Knock... knock... knock!
Emily grunted as she rubbed her eyes, throwing the pillow over her head.
Knock... knock... knock!
"Fuck off!" Emily grumbled as she rolled over in the bed. Her head throbbed like a thousand needles were poking at her skull.
"Emily of Leonore... wake the hell up. It's almost noon!" Rachel screamed as she banged on the door.
"Can you just give me an extra hour?" Emily replied as she yawned and wrapped herself in the blanket.
"I will be back. I am going to find Sarah." Elijah said from the other side of the door.
"Okay, okay, I will get up. Anything but her," Emily said as she forced herself up, rubbing the bags under her eyes.
"ł Ⱨ₳VɆ ₮Ø ₳₲ⱤɆɆ."
"Nobody asked you," Emily whispered to herself as she stared blankly at the wall.
"Did you say something?" Shiyu asked as she lightly tapped on the door.
"I said I'm coming! Let me just brush my damn teeth!" Emily yelled as she rubbed her cheeks and groaned.
"Well, make it quick. We are leaving!" Rachel said.
Emily scoffed as she lifted herself off the bed and shambled towards the bathroom. Her body ached as if she had spent the entire night drinking. She flicked the light on, then rubbed her face as she approached the sink. Her shimmering emerald eyes flickered with mulberry as she looked at her reflection.
"ɎØɄ ⱠØØ₭....₵Ø₦₣Ʉ₴ɆĐ...ł ₩Ø₦ĐɆⱤ ₩ⱧɎ?"
"I wish you would just fuck off. Haunt someone else or whatever the fuck you are," Emily thought to herself as she brushed her teeth.
"ØⱧ ł₴ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ɎØɄⱤ ₵₳ⱠⱠł₦₲ ł₮ ₦Ø₩? Her reflection replied with a Cheshire smile as the mirror glitched around the edges. "ł₣ ł ₩ɆⱤɆ ₳ ₲ⱧØ₴₮ ØⱤ ĐɆ₥Ø₦, ł ₩ØɄⱠĐ ₣ł₦Đ ₴Ø₥ɆØ₦Ɇ ⱠɆ₴₴ ₳₦₦ØɎł₦₲ ₳₦Đ ₥ØⱤɆ Ɽł₵Ⱨ ₮Ø Ⱨ₳Ʉ₦₮."
"So I am just schizophrenic then."
Her reflection cackled. "₦Ø₱Ɇ, ฿Ʉ₮ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ł₴ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ₴Ø₵łɆ₮Ɏ ₩łⱠⱠ Ⱡ₳฿ɆⱠ ɎØɄ ₳₴."
"Emily... hurry the fuck up!" Rachel yelled as she banged on the door.
"I'm coming... I'm coming!" Emily replied as she turned off the faucet.
"ł ₩łⱠⱠ ฿Ɇ Ɽł₲Ⱨ₮ ฿ɆⱧł₦Đ ɎØɄ Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳₳!"
"I am going to go find myself a damn exorcist."
"ØⱧ ₦Ø...₩Ⱨ₳₮ ₩łⱠⱠ ł ɆVɆⱤ ĐØ. Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳₳!"
Emily rolled her eyes as she glanced around the bathroom. Her eyebrow raised as she tried to piece together whether she had taken a shower last night.
"ɎØɄ ĐØ₦'₮ ɆVɆ₦ ⱤɆ₥Ɇ₥฿ɆⱤ ĐØ ɎØɄ?"
"I am not doing this with you."
"ØⱧ... ł₴ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ₴Ø?" Her reflection replied, smiling from ear to ear. Her glowing mulberry eyes followed Emily as she left the bathroom.
Emily sighed, then opened her hotel room door. Her eyes widened as a creeping dread crawled up her skin like a million ants. She tripped over her feet, gazing down an endless corridor bathed in mulberry light. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as her arms trembled. Multiple doors aligned the hallway, each with numbers that resembled binary code. The numbers glitched in and out of existence before revealing different numerical values.
"Oh, shit!" Emily said as a door creaked open.
The fluorescent lights flickered like angry wasps in a jar. Portraits and statues that lined the hallway wept mulberry tears. Fake potted plants grew while water started to drip from their vases. The hallway shivered as crackling S̻̏tͫa͚̓͐t̀̀͢ȋ͚͜c̞ hissed through Emily's eardrums. An unnatural and jagged shadow made of stars and ink spilled onto the hallway's carpet.
P͍͗ͪͦ̌̆̋ḫͣ͊͢͠_y͓̹̳̠ͤ̄͟s̡̻͖̮͌ͬ̌i̋c̎s̷̴͈͍͇͆ broke down as a girl that resembled Emily stepped through the creaked door. She had long, wet black hair, streaked with teal highlights and scattered freckles. The star speckled oversized black hoodie, ripped black jeans, and dirty black combat boots were identical to what Emily was wearing.
