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The patter of my shoes do nothing to drown out my thoughts as I walk towards the next shop. The chattering of passerby's going about unaware of the world around them, as I keep walking in an ordinary fashion to avoid suspicion. My thoughts kept repeating the same few phrases that they always have as I shake them out once more.
The voices of the people slowly grow quieter as I enter the next shop, a botany center, to look for the next necessary item. As I make my way into the building, I take note of my surroundings and the people inside. The shop itself is stocked mostly full, likely due to them having gotten more inventory since two days ago. There's two people looking over at some of the plants on the side, one man and one woman, and the shop owner, a man who looks to be in his late 40s, is over by a counter seemingly reading the newspaper.
"Good evening Miss, anything I can help you find today?" the owner glances over to me, having closed his paper and set it down.
"Yes, I was wondering if you still had any Poppies and Lilies?" I inquire.
"Of course," he nods, pointing to a small area towards the back of the shop, "We still got plenty of those back over there. We don't sell them often since they're mostly reserved for funerals."
He looks back towards me, "Are you planning to go to a funeral?"
I look down, thoughts only nagging more at the back of my mind, "No, the funeral has long since passed."
"Oh, I'm sorry... my uh... my condolences."
I nod, heading over towards the direction he pointed me in. I find myself in front of a large selection of flowers, more colorful than anything you'd find elsewhere in this town. I look over them, seeing where the ones I need are located. I quickly locate the lilies, more easily noticeable than the others, and continue searching for the poppies as I make sure to grab just one lily.
"Have you heard the news about the Mayor?"
Turning, I see those two people from earlier talking to each other.
"I have, it's incredible how much he's doing for the community! Way better than the last guy in office."
I continue searching for the poppy, trying to block out the conversation.
"It really is, I don't think we've ever had a mayor as good as Arthur Byers."
I finally locate the poppy, grabbing it roughly, and heading back towards the counter. I hand the owner the required balance, as he nods before going back to his newspaper. I notice one of the headlines on the paper.
[MAYOR BYERS TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION]
I turn to leave, my eyes pointed as though they were arrows. The bell dings as I open the door and leave, heading back towards my home to enact my formula before the sun sets fully. My brows furrow as my thoughts start to return to me, growing ever so more insistent. As I continue walking, the passerby's voices become more clear. All I can hear from them is praise of the mayor, his achievements, and everything he's done for the city. Their voices grate my mind, threatening to pierce through it as though my mind is only putty to them.
I attempt to shake out the thoughts and voices, wanting to keep myself from attracting any attention lest my actions become more noticeable. I look around, seeing all the papers in their hands repeating what they've already said. I see banners, promoting his reelection, hanging on the sides of buildings. I keep walking, hoping I can distract my thoughts with other inquiries.
As I get closer and closer to my destination, I'm once again drawn to the library on my right. A place filled will knowledgeable tomes and stories written by authors around the world. Yet my mind can only remember the book that mayor made, 'The Lakeside Trails'. One of the main reasons he even garnered a crowd was because of that book, having it grow almost as popular as other major series. My mouth twitches at the memory, I turn back towards my destination.
Soon, I make it back to my home, opening the door and letting out a breath I didn't realize I was still holding on to. I place my bags onto a table nearby as I slowly fall back onto a chair, breathing ever so carefully.
'That damn mayor,' my thoughts begin to dance, 'He doesn't care at all. Why must everyone be so blind.'
As I regain my breath, I stand back up, gathering the flowers and taking them to a nearby room. Inside, there are more items along the walls on shelves, along with books, some of which contain the necessary steps for this disgrace against humanity I've yet to commit.
I slowly walk up to the shelf, analyzing the books to see which one contains the proper instructions. My eyes glaze past the 'CoA' novel series and quickly latch onto the textbook regarding souls. I skim through the pages, stopping when I see the instructions placed inside them neatly. I grab the instructions and begin gathering all the ingredients needed.
I grab a brush and red paint, and begin to copy the pattern from the guide onto the floor. The shape itself is easy to mark onto the floor, but the symbols are difficult to make out, having more intricate patterns and details on them. It takes some time, but eventually all the patterns are on the floor, perfectly copied exactly like the guide said. I light the candles after placing them on the circle at certain intervals, making sure the pattern stays the same.
