Carla came sprinting towards the reception, her long hair flying behind her, with Gemini and Virgo at her heels.
“May I help you?” The receptionist girl asked.
“My nephew should be here. Blitz Worringthon.” She leaned against the counter, one hand on her chest to catch her breath as the receptionist girl peered at her Macintosh. “Ah yes, he should be out by today. He is having a final check up and then you can take him back home.”
Carla led Gemini and Virgo into one of the rooms to find Blitz sitting inside the examine room, with Scorpio and a blue-haired blue-eyed girl sitting beside him, one of her bandaged. Carla felt a jolt of surprise as she stared at the girl.
The shrine maiden? But she’s so young.
“Hey, Aunt Carla.” Blitz said, grinning cockily on his chair. He’s wearing a vest but no shirt to reveal the bandage underneath and his forehead has a small gauze taped on the side.
“Blitz, te ragazzo sciocco. How can you get yourself injured this badly?” Carla gave him a whack on the arm, the part where he’s not injured. “Are you trying to get yourself hurt? How are you going to let me explain to your parent’s bodies if you got killed? I was worried sick…” And she launched into a torrent of Italian which caused Gemini to turn to Virgo and said, “Don’t listen.”
“Oh, I did.” Virgo nodded, smiling. “And it’s not very pretty either.”
“Aunt Carla, I’m fine, look, it’s not that bad…” Blitz said awkwardly.
Carla flung herself onto him and started sobbing while still talking in rapid Italian, which everyone except Luna can’t understand.
“Oh, grazie, madonna. Grazie per le vostre benedizioni.” Carla is sobbing hard as she hugged him tighter, unwilling to let go.
“Aunt Carla, please, this is getting embarrassing.” Blitz said, making the mistake of catching Scorpio’s eyes, who started chuckling.
“You are going straight back into the inn and pray to your parents, young man. You hear me?” Carla said, eying him hard.
“Yeah, yeah, I will.” Blitz said, holding his hands up as surrender.
Gemini and Virgo were now gawking at the so-called witch of Sierra Falls. They had seen her a few times but never this near and up close. To be more precise they never pay much attention to her at all. She’s petite, a bit taller than Gemini though, with blue hair and eyes. Her skin is a pale sickly shade but it had a glow like moonlight. She looks unharmed but worn out.
“I have to say though,” Gemini said, licking her lips. “You are nothing like a witch.”
“That’s what the townsfolk called me.” She shrugged.
“Christ, she’s pretty young…” Virgo is peering at her like a scientist peering at his specimen. “She could pass off as our sister. Don’t you think so, Gem?”
“Yeah, how old are you anyway?” Scorpio said.
“SCOR!” Gemini shrieked, looking outraged. “You do not ask a girl her age!”
“Sorry. Just curious.” He shrugged.
“Anyhow, at least Blitz cara is alright.” Carla sighed. Her mood flares up and goes down fast. “I’ll go and settle the bill. Scorpio cara, you send them back home, otherwise it’ll be well past nightfall when the bill is finally settled.”
“Sure thing. Come on, kiddos.” Scorpio fished out his car keys and led the way like a scout leader leading his troupes.
****************
Back at the temple, five shadows dressed in dark colours crept in the shadows, keeping out of sight.
“Are you really sure you want to do this?” One of the teenagers asked.
“Sure.” One of the girls said. “If we can nick one her ritual stuff, she’ll definitely flip.”
“If you say so.”
They ran around the temple, scouting for any signs of witnesses or tourists. When all was cleared, they crept around the back and stopped.
“Hey, hey,” One of them said.
“What?”
“I keep feeling goosebumps up on my spine.” He then gestured with a shaky finger.
The huge pine tree, used for tying omikuji slips, seemed strangely large. The tree usually looked funny because of all the omikuji slips tied around it, but today, it seemed menacing.
Like it’s alive.
“It’s just a tree…” The girl snorted. “The one where the witch asked people to draw that weird fortune telling slips of hers and tie it up when you get a bad fortune.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Let’s just grab something and leave.” They were about to leave when a cry stopped them in their tracks.
A loud piercing cry emitted from the tree.
“What was that?” One of the boy gasped.
