Nyx Nyghtingale
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Rough Draft - Suddenly A Succubus Ch. 15
🕑 Added 2024-04-16 14:40:15 +0000 UTC“—and then, when I woke up, my claws were back and I’d ripped through my sheets!”
“I mean, kinda just sounds like a bad dream. Everyone has them.”
“But why drunk driving? Why do I remember it so vividly?”
“Didn't you say you can't get drunk anymore? Maybe it's combining that with your feelings about the party?”
“That's a stretch, Nick, even by my standards.”
“Hey, I'm an architect. If you seriously want someone to examine your dreams, go ask Tessa or something. I hear witches love that stuff.”
The two continued bickering, trying to guess if Tessa seemed like the type to read into dreams, as they continued their walk. It was early in the afternoon, and Amara's hair fluttered in the light autumn breeze. She wore black shorts, her legs visible through the many holes of the distressed denim, and a loose red shirt that hung off one shoulder. All the students they passed wore sweaters, jackets, and other appropriately warm items, but Amara’s body was incapable of feeling cold. Her camera bag hung at her side, its weight comforting her as they turned the final corner, the Jade Palace now in sight.
At least, what remained of it.
The blackened skeleton of the house’s frame still stood, for the most part. One wall had collapsed, and now lay in pieces amongst the ashes, but the others had managed to hold their place. Bits of plumbing were visible, resembling iron veins that had long ago stopped pumping, and Amara also saw hints of where the wiring had previously run. The lot was covered mostly by charred remains of the building, with some larger pieces that survived the fire still visible.
The debris wasn't completely undisturbed. She could see a few sets of tracks leading in and out of the ashes, likely from curious students eager for a thrill. There were also signs of people rummaging through the lot, though she doubted the Palace had held anything worth scavenging.
Amara paused, unknowingly holding her breath as she clutched the strap of her bag. She closed her eyes, trying to keep her memories at bay, and was thankfully interrupted by Nick’s voice.
“Hey, we can still turn back. Chloé will understand if—”
“No.” Amara said quickly. “I need to do this.”
She swallowed nervously, then resumed walking towards the building. The lot had been taped off by the emergency services, but no one was here to enforce it. Over the last week, Amara had hyperfixated on the aftermath, desperate to know what was going to happen, but she’d only heard rumors. Some students said the insurance wasn’t up to date, some thought the building didn’t actually have an owner, but the only concrete fact was that cleanup had yet to begin.
That’s why I’m here. Chloé needs these pictures to help with the fundraising.
Setting her bag down, Amara took a few minutes to set up her camera. She took her time, double and triple checking each step of the process. After a few test shots, she moved closer and ducked under the caution tape.
Looking over the lot, she realized she was standing by the back entrance. The door lay in pieces just past the frame, shattered from her panicked rush to escape. She could still see indentations in the grass, impressions of where she’d landed with Vee. The smell of iron filled her senses, mixing with the smoke drifting off the burning house. Sirens screeched in the distance, the noise mixing with the sickening sound of lumber snapping inside the house. She locked eyes with Vee, bloodied and bruised on the ground, her face—
Shut up! It’s over!
Amara shook her head, the smoke and sirens vanishing as she grabbed her camera. She raised it higher, between herself and her memories, then snapped her first pictures.
*CLICK*
Once she’d gathered enough material, she began circling the house. Just past the frame, she could now see what had previously been the main room. She recognized the furniture, even after it had been warped by the fire, and the loft was clearly visible, though it was now half buried in the rubble. Its railing had been scattered, and she remembered kicking it apart herself, having just smothered the exits in hellfire. Heat began drifting off of the ashes, the fire spreading as she urged it to grow stronger. It was a part of her, a living, breathing weapon that longed to consume everything it—
*CLICK*
She took another deep breath, focusing on the pictures.
The fire’s gone. Keep moving.
