The Mess

By Divya Dileep

PROLOGUE 

The bell rang announcing the end of the last class. Feet of high schoolers shuffled as they gathered their belongings and made their way to the door. 

Autumn gathered her belongings slowly as she was waiting on her classmates to file out of the class. As she stood, she saw from her periphery her cousin, May’s shoes. She looked up and frowned on not seeing May’s usual happy expression. Suddenly, she remembered that there was a ball at the Hall Park. May and Autumn were invited to attend the ball. 

May was an orphan cousin of Autumn. Both of them had immense love for one another. Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez adopted May , when her mother died after giving birth to her and her father went missing for 6 months before her birth. 

Roby, best friend of Autumn and May, came running to the class. “Autumn!”, gasped Roby. After catching his breath he said, “Your father was found dead by Mrs. Charles on his chair in his office.”

AUTUMN

“I found him sitting motionless in his chair with his eyes closed and head tipped up to the ceiling with a small smile on his face,” said Mrs. Charles placing a hand on my shoulder. May is sobbing with her eyes closed and holding my hand in dead grip , asking silently for strength. 

I am not feeling anything. There is no stir, no feeling of breakage, not frustration to get something out , off my chest. It has been three years since our mama’s body was found covered in scratches and gut wrenching wounds. She went missing on 29th April, 2029 and was found six months later on the day of maternal grandmother’s death anniversary. 

I came slowly out of my stupor. I saw the faces of the officers covered in fear. They were doing a very poor job of hiding it. 

Mr. Markson , a teddy bear looking guy with his short and round body, took me aside with him and said, “A mark was found on dad’s left wrist”. He gulped and said, “The mark of Bleeding Tulip”.

Another magic group took our parent away. When mama’s body was inspected, the mark of AMA (All Mages Association) was found. 

“I know, it is wrong of me from asking you to do this, but can you keep the information about the mark under wraps?” 

“I can”, said Mr. Markson. 

I nodded.

The next day, father was buried beside our mama’s grave. No one was informed about father’s demise.

CHAPTER 1

ONE YEAR LATER

“Did you hear?”, someone whispered. Everyone was talking in hush-hush conversation in the classroom. 

Our professor, Mr. Benedict, entered. His face was filled with sorrow. His eyes held unshed tears and his lips trembled with intensity of keeping sorrow down within. 

“Professor, is it true?”, asked Ashley. 

I looked at May and she said, “Mia was found dead last night. Her body, down from abdomen was missing.”

Mr. Benedict nodded and cried silently. Ashley broke down on the floor and cried. Students were weeping. Some silently, some sobbed heavily. The atmosphere darkened.

Mia’s parents cried beside her coffin. Everyone from our Sainsea College paid visit. Mr. Benedict, Mia’s uncle, was talking with the officers. 

After father’s death, I ,May and Roby moved to Chirping Town. A small town with enough facilities for the survival of species with extraordinary powers. Father had a cottage in the town, which I inherited. 

I was staring at the coffin, when May’s right hand that held my left trembled. She shaking. I looked at her and saw her becoming pale. I shook her slightly, to get her to look at me. 

I heard people gasping. I followed May’s line of vision and saw three figures standing beside the coffin. They were dressed in black. They were looking at the coffin. 

“They are here.” “What are they doing here?” “Are they coming back?” Whispers rose. Mia’s mother screamed and ran to the man with black bleeding tulip tattoo on his right forearm. 

“Look, what they did to her?,” asked Mrs. Torren, grabbing the man’s t-shirt. Man answered something to her. She staggered back and slapped him on his left cheek. The sound reverberated. Mr. Torren came to her side in a flash and took her aside. He did not spare a glance at the man while his wife was cursing them.

The woman, who was standing behind the tattooed man, came and raised her left hand. She had bob chestnut brown hair. Her were green that reminded me of wilderness.

The lid of the coffin cracked and from the coffin came black butterflies flying. Mrs. Torren saw her daughter’s soul and ran to it. Mia assured her mother that she had no regrets and she got a quick death. 

Mia’s coffin was burnt, after Mia’s soul left with the trio.

CHAPTER 2 

CADEN

“I’m sorry”, apologized our father, looking at each one of us in the eyes from the gap between the bars. He regretted for not realising what he was getting himself into when he handed the file of Michelle Rodriguez to the Bleeding Tulip members.

My father was forced to shoulder the blame for the murder he never committed. His friendship with Michelle was used as means to kill her husband ,Victor Rodriguez, and put hands on things to get what was wanted.

 I was pulled out of my thoughts of visit in the last month, when the doorbell echoed in our living. 

The house is beautiful with all its elegant features. It is balanced equally with masculine touch in every nook and corner of the house. 

Mr. Anthony stepped in. He was the in charge officer to investigate the murders of girls. He looks rugged with his beard. 

“What did you find out?”, asked my younger brother, Trevor. He motioned with his chin to occupy the seats of the couch. He brought a chair from the dining table and sat before us.

