The Witch of Jakarta

Chapter 5: Stowaway

            Running out of energy was a common occurrence for Amo. It had to be considering her line of duty as a charm caster, enchanting objects and casting special enchantments for certain potions always took a lot out of her. What she had never experienced, however, was having too much inside her. 

    Her body slumped out of her unmade bed, a small price to pay to get her hands on the tiny container on her nightstand. Alprazolam, her tiny lifeline for the indefinite time. She pops the bottle open, managing to scratch off her knuckles in the process, then pops a pill.

     ‘What day is this?’

    Her question bounced awkwardly in her empty room, with only the faint sound of her broken fan answering her; she was quite certain that even her fan was pitying her. She gets up, though quickly plops back down without any energy. She felt barf coming on.

    Quickly, she scattered towards the bucket she had prepared for herself; the very act of doing so sending sharp prickles up her spine. She barfed, black and gold liquid spilling sloppily into the quarter-full bucket. She sighed, finding the burning sensation in her throat comforting.

    She looked up at the clock by the nightstand, taking a few seconds to let her eyes adjust to the new angel. She’d missed school, again. She could hardly tell what date it was, though she could tell it had been more than enough to send at least Mandy into worrying for her; though not enough to get anyone to visit her. With that knowledge in mind, she could rest her mind at ease; just a little.

    Though another, more impeding thought sets itself into her head; prompted from a low grumble in her stomach. She groans in protest, not wanting to imagine the effort of prying herself out of her oh-so-comfy bedroom floor, least of all the thought of carrying herself to the kitchen. Nevertheless, the grumble in her stomach remained as an inconvenient alarm, as she slowly dragged herself out of the bedroom door.

    The hallway seemed tilted, though it was fortunate that her memory was still sharp enough to navigate without a perfect sight. She arrived at the kitchen breathless, though soon recalling that she hadn’t bought groceries in a while. She stood gingerly in front of the menacing fridge, her hands pulling at the hem of her pajama shirt. Still, she remained optimistic.

Still, she remained optimistic.

    ‘Let’s see.’

    The girl slowly pried the magnetic door open, her eyes needy to find any semblance of food inside the cold box. Her patience rewards her, as her sight caught a familiar glimpse of leftover fried rice, with an inkling of hope that it was also filled with sausages. She quickly seized the plate and closed the fridge to begin her next task of finding clean cutlery. However, her tiny venture was soon interrupted by the exasperating ring of her house phone. Her mind darkened at the thought of more bad news coming on her way, as her eyes timidly guided her to the phone by the bookcase.

    She stepped towards the phone, quickly catching a glimpse of the uncleaned potion that used to be her parents. Her reality slipped back, just for a moment; though she chooses to ignore it, just for now.

    She slipped back into the task of finding a good spoon, and let the caller inevitably reach her voicemail. By the time she had sat down by the kitchen counter with her fried rice, she had recognized the caller as Vincent.

    ‘Hey, you’re not at school today,’ The boy pointed out.

    Amo began eating.

    ‘Inca meant to tell you this herself, but…You know,’ He explained, his trailing words lingering awkwardly against the lonely walls. ‘We got the intel.’

    The cobalt haired girl stopped for a moment, considering the possibility of what happened next. She pushed aside the thought of Vincent sneaking up the alleyway, watching the footage everyone had feared for the past week. Better yet, the unbelievable odds they had gone against to bid any semblance of aid with the serpent. Her thoughts were paused once more, as the voicemail continued.

    ‘Ralph and Pinot are still debating on what to do,’ The boy went on, though his tone doesn’t indicate any worry. ‘But for now, the serpent is under Inca’s discretion.’

    The message continued, ‘And I managed to get the security footage as well…Not very exciting but I just thought you wanted to uh…’

    Amo finished her food, finding little but much-needed substance from her scarce supply. However, a much bitter taste invades her as she thinks of what Rachel might do with this information; recounting how much the woman was hellbent on starting an open war. She walks wearily towards the dirty sink and sends the newly tarnished plate to join the others to rot.

    ‘Oh…I-uh…I almost forgot,’ The boy said, ‘Your house arrest status has been lifted…You’ll be briefed of what to do next tonight at the base.’

    The message ends, and Amo was quite certain that her heart had stopped.   

    Carefully, she looked down at the palms of her hands, finding the very fabric of her being begging for release. Her veins slowly glowed, in a mix of ebony and a deep shade of gold she had recognized as her blood. Her mind flashes back to Andrew, posed akin to a ragdoll in an alleyway, covered with a similar substance.

    Frantically, she pulled herself out of that thought, suddenly finding the sight of her sink unbelievably foreign. Slowly, she lifted her hands, the slow build-up of energy beneath her fingertips sending prickles down her spine. She had nearly uttered a spell but stopped herself in a daring moment.

