At The End Of Their Tunnel Vision

Chapter V

Narelle learned the hard way about the nature of honesty. It was a double-edge sword. And depending on which angle the receiver of the attack acquired would result from either getting slashed open or a blunt hit.

And right now Roan looked as if her ego had been minced by the simple noun Elliot called her out.

Amazonians were known for one of the prideful species. Since they rebelled against the mightiest offsprings of gods. From the male demi gods that disregarded them being their equals and enslaving them. For being a woman. Yeah, Elliot was right. Gods were the biggest asshole in the universe for creating more assholes.

Roan was fuming based on how narrowed her eyes and eyebrows from the glare full of rage boring straight into her roommate. Elliot definitely hit the sore spot.

“So, the little angel knows how to bite. But you don’t scare me. Not when a husk is the one talking.”

Elliot showed his derision from the amazonian when he made a sudden sound through his nose when he breathe out. He finally regarded Roan, which he failed to do before from any of the other staff who questioned him. But his lips stretched into a mad grin, flashing his unusual set of jagged sharp teeth. “Oh, you should be. After all, I do not appreciate a mewling quim like you that could not take a f*****g hint.”

She remembered that looked he was giving at the amazonian. Elliot’s expression glinted with animosity. She saw when he was having an attack. But his iris were pure white. Hollowed white.

“Elliot?” Narelle called. The expression changed and went into indifference. He heard him. Yet, his iris remained into the white that for some reason sending a chills straight through her spine. There was an alarming gut wrenching feeling that warned her if she didn’t do anything, Elliot would definitely do something related to violence.

Elliot regarded her by moving his eyes in her direction. “I am fine, bunny. I told you I will behave, did I not?”

Roan was about to say something when Claire slammed the tip jacket towards Roan arms. Creating a loud slapping noise. “Aye! You big doofus. Bus your damn table.” Claire, the stern elf in their group, glared and bellowed at Roan with her thick, rigid accent. Roan took the tip jacket with a grumble and began walking away. Claire swiveled her head in her direction. Pointing at her. “And you! Give your man another drink. He’s a customer, not a sit heater.” Then Claire took the seat after Roan left.

Narelle grabbed another glass, pouring the amber liquid.

“Aye, you two lovebirds better go back to your nest if all ya gonna do is loiter here.”

“Why do you want us to go all of the sudden?”

“Because I don’t want your whiney flippers. Whining about being late again.”

“Tch. You're just disposing me to save Narelle’s ass again.”

“I’ll shut my trap if I were you, feather duster.”

She rolled her eyes as she ignored the two women as they began bantering. Narelle placed the glass on top of the new coster and pushed the drink forward. The new color of Elliot’s iris really creeped her out. As if the person in front of her now was different. He looked distant as he stared at his phone.

Then a loud slam on the hard wood of the bar counter pulled her attention away from studying the peculiar changes from her roommate. She watched in silence as Thalia stumped away from the bar and marched out of the pub. And Allen followed, saying an awkward goodbye, which made Kyle pout, since they were in the middle of their heated conversation about the new instalment of some game franchise they got hooked into.

“Now they are out of the way. I suggest you go home too, Ezikiel.” Claire gave her roommate a side eye.

There was a shift in the atmosphere. “I have not heard that name for decades. Or saw a familiar face for two centuries.” Elliot turned his face, looking at the elf. “I am here for a reason, Claudia.”

Clair's face instantly shifted into a sour look. “Utter that name again and I’ll call your damn father.”

“Oh, come on, pointy ears. As if he will even come here to fetch me.” Elliot leered into a terrifying smirk. “Wish you luck in making him reel his two wheels from here.”

Narelle couldn’t comprehend what they were even talking about anymore. Claire knew her roommate for some reason and purposely made Roan busy by doing the rest of the work the elf left.

“So, the rumors were true.”

“No longer a rumor if the proof was here, right?”

“Whatever. So you're playing house with one of my coworker?”

