I grew to despise him. It made no sense to me how a person like him could be such a jerk. He had so much, things that others would die for, things that I would die for. His huge frame was perfect for an athlete. He was tall, and muscular; the best wide receiver, for one of the state¡¯s best football teams, dressed like he had money and hung out with the coolest people around. It wasn¡¯t a surprise why Gabby liked him though, I laughed to myself. I was happy Gabby had broken up with him. He wasn¡¯t good for her, violent, short fuse and everyone knew he was cheating on her.

    I thought that until we reached the park and saw Gabby sitting on a bench waiting for us. She gave a very half-hearted smile and waved as bile built up in my throat. ¡°Hey¡­¡±

    (You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me!) Run. Just leave and get away from the whole situation, that was what I wanted to do, but my cowardice stopped me. ¡°What is it? What is¡­this?¡± I had a guess.

    ¡°Ken¡­!¡± She gave him a stern look.

    ¡°Dude¡­I¡¯m sorry!¡± I didn¡¯t want to hear that.

    ¡°Oh¡­?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Ken. Seriously apologize! You¡¯re lucky Fate didn¡¯t press charges on your ass.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, dude. I¡¯m legit, super sorry. I¡¯ve been really stressed at home and works been crazy, so I just sort a lost my shit, ya¡¯ know?¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess¡­¡± (What am I doing!? Why am I listening to him bullshit!?)

    ¡°He¡¯s bad with words. Fate, I know we haven¡¯t talked much since then, but I wanted to say sorry too. You got dragged into that because of me. I let our problems get too public.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re working through it now though, bae.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± I almost shouted in pure disgust. (Working through it?! Are you fucking joking?! Gabby, you can¡¯t be fucking serious?!) I just stayed quiet, looking away.

    ¡°Fate, you¡¯re a very important friend to me. I don¡¯t want mine and Ken¡¯s relationship to mess that up. Could you please¡­try and get along? At least just be civil?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m down if he is.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± (How the hell can you say this shit to me? You piece of shit! You worthless asshole, you were going to hit her! You don¡¯t deserve her! Gabby¡­why¡­why on earth would you ever go back to this creep!? What¡¯s wrong with you!?) My gaze remained off to the side. I wanted to say ¡®no¡¯. I wanted to tell them to fuck off. I wanted¡­to wander into traffic when I saw Gabby¡¯s amber colored eyes pleading with me. ¡°¡­Ok¡­whatever¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Fate.¡±

    ¡°¡­He didn¡¯t really seem to be into it¡­but whatever¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­!¡± That feeling came back; the same feeling, I felt with the Tallman. My body felt like it¡¯d been lit on fire. I clasped my chest and backed away. (What¡­? Again?)

    ¡°Fate, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°You okay, bro?¡±

    Their words were muffled under the sound of blood rushing through my veins. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ve got to go.¡± Even though I was dizzy, I sprinted off, leaving them both in the park. My head was pounding, and my body was way too hot. (Is this¡­just because I got angry?) I kept running for a few minutes until it calmed down. It felt so bad, my body and my pride. I collapsed on a bench and laid there for a minute looking up at the cloudy sky. ¡°¡­This sucks¡­¡±

    Part 3

    ¡°How long has it been¡­? I ask that sarcastically, of course. 24 minutes!¡± Anesha barked from atop her broomstick as she floated in the alleyway.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I placed the bag of food down that I¡¯d bought. ¡°Here¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t in the mood to get punished by her, so I just walked to a near by grocery store and got a bunch of food to make her happy, nearly emptying out my wallet in the process.

    ¡°Hm¡­you¡¯re uncharacteristically well behaved. I must question as to the reason, but that can wait until another time.¡± She waved her hand and a round stone slab rose from the ground, hovering in front of Anesha. I placed all the food on the slab, as she began to inspect the items her expression soured. ¡°All of these are¡­junk. Honestly, this explains your physique if this is how you eat as well. Why are you sitting there like that?¡± The witch referred to me sitting on the dirty ground, curled up and thinking.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡­¡± I wanted to just give up on life at that point. (Gabby¡­why? You¡¯re smarter than this. You know if he was going to do it once, he¡¯ll probably do it again. He¡¯ll cheat on you, again! He¡¯ll threaten to beat you, again! He¡¯ll lie, again! Damnit!) ¡°Damnit!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea as to what happened to you to cause this sudden outburst or your new attitude but control yourself¡­or I will.¡± In her most intimidating voice, Anesha spoke down to me. She sighed and pushed all the food I¡¯d bought off the slab.

    ¡°Hey! I paid good money for those!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± She said, head tilted back as if she were looking at a bug.

    ¡°I-I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough. I¡¯ll find better nourishment elsewhere. This swill¡­I¡¯d not even feed it to an animal.¡±

    ¡°Should I¡­come with you?¡±

    ¡°Naturally¡­no. Actually, go about your own business. I¡¯ll come to get you soon enough.¡± Anesha discarded the bag of food into a nearby trashcan, then floated upward into the sky until she was out of sight. I sat in the alley for a few more minutes trying to contemplate my life and the universe¡­as if I could ever be so deep, until I remembered that I was still on the clock.

    ¡°Shoot, work!¡± I ran back to the store as quickly as I could. When I arrived, Wally gave me a desperate look as many customers crowded the counter. After joining him, we quickly diffused the situation. ¡°What was all of that about?¡±

    ¡°A bunch of people started flooding in, saying their machines were on the fritz and asking if we could repair them.¡± Wally sat back in his chair and sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯ve only got a little bit of experience working with cameras, but my specialty has always been desktops.¡± Surveying the counter, two cheap and one very expensive looking camcorder, as well as a few laptops laid there.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Well¡­I was late getting back here from lunch. How about I help you work through the majority of these PCs and stay a little later to fix the cameras?¡± Reluctantly, I made that offer. I didn¡¯t want to stay late but wasn¡¯t in the position to take advantage of Wally.

    ¡°Really, Fate? If that¡¯s alright with you.¡±

    Wally and I worked through the afternoon into the evening. He left about halfway through in order to bring back food and we took a break to eat. Despite his obvious curiosity about the scar on my neck, he never said anything. People came in and out in order to retrieve their belongings, mentioning each time, to an eerie frequency, that they were all working just fine until earlier in the day. I assumed it must have had something to do with Anesha, as all the weird occurrences in my life to that point had been. During the times Wally and I weren¡¯t chatting, the store would go silent with the exception of the ambient music, our fingers tapping away at keyboards, and the AC blasting. My body was almost always hot back then regardless of the weather, so it didn¡¯t bother me at all.

    ¡°Fate, I¡¯m heading out! Lock up when you¡¯re done.¡± Wally said as he walked out the front door and jogged to his car. The store was in a good neighborhood, but with it being so late at night, he must¡¯ve been spooked.

    ¡°See ya¡¯!¡± I sat for the next twenty minutes just messing around with a super high-grade camcorder. It wasn¡¯t like anything I¡¯d had my hands on before. ¡°We should see if we can find something like this online for dirt cheap¡­¡± (Maybe¡­I can make a few adjustments and the guy will think it was just totally busted from the start.) A devious thought, but I dropped it quickly. (I don¡¯t want to ruin the reputation of this place.) I took a picture of the camera with my phone and sent it to the club. [Any way we can get our hands on something like this online?]

    Demica quickly replied. [Sure, you got 8,000$ going spare? I¡¯ll place the order right now. I think I¡¯ll get a bunch of points for it.]

    [Lol! Good to see you¡¯re just as catty as ever.] My reply was met with an image of a smug cat face.

    [Comrades! A break through has been made!!!!] Chester exclaimed in the chat, then continuously reposted the message until he was flagged for spamming.

    [I¡¯m so happy I set up the Anti-Chester bot. ;^)] Demica reenabled Chester¡¯s ability to talk.

    [Woman¡­this is the last time your tricks will be tolerated! Now, returning to what I was announcing before¡­our home page has showcased an enormous influx of views in the last few days!]

    [Seriously!?] Both Demica and I typed that at the exact same time.

    [After young scribe Perry had published the contents of our video online, our website had many, many more visitors than expected!]

    [¡­Could¡¯ve also had to do with the place burning down, you know? Apparently, they¡¯re saying it was due to some druggies burning it down when they were high.]

    [What?!] I didn¡¯t want to give away the truth, but that was just too unbelievable.

    [The most important thing is, we¡¯re getting views! We need to strike while the iron is hot! Tomorrow, we shall venture forth to the underpass!] Chester proclaimed as I laughed it off, but then noticed how dark it¡¯d gotten outside. I closed my phone and got back to work.

    After another few minutes of work, I finished repairing the camcorder. The picture quality displayed on the side screen was astounding. It looked like I was filming with a studio camera. Every small piece of equipment could be seen through the viewfinder. The dark store looked as good on the camera, if not better than with my own eyes. I could see the racks, the laptops, the white face staring at me from the side window of the store¡­

    I wanted to put down the camera and just run. Even though I didn¡¯t openly react to it, I could tell it knew I saw it. The face was just barely in my peripheral vision. A singular white expression, with black holes for eyes and a mouth, that¡¯s all I could make out. It was totally motionless, making me think at first, I was seeing things, but it was definitely there.

    (What do I do¡­? Is it another homunculus?) I eyed the exit toward the back of the building, thinking about making an escape, but as soon as I turned my head, I heard the front door¡¯s bell ring.

    Before me, at the front of the store, stood a short spindly creature in a frilly black dress. The monster was shorter than Anesha, but far more unsettling to look at. It began to glide across the floor, with what sounded like heels striking the ground with each step. Its boney shoulders remained totally parallel as if the legs and upper body were separate pieces. As the thing closed in on me, I could make its face out better. The totally pale skin was stretched over its skull¡­or whatever laid beneath, pulled up by a long grey ponytail. It looked like it was trying to smile, but the lack of teeth and tiny black pupils made it look deranged.

    ¡°H-Hi¡­Yyyyyou thhhhhe maaann thhhaaat bburrn down m-my houssse, rightttt?¡± The distorted high pitch voice of a little girl being garbled through the mouth of that monster made me shutter. The creature then grabbed its throat and squeezed it tightly in between its two fingers until a loud pop could be heard. ¡°Ah¡­much better! You¡¯re the man that burned down my house, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­No¡­I didn¡¯t burn it down. Not me exactly!¡± It was clearly referring to the Rockwell estate. I don¡¯t know why I even answered the abomination.

    ¡°That place¡­was mine for years. Hundreds of years, gone in an instant! Do you know how many, many experiments I lost?!¡± The creature began wailing as It climbed atop the counter.

    ¡°¡­¡± Dumbstruck, I just stared at the twisted visage of the diminutive monster before me.

    ¡°¡­But don¡¯t worry¡­you¡¯re worth a billion lowly homunculi! In you¡­it¡¯s the seed of Yggdrasil, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What?! How do you know about the seed?!¡± That snapped me out of my daze.

    ¡°It¡¯s true then?! I¡¯ve only heard legends and read books propping it up as if it were a myth!¡±

    The monster said before extending those long razor-like fingers toward my throat. ¡°Back off!¡± I shoved the thing off the counter, hearing it land with a loud snap. Down on the ground, the creature laid with its back bent at an impossible angle. It cut its eyes toward me and glared. ¡°S-Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±

    ¡°Yyyyyou neeeeddn¡¯ttt wooorrry¡­!!¡± It fixed it¡¯s throat again, then stood up, snapping its spine back into place with a quick jerking motion. I nearly barfed at the sound of the meaty crunch. ¡°Just give me the seed¡­¡±

    ¡°No way! This thing is inside me, I¡¯d die!¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that what worries you? I can just remove it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait! You¡­can do that?¡±

    I was so taken aback by that proposition, that the creature¡¯s toothless smile didn¡¯t bother me in the slightest. ¡°Probably not here, but those homunculi you saw before, they were my handywork. I made each of them from scratch. Keeping you alive while I remove something in your neck is simple. I could take your entire head off and reattach it and you¡¯d be totally fine.¡±

    ¡°Take it out! I-I mean the seed!¡± That little monster¡­was about to become my unforeseen savior.

    Part 4

    The little monster and I weaved in and out of alleys through the backstreets of the city. Our aim was to avoid people as we made our way to its ¡®unspecified¡¯ location. If not for my total desperation, there would¡¯ve been no way I¡¯d have followed the twisted looking doll like creature, but that small glimmer of hope about getting my life back was worth it. The monster moved so weirdly; like a small girl, but gliding about awkwardly, as if those pin legs extending out from underneath the gothic dress were crab legs.

    ¡°Umm¡­what exactly are you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m a person who has lived way, way, way longer than I should have. My name¡¯s Mary, and don¡¯t let the way I look fool you¡­I¡¯m a very nice little girl who just wants to have fun!¡± She turned to me with what may have been meant to be a sweet smile, but just looked like a sorrowful empty mask wrapped around a mannequin head.

    ¡°Right¡­well, I¡¯m Fate Isley. Why do you want the seed?¡±

    ¡°Immortality.¡±

    ¡°Can the seed do that?¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything, do you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Not really.¡±

    ¡°The seed can do almost anything! If someone who knows how to channel it, does so, they can make almost any miracle happen.¡±

    ¡°Where did it come from?¡±

    ¡°It was made by man and witches so long ago that no proper records still exist, just legends and myths. The old witches and warlocks took it and fled somewhere far beyond the reach of man hundreds of years ago; around the time of Salem.¡±

    ¡°¡­As in the witch trials?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­when I died for the first time¡­¡±

    ¡°Died?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± The Rockwell Estate¡­or what was left of it. Barely even a building, but most of the backyard and lawn sculptures were still intact. ¡°Stand there¡­I¡¯ll get what I need from the shed.¡± Mary left me as she glided over to the shed and began rifling through things. She returned with a large compound of wax and what appeared to be bone fragments. ¡°You mentioned before¡­that it wasn¡¯t you¡­that burned down my house, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, it wasn¡¯t I swear! I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to!¡± I pleaded; hoping not to upset her in any way.

    ¡°Really? Then, who was it?¡±

    ¡°That bitch, Anesha.¡±

    ¡°¡­Anesha¡­is-is she a witch?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s not here is she!?¡± Just thinking about Anesha being within earshot of the smallest insult freaked me out. If she¡¯d heard me bad mouth her, I wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d do to me.

    ¡°Not unless she¡¯s¡­invisible. So, you¡¯re saying you can¡¯t use magic yourself?¡±

    ¡°No¡­I can¡¯t. Uh¡­why?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Mary raised her hand. ¡°Oh¡­wax puppets¡­breathe and bend at my will!¡± Her voice echoed across the landscape. The leaves on the lawn sculptures began to rustle. The inanimate creatures stood up, slowly beginning to circle us. Each step shaking the ground as the sculptures uncoordinatedly stumbled closer.

    Three large, animal shaped grass beings stood around us, towering over me. ¡°Mary¡­are these things going to help?¡± The deep and unnatural wheezing from the creatures was concerning.

    ¡°No¡­I want to see something. Hold him down!¡±

    With sudden and incredible force, I was pushed down onto the ground. It felt like I was being crushed by three giant gorillas. ¡°W-What¡¯s going on! Mary, this doesn¡¯t feel right!¡±

    ¡°I thought¡­at first that you were some supremely powerful being. The instant I laid eyes on you, I could feel the impossibly dense mana. I was afraid you were aiming to wipe me out, which is why you got rid of my house, but you¡¯re just some rube! A Podunk fool who¡¯s in over his head with no real power! When you pushed me down before, I thought, there was no way I¡¯d be able to fight you, but you followed me all the way here, like a good little boy! Without any magic to boot! HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH! People now are so damned foolish!¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you planning on doing¡­?¡±

    ¡°Like I promised¡­I¡¯ll remove the seed. You may die though¡­sorry!¡± The grass monstrosities made me kneel as Mary drew closer and closer. I tried in vain to break the grasp those things had on me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I brought this wax and these bones for a reason. I¡¯ll try to keep you alive. Your body has to have absorbed plenty of mana by now, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make an excellent homunculus!¡±

    (I¡¯ve got to get out of here! How are these things even holding me!?) Grips like steel, it felt like multiple hands, a myriad of fingers were digging into my arms and shoulders. When I looked to see if I could bite them or do anything to escape their grasp, beneath the foliage I saw them, white hands, tons going all the way up the body of the monsters masked by their leafy exterior. Bloodshot red eyes stared back at me; all too human faces and teeth, so many teeth; within the shrubbery were homunculi with huge distorted features seemingly crying out in pain. They were beasts shaped humans, covered in leaves, dirt and grass, hidden away the entire time we were at the Rockwell Estate and possibly for much longer. ¡°¡­Anesha¡­ANESHA!!!¡± I cried, hoping she wasn¡¯t too far away!

    Mary jumped back, frantically looking toward the sky. Nothing came. ¡°¡­hehehehe¡­.HAHAHAHAH!!¡±

    ¡°Not again¡­where are you when I need you¡­?¡± Out of nowhere the hot, searing pain of a razor being quickly traced down across my face was followed by blood dripping down my brow. ¡°Ugh¡­AgGGH!¡± Mary slashed me with her knife-like fingers.

    ¡°You had me scared. Don¡¯t do it agaaaaaaaggggiinn¡­¡± Again, she fixed her throat.

    ¡°¡­Not again¡­¡± It hit me. I was in the same situation as before. Like then, I needed to break free, break free of those monsters, of needing Anesha, of being helpless! ¡°Get¡­off of me!¡± Whatever feeling I felt before with the tallman, I tried to bring it back up in my head.

    ¡°Huh? No, boy¡­I¡¯ll extract the seed and then¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Fuck you! Let go of me!¡± I tried to summon all my strength. The grass homunculi pushed me back down with ease and Mary drove her sharp foot into my calf. ¡°AGGGhh!¡± (Come on¡­come on! Get angry, you idiot, not scared!) It must have been anger that drew out the strength I had before, or so I thought. (Think back to the Tallman, think back to talking with Anesha¡­think back to Gabby and that shit stain of a human boyfriend of hers!) I could feel it. My body started heating up and my blood began pumping so strong I could feel it rushing through my veins. The cuts were becoming so hot it hurt, like they were oozing magma down my face.

    ¡°Wait¡­what are you-¡± In a flash one of the grass homunculi had burst into flames. The creature wailed in agony as it stumbled away like a dancing, massive inferno. Mary turned, and I looked up to see my renewed savior, the relentlessly, evil bitch, Anesha floating atop her broomstick, looking disappointed.

    ¡°¡­Oh my, what piece of rubbish has been left in this garden? I could¡¯ve sworn I¡¯d burned it all up.¡± As arrogant as always, Anesha came towards the ground as Mary backed away, shaking like a leaf. ¡°Raze, earth beneath my feet!¡± The little remaining grass beneath the sole of her boot ignited, scorching to leave only ash. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­little¡­what precisely are you?¡±

    ¡°Back away!¡± Mary howled at Anesha. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him! I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± One of the lawn beasts let go of my arm and slowly lumbered toward Anesha. ¡°Crush her!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Anesha reached into her pocket and pulled out a small trinket, a sword shaped keychain. She gripped it tightly and, in a flash, transformed the item into a glowing white saber.

    She tilted her head and swung the blade, cleaving the monster in two with a translucent crescent beam. ¡°Wh¡­WHAT!?¡± Mary screamed while Anesha let out a bored yawn.

    ¡°One little monster left¡­and one big monster left¡­hmhmhm. Now, how shall I entertain myself?¡± The all too common smug sneer coming across Anesha¡¯s face, regardless of where it was directed, infuriated me.

    ¡°Yyyyyooouuu¡­¡± Mary fell back down to the ground, staring up in terror before Anesha. She tried to fix her throat again and again while scurrying away. ¡°Ttttttthhiiiiiiiiissssssss issss YY-yourrrr fffaulllttt!¡± She reached for me with her razorlike fingers and by that point, I¡¯d had enough.

    ¡°Get away from me!¡± I pulled back so hard it sent the lawn sculpture homunculi toppling over, sending pieces of earth flying with its sheer weight. ¡°Huh? How¡¯d I?¡± When I looked down at my hands, I noticed my skin was darkening, like I¡¯d suddenly gotten a tan. Steam bellowed off of me and more sweat poured down from me than had in my entire life. (Just like that night¡­is this what Anesha meant when she said the seed would protect me?)

    The enormous hand of the homunculus suddenly flew toward me, but that time I was prepared. I dodged to the side and looked the creature in its dead eyes. Broken bones dug out from inside the wax body of the creature, tearing holes with blood and human organs seeping out. Each face underneath all of its matted foliage prison screamed they¡¯d given up on being alive, like it was forced to not die.

    (This poor thing¡­) With all the strength I could muster, I pulled back and clenched my fist. (I can feel it. So much power! My body feels so much stronger than I¡¯ve ever felt before. I¡¯ll put you out of your misery.) With the strongest punch I¡¯d ever thrown in my life, I blasted the creature in its torn and nearly destroy head. I expected to shatter the monster¡¯s cracking skull, but I destroyed its head, body and everything standing behind it! ¡°What¡­?¡±

    It was as if a cannon had gone off. The lawn, a nearby tree and the entirety of the homunculi¡¯s body had been sent flying. It felt like I was hitting an exercise ball, so light that I wasn¡¯t even sure that I¡¯d connected at first, but then the feeling of my wrist breaking crept into my mind. It didn¡¯t matter though¡­I was so mesmerized with how strong I¡¯d hit that homunculus! The air shook, the earth quaked, and my body shuttered under the weight of the punch I¡¯d thrown! With a thud, what was left of the monster hit the ground.

    I was out of breath and could feel it badly then; my wrist wasn¡¯t just broken but shattered. ¡°AGGHHH!! This hurts so bad!¡± I¡¯d never felt anything like that before. Excruciating pain, so bad I almost threw up. ¡°F-Fuck¡­ughh¡­¡± Pathetically, I did throw up after all¡­

    ¡°Oh my¡­now this is an unexpected occurrence.¡± I¡¯d completely forgotten about Anesha. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten some control of the seed¡¯s power. And here I thought of you as no more than a caveman.¡± She laughed condescendingly.

    ¡°Yeah¡­laugh it up¡­¡± I could still feel it. Despite my broken wrist, I could still feel the power welling up in my body. (Wait¡­this is it. With this power¡­no matter how much magic this bitch has¡­if I hit her with everything I¡¯ve got, she¡¯ll die¡­right? There¡¯s no way she stronger than that monster! Even the ground under me exploded, hell the ground under the monster exploded along with most of the lawn behind it! I¡¯ll kill her¡­I¡¯ll kill her right now!) ¡°A-Anesha¡­my wrist is¡­broken! How do I¡­make the seed fix it?¡±

    ¡°How? Are you an utter fool, or do you simply lack the ability to retain any information that I¡¯ve offered you to this point?¡± She started strolling over to me with that typical ¡®holier than thou¡¯, shit eating grin plastered on her fucking face; that was exactly what I wanted.