    She reasoned with herself; justifying that with this much energy stored in her, she should be able to do it without verbally casting a spell. I could work, it should work. So she tries, envisioning and reciting the spell in her mind. She imagined the words and uttered it, as best as she could. She finds that closing herself helped, if only a little. Still, she kept her stance.

    The unmistakable clattering sound sent her eyes open, and the sight of flying plates and cups almost sent her to heaven. She had done it, but now wasn’t the time to lose concentration; lest she wants to clean up a bigger mess. She focused on disintegrating all the grimes and molds off the smaller objects, such as spoons and teacups. She contemplated on using the sink, though ultimately decided that the sound of splashing water would only distract her.

    She continued on her venture, finding more confident as she went. However, the smile on her face had only lasted a few fleeting minutes; as she slowly finds the overwhelming pressure pressing around the palms of her hands. She winces, fighting back against the pain; nevertheless, the pain was too much. Her concentration slowly breaks, and the thunderous crashing noise of broken plates and various tableware had confirmed the worst. Though her senses were too preoccupied with the pain suddenly immolating her hands.

    ‘Why…’ She growled silently, spending the last bit of her coherent thoughts wondering why the pain hadn’t seized along with her spell.

    She drops to her knees, ignoring the cuts that might be caused by the broken ceramic plates. She bites down a scream, her mind as dazed as her vision as she clings onto a cabinet.  She begs for her eyes to focus on her arms in a desperate attempt to discern what’s wrong with her; though her eyes only showed her black and gold. Her glowing veins shined bright enough to make her eyes wince again, as she slowly sunk further into the ground; shaking and clawing at the veins beneath her skin.

    This time, she screams. She bangs her head onto the cold floor, screaming for help; her eyes slammed shut. However, the glowing veins under her eyelids had shinned just bright enough to take away what comfort she had of not seeing what happened to herself. The pain had spread like wildfire, and it wasn’t long before she broke into tears. However, even her tears felt like acid against her cheeks.

    She screams again, the build-up of energy inside her slowly oozing without warning. It lifts her up from the ground, just enough to make her aware of it. She claws at her scalp, suddenly finding a shockwave of pain beneath her skull. Her nerves seething inside her bloodstained fingernails pulled out more hair. She screams again.

    ‘STOP!’

    It was then she had felt it. The boiling pressure suddenly released outside, she had felt the very fabric of her being torn; though only for a moment. The sudden burst of energy swept through the entire house, smashing every glass and light and destroying every surface in close proximity. Her body drops back to the floor, a loud thud sending her senses through another wave of shock.

    She stays there for a while, her blood slowly simmering back under her skin; hiding its colors under her skin. She attempts to steady her breath, only to find that she had lost her voice. She clears her throat, a sickening gurgle escaping from her windpipe as she coughs up the remaining energy in thick splatters of black and gold.

    It was only when the pain fades away that she had realized the bell was ringing. Her still blurry vision slowly scanned through her broken front window, only to find and unwanted visitor waiting to be let inside.

    ‘Please let me in,’ Mandy pleaded, her eyes streaming with tears.

    Amo rushed through the crowded streets, the setting sun taunting her from its high throne. The damp, teeming streets of the inner city merged and bickered amongst each other as the bright orange sky brushed over it. Dirty water and slippery gravel and pavement, a left-over of the onerous rain that riddled the streets overwrought. The girl looked around, despite being unable to see much in front of her with the number of cars stacked on the streets. The small, green trees on the roadside cheering her on as she ran further into the designated entrance. She’d hope she had read Inca’s text correctly.

    As if on cue, her phone let out an audible ring from the pockets of her jeans. She stopped herself in a spacious part of the sidewalk, quickly picking up her phone. Her face dropped.

    Mandy: Are you sure about this?

    The cobalt haired girl darted around, paranoid at the sight of the name. Her mind took her back to what had happened. The sight of her only friend staring down at her from the window, though her mind didn’t linger there for too long. She shoved her phone into the pocket, another flash of memory barraging her conflicted mind. Her fingers slowly felt the bandages around her arm, hidden by her long sleeve sweatshirt. It had stopped hurting.

    Her mind took her back to the sight of Mandy breaking through her front door, the lingering fear of getting caught still present in her fading consciousness. The next thing she had remembered was her bed, and her only friend sitting beside her with a fresh bowl of soup. She remembered saying something, and Mandy replying dismissively that she should rest for now.

    Amo took her phone out of her pocket once more, the text flashing into existence as soon as she turned it on. She recounted the fight; Mandy’s horrified, tear-filled screams of reason. She grits her teeth at the memory, finding herself repulsed by her own anger-filled screams.