Moving towards the front of the house, she saw there was still litter from the party. Cigarettes, red plastic cups, a few discarded costume pieces. The excitement of the party returned, the joy of showing everyone her true form, of reveling in their adoration. Eager hands caressed her tail, her horns, a few trying to cop a feel elsewhere. She’d never felt so desired, though now she felt guilty thinking about such things.
*CLICK*
She raised the camera higher, looking into the kitchen. The breakfast bar was still standing, which was impressive given the destruction everywhere else. Hints of alcohol returned to her lips, every drink graciously donated by a horny college student eager for a dance, if not more. The more she drank, the more she realized it didn’t affect her, which had only intensified her desire to feed.
*CLICK*
I’m more than that. I have to be.
Amara pushed onward, locking her memories away behind her pictures. She knew she was almost finished, and she quickly glanced back at Nick before continuing.
The last side of the building had fared well, all things considered. The bulk of the fire had been in the main room, as the flames hadn’t spread until after they’d left the bedroom. Most of the drywall here had been destroyed, and she could see sections of the floor had collapsed. Through the gaps, she could see the room Vee had pulled her into.
She had replayed her conversation with Vee thousands of times. She’d learned so little, they’d barely spent any time talking, but there was so much wanted to know.
“Stop fucking lying to me!”
Amara winced, the pain from that moment returning. The pain from the magic, the Enochian assaulting her very essence, had paled in comparison to the look on Vee’s face. She moved her hand to her cheek, lingering on that moment, the end of their last conversation.
When she pulled her hand away, it was unexpectedly wet.
*CLICK*
She rested her camera at her hip, held up by its straps, as she moved her hands to her face. She took a deep breath, then brushed away the rest of her tears.
I'm so sorry, Vee.
A hand appeared on her shoulder, pulling her back to her senses. She looked back at Nick, who was opening the camera bag for her. The look on her face was obvious, but he said nothing as he helped her put the camera away.
A few minutes passed in silence before Amara spoke up.
“Hellfire.”
Nick gave her a questioning look.
“My flames, they're hellfire.”
He paused, likely being careful with his words. “How do you figure?”
“I don’t entirely know. Maybe Vee said something while we were… y’know, but it could’ve been something else. There’s still so much I don’t know about everything that’s happening to me, maybe demons just know this shit innately.”
She zipped up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder again before turning to leave the lot. Ducking under the caution tape, her and Nick began the walk back to campus.
“You ever practice with it?” Nick asked.
“Practice? After what happened?” She gestured back at the remains of the Palace, huffing as she picked up her pace. “I'm better off forgetting about it completely.”
Nick jogged after her, matching stride before changing the topic to something else. Amara was more than happy to leave any talk of hellfire, as well as the Palace, behind her.
-
Amara did her best to catch up with all her classwork, but it was still difficult to focus on the mundanity of school. Her teachers had, for the most part, been willing to give her extensions on most of her work, but this was the second time she'd skipped a week of school, and it was taking its toll. If nothing else, it helped to have a distraction from her own thoughts.
She was currently doing her best to engage with a U.S. history lecture. They had recently started a multi-week unit entirely focused on World War II, and were exploring its origins towards the end of the 1930’s.
“—and even though the Anschluss was a direct violation of international treaties that had been established after World War I, Germany faced no consequences. I mentioned earlier the idea of Appeasement, and this is a prime example. In their eagerness to avoid another great war, major players on the international stage—”
Amara yawned as the professor kept talking. She wasn’t entirely uninterested in history, but she much preferred classes with more practical applications. She shifted in her seat, rolling her neck, and glanced around at the other students around her.
Interestingly, she noticed that quite a few of them were sweating. Most of the students with extra layers had removed them, and some were using notebooks to fan themselves. Now that she was looking, she noticed the professor had removed his blazer, and his sleeves had been rolled up.
As the lecture continued, it became clear that the heat was only getting worse. They even paused class momentarily so the professor could help open all the windows, which were old and stubborn. He also clarified that the school was aware of the problem but had no timeline on when it would be fixed. A thought popped into Amara’s head, and she pulled out her phone.