    ¡°I-it hurts really bad! AGGHH, please, I¡¯m begging you to just fix it! Please!¡± (C-Can I really kill someone? I¡¯ve only ever been in a few fights and never even won one. No, I won¡¯t kill her¡­just beat her halfway to death and force her to take the seed out of me! After that, I¡¯ll figure out what I want to do. I¡¯ll get her sent to jail, or whatever.) I was hunched over on the ground clutching my arm, but I could see her boots closing in from the top of my sight. ¡°Little¡­closer¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You honestly make me sick. Are you not a man? Do men not have the ability to make children? I didn¡¯t know they also had the ability to cry like them.¡± The turn around that I was about to get when I shattered that jeering, bitchy attitude of Anesha¡¯s was going to be worth the pain of my wrist.

    ¡°¡­Heh¡­¡± I leapt to my feet and charged her. I wasn¡¯t any type of martial artist, but I knew if I went for her legs, I¡¯d be able to at least get her down on the ground and lay into her. ¡°¡­Sky¡­?¡± I came in looking at Anesha¡¯s legs, trying to do a double leg take down, but for one reason or another I was looking up at the sky. It was a pretty sight as a matter of fact, the twinkling stars whizzing by. It was a weird feeling, but not nearly as weird as being slammed into the ground and having my broken wrist twisted. ¡°AGGHHHH!¡±

    ¡°Now pray tell, what were you trying to do?¡± Anesha stood her boot on the side of my face, looking down with contempt. She gripped my arm by the broken wrist and twisted sadistically.

    ¡°Wait wait wait! STOP!¡± My body felt like it was cooling down as the pain intensified. All the power, the surge of energy I¡¯d felt, drained away slowly.

    ¡°You were aiming to attack me. Me! Have I not made it clear to you? I¡¯m God to you, fool!¡± She twisted harder and began to bend my arm at the elbow.

    ¡°Ok ok ok ok! Stop, please! I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m sorry! I get it, okay!¡± The bending and turning of my arm were insufferable.

    ¡°You get it? No, no I don¡¯t believe you do. It¡¯s clear to me how little punishment you¡¯ve received, how little rearing you¡¯ve received! It¡¯s clear to me that I was far too lenient with you until now. When a pet, no, when something lower than dirt attempts to raise a hand against God, it needs to be reminded of its place! Stuck down.¡± Snap! She mercilessly broke my arm.

    ¡°UGGHHHAAAGGGh! AGh! AGH!!!¡± It was the first time in my life I¡¯d felt something like that. A mind-numbing burn shot throughout my body. She¡¯d clearly broken it in a way to make it hurt as much as possible. ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t even speak, I was in so much pain. Anesha raised her boot only to stomp it down again on the back of my head as I clutched my broken arm. She must¡¯ve enjoyed that position, to her it must¡¯ve been befitting of her status as a queen or goddess or whatever she deemed herself. ¡°¡­This is only the beginning.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­¡± I barely squeaked out between pitiful winces.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re being punished.¡± She removed her boot from the back of my head and backed away. I turned up to see her lifting her hand and that horrifying purple glyph once again.

    ¡°Stop¡­no, I¡¯m really sorry! I won¡¯t ever do it again! I swear! I - please don¡¯t!¡± With tears in my eyes and on the ground, begging, the last word she said, totally cold and unfeeling, made my heart drop.

    ¡°No.¡± She gripped the glyph as my body felt the seizure come on. My skin felt like it was being scraped away, my blood began to boil as my bones felt like they were being ground down. I lost the ability to see as I gripped at the dirt on the ground. Then my sense of smell and taste left me. It felt like my body¡¯s senses were being shut off almost as if they were computer processes. I could hear my own screaming begin to fade, I was going deaf. My voice, I could hear myself begging for her to stop. It was loathsomely pathetic. I hated hearing myself beg to anyone, especially that bitch. Finally, my sense of touch disappeared as I floated into darkness. I could still feel the pain of my body being torn apart, but I couldn¡¯t move. All I knew was suffering, mentally and physically, as I drifted away within nothingness.

    End of chapter 6

    <u> </u>

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 7

    Part 1

    Every inch of my entire body burned with a numbing pain¡­so constant, and for so long, after a while I couldn¡¯t even remember when it started, worse, there was nothing I could do about it. The nothingness surrounding me stretched out infinitely. I couldn¡¯t see, hear, move or speak; I wasn¡¯t even able to beg Anesha to make it stop. (How much longer is this going to go on for?) I wondered. Time was the only thing I had; slowly drifting through the empty void, ever deeper into my own personal hell. (Anesha said my soul would be destroyed. Is this what it¡¯ll be like when I die? I don¡¯t believe in heaven, but I do think there¡¯s an afterlife. Is this the afterlife? No¡­for some reason¡­I can tell I¡¯m alive.) It was so faint, but a strong feeling of ¡®existing¡¯ echoed in my mind. I was still alive, but with no idea where my body stood in terms of space. The pain was severe but helped focus my mind on that sense of existence. Another feeling overtook me. Warmth, and the more that I focused on it, the more I felt my own body¡¯s presence. Mentally, I reached out, stretching my metaphorical hand, grasping for the warmth. The pain began to subside as I closed in on it, whatever the sensation was.

    Part 2

    ¡°Gah!¡± Air! I could breathe, see, hear, feel and smell again! It was so sudden, as if I¡¯d sprung back to life in an instant. Everything around me was empty, and then out of nowhere, there was a dark night sky before my eyes. The smell of dew laden air filling my nostrils, slight pitter-patter of rain drops echoing in my ears and the feeling of a grimy mattress beneath me graced my backside. ¡°W-Where¡­¡± My throat was dry which made talking nearly impossible.

    Placing my sneakers on the ground sent a paralyzing shock up through my body. As I fell to the grossly worn wooden floor, just about having a panic attack, my chest constricted, unable to fill my lungs with air fast enough; I rolled over to relieve any pressure. Only then did I notice, the constellation overhead was just a ceiling painted to resemble the stars, and just beyond the old grimy mattress sat an open window. Using the side of the bedframe, I precariously heaved myself up. Outside was a long grassy field leading into a deep, almost endless sea of trees. The stars above mirrored the ceiling of the bedroom to an amazingly detailed degree. Off far, far in the distance, the sound of car horns blared, but I couldn¡¯t make out from which direction. Everything was masked in thick fog.

    (What¡¯s going on¡­? Where am I?) I was able to scratch my head, so my arm and wrist obviously healed up significantly. They still felt a little off, but I was able to move them again almost as if they¡¯d never been broken. (Anesha!) She was no where to be seen. The room was filled with dust caked toys. It was so dark inside, only the light coming in through the window gave me any ability to see. I listened closely and couldn¡¯t hear anyone else nearby. (Is Anesha not here?) My body was still in a numbing pain, but I stood up and stumbled toward the bedroom door using the wall as support. (I must¡¯ve been asleep for a while¡­how long, I¡¯ve got no idea. Must¡¯ve been long enough for apathy to set in though.)

    As I pulled the door open and entered the hall, near total darkness awaited. The only guideline was the white wall opposite to me. Clinging onto the base, I slowly staggered down the corridor. My body was cold, my throat was dry, and my stomach felt empty. I was so weak as I struggled to make my way down the void like hallway. It was terrifying, traversing nothingness again. Like I was drifting back into that ¡®afterlife¡¯.

    (I-I can¡¯t take it¡­) I was beginning to hyperventilate as I grasped my chest hard, trying to slow my breathing. (She¡¯s not around¡­she¡¯s not here¡­I-I need to¡­my phone!) Stupidly, I finally remembered my smartphone. It was hard getting my hand into my pocket with the numbing pain, but I managed. The screen read: 2:33 AM and showed numerous unread messages, over 99 plus. (What¡­what happened¡­?) Then I realized the date was 3 days later than I last recalled. ¡°H-How!?¡± I hacked away, coughing and dry heaving. When I regained my composure, I tried to unlock my phone, but the screen went black as the battery died. (3 days? I was out for 3 days? I need to get out of here. I need to get back home!) The pain was slowly fading which made moving quickly possible.

    My hand glided across the wall until I came to an uneven portion, like a chunk of the wall had been gouged out. Raindrops pelted the roof, almost deafeningly. Thunder crashed off in the distance, then a massive boom shook the house, as the lightning must¡¯ve struck something close by. The light from the bolt lit the hall for just long enough that I could see the carnage before me.

    The wooden floor was splintered and torn to pieces; somehow, I hadn¡¯t fallen into any of the divots. Smashed furniture littered the hall and what appeared to be blood was splattered across the walls. (¡­I need to get out of here.) Escaping was all I cared about. At the end of the corridor there was a long staircase, I noted that when the lightning struck. Hurriedly staggering along the wall, I made my way down into the foyer, met with the sound of crunching noises. Snapping and splotching sounds kept coming from the other side of the pitch-black entrance way. (What¡­am I hearing?) Two yellow orbs in the distance appeared. They were huge, clearly the eyes of an animal. (Oh shit¡­) I slowly backed away, sliding along the wall as they tracked me, until my hand touched what felt like the doorknob. (Fuck it¡­go, go!) I twisted the knob and dashed out of the door. As the light shown in from the moon, the small humanoid frame, huge pointed ears and greenish emaciated skin of a creature were illuminated. The yellow orbs were its beedi eyes, but what terrified me was its massive mouth wrapped around what looked to be a severed human hand. The creature howled as the door slammed shut behind me.

    Sprinting into the woods, the rain drenched me all the way through my jacket almost immediately and impaired my vision as the torrent continued to wash down over me. It wasn¡¯t long before I lost my footing and fell. Even with the downpour nearly drowning out all other sounds, I could hear them. A chorus of shrill cries, like children with colds trying to imitate wolves, piped up from behind. Between the wet strands of hair draping over my face, I could see a group of their piercing yellow eyes cutting through the rainy fog filled atmosphere. With adrenaline pumping, I got back up, running as hard as I could.

    (Oh God! What are those things?!) A considerable weight dropped down on my back. It was one of those small monsters. Razor-sharp, clawed fingers dug hard into my jacket. I grabbed the little monster and tried to throw it off. ¡°G-get off!¡± The monster buried its fangs into my shoulder next, which would¡¯ve broken the skin if not for said leather jacket. ¡°Ow! Little bastard!¡± I punched the creature in the face until it released me. Again, I rushed away, but no matter how far I ran, I felt as if I wasn¡¯t making any headway. The infinite ocean of trees, bushes, mud and mist kept coming.

    After sprinting nonstop for minutes, with my stomach empty, dehydrated and out of breath, I fell to my knees, dog-tired. Those monsters continued to howl as they closed in from behind, but I couldn¡¯t muster the energy to take another step. ¡°Need I always find you in such a sad state?¡± I quaked in terror, unable to even look at the witch¡¯s face, just watching the ground as those familiar silver studded boots strolled into my view. ¡°Hmm¡­does my presence frighten you so?¡± The creatures began to mewl. ¡°No matter. The vermin have finally gathered all in one location. I thank you, as they are drawn to weaker, more fearful beings. You acted as proficient bait.¡± Anesha giggled menacingly. I turned and looked at the creatures as tens of the child sized monsters slowly backed away. ¡°Now¡­vanquish those who oppose me! Vanguard, rise!¡± A multitude of small lights glimmered around us. With a flash, featureless, humanoid, knight-like chess pieces appeared; each varying between black and white respectively. With the heads of horses and wireframe like bodies, all equipped with long glowing spears made of an unknown energy, the otherworldly figures floated above the ground, poised to attack.

    The little monsters screamed as they tried to run. Anesha lifted her hand and snapped her fingers, making the pieces take aim and toss their spears. The horse headed entities unleashed their weapons without hesitation, running through every one of the creatures at least twice. Slowly, the chess pieces faded away to nothingness.

    ¡°¡­¡± As always, Anesha left me awe struck with her effortless display of magic; I still couldn¡¯t bear to look at her though. My eyes going up past her boots was hard enough, let alone trying to think of her face.

    ¡°This rain is bothersome.¡± Again, she snapped her fingers and almost instantly, the rain stopped. ¡°Now then¡­let¡¯s return ¡®home¡¯.¡±

    Part 3

    We returned to the house in all it¡¯s bleak and dilapidated glory. Anesha waved her hand, letting loose a flame into the center of the foyer, splitting off and bringing light to the 4 corners of the room. A large comfy looking chair shot across the room and met her as she sat. Anesha, as self-important as always, sat down crossing her legs and laying her chin on her hand with a smirk, as if she were a queen. ¡°Now then, sit.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Naturally, the floor was my seat. I knelt in front of her, nearly passing out from fatigue. Anesha must¡¯ve taken pity on me as she lobbed a water bottle in my direction. Quickly, I guzzled the water down, until I just about threw it all back up with how dry my throat was. ¡°Th¡­thank you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Why so hesitant? So long as you remain an obedient pup, then I¡¯ve no reason to punish you.¡± That vile and disingenuously sweet smile made me gag. ¡°We¡¯ll make this a short conversation, as I can guess most of your questions. Allow me to state that it has been three days since you were last conscious.¡± She confirmed what I¡¯d thought. ¡°The seed kept you alive while your body remained in a state of crisis. The creature from before, that little abomination escaped. I¡¯ve not seen it since that night.¡± I assumed she meant Mary. ¡°And if you¡¯re wondering about this home, the inhabitants were all killed.¡±

    ¡°Not¡­by you¡­right?¡±

    The bitch tilted her head back and smirked, sending a chill down my spine. ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd!¡± A cynical chuckle followed. ¡°Those gremlins were the cause. I happened upon this location in my travels but have yet to finish reorganizing. It¡¯s one of the few magically fertile areas in this city.¡±

    ¡°Are we close to the city? I couldn¡¯t see it from the window.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I set up a barrier. Even if you continued to run through those woods for a year, you¡¯d never find your way out. One of my many familiars is keeping that under control.¡±

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Were those things that killed the - uh - gremlins? Were they your familiars?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve many familiars and those were just a few.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Um¡­¡± Despite wanting to leave, even looking up past her chest, eye to eye, was impossible. My gaze settled on the glowing purple stitches in her clothing, pulsating with energy. Somehow, in that situation, I was still fascinated, wanting to ask more about her, magic, the place she came from, those monsters, everything! My inner occult maniac was in over drive, but it had to wait. ¡°Can I go home¡­please?¡± I needed to get back to my life. If I¡¯d been gone for 3 days, then it would¡¯ve been impossible for no one to have noticed.

    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Anesha replied ominously. My eyes escaped toward the ground as she stood up from her chair, sauntering over. Again, all I could do was look at her feet as she closed in. ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re here, Fate?¡±

    ¡°B-because I disrespected you¡­?¡±

    ¡°And because you didn¡¯t realize your place. I do not require magic to tame you. I can do it with my own hands, if need be. Allow me to illustrate a point; look up.¡± Scared as I was, I was more afraid of what she¡¯d do if I didn¡¯t comply. When I looked up, I was greeted with Anesha¡¯s all black, purple stitched blouse undoing itself at the abdomen. ¡°Do you see¡­?¡± After I got over the shock of Anesha just displaying her stomach to me, it was clear how in shape she was. Her muscles were quite defined¡­more so than my own. ¡°Oh, pick your tongue up, mongrel.¡±

    ¡°No-I mean!¡±

    The blouse¡¯s purple stitching magically snaked back into place. ¡°I showed you this as a statement. Despite the power you showcased against those homunculi, which was impressive without training, you¡¯re not superior to me in terms of magic, intellect or physically.¡±

    ¡°R-Right¡­¡± It was obvious to me that Anesha was just showing off; another way to debase and dominate me.

    ¡°¡­¡± Anesha stomped on my hand, crushing my fingers underfoot. ¡°Look me in the eye when I speak to you! This is no laughing matter! You put yourself in danger, which put all of my plans in danger! This world¡¯s future depends solely on my success. Should I fail, and the seed doesn¡¯t grow to completion, then not only will you still die, humanity will never get another chance like this!¡±

    When her cold deep brownish red eyes locked onto mine, I knew I couldn¡¯t challenge. ¡°I understand¡­¡± She lifted her boot and sat back down in the chair.

    ¡°If you understand, then go. I¡¯ve much to handle here and having you around would be a nuisance. Leave from the front door and walk straight, once you pass the familiar guarding the edge of my ward, it won¡¯t be much further to your city.¡± Slowly, I stood up and backed my way toward the door. ¡°Oh, and one last thing. I¡¯ll be watching, so don¡¯t fail to keep my existence secret.¡± I nodded and left through the front door.

    The woods didn¡¯t look any more inviting once the rain had stopped. Heavy fog still lingered with visibility nearly being at zero, and the thick, murky atmosphere just got more imposing as I ambled onward. To make an already bad situation worse, my sneakers were totally soaked, my jacket was ripped and drenched, and I was tired and starving. If I caught pneumonia and passed out, would I survive, I wondered. (The way Anesha made it sound, the seed will keep me from dying, but does that include sickness and starvation? I don¡¯t think I want to test it.) I was a bit unnerved after seeing the gremlins slaughtered, and yet¡­ (The bodies¡­are still there, right?) The brush was thick, but if I came across one of the gremlins¡¯ bodies, I wanted to examine them. With luck, after a little bit of walking I spotted a long, pointed green ear sticking up out of a bush. (¡­Should I¡­? Fuck, I may not get another chance!)

    Gleefully, I ran up to the body, somehow reinvigorated. It was still intact, only two holes in the skull and one pierced through the back. Even with the two holes in the creature¡¯s massive head, it was still rock solid. At first, I was just poking at it with a stick, but my hand inched closer. I was worried that, just maybe, touching it with my bare hands would cause some weird virus to spread onto me, but my excitement quickly quashed that level of caution. The skin was cold and saggy, very clammy. It felt like human skin, but when pulled, the skin stayed stretched. After rolling over the corpse, I checked the teeth, which were a myriad of very sharp, thin pin-like fangs. The one eye that wasn¡¯t pierced was snake like, and huge, taking up a large amount of its skull. Two tiny arms and legs had claws as sharp if not sharper than the gremlin¡¯s teeth.

    ¡°Holy hell¡­this is¡­pretty cool.¡± The feeling of someone standing behind me came out of nowhere, as a massive shadow engulfed the area. I could see the figure of whatever stood there, unmoving, with twisted horns upon its head. Sheepishly, I turned and saw a huge being, cloaked in a tattered, black robes, with the head of a deer skull protruding from its massive shoulders. Without a word, it used an enormous skeletal hand from beneath the cloak to pointed down weathered path. ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± Shaking and terrified of whatever creature I was beholding, quietly, I obliged. The grassy and fog covered path opened up, inviting me along. As I followed the trail, my eyes were drawn back to the creature from before. The giant monster hovered with its head as high as the trees surrounding it, no visible feet touching the ground; only the boney hands escaping its robe. One of those boney hands slowly began to raise up, at first, I jumped, afraid it was upset with me for not immediately leaving, but it simply and almost innocently, waved goodbye.

    I nodded my head, confused, and waved back as I exited the forest.

    Part 4

    (Where to next¡­?) Leaving the forest didn¡¯t put me anywhere near home. I wasn¡¯t totally lost but did get stuck trudging along dirt roads until I finally came across a familiar highway, which established how far Greenville was away. The late-night club noises were the first things to greet me; the deafening music assaulting my ears. Somehow, my stomach growling louder than I¡¯d ever heard it, overpowered the oppressive beats. So, I made my way to an all-night diner near my apartment complex to sate my hunger. The owner noticeably did a doubletake as I took a seat at a booth.

    An older waitress came up, holding a notepad and gave me a smile. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Patty and I¡¯ll be your server. What would you like to drink?¡±

    ¡°I-Iced tea¡­and can I order a Caesar wrap?¡±

    ¡°Right away!¡± Off the waitress walked. The manager, trying to be discreet, got her attention and started whispering something, clearly about me by the way they kept peering in my direction. After waiting a few minutes, Patty returned with the order while I slumped down in my seat. The television played in the background as the waitress and her apparent manager continued to speak. I wolfed down my food and sat thinking to myself.

    (¡­It¡¯s been 3 days, huh? Mom and the guys are probably losing it. I don¡¯t want to go home¡­) I stayed in that booth for a while more until Patty returned with the bill. She was clearly eyeing me from the front, waiting for payment. (Do I look homeless or something?) The long black hair atop my head had grown way more in 3 days than it should¡¯ve; to the point where it was slightly obscuring my vision. Since my phone was dead anyway, I used it as a mirror to get a look at myself. ¡°What the hell?!¡± That reaction came as a response to what I was seeing. My normally long, straight black hair was grey at the roots. Spreading out across my scalp, the grey was eating up my head. ¡°When did this happen? What the hell¡­this has got to have something to do with the seed. Shit¡­am I going to go bald?!¡±

    ¡°Uh, sir¡­¡± Patty returned to the table. Mortified, I paid my bill and left.

    I rushed out of the diner with my face flushed red. Without thinking, I ran all the way back to my complex. ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m here now¡­damn.¡± I entered the foyer, slowly moved up to my door, but hesitated just short of turning the knob. ¡°Ah, shit¡­¡± I pulled open the door and walked into the living room. No one was there. Dead silent, with only a light bulb buzzing to disrupt the uncomfortable stillness. In the dining room adjacent to the entrance I could see three plates sitting on the table, wrapped in plastic. They all had notes atop them. The first read: Hey Fate, don¡¯t be late, this food will go fast but make it last! The second read: Fate when you get in give me a call, if you don¡¯t I¡¯ll start to bawl, hurry for the sake of us all! The final one read: Fate call me. ¡°Now, I feel like a piece of shit¡­¡±

    Suddenly the front door opened behind me. ¡°*Sigh*¡­I¡¯m so tired¡­¡± Fluffy, curly red hair in all, my mother came in. When she looked up, the bags under her eyes shown on her pale face, that she hadn¡¯t slept well, more so than normal. ¡°Fate¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hi Mom¡­¡±

    ¡°Fate! Goddammit, boy!¡± Nearly knocking me off my feet, mom tackled me with a hug. Her thin, long arms wrapped all the way around me, squeezing so tight my back felt like it¡¯d snap.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, Mom.¡± She released her grasp on me, giving me a chance to breathe. I wanted to console her, but I was given a very stiff slap to the face instead. ¡°Ow! Mom?!¡±

    ¡°Where the fuck have you been!? I was so damn worried!¡± A steady stream of tears rolled from her dark brown eyes. ¡°I called the cops, your college, your friends¡­your father! W-where the hell were you?! I was so scared¡­¡± My mother fell to her knees, covering her eyes as she cried.