    ‘You can’t just wipe my memory!’

    ‘Well what the f**k am I supposed to do,’ Amo whispered to herself, mimicking what she had screamed at her friend just a few minutes ago.

    She texts back, ‘Just stay put.’

    Her mind flashed back, a sight of her slowly fixing her front door and leaving it, with Mandy still inside. She could still feel the stinging pain of the process on the palms of her hands; finding herself questioning her decisions, her vision took her back to the arrangement of text laid out in front of her.

    ‘And be safe,’ She added.

    She placed her phone back in her pocket for the second time, her mind slowly coming to terms of what few options she has left. She resumed her pace, opting to take the more crowded part of the streets to distract herself. It worked, if only a little.

    Above the fading zebra cross, the traffic lights frantically changed colors, resembling that of a crude disco light in a shady nightclub; Amo entertains herself with it as she made her way to the alleyway. A beggar snored comfortably on his dark brown stool under the protection of a nearby shop’s roof; she quickly placed a change in his lap, making sure she doesn’t wake him. Huge giant buildings framed the dark slit of the dead path, the unbearable silence quickly tuning out that of the frantic street noises behind the cobalt haired girl. Slowly, she stepped inside the shadow, letting the narrow walls conceal her figure.

    Her phone rang again.

    Inca: You better not still be at home.

    Amo sighed, finding solace in the name displayed on her screen. Quickly, she types back, making sure her response was nonchalant enough to indicate that everything is fine. She sends the message, reading it again just to make sure she did it justice.

    Amo: Early for once

    Inca: *Is typing*

    The cobalt haired girl placed her phone back in her pocket, letting the light it had brought retreat back into her pocket. She looked up into the distant sky, watching helplessly as the clouds slowly gain a sudden fascination to the sun and wrapped themselves around the ball of light. The moon's faint presence passed through her, and she watched just for a moment; waiting for its grey figure to peel through the thick clouds.

    She cursed at herself, finding her voice bouncing awkwardly against the suffocating darkness. However, she didn’t fancy herself wasting more time; she knew that there was more to be done for the night. She produced a small key from the opposing pocket of her jeans, the weight of the metal suddenly multiplying under her grip. She scanned through the end of the path, tracing her index fingers through the brick wall. It took her longer than average to find the brick she was looking for, nevertheless, she found it. She held up the key to meet the brick, letting it recognize the shinny brass metal before sinking the key into the brick. The brick complied as she turned the key, and quickly opened up a path for her. The cool indoor air carried a sweet scent, reminding her why she had missed the district base.

    Quickly, she lets her muscle memory guide her through what’s to come next. The brick wall closed behind her, letting her eyes focus on the field of flowers laid before her. Paler than snow, the alluring blossoms spread across her field of vision; filling every inch of the floor and walls. She stepped carefully, letting her heart guide her through the field.

    The faintest sound pattering rain echoed through the room, which she had long learned to tune out, a much-needed skill to get out of the room alive. She stepped further, certain she had nearly missed her 20th step. The walls began to scream, and the flowers shook in disturbance, though only for a moment. She kept her eyes forward, refusing to let her own traps best her; though wasn’t about to fool herself, she requires more practice. The screams disappeared as soon as they came, and the flowers slowly drift back into their docile nature, content once more by the presence of their creator. It had only taken a few minutes afterward for Amo to reach the end of her little escapade, with no other mistakes on the charm caster’s part. She let the brass key she’d been carrying drift upwards, carrying her body with it.

    She rested in lifeless silence as she let the white light take her, letting it’s enchanted ray sweep through her skin and hair like sunlight. The warm sensation roamed through her body, sweeping away her thoughts; just for a moment. Experimentally, she opened her eyes, letting the blinding ray dance around her vision. She winced in its brightness, letting her muscles relax as her cobalt hair brushed through her cheeks. Though the pleasant feeling had only lasted as long as it needs to, and once Amo’s eyes opened again, she was met by the familiarly cold and empty meeting room.

    The place seemed awfully lonely without the crew, nevertheless, she couldn’t help but thank the dim lights accompanying her in the silence. She lets herself stand-alone, pushing her worries and thoughts away for a few seconds, letting the lingering smell of her white incendiary floras calm her mind. She contemplated on where she could go next, having her mind flash through the option of her lab and her little greenhouse by the top floor. She recounts the orange sky spread across the city, then decides on the later. Thankfully, the trip wasn’t as hectic.

