by Martha Woods
I clutch the box as I walk towards the front door. I don’t bother looking back as Morgan follows me out of the house and to the rental car.
“Well that was awkward,” Morgan says once we are in the car. I set the donuts in the back seat and collect the package waiting for me. I tear at the tape as Morgan drives us back into town. Inside the package is a small wooden box full of enough magical chalk to spell my way out of hell.
“Thank you, Morgan,” I eventually say as we near the townhouse he had slept in the day before.
“Don’t thank me just yet, Princess. We still have a token to collect. And of course, by we I mean you,” he says as he turns off the engine.
“I’ll remember that the next time you try to get in my pants,” I say as I gather the chalk and stick it in my pocket. I step outside the car as Morgan comes around and presses into me, pinning my arms to the car.
“Is that an offer, Princess?” he asks as he leans down and places his lips on my neck.
“No, Morgan, it is not. Now if you’ll excuse me I have work to do,” I say calmly. He leans back and pushes my sunglasses up over my head. With the sun already dropping below the horizon, I allow him the action. Looking deeply into his eyes as he tosses his sunglasses to the ground, I can’t help but feel the urge to take his offer.
“You should wait till the morning to get started. I’m sure you haven’t eaten either,” he says as he runs his finger along my face and across my chin, pausing to place his thumb on my lips.
“Go eat, Morgan. We both know how easier it is to get what we want when it’s dark,” I respond as I push him away. With the box of donuts tucked under my arm and the chalk securely in my pocket, I head down the sidewalk and towards Mr. Yung’s townhouse. The faster I get the token, the faster I can leave this place, I tell myself as I push all thoughts out of my head and begin focusing on the task at hand.
Chapter 5
“Dear Lord, that’s a lot of wine,” I speak out loud once I am standing inside Mr. Yung’s townhouse and can finally see clearly in the house. I’ve locked the door behind me and once I flipped on the lights, the towers of wine cases that go from the floor to the ceiling was hard to fathom. “I guess he has to store it somewhere,” I mumble as I start examining the crates. I’d imagine the token would be somewhere close to affect each bottle long enough to make it to the restaurant and still have an effect on the human population.
As I walk through the house, I find more crates filling the space. I set my donuts down on the kitchen counter as I circle back to the front room through the dining room and living room. The house appears to be more of a storage space than a house with no other signs of occupancy. There is no food in the fridge and each room is bare besides the crates of wine.
I place my hand on the railing of the stairs when the foreign sensation returns to my body. It’s almost sickening the temptation to rip open each crate and start drinking bottle after bottle. I focus on my breathing as I let go of the railing and start examine the stairs. I spot a small cupboard beneath the stairs that I slowly approach and rest my hand on the latch. Immediately the sensation returns, and I quickly withdraw my hand to rid myself of the feeling. If I was a normal human, I’d be drowned in wine by now. But years of experience has taught me to fight off these demonic temptations.
With the location of the token isolated to one space, I walk back towards the front door, withdraw my box of magical chalk, and begin writing a containment spell on the floor. When my ancestors learned about the supernatural realm, they also learned the language of the demons, allowing them to construct spells that would contain them to objects. After hundreds of years of practice, the spells have been perfected to contain creatures to specific areas and to influence humans to stay away from those places.
The first spell I begin will not allow anyone, human or creature, to enter the house till the area has been purged of any supernatural beings. The second will not allow anyone or thing out till the task is completed. Next, I start writing symbols on each of the crates that prevent them from being influenced by supernatural power, or at least less prone to absorb the power of the token. By doing so, I isolate the power of the token to the item that is containing the demon or spirit.
I can see the morning rays of the sun as I walk back into the front room after completing the final spell. I realize I’m down to a half a stick of chalk as I double check my spells at the front door. I place the last piece gentle into the box and pocket it as I look through the glass of the front door. I wish I had taken the time to pick up my sunglasses from where Morgan had brushed them off, but there is no leaving now. I won’t be able to leave till the token is either secured for travel or destroyed. And even then, I’ll have to wait till night in order to avoid being observed in the daylight.
I take a moment to wash my hands in the kitchen sink of all the chalk residue and take a moment to eat a few donuts and drink plenty of water. Once I open the cupboard underneath the stairs, I won’t be able to stop till the job is complete. Even with a demon contained to a token, they have their own ways of tempting people, even warriors, to release them.
“You can do this,” I whisper to myself as I leave the kitchen and approach the cupboard. I slowly place my hand on the latch, pleased to feel nothing now that the token’s powers have been reflected back on itself. It’s a sure sign that the spells are working. Opening the small door, I kneel to pull a string to turn on a dim light from under the stairs. Before me is a triangular stack of wine bottles. I shuffle closer, examining each with my eyes to notice each one is identical. The only way I’m going to figure out each one is the token by separating the bottles in a line and looking each one closely.