    I hugged her back. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to make you worry¡­I¡­¡± I wanted to tell her everything so badly. (If I do, will Anesha know? If I whispered it to her, or if I took her some place with no windows, could she still find out? If I wrote her a note, or just texted the information to mom¡­If she found out, what would Anesha do?) My mind floated back to the dreaded emptiness of the void. I shuttered uncontrollably, as a panic attack set in. I had to push my mother aside and make for the window. After yanking it open and taking a deep breath, I could feel the food I¡¯d just eaten coming back up and being puked down to the ground below.

    ¡°Hang on! Here, drink this.¡± A cup of ginger ale; my mother wasn¡¯t very old, but she was old fashioned. We sat down at the table as I sipped from the cup. Mom pulled the wrapping off one of the plates and put it in the microwave. She warmed it up and placed the dinner in front of me with her eyes staying locked on mine. I tried to break eye contact, but every time I did she would call me back to attention with a single word. ¡°Fate.¡± Clearly, she was very upset and wanted to talk. It was obvious she didn¡¯t want to yell but would persist until I answered her.

    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t tell you what¡¯s happening.¡±

    ¡°The fuck you can¡¯t!¡± Rarely did Mom ever lose her cool. She shot up from her seat and pushed the food aside. ¡°3 days¡­you were gone for 3 days! I asked everyone you knew. Do you have any idea what I went through? I had to track down Chester and have him and your friends ask around for an entire day and night. We asked everyone, everywhere and even got the police involved! They said there was not a single sign of you. I had to called Zahn¡­just to have him call me irresponsible¡­so don¡¯t you dare - don¡¯t you even think of telling me, your mother, I can¡¯t know what¡¯s going on!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Stuck with my mouth hanging agape, I wanted to explain to her what was going on, but it was impossible. ¡°¡­Can¡­you help me fix my hair¡­?¡± It was a dumb request, but she obliged, quietly. I sat in the chair as she walked to the bathroom and then returned with haircare products.

    ¡°You have the exact same hair as your father, but his still isn¡¯t graying and neither is mine, so how does this even happen?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± She tugged my hair, hard.

    ¡°Ow! I¡¯m serious, I don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°Fate¡­¡±

    ¡°No, really, I don¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°You know how much I love you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Seeing you act so strange the last few weeks has been nothing but horrible. You didn¡¯t leave the house, then you had that scar, just walked around like a zombie or acted like the world was on fire. Something is happening with you and it¡¯s¡­it¡¯s probably personal, but when you were younger, for so long it was just you and me, and every time anything good or bad happened you¡¯d come right up and say, ¡®Mom, guess what?¡¯. You¡¯ve always been independent, but you¡¯d always let me know what was going on in your life. When you first got into college, you applied for yourself, when you got your driver¡¯s license, you got it all on your own; your first job too! You told me every single time though. Is what¡¯s going on now so different from all of that?¡±

    My conscience felt like it was being crushed by five hundred times gravity. Mom stood behind me, but I could feel her hands shaking as she held my hair. She was about to cry, and it was all my fault. Could I reassure her when I couldn¡¯t even reassure myself? ¡°¡­Mom¡­I swear to you, when this is all over and I¡¯m totally fine, I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± My mother hugged my head, stifling tears as she warmly conveyed her love to me. ¡°I swear¡­everything will be alright.¡±

    End of chapter 7

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 8

    Part 1

    For two days straight, I just stayed around the house. Had to call my job and nearly get fired over the phone, speak with the police and get yelled at by both my mother, the officers and¡­my father. My message that was sent to the members of the Occult Research and Study club was marked ¡®read¡¯ almost immediately but remained without a response. The group chat beforehand, for the days I was gone, was filled with them asking each other if they¡¯d seen or heard from me. Chester remained on edge, writing about messaging Gabby and my mother to get information, which was embarrassing.

    I read the entire thread over and over, trying to think up an alibi, but kept drawing a blank. Spending time in my apartment wasn¡¯t going to get me anywhere though, so I sucked it up and made for the campus. Along the way, my boss contacted me over the phone. ¡°Fate, are you feeling better?¡± I could barely make out what he was saying as the cars running down the street blared their horns and people spoke way too loudly around me. ¡°I know you¡¯re probably not coming in today, but the sooner you come back, the better! And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve left lots and lots of work for you!¡± Wally laughed whole heartedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wally. I¡¯ll definitely be in tomorrow.¡± Another promise I made. Those promises, I planned on keeping every single one of them. (I¡¯ll figure out a way to stay alive¡­there are people here who want me around, as dumb as that may sound. Also, dying and having my soul be destroyed sounds like it would be unpleasant.) Without even noticing, I arrived at the gates of the college. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow, Wally. Take care.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like I¡¯d been walking for all that long, but there it was. The iron gates of Benson college had been drawn as other students entered, talking amongst themselves, none paying me any mind. My anxiety flared up bad, regardless. Even if I wasn¡¯t close to that many people in my classes, I was sure they¡¯d know that I went missing for three days. (¡­An hour or two¡­I¡¯ll come back in an hour or two and then I¡¯ll try again.) Is what I thought as I turned on my heels and ended up face to face with Demica and Chester. ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Where have you been?!¡± Demica shouted with the smell of alcohol strong on her breath. It was clear by the dark circles beneath her eyes, hair pulled into an uneven ponytail and Demica willingly donning her thick rimmed glasses, she was up drinking late into the night. ¡°Well¡­we¡¯re waiting!¡± And thus, the folding of her arms and pouting commenced. If she didn¡¯t get a satisfactory answer, my friend was known to pout for days on end.

    Chester walked up. His hair was normally messy, so aside from the pungent aroma of whiskey, nothing was too off about him. ¡°Good to see you¡¯re back.¡± Confusing, to say the least. He simply patted me on the shoulder and walked by.

    ¡°What?! Chester!!¡± Demica yelled, befuddled at Chester¡¯s calm reaction.

    ¡°Ahhh! Stop yelling, woman! I¡¯ve got a hangover. Let¡¯s just go to the clubroom for the time being. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Grr¡­¡± Her pale cheeks puffed out from pouting so much so, I thought her face was going to explode.

    Silently, we walked to the clubroom, Demica staggering behind the whole way, until we reached the door. She almost immediately excused herself and ran to vomit, leaving me alone with Chester. He crashed on the couch, covering his head with a blanket, letting out occasional muffled groans. I just sat at the table and pulled out the group laptop. Nothing happened for a bit until he suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°Fate¡­are you really alright?¡± I didn¡¯t want to turn and look at him as I knew what was coming.

    ¡°Yeah. I wouldn¡¯t be here otherwise.¡± A halfhearted response.

    ¡°I guess so¡­your mom was really worried, man.¡±

    ¡°I¡­know.¡±

    ¡°We all were.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Is that scar worse¡­or are you just wearing the scarf for no reason?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­? Oh.¡± Mom knew that I was hiding my neck, so even without me asking, she took the initiative and gave me the scarf on the way out. ¡°I guess, I don¡¯t need it around you guys, huh?¡±

    ¡°Nope, we all know. Perry and Teddy are getting paperwork together for the trip in a few months though, so they should be back soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really excited about it! The Jasontown Swamplands is supposed to be crazy haunted and¡­¡± It hit me as I said it. A place like that would be dangerous in my¡­situation. ¡°¡­I mean¡­I want to go¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡± Chester sat up brushing his long locks out of his face. ¡°I¡¯m not going to bother asking why you¡¯re acting like this. You¡¯ll tell me soon, I¡¯m sure.¡± A loud banging on the door startled us both. ¡°AGGGHHH! Loud noises!¡± Chester hid his head back under the covers as I shot up to answer the knocking.

    ¡°Demica, is that you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, open up¡­¡± Through the heavy door, Demica tumbled in; I just barely managed to catch her before hitting the ground.

    ¡°Holy crap! Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­this hangover is just¡­really bad.¡± No surprise. I set up the cot we kept in the room and laid Demica down on it. As I pulled another set of covers out and began to drape them over her, that small fierce grip of hers grabbed my arm. ¡°Professor Russell¡­needs us to submit paper work for the trip right now, and I forgot about it.¡±

    ¡°Professor Russel?! Why him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the new club advisor. Listen, this is so we can get funding for the trip. Here, take this up to him.¡± A form laying out our entire trip, from dates of departure and return as well as educational purposes was given to me. Demica and the others had already signed it and there was still room for me. ¡°Sign your name and take it to the old coot.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± The distain probably showed via my expression.

    Demica pointed her finger right into my face, locking eyes and making sure she got across what she was about to say. ¡°You¡¯re being weird. If you want to keep acting mysterious, then go ahead, but I know you want to go on this trip as much as the rest of us. So, get up and go see Professor Russel. Me and this idiot can¡¯t go, it¡¯d be a bad look, so it¡¯s all up to you.¡± As direct as ever, the dirty-blonde¡¯s no-nonsense personality was always on point.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t much of a battle of wits. Not like I could win even if I wanted to with her though. Every time I had an argument with Demica in the past, she¡¯d cut straight to the point and end it as fast as possible. I swallowed my pride and got ready for the number of weird looks and teasing I¡¯d get for going missing.

    Part 2

    Eyes were all on me as I waited for the elevator. Whispered rumors began spawning from every direction, as did chatter about my sudden reappearance. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Fate Isley?¡± Someone asked. ¡°Yeah. I thought he went missing though. Guess he¡¯s back.¡± Another replied. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but no way I could¡¯ve returned would¡¯ve been in that situation. ¡°Do you think he disappeared by messing with ghosts or something?¡± That initiated it, the usual. ¡°Those occult guys are constantly doing freaky stuff. Bet anything they¡¯re doing elicit things in that clubroom.¡± Always the outsiders, the weirdoes, that was how we were seen amongst our peers.

    Both sets of elevator doors opened up as a sea of people exited. (What the hell? Oh right, break is coming up soon. I guess everyone¡¯s trying to get out of here now that their business is done.) I wormed my way through and pressed the 5<sup>th</sup> floor button. Riding in silence gave me time to plan my meeting with Mr. Russell. (Well¡­I know I¡¯ll call him Professor Russell, for sure. Last thing I need is to upset him anymore than I already have over the year.) I arrived in a vacant 5<sup>th</sup> floor hall.

    Only me and my own steps trailed down the hall, a bit hypnotic in a way. It felt like I was the only person in the world. The freshly cleaned floors and walls almost begged me to run my fingers down them and drag my feet. It was weird, I hadn¡¯t felt relaxed like that in a while. Anesha¡­was a distant thought, until I suddenly heard a woman¡¯s voice. It came from one of the class rooms, but not just any class room, the one I was headed for. Slowly, I pulled open the door, expecting to see Mr. Russell, which I did, but didn¡¯t expect the object of my affection, Gabby, to be standing right in front of his desk.

    Quickly, her expression went from shocked, to confused, understanding, to anger. I could tell exactly what she was thinking. ¡°Mr. Isley, welcome back to the land of the living.¡± That old curmudgeon said with his nearly bald headed, vulture looking self, peering down those glasses at me.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s in pretty poor taste, isn¡¯t it?¡± I said under my breath.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡­sir.¡± Gabby¡¯s scowl followed me up to Mr. Russell¡¯s desk, all the way around the room. With my name signed, I handed in the paperwork. The intense gaze of Gabby¡¯s lightly tinted yellow eyes burned a hole in the side of my head. ¡°I¡¯m¡­uh¡­here to hand in the funding request form to you.¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her making an exaggerated smile and waving. She was clearly upset.

    ¡°Right¡­well¡­¡± The situation was obviously awkward for Mr. Russell as well, as he tried to avoid looking in Gabby¡¯s direction. ¡°You¡¯ve filled this out correctly. In the upcoming season, you¡¯ll be going to the Jasontown Swamplands for research, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Vigorously, Gabby¡¯s hand moved faster and faster back and forth.

    ¡°Well¡­Mr. Isley, please respond to Ms. Ram¨ªrez, she seems to want your attention.¡± I really didn¡¯t want to. Her hand had by then been waved so fast it felt like someone had turned on a fan beside my head.

    ¡°*Sigh*¡­hey, Gabby.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Fate, it IS you! I swear I was looking at some kind of illusion or something!¡± Gabby exaggerated her expression and gestures. It was similar to how Anesha did, but less annoying because she was cuter.

    ¡°Sorry, okay?¡±

    ¡°The missing man returns! Do you see him, Professor? Because if not, I may be going crazy!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ms. Ram¨ªrez. I don¡¯t have time for you two to bicker.¡± Mr. Russell got up from his desk and handed me a sheet of paper. ¡°This has been approved. I¡¯ll contact you through E-mail within the next few days. Now be on your-¡±

    ¡°AGGGHHH!!!!¡± A scream from the hall startled all of us. I saw two people run by the door down the hall.

    When I opened the door to ask what was happing a few more came by and knocked me down. ¡°Ow¡­what the hell?¡± A guy stopped and explained.

    ¡°Sorry, man! Some druggies wandered into the school and people are evacuating!¡± The guy ran off behind what seemed to be his girlfriend. Lucky.

    ¡°What¡¯d they say? Drug addicts?¡± Gabby handed Mr. Russell his cane as the two joined me in the hall.

    ¡°I guess so. Should we head for the elevators?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. We should take the emergency exit. It¡¯ll lead right out of the back of the building. Dammit, those idiots putting me on this floor.¡± Mr. Russell walked toward the emergency stairwell, mumbling swears to himself the whole time.

    Gabby followed behind Mr. Russell but stopped and called back to me while I sat on the floor. ¡°Come on, Fate. Hurry!¡±

    ¡°Coming¡­¡± (I¡¯ve got a bad feeling.) There was an unnerving chill choking the hall, as hairs on my arms started to stand on end. The old stairwell looked more unused than any part of the building. Walls needing paint, spiderwebs spread out across the upper portions of the doorframe, and grime looking like it hadn¡¯t been cleaned since the 1800s. As we descended each flight Mr. Russell got more exhausted. ¡°You okay, Mr-Professor Russell?¡±

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­worry about¡­me¡­Mr. Isley. I¡­used to play hockey when I was¡­your age.¡± He bragged.

    (That was how many presidents ago? 15?) ¡°Well, we¡¯re almost there anyway.¡± The light of the exit door was the only thing illuminating the tiny corridor, in a red glow. We went through the door and were greeted with more people, all scared, calling others on their phones, sending messages, or trying to find out what was happening on the news.

    ¡°Hey, hey! Have you seen Teddy?! Big white dude, short brown hair, big cheeks, always wears a superhero shirt?¡± That irritated voice was Perry¡¯s.

    ¡°Perry!¡± I called over to him.

    ¡°Fate! Fuck, man!¡± He ran over looking frantic. ¡°Where is Teddy? Did you see him?¡±

    ¡°What? No, I just got here. And I was with Gabby and¡­is, is he still inside?!¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh man, I really hope not.¡±

    ¡°¡­Stay here.¡±

    ¡°What?! Fate!¡± I broke from the group and ran back into the emergency exit. I didn¡¯t know where I was headed, but if my gut was right, something bad was happening and it likely had to do with me.

    Part 3

    A loud noise, like glass breaking, came from somewhere in the building. I assumed it was from the lobby, so I pushed through another emergency exit door and ran as fast toward the source as possible. ¡°Teddy!¡± The front lobby was empty, not a soul. I could hear sirens off in the distance closing in. Multiple loud sounds came from upstairs. If not for the silence, those sounds wouldn¡¯t have pierced the concrete floors. My heart started beating heavily while I dashed up the stairs. ¡°Teddy! Where are you?!¡±

    ¡°Fate¡­!¡± The raspy voice of my friend came from down the hall of the 3<sup>rd</sup> floor. There Teddy laid, clutching his leg as blood stained his pants. ¡°R-Run away!¡±

    Rounding the corner was an emaciated figure wrapped in torn black clothing. It¡¯s long arms and pale, colorless skin dragged down by its feet. It wasn¡¯t until I called out to Teddy again, that it turned to face me. ¡°Teddy!¡± The upside-down smiling face of a middle-aged white man turned to look at me. It was far too human and looked far too pleasant. It blinked and then smiled at me again, then turned and started encroaching on Teddy with a sharp piece of broken glass gripped in its massive hands. (Another homunculus?!) I didn¡¯t waste time thinking over what was happening. ¡°Hey, over here! You want the seed, right? Right here!!¡±

    ¡°Fate, w-what are y-you talking ab-bout! Run!¡± The homunculus tilted its tall and thin body backwards, peering at me, but quickly changed focus back to Teddy.

    (What?!) ¡°N-No, over here! You¡¯re with Mary, right?! Over here!¡± It continued unperturbed, lifting the glass in the air and jamming it into Teddy¡¯s thigh!

    ¡°AGGHHH!¡± Hearing my friend scream in agony ignited that feeling again. That rush of heat, the seed kicked in, I was angry and afraid.

    The homunculus¡¯ head turned to look at me, its smile changing from a frown, to a sad face to one of unbridled rage as the creature dropped down to all fours and charged at me. (Fuck, what do I do?!) Not a fighter, I tried to kick the homunculus¡¯s head like a soccer ball, missing as the creature spung onto the ceiling like a gecko.

    ¡°I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I!¡± It started making weird noises, almost as if the homunculus was trying to speak. ¡°I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I WANT TO DIE!!!!!!!¡± It screeched so high, it felt like my ears were going to burst. Teddy was also holding his head, covering his ears. I took a chance and ran underneath the creature and made for Teddy. When I made it to him, I grabbed my friend up by the arm and pulled him over my shoulder as we slogged down the staircase nearest his side of the hall.

    We started going down as the screams were fading into the background. ¡°We need to get out of here.¡± Teddy was so much taller than me, I¡¯d forgotten he was a whole shoulder higher.

    ¡°F-Fate, when did y-you get here? W-What¡¯s going o-on?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Teddy. We need to escape!¡± The strength I was getting from the seed was amazing! Despite the fact that Teddy was 100 pounds more than me and leaned with almost his entire body weight on my shoulder, I was holding him up as if it were nothing! My body felt as light as a feather. By the time we finally got down onto the 2nd floor, Teddy was breathing really hard as blood drenched his pant leg. (This is bad. Is there a first aid kit?) I looked around, noticing exactly what I wanted on a wall nearby. (May not be the best idea to do this now, but I¡¯ll grab it and hand it over to the others.)

    ¡°Hey! Fate, Teddy!¡± The tone of an all too familiar voice echoed through the halls. Up the stairs ran Chester, darting around the corner and nearly tripping over Teddy who sat on the staircase. ¡°Whoa! Teddy, what pray tell, are you doing sitting¡­¡± It took him a minute to notice the blood on the floor. ¡°Oh God! Are you alright?!¡± It¡¯d been a long time since I heard Chester get so frantic.

    ¡°Good timing, we need¡­¡± Chester turned to me with surprise. Both he and Teddy looked at me waiting for me to finish my sentence, but the looming shadow climbing down the wall of the stairs stopped me. Without thinking I charged at the homunculus as it reached the floor. I could feel muscles tearing in my legs, every fiber popping multiple times over as the slender, ghastly hands of the creature reach for my friends. (Move faster!) Time had slowed so far down, that I could count the milliseconds like minutes. (Faster!) The thought of it reaching Chester and Teddy, ravaged my mind. They¡¯d be hurt or killed! My friends were in danger, because of me, I couldn¡¯t let that thing get them! (Faster!) Nothing else mattered. Not maintaining my secrets, not Anesha, not even my own body! I had to get there; I had to stop the homunculus! (Faster¡­faster¡­get there! Move!) The feeling of my calf blowing up like a bomb while propelling me forward shook me.

    Before I knew it, I was grabbing the pale, clammy hands of the homunculus ripping them away from my friends and heading toward a window. My feet had left the ground as I closed in on a pane of glass. I braced myself and crashed right through, holding the homunculus as I hurdled toward the ground! The earth beneath us refused to give way on impact as everything went dark.

    ¡°Fate! Fate, are you alright?!¡± Chester called my name, bringing me back from that momentary state of unconsciousness. I looked up to see him leaning out of a shattered window through broken tree branches, stories above me. My chest and right shoulder ached when I pushed myself up off the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine¡­¡± It took a second for my sense to come back to me. (Wait! Where¡¯s the homunculus?!) A sharp pain shot into my neck at the scar. It felt like someone had stabbed me through my throat. When I doubled over in pain, I noticed the homunculus standing overtop of me, looking down with it¡¯s twisted, enraged face. (Keep moving¡­come on¡­) I pushed through the pain. Getting that monster away from all the normal people was the most important thing to me. With sirens blaring off in the distance, and the heat still coursing through my veins, I leapt, tackling the creature as hard as I could pushing it toward the woods! We broke through the stone fence surrounding the school, tumbling down an incline and landing on the ground with a thud. I separated from the homunculus with it¡¯s back to the school.

    There the creature laid, motionless. It looked dead, but trusting that it was would¡¯ve been dumb. I grabbed a large, somewhat jagged rock laying nearby and slowly approached. Each step I took, my boots would crunch the fallen leaves beneath. It was an unnerving feeling, cautiously inching toward the body. At any moment I was prepared for the creature to attack. ¡°I-I-I-I-I-I-I¡± The homunculus sprung to life. It stood up and then dropped to all-fours, looking me in the eye with it¡¯s upside down face. ¡°WANT TO DIE!!!!!!¡± That screech again, but without it reverberating off the walls it was just about bearable.

    Those spindly arms and legs allowed the homunculus to leap at me. (Don¡¯t back down! Come on!) Rock in hand, I swung¡­and missed as the creature bounced up onto a tree branch above and swiped down, pushing me to the leaf covered ground. ¡°Ow, shit!¡± The homunculus opened its gaping maw, seeming like it would devour me. I blocked its teeth with one hand, pushing along with my foot I kept the creature at bay. ¡°Fuck¡­you!¡± As hard as I could, I jammed the rock into the neck of the homunculus!

    Expecting a response¡­any response, I smirked, but nothing came. The teeth bit down hard on three of my fingers. The pain shot through me as the monster closed in, twisting my already likely broken fingers. I winced, trying to figure out what to do! Again, I jammed the rock into its neck and nothing. Each time, the bloodshot, crazed eyes of the upside-down faced homunculus seemed to grow more infuriated. No matter how hard or many times I stabbed, it wouldn¡¯t back off of me. The sirens blaring, the pain in my hand, shoulder, chest and neck, my inability to push away the pungent sewage like smell coming from the mouth of the homunculus¡­I snapped.