    She walked calmly across the dusty hallway, praising the bright lights adorning its ivory ceiling. However, her legs halt in place at a peculiar man holding a duffle bag marked with her name. The man froze in place, the weight of Amo’s equipment hanging cumbersome in his arms. She supposed he was the one sent to retrieve her things from quarantine. Amo paused as well, rationalizing the man's peculiar presence in her greenhouse. However, the man was quick to distract her from that line of thought, despite stammering through his carefully thought words.

    ‘Oh, uh…Hi I-I…I mean um, you’ re-’

    ‘Early,’ Amo finished. ‘Hey.’

    ‘Hey,’ The man greeted, carefully handing Amo’s old equipment, ‘Welcome back.’

    ‘Pleasure,’ She replied, hoping she had kept a straight face. ‘How’d you get in?’

    ‘Ah, well since you have both the master key and the spare one I just kinda…’ The man’s voice lingered.

    Amo c****d her head, letting her voice drawl out as she tried to guess what the young man was implying. ‘Ralph’s spare key.’

    ‘Yeah, uh…That.’

    Amo lingered by the entrance, confused by the man’s presence. Her thoughts quickly find their way back to the exchange she had with Mandy, and the arguably foolish decision she had made to leave the girl locked inside the messy house. Her eyes found their way to meet man’s gaze, growing desperate in its confusion.

    The man lingered, not letting her inside her greenhouse just yet ‘You alright?’

    Amo looks at him as if he had two heads.

    ‘Well, um-I…I mean with all that’s happening you uh…’ The man stammered, her chunky figure shaking under a tension Amo couldn’t seem to pinpoint. ‘You, I mean…You can talk to me y-you know.’

    ‘I’m fine,’ She replied, finding the cliché sentiment repulsive as she let it escape her tongue.

    The man let out a dry cough, ‘Right, we uh…We got work to do, I get it.’

    ‘It’s not that, I-’

    ‘No no you don’t have to explain I…I get it.’

    The silence lingers, analogous to the stench of death; however, they stayed in their place, with Amo gingerly holding her equipment as Sam's towering figure hovered by the door. The tension could’ve cut both of them by their spines, however, it wouldn’t be the first the instance that Amo had wished she had died on the spot inside the district base. She lets out a dry cough, mimicking that of Sam’s earlier tactic. It was only then that she’d notice the faintest smell of rotting blooms.

    She stepped closer to the door, making the man in front of her shuffle back to maintain the distance he’d placed. She winced at the smell, finding that it had unproportionally increased with their distance. He was trying to hide something.

    ‘I have to work,’ She muttered.

    ‘Oh, right! Yeah!’ The man said, shuffling away from the entrance. ‘Sorry I just-’

    ‘It’s fine,’ She replied, suddenly realizing why the man had been so nervous in her presence. ‘You’re very good at stalling.’

    The man shuffled further away from the greenhouse’s entrance, his eyes refusing to acknowledge the damage that has been done to Amo’s carefully cultivated plants. The man delicately looked at the girl, bearing witness to an expression he could only describe as despair. He contemplates on comforting her, though ultimately decides that leaving her alone was the best thing he could do. So he did, muttering one last word of apologies and condolences as he went on his way.

    Amo lets him walk away, not bothering to look back to see him go and close the door on his way out. Still, she was thankful he had closed the door, punctual enough to cover her oncoming tears. She managed enough in her to silence her cries, letting only herself listen to the pitiful noise. Her limbs moved like frost, however, she pressed on; walking meekly towards the tiny wooden desk placed in the corner of the greenhouse.

    After what seemed akin to eternity, she finally got a close look at her desk and cabinets, only to find that her papers had been scattered and damaged; her extensive potion cabinet riddled empty and soiled in her absence. She sat down on her chair, slowly compiling the littered papers as the last remaining beams of daylight scrutinize her.

    She skimmed through the scattered papers, noticing the attempts to learn from it. Red pen marks and tiny notes haphazardly scribbled with blue ink, a clear indication of Holy and Sarah. Amo makes a not in her mind not to lash out on the two informants later in the meeting. She also took note of what papers seem to particularly interest them. Holy was incredibly keen on learning the healing effects of potions, as Sarah was equally earnest in learning defensive charms.

    The cobalt haired girl sighed, having gained the knowledge of where her allies stood in the conflict; it didn’t make things easier. She watched the orange sky slowly fade to a deep blue, it’s last remaining light slowly brushing at the tips of her enchanted roof. She was glad she had designed it this way, to make the roof invisible when the plants needed to see the sky; though not that it had mattered.

    She tried her best to ignore the whispers of the dying plants, begging to join the others that had perished before them. Amo tunes them out, opting not to look at them as she distracts herself on tidying her unmade desk. It worked, for a while.