Amara: You have any classes in Brandt today?
Tessa: nah, skipped em
Tessa: why?
Amara: Everyone here is sweating like crazy, and the teacher says the heats busted.
Tessa: so? im not a plumber
Amara: What if it’s a circle? You said the one in Lysander made things really cold, so what if this is like that? But with heat?
Amara: Also plumbers aren’t for heating
Tessa: dam, thats a good idea. count me in
Tessa: tonite? after dinner?
Tessa: electrician watever idc
Amara rolled her eyes, unsure if Tessa was joking or not. Thankfully the heat didn’t affect her, and she stayed comfortable for the rest of class. Soon enough, the lecture ended, and she grabbed her things to leave. She was still texting Tessa, but also had a conversation going with Chloé about the charity. As she left the lecture hall, she accidentally walked into another student, knocking his books to the floor.
“Shit, sorry!” Amara said, shoving her phone in her pocket before kneeling to help clean up.
“Well, what are the odds? Second time now you haven’t watched what you’re stepping into, Amara.”
She froze, finally looking up at who she’d bumped into. Brandon smiled back at her, his smirk bringing back painful memories. They locked eyes, the tension palpable as they paused momentarily. She pulled her hands back, no longer interested in helping him pick up his mess.
“What, here for payback?” She asked.
“I just want to talk, nothing more.” He slowly picked up his books, keeping his voice down as he placed them in his backpack.
Amara fought to hold back her anger, fully aware that they were surrounded by other students. Standing up, she began walking to the exit before looking back at him. “Five minutes.”
He picked up the pace, now matching her stride as they left the building. “I owe you an apology. What I did was wrong, and I accept that.”
“Likely story. You're just upset I escaped.”
“On the contrary, I'm glad you did. It made me reexamine myself, and I realized I didn't like who I was becoming.”
“And all it took was enslaving a fellow student? Truly your empathy knows no bounds.” Amara snapped. She turned off the main path, hoping to avoid accidental eavesdropping as they kept talking.
“Except you're not just a student, we both know that. You're so much more, yet you continue to waste your time with classes and schoolwork!”
Amara glared at him, realizing what he'd just admitted to. “So you're following me?”
“We go to the same college, and we happened to cross paths a few times. Not that weird.” Brandon cleared his throat, pausing for a second. “Why bother with school? You’ve got power that most people can only dream of.”
“Can we cut the bullshit? Tell me why you’re here, we both know it’s not just to get to know me.”
“Alright, fine, I’m not just here to apologize. Though, for what it’s worth, getting to know each other would be nice.” Amara glared at him, refusing to acknowledge his statement. A moment passed before he finally started talking again. “I think we can help each other out.”
“Please, what could you possibly do for me?”
“I can give you my soul.”
Amara stopped in her tracks, shocked at his offer. The look in his eyes told her he was serious, and she grew sick to her stomach even thinking about it. “I don’t do that.”
“C’mon, we both know what you are. Without souls to feed on, you’ll wither away. At the end of the day, you’re a demon.”
“What, you’re an expert on demons now?”
“I’ve done my homework, and everything I’ve read says the same thing. Your body is wired differently, and there’s no fighting biology; sooner or later, you’ll give in to those instincts. Don’t act like it hasn’t already happened.”
“You don’t know anything about me!” Amara hissed.
“People show their true colors when they’re backed into a corner. You're a succubus, right? You didn’t hesitate to strip down when you needed an edge over me. I saw how easy it was for you to get on your knees, to beg for my—”
Amara grabbed his shirt, shoving him against a nearby building. Her eyes flared as she pinned him to the wall. “Finish that sentence and you’ll regret it.”
“I’m offering you a way out, a way to take control of what you are!”
