Reese
I flipped the business card over and over again as I bit my bottom.
It was kind of scary. According to the monster in my dreams, I was supposed to somehow find a cure to his curse.
Believe that he's actually good and innocent.
And somehow do all this without raising suspicion.
So does that mean diplomat? The last night was magical?
Was she a witch? That seems ludicrous, although the way she like greased around the room and seemed to almost read my thoughts, maybe she actually was.
I shook my head really quickly and sucked in a breath before stepping into the building.
Bells above the door rang out loud and sure enough a girl behind the counter looked up.
". I haven't seen you here before. What?
What are you interested in? I got some crystals some tarot cards and there's a small little area of clothes that are locally made or outsourced from women-owned businesses across the world.)
remember she gave me this card and she told me all about the clothes cuz I liked her skirt.)
the woman relaxed instantly like she knew exactly why I came and that she didn't have to me out anymore.
Except I was lying. I mean I did like the skirt but I was here to break curse now how's going to break a curse?
I don't know. There was more to this. There had to be said he'd follow me but how can he follow me?
Does he actually have a human form? What am I making a great big mistake?
What if I am about to release a evil beyonced all of mankind's ever known? New
The witch cleared her throat. "Hey lady, the clothes aren't that far. Walk past the corner, go past the crystals and the tarot cards and you'll find them. It's kind of like a utility closet with the window."
I smiled and shook my head. "Sorry. I work nights and I had to get up early to make sure I can make it in time for your hours. I'm still half asleep."
The woman laughed and pointed towards the clothes section.
"We have complimentary tea and coffee. Plus, you can try a healthier fake coffee, too, which you can purchase here. If you want natural or healthier caffeine options, you'll have to like leave the closet area and go straight and past a herb section. There's a coffee pot with refillable pods—"
"I don't know what I'm looking for but I don't think it's mushroom coffee," I snapped.
That relaxed face shifted to another one of suspicion.
I smiled and rushed off. I wasn't good at this lying cat and mouse spy shit.
Hell, how could I believe a monster that fucked me with a shadowy tentacle?
I didn't even ask him what a light mate was the way he was saying it.
It meant it sounded like it meant something more.
Shit. I reached out totouch the clothes like I was really shopping.
How was I going to do this? As I was perusing a rack of skirts.
I was really trying to consider if my bank account could you know cover an extra $35 but it was handmade and created by women in need of income.
My eyes graced the few little signs and slips that explained each brands mission and where they were created.
But as I was reading and calculating my bank balance, a small dainty woman bumped into me .
"Oops!" she said. Her blue eyes looked up at me and she pushed her short blue hair out of her eyes. "Sorry. Have you seen any blue skirts?"
I twisted my body around and pointed to the wall.
"There was a beautiful blue one over there. Or was that a dress? Beautiful tank top. That was blue and I think there was a dress beside it that was like a seafoam blue. I don't know if it's not like dark blue, but it's not like light blue but it seemed like greeny blue. I hope that helps?"
Her eyes squinted and then she grabbed a pink skirt beside her. "I've not seen you around here before. Are you new in town?"
"Um. All you can say my eyes have been opened," I said with this smile and a flick of my hand.
Her eyes narrowed and her head tilted as she looked me up and down. "How open?"
I pursed my lips. "Not enough. I'm Reese, by the way."
I jutted my hand out forward. I don't know why I blurted all those things out in front of her.
This woman looked like a sea of blue like those women you see online that only wear certain colors.
They're upset. Her eyes are are wide and round and blue with specks of yellow in between each striation or.
She was stunning and it's ethereal in a different way than the woman from last night.
If that one was a witch because I'm only assuming she was a witch I don't think this won't was a witch and maybe whatever was opening up inside me new that maybe this is the person I need to talk to because the woman at the front desk was not the person I need to talk to a shadow behind her head of
her dark blue hair shifted and vibrated.
Was that the monster trying to communicate with me?
I don't know if Oliver now. Maybe we should talk about this but you know my ovaries got ahead of me and decided other things. New
lose" I paused and looked at her. She looked practically elfin like as if she could sprout wings and point of the ears and she looked a little owl place. She rubbed a piece of fabric between her hands and looked at me.) have you seen any blue blue skirts or something in here.
It's so hard to find blue clothes." New New
Well the blue ones are over there,"
The woman seemed to linger on the yellow skirt and her fingers slid down the side of a pink mini skirt."
You know family expectations. You sometimes just want to like throw them in the web. Why burn up and fiery flames if I don't follow the rules, the expectations, the fences, the boundaries of my life?) I understand wanting to escape. I've always wanted to escape this town."
Her head whipped back up and she looked up at me with those gorgeous eyes as if she was trying to figure out what made me tick."
Not seen you here before. Are you new in town? You look the loves these normal.) the way she said normal didn't sound normal. There was words and meaning expectations settling hard on the way she emphasized normal.
