章 8: Failed project
"I need no one but myself, only I can care for me as well as or better than a parent, friend or lover. I do not regret being alone. I regret when I get lonely." - Rosealinde
"Being scared of not just yourself but also of what you desire will make accepting reality harder. There is nothing wrong with different, just don't be a stranger to yourself." Rosealinde
I couldn't help but snort. Mythological creatures in my book weren't allowed to be 'delicate'. Or 'sensitive', but I had encountered so many.
The Don seemed to be always helping imbecile people/Mythological creatures; and it annoyed me to great lengths. The Mythological Creatures in general: were stronger, faster, smarter and just in general better than humans. Some here sparkled, there were dragons, they were dimensions… all the legends, all the stories; all the impossible tales and dreams… in this world they were true.
But it was just my luck to meet the uncool ones (Except The Don, she was the coolest), I mean for goodness sakes! How did a vampire, who sucked other people's blood (humans') have nose bleeds because of nerves???? He had the nerve to tell me such a stupid thing and not expect me to gut him or laugh!!!!
I grind my teeth, glad to be able to go to my room and relax from all the crazy. I needed to meditate and if they did try to ask me questions on my name I was going to kick them out with a stamp saying 'only losers get nose bleeds'. Zoe, that's not nice. I jump and look around, nope, it was in my mind. Wait! That could only mean… I could be anyone Zoe, really. Your mind has no barriers, anyone could telepathically kill you.
They could? I ask excitedly, that sounded a smidge cooler than nose bleeds and nerves.
Yes, they could. Now get your arse down here! I've been waiting for a minute! Do you know you shouldn't keep me waiting???
Oh, I'm sorry… I'm in the lift.
Tell the elf, Bluster that he needs to move things along.
His name is Bluster?
You'll find out soon enough.
"Ugh." I look down searching amongst all the feet and briefcases for the shabby red coat. The elf appears on Doctor Mango's shoulder.
"You require me?" He asks his green eyes promised me mischief. I grin at him, we were so going to become best friends.
"The Don says: move things along Bluster!" There was a collective gasp as I casually pronounce 'The Don', there was a hurried fumbling of rosaries (kissing and pressing it to one's cheek). The spies look at me, then as one they looked away. It was the strangest sensation every, it felt like something had possessed them for the briefest of minutes only to get bored (when they looked at me before the rosary touching, that looked like a ritual).
Bluster grins, then he bounces up onto the ceiling where he stands upside down, on the ceiling was a big lever, and he yanks it down with gusto. And with a great woosh we were falling down, I watched as we passed red suites as they walked by, they for some reason would salute and I would feel obliged to attempt a salute as well, it was hard to do when falling through the air.
Bluster held onto Doctor Mango's lab coat, everyone's clothes were up above their heads, most of the women paid no attention to the fact they were naked from the waist down as their skirts blew directly in their faces. I had to stop myself from looking, the men weren't as discreet. In unison, the women remaining, slapped the men senseless.
Finally, I felt the lift slowing down. And Bluster announces the block and corridor.
"32H and corridor 12A." People edged away from me as I shoved my way out, I made sure Bluster had finished tying up all the Doctors' lab coats together then I run out. Bluster waves as the three Doctors tried desperately to untie themselves tp run after me. I pelt past each door, glad for all the running, I doubt they could've caught up with me, however I keep running until I run past 46. I skid to a halt, a soft glow was visible; the dark corridor was cold, but the draft from the room welcomed me. It felt strange, but I knock.
"Come in." Rosealinde's calm voice made me want to squeal with joy. I had only been gone for nearly seven hours and I missed her? I needed help.
I walk in closing the door behind me. Rosealinde had done the usual thing she did. She had exaggerated. My room was too big for only one person, the bed was too big to be a double bed. The table had too much food on it, the kitchen was filled with too many cooking utensils that I would never use. There was too much glass on one side of the wall, I had a Jacuzzi outside. This whole place was out of context, but it felt so familiar.
"Umm… thanks." I wave my hand around.
Rosealinde takes a seat looking very much at home in my house.
"I know what you're thinking: too much for just one person. What can I say Zoe? Money is me. I like my money as much as I like spending it on the comforts of life." Rosealinde picks up a glass of wine, she was still wearing her hat and she still had her walking stick close by.
She undoes the middle button on her blazer, I noticed her overcoat was draped neatly over my dining room chair. She swirls the wine and I watch her stare at its 'legs'.
"Why are you wearing your hat indoors?" I ask moving to switch a few more lights on. I press the switch on an upstanding light, the room remains dimly lit. Looks like she was not in the mood for any more lights.
She removes it and places it on top of her walking stick. Today it was an eagle's head, I watch surprised as it opens its beak and clutches the hat by its brim.
"I take it today went well?" She asks rolling up the sleeves to her shirt. I look around searching for a place to sit. I had plenty of options, I just didn't want to sit too close to her. I sensed something, and I didn't want to test my gut reaction.