In the corner of her vision, Amara realized that a couple students had slowed down, watching the hushed exchange between her and Brandon. She scared them off with a glare, then turned back to the matter at hand. “I don't know what sick fantasy you're dreaming up, but you can forget it. I'll make this easy; if you come near me or my friends again, you’ll regret it. You have no idea what I'm capable of.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, Amara released her grip and turned away. This time, thankfully, Brandon let her leave.
I just wish I did.
-
Dinner passed slowly and uneventfully, for better or for worse. Amara found it hard to concentrate on eating, on talking with her friends, when so much else was happening. Still, the distraction was nice, and at least she was able to taste food again. Once finished, she left the cafeteria with Tessa and made the quick walk to Brandt Hall.
The building was still open, so Tessa didn't have to pick any locks, but classes had already wrapped up for the day. The girls walked in relative silence for a while before Amara finally spoke up.
“Have you felt any different since we started sleeping together?”
“Like, do I regret it? Are you forgetting how great the sex is?”
“That's not what I mean! I want to know if you've noticed any changes. Weird mood swings, apathy, stuff like that.”
“Nah, I'm the same loveable bitch I've always been.” Tessa smirked as they walked, the two of them wandering the first floor as they looked for the basement. “What's this really about?”
A few moments passed before Amara responded. “I ran into Brandon today.” She saw Tessa's eyes narrow in anger, then quickly added, “He just wanted to talk, I'm fine.”
“What did that little cretin want?”
“First he just wanted to apologize, which I didn't buy for a second, but then he… offered me his soul.”
“Ha! What a loser! All this time, and he still only cares about getting laid. I trust you turned him down?”
“Of course! I feel gross even thinking about it. But still, he kept going on and on about how I'm a demon, that I need souls to survive, and I just… can’t shake the idea. What if I've been taking bits of soul every time I fuck?”
“You're scared I'm losing my humanity?”
“I mean… a little, yeah. Aren't you?”
Tessa shrugged. “Eh, we all die eventually.”
At this point, the girls finally found the door to the basement and started down the stairs. Amara reflexively reached for her fire to light the way, but then hesitated. Instead, she pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight. “But what about the afterlife? My existence proves it's real, aren't you worried about… y’know.”
“You think fucking a demon is gonna keep me out of heaven? Please. I'm a witch, I'm sure they made up their minds the instant I first used magic.”
Walking out of the staircase, Amara found herself staring at a familiar sight. While she’d never been down here before, it resembled the basement under the science building quite a bit. The classrooms down here, however, appeared to be regularly used. The hallways were better lit, even though most of the lights were off at the moment, and a few corners had couches and tables set up.
Still, there were definitely plenty of places to hide a magic circle. After picking a direction and starting their search, Tessa continued talking.
“I still can’t fucking believe Vee. She didn’t even try talking to you! Nooo we’ve got to jump right to banishing your best friend just because they’re different.”
“It’s not like I didn’t provoke her.” Amara said bitterly. “Repeatedly.”
“Okay, but banishment? Murder? She gave you, like, a minute to state your case, and when it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear, too bad! Do you think she knew I was a witch? It’s not like I keep my tattoos hidden, even if the design hides them a bit.”
Before Amara had a chance to respond, something strange caught her attention. She heard a low murmur from further down the hallway, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
“Maybe angels think they’re too high and mighty to bother with witches. Wouldn’t that be wild? Saved purely because she thinks I’m beneath her. I bet she doesn’t even—”
“Shh!”
“Look, I know you’re still upse—
Amara jumped forward, pushing her hand against Tessa’s mouth. The witch glared back before relenting, rolling her eyes slowly. Now able to focus, Amara confirmed her suspicions; there were people up ahead, and they were moving closer.
“We need to hide, now!” Amara pulled Tessa with her, backing down the hallway until they were outside a classroom. Trying the door, she realized it was locked and cursed under her breath. After another, more forceful attempt, the handle snapped and the girls ran inside. Closing the door, Amara pushed them both against the wall so they couldn't be seen from the window. In the hallway, the low murmur grew louder, and soon Amara was able to hear the conversation.