I then grab the ingredients and begin to place them in their spots in the circle. As I place each one, my thoughts grow louder. When I place the lily onto the floor, the memory of my sister comes back to me. How our predicament would keep spiraling out of our control. Two people forced to be stuck together just because of their birth. My heart starts beating slightly faster, and my brow furrows.
When I grab the poppy, my thoughts drift to that man, Arthur Byers, and what he's accomplished. All those charities he donated to and set up, all those places he funded. He would have none of that if he never found me. The only reason he has this position is because of Edith and I's story, twins who were conjoined at birth. Oh how he pitied us, showing us off to the world for all to see, putting our pictures in the newspapers that now contain only his good deeds. And yet... when it came time for us to be seperated when Edith passed.
My teeth grind on each other, brows furrowed and eyes pointed.
He never said a word, leaving me to grieve alone. He had said before that he would pay for our surgery and give a speech in her name. And yet when it came time to deliver on his words he never did. He simply took his spot on a committee and reaped the rewards of his "good deeds". All that grief that has been inside me, still festering and making itself known, all because one man couldn't be bothered to show up for the one thing that would have mattered.
The thoughts inside my head grow louder now, the voices that were once whispers now pounding at my mind. Their voices giving me their condolences, their sorrows and prayers that do little to help me grieve. And they only sing the platitudes of that mayor, Arthur. Their songs grating my mind until there's nothing left. My eyes shut tightly as I try to silence their song as it gets louder and louder and-
I let out a soft gasp of pain, dropping the poppy onto the floor. I look at my hand, noticing the small wound that's been made. I must have pressed too deeply into the thorns, it managed to draw blood. Before I can grab a bandage, a few drops of my blood fall to the floor.
Before I'm able to leave the room, a gust of wind pushes me to the ground, extinguishing all the lit candles. The room goes dark, the sun having set already.
"Wait."
I look around, remembering that this room doesn't have any open windows, and the door to the room is shut. My confusion only grows larger as the candles are reignited, but instead of regular flames, they're a deep red hue. My eyes widen as the circle on the floor begins to engulf itself in flames. I push myself away from the circle, but find myself rooted to the floor still, unable to move to escape.
"This isn't how the ritual was supposed to go."
There was meant to be a chant, with the ingredients being offerings to the ones I had studied about in those books, The Great Race of Yith, they called them.
The fire dies down as the markings begin to glow, with each of the items used turning into ashes. Every item slowly wilts one by one until it gets to the poppy. The flower in question suddenly erupts into flames, causing me to let out a short shriek. Those voices that once plagued me now silent, as if they too were terrified of what they were seeing. I begin to wonder if I had made a mistake in doing this.
As the fire extinguishes itself, I look to the circle for any sort of answer to the large mound of questions stored in my head. My brain pieces together that something is wrong, however, as the markings are in different places than they were originally when I drew them down. It takes me a few seconds before I realize that the circle itself is spinning, each mark glowing as it spirals. I try to keep looking, but the spiral plagues my mind and threatens nausea. I look away for only a moment before I hear something different. I look back at the circle seeing that it the color is changing to a darker shade.
The circle then opens itself from seemingly nowhere, something now in this very room, circling around the walls. I try to get a closer look before it fully exits the hole, now seemingly untouched, and stares directly at me. I keep breathing as though I'm desperate for air as I look at what's in front of me. No, rather, who is in front of me. Before I can even say anything, it speaks to me.
"Well aren't you interesting?" A deep feminine voice reaches my ears, filled with a tone of what I can only assume is amusement. "I don't believe I've ever experienced something quite like this before."
My mouth refuses to speak, instead deciding to hang open in shock. This person in front of me, no, this thing in front of me is far from human. Her skin a pale shade of violet, their ears resembling ones from a goat. My eyes drift to the lower half of her body, her seemingly human figure turning into a long snake tail from the hip down, surrounding me in this now cluttered room. My eyes gaze upwards, taking note of her clothes and how ragged they look, seemingly been worn for a long time, but how long?
My eyes return to hers, or at least they would if hers weren't covered by a veil. A smile formed on her face and seemingly normal facial features, yet it feels like there's something I should be noticing. Even though her eyes are covered by cloth, it feels as though she can see me clearly with no effort. Despite all these features, all these impossibilities, the only thoughts racing through my mind are pieces of disappointment.
"Oh, were you not expecting me?"
I gasp, looking at her directly. 'How did she-'
She lets out a soft laugh, "It's obvious that you were attempting to summon else, seeing the books scattered about."