    However, the screams tore her like a sharp shard of glass. The anguished sobs and encouragement of execution nearly drove her back to tears. She stands up, finding her stance frail and tremulous. Slowly, she felt the pressure around her hands once more, memories of what had happened last time resurfacing like tidal waves in her mind; begging her to stop.

    In spite of it, she remained in her place, uttering a spell she wished she never had to use. It was quick, though impossibly painful. She quickly held herself on the edge of the desk, before quickly losing her strength and sinking into the ground, dust of disintegrated herbs quickly joining her on the floor.

    For once, her mind was quiet.

    ‘So, that’s everyone?’ The hunched man inquired.

    None answered though it was painfully apparent that one seat was empty. Pinot ignored the longing stares aimed at the empty seat, opting to push away any thought of the deceased speed caster for now. He gestured towards Ralph, who quickly stood up with his bundle of papers; though his vision was more focused on the likes of Rachel, who appeared as what he could only describe as stir-crazy.

    ‘So, we have a plan,’ The man started.

    ‘Where’s the serpent?’ The punk quickly interjected.

    The man looked at the punk as if she had dawned a new piercing, though quickly regained himself. ‘We’ll get to that.’

   The man produced a familiar pack of amber powder from his pocket, sprinkling some onto the meeting table. Everyone tensed up, watching the powder react as his eyes glowed along with the powder. The man carefully looked towards Vincent, who tensed up at the sight of his eyes.

    ‘Are you sure you’re ready?’

    The boy went pale, nevertheless, he offered his hand. ‘I’m the only one who can do this.’

    ‘You don’t have to do this,’ The man quickly said, ‘I saw the footage too, so I could-’

    The boy choked up a crooked laugh, ‘No, it has to be me.’

            Ralph took the boy’s hand a slight hesitation in his gesture, the amber in his eyes slowly fading away at the contact. He could feel Vincent’s hand tense up at the invasion, power surging slow and painful through his pores. It traveled up his veins, coloring it a deep and dangerous hue as the substance seeped through his mind; painfully it extracted the memory of what he saw.

    ‘Before we start,’ Ralph trailed off, ‘I wanted to say sorry to you, Amo.’

    The cobalt haired girl tensed up at the mention of her name, but quickly straightened up to look at her leader. ‘For what?’

    ‘It appears that I’ve misjudged your loyalty,’ The man stated.

    Amo’s eyes widen, as the implications of the man’s words sunk in.

    ‘What’s the meaning of this?’ The punk growled, tensing up in her chair.

    ‘I’ve watched the footage beforehand,’ The man answered, ‘As Vincent did as well.’

    The boy in question looked away, his eyes slowly growing grim at the memory. Nevertheless, their leader pressed on; though not giving out a quick warning to everyone intent on watching the new information.

    ‘Now I have to warn you all that this is…’ The man paused, as if the very image of the dead boy flashed before his eyes, ‘This is a bit…Heavy.’

    Vincent was the next to speak up, though his words falter before he could finish. ‘Y-you can go to another room if you don’t want to…’

    Still, no one moved out of place.

    ‘Right…’

    The man continued his part, shaky hands commanding his enchanted powder to display the footage before his crew. The footage starts, showing a birds-eye view of the familiar alleyway. The table watched, barely breathing under the tension as a familiar figure came into frame.

    Andrew arrived on the scene, skittish and fearful. The noticed the end of the path, but stayed in his place, his hands concealing something under his thick bomber jacket. Amo winced, bearing witness to her own figure coming into frame, running after Andrew in the footage. She willed herself to look away, but the powder had enough power in it to glow brighter than what she can ignore.

    She looked up again, finding her figure frantically speaking with the boy. She finds herself thankful that the dust Ralph possessed didn’t have the aptness to extract sound from Vincent’s memory. But the thankfulness only lasted for a moment, as she watched the deceased boy pushed her to leave; handing over what he was concealing to her grasp.

            Amo forced her eyes to stare at the white table under her, her hands finding their way to scratch her scalp. She winced at the touch, finding fresh wounds hidden beneath her hair. It had only reminded her more of what she was hiding from her allies. She was no traitor, she reminded herself.

    Amo forced her eyes to stare at the white table under her, her hands finding their way to scratch her scalp. She winced at the touch, finding fresh wounds hidden beneath her hair. It had only reminded her more of what she was hiding from her allies. She was no traitor, she reminded herself.

    Her eyes found their way back to the sight displayed on the meeting table, forcing her to watch herself leave Andrew in the alleyway. She had nearly reached out her hand across the table, silently begging for the consequences of her actions to seize. It was futile; she knew what was to happen next.

    ‘What’s happening?’ Sam spoke up, though the man was only met with silence.