    ¡°AGHHHH!¡± The rock shattered in my grip; pulling back my hand I thrust it deep into the gaping wound I¡¯d opened! I howled as I caught whatever bone my fingers brushed against, and all at once, kicked the body, pulled at the teeth and tore at the bone, ripping the upside-down faced homunculus asunder! Its head was split it half, the lower torso was sent flying about ten feet away and in my right hand, I held the spine, dangling. I fell to my knees, dropping the remnants and trying to catch my breath. No blood, just some kind of milky pus dripped from the corpse and slowly, my body began cooling down. All the wounds on my body were in extreme pain, so much so that I almost blacked out. ¡°I¡­need to stop doing that.¡± I steadied myself and stood up.

    An icy chill crept up from behind me. All my body hair stood on end and I became short of breath. That feeling, I¡¯d felt it earlier when the homunculus appeared. It was right behind me, something looking at me with a cold gaze. There was no way I could¡¯ve known, but my body could feel it. I turned¡­and saw Anesha, floating toward me atop her broomstick. ¡°Oh my¡­you heard me coming?¡±

    ¡°¡­No¡­I¡­felt it?¡± Though I should¡¯ve felt unease or even afraid at seeing the object of my hatred and torment, Anesha appearing before me was a relief. I lost all the strength I had and collapsed onto the ground. ¡°¡­¡± I wanted to say something, but I¡¯d gotten accustomed to waiting for permission.

    ¡°Felt¡­? Lo, it would appear you¡¯ve gained the capacity to sense large concentrations of mana.¡± She landed on the ground and approached me. Not wanting to upset her, I kept my head cast downward while keeping eye contact. ¡°Hoho~ you¡¯re so respectful now; not speaking unless allowed. Clearly there is something on your mind, speak.¡±

    ¡°That was a homunculus¡­which means that Mary made it, right?¡± Anesha nodded. ¡°Then¡­she¡¯s still out there¡­and I¡¯m guessing she wants the seed.¡± Again, she nodded. ¡°Damn. Wait¡­then why didn¡¯t it come straight for me? How come the homunculus went after Teddy?¡±

    ¡°Teddy? Is that a friend of yours?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­he-he doesn¡¯t know about anything, I swear!¡± Her eyes began to narrow. ¡°I swear to you, they don¡¯t know anything about you!¡± I tried to convey to her that I was serious, that I wouldn¡¯t betray her on that. As evil as she was, I wanted to at least appease her.

    ¡°Fine¡­I¡¯ll believe you, since I¡¯ve no reason for doubt as of now. As for your friend¡­have you spent lots of time with him? Been¡­intimate with him?¡±

    ¡°What?! No!¡±

    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not one to judge for one¡¯s sexuality.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not like that! There has to be another way.¡± When my shoulder had gotten pierced by the mannequin that turned into a homunculus back at the Rockwell estate, is where my mind wandered. Anesha tilted her head quizzically. ¡°Does¡­my blood have a lot of mana in it?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    ¡°Then it was most likely from back then. Does me just spending time around people make them targets of homunculi or something?¡±

    ¡°You, being anywhere for extended periods of time will cause it or whatever person you¡¯re around to absorb the seed¡¯s excess mana. A single human body can¡¯t store the massive amounts of mana Yggdrasil creates.¡±

    ¡°¡­So¡­my home, my friends, my mother¡­they¡¯re all targets?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the sole target, but because of you being around them, most likely, those homunculi will continue to be confused and seek out those around you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± My mind had frozen up and I was left speechless. There was only one choice. ¡°Mary¡­do you¡­know where she is?¡± Anesha smiled.

    ¡°Hey! Is anyone back there?!¡± An unfamiliar voice called out from beyond the broken stone gate. ¡°This is the police; hello?!¡±

    ¡°The police?! Oh right! Anesha, didn¡¯t you put a ward down?!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± She pouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time or the energy. Plus, I assumed that you¡¯d have handled moving that filth to a more discreet area.¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Frustration, only Anesha could get under my skin so easily. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡±

    ¡°Finally, a good idea comes from you. Then¡­how about we fulfil a desire of yours?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I took off, running deeper into the woods as Anesha followed suit atop her broom.

    ¡°Let us go and finish off¡­that little monster.¡±

    Part 4

    Cars whizzed by just about 30 feet down the slope in front of me. Once again, after so long, I was reacquainted with the underpass that the Occult Research and Study club had grown so fond of exploring. Underneath the bridge was a large vacant area that at one point was filled with homeless people, until rumors of the owlman started. It stretched on for blocks, as long as the bridge, and we¡¯d only gotten a chance to explore a portion of it.

    ¡°To think¡­this is where Mary would hide.¡± I said to myself. In my hand, my phone was dialing Chester, I needed to make sure that he and Teddy were alright. The line connected. ¡°Chester! Hey, are you alright?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Where are you?¡± He was calm, fortunately.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you now, sorry. Is Teddy okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Listen¡­I need you to not tell the cops anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, I know this is kind of ridiculous, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I already spoke with the cops and didn¡¯t tell them anything. I assume whatever¡¯s going on has to do with this secret you¡¯re refusing to tell any of us.¡±

    ¡°Chester¡­I¡­¡±

    ¡°When you get back, I want to talk with you. This isn¡¯t a game anymore¡­I¡¯m worried about you, dude.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be back once I¡¯m finished. Promise.¡± I ended the call.

    ¡°How sweet. To think that you would have such a relationship. I¡¯m almost envious.¡± Speaking down to me from atop her broomstick, Anesha weaved a hand sized, translucent blue orb in-between her fingers.

    ¡°¡­Do you¡­not have any friends?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s difficult at the top. So few can manage to walk beside someone such as myself without feeling fear or insecurity, that I¡¯ve made a conscious effort to avoid long term attachments.¡± Glyphs began encircling the orb. Anesha lifted it up high as whatever the spell was began to glow.

    ¡°Does that¡­include your parents?¡± She stopped.

    ¡°¡­¡± For the first time since I¡¯d met Anesha, a somber expression replaced her normal arrogance. ¡°That¡¯s¡­those people mean little to me.¡± The orb rapidly expanded, covering the whole area. Even though it blew over top of me, I wasn¡¯t the least bit affected. ¡°The ward has been erected. I¡¯ll let you know, in that structure there are many, many disgusting creatures. It¡¯s a mire of near endless filth.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­I can¡­sense it? Yeah, I can sense it.¡± Inside were tons of what felt like different monsters, waiting. In order to put an end to everything, I wanted to finish off Mary and those homunculi. ¡°You¡¯re¡­coming too, right?¡± Though I was a bit scared.

    ¡°Of course, you fool! You¡¯re my property, after all.¡± Not the nicest reassurance, but better than nothing.

    Anesha floated toward the entrance and I followed. What waited for us changed the way I viewed the world and gave new hopes and fears for whatever the future held in store.

    End of chapter 8

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 9

    Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 9

    Part 1

    Putrid and ungodly odors eradiated from the near total darkness of the underpass. ¡°Hm? Fate, are you perhaps, frightened?¡± She asked, smirking. I was, obviously. The club and I had traversed part of the structure before, but back then, there were lights to guide us on the walls. Those were gone by that time, likely because of Mary.

    ¡°Hang on¡­I¡¯ll uh¡­ use my phone!¡± My hands trembled trying to get my phone light on, while Anesha simply snapped her fingers. A small flame sprung forth, floating over to me and another split off for her.

    ¡°That should alleviate some of your fears.¡± She chuckled, though it was true.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the dark¡­¡± I said under my breath. All the darkness being pushed back enough to show the graffiti, trash, pieces of furniture and discarded food wrappings littering the area wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant sight. Even with the light, it was still impossible to see all the way to the end of the section.

    I walked, following Anesha who floated aloft her broom. She kept a stern look as we came to a sealed door. Scratch marks and dried blood rose upward from the foot of the door, though caution tape which plastered the frame. Anesha snapped her fingers again and the threshold sprung open, billowing a new wave of warm, repulsive smells like rotting meat and feces outward. ¡°Absolutely horrendous! I¡¯ll rend that little monster for subjecting me to such smells.¡±

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s some here¡­¡± Eyes¡­tons of them on me. Multiple hate filled gazes, wanting to eat me alive. Even with the void before me, I could still feel it. Suddenly, moaning and wet footsteps began echoing from around us. I stepped forward, shaking, ready for whatever I¡¯d have to fight¡­and all I saw were pitiful beings¡­hoping for death. Barely formed monstrosities slinking about, malnourished, and gaunt, melded with human and animal features alike moved in my direction. ¡°Not again¡­¡±

    Tens of the creature pathetically wondered about. ¡°I must applaud that little monster; she does work faster than anyone I¡¯ve never met.¡±

    ¡°¡­Anesha¡­can you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Again, with this sympathy?!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Just seeing them made me feel bad. Despite Anesha saying they were just dolls with the ability to speak or whatever, it didn¡¯t make me feel any better to see living creatures suffer. ¡°Please¡­?¡±

    ¡°Fine. Ignite!¡± Anesha raised her hand with a glyph, quickly searing all the homunculi to nothing but ashes. ¡°That sympathetic nature of yours is going to be the death of you and I.¡± Off she floated. I quickly followed behind as the smell of the scorched bodies was unbearable.

    We reached the other side of the section and before even seeing the other steel door sitting slightly ajar, I could sense something beyond us. A malicious and overpowering feeling of dread wafted out. ¡°My oh my, that is something. Such a powerful aura¡­whatever is beyond there is not to be trifled with. Would you like to hide and wait for me to finish this?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± A rare instance of compassion, obviously not for me, but the seed. Whatever was in the next room was so dangerous I could sense it. ¡°¡­No. I¡¯ll go too. If whatever is in there is really that strong, wouldn¡¯t it be better for me to help? I¡¯m a little banged up, but whatever I hit, if I hit it hard enough would probably be obliterated, right?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­don¡¯t misjudge, Fate¡­the seed needs time to grow. The longer it¡¯s within you, the stronger it¡¯ll get, but that also means there are still plenty of things in this world far more powerful than you.¡±

    That was a sobering statement. I hadn¡¯t thought about that before. I¡¯d gotten stronger, and so had my healing. It hit again, if my body was too badly damaged or the seed were to be ripped out, I¡¯d die. ¡°I¡¯m still going¡­not like if you die, I¡¯ll stand any chance anyway.¡±

    ¡°So be it.¡± Anesha leapt from atop her broom and pulled the door open.

    Part 2

    Covering nearly the entire section was an enormous nest of branches and twigs spiraling outward. Light was barely able to break in through the wood covered grates overhead. Different pieces of discarded clothing, trash and even car parts built up the odd black hole like creation. As if staring into a whirlpool, the deeper in the nest went, the blacker it became.

    ¡°What is this?¡± It seemed impossible for something to have made that, but it shouldn¡¯t have surprised me with everything I¡¯d seen to that point. Scurrying and scraping noises came from within the wicker cavern.

    ¡°Hiiiiiii!!!!¡± That voice of a shrieking cat being run through a fan, I immediately recognized it, Mary! ¡°Oh, Fate Isley¡­welcome!¡± I expected to see the soulless looking doll-like monster, but down on the grimy floor, crawling like a spider, came just her head, propelled by silver, spindly crab-like legs. I was shocked, to say the least. ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised! My body was a little too damaged¡­thanks to you. You hit my garden homunculus so hard the shockwave blew off my legs and then the lovely beast toppled down onto me, crushing the body that I spent years working on!¡± She howled reaching forward with tiny pincers. ¡°Do you know how long it took me to make that body?! Five long decades!!¡± She breathed deep and calmed herself. ¡°Hehehehe¡­it¡¯s fine though¡­it¡¯s fine! It¡¯s fine!! Your body¡­I want it.¡±

    ¡°Geh¡­¡± Looking into that twisted smirk on her face, I wanted to punt her like a football. ¡°Mary¡­if you would¡¯ve just left me alone it wouldn¡¯t have had to come to this. I don¡¯t want to have to¡­to¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t get it out. Up until then, I¡¯d killed homunculi, but thinking of killing something sapient¡­was beyond me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stop? You see you can¡¯t win, right? Those lawn homunculi, the one you sent to the school and even the tallman¡­all of them were destroyed! Give it up and just¡­leave¡­¡±

    ¡°Fate!¡± Anesha yelled. ¡°Are you honestly considering that this malformed abomination should be allowed to escape?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­I¡¯d almost forgotten how simple and kind you were after I spent the last few days seething¡­and searching¡­and then I found what I was looking for! Oh no¡­I said ¡®what¡¯ that¡¯s rude. Fate and you, witch whore, allow me to introduce you to my favorite creation! Richie!¡± From behind her within the darkest corner of the nest, unfolded a colossal, gangly, inhuman figure. It stood up to full height, towering over us at seven feet tall. Shining, rounded eyes stared at us from the sphere-shaped head of the creature as it slowly came into the light.

    ¡°¡­The owlman?¡± A combination of emotions overwhelmed me, terror, intrigue, joy and dread. Before me was the legendary owl man hybrid in all its grotesque glory we searched for. A gnarled owl face smashed open at the beak revealing oversized rows of human teeth, and an aging, badly burned torso of an elderly man, elongated lanky feathered limbs equipped with talon like feet and hands; the owlman was everything I wanted it to be! ¡°Holy shit! Th-this is it! My phone, I need a picture!¡±

    ¡°Now?! What good would a photograph-¡± Anesha chastised as I dug through my pocket, grabbing at my phone with glee.

    ¡°Richie¡­kill them.¡± Mary said with a smile.

    The owlman screeched and lunged at Anesha. She stepped back, gripped her hands tightly and with the flick of the wrist cast an impressive spell! ¡°Strands of flame, come forth!¡± From a glyph in each hand blazing strings of fire shot out, stitching into a fiery net. The heat was so intense that it became difficult to breathe. The inferno swelled until, through the flames, the owlman burst forth unscathed. It reached back and swung its long-feathered arm, colliding with Anesha, sending her flying into the wall.

    ¡°¡­huh¡­?¡± Anesha crashed into the concrete as if she were thrown out of a car, her body folding in on itself. (Wait¡­what just happened¡­? Anesha¡­) On the ground, Anesha staggered back to her feet, placing a hand on the wall to keep her balance. The owlman charged again, with it¡¯s talons drawn, aiming for her head. The witch rolled out of the way, stumbling on the branches below. (Anesha¡­seems like she¡¯s in trouble. But that¡¯s¡­not possible, right?) Each stomp the owlman made with it¡¯s clawed feet, trying to crush Anesha¡¯s legs got closer and closer; the normally confident and arrogant Anesha made an expression of concern. (¡­No¡­this isn¡¯t right. She¡¯s leading it somewhere!) Anesha began to chant something as glyphs encircled her hand, but the owlman swiped at her ceasing the incantation. (¡­) A part of reality shifted. Anesha, who¡¯d near project an aura of invincibility, crawled backwards on the ground as the owlman continued to stalk her.

    The object of my torment, the magically powered witch Anesha was being attacked by the mythical creature, that me and my friends had spent years searching for; while the severed head of a homunculus making monster-girl laughed maniacally in the corner of the giant nested section beneath the underpass. Insanity, my life was deeply drenched in what I should¡¯ve seen as insanity, and even with my love of the occult stronger at that point than ever¡­I realized how terrifying it all was.

    The owlman lifted its arm over Anesha who¡¯d been backed into a corner as Mary screamed curses at her. With its talons drawn, the creature would¡¯ve likely killed her, if I didn¡¯t intervene. (Go for the legs!) I thought. Again, mirroring when I tried to attack Anesha before. (I hope this doesn¡¯t go the same way!) I grabbed the owlman¡¯s legs and pushed as hard as I could. We crashed into the wall as Anesha dodged to the side, just narrowly avoiding getting crushed. My body was coursing with the seed¡¯s power, so I knew I could at least fight the owlman. ¡°Anesha, I¡¯ll hold him you-YAGGGHHHHH!¡± The thick, steel like talons tore into my back muscles. Blood rushed down my back, my legs nearly gave out and my mind went blank, but I persevered, slamming the owlman into the wall, cracking it under our weight.

    ¡°You fool! Well, if you¡¯re going to fight, then hold him!¡± That damned barking voice of Anesha¡¯s drove me mad, but if that kept my mind from slipping then I wanted her to yell all she needed to. ¡°Raze, earth beneath my feet!¡± Anesha spun on her heel, leaving scorch marks under her boots and blasted the owlman with a spinning heelkick to the face. The pitch-black platform boot exploded with fire, igniting the monster¡¯s head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t learn, do you?!¡± That smug quip came from Mary. Suddenly I felt the long talon dig into my side and lift me off the ground. Next thing I knew, the owlman hurled me to the other side of the underpass and into Anesha, sending us both into the deeper section of its nest. ¡°He¡¯s not a fan of fire. None of us were¡­yet here we are!¡±

    ¡°That¡­incessant¡­cackling!¡± Anesha grabbed a hand full of branches and stood up. ¡°Fate, on your feet, now! That lowly filth, believing it has a right to insult me? I won¡¯t have it!¡± I groaned, as Anesha hadn¡¯t even noticed her boot was on my tender back. ¡°Up, I said!¡± She finally stepped aside. My back was on fire from the cuts and the heat of my boiling blood.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold him better this time¡­¡± Power was still coursing through my body, but I was bleeding badly. Not being a doctor and feeling the way I did, I could tell that no matter what, I wasn¡¯t going to last long if we kept fighting. ¡°Tell me¡­what you need.¡±

    ¡°I need an opening¡­his chest, smash it open and I¡¯ll put him down.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay¡­¡± I sucked it up and charged the owlman again. Everything I had, I pushed off on the balls of my feet and with all my strength tackled the monster and slammed him into the wall, cracking the concrete. I could feel the beast readying to rip at my back again, so I jumped back just dodging a swipe from those razor-sharp blades. (Oh man, now what? All my fighting experience so far would say¡­nothing! Kick! I¡¯ll kick, fuck it!) With all of my fighting experience from movies and videogames, that somehow ended up being my go-to. I stepped in and thrust kicked as hard as I could, caving the humanlike chest of the owlman in.

    It shrieked in a distressed manner as the sound of snapping ribs came from beneath my sneaker. ¡°Richie!¡± Mary hopped onto my back and used those claw-like razors to dig into my scalp and pull me away from her creation. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± She kept screaming and slashing at my head as I shielded my face. ¡°Not again! Not again! I won¡¯t let you take the last thing I have!¡± Tears streamed down her face, dripping onto the top of my head as Mary began to weep.

    ¡°No¡­you can¡¯t pull that now!¡± I grabbed her by the hair and whipped her across the room into a wall. The owlman howled through garbled breaths while opening its long arms. I punched it in the chest as hard as I could, with my hand ending up stuck in the sternum. ¡°Shit!¡± The owlman cranked open the smashed beak on its face coming toward me with those huge teeth. I jammed my other fist in its mouth, feeling the pain of my already damaged hand, then gripped and tore the chin of the owlman clean off! The amount of force I¡¯d used jostled me free from the creature¡¯s chest.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Move aside!¡± Anesha yelled. I rolled over my shoulder as Anesha leapt forth, jamming branches deep into the gaping wound in the owlman¡¯s chest. ¡°Grow, break through the soil which you call home, sprout forth!¡± The twigs rapidly grew, bursting forth from the cavity and spine of the homunculus. Anesha raised her hand, a glyph encircling it and spoke¡­ ¡°Strands of flame, come forth!¡± The fiery strings shot out, ensnaring the wood and engulfing the owl in fire. The owlman screamed and writhed in pain as it fell to its knees.

    ¡°No!!! Stop it!¡± Mary cried from the other side of the section, her legs broken, and half of her head caved in. ¡°Daddy! Daddy no! Don¡¯t leave me again!¡±

    ¡°Daddy¡­?¡± It took me way longer than it should¡¯ve to put together what I¡¯d suspected. ¡°¡­Mary Rockwell¡­and Richard Rockwell¡­¡± The owlman¡­Richard Rockwell crawled on the floor, a heaping mess of charred flesh, organs, feathers and wax. Each tortured movement ripped more muscles and tendons, yet the creature continued toward me. ¡°Make him stop, Mary! If¡­this is your father, then make him stop! If you care about him¡­why would you keep him alive in such agony? Why would you keep all of those homunculi alive?¡±

    ¡°¡­Because¡­death is so scary¡­¡± Speechless, I just watched as slowly, the life drained from the owlman, Richard Rockwell¡¯s glassy eyes. ¡°No! Please!! I don¡¯t want to be alone again! I¡­I was so close¡­!¡± The owlman died, reaching its talon for the seed, its one and only want. ¡°¡­Why¡­I was so close¡­I could¡¯ve been immortal. Avoided death¡­I could¡¯ve brought you back, Daddy¡­¡±

    I stood and walked over to the pitiful and beaten head of the monster-girl. ¡°This¡­if you just left me alone¡­if you just quit and ran away ¨C why did you have to keep coming after me?!¡±

    ¡°¡­After so long, I finally tracked down Richie again. He ran away when I first revived him so many years ago¡­with no memories of when he was human, I called him Richie because he was like a little brother instead of the Daddy I knew. If I had the seed, I¡¯d have had infinite power and infinite time to fix him. We would¡¯ve been able to stay alive forever¡­to never have to experience death again. I was so close. You¡­you were an unprecedented opportunity ¨C a once in a lifetime chance.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± My heart weighed at the thought. (Whatever Mary had to do to stay alive all these years, and end up in the condition she¡¯s in, most¡¯ve been gruesome. She said she experienced death before, that¡­she didn¡¯t want to die again¡­)

    ¡°Enough of this back and forth.¡± Anesha came over to Mary and raised her boot high above her head. ¡°Raze, earth beneath my feet.¡± The sole of her boot burned bright.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Unintentionally, I yelled to Anesha¡¯s evident revulsion. ¡°¡­I just¡­she¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Kill me¡­¡± Mary said in a somber tone.

    ¡°¡­But¡­you said you were afraid of death, right? Just¡­just give up on the seed! Leave and never come back then¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I have nothing else to live for¡­years ago¡­I was burned alive and at death¡¯s door, I was denied entry, despite my mother and sisters all walking beyond the threshold. I scrounged and dug until I found my daddy¡­and saved what I could from him. Every day¡­was endless pain, but if I could at least save my daddy then¡­we could be happy together. He was the last thing¡­the only thing tying me to this world anymore. Kill me¡­I¡­I don¡¯t want to be here anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you see now, Fate? This isn¡¯t the world you¡¯ve grown accustomed to. This is now your new reality.¡± A sobering message from Anesha.