Yet the way she kept herself something about her started to scream inside the butt on my gut that I could should maybe should try to trust her. Because I had to do something I could feel it in the way the witch looked at me. Assuming she's a witch that she was not to be trusted.
The way he talked about twitches made it seem like they wouldn't want to help me. Yes, eventually we'd have to find a which that could help us. But first I have to find someone or something that will help me figure out this life."
I've lived here my whole life. I work at the condominiums by the country.
Club.) you know those assholes destroyed a butterfly garden and a preserved to make that damn conda in him because all the rich guys wanted to get out of the city but because enough to the city but instead the ruining our house our place then natural place.
Place there was a Creek full of water and beautiful blue.
The blue skies above MD) she sucked into breath and shook her head."
There are sometimes I think that it's inevitable. I can't help it. I just don't want to be perfect. All the time."
? I only asked that because you know we're strangers and you're asking me all these very big, big, big big questions and I'm not really sure how to answer them or help you."
So you're not new here but you're here. Why are you here? I feel like there's something in the air."
This was the moment. The air practically sizzled as I needed to figure out the best answer. "The shadows move."
Her eyes widened and glee rippled over her face. "Oh damn girl. That's a new one. Watch your words now here. I don't think day I'm going to buy anything. I guess I will go take you to bar."
"Isn't it too early to go to a bar?"
She laughed as she threw down the pink dress. "Maybe I can embody a mischief myself. But . . . " She looked at me with hard eyes. "Are you awake?"
I shrugged. "I don't know much about anything. I just know I needed to be here and find some people to trust."
Her smile tightened. "Bar. Let's go."
She grabbed my hand and pulled me through the store. The clerk paused. "Did you find a dress you needed, Entoloma?"
"I told you to call me Loma," she hissed. "I'm going down the alley. Text me if you get any skirts. My friend here said there wasn't a blue skirt in there."
"But there's a dress and it came from—"
Loma stepped out of the small shop and jerked me out of the door. Once the door shut behind me, she turned towards me. "You're about to see some cool things," she said. "I'm Loma by the way. Please don't call me Entoloma."
"That's a weird name."
"Family name."
"It is?"
"I mean, our names have to be blue." She waved down her body pointing to her blue shirt and blue jeans. "Everything is blue. But how much of that is a social construct? I don't think I'd burn if I put on pink."
I blinked. She was babbling again and I didn't understand what she was meaning. "I don't understand."
Loma waved her arms around before twisting her body around to start walking down the sidewalk. Rushing forward, I followed her until she stopped at a brick wall. "It's right here."
Furrowing my brows, I stared at her in shock. "What do you mean?"
"You really are new. Like fresh new. Just enough to know things are different, right?"
I twisted my mouth to the side. "I . . . don't know."
Loma shrugged. "I want you to meet my boyfriend. He owns the bar. Just to warn you, he's in the mafiaaaaaaa," she said as she placed her hand on the stone and walked through. My mouth fell open as I realized the wall was shimmering. "Come in!"
Shaking my head, I pushed forward. I bumped into something soft and gossomer and froze.
Something fluttered around my head and I realized I was standing between two giant blue butterfly wings.
I sumbled backwards until I hit the warm brick wall.
Loma turned around and her fucking wings fluttered rapidily behind her.
"Oh. Should I have warned you? I thought you knew."
I shook my head. "No. I only know about witches don't like monsters."
Her brows shot up. "Lucky for you, my boyfriend is a goblin. Out of all the species around the world, goblins and orcs tend to be nuetral when it comes to the shadows. I'm assuming that is what you meant. Unless you meant a shade, that's different. It's also an insult to the shadows by the way."
She turned around and stepped a few steps forward.
"What are you?" I asked.
She froze, She turned and looked over her shoulder. She was stunning and just like I thought earlier, completely etherial. "I'm what your people call a fairy, but there are complex social-cultural dynamics that you don't understnd right now. Come on, Kraxy is this way."
"That's your boyfriend?"
"Yep, he'll be curious how you got involved with a shadow."
"Is that what they are?"
She paused before a large brick archway and I could see the gaggle of people beyond her. "No one knows what their original name was." She shrugged which was interesting to see when her wings would fluttered and shift around her shoulders."
"So you're a fairy?"
"Yep. Gird your loins, friend." Loma stepped out from under the archway and I followed.
My toe caught the edge of a cobblestone and I stumbled as I looked around.
Large green monsters, red skinned people, and more walked around free like this was normal.
Small butterflies danced in the air with bright spots of light, swooping down at a few people in the crowd.
"Sprites. But there are some pixies and mischiefs near."
"What is that?"
"Complicated. Maybe another day." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a dark bar.
The smell of booze was strong inside the joint and my eyes squinted as I adjusted to the light.
A large, muscular man wiped the counter of a bar.
His head hit a low hanging light and he cured under his breath. Loma giggled as she slid onto a stool.
"Baby, did my bueaty distract you?"
His hardened face softened and it looked like he was completely in love with Loma. His mouth curved upwards My heart twinged with jealous and the dark shadows around the bar vibrated. He froze