She moves away from me, grabbing one of the books thrown about. "How interesting, a book about the soul, I wonder what a woman like you would need this for?" She wonders outloud, although her tone tells me otherwise.
She turns towards me. "Well? Aren't you going to introduce yourself to me?"
It only takes me a few moments to realize I'm still in the room, alive and awake. I attempt to stand, but my legs refuse to move, choosing instead to stay planted on the floor. "My name is Ivy. Ivy Lawson." I hear myself say, as though I had no choice in the matter.
"Ivy... how peculiar it is to see that you managed to summon me instead of the ones more attuned with your research." She closes the book, placing it gently on a counter. "I must say, I don't think you'll get anything out of me that you would with the Yithians."
"How did- how do you know of them?" I ask, hoping she'd give me any answers. Instead, she lets out a small laugh.
"If you're wondering if I have any answer on how to summon them, I'm sorry to say that you missed your chance." She moves towards me, confusion filling my face. "You see, performing a ritual like this is only possible because you had the necessary ingredients and preparations. But there's one ingredient they never mentioned."
She moves away, her body rising above me before leaning down towards my face.
"It requires a virgin host, someone who has never attempted or ever been apart of a summoning of this kind. So even though I wasn't the one you were looking for, I am the one you will now have to deal with."
My heart drops, eyes falling to the floor, as though my body finally gave up. Not even the nagging thoughts plagued me, as if they realized their only salvation would forever be unanswered. 'Is this really the end of my struggle then? No more chances to give her a chance at life that was stolen from her at birth? No way to ever get past that man who only used us as a presentation for his "goodwill".'
My thoughts are interrupted when I hear that woman begin to open another book. I look closer at the book she's reading, noticing it to be one of the books from the 'Call of the Abyss' series. I look to her face, seeing her read it intently.
A question brews in my head, wanting desperately to be answered. "Do you know that book?"
She looks back to me before adopting a small smile. "Of course, I've read all the books that have ever existed." She claims. "It just so happens that a few of them end up getting close to discovering more than could ever be imagined. For them at least."
She closes the book, putting it on the shelf next to its sequels. "Although I must say, there are a few authors I find myself an avid reader of. But I do know of one author with first hand experience with beings beyond his realm."
"Who are you?"
"Oh? Don't you know how dangerous it is to say the name of a god?" She teases, a chuckle filling the room. "They say that to name a god is to summon them to you. You wouldn't happen to be trying anything like that, would you?
She comes closer, eyes hidden yet piercing, until she's just a couple centimeters away. I try to calm myself, but I only end up holding my breath, awaiting something, if anything, to happen to me. Five seconds pass before she reels back, laughing as she raises herself to the ceiling, nearly hitting it, before calming down and returning to the floor at a meters difference.
"No of course you wouldn't attempt to summon me again, just like a wolf wouldn't summon another hunter to his chase." I let out the breath I was holding, thankful that she didn't do anything.
"Yidhra."
I freeze. Part of my mind in shock from the name and her telling me. I look up to her as she continues, one hand on her cheek.
"My name, or rather the name others have decided to title me as, is Yidhra." She introduces. "Of course I have many other titles, but this is the only one you truly need to know for us to properly begin with our deal."
"A... deal?" I search my mind, scrounging for anything that she could possibly mean. I think back to what I was trying to summon the other one for before it hits me.
"I wanted... to bring back my sister." I tell her, remembering what I wanted. "I want to give her a second chance at the life she had stolen from her."
The woman, Yidhra, looks at me before raising an eyebrow. "Oh? I don't believe that's what the Yithians would have given you. They don't seem fond in resurrection."
She smiles. "But isn't there somethin else perhaps? There must be a reason you managed to summon me instead of them."
"There isn't." I refute, "I just wanted to give her a second chance at life instead of being used for someone else's publicity." My mind begins to race again, voices resurging once more. I shut my eyes, hoping that the pressure becomes more noticeable than the noise. I put my hands on my ears in a foolish attempt to silence them once more.
"Oh? Do tell, publicity for whom?"
"That damned Mayor, Arthur Byers, the man who used me and my sister for fame and left her to die!"
Silence fills the room, voices gone from my mind, as though they got what they wanted. Even Yidhra is silent, although for what reason I do not know. I slowly open my eyes, noticing my breathing is somewhat better, having let out my pent up aggression. My attention is then put towards Yidhra, who is now quiet, her usual smile now replaced with a neutral expression. It looks as though she's thinking, or rather lost in thought.