    Amo's heart sank further, the wight of what’s to come pushing her further under her seat. She looked up for a moment, finding that Vincent was mirroring her reaction. Instinctively she glanced towards Ralph, who was much calmer compared to the two of them, though the man wasn't saved under the weight of his knowledge. Amo watched meekly as her leader slowly inched his face away from the display in front of him.

    The moment came, just a few seconds after Amo scattered out of the scene. Andrew planted himself in a stance, though his hands were shaky despite his will. As if the night suddenly came, a black figure emerged from the top of the alleyway, blocking the view of the camera. It took the wind out of the speed caster, quickly pinning him to the ground. It’s body practically engulfed the boy, its towering size making the boy unable to escape from its clawed grip.

    Amo took her eyes off the display, glancing towards Inca who had begun to sit uncomfortably under her chair. The claws reminding the rogue of the serpent. Amo could hear it, the soft muttering question crawling under the rogue’s lips.

    ‘What the f**k is that?’

    The sight continues brutally, with the boy unable to fight back as the figure throws him into the end of the alley. His body slammed hard, the concrete wall cracking under his back. He slumped to the ground, unconscious. But the creature didn’t stop.

    It jumped towards him in one swift motion, appearing almost giddy at the sight of the boy. Slowly, forcefully, it pinned him to the wall; the sudden pressure on the boy’s neck quickly jerked him back to consciousness. The desperate kicking and clawing quickly sending everyone in the room to look away. There was, however, one person who didn’t look away.

    Amo’s eyes were now locked, intent to at least be with the boy as he died now; even if it could never replace her lack of presence at the time of his true death. She watched, tears slowly forming a blurry filter in her eyes as the creature growled and gargled, gashing at the boy’s neck and stomach. The boy kept kicking, though the grip in his hand was slowly faltering lose.

    ‘Stop the footage,’ Someone had said, though Amo paid no mind to it.

    The creature continued, realizing that the boy was losing consciousness again. Swiftly, it banged the boy’s back onto the wall, cracking more of it open. Black and gold splattered and colored the walls, before flowing in a sickening trail under the creature’s hands. The substance trickled down onto the concrete below the boy, earning a growl from the creature in front of him. Andrew seemed to scream something, though no one can quite tell what it was. His mouth quickly gurgled for a moment, before quickly spilling out black and gold.

    ‘Stop it,’ A different voice pipped up.

    The creature slammed Andrew’s body once more, sparing no strength. Amo could hear it somehow, the subtle but alarming c***k inside Andrew’s back. The boy’s body sunk to the murky ground, motionless; but alive.

        ‘Stop it!’ Another voice screamed.

    It continued, opening its mouth to reveal its extensive collection of fangs and teeth. It started with the boy's neck, taking away a large chunk of the boy's flesh to help it finish the job. But it continued, trailing down to the boy's shoulders and ribcage.

    ‘STOP!’

    The creature looks up, realizing the camera placed above the alleyway. But it paid little mind to it, as it climbed up to destroy it and escape. It slashed at the lens, damaging it to no repair; revealing its four jet-black eyes before it quickly jumped out of frame. The footage ends, and the golden dust quickly turned dull. The room seemed lonely.

    After what seemed like an eternity, Amo was the first to broke the silence. What was first a small whimper quickly turned into a howling sob, startling the broken Pinot on her right and earning a jump from Inca on her left. Her screams were a catharsis to everyone left silence in the room.

    ‘What the f**k was that!?’ Rachel screamed, knocking over her chair as she stood up.

    The room sank into chaos.

    The swirling havoc of panic and fear suffocated the room, torn by the display. Screams and cries erupted to match the slamming furniture as the once reasonable survivors quickly succumb to their emotions. The world seemed to slow into a painful crawl, refusing to turn away as the fight tore through walls. Amo had recalled Rachel screaming, startling both Ralph and Pinot with her spell. An electric purple light strung around her arms as she barked the words through chattering teeth.

    ‘BRAJA!’

    Lightning burst through the entire room as the floor under the punk sunk in its pressure. The walls cracked with electricity, losing its magical integrity as the remnants of the attack seeped inside its structure. Even with the veteran’s amount of experience, the spell still left a burning mark around her arms. Still, the woman stayed in her anger; gritting her teeth as smoke seeped through her fresh wound. Her eyes roamed the room, a predator hunting its prey. Of course, it didn’t take her long to find Ralph and Pinot, most importantly Amo.

    ‘Coward!’ The punk screamed,

    Another string of lightning growing from the punk’s wounded veins. This time, the cobalt haired girl stood up, ready to dodge. But Inca was quick to act beside her, ready to shield both of them.

    ‘Braja!’

    ‘Arakata!’

