“She's a bit young to be drunk, ain't she?” mocked a passerby as Luna stumbled down the street, one hand covering her temple and her left eye closed. Her senses had calmed down considerably but she was still short of stable. The world around her swayed back and forth and the ambient noise around her sounded muffled like it was from the other side of an invisible door. What confused her more than anything though was that she was certain as her senses came back to her, they grew stronger. The scent of the dastardly flower had completely disappeared and in its place, Luna thought that she could make out every individual smell over several city blocks. The vibrations in the earth from the onlookers walking around here felt like earthquakes below her feet and she swore she could feel the vibrations in the air itself when they spoke.
Luna stopped at the corner of the street that she was on, taking a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure that the priest and his vile plant weren't following her. With that moment's rest, the doubles and the swaying in her vision slowly started to alleviate. She closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing, letting her head hang low in front of her and she relaxed her torso, leaning against the brick wall beside her. With slow, steady breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth, her hearing slowly came back to normal and the cardboard taste in her mouth dissipated.
She opened her eyes once more and scanned her immediate surroundings properly. Many confused individuals and others who were obviously judging her watched from a distance. Luna reached up for her hood, confirming that it was still up and looked down at her tail, assuring that she hadn't accidentally released it while she was struggling. With both still good, she returned the spectators' glances with a scowl. The judgmental types scoffed in disgust and the others turned away, ensuring that they didn't get involved.
With the crowd dispersing, Luna started to let out a sigh of relief but stopped short when she noticed something awry. She sniffed the air twice, her nose twitching in response and her ears perked up under her hood. A somewhat familiar scent sourced the corner down the street behind her and she could hear fingers rubbing against wood, like whoever it was had been peering around an obstacle at her. Without turning to look, Luna squinted in annoyance and took a detour.
She rounded the corner and sniffed the air once more, affirming that the source of the smell was indeed following close behind her. A man? Luna thought to herself, noting that there was a splash of strong cologne mixed in which must've been attempting to cover body odour. His footsteps were on the heavier side as well, as much as he tried to walk lightly. Luna felt the vibrations in the earth clearly and effortlessly managed to isolate him from the retreating group from before.
She ducked into various alleyways, taking obscene routes that no one else in their right mind would think to take in order to ascertain whether he would continue to follow her or not. He continued to pursue her without fail, not even taking the hint that she was on to him. Luna then decided to lay a trap for him and wandered into the forest at the impish town's northern side. She approached a shallow creek with a short bridge leading across it and left her bag in the middle of it. Another quick sniff and she knew that her stalker wasn't close enough to see her at that immediate point in time so she hid amidst the trees.
No more than a minute later, a young boy about her age emerged into the clearing before the bridge and slowly approached her bag. He had long, chestnut brown hair, was wearing a blue spring jacket, black skinny jeans, and blue running shoes. He stopped at the foot of the bridge, inspected Luna's bag but instead of taking it he instead began to walk around. When the boy approached Luna's hiding spot, she jumped out without making a sound and put one hand to his throat. One forceful heave later and she had him pinned and lifted against the oak tree to his rear. Luna, surprised by her own strength, didn't even hear his pleas for mercy at first and was instead focused on his feet dangling a foot and a half off the ground in front of her.
“Easy! Easy!” He cried out, his voice raspy and put both his hands on her own.
Luna looked up at him, her ruby red eyes appearing to glow in the shade created by her hood and the boy started to sweat profusely.
“Coffee!” He cried out some more, which came out more like coughs or grunts as he struggled to get air into his lungs. “I was going to ask if you wanted to get coffee.”
Luna peered at him and the fur on her ears and tail stood up. Was it because she didn't trust humans period or was this lad particularly appalling? He lifted his hands up at either side of his head as a sign of surrendering and Luna relented. She in part let go of him and in part threw him into the ground, forcing him to crash onto his hands and knees. “Explain.” She snapped and stood over him with her arms crossed.
From his place on the ground he put one hand on his neck and coughed a few times then with glossy eyes, looked up at Luna and told her, “That flower looked like it did a number on you and especially after everyone laughed when you tripped, I thought you could use a friend or at least someone to rant to.” He got onto his feet still rubbing his throat, bruises were starting to form where Luna dug her fingers into his skin. “Seems like you've recovered well enough from that flower at least.” He teased.
Luna's body tensed up on its own as though her instincts were trying to warn her about this boy once more and she cracked her knuckles against her bicep making him flinch. “I don't even know who you are. Why the hell would I go for coffee with you?”
The stalker then finally put his hand down and made a hurtful face. “Ouch.” he joked. “I know I only just transferred into your class the other day but you could at least pretend to have seen me around school grounds or something.” He then held a hand out to her, hesitantly pulled it back and said, “Name's Ryan, please don't crush my hand.” and finished extending his arm out towards her.
