A Peak Between Realms (Short Story Collection)

The Color of Blood

I whined as I woke up beside a stream with no memory of last night, weird things had been happening to me recently and I had no clue why. I sighed as I got up to dust myself off, I could already tell this was going to be a long day and obviously, I didn’t want it to be. I walked home and did my normal routine before I tied up my thick long hair that was dyed the color of sapphires. I changed into a deep red dress that reached my thighs and left to go to college where I was majoring in performing arts.

I sighed as I went to meet up with my girlfriend and our friends “What’s wrong Amara?” my girlfriend, Jaimie, asks and I shook my head “Nothing, I just woke up in a weird spot again. This time by another lake” I say. “You poor thing, do you think it’s sleepwalking?” My best friend Amalia asked, and I shook my head “Sleepwalking somewhere far from my house?” I asked and her twin sister Melani nodded “Yea we see it all the time” she says. Melani and Amalia were almost Identical, but their eyes were different, it was slightly creepy.

Melani had bright emerald eyes while Amalia had bright sapphire eyes. They both had light olive skin and long hair the color of the sun. While Melani dressed in gold and greens, Amalia dressed in silver and blues. They did their hair the same and outfits the same but dressed in different colors.

Jaimie had deep honey-colored skin and long curly black hair. Her eyes were the color of ambers, and she had a beauty mark under her left eye. She was always dressed in purples and silver and smelled like lavender and honey. She was always so kind as well.

I sighed as I went to class and sat down, inaudibly tapping the desk as a stim. I soon went to put my stuff under the seat I was sitting in to find a note taped to the bottom of it. It was addressed to me, but how would they have known I would sit here today? There’s no assigned seating? So many questions were running through my head as I grabbed the note and opened it.

Dear Ms. Amara Martinez,

It pains me to tell you that in response to the recent murders, we will be recruiting your help because of your family background.

Sincerely,

Michael Garcia

I audibly groaned as I read it “of course, it’s him” I whined as I stuffed the note in my bag. Once classes were finished, I went straight to the police department “what the hell do you want Garcia?” I groaned “you got the note I presume?” The 20-year-old prodigy says, and I roll my eyes and nod. “I did, and you know my fee so are you able to pay it?” I asked and c****d my head to the side. “If I couldn’t, I wouldn’t have sent the letter Amara,” he says.

“True but you pulled that bullshit before,” I say with a roll of my eyes before I took the folder from him. “You owe me,” I say “Asshole” I added as I skimmed through the file, the deaths never had a link it was all sporadic. “Okay, and you expect me to help how? There’s no connection except that they’re all somehow killed by water. There’s no DNA of the killer, no evidence left behind either.” I say, “I know, Even I can’t crack it,” he says. “You’re paying extra for this one,” I say, and he nodded.

I left with the file to go through and that was it but there was no movement in the case for the next few weeks and my frustration only grew. When I went to sleep one night, I felt different but when I woke up in the middle of the night somehow controlling every ounce of blood in someone’s body that’s when I realized that I was the one behind it all as I watched the color of blood drip from their eyes and mouth.