“—just don't let it happen again, okay? People were complaining all day, and we don't need that kind of attention. He's still pissed about the cafeteria; do you know how much that cost?”
“I told you, that wasn't me! The modification went fine, then I covered up the circle. When I left, there wasn't a vine in sight.”
The voices were both masculine. One was deeper, and slightly breathy, while the other had a youthful energy to it. They walked by slowly, the conversation continuing as Amara and Tessa locked eyes, both surprised by what they were hearing.
“I don't give a shit about your excuses, just get your act together. Everything will be ready in a few weeks, and the fewer excuses he has to yell at us, the better.”
“Tch, fine. Sometimes I don’t know why I bother.” The younger man paused to clear his throat, then continued talking. “You hear we might be switching to a new online grading system? I guess the school got some new tech grant, and—”
The conversation grew more distant, and significantly less interesting, as the two men walked further away from the classroom the girls were hiding in. Tessa stood to try and leave the classroom, but Amara held her back. She closed her eyes, focusing on the footsteps in the hall, and waited until the strangers had entered the staircase. She sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders as Tessa pushed into the hall.
“Did you hear that? Did you fucking hear that?!”
“I’m just glad they didn’t see us, that would have been bad.”
“Bad? You’re a fucking demon! You fought an angel and won! I bet you could’ve wiped the floor with those bozos, and then gotten them to spill their secrets!”
“Tess, we know nothing about them! Can they do magic? If so, how powerful is it? And what if they’d seen you? Do you think you could take other witches in a fight?”
“Ugh this is stupid! We finally get a chance to score some real answers, and all we have now are more questions.” Tessa pushed past Amara, walking deeper into the basement. “And what's happening in a few weeks? Do we have a fucking time limit now?”
Amara ran after Tessa, matching her pace as they continued talking. “We have more information, and that’s never a bad thing. They’re definitely planning something, and now we know we need to pick up the pace.”
Tessa’s tattoos lit up, and she started tracing her hand across the wall as she walked. Every few moments she would pause, tap a few bricks, then move forward. Amara could tell she was still frustrated, and didn’t know what she could say to smooth things over, so she joined the search for an illusory wall.
Minutes passed, the only noise being the girls testing various walls for illusions. When they were about halfway through the hallway they’d heard the strangers leave, Tessa finally spoke up. “Did one of those voices sound familiar to you? The younger one?”
Amara paused her search, replaying the conversation in her head. “No, I don’t think so. It sounded like they were teachers, though.”
“Teachers… teachers…” Tessa mumbled to herself, lost in thought as she continued tapping on the new section of wall she’d just gotten to. After a few seconds, the wall started glowing, the light forming into magical runes. Tessa seemed completely oblivious, her focus turned inward as she tried to place the stranger's voice.
“Um, Tess?”
The witch shook her head briefly then looked back at Amara, who was pointing at the glowing wall. “Oh shit! We found it!”
“Hey, you found it. I'm just the bodyguard, remember?”
Tessa refocused her attention on the wall, finishing the process of dispelling the illusion. When the wall finally vanished, they were able to see the room it was hiding. It resembled the rest of the basement, with gray concrete floor covering the entire length, though it was obviously less trafficked. The back wall, instead of a more modern white brick design, was instead covered by old, red bricks, which were definitely showing their age. The room wasn't very big, and was clearly designed for one specific purpose; to hide the large magic circle that was now visible on the floor.
“Whew, you feel that?” Tessa asked, fanning herself with her shirt.
“Living hellfire, remember?”
“Right, you’re too hot for your own good. Always forget that.” The witch moved into the room, carefully tracing the outside of the circle as she took it in. After her first lap, she pulled out her notebook and started copying the circle. As she worked, she continued mumbling to herself about what she was seeing.
While this happened, Amara continued searching up and down the hall, looking for any possible clues about the strangers that had passed them earlier. Other than a cozy studying area, and a few more classrooms, nothing stuck out to her as particularly interesting. As she slowly wandered back to her friend, she realized that she hadn’t manifested any of her demonic aspects. She started to reach for them, but just like in the staircase, she hesitated.