Luna stared hard and silently for an agonizing minute then tightly gripped his hand, making him wince. “Only if you're paying for it.”
* * *
“So you've been dealing with this since elementary school?” Ryan asked, rather loudly and excitedly.
Luna held an annoyed hand up to him and barked, “Yes, don't be so loud. People are starting to stare.” She quickly scanned the small cafe where couples, groups of friends and work colleagues alike all chatted in their cliques. Ryan's yelling had drawn the attention of some who looked as though they wanted to ask them to shut up or leave.
“My bad.” he apologized and his shoulders dropped. “I just can't imagine anyone putting up with being...” he paused to think for a second, “...alone for that long without at least searching for some kind of friend.”
Luna gave a sly smile out of view and declared, “I guess you could say I'm a lone wolf.” She silently recoiled to herself at her own pun and added, “I don't much like people anyway so it doesn't particularly bother me.”
Ryan leaned back in his chair, a slight frown on his face. “What a sad way to live.” He exclaimed quietly and took a sip of his coffee. “Are you sure you don't want sugar or something to put in that? Black is awfully bitter.” He asked and pointed at Luna's drink.
She held it in one hand, looking at her reflection on its surface. She had to admit that she was timid about taking that first sip. Black coffee was strong enough as it was. If her sense of taste was heightened as much as the remainder of her senses then she can't imagine what this will taste like. Luna determined though that drinking anything else would be a sign of weakness which she refused to show in front of anyone, especially not someone she just met. As such, she took it one step further and took a mouth full of straight black coffee and with a poker face, swallowed it down in one gulp. The heat didn't seem to bother her at all and there was only a hint of a bark-like taste though she thought she tasted something like pesticide or a preservative of sorts as well.
Ryan watched her serenely and put the creamer he had been holding down on the table. “Impressive.” He muttered then shook his head to rid himself of his own mental distractions. “Right, so why do you have to wear your hood and that belt? If you don't mind my asking.”
Luna finished off her drink in just a few more gulps, still ignoring the urge to scowl at how bitter it was and crushed the empty cup in her hand. “Family secret.” She said simply. “They won't let me explain nor do I really care to.”
“So your parents wear them too?”
Luna shrugged her shoulders. “Supposedly my father always had a hood up though I think the reason was different. I can't really say though since they died right after I was born. I think.”
“You think? Oh, uh, sorry for your loss.”
“They went missing just after I was born, something to do with that they did for work. They were presumed dead after so long.”
“So who's been looking after you?”
“Family friends.”
“What are they like?”
Luna gave him a disapproving stare. “Thought I was supposed to be ranting, not answering questions.”
He held his arms up as a sign of surrender again. “Figured one of your answers would eventually lead to a rant.” He put his arms down then inquired, “Was there something specific you wanted to rant about?”
Luna sat in silence for a moment, staring off into space then slowly shook her head while pressing her lips together. “Nothing comes to mind.” Then she stood up, threw her cup in the garbage and left the cafe. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“Hold on now!” Ryan called after her and followed close behind, his drink still in hand. “That wasn't much of a conversation.”
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“What? You want my life's story or something?”
He didn't immediately answer and made a scowl like he was in deep thought. “If that helps me get a date with you, sure.”
Luna stopped in her tracks, startling Ryan. She stayed quiet and stared at the ground in front of her though her face remained level. She wasn't even sure if she was thinking or if her brain had simply stopped working. “A date?” She repeated, unsure if her voice had betrayed her or not.
“That has to be the first time your composure has ever been broken.” He smirked. “It doesn't have to be anything major. It can be something as simple as going out for coffee again or maybe a movie next time since you're not much of a talker.
“A date?” Luna echoed and her fur stood up again and she clenched her teeth behind closed lips. Everything is screaming at me to stay away from him but I still can't tell why. Eventually, she sighed, “Try anything funny and I'll turn your testicles into ovaries.”
Ryan grinned ear to ear, at first in relief then his eyes dropped as he realized that she may not be joking. “Can I get your number then so we can plan things out later?” He squeaked.
Luna shook her head. “I don't have a phone. We'll have to discuss it in person at school or something.”
His grin lessened but he didn't press any further. “I'll talk to you again at school tomorrow then. For now, let me walk you home.”
With a sideways glance, she simply answered, “Do what you want but if you have any intentions of coming inside,” She clenched her fists and her knuckles cracked in response, “My pet wolves may want to have a word with you.”
Ryan's grin turned into a confused smirk and a cocked eyebrow. “Wolves?”
