As Nissa gazed out the window, her thoughts drifted to Jasion Caligari once again. She couldn't help but think of his warm smile and charming brown hair. Looking out at the rainy atmosphere of Athlone, she felt a sense of comfort in its familiar, damp surroundings. The town's vast, sparkling waters always had a way of making her feel grounded and steady.
Nissa couldn't help but gaze at Jasion's smile, but soon she felt a curious sensation in her mind. It was a spark of inspiration, a creative impulse that seemed to well up from the cold, verdant earth beneath her feet. Without even realizing it, she had placed her hand on the soil and discovered a small object that tasted unique and had a subtle movement to it. "A gem!" she exclaimed, exhilarated by her discovery, as she lifted the object from the earth and held it in her hand. She placed the gem in her pocket, deep in thought.
Nissa spotted a figure in the distance, and it was none other than Jasion Caligari. Her heart skipped a beat as she nervously glanced at her reflection, taking in her features. She was a confident, intelligent woman who enjoyed the occasional brandy, with long eyelashes and rosy cheeks. Her friends admired her for her artistic talent, and she had once assisted a blind man in crossing the street. Nissa was also known for her excellent penmanship and her skill in baking cakes, one of which was cooling in the fridge. Seeing this handsome young man, she wondered if he had perhaps lost his way.
Sitting by a window, she nudged a table into place and settled down. After what seemed like two hours, Jasion reappeared in the dark and cloudy evening. The yellow streetlights cast a dim glow down the road, illuminating his slow and heavy steps as he dragged a suitcase behind him. Despite the weight he seemed to carry on his shoulders, he moved with a graceful ease that suggested he had been walking for years. He wore black slacks paired with an unbuttoned white shirt that revealed his chest. His wet hair was tousled.. But what Jasion had in store for today was beyond the expectations of even the proudest person who helps elderly people cross the road.
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The sound of rain pounding against the ground was like the croaking of sleeping toads, lulling Nissa into drowsiness. She absently picked up a small guillotine lying nearby and ran her fingers over it.
As she stepped outside, she noticed an unusual glint in Jasion's eye as he approached. "Listen, Nissa," he growled, fixing her with a bold stare that brought to mind images of gentle ostriches. "It's not that I don't care for you, but I want fairness. You owe me 1975 pieces of gold."
Nissa turned back, feeling even more drowsy, still idly playing with the tiny guillotine. “Jasion, please don’t do this,” she pleaded.
They locked eyes with a sense of unease, like two hazy and impressive larvae wriggling at a ominous funeral where a flute played mournfully and two eccentric uncles danced to the beat. In a sudden move, Jasion lunged toward Nissa, attempting to strike her in the face. With swift reflexes, Nissa snatched up the tiny guillotine and brought it down upon Jasion’s skull.
Jasion’s brown lashes trembled and his lips quivered in fear, his wallet clutched tight like a bulbous, brainy book. Then, with an anguished groan, he crumpled to the ground. Moments later, Jasion Caligari lay lifeless. Nissa Howler stepped back inside and poured herself a soothing glass of brandy.
Jasion’s sudden outburst had proven fatal, a fact that the public could perceive. However, Nissa knew that many bizarre occurrences took place in the shadows, each one different from the next, each one imbued with its unique sense of horror and dread. Nissa Howler had her secrets, secrets that no one else would believe, but that were necessary to navigate the darkness.
Nissa had been eagerly expecting the discovery of new secrets for quite some time. In the summer, she had uncovered one, and in the winter, she had barely scratched the surface of another. Although she knew she should document all that she had seen and heard in a proper and detailed manner, there were only four things in her life that she simply couldn’t reveal to anyone. These were the extraordinary things that she wanted to keep hidden from even her closest friends.
Nissa tidied up the aftermath and cast a remorseful glance at Jasion’s lifeless form. He had been the one man she had admired and longed for, but now it was a tragic loss. However, Nissa knew there were other men with potential and unique talents. Jasion was ordinary, with nothing special to offer aside from his good looks. Nissa possessed a rare ability that everyone in the village acknowledged; her beauty was unparalleled which caused suspicion and envy.