“Ah, yes. Narelle, my roommate, got into some sort of trouble. I thought I could patch it out somehow. But since you are here, I doubt you will even listen.”

Claire appeared even annoyed. “What kind of trouble? You’re aware she is a succubus. I can’t think of anymore trouble she can create since that’s what their whole species entails.”

The look on Elliot’s face expressed he was displeased with the accusations thrown at her. As his pupil turned into a sharp slit. “Why do I even bother? Course, you are the same with those insufferable simpletons that continued persevering.”

“Last thing I know about you, abomination, was being a wrathful entity. Yet, what is this? A corrupted being attached to the lowest of the scums. Is she too good in bed for you that you had to parade your hideous form here?”

Elliot kept looking at the elf for the whole duration of their unexpected dispute. While occasionally tilting his glass towards his lips. And after Claire’s last part of the statement, he began sniggering at the elf. Elliot's white iris glinted into an eerie amusement. “Oh, yes. She was better than any of you. Far more moral and decent, unlike a back stabbing filth that was willing to be a concubine just to prove she could do better than her sister.”

Everything escalated into an oppressing atmosphere that even she was got dragged into. She could see the discordance in Claire's body as she fidget from holding her anger. Her fist showed the sign of the urge to hit Elliot. While her jawline visibly moving.

“How dare you!” Claire looked at her in pure rage. “Get this abomination out of here or you will be fired. Narelle!”

“Pathetic. You truly are a pathetic piece of garbage.” Elliot looked at her. And she equally met his eyes. “Narelle, go grab your things.” But she felt her body lock from the sheer shock of the turn of events. When he spoke again, he put a mild authority in the tone of his voice. “Now!” Her body jolt. And went straight into the backdoor.

After grabbing her things, and went back out. Elliot was now standing, clutching his suit jacket. While Claire remained perched on the seat. Claire stared at her upon walking towards her roommate.

“Never set foot in this pub again, succubus.”

Narelle halted her steps. Startled by what the elf told her. Claire couldn’t take her job away just because her roommate aggravated her. Her hands clench tighter on the strap of her duffle bag. “What?”

“You heard how your boyfriend insulted me.”

Claire's statement made her blinked. The sensation from her senses slowly leaving her but her sight began narrowing from the elf. The creature became the focal point of her unrestrained anger. “You can’t blame me for being offended when you are the one started calling names. His name is Elliot you, b***h!” She watched in satisfaction when Claire gaped at her, totally flabbergasted. But she was far from going calm. Some of the chattering stopped from the sudden rise of the volume of her response. “Fine, you want me out of here. I can do that. But not because of a slutty elf ordered me. I f*****g resign, you f*****g b***h! No wonder Harold disgusted with you when you can’t even kept your locker from leaking your cheap whoring scent.” Narelle sneered. She grabbed Elliot’s hand and marched towards the exit of the pub.

Narelle aggressively open the door. And the cold hit her fuming face. Her steps begun treading the same path she was so used to taking. As the rush of adrenaline cut off, the gravity of her action swarmed up, gathering on her shoulder until the invisible, invasive baggage grew heavier. Her feet slipped from the stepping with too much pressure. And her mind, filled with static broken noise of her nagging thoughts, became too much for her to handle. It became too late for her to recuperate her balance in time. She only expected her face planting straight into the hard ground. But a hard tag from her right hands and a hand holding her shoulder steady her equilibrium.

Her sight was blurry and focused on the concrete floor beneath her shoes. Wet splotches stained the dry floor and an unrestrained shaky gasped past her throat. “I-I–I lost, I l-lost my j-job, Elli.”

She felt him pull her closer, making her head stumble on his chest. And the hand on her shoulder encircled around her back. While he continued holding her right wrist. “I know, bunny. I apologize for compromising your work because of my behavior.” His voice sounded so remorseful.