Can I distance myself from them? Do I even want to?
After a moment, she decided to pull out her tail. While physically hiding it under sweaters had made it uncomfortably cramp, she’d begun to notice that she got antsy when her demonic aspects stayed hidden for too long. Peering back inside the room, she saw Tessa was still busy sketching, and past experience told her she would be at it for a while.
Amara leaned against one of the walls opposite the room they’d discovered and slid down to the floor. She pulled out her phone, checked her socials, but knew there wasn’t much to see. Everyone was still mostly talking about the fire, and she didn’t need to do anymore work for Chloé’s campaign at the moment. Pocketing her phone, she instead found herself staring at her hands again, her thoughts wandering back to her new shapeshifting abilities. With nothing else to do, she began testing them again.
She watched as the strange, bony ridges returned to her hands. Her knuckles grew sharp and rigid, the low light revealing the red undertones in them. She pushed the chitinous material further, covering her fingers and turning them into claws, before lightly dragging them across her arm to get a feel for how sharp they were.
How much can I change?
Moving her tail closer, Amara laid it in her lap and studied the tip. Focusing once more, she tried to manifest the same kind of exoskeleton. She seemed to have more control with more practice under belt, and soon her tail had the same bony material as her hands. She urged the material to form into a point, and watched as an impressively long barb grew from the tip of her tail. With another thought, the chitin shifted until one long edge had sharpened, forming a makeshift blade. She playfully swiped her tail through the air, smirking at the satisfying swish it made, then angled her new knife-tail towards one of her palms. She was curious how sharp this strange material could be, and tested it by running the blade across her hand. It effortlessly cut into her skin, which surprised her, and she quickly pulled her tail back to stop the experiment.
Droplets of blood formed along the cut, slowly dripping down her palm. Not ready for this, Amara began digging through her backpack to try and find some kind of tissue. It only took her a few moments to find some, but when she looked back at her palm, the cut had vanished. Surprised, she hesitated for a moment before slowly cleaning her hand on the tissue.
I guess that explains why I healed so fast after Halloween… Fuck, didn't Vee stab me? I remember the sword pushing completely through my shoulder, but it hasn't hurt at all since then. How did I forget that?
After cleaning the blood off her hand, she crumpled the tissue up and glanced back up at Tessa. Her friend was loosely holding her notebook, eyebrows furrowed as she stared directly at her.
“Oh, you're finished?” Amara asked.
“Not quite, I got distracted by… what exactly are you doing? ‘Cuz it looked like you turned your tail into a knife and stabbed yourself. Since when can you do that?”
“Since now, apparently. I was just trying to figure out what my shapeshifting limits are, but then I didn't know how sharp this weird exoskeleton could get, so I— look, it's nothing. What have you learned about the circle?”
Tessa hesitated, giving Amara a concerned look before finally speaking up. “Nothing groundbreaking, sadly. I found the modifications they made, it's pretty similar to the circle under the cafeteria, but no new information.” She closed her notebook after making a few last-second marks, then walked back into the hallway to restore the illusion.
“Dang, I was hoping this time would be different.” Amara stood up, removing all the chitin from her body before demanifesting her tail.
“How am I supposed to focus on classes now that we know there’s a cult running around? I have no idea what to do next!” Tessa grumbled as the illusory wall reappeared. With a huff, she threw her backpack around her shoulder and joined Amara in heading for the exit.
“You? Focus on classes? I didn’t know you were capable of such a thing.” Amara chuckled under her breath, ignoring the dirty look from Tessa. “What are you skipping tomorrow?”
“Psych and Chem in the morning, English after lunch, and then I’m—” Tessa suddenly froze, her eyes wide in surprise.
“Tess? Y’alright?”
“The voice from earlier! That was my English teacher!”
“Shit, really? That’s a huge lead!”
