Sea Glass2

Installment 1
Part 2

Vanessa was hanging out in the library. She didn't love reading like Elizabeth but she didn't hate it either. Vanessa always felt drawn to the library; when she was there she felt calm, safe. She had been using one of the computers there but she was reading a manga now. Her head started throbbing and then she was panting. Her heart was racing; she felt as if it was being ripped out of her chest. Part of her was gone for a moment and everything was strangely quiet. She felt empty and hollow. At peace for the moment but scared of what was to come.

Then like a title wave a huge force washed over her. It suffocated her and dragged her under. It left her trembling on the old puke green carpet. People gathered around but it was beyond their control. No human... Or anyone could help. It was just something that she had to bare.

***
Elizabeth perched precariously on a ledge surrounded by musty books. She smelled the air, no other smell in the world was better than that. She liked this small little book store because it contained some books on sorcery if you knew where to look. The owner was a warlock named Lenard Chainsbrook. She called him Lobster because he had red hair, though not as red as Vanessa's, and he got easily sunburned. He didn't leave his quaint little book store often but when he did his skin turned bright, lobster red almost immediately. Warlocks are less powerful than sorcerers with runes but are great with potions.

The place wasn't crowded with soles of any kind and she could truly be alone. Shelves towered to the ceiling, stacks of books were everywhere. A creaky ladder led up to a loft type second floor. the second floor was just a strip running diagonally through the small shop. It had a short ledge stacked with book; this is where Elizabeth was sitting. Her mother thought she came here to practice difficult runes but most of the time she goofed off and read. The warlock wasn't a tattle tale and despite a few grumbles about his nickname was really nice. Beside her on a teetering stack of books was a mug of hot chocolate almost empty. Customers often thought they were related because he treated her like his own grandchild.

She sketched the book shop in her notebook. Then she drew a fierce dragon breathing fire onto the shelves. Flickering flames destroyed her precious books and Lobster did battle with the dragon. Sparks flew from his fingers as they flew from her pencil.

The tinkling of bells that meant a customer brought her back to reality. Christopher walked in and Elizabeth's heart jumped into her throat. She looked on with interest but didn't make any sound or movement that would alert him to her presence. Lobster looked up at her and had to suppress a chuckle.

Chris had a short conversation with Lobster about an old history book for a school report. Lobster looked for a moment and came back with an old volume. Chris thanked him, payed and left. He never once looked up so he never saw her. After he had left, Elizabeth jumped down from the loft; ignoring the ladder. She landed silently in her socks. No human could have done it. She didn't say good bye to Lobster; he was laughing uncontrollably now.

She grabbed her shoes and stuffed her things into her bag as she left. She walked briskly through the gray evening. Northern Ohio has a lot of gray days; storm clouds hover and the world's colors are muted until they all blend into the one dismal color. A lot of people get depressed on those kind of days but Elizabeth always felt at home in the grayness of her Ohio world.

Somewhere ahead of her Chris was just reaching the parking lot where his car was. He jangles his keys in one hand and swung the small bag with the book inside in his other. Something was off; he suddenly felt tense. He walked a little bit faster and soon he reached his car. He paused before opening the car door.

He dropped the bag. A shock of unseen energy crawled up his spine sickeningly. He couldn't move and five sharp little daggers just barely pricked his skin. He understood the threat loud and clear although the civilians walking by did not. A man put a hand on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. Chris couldn't understand what the man was saying or why he should be afraid of sharp fingernails held against his back but every cell in his body screamed 'run.' He knew with every fiber of his being that this was no man but a monster. Somethings ripped apart by some unseen force and sewn back together haphazardly. Seeming hole but on the inside truly insane.

He was led down an alley and out of sight. Sparks flew from the mans fingers and this time the electric charge ran up his spine much more quickly. He collapsed immediately into the mans arms. Then, at the same time, two powerful beings sensed each other. Elizabeth could feel the creature's presence and her mental trace on him made him also aware of her. They were both prompted to move quickly although for two completely different motives; one wished to save Chris and the other to destroy him.

The man swung the boy over his shoulder as if he was a rag doll and ran down the twisting back streets of the small strip mall. Although his gait was not natural and he twitched and jerked like an insane animal he was strong, fast and sure of where he was going. Elizabeth tracked him by following Chris's weak spirit energy and ran just as fast as the man. She did not understand at the time why she was risking everything for a boy who helped her clean mac and cheese off her shirt but she was determined. Despite her determination she was far away and did not make it in time.

Chris came to inside an old ware house.  The man stood twitching and jerking and swaying.  His insane movements made him seem all the more menacing.  Chris lay on the floor paralyzed and the man stood staring at a wall as if he was waiting for something.  The man looked like an overgrown child with baby fat, flushed cheeks and scraped knees.  He wore a striped polo shirt and khaki shorts two sizes too small.  He was large and muscular with foot long, dark purple nails and a strange earring in his right ear.  The earring dangled to near his shoulder and consisted of hundreds of little colorful gems hanging from tiny silver chains.

Chris was lapsing into a hazy dream world when purple smoke started to seep through the walls.  Chris struggled to stay awake, thinking he was hallucinating.  The strange child like man did not seem surprised at all.  A strange dark shape was inside of the smoke and it kept growing larger and becoming more solid.  The shape was soon a cloaked figure standing in the dark ware house.  Purple smoke seemed to swirl around the tall, dark figure.  Not able to leave him but not able to engulf him in its depths.  From his captor Chris had sensed something menacing and insane but this figure he could not sense at all.  It was as if the cloaked person wasn't even there.  A chill ran up its spine and the childlike man had not caused it.   

The figure made a sort of hissing noise and pointed at Chris.  The childlike man moved towards him and Chris desperately tried to squirm away.  The man crouched over him and gripped his jaw between two fingers.  Chris could see up close that the man's purple nails were not painted but died the sickly color as if bruised.  He wondered what death was like and in a moment he found out.  The childlike man bent over as if to kiss him but hovered inches from his lips.  Two purple nails squeezed Chris's cheeks to make his mouth open.  The child-like man up this close overwhelmed Chris.  He could sense a thousand screaming voices inside the man's head and it made him almost beg for death. 

He felt a tugging as something was sucked out of him, something very important.  He struggled to hold on to it but the screaming voices were invading every part of his brain.  For a moment before complete silence, the end, death the last person he saw flash before his eyes was a girl covered in mac and cheese...


You will have to find out what happens after I get back from my trip to Washington D.C.!!!  I will be back late Friday so maybe you will get the scoop Saturday!  Comments and Advise are welcomed!