    ¡°¡­Mary¡­¡±

    She turned her non-broken eye to me. ¡°¡­You¡¯re such a good person. I wish I could¡¯ve met you before I became this¡­I wish I could¡¯ve grown up like a normal girl¡­and been friends with such a good person. Fate¡­everything I told you was true¡­about the seed¡­about¡­removing it¡­¡± That set Anesha off. Without missing a beat, she stomped Mary¡¯s head into nothing more than a scorch mark on the floor. And thus¡­it was over. Mary Rockwell had finally died after hundreds of years of suffering.

    ¡°¡­¡± I just stood there. My mind was blank, and my heart was drowning in emotions I¡¯d not felt in years. Anesha just turned on her heels and walked for the door. She didn¡¯t even bother to look at me as she did. I wasn¡¯t religious at all, but as I watched the bodies of the two last members of the Rockwell family quickly fade from the world of the living, I clasped my hands¡­and prayed they would at least end up somewhere together.

    Part 3

    ¡°Soon all the evidence of this happening will be gone. You¡¯ve nothing to worry about.¡± She spoke so matter of fact. Anesha simply looked out over the freeway without so much as a hint of emotion on her face. ¡°The ward I¡¯d placed over this area will disappear soon, which will at least let me regain some of my strength, but the large-scale ward I placed over this entire city¡­and barrier I placed on the land of the witches, makes me far weaker than I imagined. You¡¯ll have to step up, become a more reliable tool should we wish to be able to survive.¡±

    The two of us stood outside of the underpass and watched as the sun began to set over the city. It would¡¯ve been a nice scene if not for what¡¯d happened just minutes before. ¡°Barrier? Land of the witches?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I placed a reverse barrier on Graewood. It¡¯s meant to keep all of the witches and warlocks in, based on its parameters.¡± An odd humming noise began and quickly faded. ¡°Alright, the ward is gone. Now then, listen well, Fate. I don¡¯t know what you and that repulsive malformed creature spoke about, but keep in mind, I¡¯m watching you¡­always. Should you think of betraying me again or stepping out of line, there will be no more chances or forgiveness.¡± I nodded, feeling her cold gaze rest on me. ¡°¡­Unfortunately, I¡¯ve grown weak from maintaining the ward and the barrier, as I said before, I¡¯ll need you to be stronger. The seed is growing stronger within you, day by day, but that¡¯s not enough. For now, I shall go and rest again, when I reawaken, I will come and find you, then I will train you to fight.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Like¡­martial arts? Are¡­witches skilled in martial arts?¡±

    ¡°Fool, of course not, but I am! Until that time, you may rest as well¡­it may be best for you to do something about your appearance as well. You¡¯re quite the sight, and I¡¯m sure your friends and family would notice.¡± She plopped down onto her broom handle and began floating up. As Anesha flew off into the distance I felt something I hadn¡¯t felt in a while, hope.

    (She was afraid of what Mary said, about me being able to remove the seed. Maybe if I research and investigate homunculi, I¡¯ll be able to remove the seed or have someone else do it for me!) It wasn¡¯t much, but the smallest bit of hope kept me going. Thinking about dying, as inevitable as it was, still was frightening; the thought that my soul would be destroyed deepened my fears. ¡°¡­I wonder if just killing myself now would be a better option?¡± I peered down the hill next to the bridge. It was at least a twenty-foot drop, which I was pretty sure wouldn¡¯t kill me. Suddenly my phone buzzed. The screen read out: 15 messages and 10 missed calls, from the members of the club and Mom. I groaned and called Mom. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, but I¡¯m fine.¡± I spoke as quickly as I could when the phone connected, knowing she was likely freaking out that I hadn¡¯t answered before.

    ¡°¡­Fate¡­it¡¯s me.¡± That deep voice sent a chill up my spine. It was the last person in the entire world I¡¯d ever wanted to talk to.

    ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Mom?¡±

    ¡°June¡¯s in the restroom. Is everything alright, I heard about what happened at your college¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­when are you coming home?¡±

    ¡°Are you there?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, tell Mom I¡¯ll be there once you¡¯re gone. Goodbye.¡± I hung up. ¡°Why¡­do you keep trying to get involved¡­you stupid old bastard?¡± My father¡­even hearing his voice maybe angry and sick. I gripped my phone tight and then quickly realized with the seed¡¯s power, I¡¯d crush it if I wasn¡¯t careful; and that I¡¯d changed. In the reflection of my dimmed screen, I saw my skin had gotten a warm tan and my hair began to gray again. The seed¡¯s power clearly had an adverse effect on my body every time I¡¯d use it. ¡°¡­Fuck¡­now I look like him too¡­¡± The face staring back at me was basically just my father¡¯s.

    Part 4

    Throughout the subway ride home, all eyes were on me. There weren¡¯t many people, but everyone kept stealing glances in obvious fashion. Couldn¡¯t really blame them, I was barely even conscious. After my adrenaline stopped pumping, my head started pounding, my back was on fire, my hands ached and¡­I was just beat. Probably thanks to the seed, I stopped bleeding, but my clothes were tattered. The train stopped and I dragged myself off.

    ¡°Hey, Sir! Are you alright?!¡± A police officer stopped me as I climbed the stairs.

    ¡°Yes, yes, haha¡­just a little scrape!¡± How messed up must I have looked? Disheveled graying hair, covered in my own blood, clothes ripped up, probably bruised all over and looking exhausted.

    ¡°A little scrape? Sir please, come with me. I¡¯ll get you to a hospital.¡± The guy wouldn¡¯t let up.

    ¡°No, really, I¡¯m fine.¡± I inched away, trying to make an escape. The overly enthused cop grabbed me by the wrist.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry; I¡¯ve got a car waiting just up here.¡±

    (Why is this dude so pushy?!) People started funneling down the steps, knocking into us as they made for the subway. I took that chance and pushed the officer a bit, hoping he wouldn¡¯t fall downstairs. He did, unfortunately. It looked like he landed fine, barely avoiding someone stomping on him. ¡°Sorry, like I said I¡¯m fine, bye!¡± Off I ran, my back searing as I sprinted away.

    ¡°Hey! Wait!¡± The officer yelled as his voice faded into the distance.

    I made it to the park before running out of breath. I¡¯d ran so fast, in a full sprint and wasn¡¯t totally exhausted; to my amazement, my body really had gotten stronger. After a minute I was already able to jog again. Finally, I reached the apartment and a call came through. It was Gabby¡­I really didn¡¯t want to answer, but knew she¡¯d have a cow if I didn¡¯t.

    ¡°H-Hey¡­what¡¯s up¡­?¡±

    ¡°I spoke with Chester and he said to not worry and that you¡¯re fine. I don¡¯t believe him.¡± Gabby spoke fast and obviously was upset, by her tone. ¡°For like, 2 months you¡¯ve been weird, and I¡¯ve been worried. I know what happened between you and Ken was messed up, but you just keep ignoring me, keep blowing me off and doing crazy stuff like running into a dangerous building with dangerous people in it.¡±

    ¡°Gabby look, it¡¯s not that simple¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not done!¡± She cut me off. ¡°If you want to keep your secrets, fine. If you want to ignore my messages and disregard my concern, fine. But then, don¡¯t talk to me like you are my friend. Goodbye.¡± The phone disconnected.

    I stood in the corridor just steps away from my own front door, actually somewhat heartbroken. The girl I¡¯d liked for so long had essentially broken up with me without us even dating. There wasn¡¯t a feeling of anger or tension or even sadness; I was just tired and wanted to end the day. I pulled out my key and unlocked the door, entering my apartment expecting to have my mother screaming from the get-go.

    ¡°Oh Fate, you¡¯re back. Are you alright?!¡± My Mom was tying her bright red hair into a bun until she saw me and dropped everything. She ran over to check on me, examining basically every wound I¡¯d gotten.

    ¡°Would¡­you believe me if I said, yes?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t respond. Mom just walked over to the bathroom and pulled out the first aid kit. ¡°Sit down, please!¡± I was surprised; my Mom wasn¡¯t exactly a master with medical supplies. I took a seat and she stripped off my jacket and began wrapping my body with bandages.

    ¡°Hey, be careful, please!¡±

    ¡°What? Are you going to save this jacket?¡±

    ¡°¡­No¡­¡± After a few minutes she finished covering my back and wrapped my fingers as well. She then pulled got bottle of pain killers and a cup of water.

    ¡°Take those and get some sleep.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh¡­okay, I guess.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make some dinner and get some better bandages. I can see you leaking through those already. There is some dye in the shower, so once you¡¯re done sleeping, I¡¯ll help you fix your hair. For now, get some sleep.¡± Not even a minute of yelling. Mom didn¡¯t even bother to raise her voice like I was expecting.

    Before I could get up and walk to my room, Mom hugged my head softly. ¡°¡­Thanks, Mom.¡± She released me and went back to working on her hair.

    When I entered my room, it felt like everything on me crashed at once. I had no strength left and almost instantly passed out. It felt like a blink, but the knocking at my door woke me up. ¡°Fate! You¡¯re okay, right?¡± It was Mom.

    ¡°Yeah, fell asleep for a second.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been 20 minutes since you came in¡­I¡¯ve got your food.¡±

    ¡°Wow, guess I really needed sleep.¡± Opening the door, my mother handed a huge plate of food. Vegetables roasted perfectly, steak well-done, fresh pineapple slices and some black beans. ¡°Y-you really went all out.¡±

    ¡°Just making sure you get all your nutrition. Also, here!¡± Mom also pushed a bottle of water and bag of pills into my hands.

    ¡°Mom¡­this isn¡¯t the best look.¡±

    ¡°Oh shut up. Just take them and get some more sleep.¡± Night had crept in, so I expected Mom to be preparing for work, but she wasn¡¯t dressed for her job. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering, I¡¯m staying in tonight. I can remote in and do everything from home today. Let me know if you need anything, anything at all. I¡¯ll check up on you later.¡± She grabbed her laptop and sat down in the living room.

    I closed the door and sat down on my bed, eating, and pumped in some music from my phone. The savory food and ambient music coated my room in a serene feeling. Off to the side was my curio stand and I spied my laptop. I groggily pulled it over and went about looking something up.

    I typed in information about the Rockwell Estate, funnily enough our website was in the top searches. When I went down the list, I came across numerous articles about the family, how they were burned alive, and the legacy left behind. It was the first time many had seen such an act, but at the time, mass hysteria had taken the entire town. They believed that the witches were the cause of any and all bad fortunes brought to the town and its people. On one of the sites was an illustration of the burning; it was horrible imagining that Mary had suffered through that. Along with the article, I came across stories and legends of the hermit in the woods that appeared at the same time; said to have carried a dismembered body around with it.

    ¡°I guess¡­that must¡¯ve been her.¡± No matter how much I hated her at the time¡­I did pray for Mary in the end. ¡°Will I end up like that? Grasping for life no matter what? No. I¡¯m already like that, aren¡¯t I?¡± Somehow, I ended up coming across another article while browsing. It read ¡®Homunculi: The truth about creating man¡¯; I chuckled, knowing about that exact truth. Lots of information on the website was off from what I¡¯d seen, so I posted comments playfully pointing out how wrong they were. ¡°Heh¡­this is making me feel better; god, I¡¯m weird!¡±

    Suddenly I got a notification. Someone had sent me a direct message. [Hey, I was looking over your comments; you a researcher too?]

    I didn¡¯t want to get too deep into the conversation, but I was also trying to stay awake. Talking with someone would help stave off sleep. [I guess you could say that.] The username was Wacky_Magik. I was anonymous, not like anything I posted would matter, but I didn¡¯t feel like being forward about who I was. [Just from stuff I¡¯ve read, most of the things on this website seem off, is all.]

    [What would you say is wrong?]

    [Mostly stuff about how they end up looking like real people. I mean, this is talking about real homunculi, not anime.]

    [LMAO! Right! Their skin is usually super pale and waxy!]

    I wasn¡¯t expecting that at all. (How on earth does someone know that?) [What makes you say they¡¯re waxy?]

    [Would you believe me if I said I found one?]

    My heart began beating like crazy. [No way! Proof or it didn¡¯t happen!] I had to know. It couldn¡¯t have been¡­an image came through and to my horror, it was what I¡¯d feared. The half-decomposed skull of Mary¡¯s lawn sculpture homunculus.

    [Cray-cray right? Found this thing the other day! It keeps falling apart, but I¡¯m keeping it up by adding more wax to it.]

    I didn¡¯t know what to think or do. Would Anesha be upset if someone came across the homunculus skull? Would I be in trouble? Who was Wacky_Magik? My life wasn¡¯t getting easier¡­what little of a life I had left anyway.

    End of chapter 9

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 10

    Part 1

    The cool breeze of an early morning, fog hanging in the air, and slight dew on the grass, weren¡¯t things I was accustomed to yet, even with my new workout regimen. I ran for a little over an hour every morning, about 15 miles; at first, I started with less, but rapidly acclimated, pushing further, adjusting quicker and quicker over time. Obviously, the seed compensated, going from my lungs burning and legs feeling like jelly to only a small sweat coating my brow. Since the incident with Mary and the owlman, weeks had passed, and Anesha kept her word. Training me, pushing my body to its limits, testing the seed¡¯s powers, and doing everything to make sure I was getting in shape to her accepted level.

    My phone buzzed, meaning I¡¯d received a message from Wacky_Magik. Our communications back and forth were all a desperate attempt on my end to retrieve the homunculus¡¯s head. [Yo, sup¡¯, Fate! You ever find out about the owlman stuff?] His message read.

    I willingly divulged my own personal information, since I didn¡¯t think details about me mattered, hoping to coax him into doing the same, but to no avail. [Not much. Seems like Chester wants to move on, since all the leads have dried up. We¡¯ve got a trip planned at the end of the month for the next investigation.] While messaging him, my mind wandered. (How am I supposed to get this guy to meet me? I need to make sure that the head isn¡¯t doing anything weird and no one else knows about it.) Throughout our correspondence, he kept quiet for the most part, not offering up any personal information. [Still haven¡¯t tracked down anyone who¡¯ll believe you about the head?]

    [¡­No. Seems like everybody¡¯s been thrown off by other videos online. Everything I post gets nothing but hate and people keep calling it ¡®fake¡¯. I¡¯m kind of worried I¡¯ll either come across people who just shit on me more or someone who¡¯ll steal it and I won¡¯t be able to stop them. So, idk lol!] That was the most candid answer I¡¯d received from Wacky_Magik. I wanted to press further, but from the hairs standing up on the back of my neck and strong gaze being laid upon my shoulders, one obvious thing was signaled to me.

    ¡°¡­Anesha?¡± I turned to be greeted by my tormentor, aloft her floating broomstick with a smile.

    She waved with a deceiving innocence from on high. ¡°Splendid! You appear to be following my orders and doing as proposed in the training regimen. Have you also been taking care to avoid all types of alcohol, drugs and unhealthy foods?¡± I nodded, sheepishly. ¡°Marvelous! How would one treat a dog normally when they¡¯ve done a trick? A biscuit, no?¡± Placing her fingertip to her chin, made me wonder if Anesha was actually planning to feed me dog treats.

    ¡°¡­Have I been upgraded to a dog now?¡± I said sarcastically, disregarding my standing for a minute.

    She scowled, so obviously, that didn¡¯t go over well with her. ¡°Yes¡­a dog¡­and as a dog I¡¯ll have you castrated should you continue this disrespect. However, maybe a good doggy will be allowed to sleep at the feet of its master.¡± Ever insulting and full of herself, Anesha began to chuckle, leaning back on the handle of her broom and resting her chin on the back of her hand. The alarm on my phone buzzed.

    ¡°Anesha¡­I have to go to work¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine. Be off with you. Keep in mind however, after you¡¯ve completed your daily work and whatever it is you do in your little group meetings, I expect you at my dwelling. Understood?¡± I nodded and she flew off into the sky.

    Once that was finished, I rushed home, changed, and hustled to work. The whole time, I was expecting to hear back from Wacky_Magik, but my messages went unanswered. The workday proceeded silently; not many customers came in and the few that did I handled in less than a few minutes. After a while, Wally took over the front, expecting it to be a slow day, so I just spent time reading about homunculi research online in the back.

    It¡¯d became one of the only avenues of hope I could see. If I could, I¡¯d track down a person willing to do a homunculi operation and remove the seed. According to Anesha, I was going to die anyway, so the fear of dying during an operation was insignificant. I was so enraptured in reading things on my phone I ignored Wally speaking directly to me.

    ¡°Fate!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry Wally, I was reading something¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but there¡¯s someone looking for you up front.¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯s looking for me?¡±

    ¡°A very tall older¡­err¡­Native-American man¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Tell him to leave, please.¡±

    ¡°Why? Is he like, a reporter or something?¡±

    ¡°¡­Less than that. He¡¯s just some dirtbag. Tell him I don¡¯t want to talk. He¡¯ll go away, I promise.¡± I smiled as Wally walked back to the front, then messaged Mom. [Why does Dad know where I work?]

    An almost instant reply came through. [He wanted to see you. I¡¯m sorry honey!]

    [I don¡¯t want to see him. Tell him to stop trying to talk to me.]

    [You two haven¡¯t spoken face to face in nearly 10 years. Don¡¯t you think you should try and have a relationship with your father?]

    [He¡¯s not worth it.] The day was off to a great start.

    Part 2

    Class droned on for what felt like an eternity. Listening to Mr. Russell prattle on about history was numbingly dull, but seeing Gabby sitting on the opposite side of the room, snubbing me, was painful. When I tried speaking to her, she¡¯d not even acknowledge me. As much as I deserved it, that was infuriating and disheartening. The seemingly endless diatribe about how things were better when he was younger slowly petered out, and Mr. Russel finally excused all of us. On my way to the clubroom, I noticed Ken chatting with Gabby, who, the second we made eye contact cut away. I swear, as the two walked away, Ken brandished a smirk in my direction, the meathead!

    The telltale sound of an approaching Chester aiming to jump me from behind, being what was akin to a knock-kneed elephant trotting down the hall, caught my ear. Only a few inches away, I simply shuffled to the left and avoided him. ¡°My compatriot!¡± He said while flying to the floor face first. ¡°How? Have you trained so masterfully that you can now perceive my attacks?¡±

    (Yes, as a matter of fact I probably can.) I thought. ¡°No, you¡¯re just as graceful and quiet as a rhino doing backflips, is all.¡±

    ¡°I see, then I shall continue to evaluate you at another point!¡± Chester spoke with vigor that only made me fear for future annoyances. Demica, Teddy and Perry came running down the hall, joining us.

    ¡°You absolute moron!¡± Demica was clearly in a yelling mood. ¡°You go jumping around and causing troubles, knowing full well that there have been police on the campus since the incident two weeks ago?! Are you that stupid?! No; don¡¯t answer, I already know you are.¡±

    ¡°Woman! How dare you call my intellect into question? Not only do I have a 4.0 grade average, I am also the leader of this club and the most popular host of our renown web series! I expect and shall receive your respect!¡±

    ¡°Ok you two. Maybe we should leave before Mr. Russell stops staring at us from the doorway and actually comes out here to chase us off.¡± The wrinkled visage of a specter glared at us from beyond the glass door, prompting us to scurry off toward the clubroom!

    ¡°¡­Speaking of the incident from two weeks ago, the police say they didn¡¯t find out where that guy went.¡± Perry recalled the upside-down man, but I attempted to swerve the subject.

    ¡°Well, the police haven¡¯t been on their game for a while now. Remember the thefts of all those sportscars?¡± He persisted, assertive on the subject.

    ¡°I¡¯m more interested in the druggie that broke into the school!¡± Each prod for the truth elicited an involuntary tightening of my fist. ¡°I mean, Fate, Teddy, Chester, all three of you were in the school. Did you guys see anything?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± I cast a pleading glace to Teddy and Chester, hoping for help.

    ¡°Hm¡­not at all, young Perry. I¡¯d not seen a single hide nor hair of the druggie. When I discovered Teddy, he was already injured.¡± Chester lied for my sake.

    ¡°Y-Yeah, I got cut, b-but then he ran away really qui-quick!¡± As did Teddy.

    ¡°Right¡­¡± A dejected sigh was followed by a noticeable frown on Perry¡¯s young face. As much as I wanted to tell everyone about my misfortunes, even knowing as much as Teddy and Chester did was dangerous.

    I received a surprisingly sullen message from Wacky_Magik on my phone. [I don¡¯t get it dood! No matter how much I try to get people on board they just keep calling me crazy!] He typed frantically sending message after message, most of which were just emojis and buzzwords! After a few minutes he slowed down and stopped typing.

    [Hey, are you alright? Do you want to talk?] Whatever Wacky_Magik was going through, I knew it was an opportune time to try and get closer to him. I felt a little bad jumping on the chance, but it was served up to me. If I could get on a call with him, then it wouldn¡¯t be too much longer to setting up a meeting.

    [Are you sure?] Was all I got as a reply.

    [Yeah, dude. If something¡¯s wrong, we can chat.]

    [I¡¯m weird.]

    [??? So? You¡¯ve watched our stuff. So am I!] (Come on¡­)

    [I mean, really weird. People think I¡¯m crazy.]

    [Again, come on! You¡¯ve seen the Occult research stuff we do!] The creaking of my phone as I tightened my grip alerted me to how anxious I was getting. (Why is he so hesitant?)

    [¡­I¡¯ll wait downstairs for you.]

    [Sure!] (Wait¡­what?) Obviously not the response I was expecting.

    ¡°Fate, my comrade! We sally forth to the clubroom!¡± Chester called to me.

    It took a minute to rationalize that last message. [What do you mean?] I replied to Wacky_Magik.

    [I¡¯ll wait for you in the lobby.] My brain finally connected the dots!

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± I yelled, exploding at that sudden realization.

    ¡°My friend, are you troubled?¡± Chester and the others all looked at me concerned.

    ¡°¡­Oh, yeah! I¡¯m fine¡­but um¡­I have to duck out¡­haha¡­¡± The looks I was getting were harsher than any homunculi glare.

    ¡°*Sigh*¡­Unfortunate. We will reschedule-¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me?! Again?!¡± Perry cut Chester off mid-sentence. ¡°This keeps happening! You do get that we¡¯re really close to a big break on the website we¡¯ve been working on now for years, right?!¡± I¡¯d never seen Perry so angry; with his face turning bright red, vast wrinkles forming on his brow, all the fuming was directed at me; while I awkwardly withdrew into my hoodie, ashamed! ¡°You¡¯ve been neglecting all of the work with the club! We¡¯re so, so close to getting our big break and to make matters worse, you won¡¯t tell us why!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­Perry, it¡¯s really hard to explain.¡± It was impossible to explain. Anesha swore me to secrecy and breaking that promise could¡¯ve ended in either my death or someone else¡¯s.