Nine other girls were also found in the same condition as Mia. “Was there any connection among these girls?”, I asked. He shakes his head.

I am frustrated with this. No clue for a whole month and we had to watch the dead bodies of ten girls. 

“What does the reports say?”, I asked.

“It was found that all girls’ powers were eaten when they were alive, except Mia’s. Even though Mia’s body was half eaten her powers remained with her”. To Trevor he said, “We found these small insects from the abdomen of Mia”.

“Oh my God!”, gasped Lizzie in fear.

“What are these?”, I asked.

“These are Power Eaters. They eat your powers along with your flesh and bones, and absorb your blood like little black holes”, answered Lizzie.

“They were extinct for thousands of years. How come they are alive?”, asked Lizzie, shock evident on her face. 

Anthony rubbed his jaw. “What do you mean?”, asked Trevor.

Blowing air in frustration, she said, “These tiny insects were used by our ancestors when they felt threatened.” “But according to what our grandmother said, it was extinct when Alnian submerged. Then how did these survive?”, she said looking at Anthony.

“I never knew she had known about them. She should have told me about it instead of advising about love and how to make use of my good looks to disarm someone”, complained Trevor.

“She must have realised that it was useless to talk to you about anything but love and chasing around the girls”, said Lizzie with narrowed eyes.

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“Where are you going now?”, I asked Lizzie, who had a bag shouldered on her left shoulder.

“To the Bookworm’s”, said Lizzie without glancing back.

CHAPTER 3

AUTUMN

The Bookworm’s is the only library in this town that remains open till midnight. I decided to use every minute in completing my work before the librarian shouts for me to get out of here.

I was deeply engrossed in my studies about the Death Carriers – a specie that come under the category of Power Eaters, when the chair beside me screeched followed by a sweet voice apologizing for the disturbance.

No sooner did I start reading than the girl beside gasped and said, “You are not reading that ancient thing, are you?”

I looked at her and the book in front me. The book was thicker than an encyclopaedia. It was a book on the history of the ancient Sarvonic tribe. It is said that the tribe has been extinct for a century and a month ago, two to three individuals belonging to this tribe were found. 

“Can really read the language of this book?”, the girl asked.

I recognised her from Mia’s funeral. The bob hair girl. I didn’t feel anger or frustration towards her. So, I just nodded. 

“Wow, interesting. Can you teach me the language?  Please.”

I raised my right eyebrow at her request.

Before she could say anything, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She answered the call and moved out of the library in a minute.

I went home and found Toby on the porch. He was a five year old kid who lived with his 20 years old sister, Sara and his mother, Greta. His father was working in another town. He ran to me and winded his hands around me. “Sara is missing. She did not come home at noon. We waited but she did not return yet. I am scared”, he wept profusely.

We did not waste any minute and went to the spot she must have gone missing. Reaching near the spot, I saw a man with beard talking to Greta.

Getting out of the car, Toby called for his mother. She saw us and collapsed on the ground. We went to her and she hugged Toby tightly. After gaining her emotions under control, she told me that Sara went to look for something sweet to add in the food for the dinner and did not return. Toby went with his mother to settle her down.

“Hi, I am Anthony Butcher”, said the beard man extending his hand towards me.

“Autumn Rodriguez, Toby’s friend”, I said shaking his hand.

“Could you tell me about Sara?”, Mr. Butcher asked.

“Sara is a 20 years old girl with the powers of honeybee. So, she goes to the woods in search of sweet every alternate day.”

When I finished the sentence, I realised today was not one of the day for Sara to go in search of sweet. I ran to the house and found Toby near his mother’s bed on the floor. One can easily see Greta’s room from the entrance. I motioned for him to come outside. As soon as he came, I said, “ Toby, today is not the day for Sara to go out in search of sweet. Do you have any idea as to where she would have gone?”

Toby shook his head violently. No.

“Toby did you look for Bubble?”

Bubble is Sara’s eagle that helps her to winnow a long distance.

“No.”

“Go, look for it. Okay. If you find her, DO NOT FREAK OUT. Okay?”

He ran to the back of the house and I went to sit near Greta. She was sobbing silently. “Greta, she is going to be okay. Nothing will to happen her. She can take care of herself”, I said as I hugged her lying body and hopped so violently that whatever I said to sooth her may come true. “I.. It was my fault. We had a fallout this morning. She was very sad and closed herself in her room. In the afternoon she came out with a smile on her face and told me that she was going out to get the sweet. She did not return.”

She cried blaming herself.

Leaving the sleeping form of Greta in her room, I went to Sara’s room. It was a simple room with a twin bed and a matching dresser. The walls were painted in crème colour. 

“Autumn”, Toby came rushing into the house and found me standing at the centre of his sister’s room. Catching his breath, he said , “I found Bubble in her cage”.

I nodded slowly. Gathering courage, I knelt before him and asked, “Toby, can I have your permission to check your sister’s room?”

“Autumn, will she be alright?”, he asked, doing his best in controlling his tears.

