At The End Of Their Tunnel Vision

Chapter IX

“I’m excited about your tomorrow’s debut, girly. I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun working together.” Her new boss said with a glee sparkling in her eyes.

As the satyr showed her the securities locker room, giving her own equipment and locker. When Ailey saw the confusion why they needed a high volt stun gun and a shock baton, her boss explained that there were occasional cases of break in, especially at night. Since the building was the main hub of Lun&Sol Corporation, they were at higher stakes of getting inside jobs and attempted sabotage of the main server room. So no wonder her boss was aiming for trustworthy creatures.

Ailey informed her she was a level 1. Meaning her work revolves around the cctv footage look out and having a round with her boss in their respective areas.

Just hearing the task of her new job intimidated her. Narelle was so used in her waitressing work that she always had to move around and includes with a lot of talking. From having a job that would only revolve around in sitting at one place watching, the monitor looked boring. She wondered how would she even do in this work.

After her new boss filled her with the short rundown of her job, Ailey guided her back to the front area of the building. There she saw a lamia occupying the reception. Ailey held her shoulder, guiding her closer through the counter. The Lamia noticed them as usual, the reaction of woman towards her immediately went into disgust and contempt.

“Hello, darling. Please stop scowling or the wrinkles on your forehead will definitely stay permanent.”

The lamia with an orangey-red hair ignored Ailey’s warning as the lamia’s scowl went sharper, before shifting the lamia’s slitted eyes towards her boss. “A succubus? Really?”

Ailey stood beside her while one of her arms rested on her shoulders. “I don’t see a problem why I can’t add girly to my squad.”

A loud rattle resonated from the lamia. “You’ll regret having a w***e in the circus freaks you're collecting.”

“Nah, the only freaks here are the closed minded dimwit bitches like you.” Ailey pointed. Before she groaned in an exasperated way. “Please be professional and do your job, Audrey. I need you to enter the name Narelle Wiltshire in your database and remember her face from now on.”

The lamia moved and a fast typing tap of keyboard chimed in the background before the lamia named Audrey looked at them again. “Done. Now leave me be.” The lamia hissed at them.

Ailey ushered her to walk again by towing her as she walk towards the exit. “Don’t worry girly. Her kind of woman are only insecure. They didn’t know the difference between a woman of standards from a w***e,” she said with a reassuring nudge on her shoulder.

Oh, gosh. This satyr giving her butterflies in her tummy. Ailey was the first one to defend her like that.

“Thank you, ma’am.” She scratched her cheeks with her index finger.

Ailey stopped beside the exit and gave her a gentle look. “You’re welcome, girly. Be here before eight tomorrow so I can brief you more about your work and officially introduced you to others. For now, go home and take a good rest. Because tomorrow’s your big day.” Ailey winked at her before she sauntered back down the corridor.

“You got the job?” The guard from earlier asked as she walked out of the building.

Narelle only nodded as an answer.

“That’s good to hear. We just lost two men after the big boss caught them last Monday. Name’s Richard, by the way. I am the morning guard at front so you will be seeing me a lot every morning.” Richard said, while leaning on the post just beside the entryway. Richard had a blue eyes and blond hair and appeared to be in his mid-thirties. No defining features on him. He looked like a normal human. But she couldn’t be sure if Richard was purely a human being.

“Nice meeting you, Richard. Please don’t be offended but I want to ask something.”

Richard only chuckled. “Is it about my species’ classification?” And she nodded. “I’m a human.” Oh, only few humans lived here since humans were still peeved or harbored hatred towards the monster race. “I have a hunch I’m the first human you interacted here in Redlane, right?”

She took a step back. Narelle remembered humans were more susceptible to falling under the effects of succubus pheromones. Even though she was consistent upon taking her meds, it was better taking extra precautions upon her every interaction.

“Yeah. I’m being cautious. Since I am a succubus. So I’ve got to go.” Narelle wave in an awkward motion before turning around and ran. She only stopped when she reached the intersection waiting for the traffic lights turned into red so she could get across the street where the bus stop was.

The downside of losing her job at the pub was the distance she had to traverse to reach the heart of the city. Redlane was one of the states in USA that governed by the monster, changing the former name when the monsters got the hold of the state after a decade of service. Declaring this state as one of the monsters’ turf. The system was still corrupted, though. One thing that couldn’t be erased in the society.

When she got home, she immediately sent a text to her roommate that she got the job. Maybe she could ask Elliot about her job later when he got home. So she wouldn’t feel too intimidated when her boss introduced her tomorrow.

For the whole day, she busy herself with her household chores. She did their laundry, which included her new uniform. Narelle didn’t want to smell misty and got some itchy rashes wearing the unwashed fabrics. While the clothes were spinning inside the washer, she pulled out the cleaning supplies inside the cabinet in the laundry room and began her cleaning. She took a break when her body clock grumbled, indicating it was noon and time to refill her stomach with nourishment. Which was only bread and strawberry jam. After the break, she resumed her cleaning inside the kitchen. Afraid of getting reprimanded again by her clean freak/control freak roommate.