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes from stopping the tears from leaking anymore. She took a step closer and her other hand clutched on the fabric in front of her. The heaviness was getting worst. As the anxiety spike added to the kick of her already muddled mind. “Please, please take me away. I–I don’t w-want to go home yet. P-please Elli. Take me somewhere else.”

Elliot gently released her wrist as he carefully locking her body in his secure embrace. An abrupt pull overwhelmed her senses. One second, she felt intense pressure, as if sinking in an absolutely fast pace of being yanked down. Then, the next second, she was being pushed like a bullet out of the barrel. She felt impact but Elliot held her absorbing knock back effect. But her knees gave out, making her slid. Elliot was quick enough to catch her.

Narelle let Elliot carry her trembling form. After Elliot put her down on what, she presumed a couch and about to leave her grip on his clothes tighten. She continued shaking her head when her roommate tried prying her hold off of his clothes. Until he gave up and sighed. And so Elliot move again and sat beside her. Even though her position felt awkward when she had to twist her body for a bit to continue leaning her face on Elliots’ chest.

After two years, she felt so defeated again. Her cries were silent aside the occasional hitched from her breath. Elliot also comforted her in silence. Over the spun of time, they changed position. She laid her head again on Elliot's lap. While facing side ways.

When she felt calmer, she couldn’t hold the question bugging her head for a very long time? “Why, does being a succubus have to be this hard?” Her eyes fixed on the floor where strips of light illuminated from the blinds. Did Elliot teleported them in his office?

“I wish I know the answer to your question. But I am afraid I do not have the right knowledge to explain why?”

“I just want to be happy.”

“Everybody does, Narelle.”

“f**k everybody. I’m talking about myself.”

“Hmm. Sorry, I guess?”

Silence grew between them again. But this time, she felt like a balloon wanted to explode. As the silence stretched apart between them. She moved, adjusting herself. Her eyes were now directed towards the ceiling.

“Your right. Everybody does. So, does that mean you wanted to be happy too?”

“Yes”

Turning her head, she stared at Elliot. Raising her hand, her fingers trailed the side of Elliot’s face. Before cupping his cheeks. Her thumb rubbed the smooth surface of his pure ebony skin. “What makes you happy, then?” she asked.

Elliot’s eyes averted down in her direction, synchronized with moving his head down. All of the sudden, when their eyes met, she had a feeling she didn’t want to know the answer anymore. Just like what the idiom about the curiosity killed the cat. She felt what his answer might be could kill something in her.

He grabbed the hand cupping his face, holding her hand tight as if she would run away. “Silence.”

Narelle wanted to press more about his answer. About what it meant. But the look on his face made her stop. She never saw him so scared and sad. Elliot turned his head away from her. Soon he leaned his head on the wall behind the couch, preventing her from seeing his face.

Elliot switched the hand that was holding her so their hands continued to lock with each other in a comfortable position.

“Sorry for messing up earlier.” Elliot said.

Pulling her from the depths of her own thoughts. She rubbed her thumb on top of the back of his hands and he gently put a pressure in his hold of her hand.

“Stop it. It’s not your fault. My coworkers were always been an ass. Since me being a succubus.” She said. Swallowing as if she tasted something bitter at the back of her mouth. Then she grimaced when flashes of wonderful memories projected inside her head. Now that she lost her job, the feeling of loss resurfaced. Of course, she had savings, but it wasn’t enough for over two months’ worth of supplies for her meds. “But not everyone treated me so bad at work. There were still good people I’d like interacting with.” A hand petted her head. The gentle sensation dragged her lid to shut. “I’m worried about finding a new job again, Elliot. Since I haven’t graduated even in highschool.”

Narelle felt the hand on top of her head stopped caressing her. “A third generation. Why did you never told me about that, Narelle?”

Oh. She forgot. She mentioned nothing about her past before. Elliot never cared before, nor asked about anything. Maybe he got surprised at hearing her opening about her past for the first time.

“Why? You never asked me anything before. So–I assumed you never cared.”