"Arthur... Byers..." I flinch. "I know exactly who that is, I know exactly what he's accomplished."
She looks down to me, lowering herself until she's face to face with me. She lets out an unnatural smile. "I know exactly 'what' he is too."
"What do you mean?" Confusion fills my mind, anticipating what she'd say next. "What is he?"
"He is a vessel."
What
"Or rather, he is a human selected by the gods to act as their vessel," She explains to me. "He was chosen to be a vessel during his tragic accident over at Lakeside Village."
I think to myself, looking back to her. "His book, 'Lakeside Trails', he said they were based on real life experiences but-"
"Of course, he was the one who survived the lakeside sacrifices," She interrupts, "And that's how he was chosen as a vessel."
"But... a vessel for who?"
"Why, The King in Yellow of course." She states, as though the answer should be obvious.
I look down, information racing my mind. I had only come across mentions of him a few times, enough to count on just one hand, but from everything I've heard about him, he's considered one of the most dangerous gods in existence. He could drive one mad with not even a single word. 'And yet,' I look up, Yidhra staring directly into me, 'She can just say their names without a second thought. A god through and through.'
"Of course, I have my own following." She brags borely, "But he'd much rather use a single person to enact his power and dominance."
She looks back to me. "Which is why I believe we should make some arrangements to our deal."
"What? What arrangements?"
"It's rather simple," She begins to list, "All I need of you is your cooperation. In turn I'll provide you with exactly what you desire."
Could it really be that simple? The way she says those words gives me a slight sense of relief. It could be that easy, I could have my sister back. A nagging thought races into my mind, unusual to the usual peer pressure. 'You shouldn't take the deal, she only mentioned your desires. Why does she need your cooperation?' I look to her expecting gaze, a new question formed inside me.
"Why can't you do this by yourself?" I inquire.
She sighs, "Because my strengths lie in the mind, I am strongest when others are asleep. And gods do not require rest to stay all powerful, nor do they need sleep as a concept."
She looks at me, or rather past me, as though she's not entirely able to match up to him. Her power seemingly lesser, simply because she's unable to fully utilize them against bigger threats, and yet she doesn't seem to use them haphazardly against those below her. All that power, and the strength to control it rather than use it against others undeserving of it.
"Why do you need my cooperation?"
"Isn't it obvious? I plan on usurping that King's throne over the world?" She says, face unchanging, as though it was such a simply task.
"How could I be of any assistance in trying to topple a god!?" I yell, my voice louder than I ever imagined it being. "I've heard of his power, how could I possibly do anything?"
She looks at me, smile growing ever so wider. "All it takes is one game to take control. A game you'll find yourself invited to if you accept this deal."
"I-" I stutter, feeling as though the room is getting smaller, "I want to hear the full deal. I won't be easily tricked, so tell me everything you want of me."
She's silent for a moment, as though pondering something, before answering my question, "All I need of you, is to act as my vessel. In time I'll make sure to bring us to that place, in which I will make sure we win. You will get your sister back and I will get power over the realms beyond your pitiful minds. And don't worry yourself, I'll make sure you don't lose access to your body or soul, I will simply control the necessary action to get us to the finale."
I close my eyes, wondering if this could ever be considered a good decision. Partly giving up my body just to enter a game that she's yet to even explain, there's not even a clear chance that we'll get there eventually, just blind trust that she'll get us invited. And if we're going, it means I'll have to come face to face with him, Arthur Byers, that damned man chosen by a god so dangerous that It could go completely wrong at any given notice. She's not even confidant in her abilities by herself, so how could I possibly do anything to even their playing fields?
My heart starts to ache, memories flooding back to me of a more peaceful time. My sister, who even though had no choice to be born stuck to me, who I loved so dearly. I just want her to come back, to make better memories, to be her own person than what the newspapers called us. To see her face, even if it's only for a small while, could I really do something like this?
I feel a hand placed on my cheek, flinching a little at how cold it is. I open my eyes to see Yidhra staring into them, an ethereal face that looks back at me with genuine emotion. I don't know what it is, but I can't help but keep staring at her, even though I can't see her eyes.
"Who is your sister?" She asks softly, as though the question could be ignored entirely.