“She will be. As soon as we get some kind of clue, we can set out to look for her.”

“Then, I will also help you.”

Searching her dresser, I came across a poster of carnival. My heartbeat increased so loudly that I could hear it in my ears. Hell! the girl is in real danger.

CHAPTER 4

CADEN

“She has no scratches like the girl we found near lake but there are burnt marks on the inner thighs”, said Dominic, showing me the pictures of the marks. Anthony has went to look for another who has not return to her home since she left this noon. “What else?”, I asked.

“No insects, so powers are still there.”

“Are you sure?”

“Cent percent.”

“Looks like Mia and this girl, both of them, must have used something to protect their powers”, said Cassandra.

My phone vibrated with an incoming message.

“Let’s go we are needed somewhere”, I said, tucking my phone in my pocket and getting behind the wheel.

********************************************************* 

“Is this the place”, asked Trevor looking around the isolated beach. The sky was angry. So are the waters.

“Yes, this is the place”, I said.

“But where is Anthony?”, asked Cassandra. Anthony messaged me half an hour ago to meet at the Forgotten Beach.

“Hey, what’s that?”, asked Dominic pointing towards the sudden flash of light in the sky. The light came from the dark clouds.

There was another flash of light and the sound of a creature screaming speared through. We moved closer to the bottom of the cliff that is at the end of the beach.

“Caden, do not move”, we heard Anthony yelling behind us. We turned and saw him running towards us along with a girl and a kid.

“Are you….”, before Anthony could complete his sentence, we heard a cry coming from above and saw a bird flying towards the flash of light  with a body dangling upside down from its beak.

“Sara…Sara…”, the kid shouted.

Before we could comprehend what was happening, we saw the girl who came with Anthony , suddenly appear before the bird and stab it in its with what looked like a sword.

CHAPTER 5

AUTUMN

Can’t let anything happen to her. Can’t let it go any further.

Stupid Autumn, when you had other options like taking the powers away from the bird, why did you go with stabbing it.

Later, everything can be introspected later.

I formed a shield between the surface of the choppy waters and the falling bird. The bird fell with a loud thud on the invisible shield. U went closer to beak and saw Sara’s upper body almost covered in blood. A loud crack reverberated in the atmosphere. The choppy waters went silent. The furious sky became calm and allowed the stars to come out and shine. The beak was open and I took Sara’s body out. Carrying her in bridal form, I flew and saw the boy with tattoo standing on the broken neck of the bird.

It deserved it. No mercy yet quick.

On the beach, a tunnel was open. We went through it and reached a wooden corridor. “What do you want?”, a parrot sitting on a pedestal near the wooden wall asked.

“Get Carlos quickly”, I said.

“He is busy. You wait!”

“Stupid bird! Do not test my patience.”

“You are stupid!”, he screamed.

“What is wrong?”, Carlos asked, as he turned around a corner and saw us. “Oh hell! Over here”. He moved quickly and took Sara from me.

“No special treat! No special treat!,” the bird said angrily.

Doors to the operation theatre closed behind them.

CHAPTER 6

SARA

I slowly opened my eyes as the medicines started to loose their grip over me. Slowly, I  became aware of the fresh air of wilderness that filled my lungs. I became aware of my surroundings. It was quiet. Not the eerie one but the calm one.

Suddenly, the image of a body covered in long thick dark hair from head to toe with red eyes shining behind them, flashed. I couldn’t shout. I panicked. The body came closer. Within the blink of an eye, we were face to face.

I was tightly held down by fear. The eyes of the body started losing its shine. It started to scatter into particles and was blown away by a breeze. At the foot of my bed, I saw Autumn standing and staring at me. I felt guilt crawling in my chest cavity as my mother stood beside Autumn, and Toby ignored me.

“Mamma”, I whispered as I kept my gaze locked with hers. She came to me, and hugged me. All hell came loose. Then a moment later two tiny hands came around me.

“Do not do that again or I will not talk to you”, said Toby.

Mamma released me and kissed my forehead. She touched me, making sure I was alright. Other than those bite marks of the bird nothing gave me wounds.

Thank you. I thought, looking at Autumn.

She slightly nodded and left the room.

CHAPTER 7

AUTUMN

“How is she?”, asked May, as soon as I stepped out of the room.

“On the way to recovery”, I said.

*********************************************************

We came back home. Doctor Carlos asked Sara to stay at the hospital for some more time so they could monitor her recovery.

The next day, Mr. Butcher came to pay us a visit.

“How do you feel about joining our force?”, he asked.

Later, we came to know about the connection of Caden with the Bleeding Tulip and how he was forced to leave. Lizzie is interested in unraveling the mystery behind the existence of another ancient land. Trevor is just content with the role of a shadow.

*********************************************************

 One afternoon I and Roby were relaxing when a parcel came. A bloody one. We opened it carefully. Inside was a note along with a small vile of blood and a hand with a blazing dragon tattoo at the base of the thumb.

The note read-

The game begins now…….

• TO BE CONTINUTED

By Divya Dileep