    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously think this is alright. Teddy, Chester, sis!¡± Both Chester and Teddy averted their eyes.

    ¡°¡­Let him go.¡± Demica flipped her dirty-blonde hair and walked off, dropping another pit into my stomach.

    ¡°Demica!¡± Perry groaned as he trailed behind his older sister. Teddy followed the others as Chester shot a look back at me.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± He walked off. Alone, I stood in the hall, disappointed in myself for failing my friends. (No time to feel down. This is what I¡¯ve been waiting for!) The elevator was taking too long, so I ran down the stairs, dodging around people, I hustled to the ground floor! Once I made it, I scanned the area for Wacky_Magik. A myriad of people loitered in the lobby, talking, or in the case of the security guards, keeping watch. (Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve got no idea what to look for when it comes to this guy. I¡¯ll message him.) As soon as I got out my phone a message from him came through. It was a picture of the back of some long black-haired guy, standing in a brightly lit foyer in a baggy hoodie¡­ so it was me, obviously. Turning to locate the source of the picture, the door leading to the back of the school had been left billowing in the wind as a small figure ducked out of sight. ¡°Hang on!¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    I burst through the door and ran up to the much shorter guy I¡¯d seen, grabbed him on the shoulder and spun him around, revealing a radically different Wacky_Magik, looking nothing like I¡¯d anticipated.

    Part 3

    Shoulder length black hair with hot pink highlights, a stud nose piercing, and metallic pink chain linked between a pair of matching gauges, leashed around the back of her tiny pale neck were adorning the young woman I¡¯d apprehended. ¡°Oh shit! I¡¯m sorry, I thought you were someone else!¡± Immediately releasing my grip and apologizing, I backed off the small woman.

    ¡°Huhuhu¡­¡± Her low gutted chuckle verged on maniacal. ¡°You¡¯re¡­just like you are on video. Funny.¡± The woman¡¯s overtly monotoned voice contrasted with her outlandish appearance. She wore a mishmash of black leather belts and pink chains; somehow outdoing Anesha in terms of weird dressing! ¡°Fate¡­Fate is such a cool name¡­wish my name were Fate. Huhuhu¡­¡± Trailing off, I couldn¡¯t even hear what the girl muttered on about.

    ¡°Uh¡­you¡¯re not Wacky_Magik, right?¡± I hoped.

    ¡°Oh, are you not happy to see I¡¯m a girl?¡± My hopes were dashed. Using all my self-control, I managed to stifle a massive groan. ¡°Huhuhu¡­I see¡­that¡¯s alright, I expected as much. What¡¯s wrong¡­my looks¡­my voice¡­my clothes¡­¡± With each word, she progressively shrunk more onto the ground; her small form swallowed up by the strange jacket she wore, looking like a black belted leather traffic cone, seated in the fetal position.

    ¡°I¡­just was surprised you were a girl.¡± Anything to ease my conscience, also it wasn¡¯t a total mistruth.

    ¡°Hu¡­huhuhu¡­I should¡¯ve known. Of course¡­huhuhu¡­¡± Wacky_Magik slowly rose from her slump, a grin curling the corners of her mouth, again chuckling. Thus, I reluctantly welcomed another strange woman into my life. ¡°Fate, now would you like to see it¡­see the homunculus?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Nearly jumping out of my jeans, I reigned in my enthusiasm with a deep breath.

    ¡°Then follow me.¡± Wacky_Magik began to lead me off campus. As we walked, people would turn their heads, noticing the small young woman casually strolling by, oversized jacket almost scraping the ground.

    ¡°So¡­Wacky¡­er, should I just keep calling you Wacky_Magik?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­it¡¯s up to you¡­doesn¡¯t matter to me. I can tell that you don¡¯t¡­know my real name despite¡­me being in the same college as you¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you are a student?! How long have you been at Benson?¡±

    ¡°A few months now; studying medicine and biology. You were gone most of the time, so it doesn¡¯t surprise me that you didn¡¯t know me.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense. How come you never tried to join the Occult Research and Study club? I mean, you¡¯re into occult stuff, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­I thought about it, but¡­I¡¯m not very good with people.¡±

    ¡°Neither are we. You should swing by!¡± A glace over the shoulder showcased what I presumed as the smallest hint of a blush.

    ¡°Erna, by the way¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh! Alright.¡± Erna and I hopped onto the subway, riding toward her home on the other side of town. She insisted on sitting opposite of me, with an aisle of space separating us, only adding to the awkwardness. Again, her appearance turned heads; people would point and gawk while some whispered jokes or snickered to themselves. Peering out of the window just beyond her thin shoulders, I only saw the dank and grime crusted subway tunnels. The ride was far longer than I¡¯d ever ridden before, nearly from one end to the other. It wasn¡¯t until I was greeted by the underdeveloped portion of the city that I could guess where we were. The ghetto streets were nearly deserted, only abandoned, and unfinished homes, or factories were standing within the ghost town.

    The second our stop was reached, Erna hastily exited the cart, nearly leaving me behind as she speed-walked, almost into a run from the station. We reached an old single level home with an unkept lawn and weathered, white picket fence outside. In through the front door, entering near total darkness, paralyzed me.

    ¡°Oh, sorry¡­I¡¯m just getting used to living alone.¡± She flipped the lights on to a neatly kept front room. ¡°It¡¯s in the basement. Come on, the door¡­is in the back.¡± Knickknacks cluttered the walls; everything from old coo-coo clocks, dream catchers, braided vinyl lanyards and handcrafted picture frames nearly overlapped each other. My picture of Wacky_Magik I imagined in my head was nothing like the oddball Erna I¡¯d met to that point.

    (All of this just doesn¡¯t add up. It¡¯s like the person I was messaging online, this girl, and this house are all totally separate. I need to watch myself. If this is another person trying to get the seed and I fall for it¡­) Maybe it was because of the cautiousness bread into me by past experiences, but the seed started pumping energy into my system. My body normally heated up when the seed kicked in, but a sudden and strong chill overtaking the entire room cooled me down.

    ¡°What the¡­why¡¯d the clocks stop?¡± Every single coo-coo clock had frozen as if all the batteries had died at the same time. From behind, I could feel something carefully watching me, a strong malevolence. Erna checked the clocks, and I turned to be faced with the ghastly transparent form of an old woman. She stood, hunched over with a cane supporting her and a smile on her sweet, wrinkled face. She began to giggle, then bow and fade away. As soon as she was gone, the malevolent energy also vanished. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re working again. Ah¡­now I¡¯m going to have to reset them. Fate, sorry¡­is everything alright?¡±

    ¡°Did you not see that¡­?¡±

    ¡°What? The clocks? It¡¯s the first time they¡¯ve ever done that.¡± Erna was unaware of whatever ghost I¡¯d seen. ¡°That¡¯s something I can fix later. Let¡¯s¡­go see what we¡¯re here to see. This way¡­¡± The small woman pulled open a massive cellar door, wafting out dust and soapy smelling air from deep within the basement. We descended the stairs. ¡°And¡­light.¡± Erna turned on the ceiling lamps revealing the freshly cleaned floors, surgical instruments, and the half-decomposed skull of the homunculus. ¡°Incredible, right?¡±

    It was clear by the scalpels and dried blood on the tarps that she attempted to dissect it. ¡°Yeah¡­amazing¡­¡± Swaths of hair was still attached and one of the bloodshot red eyes remained intact. Right as I moved in closer the eye darted in my direction! ¡°Wha!!¡±

    ¡°No way. It moved¡­¡± Erna pushed by me and inspected the eye, with a small flashlight, but the gaze was locked onto me maneuvering around the room. ¡°It only cares about you¡­spooky.¡±

    The reminder siren on my phone blared! It signaled that my meeting time with Anesha was coming up, which I¡¯d almost forgotten about. ¡°Erna, I have to go!¡± Her already pale face somehow managed to get even whiter when she heard that.

    ¡°Huh¡­you¡¯re¡­why? Where are¡­you going?¡± A frantic little hand gripped the sleeve of my shirt. ¡°You¡­you¡¯re not going to¡­¡± Through a choked back wince, she continued. ¡°¡­see you¡­¡± Erna turned her back to me and went about jabbing the head with a scalpel. ¡°You can just go¡­I¡¯ll lock up.¡±

    My prodding into who Erna really was would have to wait, I needed to meet Anesha and being late wasn¡¯t an option! ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll talk later!¡± I ran back up the stairs and off to my meeting place with Anesha; the dilapidated home, isolated within the middle of an endless forest.

    Part 4

    Running down multiple diverging paths that led nowhere with the moon¡¯s light becoming shrouded by mist, as my shoes cut through the increasingly thick fog, not knowing exactly where I was going or coming from, was exhilarating, in a way! Deep down, anytime I¡¯d interact with Anesha, I would be terrified and uncomfortable, but getting to flex those powers¡­I¡¯d be lying if I said it didn¡¯t play to my love for mythological heroes and tales of battle.

    Each turn would lead to dead-ends, and every roundabout to nothing, though getting lost was all a part of finding Anesha¡¯s abode. The fog became so dense, it shrouded my hands right in front of my eyes. When the sensation of a frigid gaze laid upon me, I realized, I had arrived. The gigantic being, wrapped in a set of ragged, black robes, guarding Anesha¡¯s barrier towered over me. It floated with its weathered deer skull head above the trees, looking down at me, unmoving.

    I smiled and waved at the forest¡¯s guardian, receiving a slow wave back, as the hostile aura drained away instantly. From my bag, I presented the guardian with a rather sizable book. ¡°Like I promised! You don¡¯t really do anything but sit here all day, right?¡± No answer, of course. ¡°Uh¡­well, I¡¯m not sure what you can understand, but this shouldn¡¯t be too much!¡± Though the creature lacked lips or skin, I¡¯d hoped to at least see a minuscule reaction while placing one of my beloved crypto zoology almanacs in its enormous skeletal hand. The guardian accepted the tome then pointed a finger down a worn old path as the fog parted, revealing the dilapidated two-story house.

    ¡°Marvelous! You¡¯ve learned how to come on time, I applaud you!¡± Anesha spoke condescendingly as she floated down atop her broomstick.

    (Just her normal state.) ¡°Thanks¡­I guess. He stands out a bit. Now that I think of it, you never told me his name. I¡¯m guessing¡­Willow?¡± A twitch shot across her brow as Anesha¡¯s eyes narrowed. She jumped down to the ground and gripped the collar of my shirt with all the force of a metal vice.

    ¡°Listen very carefully¡­if you¡¯re referring to the guardian, then hold your tongue, and¡­¡± Anesha snapped her fingers, igniting the book in the hands of the guardian. ¡°Do not gift it anything, particularly books with any form of knowledge. That creature, that familiar will cipher any form of information given to it, to gain sapience, and when given a name it will also be given free will. If that were to happen, I¡¯d have to make another one.¡± I felt kind of bad, looking back at the guardian who watched us longingly; seeming disappointed that the gift was suddenly gone. The wall of fog swallowed up the surrounding area, slowly blocking out all entrances and exits again. ¡°Now¡­vanquish those who oppose me, vanguard, rise!¡± Small lights formed before me, glimmering into the black and white humanoid wireframe chess pieces.

    ¡°We¡¯re starting with this?¡± Tossing off my jacket and bag leaving just my training sweats, I took a deep breath, trying to call forth the seed¡¯s power. Each piece readied their long glowing energy spears, gesturing for battle as the heat finally surged throughout my body. Burning from head to toe, like fire ignited in my blood, the seed transformed me, darkening my skin, graying my hair and changing it into a silvery waterfall flowing down my backside.

    ¡°Of course. Your instincts are still unsatisfactory.¡± She snapped her fingers, and the pieces lunged forward. They, in coordination, jabbed at me with their weapons as I leapt back. I launched myself a bit too high and wasn¡¯t prepared, as I fell back to earth, losing my footing and slipping on the moist ground. ¡°Pitiful! Even after all this time you¡¯re not used to your own strength?¡±

    ¡°I keep getting stronger. It¡¯s hard to measure!¡± Before I could recover, a piece had caught up to me. With everything I had, I blasted forward, raising my knee to its head, shattering the wireframe entity. ¡°I don¡¯t get why you just can¡¯t teach me magic!¡±

    ¡°Because you lack talent for it.¡± The attacks continued as I ducked and dodged each strike, having to guess every movement! ¡°Being physically capable is an underrated asset.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t based on instinct, but planning; I managed to get three of the chess pieces in a line. So, copying the spinning outside crescent kick that I¡¯d seen Anesha herself do, I destroyed the heads of all three¡­before once again, losing my balance, falling to the ground. ¡°Agh! Why is it you can do stuff like that so easily? You have magic, what¡¯s the point in being able to do martial arts too?¡±

    ¡°You refer to my hand-to-hand capabilities, no? Hmph, that¡¯s simple enough to explain. From self-defense to attacking, nearly everything that would require any type of serious physical exertion by magekin is done with magic. Without verbalization, or the use of ones¡¯ hands, casting spells becomes impossible, and we¡¯d be rendered nearly helpless. Thus, I was taught hand-to-hand by a¡­unique individual as a way defending of myself, and naturally one must remain in shape when it comes to matters of physical combat.¡±

    After nearly 20 minutes of combat training, I¡¯d defeated only 5 of the 10 chess piece familiars. ¡°¡­Instincts¡­huh? That¡¯s what you said I¡¯m lacking before too.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I can tell by watching your eyes, how you hesitate before each movement, and worst of all, you mumble to yourself.¡± Having my idiosyncrasies read out to me was massively embarrassing. ¡°Next we¡¯ll have to focus on hex immunities, magical defenses and general mana control.¡± Anesha looked very official, pulling out a clipboard, which I didn¡¯t bother to ask where she¡¯d gotten it from.

    ¡°Why so much? As long as your barrier holds in Graewood, we should be good, right? I mean, nothing has happened since¡­Mary¡­¡±

    ¡°Still using its name? Honestly. We must be alert, now more than ever. The seed of Yggdrasil grows stronger, producing more mana day by day; meaning anything on this planet that craves mana will come for it. Homunculi are the least of our worries. Your body exist as a home for the seed ¨C similar to soil, if your body is not kept rich and healthy, the seed shall not bloom properly. Consuming alcohol and unhealthy foods, being out of shape, ingesting drugs, or poisonous materials, even viruses entering your system will cause the seed to focus on that and give you less power. This¡­seems like the most opportune time.¡± Anesha waved her hand making the chess familiars fade away. ¡°I sensed something a few days ago. It would seem even in all my years of planning and near perfect record keeping that I¡¯d neglected to write the parameters of the barrier to cover all those in Graewood.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m lost. What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d written the formula over the course of many years to affect every single inhabitant, by name. It was meant to seal them within. A few days ago, I sensed an ebb in the barrier, I ignored it believing as though it was something so simple as an attempt to escape, and yet, I haven¡¯t been able to let the idea pass me. It wasn¡¯t until today that I confirmed someone had indeed made their way through.¡±

    ¡°What?! That¡¯s really bad, isn¡¯t it?!¡±

    ¡°Far worse than you may be imagining. Whoever it was, I¡¯m unable to track, have no knowledge of and is likely very dangerous. I¡¯ve been using all available resources at my disposal to locate the person but have not managed to pinpoint them.¡±

    ¡°¡­So, what do we do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving to tend to the barrier again, as it will not last forever, letting it weaken would only make things worse. The sooner the better, to the town of Salem, I go. That is where the entrance lies.¡±

    ¡°Wait. It¡¯s just in the town?¡±

    ¡°No, that is where the entrance is. One must know the incantations and be recognized by The Great Witch¡¯s Cabinet. Fate, listen closely. As I said before, you¡¯re a target for the entire world of creatures that shall return to its surface, yearning for the seed¡¯s power. The stronger you are the wider the reach will be. We must remain vigilant, the both of us.¡± Anesha crossed her leg atop the broom as she floated upward. ¡°I¡¯m leaving for now. If it becomes too dangerous in the time I¡¯m gone, then retreat to this barrier. The guardian is quite powerful, so it will be able to defend you until my return. I shouldn¡¯t be gone more than 3 days, but in that time, anything can happen, and I cannot bring you with me. Having the seed move about will draw attention from the Cabinet and every creature scouring for mana, thus I leave you¡­expecting you to not disappoint me.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Right.¡± Anesha walked back to her home as the fog began to lift.

    Part 5

    I arrived at home and crashed almost immediately onto the couch nearest the front door. Mom left the usual food on the dining room table along with plenty of medicine for me. ¡°I feel like she thinks I¡¯m a druggie or something.¡± I dug my phone out of my pocket and started reading messages, none of which were from Wacky_Magik¡­from Erna. ¡°That girl is¡­so weird even to me¡­¡± I sat up and started going through my ¡®notes¡¯ application. Everything from Anesha¡¯s description of homunculi, the many creatures I¡¯d encountered and terms she¡¯d used were written down. ¡°Three days without Anesha¡­maybe I¡¯ll be able to work with Erna after all. I¡¯m¡­going to keep living.¡± That was my resolve. (If Erna is really studying medicine, is there a chance she¡¯d be able to remove the seed? Maybe not today or tomorrow, or even if she can¡¯t do it herself, Erna could put me in contact with someone able to do it. Guess I should thank Mary. She left me pointed in the direction of some hope¡­hope in the form of Erna.)

    End of chapter 10

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 11

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    End of chapter 11

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 12

    Part 1

    My instincts flared up, urging me to keep my distance as Erna and I speedily charged through the remnants of her destroyed metal fence, halting on the lawn. Like the feeling you¡¯d get if you were to run out into traffic, staring down a tractor-trailer, that oppressive aura radiating death from her folksy, wood carved front door paralyzed me. ¡°S-Stop!¡± I couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore and broke from Erna! ¡°I can¡¯t go in there.¡± Even though I couldn¡¯t properly explain the sheer malevolence bellowing outward from the dwelling, it was enough to make me fear for my life. ¡°Geh!¡± Much of my strength was sapped from attacking our pursuer, not only that, but with bronze pin firmly logged into my shoulder and hip, the warlock who at the time was likely still recovering couldn¡¯t have been too far behind. If the warlock were to catch up, then with my vision still straightening, legs weak, blood oozing into my eyes and arms heavily, I¡¯d be of no use in defending myself, or Erna.

    ¡°Come on¡­he¡¯ll get you too!¡± Outside of her usual monotoned delivery, Erna then discarded the homunculus scalp to the side and grabbed the collar of my jacket, yanking me as hard as her small frame could. With no options left, I swallowed my baked in wariness and relented. I threw Erna over my shoulder, grabbed the scalp still contained in a trash bag, and dived into the house through the ajar door!

    Landing in the poorly lit room with the door snapping shut behind us, Erna attempted to scurry away, tangling herself up in the belts of her coat, again. I choked back laughter, helping disentangle her legs from the confines of the bizarre outdoor wear. ¡°Maybe you should wear something¡­that fits you more correctly.¡±

    ¡°Shut up¡­and don¡¯t ever pick me up again. I¡¯ll stab you.¡± The flat delivery of her words made me almost burst. ¡°¡­¡± Erna rushed down to her laboratory and returned with scalpels, sutures, threads, and tweezers. ¡°Here¡­come over here¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Really.¡±

    ¡°No. Those pins are sticking out of you. Come here.¡±

    ¡°Erna, I¡¯m fine!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± She raised her voice. ¡°You¡¯re hurt¡­and we need to leave¡­so¡­let¡¯s hurry.¡± It didn¡¯t hit me until then, but the malevolent energy in the air faded. The ghastly figure hadn¡¯t reappeared for whatever reason.

    Erna used a pair of tweezers to pluck the pieces of metal out of my arm. ¡°Ow! Fuck! I¡¯ve never been shot before, but I imagine it feels kind of like this. Are these magical needles?¡±

    ¡°Magical? I¡­really don¡¯t get¡­what¡¯s going on. Are you¡­a monster or something¡­? Are you¡­huhuhu¡­a homunculus?¡± Her cheeks went flush as her lips curled, and one corner of her mouth rose, forming an unappealing smile. ¡°Does this¡­have to do with what you wanted me to remove from inside you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s a lot deeper than I can get into now. I¡¯ll explain later. Ow!¡± Once the spines were removed, black liquid trikled from the wound, mixing with blood. ¡°What the heck?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still hot. Be careful¡­¡± Erna pressed medical gauzes onto my shoulder and bicep, draining the mixture and trying to clean the wounds. ¡°Why is¡­your hair white now? And your skin¡­it changed colors¡­is this your real form?¡± The transformation must¡¯ve taken affect when I was fighting, without me even noticing. I could see strands of my normally black hair dangling in front of my face, translucent white, like a ghost.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fate¡­before you said¡­you were sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± It was finally time. I had to figure out the perfect way to comport myself and elaborate on my actions. I¡¯d spent so much time combing through my mistakes, even when I first saw her again and realized how much of an asshole I was being. It was the maybe my last opportunity to apologize. ¡°¡­Erna¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so fucking stupid and didn¡¯t consider your feelings. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± She noticeably cringed and turned away. Did the apology work? I had zero idea. She turned back to me with scalpel in hand, jamming it directly into a wound on my arm.

    ¡°Ow! Erna, stop!¡± In went the tip of the tweezers, digging around until she pulled out another bronze object from my wound. ¡°Let me see that?¡± Upon closer inspection, it was obviously a bronze stem; one used for writing quills, still radiating heat in my hand. ¡°Erna, listen. I¡­I want you to run. Anywhere. Just head for the edge of the town and see if you can flag down some cops or whatever, but you need to run and not stop no matter what.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°That guy probably thinks the homunculus¡¯s head is what he¡¯s after, but he¡¯s really chasing me. It¡¯s because of this thing in my chest. You run and leave the skull with me, that way¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­no¡­¡±

    ¡°Erna, please¡­please you have to trust me! I know it¡¯s hard, but I promise you, this isn¡¯t me using you!¡±

    ¡°No¡­it¡¯s¡­¡± Boom! A familiar explosion cut our conversation short. The noise came from outside accompanied by a billowing cackle.

    ¡°The mice have returned to their hole! Come, be graced with my art and be brought closer to death!¡± His shrill, piercing voice cut through the walls of Erna¡¯s home; but as soon as I got ready to stand up, that monstrous, hateful energy poured out from behind. It washed over my shoulders with a frigid air. ¡°My, oh my!¡± Another blast from outside, followed with loud ticking and another blast! ¡°How despicable! How unskilled!¡± It wasn¡¯t clear who the warlock was speaking to, but they seemed to be against him.