“This is perfect! We barge into his office, you scare his pants off, and he tells us everything he knows!” Tessa punctuated her sentence by punching the inside of her palm, clearly excited by the idea.
“Absolutely not!”
“C’mon, you're a demon! What could possibly go wrong?”
“Everything! What if he attacks me? Then I have to fight back, and risk losing control in the middle of school. Plus, I don't even know if I'd win, we still don't know if he has any magic!”
Tessa groaned as she pushed open the door to the stairwell. “What do we do then? Ask nicely?”
Amara went quiet, thinking about their options. “We have the element of surprise. They don't know we're onto them, and they don't know what we are. We should try to hold onto that advantage as long as possible. You said you have English tomorrow? I'll come with, maybe we can learn something by watching or tailing him.”
“Really Amara? Tail him?” the witch said, rolling her eyes.
Amara chuckled. The pun had been entirely an accident, but she was happy to roll with it. “With a good plan, I bet I could make his life a living hell. Unless you'd rather I wing it?”
“Ugh, I can't believe we're friends.”
The girls spent the rest of the walk speculating what the cult might be up to. Despite living on opposite ends of campus, Amara refused to let Tessa walk home alone, and she had a feeling the witch appreciated it. She stayed for a few minutes, briefly catching up with Tessa's partners before leaving to return home.
The campus was fairly quiet, and she did her best to think about Chloé's charity and this strange new cult. Still, despite her better judgment, her thoughts began to wander. It was a downward spiral she was used to, and she picked up her pace as she felt her emotions building. After making it home, she leaned her forehead against the front door, her breath catching. She squeezed her eyes tight, hoping to fight back her tears, but she couldn't stop them all. She stayed there, leaning against the door, for several minutes before managing to pull herself together.
Slowly getting undressed, Amara set an alarm for the morning, but hesitated before turning it off. She opened her message history with Vee, scrolling through the dozens of texts that had gone unanswered, refreshing the page in desperate hope of seeing a response. When nothing appeared, she spent the next half hour drafting another text.
Amara: I'm sorry.
Plugging in her phone, she crawled under the covers and tried to get some sleep. It took several hours, and she had to flip the pillow to avoid sleeping on the fresh tear stains, but eventually the night took her.
-
Amara leaned in, pushing her lips against her girlfriend’s before eagerly grabbing her ass. The two made out for several minutes, slowly grinding against each other, before breaking apart. They whispered for a moment, planning to go somewhere more private to have some real fun, then got in the car. As the sounds of the party faded into nothing, she pulled onto the main street and floored it. Her car was top of the line, the best money could buy, and she loved showing off what it could do.
Soon the only light around them came from the occasional streetlamp. She loved counting how long it took to pass each one, the power of her car thrumming under her control. In the passenger seat, her girlfriend laughed as she opened her camera. She adjusted her hair, checked her eyeliner, and generously reapplied her lipstick; they both knew how much Amara loved watching it come off.
She reached over, resting a hand on her date’s leg. She gripped it tight, savoring the feel of her soft skin under her fingers. She massaged her thigh slowly, watching as her girlfriend opened her legs ever so slightly, her bright red thong visible each time they passed a light. Her hand moved higher, squeezing and massaging the delicate skin, before they brushed against the silky fabric of her date’s panties. She gasped, the touch exciting her, before suddenly slapping Amara’s hands away, though not without a playful smirk.
When she spoke, the words were far away, garbled and incomprehensible.
Amara sighed, knowing they’d be home soon and the real fun could begin. She grabbed her drink, a half empty can of beer in the cupholder, and slammed the rest of it. She couldn’t taste it much anymore, the mixed drinks from earlier made sure of that, but it kept her primed and eager for the coming romp. She threw the can behind her, hearing it rattle as it landed amongst the others.