"As well as being strapped to an examining table can go. Do you know, it's very uncomfortable."
"I am familiar with the experience." She takes a sip, then she reaches in her breast pocket to pull out a cigarette. I felt like telling her not to light it, but I doubted she would listen. However, she only puts it between her teeth and keeps it there, unlit. I guess she had read my mind, and decided to respect me. Rosealinde wasn't someone who went out of her way to annoy someone, often she had no opinion on people or their behaviour, she only attempted to rile up Maya; apart from that she really didn't express any other emotion range.
"Old habit." She says with nearly a sad smile. I lean forward eagerly, was she going to tell me more about herself?
"Wine?" Rosealinde suddenly asks lifting her glass to her lips. I lean back slightly disappointed.
"Why don't we trade, you eat and I tell you my experience?" She offers, this time I watch as her cigarette slowly burns orange. The smell never came. She could smoke as long as it didn't stink up my room. I look at the table next to me, it was laden. Sighing, I tuck into the food. I was glad for the meal, my Hybrid body needed more food every time Rosealinde would push one limit I would feel the need to eat more often and in greater quantity.
"In this world Zoe, there is the impossible. That is why Jillian and I stick to the Shadows because our kind are described in many planets and times to be 'the impossible' or 'the devil incarnated'. Do you not think that these prejudices would push every race to try and examine us when having the ability."
"But you're twenty-two years old." I remind her waving the fork at her; she gives me a sharp look. I stop waving the fork and speaking with my mouth full.
"Ah yes, your favourite conundrum… how I am twenty-two yet be 70 000 000 000 years old." I drop my fork to stare at her.
"You're how old?" I squeak.
"Age is for the people who have limited time. As is time for the people who have limited time. Jillian and I have never measured our age or time for that matter." So she could be much older?
"Yes, I jolly well could be. Don't you like that word? Jolly?" She smiles, I watch as the cigarette burns again, the cinders fall. I follow the small trail, only to noticed Rosealinde was waving them away with a soft breeze, I watch as it flies out of the full glass wall.
"Examining." I remind her shoving some more food in my mouth, the feeling inside of me was soooooooo…. Intoxicating.
"Ah yes, don't mind me. I am old, it's bound to show somehow." She smiles, again it looked more sad than happy. Before I could get any more out of her my door was flung open and Maya comes in.
I watch as Rosealinde flicks all the lights on, my room becomes painfully bright and the smell of cigarette suddenly makes itself present. Maya and I scrunch our noses.
"Rosealinde! How many times have I told you, smoking smells!" Shrieks Maya. I look down ignoring their argument, Maya was used to losing this argument and Rosealinde was used to having it. I look up however when a tentative knock sounds on my open door.
Seriously couldn't the idiot see the door was open? Did he want a welcome mat, a special invitation… oh it was Russo. My annoyance vanishes and I try to control my savageness, his eyes were trained on Rosealinde who waves at him.
"May I come in?" He asks her.
"I don't know ask Zoe, it's her place." Maya says turning to briefly look at me, then she resumed screaming at Rosealinde. Rosealinde had sat back down, she angles her hat downwards and I think she may have gone to sleep.
"Can I come in?" This was more a rhetorical question, because he steps over the threshold and walks in as if he owned the place. I wasn't as important as Rosealinde, my permission wasn't a big deal. And apparently nor was being polite to me a big thing either. I liked manners, I liked how Rosealinde got referred to as Miss or Master or Sir (though the last one was a bit strange).
"You might want to close that door Zoe." We all look at Rosealinde.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because at night the failed Hybrids who are Zombies; are let out at night. They guard at night. And we really don't want a hoard of them in-"
"Too late." Says Russo with the softest voice. He sounded truly menacing. It was really attractive.
I watch as Maya and Russo seem to move protectively in front of Rosealinde. Rosealinde continues to sit with her hat on her face. Both of them were hearing something. I move about to shut the door when black shadows grab me and pin me down. I look at the culprit, she still sat relaxed.
"You're first test Zoe." I glare at Rosealinde. Seriously, this was her way of training people. No wonder there were so many 'ifs' in it. People probably died more often than live.
I still try to walk to the door, however Rosealinde's power holds me down.
"Scared?" She asks in a nearly mocking manner.
.
"This is going to be your life now, fighting and learning how to fight. You agreed to this. Of course, you may change your mind and join the spineless creatures that are coming our way." All of us watched as Rosealinde straightens herself up, she picks up her overcoat and buttons up her blazer. Then she adjusts her hat and picks up her walking stick and she just she leaves. Out of the wide-open door. I could hear the combination of her heels and her walking stick click down the corridor. It sounded like she was mocking me. I was infuriated. With a wave of her hand, she could eliminate the threat, not even she could just think it and they would die, instead, she just LEAVES!!!!