    ¡°Erna, go! Now¡¯s your only chance.¡± Grabbing the trash bag, I dashed for the door! My body was still in shambles, my vision hadn¡¯t totally cleared up, and my aches hadn¡¯t subsided, but I wanted to protect Erna no matter what! She said something to me, but the blood pumping throughout my body was deafening. (Hopefully, when this is all over, you can repeat what you just said. And maybe¡­we can visit the clubroom together!)

    Part 2

    The second I slammed the door behind me, scatterings of heated quills flew past my head! Barely managing to roll out of the way, I was then faced with an extraordinary sight, the warlock fighting a group of what could only be describe as knickknack mannequins! Tall, spindly, anthropomorphic beings with wooden bodies adorned in lanyards, coo-coo clocks, and dream catchers! Luminescent purple strings held together the long appendages made up of brass as they gripped sharpened clock hands like knives. Slowly the creatures ambled toward the warlock, who simply backed away, casting that ignite spell rapidly, through short breaths, obliterating the beings!

    (These things¡­they¡¯re kind of like Anesha¡¯s familiars. Could they have something to do with that ghost in Erna¡¯s house?) One turned to look at me, its face, nothing more than divots in wood surrounded by wires and filled with miniature clockfaces. Though I only felt a glare that lasted an instant, it turned away without a second thought and continued after the warlock. He continued to be pushed back, casting spells from a distance, breathing heavily. Exactly as Anesha had told me, magekin being so focused on casting magic made them less physically capable. (Maybe I can leave this to them?)

    ¡°Enough of this farcical display!¡± With a wide swing of his hand, the man cast a new spell. ¡°Rising of the earth, upsurge!¡± A sharp plate of earth broke through the concrete, destroying some of the familiars and trapping the other within the crevice as it fell back into place! He dusted his shoulder as the creatures laid unmoving. ¡°I could feel the spirit of this place and thought it was an old witch¡¯s ghost, but with these things being as weak as they are, I am of the mind that it was nothing more than a wretch! Hahaha!¡±

    Without giving him a second, I darted past; before he could react, I was already out in the street! ¡°¡­You¡¯re here for the seed, right? Welp, I¡¯ve got it right here!¡± With a stupid amount of confidence, I pointed toward my chest, even though I wasn¡¯t totally sure where the seed was located inside my body. Seeing those familiars demolished caused me to fall back onto my original plan. Luring him as far away from Erna as possible was the goal, and he took the bait! From behind, I could hear him casting spells, one after another; though I kept my wits about me and managed to dodge them as he remained in pursuit! We ran for a few blocks, and I finally turned to face him. ¡°That all you got?!¡±

    ¡°Filthy¡­little¡­human!¡± The old warlock shuffled behind, yet even with my wounded body, I¡¯d outrun him by far, leaving the aged warlock at the end of the block.

    ¡°You¡¯re here from The Great Witch¡¯s Cabinet, right?¡±

    ¡°Pff! Hahaha!¡± Very humiliating having my enemy laugh at me with such gusto. ¡°To think that wretch would violate so many taboos. Telling a human of The Great Witch¡¯s Cabinet¡­ Like master like apprentice. Irony, truly a cruel mistress!¡±

    Despite his seemingly pointless ramblings, I knew what kind of person he was. Normally, there weren¡¯t many people in that part of the city, but it was a ghost town by the time I showed up. Not a soul walked the projects¡¯ streets! It felt right to assume he¡¯d killed many of the innocent civilians. ¡°You can go to hell! A murderous bastard like you! You just¡­kill people and play with lives! Don¡¯t you have empathy?!¡±

    ¡°Kill? I¡¯d never toss away a piece of my work. All things crafted by me can only enhance these doldrum canvases! Maybe when this is all over, you¡¯ll understand. After all, the longer I stay here, the less likely I am to get my sentence reduced, so let us make haste!¡± Snapping his fingers released yet another quill from his long sleeve, though, one with a black feather sparkling ominously as the warlock placed it between his index finger and thumb, as if preparing to author a book. The stomp of his boot resounded across the whole of the landscape, booming in my ears as he readied himself! As if I¡¯d suddenly dropped calf deep into invisible, warm water, a wave of pressure crashed into me, swirling toward the warlock, enthralling me!

    With less than two houses worth of space separating us, and having recovered sufficiently, I took advantage of the situation! Lobbing the homunculus head high into the air drew his attention, and I ran toward him! ¡°Taking people¡¯s lives is despicable, no matter what! I¡¯m going to shatter your skull!¡± Fist clenched, within range, feet planted firmly in the asphalt, I aimed for his head, ready to destroy the magekin! Apprehension, it halted me in my tracks again. (When did I become such an advocate for life? Is this just¡­sympathy¡­or¡­empathy? Or¡­am I afraid of death that much?) Flashbacks of Mary Rockwell dying, her pitiful weeping at the time of her death, those memories engraved themselves into me. (Can I¡­kill another person?)

    ¡°Weakness!¡± Snapping back, I was trembling in place, unable to end the fight! ¡°Rise, Loch!¡± My reluctance would leave an opening, one I¡¯d immediately regret. Countless dark feathers whipped up, encircling us! The moon¡¯s light was blacked out as the cyclone ascended into the sky far above our heads. Though the air around was being sucked up by the strong vortex, that invisible wave grew, like I¡¯d dropped deeper, to my ribs in warm, thick water. The bluster ceased and when I reopened my eyes, I was greeted by an outrageous monster beside us!

    A gigantic creature that could only be described as an enlarged, obese bird looked down on me with a sneer. The bouffant hair matched its pompous expression. Multiple fat chins propped up by girth so massive, so wide and tall, even the road beneath noticeably ebbed, yet the hot streetlamp overhead just barely rested above its hair. The bird¡¯s gaze traveled between the warlock and me, back and forth. A long and sickly yellow beak contrasted against the dark blueish black feathers, taking the form of an oversized petticoat, refracting the moon¡¯s rays in a mesmerizing pattern across the creature¡¯s body.

    Though I was still lost in the muddled situation, it was easy to conclude I was in great danger. With my fist clenched, ready to blast that man, I attempted to swallow my indecision and attack, forgetting he was a person! The thought of hitting someone with my full strength wasn¡¯t even close to hitting a homunculus, I¡¯d have likely killed him instantly! ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± I howled trying to bolster my resolve as several rapid, dull jabs struck my shoulder, ribs, and hip like bolts of lightning! Each strike was so fast; I didn¡¯t register them until I was already falling to my knees!

    ¡°Loch, enough.¡± All at once the flurry ceased, then from above, the fat bird lowered its head, black liquid dripping from its beak with that contemptuous scowl gazing downward on me. Similar to a serpent uncoiling from the pile of feathers, the obese bird¡¯s fat neck rolls were instead a winding, snake like neck! ¡°Hmm¡­unique, this one.¡± Even slamming into the car wasn¡¯t as debilitating as the bird¡¯s beak striking me! Never had I been so aware of my own veins. The flow of my blood was painfully noticeable, like gravel was being shoved throughout my body! ¡°Loch, damaging him further would be a waste. I¡¯ve not seen skin like this before. Is it because of the seed?¡± A set of clammy old fingers traced my forehead, maddeningly. At the same time, my body began cooling down, losing strength, getting heavy. ¡°To think my senses would become ever so dull. I¡¯d not sensed it until now, but the words you speak are true. The seed resides within you.¡± He gripped my hair, pulling me upward. ¡°Now¡­I was told to bring the seed back; however, I wish to see what I can achieve with a body like yours. Loch!¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Suddenly, the bird whipped me up by the collar, hoisted over its back and released me! I expected to plunge into the seemingly soft bed of feathers, but I slammed my head onto a hard uncushioned slab instead. A cradle of the indigo feathers spread outward, accommodating us, as if we¡¯d entered a boutique! The bird transformed its body, leaving only its head and neck protruding from atop the brim, moving throughout the feathered walls, defying any realistic understanding of biology left for the creature, as if it were a living shadow. Stunned as I was, for only a second, veins in my arm, leg and hip ached badly, feeling a cold and strained sensation fight against my body¡¯s warmth. Familiar sudden red strings painfully cut into my flesh, strictly wrapping my ankles and wrists, binding me tightly in place atop the slab! ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I tried pulling at them with all my might only to realize my body could draw no strength! The seed¡¯s heat bounced across my chest, focal in no one spot, like a scanning searchlight, battling to keep strong! ¡°What are you about to do?¡±

    ¡°Do not struggle, boy.¡± The warlock was followed by the head of his bird, its snake like neck propelling that sneering expression alongside him like a doctor¡¯s assistant. He reached up to the creature¡¯s wing and plucked a patch of feathers from it, spilling droplets of black liquid everywhere!

    ¡°Agh! Lauritz, need I chastise you every time?!¡± The bird spoke! Not only did it speak, but it also spoke like a person, in English no less! Its beak did not form the needed shapes to make words, however it managed to speak in an elegant tone. ¡°Should you need a feather, I can provide. Do not pull from me without my consent!¡±

    The warlock, Lauritz, pulled a new brass stem from his jacket. Purposefully placing the feather¡¯s stem onto the metal, slowly filling with it black ink. A perverse grin crept across his wrinkly face as I fearfully watched the man deliberately attach the apparatuses right in front of my eyes. ¡°Draw, in my name.¡± In a breathy tone, Lauritz chanted a spell. Tiny lights twinkled, sparking along his writing quill. ¡°Now then¡­¡± Piercing my shoulder with the tip, draining blood, mixing with the ink, and coursing through the raven-colored feather; the whole process was on display to me as Lauritz shivered. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    ¡°Agh!¡± As the quill pressed against my skin again, the ink traveled along my arm! ¡°Seriously?! What¡¯s happening?!¡± Spreading outward, the dark blotch expanded across my browned skin, itching like several crawling beetles spawned forth! The old warlock¡¯s smile, stroking of his beard and glazed over expression tangibly added to the intoxicated swagger coming about him.

    ¡°Young man¡­tell me your name!¡± Gripping the sides of my face with his clammy hand, Lauritz locked eyes with me.

    ¡°Fate¡­now go fuck yourself.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe¡­! Stupendous! Stupendous! The mana in your body, from the seed, it¡¯s harsh! Radiant! This is art! Art! Art!¡± Grossly pelvic thrusting the side of the stone bench, Lauritz was clearly on full tilt! His voice reached a fever pitch, then he took a deep breath and exhaled. ¡°I¡¯ll make magnificent work out of you¡­¡±

    (Shit¡­I can¡¯t break free! What do I do? Should I¡­yell for Anesha? No, she said she¡¯s far away! Damnit¡­am I going to die? Is he going to kill me? Is¡­is that better? If this guy kills me, then would the seed not destroy my soul?) Wavering as I was in my resolve, the downside of losing my life without so much as putting up a fight was too steep! I struggled violently, the pain only increased as I pulled at the threads, bleeding across the slab!

    ¡°Boy, have I not made myself clear! Loch, hold him!¡± A flash of light beside Lauritz head caught me off guard, clearly surprising him and his bird monster too! He turned and was blinded by that intense light, only for a scalpel to be shoved deep into his eye! ¡°Gahh!!! Wh-what! Aghh!¡± A small, shiny black figure ducked under the wildly flailing arms of Lauritz toward me!

    ¡°Fate, get up¡­let¡¯s run.¡± It was Erna, with homunculus head peeking out from her backpack, lowering a flashlight and attempting to drag me away!

    ¡°I told you to run¡­get out of here!¡± She tugged at the strings, which became brittle in tune with Lauritz¡¯s frantic wailing, trying to pull the blade from his head.

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t want you to get hurt. Come on¡­¡±

    ¡°Lauritz, you fool!¡± Just seeing that monster reach its massive beak for Erna motivated me enough to finally move again! I clenched my abs, broke the strings, grabbed Erna in my arms once more, and thrust kicked Loch¡¯s lunging head! That shot collided with his beak, launching us away, flying right through the feathery wall of Loch, to the top of the street! The monster¡¯s beak had nearly broken the bottom of my sneaker; a jolt of pain roared through my foot, like I¡¯d stomped on the top of a fire hydrant, though we managed to distance ourselves!

    ¡°I think¡­I¡¯m almost done.¡± The cold air began to overtake my body. Though they were only feathers, Loch¡¯s transformed body was as stiff as drywall! There wasn¡¯t time to recover. A flickering spark floated in my direction before I¡¯d even stood back up! I quickly covered Erna, using my back as a shield I absorbed the entire explosion! The heat blasting me off my feet was bad enough, but a set of quills cut into my right side! When I crashed back to earth, the spins jammed further into my arm, breaking the tips on ground. ¡°Oh God¡­I¡­Anesha¡­¡± The world was spinning and shaking as my eye lids got heavy. With the last breath I had, I called for Anesha, not for myself, but for Erna. Somehow, Anesha was my last hope¡­or so I thought. ¡°Gu¡­Ah!!! What are you doing?!¡±

    Erna plunged her fingers deep into the wounds created by the quills in my ribs! ¡°Ow¡­ow¡­hang on.¡± Those tiny fingers of that small woman¡¯s hand digging through my muscles and tissue were like worms burrowing through my body. ¡°There!¡± With that, she ripped the burning hot brass stems out! ¡°Are you¡­alright?¡±

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t do that again¡­please!¡±

    ¡°These were leaking¡­ink into your body.¡±

    ¡°Wha?¡± Erna held up the stems coated in my blood, viscera, and ink. ¡°Ah fuck¡­I¡¯m going to be sick after this. Thanks though¡­Erna. Thanks to you, I¡¯m still in this!¡± Horrific pain in some way had become a motivator once again. Up at the top of the street, the wall reformed into the massively fat bird. (That thing has got to be his familiar, like Anesha¡¯s chess pieces. Can they just be whatever?) My body was warming up again, but the aching hadn¡¯t subsided at all. ¡°Erna, we need to go.¡± I pulled Erna to my chest and as fast as I could, dashed down the street!

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Erna bringing the skull along with unnecessary, but I ignored that, as escaping was our top priority!

    Part 3

    (How did that bastard survive my punch before? When I hit him, his clothes glowed, right? Anesha¡¯s clothes do the same thing! Are my punches making that happen? Is he¡­absorbing my attacks with his clothes?!) Through the veins on my browned hand, a similar purple force pulsed. (That¡¯s the only thing I can think of. If this is wrong, then I¡¯ve got no other idea of what there is!)

    ¡°Fate¡­?¡± I was so absorbed in running and thinking, the fact that Erna sat in my arms had slipped my mind. ¡°P-Put me down¡­!¡±  A monotoned demand.

    ¡°Uh¡­sure.¡± I released her, feeling worried immediately for some reason. ¡°¡­We need to go to the forest.¡± It was my last hope, to escape, die or¡­kill. ¡°Which way is it from here¡­?¡± My sense of direction wasn¡¯t the best, but a GPS could fix that easily! That would¡¯ve been helpful, if not for the last thing on my phone screen being the time reading out a few minutes past 4am, before going totally black. ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­can I see your phone?¡±

    ¡°¡­I forgot it at home.¡±

    ¡°Awesome.¡± Massaging my temples didn¡¯t alleviate the intensifying headache. ¡°Which way is the station from here? If we can make it to the station, we can at least figure our way out from there.¡± Erna pointed down the street, to which I could just barely make out the lights over a heavily wooded area. (We¡¯ll have to keep walking, since I can¡¯t let others get involved any further, the train is a no go. The forest is safer than dealing with that warlock.) I grabbed Erna¡¯s tiny hand and we began making our way to the station. Every step, my hip hurt, like it was going to give out, the weight of my hand extended to Erna was almost too much to keep up, and the whole time, blood ran down my side. ¡°¡­I¡­I need a minute.¡± We slowed to a stop, as the cold grew.

    ¡°Hold on.¡± From that oversized belt jacket, the med-student pulled a bunch of gauze and bandages. ¡°Lift¡­your shirt.¡± I did as was instructed and with a noticeable blush, watched Erna wrap my wounds. The tight bandages reddened almost immediately, mixing with some obvious ink leaving my body. ¡°There¡¯s still ink¡­in your blood.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably why I¡¯m so weak right now. Anesha said that the seed would focus on keeping me healthy and safe. Hmm¡­?¡± Erna quizzically tilted her head, not noticing the person who had managed to amble up to us! ¡°Can I help you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Help¡­p-please¡­I don¡¯t!!¡± The man dressed in ragged clothing wailed while leaning back. Beneath his torn tee-shirt a noticeable black spear ripped free! It shot toward Erna, barely missing her as I pushed her aside and dodged away!

    ¡°Ow! Fate¡­are you¡­behind you!¡± It was the first time I¡¯d heard her so boisterously speak, shocking me, though Erna¡¯s warning didn¡¯t fall onto deaf ears! I turned and was greeted with another person, a woman. She was an older, white woman, her clothes also torn nearly asunder. Tattoos marked nearly her entire body, from knives, to snakes and abstract shapes, she looked like an art piece!

    ¡°Every¡­part of me¡­it itches¡­!¡± She reached her hands for me, and I backed away until the snake tattoo on her arm suddenly lunged forth from her body!

    ¡°Whoa!¡± I smacked the serpent, easily destroying it with a single swipe! The woman shrieked in pain as the black snake burst into a bloody mess! ¡°¡­What the fuck?¡± Off to the side of the road another person approached, then another and another! Before I knew it, we were surrounded. Including the man and woman from before, there were many people, all having their clothes ripped and their skin layered in black ink! I was stunned.

    ¡°These are¡­the people he¡­¡± Erna crept in behind me. ¡°H-he wrote on them.¡±

    ¡°I¡­crafted art!¡± That husky, whiny cry echoed out. On high, riding into the scene atop his overweight familiar, came Lauritz! Long bird legs exited the monster¡¯s feathered body, propping the already bizarrely gigantic pair even higher up. ¡°You¡­disgusting little mouse. Doing such a thing to me! A lord! I¡¯ll not bother making you into a majestic canvas like the others, no! I will fill your lungs with ink and watch you slowly die, the light draining from your eyes¡­it will be splendid.¡± The old warlock licked his lips, leering at Erna with one surviving eye and the other, just a crimson, destroyed mess. ¡°Now, bring me the boy!¡± With a snap of the finger, the people approached, staggering like zombies.

    I pushed Erna behind me as we easily dodged away from the inked ones. (We need to get away from them. But I can¡¯t just leave these people, right? What do I do?) Though it wasn¡¯t difficult to escape the people lurching after us, the pain through my body and keeping Erna safe were taxing!

    ¡°My body the canvas, blood my paint, Artist decay!¡± That spell again, I recognized it immediately and expected to see spines shooting toward me from the warlock¡¯s hand, but that was wrong. A horn pierced my shoulder from behind!

    ¡°Fate!¡± From a man¡¯s arm, a twisted black horn extended! Another black ink splotch rested on his belly, then rocketed into a spike headed for Erna! I grabbed her, turned, unleashing a spin kick on the attack, only to watch it explode into blood, flesh, and entrails! ¡°Ag-aghh!¡± The circular tattoo had become a funnel-shaped spear, when hit, was completely destroyed, taking the entirety of the man¡¯s warped flesh with it.

    I tried to comprehend the situation, though there was no time to think! ¡°Ignite!¡± A spark hovered in our direction! I gripped Erna up, ignoring all pain and leapt away, barely evading the explosion! We rolled in the grass, almost losing each other. In the street, my eyes were met with another horrific scene. The spell had blasted two of the innocent people into pieces, leaving only scorch marks and viscera.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± The bastard laughed at me!

    ¡°You wish for me to stop?! Then, simply come to me. Any further strenuous activity will be a waste of time.¡± Though it was only for a second, I wavered, considering if staying alive was worth it! Again, unfairly, innocent people were being pulled into my mess. That momentary reluctance to continue escaping faded when I felt Erna¡¯s shaking, small hands grip the back of my torn jacket. ¡°¡­Erna¡­¡± I whispered. ¡°¡­The station is directly behind us, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Keep your head tucked, mouth shut, and brace yourself.¡± I pulled her in tight to my chest, turned about-face and with every single erupting, burning, fiber of my legs launched us toward the train station! While hurdling through the air, the whole time I could see the bird and its rider giving chase! We couldn¡¯t escape him, though I¡¯d hoped we could escape from the inked ones.

    Part 4

    The leap was so incredible that we landed onto the tracks in the station! The projects¡¯ lack of social capital extended even that far. A single dimming light illuminated one of the four tunnels, adding an air of disrepair to the already run-down station. The deserted lobby was visible even from down on the tracks, not even a guard post for safety. Having nothing and no one to welcome us except for humming lights, the ghost town feel continued. The minute I started to move; Erna squirmed from my grasp with silent vigor. ¡°R-Right. You don¡¯t want to be held.¡±

    ¡°No¡­It¡¯s that¡­you¡¯re bleeding really badly again.¡± With sutures and thread in hand, she attempted to tend my wounds. Stomping and jingling noises stormed toward us, cutting short any medical attention! Clearly, Lauritz atop his familiar, was in hot pursuit.

    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go!¡± With Erna in tow, I rushed into the single tunnel with a light. Immediately, my chest began to tighten, as the echoing sound of the massive bird following us reverberated off the concrete walls. Each time a lamplight would come into view within the winding, grimy passageway, I¡¯d breathe a sigh of relief only to realize we¡¯d need to keep running. Because of the dimensions of the seemingly endless tunnels, I couldn¡¯t decern the creature¡¯s location! (They¡¯re going to find us! They¡¯re going to find us!) Pain seized me from head to toe, exhaustion gripped me, lungs, muscles and all, and anxiety chilled every single thought in my mind. ¡°Erna¡­just keep running alone.¡±

    ¡°No. He¡¯s coming¡­come on.¡± I snatched away my hand, knowing by the sound of the imminently approaching monster, that I¡¯d never be able to protect her with my battered body.

    ¡°¡­I lied before.¡± There wasn¡¯t time to argue. ¡°Give me the skull and get lost. You¡¯re a nuisance! This whole thing is your fault, you weirdo.¡± Seeing her weary face roll down hill into a ravine of sadness, tugged my heart along. ¡°You keep slowing me down! If I die¡­¡± Gulping down whatever reservation I had left, I¡­ ¡°If I die it¡¯ll be all your fault, for staying here! Now get lost! And leave the skull, it¡¯s mine anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Without a word, Erna dropped her bag and scurried away. She didn¡¯t bother to look back, while I tried to maintain a serious face. Seeing that shiny belt jacket disappear from view, made me regret not getting to know her sooner.