“Oh, um. Huh? How do I put this.” He cleared his throat. “I am not a person who liked prying into other people’s past. It always irked me. Especially when I got questioned afterwards.”

Narelle very much figured his avoidance of being asked. Not to mention he very much told him before in the most terrifying way he doesn’t have any recollection about his past beyond his rebirth. And very much the life he had after the rebirth appeared to be resembled as a barely furnished home. She might be dense in some department, but she knew someone who was living purely on routine. So no wonder when she introduced him into simple stimulating activities, they instantly bonded.

Her eyes fluttered open. And she began sitting up. She could see the concern and confusion from her sudden change of position and even letting his hand got. When she sat in a crossed leg position in front of him, she reached her right hand in a handshake position.

“Hello, new friend. My names Narelle Wiltshire.” she said while waiting for him to grab her hand.

“I know. What is all this about?”

His question made her giggled. He looked so apprehensive, staring at her hovering hand and back at her eyes. Elliot looked funny when he didn’t have a clue about what was happening. “Just grab my hand, dum-dum.”

“If this is another one of your pranks, I will debone your entire hand.” He hissed, while he slowly raised his hand.

Narelle only giggled at his threat. They were all empty anyway. Elliot only hurt her one time, and that was their initial meeting. “Nice meeting you, Elliot.” Her lips stretched into a genuine smile.

Although annoyance was clear on his face, there was an underlying amusement twinkling in his eyes. “We had the introduction settled two years ago, Narelle.”

She let his hand go. Clapping both of her hands, and giggled. “Yeah. But this is different. This time I’ll do all the talking.”

Elliot tilted his head. Completely looked lost from what she stated.

Then she cleared her throat. “I’m twenty-eight years old. A third gen succubus from a mortal/human and succubus parent. My hometown was in Alberta, Canada. And my parents’ name where Saiji Matzusawa my father a mortal immigrant from Japan. And my mother Vladana the known as a black widow by her old colleagues. I’m sixteen when I suddenly had to stop going to school. For reasons I can’t discuss.”

“How did you get here? For last twenty years Canada was the safest place for the new generations.”

“Yellow.” she said, while bowing her head. Unfortunately, she couldn’t pass beyond that part of her life from sixteen. The passing of the word on her lips was foreign. As if uttering a different kind of language.

“How, how did your parents met?”

Narelle titled her head a bit. Glad he stuck to what they agreed last Sunday. And so she began telling him the tale her mother used to tell her when she was younger. Her mother was always giddy and giggly. Sometimes her father would hear them on the other side of the room. And he would just shake his head but with a warm smile on his lips. Warmth and joy filled her chest like a comforting blanket in winter. While she continued reminiscing about her childhood years. Occasionally she would hear Elliot chuckled on the part where her mother collaborated with her, doing some pranks for her father.

But she could see the sadnesses in his eyes for some reason as she progress with her stories. As if he wanted to ask her something but holding it back.

So she stopped and asked him. “Is my story starting to irk you?”

He blinked, clearly surprised by her inquiry. When his pupil constricted and his iris began swirling completely into blue. He looked away from her. “I assume your parents already departed if you are here all alone right now to fend for yourself.” As much as Narelle wanted to deny the truth held by his statement; she couldn’t. Elliot pet her head again. And just like before, she couldn’t hold back the tears leaking from her eyes. “Shh, do not cry, little bunny. It was nice meeting them, your parents. Through your memories. I am glad you shared them with me.” He said in the softest voice she ever heard from him. Then he grabbed both of her hands that incessantly rubbing her eyes from the overwhelming tears flowing out.

“I-I missed them so much.” She stuttered.

Narelle let her body pulled into an embrace. Which she needed the most right now. As she continued calling out for her parents like a child lost in the crowd. All she could hear was Elliot’s soothing voice of comfort. Narelle cried. Soon her eyes were drained, with her mind drowned from exhaustion. Until she was lulled into a reassuring word Elliot uttered. She had finally fallen asleep.