Her left eye swirled and glowed with mulberry with mulberry flames shooting out. Flames crackled out of her glowing solar orange right eye that burned like the sun. Cracks spread across the white mask on the right side of her face, resembling porcelain glass that fell onto the floor. A mulberry aura radiated off her body, warping reality, and objects. The portraits shifted from landscapes to surreal paintings as she walked down the hallway. An unsettling predatory smile stretched across her face as she stared into Emily's emerald eyes.
Emily's heart raced as her body trembled. Her eyes darted towards the bathroom door, then back down the hallway. Her eyes jolted wide as the woman approached. A blood-curdling screech ripped down the hallway as the woman's fingers rubbed across the walls. The paintings on the walls trembled and glitched in and out of existence at the slightest touch from the woman's mulberry aura. Lights flashed overhead, bursting after the fractured masked woman walked underneath them.
"Shit... shit... shit!" Emily blabbered as she knocked over bobbles and antiques sitting on the table nearby as she tried to get on her feet. "I am dreaming... have to be dreaming."
"ⱤɄ₦₦ł₦₲ ₩Ø₦₮ ⱧɆⱠ₱ ɎØɄ," the heterochromatic-eyed woman mocked as she continued her approach.
Emily felt a pull on her body, tugging at her, making her legs feel heavy. Her body felt like it was sinking in quicksand as she tried to will herself to run, but her legs wouldn't move. Her arms twitched as she tried to reach for an item to defend herself. She then lost all control of her motor functions. Her body turned towards the fractured masked woman walking down the endless corridor.
"Wake up, Emily... wake the fuck up!" Emily shouted out loud as her eyes widened when the woman approached the front door with an eerie smile.
Emily's eyes snapped shut, refusing to look as the woman reached out for her face. Static crackled from her fingertips as she laughed.
"Oh, fuck!" Emily screamed as her eyes jolted open and she sprang from her bed. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she breathed out through her mouth.
"Fuck...fuck.... the nightmares are getting worse," she said to herself as she clutched her chest.
Emily laughed hysterically as she stared at the front door with wild eyes. "Holy fuck... shit. Okay... I'm fine... I'm fine," she said as her heart slowed down to a normal pace and she breathed out through her mouth.
She rubbed her eyes and sighed as she leaned forward at the foot of the bed. Her eye twitched as she heard the doorknob turn. Emily turned towards the sound, eyes fixed on the doorknob that started to turn. Mulberry light spilled into Emily's room as the door creaked open.
"Fucking shit," Emily mumbled to herself as panic slithered down her spine like a venomous snake. "I can't still be dreaming?"
"₱ⱠØ₮ ₮₩ł₴₮, Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳₳Ⱨ!"
Emily recoiled on the bed, snapping her eyes shut and curling into a ball. She rocked back and forth as she heard the floorboards creak under the woman's boots as she approached the bed. Her heart pounded as her mind went blank with primordial fear.
A sharp, burning sensation flickered on Emily's cheeks as her emerald eyes snapped open. She stared at Rachel with a bewildered gaze, then reached for her right cheek, which throbbed like a recent bruise.
"Finally... what in the ever-loving PRIME were you dreaming about?" Rachel asked as she rubbed Emily's forehead.
"This is real... please tell me this is real?" Emily muttered with wide eyes, her body dripping with perspiration.
"Relax, welcome back to the real world, kid. Had to bust down the door, though," Elijah explained as he gestured at the door ripped off the hinges. "We thought someone else was in here... heard another voice from outside."
"Another voice?" Emily asked, her eyes glazing over in deep introspection.
"Yeah...you were talking to yourself in your sleep. We thought someone might have been in here, but it was you thrashing about in your bed like some possessed lunatic," Elijah explained as he lit a cigarette.
"Do you have frequent nightmares like that?" Shiyu asked as she approached the bed. "It's okay, you can tell me. I won't judge you."
Emily's eyes narrowed, and she shook her head. "It's nothing serious... don't worry about it."
"Looked pretty serious to me, kid," Elijah replied as he exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke.
"I just have mental issues, guys … I haven't had a peaceful life."
"I get that … I have my own demons as well."
"Maybe we should take her to see a psychiatrist?" Rachel suggested as she sat next to Emily.
"I am not having this conversation with y'all. Just forget you ever saw it," Emily grumbled.
"But Emily," Rachel replied.
Emily shook her head, got out of bed, and walked towards the bathroom. "Not having this conversation!"
She flicked the bathroom light on and then flinched as she looked up at the glowing, mulberry fluorescent light. Emily closed her eyes as her head turned towards the mirror. Her green eyes opened to her reflection as she crumbled to the ground. She curled up in a ball as tears poured from her eyes like a breached dam.
The lights flickered as the room trembled. Items glitched around the bathroom, then phased out of existence. The bathroom window and mirror shattered as the heterochromatic woman crawled out of the mirror. She then looked at R̓̄e̢͙͓̭ͪd͕͙̟̜̝͌ͣ̆́̐̓ac̳͍̣͋̾t̂eḋ̹͕͑̊ͭ.
