“Yo…You,”
“Yo…You,” Jody gave her a look.
“Don’t say anything to her; she can’t see me,” Aris remarked. Natasha’s mouth was agape.
“I don’t have time right now; Azrael isn’t listening to me, and you….” Her eyes filled with sympathy.
“You’re the only one who can save him and you,” Natasha’s perplexity must be evident on her face.
Aris sighs exaggeratedly, definitely near her breaking point.
“I wish I had a polite way of saying this,” she took another deep breath, muttering under her breath, ‘hate to be the bearer of bad news,’ she looked at her.
“But to make it quick, I will get straight to it; you were supposed to be dead at the age of twelve. If your soul does not reach the Realm of Light by midnight today, you will officially enter the books of lost souls; the lord of the lost souls will take you, and no one, and I repeat, no one! Wants to go there,” Natasha looked at Jody as the car abruptly stopped.
“We’ve arrived,” Jody said as she got out of the car, “Nat, what are you waiting for?”
She stared down at her hands and held the edge of her seat with a death grip. She exclaimed as she looked back towards the back seat. The tap on the door stunned her. She clutched her heart as Aris waved her out of the car.
“Are you okay? Nat, you don’t look well,” Jody said, frowning.
She looked at Aris, wondering if she was going insane and hallucinating. Jody can’t see her, and she can’t see Azrael, and the mess in her kitchen has vanished. Oh my god, I am going insane.
“Don’t be ridiculous; you’re not insane; we, immortals, can determine who can and cannot see us,” Aris explained.
“You can read people’s minds!” She came out, feeling exposed.
“What are you on about? Nat,” Jody said, touching her shoulder, clearly concerned.
“Do you need me to drive you home? Perhaps this wasn’t a good idea; you look deathly pale,” Jody muses.
“No,” Natasha said, her voice rising, “I am okay; I will….”
“I just need some air,” she swallowed, “you go ahead.” She was dizzy, but she held herself together and smiled weakly.
“Are you sure?”
Natasha nodded, and Jody entered the club, and as soon as she was out of sight, Natasha turned to Aris.
“Can you read people’s minds?”
Aris follows her as she walks halfway to a corner. She doesn’t want to appear insane by conversing with an invisible force. But what difference does it make? Maybe I’m insane.
“No, it’s written on your face, and it’s a common reaction of mortals when they discover us, especially now that you homo sapiens got “modernized,” on this earth,”
“What do you mean I’d be officially added to the list of lost souls?”
“All souls who do not find their way to the Realm of Light become lost souls and enter a dark dimension, basically every soul gets twisted there, and there is no way back, no chance at peace or reincarnation; Azrael made a big mistake letting you live so long, but I understand his position-” she came to a halt as the sensation passed through the air, a hot water balloon exploded.
“Ah…” Aris cringed. “You need to go inside right now!” she exclaims. She drew her closer to the club.
“Do you know anything about the Lord of the Lost Souls?” She recalls the creepy shadows and the fire in her room.
“Everyone knows of him. He is the Shadow King,” She said, “But we have bigger problems now, rush! I’m afraid I can’t tell you everything.”
Aris hustled her through the door, the guard hardly getting a good glance at her ID, and Natasha turned to inquire what was going on.
“Now!” Aris screamed, and a white light blazed across the sky. Gloomy shadows took over the moon. She dashed inside.
The music was loud, so Natasha continued searching the surroundings. She tries to remain calm and appear normal. She has to find Jody and get out of there as soon as possible. Everyone was wearing a mask, and another party had already arrived. Someone placed a mask into her hand as she gazed down at it. Most likely, she mistook her for one of the guests. She couldn’t find Jody, but her gaze was drawn to a man standing far in the corners, his piercing eyes searching everywhere. Their three-piece costume and dangerous vibe indicated they were not the right fit for the part. When a man’s gaze catches her, she picks up her speed and tries not to grab anyone’s attention. She struggled to put on the mask to hide, her hands quivering, and those dark shadows chilled her to the bone. What was it? Is Aris going to be okay, and where is Jody? It felt as if every cell in her body was about to collapse when a hand arrived, touched her hand, and her body immediately stopped shaking as if under command.
The hands helped her tie her mask, and she turned to face him.
The loud sound of music transformed into something beautiful, pleasant, and mysterious. It was the sensation familiar, the cold-warm sensation when She came close to him. Dressed in a black coat and shirt, he took her breath away. He had a black mask over his eyes, her eyes met with him, and she felt no dread. The fear she felt outside had vanished, possibly because logic abandoned her. She knew who he was and why he was so close to her, but this warm, captivating, intoxicating feeling was blocking her perception-the dangerous things.
He is death, her death, and she is falling in love with him.