There was a violent tremor as the earth shook and there was a loud sound like a nut being cracked open from its shell as the omikuji tree lifted itself up, revealing tentacle-like roots beneath. It looked like an over towered mushroom which would’ve been comical if it wasn’t the fact that the- the tree charged towards them on its tentacle like roots which acts legs. Vines that weren’t supposed to be there lashed out at them like serpents and bound their arms and legs, causing them to scream in terror.
“What’s going on???” One of the guys yelled.
They try tugging at the vines but it’s impossible. Even though it’s thin, it’s impossible to snap it apart. It’s like they had been magically reinforced.
An angelic boyish laughter rang in their ears as they struggled with the vines. Demise appeared before them, looking like an angel wielding the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
“Looks like I caught 5 rats all in a row…” He giggled.
“What-What are you???”
“Me?” Demise’s eyes seemed to become colder and harder. “I am…Death itself.”
It was few minutes after that the screaming started.
***************
They drove back all the way in silence throughout the hour and a half journey. Scorpio in front of the wheel, Blitz on the passenger seat beside him. Gemini, Virgo and Luna squeezed themselves together on the back, looking extremely uncomfortable.
Scorpio pulled up in front of the inn, and everyone got out and headed in, grateful to get a bite from a late night snack, anything, whether it’s cold stew or leftover bread.
All except Luna, who turned to head back to the temple when Scorpio’s voice stopped her. “Wait.”
Blitz paused at the doorway, looking at him who’s looking rather hard. Luna stared back at him politely, looking expressionless as always.
“Scor?”
“Blitz, just head in. I’ll come in later…”
Blitz stared at him. Whenever Scorpio’s mad, his lips becomes thinner till it’s nothing but a thin line. And that’s what happening right now.
He licked his lips nervously. “She have nothing to do with it...”
“Blitz, you yourself explained that those three weird guys attack you just for protecting her.” Scorpio said, looking exasperated. “What am I supposed to think?”
“She didn’t do anything, Scor. She protected me from getting killed.”
“Those guys might come back for her, didn’t you think of that?” Scorpio countered.
“But-”
“…It’s okay…” A soft voice broke their argument.
Both guys turned to see Luna with her back facing them. Her hair blowing slightly in the breeze.
“I understand…”
“What?” Blitz shouted, slightly outraged.
“He’s right.” Luna said, still not facing him. “Those guys are after me. If you keep staying around with me, you’ll get hurt.”
“Don’t say that, we’re friends right?”
Luna seemed to ignore him, because all she did was said, “Thank you for spending these few days with me. I’m extremely grateful…Blitz.”
She then walked out of the gate and up to the path to the temple. Blitz wanted to go after her but Scorpio said, “Don’t, Blitz. You’re not fully healed yet.”
“I don’t care. You shouldn’t have done that, Scorpio.” Blitz said, trying to run out but Scorpio knocked him out with a swift jab to the abdomen.
I’m sorry, Blitz, but we’re trying to keep you safe…. Scorpio stared at Blitz’s motionless figure on the ground. We always knew this town is on top of ley lines that harness magical energy and we didn’t want you caught in it as well.
Shaking his doubts, he lifted him and carried him back in, eager for a good night’s rest.
**************
Luna had finished climbing up the stone steps when she saw him standing in front of the temple, clearly waiting for her.
“You’re finally here…” He said with that smile of his.
“What do you want form me?” Luna asked, looking a little thrown. She had not expect him to come back that soon.
Seymour ignored her question but glanced at her leg. “Those kids who tease you all the time, you have nothing to worry about anymore.”
A cold chill ran up her spine. “What?”
“Demise already took care of them.” He said taking a step forward. “By now they should’ve been nothing but fertilizer for your tree now.” He turned to the omikuji tree with a gesture of his head, She followed his gaze, feeling a little confused, then clapped her hand onto her mouth. “You mean…”
“Dead. Their flesh, blood and bone are soaked into your tree as nutrients. Demise had made sure of that. They shouldn’t be troubling you anymore.”
Panic-stricken, Luna tried to flee but with a few strides, he caught her by her hands and said, “You said what I wanted? I wanted you.”
“No! Let go!”
Seymour shushed her and waved his hand once, whispering, “No one will sunder us apart again…”
She could feel her vision getting blurry, his face blurred in and out in front of her. She tried another feeble attempt but nothing. She could feel herself getting sleepy and light-headed.
Darkness swallowed her in and last thing she was thinking of before it embraced her into its depth was a flash of blitz.
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