The road suddenly started shaking, and she assumed she must have hit a rumble strip. Without warning, however, her girlfriend screamed and grabbed the handle above her. Amara looked back at the road, but it was nowhere to be seen. A sea of grass and gravel stretched in front of her, and she tried to slam the breaks, but an unexpected ditch disoriented her for a moment. The car slammed into the edge of a protective barrier, and that’s when the rattling stopped. The car was airborne, just for a second, as Amara realized they were headed directly into a river.
The front of the car slammed into the water, throwing Amara forward as the airbag erupted in front of her. Instead of hitting it, however, her momentum continued. She flew through the airbag, flinching as she approached the windshield, but she harmlessly passed through that as well. She flipped forward, spinning briefly before coming to a stop a few feet above the surface of the river. When she turned to face her car, she saw it was starting to sink into the river, and she thought she could make out two shapes in the front seats.
Despite only being a few feet away from the vehicle, Amara felt like she was seeing it through a lens of some kind. It seemed so distant, the entire scene more like a painting than the late-night tragedy she’d just been living. The edges of her vision started to blur, and she shook her head in confusion.
It wasn’t her vision that was blurring, it was the ground and the sky around her. She looked up and watched as the night sky slowly shifted away from its midnight hues. It grew lighter, streaks of gray and white filtering into the skybox as she watched, and she felt herself floating higher and higher. The strange colors of the world above continued to blur, to pull her closer as an endless landscape of grayish void called to her.
A strange static filled her ears, starting with a small hum before building to something more recognizable. She realized it was rain, a storm off in the distance, with the occasional low rumble of thunder confirming her suspicions. Why did this sound so familiar? She reached for the sky, eager to answer its call as the sounds of rain grew louder, and just as she touched it, everything around her vanished.
-
Her eyes opened, her room already filling with the dim light of dawn. She groaned, pulling her pillow close as she wished she could continue sleeping, but she knew it was pointless. After a moment of defiance, she relented and began stretching out her arms to wake them up. A loud scraping sound caught her attention, and when she looked to her side, she saw her wing had gouged another hole in the wall.
My wings are out? How? I didn’t go to sleep like this…
She flexed her tail, and sure enough, it rose out of the covers to greet her. She pushed her hands through her hair, confirming her horns were also present.
I’ve never manifested my true form in my sleep before. Is this natural? Is this the demon equivalent of wetting the bed? I guess it’s better than accidentally burning my covers to a crisp.
Amara groaned, pulling herself up before sliding to the edge of her bed. She reached for her phone, almost scared to check the time, when she paused. Her phone was exactly where she’d left it, plugged in on her nightstand, but it was making noise. Specifically, the app she’d downloaded to play thunderstorm sounds while she slept. She picked it up, increasing the volume as she listened, and realized it matched the noises in her dream exactly.
Comments
Nyx Nyghtingale
That's a great idea! I'll definitely include that in the final version :)
AFanofRoses
I don't have any high-level criticism to offer. I like the building intrigue, I like that there are still new wrinkles being added into the plot, and I love the continued characterization of Tessa and Amara. The fact that one texts in complete sentences and the other can't be bothered is an incredible detail! I would propose a small change in the following passage: "Every few moments she would pause, tap a few bricks, then move forward. Amara could tell she was still frustrated, and didn’t know what she could say to smooth things over, so she joined the search for an illusory wall." I suggest you replace that 'and' with a 'but.' I think the 'but' would evoke more helplessness / frustration, like she's trying to find something to say but failing.
Nyx Nyghtingale
I can definitely try to put more conversational anchors in! I try to streamline as much as possible, so they have a habit of being cut.
Dadhiker
I found the conversations easier to follow in this chapter. Thank you. May I suggest that after two or three exchanges that you insert a "he said" or "she replied" to keep the orientation of the dialog. This is especially important when there is more than 2 people in the scene. One more comment: there last dream scene in this chapter was preceded by: "and eventually the night took her." I found this to be very effective. Your story narration is excellent in all of your chapters, but I think this chapter is one of your better chapters in terms of clarity of expression. I love the details.