Whenever Narelle clean Elliot’s room, she always did it fast. Not because of the memories of their first meeting. No. It was the glass cabinet at the corner of the room. Where Elliot kept what he claimed his collection. He never told her what precisely the porcelain dolls that dressed with handmade crafted clothes. And under the shoes, a name curved on each doll. The cabinet was brimming with dolls until she came and ruined most of it.

Soon she realized in horror what was the purpose of these innocent-looking porcelain dolls really were. It happened three months after the incident. Narelle was cleaning his barely touched room. The room was even in immaculate condition beside the few specks of dust here and there. A simple wet rag could handle. She got curious and looked at his study table. From the sewing material she saw in the cabinet, she discovered Elliot had a peculiar hobby of knitting and sewing for a man. And then her eyes turned towards the new glass cabinet with the remaining survivors of porcelain dolls.

Tempted of taking a closer look at the dolls, she pulled the handle of the cabinet only to find it lock. Soon she heard small voices of asking for help upon looking up the eyes of porcelain dolls glowed. The dolls were alive. And begging for help. That they were imprisoned by Elliot. Taking their soul out of their body, transferring their soul inside the inanimate object.

But her fear towards the Corrupted overthrown her desire to help. She refused. After discovering her roommate could trap souls inside an inanimate object. Narelle would share the same fate these porcelain dolls experiencing. So she went out of the room, crying while continuously saying sorry. Guilty of her inability to save those poor souls.

The next time she went inside the room, a note left on top of Elliot’s study table. The note was addressed to her. Warning her about not believing the voices from the dolls. Don’t touch the dolls no matter what.

Narelle did what Elliot warned her. She ignored the voices coming from the cabinet. It became clear the reason why Elliot never slept was because of the voices from the porcelain dolls could get really nasty with their insults.

So whenever she clean his room, a question always returned. Why did Elliot had a collection of dolls with a soul in it?

While wiping the window, she noticed the dolls were quiet today. She shrugged her shoulder, continuing her task. When she check the trash bin beside the study table, she heard a creak. Whirling her head around she saw a black cat, a pair of mismatched color eyes, staring at her.

“Hello?”

The cat only meowed at her as a response. Narelle moved towards the cat with caution. Reaching her left hands in a deliberate stretched aiming to pet the cat. The cat got impatient and walked towards her outstretched hands. Nudging its face at her hands. Narelle pet the cat, she petted the cat. A f*****g cat. Inside Elliot’s room. Oh, f*****g hell, how could she throw the cat out if it’s so cute.

She carried the cat in her arms, closing the window. That might be where the cat entered. Narelle walked out of her roommate’s room and went straight into the sofa. Examining the cat for any indication it was owned by somebody. When didn’t found any collar or mark under the belly, she guessed the cat was micro-chipped.

Narelle hugged the cat when it began purring. Oh, no. She couldn’t keep the precious fur ball. Elliot would definitely punish her. But the kitty was so cute.

The cat distracted her the whole afternoon. Purring on top of her belly while she laid on the couch. While her hands continued petting the cuddly feline.

A nudge at her shoulder woke her up, and she saw the familiar blue eyes of her roommate that she remembered she had another company. She jerked up, sitting and her eyes frantically scanning the room.

“Looking for this little s**t?” Elliot hissed, and the cat hissed back. The cat was hovering when her roommate had a firm grab behind the furry’s nape.

“Elli” she stuttered.

“Why is there a filthy fur in my apartment, Narelle?”

Narelle tried snatching the cat, but Elliot moved his hands away. The cat was clearly getting aggravated by dangling in Elliot’s mishandled. A pained whined from the cat suddenly flare up her defiance.

“Your hurting my baby!”

Elliot had a surprised look on his face. His head turned towards the cat, glaring as if the poor animal offended him, before he stared at her again. “I do not get that, Narelle. Why are you treating this as if this abomination came out of your womb?” He even shook the cat which her cuddly fur ball hated when the cat yelped a meow that went into hissing.

Narelle stood up, squaring up at her tall roommate. “Give my baby. NOW!” she commanded, placing both of her arms on top of her waist while her eyes staring straight at her scowling roommate.

“Stop this f*****g nonsense. This offending creature will not stay in my apartment.” He took a step away from her a began walking towards the door. “We had a rule in this apartment. I established that rule for a f*****g reasons, Narelle.”

Ah, hell no. Narelle jumped as high as she could, hooking her arms around her roommate’s neck. Elliot staggered at the impact of her body. But he was quick at steadying himself. Elliot groaned, ignoring her added weight on his back and continued his march onwards through the door.