* * *
“What have we got?” Aileen asked her accompanying nurse as they hurried down the hall, dodging other doctors, nurses, custodians, patients, empty stretchers and security guards.
“Male adult, bleeding profusely from the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. No sign of external damage on the initial triage, first responders couldn't even begin to guess at what the cause was. The patient has also been mumbling to himself non-stop since the high school called it in. He had to be restrained as he'd throw himself onto the floor anytime someone got close to him like he was afraid.”
“So physical signs aside, he's experiencing trauma? Severe Anxiety, paranoia, what are we talking here?”
“A combination thereof from the first inspection. He may even be experiencing hallucinations. Paramedics reported on the scene that he kept saying things along the lines of, 'They're trying to pull me into the ground,' or, 'They're demanding justice'.”
“So it could be a damaged psyche due to strong feelings of guilt maybe? School bully who may have taken things too far and finally snapped under the pressure of keeping his secrets?”
“It's a possibility but without a proper psychiatry examination...”
“A proper conclusion on the matter can't be fully established.”
“Supposedly a priest came with who was visiting the class so that the teacher could keep working out whatever he had to do at the school. Saw everything and claims that he knows the cause. Told the paramedics that it was beyond the capabilities of science and had to be remedied at the spiritual level.”
“You mean like a mind over matter thing? The kid just has to pray and believe that he'll be all right?”
“I think it was more like he's in need of divine intervention. He told them that he could probably find a 'cure' so to speak in a church, somewhere in Europe. Claims that all we have to do is keep the kid alive until he gets back. That or he finds the 'lost child' who inflicted this curse upon him and have her reverse it.”
“Did you ask him what medical qualifications he has?” Aileen spat sarcastically at first then clasped her mouth and actually spat dryly into her hand. “What is that smell?” She coughed as they rounded the corner down the hall from the patient's room.
The nurse stopped a few steps ahead of her, confused. “What smell?”
Aileen started to turn pale and leaned against the wall. “Is anyone wearing a red and black flower by chance in that room?” She squeaked and started to hold her breath as her head started to pound and the hall began to spin. “If so, I'm deathly allergic and they need to leave.”
The nurse nodded, her mouth still hanging open in confusion but went on ahead anyway. She poked her head into the room and saw Thomas having a quiet but heated conversation with a bulky cop. They turned to look at her and she quickly scanned their attire. She pointed a hand at the priest, specifically at his bestia nocuit, noting its red petals which turned black along the edges. “You'll have to remove the flower or step out into the lobby father, the doctor is, um, allergic to that flower on your chest.”
Thomas then gave her a puzzled expression. “Allergic?”
“Yes, allergic. Quickly please, we don't want to leave the boy waiting any longer.”
Still befuddled, the priest stared for a moment longer until the cop jabbed him in the side. “They said they can't look at my son until you go.” He growled.
“Yes, yes of course. Forgive me. I told the chief of police here everything that happened in the classroom prior to the paramedics arriving and I also left a report with one of your other nurses when I first got here.” He explained as he made his way to the door.
“Yes, I already received it, thank you.” She told him and began to show him the way to the lobby.
Aileen looked up at them as they passed, focusing on Thomas. She didn't need to glare at his flower to confirm its species, she could tell from her migraine alone what it was. He returned her stare and squinted his eyes at her, the doctor holding her breath, supposedly allergic to the flower that wards off monsters. The nurse hurried him past but it didn't stop him from giving Aileen one more stare before he rounded the corner. He blinked and saw a great white dove perched on her shoulder, head turned to also watch him. Aileen's pupils constricted and her normally sky blue iris developed something like radial, aqua green veins in her eyes. They quickly returned to normal as Thomas was pushed out of view. I couldn't put a track on him in time. She cursed to herself.
The nurse then barked the directions to the elevator at him quickly before rejoining Aileen who was still holding her breath. She refused to gasp for air until she was certain that the flower was well out of her sense's reach and to that end focused on her hearing. Thomas's leather dress shoes had a distinctive clack when he stepped down so it took almost no effort on Aileen's part to isolate him within the busy halls. She heard the elevator ding on the doors closed behind him and she finally released the breath she had been keeping.
The nurse put a hand on her shoulder as Aileen took several deep breaths. After only a few seconds her senses returned to normal and she waved a hand at the nurse, signaling that she was fine now. “You've got some nose to be able to detect that flower from all the way out here. I couldn't smell it at all and I was right beside him.”
Aileen started moving towards the patient's room again, talking as she walked. “I know someone who could detect that flower from several blocks away. Those things are largely odourless. Seems like only those of us who are—allergic to them can actually notice any sort of scent. Regardless...” Aileen cut off the conversation there as they swung into the room where the police officer was waiting.