    ¡°Wish you could¡¯ve met the others. Bet Demica would¡¯ve loved to have around another girl.¡± My phone battery was dead, so I couldn¡¯t text anyone. (Mom¡­sorry. I should have at least let you know that I was heading out. Kind of sucks¡­I¡¯ll not be around to see the world get even crazier.)

    ¡°How laughable!¡± Finally, along the dark tracks trotted in Lauritz atop his familiar, followed by his mob of tattooed thralls. With the little bit of strength left in my body, I pushed off the filthy tunnel wall, standing up, prepared to face down a near certain death.

    End of chapter 12

 Fate of Yggdrasil Chapter 13

    Part 1

    With the warm blood trickling down my leg, tightening of my chest, back aching, hip, ankles, arms, and the puncture wounds across my body, it felt like death was inevitable. (Why even fight? I¡¯ll just die tired.) Lauritz, the extravagant magekin approached, riding high on his massive bird familiar, flanked by the moaning and weary slaves to his tattoo magic. The old warlock laughed, as he raised his hand, sending forth those followers to attack me! (¡­What now?) Even with zero optimism on my future, I dodged away! (Self-preservation? Ah¡­I still¡­) It was hard. When my eyes caught the darkness surrounding me, I¡¯d feel a cold void looking back. ¡°*Huff¡­huff¡­huff¡­*¡± Every step I¡¯d take would force me back, all while Lauritz cackled insistently. Blood soaked my bandages; the seed failing to close the wounds fast enough while also battling against whatever other poison permeated my body. Eventually, I tripped, being met with a black ram horn slamming into my side, into my damaged ribs and sending me further down the tunnel into darkness.

    ¡°Truly, I¡¯ve not had entertainment like this in ages! To think, humans have finally become something of interest! They can not only build labyrinth like encampments but traverse them like mice!¡± His words didn¡¯t mean anything to me, just more ramblings of an elitist magekin. Loch, his bird familiar picked up a tattooed man in its beak. ¡°When I last saw one so inspiring, t ¡¯was nearly¡­seven¡­no eight decades ago? Age does one¡¯s mind a disservice. Fear not, Fate, I will create a splendid piece using you! One that will remain etched in history!¡±

    That annoying voice, his constant talking down to me, and the way he was using those people, all infuriated me! As Loch released the man over its back and transformed into that feathery boutique yet again, there was a split second I could see a through line! ¡°Laurtitz, I¡¯d advise touching up these works.¡± The two arrogantly bantered. ¡°This one in particular, is far below your standard.¡± Crimson strings bound the man''s arms and legs. ¡°Add to this one, here!¡± Both inspected the series of tattoos along his body, ignoring the situation entirely, to the point they even looked away from me!

    ¡°Yes¡­that is true. Maybe an addition¡­¡± With quill in hand, Lauritz pressed the tip against the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Creations of man, fuel to the God, oh in my name, rejoice escape your prison! Dancing inks!¡± Tattoos across his body coursed with purple energy, writhing, and warping his flesh! Festering blisters were left in the wake of the moving ink, red and bubbling on the skin. Screams of agony as the wicked artist and his bird casually chatted drowned out their conversation, reverberating off the tunnel¡¯s walls. Swishing the quill back and forth over the tattoos rearranged and reformed them! Shapes would move to new sections, form animals, objects, and weapons, as if Lauritz were dragging and dropping pieces in an art program. He grew a massive splotch at one point, which slowly took the form of a roaring lion¡¯s head, which was moved over the man¡¯s face.

    The whole while that the old magekin and his familiar remained enraptured with their ¡®art¡¯, the space between all the people, directly leading me to Lauritz stayed obvious! (¡­This¡­is the only chance I have!) Low to the ground, with my chin only above the gravel by mere inches, I launched myself! I weaved beneath grasping hands, exploding tattoo spikes and right into Lauritz¡¯s face! I reeled back, but¡­

    ¡°¡­Artist decay!¡± He¡¯d muttered just before I could reach him!

    The splotch of ink on my arm, the one I¡¯d totally forgotten about, sprung forth, slashing me across the face like a blade, nearly severing my nose at the bridge! ¡°Agh!¡± With that, my only window closed. A series of lighting fast beak thrusts from Loch blasted me to the ground! (¡­Damnit¡­that¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it?) Defeated, on the ground, gasping for air as the tattooed people approached, I conceded.

    ¡°Back away, you filth!¡± Lauritz leapt from his perch and walked up to me, grabbing me up by the chin, locking eyes as a smirk drew across his ink laden, wrinkled face. ¡°Fate, do not worry. Once I¡¯ve finished with you, you¡¯ll likely still live. Everything, your skin, hair, eyes, voice, and face are all unique! I wish to use you, again and again if possible! The seed has truly transformed you into a lovely canvas.¡± Again, rage boiled up within me! I found myself trying to clutch my fist, but with no power left, it became an impotent trembling. ¡°Loch, prepare the stage! I will make this a beautiful showcase!¡± Light, shown behind Lauritz¡¯s head, an all too familiar shine!

    Before anything else could happen; however, Loch quickly acted! He snatched the tiny Erna up within his beak, grabbing the small woman up by the scruff of her jacket! ¡°It would appear the mouse has returned, Lauritz!¡± He said, jostling her about in the air, with a sadistic look in the eye.

    Erna was reduced to screaming as she was flung about, dropping her choice of distraction, her flashlight to the ground! ¡°Ah, bring her here, Loch!¡±

    (No! Why didn¡¯t you leave?!) She was lowered down to eye level with Lauritz.

    ¡°Little mouse¡­scurrying about. Do you know what pains I¡¯ve felt in my lifetime?¡± From a pocket, he produced Erna¡¯s scalpel. ¡°My people were almost completely annihilated, on multiple occasions by your kind!¡± The blade still dripped with his blood, caked in flesh and what was left of his eye. ¡°Before¡­hundreds of years ago, then, again when we were betrayed!¡± Tracing the crimson edge across Erna¡¯s pale cheek, he continued. ¡°Viggo was defeated by that wretch loving fool, tricked, our own ally. For so many years, we lay, locked away, left to suffer the indignities of age and captivity while our people hid! We were, nay, are superior! And yet you¡­¡± With the blade point directly at Erna¡¯s eye, mere centimeters away, he grinned. ¡°Y-¡±

    My fist connected Lauritz¡¯s jaw! No thoughts flowed through my mind, just fury! I was blasting that bastard warlock, full force with the strongest punch I possibly could muster! The last of the heat radiating in my body shot along my chest, shoulder, and into my arm, straight into his face! Bones cracked, skin tore, teeth shattered, and muscles exploded; I could tell all of that from my knuckle connecting with the old man¡¯s brittle body!

    Lauritz rag dolled to the tunnel across from us, flying like a discarded piece of trash in the wind! Erna was dropped from Loch¡¯s beak, as the familiar swiftly moved to meet its master! Remaking that cushion like featherbed adorning its obese body, Loch stopped the magekin¡¯s flight just short of smashing headfirst into the wall! I however, failed at catching Erna, who simply landed on the ground in front of me with a thud.

    The odd sensation of two bones in my shoulder rubbing each other when they hadn¡¯t before concerned me. Somehow, I knew right away, I¡¯d dislocated my shoulder. Erna tugged me up to a sitting position, saying something to me, but the sound of my fist contacting Lauritz¡¯s face was like a gunshot, deafening me for a minute. She pleaded something, tears welling up in her eyes, as shadows closed in on her, but I couldn¡¯t make out what words were spoken.

    Any assumption that Lauritz had died were quickly quashed however, as he staggered back up! ¡°¡­asta¡­da!¡± Finally getting my hearing back, I could make out a curse leaving his mouth, along with a river of blood, teeth and bone fragments! My strike had not only broken his jaw, but nearly torn it asunder! A limp and crimson piece of bone dangled by a strand from his face. The tongue flopping about from what was formerly a mouth rolled down the red waterfall, caked in viscera! Teeth dropped from the reminisces of his jaw like dried paint off a wall. ¡°¡­a¡­h¡­K-ki¡­yo! I¡­igt!¡± That spell again! I was totally immobilized, and worse Erna shielded me with her body, pulling my head into her breasts, she braced herself! There was no way for me to defend her! We waited¡­but nothing came. ¡°I¡­I¡­Ight!¡± He struggled to put any words together and thus, he was rendered without his spells!

    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry, Lauritz. I shall retrieve the seed myself, rend the flesh from the mouse and once we return to Graewood, have you tended to as best we can.¡± Extending his long legs, raising up like a crane, Loch extended its head just beneath the ceiling of the tunnel! A bright light blinded all of us suddenly as the familiar began its approach. ¡°Trickery such as this will not work again, little mouse!¡± Loch ignored the obvious, that we were in no position to do any tricks, not expecting at all what would come next.

    With the immense power of modern engineering, a subway cart trampled both Lauritz and Loch the familiar! The two bodies disappeared beneath the gigantic machine¡¯s frame in an explosion of blood and feathers! The train¡¯s wheels screeched trying to slow down, blaring its horn and playing a message that I couldn¡¯t quite make out.

    ¡°¡­e¡­Fa¡­Fate!¡± Before me, kneeling onto blood drenched gravel, staining her black stockings red, was Erna. Her small hands cupped my face as she stared deeply into my eyes, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks; she spoke. ¡°Are you¡­alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I winced, knowing that was an obvious lie. The sensation of pins and needles poked at the tips of my fingers and toes. ¡°The people¡­are they alright? Erna, please check on them, okay?¡±

    ¡°But¡­you¡¯re hurt.¡± I grabbed her hand, with my only operational hand. A warmth I needed, it helped me calm down and stop shaking.

    ¡°Please. I¡¯ll heal up.¡± The corners of my mouth tried to form a smile. Not sure if I was successful, but Erna seemed to accept that and ran off. Once again, pain set in along my hip, followed by exhaustion; more so than ever. All the tension left my body feeling as if I¡¯d been carrying a massive weight up and down a hill the entire day. The numbness traveled up my arms and legs to the point that I wasn¡¯t even sure which one was dislocated until I looked at them; it was the right. With shallow breaths my lungs stung, straining to fill. Out of nowhere, my arm began to bleed profusely! That ink splotch, like a zit, had burst! It would¡¯ve likely been excruciating, but every part of my consciousness was starting to fade into the secluded darkness surrounding me. Purple lights twinkling on the tracks were my solitary attachment to reality, anchoring me to my nearly unbelievable situation. Those lights were raven feathers, fading away into those purple lights, into nothing, like I was.

    ¡°Fate!¡± With her still working flashlight in hand, Erna came back to the front of me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­they¡¯re¡­gone.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± She hoisted me up on her small shoulder as best she could, guiding me toward a nearby platform. In the distance, the train had finally come to a stop. Erna dragged me toward a platform nearby, as we passed the people who no more than a few minutes previously were attacking us! ¡°No! Erna, look! They¡¯re fine!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Fate¡­wait¡­¡±

    Hope that I¡¯d save them, that my powers had saved some people from a horrible situation¡­I needed any confirmation that someone survived! ¡°Hey! Are you¡­?¡± His face was almost totally gone. Brain matter and skull fragments coated the ground, the lion tattoo having burst took his flesh and bones along. He was dead, without any hint of life left. All the people lay on the tracks, dead. Gigantic lumps of flesh were missing from their bodies, spilling organs onto the ground! Festering rashes layered the destroyed dermis, deep into the flesh, already beginning to rot away.

    She hugged me; Erna did. ¡°It¡¯s¡­not your¡­fault¡­it¡¯s not¡­¡± Sirens blared in the distance, as my friend gripped me tightly, with a hushed sob. We stood surrounded by those bodies, in a part of the city that would¡¯ve been left alone, but so long as I kept living, innocent lives, my friends, and family could end up the same.

    ¡°¡­It is.¡± It was my fault. All my fault.

    Part 2

    The minute the door opened; she froze with horror. Must have been one hell of a sight, her battered son covered in blood, standing alongside an unknown girl; any reaction would¡¯ve been acceptable, but the last thing I wanted¡­was another passionate hug. ¡°Fate¡­you damn idiot! What-what are you getting yourself into?!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m so sorry, Mom.¡± Mom did just as I feared, the most passionate hug she could muster.

    We decided to stay at my apartment for the night. It took over an hour to walk back to my home and by the time we made it, the sun was rising. Taking every back street and alleyway, we made it without running into a single police officer. My body was so damaged by then, that just walking upright was nearly impossible, but Erna persevered, shouldering my weight without a complaint throughout the journey home.

    ¡°¡­Thanks, Mom.¡± My clothes, what was left of them, were quickly discarded. Unfortunate, since I¡¯d grown attached to that tracksuit, as my training gear.

    ¡°The young lady is in the shower. When she¡¯s done, do you want me to help you with the dye?¡± It wouldn¡¯t just need a dying, but a trim too; my hair had sprouted so much from transforming, I could barely keep it out of my eyes.

    ¡°No. I should learn how to do it myself.¡± As I rinsed my face in the sink, without warning, my shoulder suddenly relocated itself! Fortunately, Mom had looked away, missing the seed at work. ¡°Gah!¡± Crusted blood flakes circled the drain and disappeared, but the chunks of flesh that clung to my skin got caught in the sink strainer. ¡°¡­They were people¡­fucking people¡­¡± The room spun, like a tilt-a-whirl, everything began going around and around.

    Mom returned with a first-aid kit, filled to the brim with supplies. ¡°¡­Here. You should see yourself.¡± With her phone camera, Mom showed me how much my appearance had changed. The face staring back was hardly recognizable. A hint of gold permeated my eyes, my black hair was ghastly white, extending from my forehead down my back; and my skin¡­it was brown enough to resemble my father¡¯s. All that¡¯s without counting the injuries I¡¯d sustained. ¡°You look like some kind of monstrous version of Zahn.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not a nice thing to say to your son.¡± Even thinking about it made me feel sick. I went about trying to dress my wounds around my waste but wasn¡¯t doing a great job.

    ¡°That girl, is she the one you mentioned before?¡± Luckily, Mom did have basic medical training, so she took over and assisted applying the new bandages.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­does she know all about this secret you¡¯ve been keeping from me?¡±

    ¡°¡­Not all of it, no.¡±

    ¡°Then she does know some of it!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to tell me?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­¡± I wanted to but wasn¡¯t even sure if Erna was safe knowing what she did! When Anesha found out, if she wanted to kill her, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her. ¡°¡­Maybe¡­I want to. I really do, Mom. But for now, please don¡¯t make me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright. Here¡¯s your towel. Figure out whatever you need to do about this girl and whatever is happening with you.¡± Mom finished and stormed off, only stopping for a second in her bedroom doorway. ¡°Fate, I love you. Goodnight.¡±

    ¡°¡­I love you too, Mom.¡± Watching my mother close the door behind her, a thought crossed my mind. (Anesha will be showing up again soon. Mom has no way of protecting herself. She doesn¡¯t even own a gun¡­) My body was beaten, and my mind was at the point of exhaustion, so I chock that next rancid idea up to a lapse in good sense. I left the apartment to sit on the stoop in front of the building, dialing his number - my father¡¯s.

    It rang once, twice, a third time and I hung up, angry with myself for even considering that man! Immediately, my phone began buzzing! It was him, calling back. I ignored it. He called again, and I ignored it. A text came through. [You called me! Please do not play games. If there¡¯s something you need then answer the phone!]

    I almost smashed the phone! (How dare he take that tone with me?! Thinking now he gets to be firm with me! You¡­) Another call came through from him and that time, I answered. ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± We both just sat in silence for what felt like minutes, but the call timer read no more than fifteen seconds. ¡°Fate? What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re calling me, it must be important.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t pretend to know what you need, but if it¡¯s money then¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up! Don¡¯t¡­¡± That feeling of my blood pumping, my body heating up, it all instantly kicked in again, and so did those ghost feelings of that¡­warlock¡¯s bones being shattered by my fist. ¡°I¡­you¡­don¡¯t¡­fuck¡­¡± Again, what little composure I managed to accrue crumbled away.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I know you¡¯re doing your best.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to sound like I was looking down on you.¡±

    ¡°¡­You never did it before¡­but can I trust you to do something?¡±

    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±

    ¡°Can you take care of Mom, if something happens to me?¡±

    ¡°Fate, what is happening to you?¡±

    ¡°Just promise me.¡±

    ¡°First, tell me-¡±

    ¡°Promise me! Promise me you¡¯ll fulfill the job you never did when I was younger! Promise you¡¯ll take care of the first woman you promised to love all those years ago, like you were supposed to!¡±

    ¡°¡­I promise.¡±

    ¡°¡­Good. Bye.¡±

    ¡°Fate, wa-¡± I hung up, and returned upstairs.

    As soon as I pushed the front door open, I heard what sounded like a mouse squeak and the door to my room slam shut! Steam radiated from the bathroom and small damp footprints led into the walkway. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize I missed out on my chance to have a wacky romcom moment with the presumably half-naked, dripping wet girl cowering in my room. ¡°Erna?¡± I knocked at my own door.

    ¡°¡­Huhuhu¡­¡± A particularly frazzled chuckle resounded from beyond the door.

    ¡°Sorry. Uh, if it helps, I didn¡¯t see anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­hu¡­huhuhu¡­¡± Low chuckling again.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t do anything in this house that you would regret¡­ Would have to make it into another secret you¡¯d have to keep form you dear ol¡¯ mother¡­¡± Sly comments from behind caught me off guard as Mom peered from the crack in her doorway.

    ¡°Why is every single woman in my life so damn weird?¡±

    Part 3

    I laid on the couch, yielding my bed and room to Erna. The front door closing behind my mother as she left for work, woke me, though I hadn¡¯t fully fallen asleep anyway. The events from mere hours earlier were swirling around endlessly in my mind. Images of people¡¯s ink stained skin, exploding, with revolting and festering zits, bursting would flashback whenever I tried to close my eyes. An assault on my senses each time I started to drift off to sleep reminding me that I¡¯d essentially killed another living being, haunted me. The taste, feeling, smell, sounds, sights¡­and worst of all¡­the blankness of my own mind as I watched that bastard¡¯s life get snuffed out right in front of me.

    The hairs standing up on the back of my neck and electricity in the air¡­she was close by; waiting for me to notice her! (What do I do?) Anesha was waiting! It wasn¡¯t like any other time before. She knew I could sense her. It was an unmistakable aura emanating from the back of my complex. (Anesha is probably out back¡­what¡­what do I say to her.) I resigned myself to see her. My heavy steps reverberated as I walked toward the front door, stopping to look toward my room, shut tight. Erna was most likely still asleep, completely unaware of the looming threat that was the sadistic witch awaiting me. If I needed to, I¡¯d beg Anesha¡­to allow Erna to live at the very least. (Maybe¡­she doesn¡¯t know. Maybe¡­I can still hide it from her.) I walked forward, closing the threshold behind.

    Every inch closer to the back of the complex was like walking toward my death, toward the electric chair, or at least that¡¯s what I imagined. Anesha was on a different level than me, in her mind, and my own at that point. All she¡¯d need to do would be find out I¡¯d planned on betraying her, or even that I¡¯d let someone in on our secret. Was the secret truly out of the bag? Did Erna see enough to anger Anesha? All those questions would be answered when I spoke with my tormentor.

    ¡°My¡­what a sorry state you appear to be in. Truly, you are a pitiful one.¡± From atop her broom, like a queen, Anesha crossed her legs and raised her hand to her mouth, laughing in a haughty tone. ¡°You still breathing means at the very least Lauritz hath not had his way with you.¡±

    ¡°You¡­knew that scum?¡±

    ¡°A tad, speaking to why my barrier did not affect him. I¡¯d assumed he was long dead, which is a mistake I made corrections for at the Graewood barrier as to not have a similar failing in the future.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell what was going through her head, checking her nails nonchalantly. ¡°Why was it that you faced Lauritz when I instructed you to do otherwise?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± That question, if I told her the answer, surely Anesha would be furious. I¡¯d directly gone against what she wanted me to do. No matter how many responses I pawed over in my head, no excuse seemed right. ¡°A friend of mine¡­was in danger. The mana coming off of me must have drawn him in their direction.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also¡­¡± (Wait, what am I doing?) ¡°Something else¡­¡± Was I about to make a huge mistake? (Stop, you idiot!) ¡°My friend¡­they¡­¡± (Don¡¯t do it!)

    ¡°They know about your powers and magic now, no?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± The secret was out! My face became instantly flushed and with mouth agape, I stuttered my way through a question. ¡°H-H-H-How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Hmhmhm¡­¡± She giggled, leering with those mahogany eyes. ¡°You know, you cannot hide things from me.¡± Chills. The smirk crept across her face as fear welled up in the pit of my stomach. That hellish void; nothing was more terrifying than that, not even having to fight that scumbag Lauritz again! ¡°Oh¡­how shall I deal with this?¡± Reentering that space because I disobeyed her, I¡¯d sooner have allowed her to break my wrist, no, both!

    ¡°Wait, please! She doesn¡¯t know about you!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Anesha hopped from atop her broomstick and walked over to me. ¡°Really?¡± She poked her fingernail into my sternum, teasingly. ¡°How can I believe you¡­when you¡¯ve already disobeyed before?¡± The wrinkle of her nose and seductiveness of her speech; if I wasn¡¯t so afraid at the time, I may have been enraptured by the cruel witch¡¯s beauty.

    ¡°Please, just¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Anesha cackled. ¡°How entertaining! Your feeble attempts to hold your head high, to maintain some form of independence are so very amusing. I¡¯d never had a real dog before, but maybe this is what it would be like.¡± In my head I was almost happy, she¡¯d upgraded me from dirt to a dog, but that thought made me shiver with how pathetic it was. ¡°¡­Have you really kept my identity hidden?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Absolutely!¡±

    ¡°¡­Creating wards is becoming troublesome.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­This person who knows of your powers, I assume¡­they¡¯re a close friend of yours?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡± Anesha had a somber look on her face as she framed her chin with thumb and index finger, obviously deep in thought. ¡°¡­¡± I remained quiet, just waiting, and watching patiently.

    ¡°¡­It would appear that my thought earlier would truly be for the best.¡± With that statement, Anesha just casually walked back to her still floating broom and sat across the handle. ¡°For now, go about your business. There are a few things that I need to handle, and we will meet up again very, very soon.¡± Like a rocket shooting upward, she disappeared into the night sky.

    ¡°¡­¡± Dumbstruck, confused, traumatized, fearful, beaten, aching and just plain tired, I limped back to my apartment; too exhausted to question anything else, hoping that whatever would come next, would be blessings and no more curses.

    End of chapter 13