Neo Chronicles: Nexus
Episode 43: I Can't Catch a Break
Table of Contents
The sound is soothing. Soapy water falling over my hands, splashing as it hits the porcelain sink. I look up to find myself through the mirror.
As I check the different angles of my face, the mirror's digital overlay adjusts to bring out the clearest possible picture in the highest possible definition. Every pore, every blemish, every mark along my skin is on display. When my eyes focus on a particular spot, the picture zooms in and zooms out according to how close I stand to the glass.
I'm starting to think it's about time I get a hair cut. Normally, I try to keep the pink locks from going past the bottom of my chin. Now, they're starting to creep on down to my shoulders.
That's not the only thing this mirror brings to light. The water in the faucet stops pouring as I bring my hands up to my face. I'm starting to get dark circles under my eyes. And I don't know if it's my vision getting blurry or what, but I think the blue in my eyes are starting to lose their sharpness.
I widen my left eye with my finger, and the digital zooming shows that that's not the case. My eyes are still a sharp, cool blue. I'm just incredibly sleepy.
And hungry. I still haven't eaten.
God, how long have I been up? I'm spending so much time in the Axis that I'm losing track of everything. I used to be more put together than this. My schooling, my appearance, my life. But now?
It's not my fault though. I can't afford to take a break. Especially with how close this demon thing is hitting home. No more than three minutes ago, I was in some shadow realm fighting to find a way out. There are demons running wild in the school right now. I've gotta stay focused on that.
I hear a toilet flush behind me. I look in the mirror to see who comes out from it, but then the lights go out. All the lights. It's sudden, abrupt, and alarming. The digital overlay of the mirror turns off. The silent humming of the restroom's AC stops. The sink's faucet won't dispense any more soapy water, even when I put my hand under it.
I'm standing here in the dark.
Again.
Standing next to me, a foggy, shadowy figure appears. I see its glowing red eyes reflected in the glass in front of us. Not even a second later, I'm surrounded by more foggy, shadowy figures. These are the demons I was talking about.
Instinct takes over. My hands ignite with a surge of energy. Lightning from the god Thor. I react without even thinking about it. Turning towards the demon on my right, I swing at it with my left fist.
The demon steps to avoid the punch, and the ball of electrical energy I was holding flies out from it. I feel my heart beating. Rapid fire drumming pounds in my head. It's the adrenaline's rush. I see the demons increase in number. Doubling and tripling as the seconds pass. I can't waste any time.
I'm mentally calling out to the Morrigan for aid. She's war. She's strength. She's power. I feel her energy surging through me.
“Lynn, what the hell!”
I step out in a wide stance and stretch out my hands on opposite ends. A pulse of energy shoots out in every direction. It strikes at all the demons in the room. Their bodies disintegrate into nothing.
Then the lights turn back on. All the power in the bathroom returns: the mirror, the sink, the AC. It happens in just as quick a manner as when they turned off. Sudden, abrupt, alarming.
Then I look down to see a black girl lying on the floor, looking up at me with a cross look. It's Octavia, one of my classmates.
“Lynn,” she says. “What the hell?”
I look around the room. The mirror's cracked, one of the walls has a large burnt mark, some of the doors to the stalls are broken, and we're the only two in the room.
I kneel down to try and help her up. My hands are shaking. I think I'm panting. What happened?
“Oh my God, are you okay?” I ask.
She slaps my hand away and places her hand on her forehead. “Are you?”
“I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I thought—I dunno—I thought –”
“Lynn, I'mma need you t'take a step back.”
“Are you sure? I could help you up. My God, I'm so sorry.”
“Please, jus' take a step back. You're givin' me a headache. Whatever it is you're feelin'—what is that? anxiety, fear, rage?—it's makin' me sick right now.”
I stand to my feet and walk towards the door as I watch her collect herself. With her eyes closed, she lets out a sigh.
Then she stands up and leans against the wash area. I see her look in the mirror. Even though it's cracked, the digital overlay seems to still be working. I see her press her finger on the glass, and two options are presented to her: one picture of soap, the other of water. She presses her finger against the water picture. Then she puts her hands under the faucet, cupping the water that comes out, and splashes her face with it.
She notices that I'm still standing in the doorway and looks over to me, “You can go, now.”
“Are you sure?” I walk up to her. “I feel horrible.”
“I know you do,” she sighs.
“Please, let me make it up to you.”
“Lynn,” she says bluntly. “We good. You tried t'kill me—'bout lost my life—but it's okay. You feel bad about it, so that makes it all good. We all good. Thanks for carin'. I really appreciate it.”
*/
How did that happen?
It's the only thing on my mind as I walk down the hall. My head is held down, looking at the floor and at everyone's hurried feet. The people are starting to rush. The next class is about to start. The tardy bell is a few seconds from –
There it is. Ringing, buzzing, echoing on every corner. I—along with all the others still meandering about—are late. I don't think I care. I'm in no condition to head to class, especially if this is going to be a problem.
How did that happen?
Were there ever any demons in there with us, or was it just me and Octavia the whole time? Did I imagine the whole thing? The whole encounter? Are these shadows that I'm seeing move along the ground right now even real? What if this is stress?
What if I'm so stressed out from worrying about actual demons that I'm hallucinating all of this?
*/
I feel a cool breeze. I look up and see that the hallway's disappeared. The only thing surrounding me is white nothing. I'm in the Axis.
Standing before me is Akka. She looks upset. Her arms are crossed. There's a stern look on her face. She speaks.
“Lynn, this is what I was talking about.” She relaxes her shoulders and unfolds her arms as she walks over to me.
“How was I supposed to know?” I ask, shrugging my shoulders.
“You were supposed to let me teach you. The power we grant you is all yours to control, but without the wisdom and understanding that comes with it, you're still just as vulnerable to the demons' dark games.”
“Fine, teach me now. What do I need to know? Start with what happened in the bathroom. Am I going crazy?”
“No, there was a demon there. And he knew you were there as well.”
“So the attack was real.”
“Not in the way you perceived it. A demon, like any spirit, has the ability to affect the physical, spiritual, and mental aspects of the world and those in it. You were just hit with the mental.”
“Telepathy? That wasn't anything like the TP normal people have.”
“Of course it wasn't. A demon's mental manipulation involves many more aspects. I could teach you how to resist them –”
“There's no time for that!” I exclaim with my arms outstretched. “Just tell me what I need to know so I can see it coming.”
“You're acting like the Morrigan, again. You need to take time to truly assess the situation. Weigh the gravity of it.”
“And I'll get to that, but I need something now. I don't want my friends to die while I'm, while I'm training. Something needs to be done about the immediate threat first.”
Akka looks away. Then I see her disappear into the blank space behind her. As if she was never there. I know she's right. I know she speaks the truth, and she's trying to help me in the best way possible. I appreciate her for that, but right now –
“Right now, there are more pressing issues to address.” The Morrigan appears behind me with her arm over my shoulder. “I understand where you're coming from. You're right. Akka will come to see it, eventually. Don't worry about her, and don't worry about the demons' attacks. You will be protected.”
“Thank you,” I say.