    The rogue’s eyes glowed like a sunbeam, her stance firm as she stood in front of Amo; unyielding, though only for a moment. It didn’t take long for the golden shield to break, bouncing the purple ray around the dim-lit meeting room as if it were a grenade.

    Inca’s legs wavered at the exertion, her torso flying back at the force of hearing broken shield. Amo quickly came to her aid and caught her, but not before realizing the familiar white light coming from the entrance by the meeting room.

    The crowd quickly looked at the fading white light, slowly bearing witness to the uninvited visitor. Block walls fell with a heavy thud, revealing the skittish high school girl within it. Amo looked away at the sight, already finding her fate sealed for execution. Though her mind wasn’t strong enough to block out Mandy’s voice, her frantic whispers of apologies and faked explanations. Though it was all quite in vain, Amo wasn’t the only person that knew of her existence.

    ‘Oh honey, no.’

    Amo’s head sank further down, recognizing the deadpan voice as Inca’s, knowing full well of what that had meant for her. Vincent’s voice was the next thing she recognized, amongst the frantic screams of Ralph and Rachel inquiring of the girl’s existence. She silently thanks the boy on trying to mask his knowledge of the girl, no matter how futile it was in the circumstance.

    ‘How did you get here!’ Their leader barked, quickly pulling Amo out of her thoughts.

    The girl she had recognized as a friend quickly grow paler, her answer faltering flat under her tongue. ‘I-I don’t know I…I got lost.’

    Amo looked towards the punk, who was already ready to prowl.

    ‘Right,’ The woman mocked; her scar catching the light just enough to make the girl in front of her take a few steps back.

    The woman spoke again, her voice climbing down to a dangerous octave. ‘Who sent you?’

    Of course, the girl shrunk, even more, not having an answer. She attempts another lie, though nothing of value managed to slip away from her quivering lips. Amo pried her eyes away from the interrogated girl, however, the girl’s screams only begged her to stare. Ralph was quick to catch on, following the girl’s stare towards Amo.

    The man’s face twisted in disgust. ‘You…’

    ‘Traitor!’ Rachel screamed.

    ‘I can explain!’ She screamed, frantically trying to get between Ralph and her friend.

    ‘Oh, you don’t need to explain!’ Ralph quickly barked, shoving Amo away.

    ‘Wait no!’

    Amo attempts to reason, but Holy was quick to hold her back, opening enough time for Sarah to take away her voice with a quick spell. Amo lets her head falter, realizing she can’t fight her way out with her already debilitated physique. Her eyes snapped back to reality however, Mandy’s screeching voice quickly alerting her to struggle against Holy and Sarah.

    ‘How could you!?’ Holy screamed, not caring of the tears forming in her eyes.

    ‘Sam!’ Sarah barked, ‘Check for cameras!’

    Sam stood silently, finding himself faltering under the sudden limelight. However, Rachel was quick to act as his replacement. The woman jumped at the girl, quickly patting down the whimpering Mandy despite her protest; of course, Rachel found nothing but the girl’s phone.

    ‘Don’t!’ The girl screamed, to her mistake.

    Rachel smiled at the reaction and quickly tossed the phone to Pinot. ‘Open it.’

    Pinot c****d his head but thought nothing of it other than the woman was only trying to prove that he was wrong about something. Quickly, his eyes glowed green, quietly deciphering the password to the girl’s phone. The room falls quiet as the green in his eyes faded back to the usual inky black. He prudently unlocks the phone, eyes widening at what’s displayed on the screen.

    ‘What is it?’ His leader inquired, gritting his teeth.

    Pinot said nothing, instead, the man lifted the phone’s screen, letting everyone see the chat open on the screen. Amo’s name stuck out like a knife, bleeding the group dry of any other words.

    ‘I’m sorry,’ Mandy whispered, though it had only reached the man holding her captive.

    ‘SHUT UP!’

    A slap colored the girl’s cheek red, silencing whatever apology she wanted to utter to her friend. Rachel quickly shoved her away, letting Ralph take over in grabbing the girl’s wrist. The girl struggled, just enough to startle Ralph, yet none of it had any use.

    ‘So, this is what you’ve been up to?’ The man mocked. ‘How desperate can you be, Lova?’

    The crowd pushed wrapped tighter around them, making sure there was no escape for either of the girls. Ralph pushed the Mandy to the ground, letting the intruder’s head slam against the dusty floor before he yanked her by the hair.

    ‘STOP!’

    The crowd suddenly stopped pushing, alarmed at the sound of the unknown girl. Amo’s eyes widened, before suddenly realizing what her friend was about to do. The cobalt haired girl looked at the girl, frantically weighing in her odds despite the foolish voice screaming inside her.