Maya and Russo were preparing, they overturned my sofa and a few chairs. I watch as Maya goes to a bookcase (I only had three) she pulls out of it secret comportment: a collection of bullets and guns. Russo starts counting them out and placing them into holders.
"You will take them first, we will take them down if they enter any further," Russo says.
"Why are you guys using guns?" I ask.
"Because you will soon find out punching them won't actually affect them. These bullets are loaded with tranquilisers, could put a dragon under really."
"So, you're going to make them fall asleep in my house?" I shriek.
"Yep, pretty much. Then in the morning, they're programmed to walk back to their cages." Maya loads a gun, I hear the safety lock unclick.
"So why am I to punch them?" I ask bewildered, they seemed to be pretty much in control of the situation.
"Pass the time." They say in unison, shrugging.
I really hated being the first line of defence. Personally, I didn't think it was fair. I was alone with no weapons; except for my usual daggers hidden in my lining. Sighing, I pull three out, they were equipped with loopholes to put one's fingers in. I hold three in each hand. Rosealinde had trained me to throw knives like an expert because 'everyone goes down with a few daggers in them' had been what Rosealinde had said. I hoped she was right.
I shift from feet to fight, itching for this fight. I loved fighting, the adrenaline that started to run through me made me more aware of the world. The blood flow increased, when I had been human I had enjoyed teasing people about hearing their own blood rushing through their ears, now I was the one always hearing it. I was constantly scared. Rosealinde gave me little time not to be, bring it on! I started jumping a bit.
"Stop that!" I hear Maya hiss at me; I ignore her. I was allowing her to turn my furniture upside down, this was still my space of the world.
That's when they came, and I froze in shock. I had never seen zombies, they apparently were too dim to ever commit a crime consciously; so, the prison had never shown me the alternative me. Being a Hybrid was great, if the food was supplied to you, however being a zombie… looked… really bad. They were sickly green or pale white, I don't know why they had this different skin tone, note to self, ask Rosealinde when she comes back to annoy me. The pale white was gruesome, their veins were grey and green, their mouths were stitched up. Again why? I don't know. Their arms were too long… no that was due to their crouched walking. The green zombies weren't any better off. They had bloodshot eyes, some had yellow some had red. And they kept dribbling from the sides of their mouth, it looked like blood. Some had arms other had been replaced with a sword-arm or any other weapon attached from their shoulder. I was horrified. And for the first time in all my fighting life, I just froze in fear. I stood there, waiting for them, my mind screamed at me. My instincts were screaming at me, heck I was screaming. But my body was refusing to move.
Never was I going to become like that! Also, they didn't have enough hair, it was maybe three hairs per person. Wow, ration hair. This was the only way I was going to be able to go through this, joking.
I suddenly see them fling themselves at me, and I was able to move. Like Rosealinde had been training me to do: at vampire speed, even though I wasn't one; even Maya popped her head up to stare at me open-mouthed. It was more a trick than me actually running. I 'fazed' that was the word Rosealinde had thrown at me, I had to say it every time I was to use it, to 'prepare the atoms of my body'…. Bla, bla, bla quoting Rosealinde here obviously.
My knife supply never grew low, I duplicated them with my new duplicating 'trick'. I weave through them, cutting slicing, throwing my knives. Maya and Russo shot them when they staggered on, ignoring my blows. I was furious, here I was wasting my precious time…. And it wasn't affecting them????
"Zo, don't get too upset." I hear Russo yell, I got distracted. He has a nickname for me? Was it So? Nah, that sounded bad, Zo? That was lame as well.
I was ready to turn around- I found myself at the lift- and fight my way back. I was surprised to see other 'Hybrids' fighting the zombies with the same zeal and determination… and there right where the darkness intensified, I could make out the very distinctive profile of 'The Don'. Her wide brim hat, (she called them Panama hats, it didn't sound as scary though), her hourglass figured sheathed in a suit that fit her like a pencil (was being that sexy fun?) and the cane with something on top of it; and those heels… ahhh. I don't know why everything stopped moving but it did, then it seemed to slowly shifted back into action. Tranquillizers suddenly were whizzing past me, and I realised that Russo and Maya had moved out of my room.
You lose focus too easily Abscond, keep your eyes on the prize. The Don spoke to me, I was scared; mainly because when Rosealinde was being Don she had some strange dark heavy accent present so it creeped me out even more than her presence. Also, I didn't like how I felt around Rosealinde in general, I didn't want to rely on her or anyone, or need her or anyone. I was great on my own, I could protect me perfectly fine, had been doing so for the past twenty-seven years.
I thought you had left. I reply to her, there was no answer telepathically, but The Don raises her brim and tilts it, sliding it down even further and she nods, then she vanishes. Gone.
I felt alone, once more. No, no no! I DON'T NEED YOU. I shouted mentally to the void.
Sure, you do. I got an answer, which I wasn't expecting.
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