Aileen rounded the curtain blocking the boy from the initial view of the doorway. She stopped beside his bed and placed a hand on his forehead like she was checking his temperature. “Take his restraints off for now. I have an idea what the problem is and believe me, holding him down will do more harm than good.”
“You have an idea what's wrong with my son?” The cop interrupted her before she could explain further.
“Yes and no. I still have to check him for specifics but from the report I just got, I've seen... similar cases where patients even broke their own bones unknowingly in an attempt to get away. So until I can confirm a method of treatment,” Aileen turned to the nurse. “Please remove his bindings. As you're doing that, what did the priest say happened right before he became like this?”
The nurse began to fidget with the leather straps holding the patient down, making distracted noises. The chief of police spoke up instead, “Said some white-haired girl possessed by a demon did this to him after he tripped her.”
Aileen froze. “Sorry, run that by me one more time.”
“White-haired girl. Demon. Tripped. Put my son in the hospital with a brain hemorrhage thing.”
Aileen refused to look at the cop and backed away from the child. She thought long and hard for what felt like an hour. It has to be some other white-haired girl right? Luna's is closer to silver. To do something like this would require her to awaken- Aileen cut off her own train of thought and hesitantly muttered, “Dimisit.”
The boy stopped muttering to himself, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. They all leaned over the bed, watching carefully. The cop looked up at Aileen first with admiration and confusion, then with concern when he saw her uneasy expression. She merely watched the child and made no immediate effort to physically treat him. The patient then slowly panned his head over to look at Aileen who kept a poker face. His lips began to tremble and he quietly sobbed, “Help me, please. They keep coming for me. She keeps coming for me. She sends them after me every waking second!” His quiet sobs progressively turned into blood-curdling wailing and he started to flail his arms and legs violently. Aileen took another step back and he began to shout, “Not again! Please, not again! Save me!” Then all of a sudden, he stopped. Stopped making noise, stopped flailing, stopped looking around... stopped breathing. With one hand, he reached for the sky, grasping at empty space like a hand had been presented to him to help him up.
That's what I was afraid of.
The cop lunged forward to the side of the bed opposite Aileen. “What happened to him? Andy? Andy! What's wrong?” He howled, tears forming in his eyes.
Aileen watched, her hands by her sides. She neither wept any tears nor looked at Andy's father. “I'm sorry.” She mumbled without any emotion. This is the best-case scenario for a victim of the Ríastrad.
Black vein-like lines started to form around Andy's eyes, traveling quickly down to the remainder of his body. The blood leaking from his openings darkened but continued to run, quickly staining the gurney crimson. His lips turned dark blue and his eyes went dim. His arm fell onto his body with a slap.
The cop shook his head once, twice then three times before slowly reaching for his son's corpse. “Andy...” he called softly. When no reply came he grabbed his son by both shoulders and lifted him into a sitting position. “Andy...” He called again.
Silence.
“Andy...” he sobbed and started to tightly squeeze his eyelids shut in an attempt to stop his tears from falling. He then hugged the body tightly and said nothing.
Aileen stared at her feet, still holding a poker face then looked the cop up and down, stopping at his name tag. “Officer Kent-” She started to say.
“They said you were the best.” He stopped her, his voice trembling. Without letting go of his son, he glared at her menacingly. “They said you could pull off the impossible. Why couldn't you save my boy?” He snapped. “You stood there and did nothing! Why didn't you save him even after he asked you too?”
Aileen didn't respond immediately. She just simply stared back at him. “I'm sorry.” She muttered one more time and started to move towards the door. The nurse followed after her.
“Where are you going?” Kent hollered after her. He released his son from his hug but kept a hand on his shoulder. “You and that white-haired brat murdered my son!” He continued to cry even as Aileen and the nurse advanced down the hallway. A three-man cell of security guards passed by them and entered the room where the cop wailed and Aileen didn't stop until she got into the elevator.
“Doctor?” The nurse stammered. Aileen didn't look at her. “Losing a patient is always hard, especially the first time.” She told her. They sat in silence until the elevator reached the ground floor. They both exited and stopped right in front of it, confusing the next group waiting to get on. “If you ever need someone to talk to...”
Aileen nodded and gave her a weak smile. “I appreciate it.”
The nurse returned the weak smile somewhat awkwardly and walked away. Aileen continued to stand in the middle of the lobby. White-haired girl. Possessed by a demon. The words echoed in her head. “I have to tell Stella.” She mumbled to herself silently and marched for the door.
“Allergic my foot.” The priest stated under his breath while watching her from his car parked at the corner of the block, all windows rolled up. “I just know you're connected to her. Just you wait, God so help me, I'll save all of you, one way or another.” The engine then roared to life and he began to follow the frantic Aileen.