"Edith Lawson," I reply, "She and I were born as conjoined twins, her back stuck in mine, or rather the other way around. We were both always in pain the moment from birth, but when the pain was bearable we were able to enjoy ourselves as sisters. We didn't have to worry about the world, we simply could just pretend it didn't exist. A world where we're simply sitting back to back, pain a foreign concept.
When it was time for our surgery, with the money given by Arthur Byers, we were happy, truly happy. We would talk before about how we could see each others face, how we could both be our own person and explore the world to find new parts of ourselves. But she didn't survive the surgery, the doctors could only save one of us since we shared the same heart. I had passed out from the pain, but Edith was still awake, nothing to put either of us under. I suppose the only time I ever felt lucky was when I passed out, because the doctors ended up telling me, tears in their eyes, that Edith couldn't stop calling for me, desperate for me to hear her one last time as though she knew she would be the one to die.
And she did, when I woke up she was nowhere to be found, having already been taken away. I didn't know what emotions to feel in that time, thinking that reality was playing a cruel trick on me. But that's the curse of reality, there are no tricks, just the truth. And when it finally came time for the funeral to be prepared, Arthur Byers said he would be there to say a few words. So I waited at her funeral, and waited, and waited. From the moment her funeral started to the moment the sun left us, I waited. He never showed up, why would he? He would have to tell everyone that he lied to us, that he knew the surgery wouldn't save the both of us."
I close my eyes again, letting the tears fall quietly. "But what could I do? He was loved by many, known by all. And me? I was just a normal girl now, nothing more than living proof of his accomplishment. Nothing more than a survivor of the greatest tragedy. Life."
I go silent, letting the ambience of the room keep us company. My truth now known into someone who wanted to listen. Someone who cared to ask about her instead of giving me their condolences and pity. I feel her hand rub away the tears on my face with utmost gentleness and care. I open my eyes back to her, seeing a tear fall down her face. A small, almost invisible tear, but one that tells me she understands my pain, and understands my sisters life.
She backs away a bit, her hand leaving my face. "I see now. You wish to bring back your sister and give her the life you were given instead of her. A life that you could both share by choice."
She looks into my eyes again, a more reinvigorated feeling. "Allow me to tell you my end of this deal. I will bring back your sister, Edith, and give her the life she had stolen from her."
"It may not have been your intention to bring me here, but it was no accident." She explains, giving me that large smile from earlier. "I have never been summoned like this before, as I only appear to those in dreams, but you being able to give me physical form like this is something I will repay greatly."
"So this is it then," I slowly stand up, strength regained in my legs, raising my hand to her, "Do we have a deal?"
She looks at my hand before giving out a small laugh, "Oh how simple that would have been many millennia ago."
Upon noticing my confusion she explains to me, "Originally we both would have shook hands to make these deals, but ever since humanity thought it could get clever, we decided to look upon more... drastic measures."
"You need a sacrifice then." I state.
"Oh you don't have to worry about that, I simply just need something you could easily give me."
"What do you need from me?" I ask confused.
She takes my hand, and before I can react, she pulls up with her towards the ceiling, one hand keeping me safely contained behind my waist. Her tail end now resting in a circular pattern, keeping us balanced. I look at her, eyes widened, as she looks down at me with a soft smile.
"I simply need your blessing, after all it was your blood that brought me here. Who better than to ask than you?" She says with a sultry tone.
I feel my face heating up, unable to process all the information just given to me. My hand still in hers, and my other on her shoulder, keeping me stable. This all seems so fast and yet, it feels like we both finally have someone to trust and confide in. No longer do we have to stay silent, we can both understand each other. I can give my sister a second chance at life, and she can take down the biggest threat to the two of us. How could I ever say no?
I move my hand from her shoulder to her face. Her face turns to that of surprise as my hand cups her cheek before she smiles again.
"Then allow me to initiate this deal." Her sultry tone not leaving her. "Do you, Ivy Lawson, allow me to make you my vessel, and let me become one with you until the end of our arrangement?"
"I do." I let out a soft smile, looking deep into her eyes beyond the veil. "And do you, Yidhra, promise to bring back my sister, giving her the life she never got to see, once you've finished with that game?"
Our faces near each other, as we both pull each other close.
"I do." She looks at me with her ethereal face and soft smile.
I close my eyes as my lips approach hers, until they finally make contact. My mind becomes a blur as memories and knowledge start to enter into me. Those voices from before having finally left me permanently. My mind races with unimaginable questions, answers, and discoveries, but none of them make themselves known like this one.
'Her lips feel so warm.'