"ⱤɆ₳Ⱡł₮Ɏ ł₴ ₴Ʉ₵Ⱨ ₳ ₣ł₵₭ⱠɆ ₮Ⱨł₦₲...ł₴₦₮ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ Ɽł₲Ⱨ₮ R̓̄e̢͙͓̭ͪd͕͙̟̜̝͌ͣ̆́̐̓ac̳͍̣͋̾t̂eḋ̹͕͑̊ͭ? ł ₳₥ ₮ⱧɆ ł₦₭ ł₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₵ØĐɆ. ₮ⱧɆ ⱤɆĐ₳₵₮ɆĐ ɎØɄ ĐØ₦'₮ ₴ɆɆ. ł ₵ØɄⱠĐ ₱ɄⱠⱠ ɎØɄⱤ ₴₮Ɽł₦₲₴ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ₱Ʉ₱₱Ɇ₮₴ ł₣ ₮Ⱨ₳₮'₴ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ł ₩ł₴Ⱨ ₮Ø ฿Ɇ."
Emily did not respond, refusing to look as she rocked on the floor as the bathroom ripped apart around her.
"Ø₦Ɇ ₥Ø₥Ɇ₦₮ ɆVɆⱤɎ₮Ⱨł₦₲ ⱠØØ₭₴ ₣ł₦Ɇ... ₦ØⱤ₥₳Ⱡ ₳₦Đ ₮ⱧɆ₦ ł₮ ⱠØØ₭₴ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ₱₳₱ɆⱤ ₥₳₵ⱧɆ, Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳. ₦Ø₮Ⱨł₦₲ ł₴ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ł₮ ₴ɆɆ₥₴.... ł₴₦'₮ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ Ɽł₲Ⱨ₮, Ɇ₥łⱠɎ?" The heterochromatic woman said as she cackled and grabbed Emily by her hair.
Everything went black as Emily screamed while she tried to free herself while being dragged across the floor.
A sharp, burning sensation flickered on Emily's cheeks as her emerald eyes snapped open. She stared at Rachel with a bewildered gaze, then reached for her right cheek, which throbbed like a recent bruise.
"Finally... what in the ever-loving PRIME were you dreaming about?" Rachel asked as she rubbed Emily's forehead.
Emily gazed at Rachel, Elijah, and Shiyu with suspicion. Lingering dread clung to her nervous system as she blinked.
"This is real... please tell me this is real?" Emily muttered with wide eyes, her body dripping with perspiration.
"Relax, welcome back to the real world, kid. Had to bust down the door, though," Elijah explained as he gestured at the door ripped off the hinges. "We thought someone else was in here... heard another voice from outside."
"Another voice?" Emily asked, her eyes glazing over in deep introspection. A flicker of déjà vu fluttered in her trembling body.
"Yeah...you were talking to yourself in your sleep. We thought someone might have been in here, but it was you thrashing about in your bed like some possessed lunatic," Elijah explained as he lit a cigarette.
"Do you have frequent nightmares like that?" Shiyu asked as she approached the bed. "It's okay, you can tell me. I won't judge you."
Emily's eyes narrowed, and she shook her head. "It's nothing serious... don't worry about it."
"Looked pretty serious to me, kid," Elijah replied as he exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke.
Emily opened her mouth but didn't respond because another sense of déjà vu struck her.
"How about some waffles while we talk about it?" Elijah asked as he flicked the ash off his cigarette.
"Do we really have time for all?" Shiyu asked, crossing her arms.
"We can take out," Elijah replied. "Besides, I would like to get something myself. Tyrial is a few hours away, and I don't want to drive on an empty stomach."
"Are you good with that, Emily of Leonore?" Shiyu asked.
Emily sighed, then nodded. She rubbed her temples, skull throbbing like hundreds of wasps had stung her. "Yeah... sure, whatever, but I can talk to you real quick?" Emily replied, looking up at Shiyu.
Shiyu raised an eyebrow, then looked back at Emily. "Of course, what is it?"
"Privately," Emily replied as she glanced down at the wooden floorboards.
"You have my ears," Shiyu nodded and smiled, then glanced up at Rachel and Elijah. "Could you give us two a minute? Perhaps pick up some food in the meantime?"
"You sure, Emily of Leonore? You can share anything with us. We are all a team here... you don't have to keep secrets from us," Rachel suggested.
"It's not that I don't want to; it's more like you wouldn't even understand. Shiyu might," Emily replied as she refused to make eye contact with anyone.
"Because she is a Sage, right?" Elijah asked.
Emily nodded.
"Alright, Rachel, are you coming?" Elijah asked.
"I don't see why not," Rachel replied, then glanced at Emily as she followed Elijah. "Oh, Emily."
"Yeah?" Emily muttered as she made eye contact with her.
"You can talk to me... seriously. Remember our promise?"
A subtle smile stretched across Emily's face before she erased it at the lingering déjà vu that dwelled like a very vivid dream upon waking up.