    ‘I-I wanted to be here.’ Mandy stammered, her voice faltering to a whisper, ‘On my own accord…’

    Ralph’s expression twisted, along with his grip on the girl’s hair. He looked down at the face behind the hair, expecting it to melt under tears. Still, the girl continued her explanation; if only a bit strained.

    ‘No one showed me th-this place, alright?’ Mandy went on, the last bit of her sentence delicately climbing into a plead.

    Amo looked at the person she had considered a friend, her eyes beginning to shift around the room for an easy exit, just in case everything goes from bad to worse. She watched timidly as the crowd looked among themselves, waiting for someone to respond. She watched as Mandy slowly stepped forward, her figure now a few steps in front of Amo’s. To her surprise, Ralph slowly backed away.

    ‘I didn’t know,’ The girl said, not realizing the impact in her voice.

    Amo looked at towards the only person that could possibly turn this around, who was suddenly hesitating in his anger. Mandy tightened the grip on her skirt, trying her best to keep her voice steady as she went on.

    ‘I-I was worried,’ Mandy uttered, ‘A-Amo’s been acting off a-and…I know I’m not the best type of friend, but I wanted to see if she was okay.’ 

    ‘Why did you follow me here?’ Amo questioned, surprised that she had said her thoughts out loud.

    ‘I wanted to know where you usually go after school…I feel you run away from home a lot.’

    Amo would correct her if she could, but as of now, the facts matter less.

    Ralph huffed a hot breath, trying his best to keep his words coherent, ‘So, you went through all this…Because you were concerned?’

    ‘I-’

    ‘No no no! There’s nothing to say here anymore.’

    Ralph grabbed the girl by the shoulder, giving Rachel the signal to help him. The girl complied this time, having no more energy in her to struggle. She stood captive and breathless, as Ralph place his hands on her, palming the sides of her head.

    ‘I’m gonna spare you your memories.’

    ‘Wh-’

    ‘I can’t afford to let you stay any further.’

    ‘W-wait, so you’re just gonna-’

    ‘Yes.’

    Amo stumbled forward, her words hanging awkwardly in the room as she muttered it. ‘I’ll do it.’

    Ralph paused, though his grip on the girl remained.

    ‘I’ll do it,’ She repeated. ‘I’ll prove my loyalty to you.’

    The man looked at her for a moment, observing the emotion spread across her face, though unable to identify it. He then looked across the room, taking a silent tally of who was agreeing with her. Finally, the man let Mandy go.

    ‘Do it by the flowers and leave her outside the alley,’ He ordered. ‘Make it quick.’

    Amo nodded, ignoring the growing protest from her friend. Frigidly, she took her friend by the arm and helped her up, leading her back to where she came from. Of course, Mandy’s protest only grew louder as their privacy grew. Amo didn’t want to hear another word from the girl, finding each one weighing more than she could carry. Quickly, she shoved her friend to the ground, letting the white flowers slowly surround her.

    ‘Y-you can’t do this!’

    ‘Don’t make this harder fo-’

    ‘No please I-’

    ‘I don’t have a choice!’

    Amo’s lips shook at the sentence, it had been the second time she had said it today. It felt akin to a brand, a sentiment only her kind would say. A sentiment meant to cower away behind as most wait and bear the cards they’re dealt with. She couldn’t help but bite her tongue.

    The grip on the girl’s hand grew tighter, just enough to get her to pause. Their eyes locked, if only for a moment. Amo couldn’t help herself to look away, the sight of Mandy’s silky raven hair dancing with her flowers; it was all quite enough to drive her demented.

    ‘Please don’t…’

      Amo couldn’t help but look away, unable to find the strength in her to harm the girl in front of her. In spite of that, she raised her hand, ignoring the pressure grasping it to stop. Her mind scrambled to recount the spell she needed, the soft pleading voice under her begging for her to reconsider.

    The white flowers matched beautifully against Mandy’s milky skin, the scent of Amo’s creation blocking out any conflicting thoughts left in her head. Their eyes meet, possibly for the last time. Mandy let’s go of her arm, letting herself sit straight against the white flower. Amo was quite certain they were shaking under her friend’s weight, sensing unfamiliar sadness laid above them. The flowers slithered around the pale girl’s arms and legs in an attempt to comfort her, but she was inconsolable.

    Amo lifted her arms higher, finally remembering what she needed to say. It will be over soon enough, the feeling of energy resurging into her veins. Mandy closed her eyes, letting the Amo’s shaky hands slip under her bangs to hold her forehead.

    ‘I’m sorry,’ The girl whispered.

     Neither of them was sure who had apologized, though the blinding flash of silver light quickly whipped out any importance of the sentiment.