“No! My baby! Don’t throw him you control freak.” Narelle screamed. Determined to stop her roommate from throwing the cat. “Why did you hate them so much? I don’t get it. I just wanted a cat. I always wanted to have a pet cat.” Narelle wailed.

Elliot stopped. “Enough, Narelle.” The sound of his voice didn’t hold any emotions. Even the usual anger faded, left without a trace. “Do you not have enough already? Do you always think the things I do not want is because of some petty resentment? Have you ever thought that maybe the reason why I do not want them is simply because I can not have them.” Elliot stretched his neck up, looking up, and sighed. “Get off of me, succubus.” He uttered without any hint of concern or regard.

A stab. A cold, sharp stab sent straight through her chest. Narelle slid off her roommate’s back. Stumped. She was locked in her place. Staring at the floor. The door opened and afterwards a click shut her last flow of defiance. She waited, but nothing came back afterwards.

Narelle realized not only the cat was gone, but Elliot also didn’t come back.

Her legs soon gave out as she crumbled into a silent cry. A cat. A f*****g black cat came and their relationship got tested. Her tears were rolling down at her face. She got greedy as–always.

Her sob went louder than her chest got tighter, constricted by the pain and guilt. Elliot always listened with her wishes and she got used to it by now. Disagreement was around them when their wants didn’t match. At the end of those disagreements, Elliot would end up relenting. He always listened to her. And yet, when it was her turn to listen, she denied him.

Elliot must be disgusted with her. With how greedy she became. She was filled with shame at how immature she acted. She wanted a pet without considering what her roommate might feel. He was right. There was a reason why he put those three rules on her. Because she had to learn her place. Everybody had boundaries and limitations.

The irony of her situation right now might make the monster she resented the most laughed at her. Narelle experience how it felt when boundaries were crossed and stumped like a dirt. When her kindness was abused to the point, nothing left for herself.

Narelle continued her crying to the point she felt raw from the shame of her mistake. She was so in deep in her self wallowing that she failed to notice the presence of her roommate. That, she thought, wouldn’t return for a while.

Cold hands touched her head. But she only cowered in shame. Clutching tightly herself in a curved position. Elliot didn’t utter any words for comfort. She understood if he didn’t say anything nice to her. Her actions were awful, after all. She didn’t deserve any of his comfort.

Elliot only spoke to inquire her about being carried in the bathroom. And she only nodded. She didn’t question him why or cared what he would do to her.

Upon reaching the bathroom, Elliot carefully placed her inside the tub, turning the water on leaving it running. He left her in the bathroom, alone with her thoughts.

This was the first time Elliot actually retaliated in their disagreement. And the impact sure sent her into a paralysing daze. Her thoughts were running wild from the direction of the steep road of regret and self-deprecation.

Elliot came back, turning the water off. The warm water reached at her chest. She didn’t move, even though her mind screamed at her. She heard him twisting something and in front of her she watched the clear liquid poured into the water. When Elliot was done pouring whatever liquid into the tub, he nudge her to move forward. She obliged. Some of the water overflowed when Elliot lowered himself, dipping with her in the tub.

A shaky breath came out from her when he wrapped his arms around her. One arm wrapped in front of her clavicle while the other around her abdomen.

Wrapped around him, she just noticed his body was ridiculously cold. As if he stayed out of the street for a long period of time.

Narelle finally spoke the only word that was clear in her mind. “I’m sorry.”

Elliot inhaled audibly, as if he just resurfaced out of the deep dive he plunged into. He leaned his forehead on the back of her head. “Indeed, you should feel sorry, Narelle.” And he pulled her closer, embracing her tighter. “There were reasons why I live alone in this corner of the city, Narelle. Reasons why I hardly interacted with other creatures. I am a Corrupted. Do you even know or hear a corrupted having a long conversation with anyone?” Elliot stopped speaking. She watched the erratic ripples beside her continued forming. Until the rhythm of waves slowed from ascending. “Corrupted is only an echo of their past. A haunting resentment, restless guilt, and a mindless wrath. We were meant to die. But for some twisted reason, even death denied our existence. Few of us even made through the maddening process. Barely having a control. Barely having a choice of our own. And even the piece of free will we achieved, we were still damned by the haunting voices. The voices that hated everything. And it’s exhausting when all the corruption–the voices wanted is to annihilate everything.”

If Narelle didn’t drain all of her tears before, she was so sure her tears must be gushing right now.

None of them moved. Only the occasional sounds of dropping water and their breaths resonated inside the bathroom.

“There were times, so many times, I could not make a difference between my thoughts and the voices, Narelle. I do not want to lose my own thoughts, my identity, my existence, but I am so f*****g tired.” Elliot lugged out a sigh. “So please. Just please listen to me. You had to be patient for me, Narelle. As long as you can. Because for some unexplained reason the voices are tolerable in your presence.”

What?