I take a moment to pull packing material from a crate so I don’t have to physically touch any of the wine bottles. I don’t want to accidentally touch the token and face the consequences. Carefully and slowly, I take each bottle down from the stack with my hand wrapped in paper and start aligning each bottle in front of me. As the work continues, my mind starts to wonder as I think of what Morgan must be doing right now. I’m slightly annoyed I didn’t force him to come with me and be a better assistant. Then I begin to wonder what Darien is doing with Monica when I set a wine bottle down and turn to grab the next one, only to bump my elbow into a bottle that has magical up righted itself behind me.
The wine bottle starts to topple over as I yell several curse words. Time is plunged into slow motion as I grab the neck of the bottle before it can shatter on the floor. Immediately I feel it as I stumble from the cupboard. My body feels weighed down mixed with the sensation of walking through Jell-O. The power of the token is taking effect as my eyes grow heavy and my mind is filled with thoughts of sleep. I wrap both arms around the bottle, securing it against my chest as my body loses the fight with consciousness. I fall heavily onto my back and my head smacks against the wooden floor.
* * *
“You know who she is, right?” I hear a male voice whisper as I finally begin to wake. I expect my head to be throbbing, but I’m surprised to feel no pain as I open my eyes to sunlight peering through the front door. My eyes are focused on the scene outside the door as I notice both the day light and the night sky bordering each other. I can feel the sunlight on one side of my body, and nothing on the other as moonlight peers through and half the house is covered in darkness. As I look from the door, I notice two figures sitting on the bottom of the staircase in that darkness.
“Does it matter who she is? All that matters is your free now,” a woman responds, rather annoyed. I tilt my head towards them, trying to focus my eyes on them but the sunlight blurs my vision. I finally convince my body to sit up as I tighten my grip on the wine bottle. I hardly feel any sensation in my body as I push myself to my feet and step away from the sunlight to see my captures closely.
“I can tell she is a Juravinski. She looks so much like her father,” the male says as he stands and steps closer. He is much taller than me as the sunlight illuminates his blue s
kin, black eyes, and long braided black hair.
“And who do I have the pleasure of speaking too?” I ask slowly, my voice sounding strange in my ears. The woman stands, clearly shocked by my words. She looks more human and appears to be Japanese by the long kimono she is wearing.
“You must be powerful. You’re already speaking,” she says as she joins the demon’s side. I wonder what kind of demon partnership this is, I think to myself as I begin stretching and looking around the townhouse. The wine crates have disappeared, leaving only the white walls of the townhouse to remain. As I glance at the front door, I can see my spells have remained but it’s obvious we are no longer in my realm by the way the sky appears.
“My name is Malbious. And I’m not a demon. I’m a djinn. And this is my muse, Eliana,” he explains as he steps closer and begins circling me.
“How does a trickster trap a muse?” I ask calmly. I take mental note that he has the ability to see my thoughts in this dimension.
“How does a warrior make such a stupid mistake?” Malbious replies as he eyes the wine bottle in my hands.
“I have a history of making poor mistakes. Seems history repeats itself,” I admit as I turn my focus on the muse. She is perfectly posed, unaffected by Malbious’ actions as he continues to circle me.
“Only your stuck in here alone this time,” he says as he stops in front of me. I can see clearly now the scars that cover his bare chest. Whoever trapped Malbious in this token must have fought brutally to get him in here. Instinctively, Malbious raises his hand and traces a few of the scares with his finger as he keeps his eyes on me.
“I’m not alone. I have you two to keep me company for the next few hours till this dimension crumbles,” I say as I finally brake away from his eyes and begin looking around. I have a few options to get out of here alive. I can find a way out and return to my realm, leaving these two behind. I can destroy them and the token, but that isn’t an easy thing to do. Or I run out of time and the djinn destroys me with his trap and escapes.
“But you are forgetting a forth option,” Malbious speaks up as I turn back to him. “You can surrender your powers to me and I’ll make sure you return to your realm safely.”
I can’t help but laugh at the thought. I begin to imagine the chaos Malbious could create if he had my powers in the supernatural realm. Malbious smiles in response at the images that run through my mind. “That would insure victory for the supernatural realm and maybe even future invasion.”
“Come now, Princess. What makes you think my kind would want to live on your precious Earth?”
“I’m sure at this point it’s just a game of revenge,” I admit as I finally move and walk over to the front door with the wine bottle still clamped in my hand. I can barely feel my feet touching the ground as I examine the scene outside. It’s more beautiful than the last time I was trapped in a cell with a supernatural being. At least this one looks less creepy.
As I turn around, I can see her in front of me. Where Malbious once stood, now floats the woman that haunts my dreams. The spirit hovers in the air, her translucent figure unmoving, as the same evil grin and white eyes stare at me. I look away, knowing the djinn is only trying to brake me. He wants me to fail this test.
I set down the wine bottle carefully by the door and begin walking around the perimeter of this dimension. Last time I was stuck in a trans dimensional prison I only had a small room to analyze. But now I have entire house to search. But as I walk up the stairs, I find the limits of the cell as the top as it leads to nowhere. After my first round of finding an escape or weak spot of the dimension, I begin a second and third attempt. Each time, Malbious is close behind me, changing into different forms to distract me. With each new form he takes, I can’t help but stare at him from time to time. I watch as my father stands before me, someone I haven’t seen in years. Then Darien is beside me, charming as ever. And finally, I lose all my concentration as my uncle appears. I struggle with keeping the tears kept at bay since I haven’t looked at a picture of him since his funereal. Now he looks alive and happy, leaving me with the guilt of his death. As a single thought enters my mind, reminding me this is only an illusion, rage builds in my body as I scream.
Blue flames leap from my body and lash at Malbious, forcing him into his own image and staggering away from me. As the flames subside, he laughs maliciously as he brushes away his seared skin.
“Now that’s the power of a true warrior. It seems you’ve learned to control yourself since the last time you were here, Princess,” he says as he final turns and leaves me alone. I sigh as I walk back to the front door and plop down on the floor. I look out the window at a natural scene of the city. I want to open the door and just walk back into my realm, but I know I must destroy Malbious if I am to get out of here alive.
“Don’t just sit there, you stupid girl,” I hear Eliana’s voice from behind me. With Malbious nowhere in sit, it appears she is more inclined to do something other than sit on the stairs. I tilt my head towards her as she withdraws a tiny hour glass from within her kimono sleeve and sets it on the window sill in front of me. “Despite what you may think, you don’t have much time in here.” She turns from me and takes her position back on the stairs.
I watch as the sand falls steadily in the hour glass. I can’t tell how much time I have left, but by the rate of the sand falling, I know it can’t be much longer. Then again, time moves slower outside my realm and this could just be another way to distract me. Before I can question her actions, Malbious returns looking more composed.
“Found a way out, Princess?” he asks as he nears me and sits on the ground next to me. His attention is momentarily drawn to the hour glass but he eventually turns his eyes back on me.
“I will find a way out of here,” I mutter as I look outside, the world frozen in place as night and day struggle against each other.
“Well, in the meantime…” I can’t help but watch Malbious as he stands and walks over to Eliana. He reaches for her hand and draws her to her feet. Even in the shadows, I can see him smile mischievously at her and for a moment Eliana tries to hide her smile but eventually gives in as Malbious places his hands on her hips and begins pulling at the fabric keeping her kimono together.
I don’t know why I can’t look away, but a part of me wonders what is going to happen next and maybe a more sinister part of me is curious what intimacy looks like. In just moments, Eliana stands free of any clothing as she tugs at the pants on Malbious. Once his pants are at his ankles, he pulls Eliana to her feet, forces her to turn around and doesn’t hesitate in plunging his member into her. I look away as the sounds of their lovemaking fill the space. Surely this isn’t want normal intimacy looks like. After all, they are not of my world.
I pull my hands over my ears and curl into a ball while forcing my eyes shut. No matter how hard I try to force the sounds out of my head, I feel instead like I am losing the battle.
Chapter 6
I’m not sure how many hours have passed, or whether it’s another day or night, when the sound of their animalistic love making stops and Malbious has returned to sit beside me. It’s his stench that draws me out of myself as I finally put down my arms and look at him. A wide smile spreads across his face as he looks at me.
“Haven’t you ever wondered….”
“Of course, I have. It’s a temptation in itself, but knowing I’ll lose my powers if I don’t first enter into a bonding ritual with that person first, that’s a whole new temptation,” I explain.
“If it’s freedom you seek, why don’t you just give your powers to me,” Malbious says with a chuckle.
“Because that option has consequences. Besides, why would I give up my powers now when I yearn for the day I can use them to destroy your people,” I say with a wicked grin. Malbious’ face grows serious for a moment as he contemplates my words. He has already seen a sample of my power and I’m sure the full force of my will scares him. It scares me too, I think as I turn away from him. The
sand in the hour glass is halfway empty and I know I need to do something before the time runs out.
I pull my last piece of magical chalk from my pocket and start writing on the ground beside me. If I’m going to die in this place, I want to at least tell my mother where she can find my body. I write the message in the floor and after I have sealed it with a spell, I crumble the rest of the chalk and smear it into the message. Then I wipe it away with my hand and simply stare into the remnants. It is possible she can write me a message back so I don’t dare disturb the mess.
I stand and don’t bother looking over at Eliana as I begin walking around the house, again looking for a way out. I check every door and window only to find them lock. After all, that would be to obvious. Then I start checking the corners of each room, seeing if the walls push away into an escape route. When I don’t find anything useful, I start opening cupboards in the kitchen, the oven and fridge, but I don’t find anything. Not even the box of donuts I had left on the counter. Once I realize they are missing, I start to wonder why I don’t feel anything. No hunger or thirst, the need to use the restroom, or tiredness in my body. Though I have never entered the supernatural realm before, the last time I was stuck in a dimensional prison I remembered feeling pain.
“Self-inflected, I assure you,” I hear Malbious voice behind me as I turn to see him with my box of donuts, enjoying the last jelly filled one. Even as I watch him eat, my body doesn’t scream out in hunger.
“What do you mean?” I ask, leaning against the kitchen island as I start to trace my hands across the surface, looking for any clues.
“The pain you felt the last time. It was emotional, self-inflected pain. You are much calmer this time,” Malbious continues between bites.
“How do you know so much about what happened before?” I ask as I glance over at him before continuing my search of the kitchen.
