#g1arc1
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
Isidora took an excruciating breath, feeling like the air was made of glass as it expanded her lungs. Was it even air? She felt light-headed as she opened her eyes, taking in the intense darkness that surrounded her. A deep sigh echoed around her, and she lifted her head.
"JAK?"
She reached for her temples, trying to steady herself and understand what she was seeing.
"I was worried I'd be too late." Her friend said, casually. "I'm glad I got here in time."
"In time?" She asked, completely lost.
"To stop you."
"Is it really you?" Isidora asked, baffled at the ghostly shape of him. Taking a few steps forward to get a better look, she couldn't help the smile growing on her face.
But instead of mirroring it, he lifted his hands up, as if to protect himself from her, to stop her getting any closer.
"Step back, Isi! You're getting way too close to the door!!" He wasn't shouting but his voice had an urgency she'd heard before. The kind that made her reconsider. Stop in her tracks. And take a look at her hands, her body. She'd started to glow, just like he was.
Isidora took a few steps back, as Jak was gesturing for her to. Slowly, her body retrieved its depth and lost its transparency.
Her old bodyguard pointed behind him:
"This is a door to the underworld. You can't get too close, or it'll claim you. And I refuse to accept it's your time."
"Can you do that?" Isi asked. "Refuse death?"
He shrugged, turning his palms to the darkness above.
"Not really. But I pulled a few strings and I'm here now. And I can guarantee you, I'm not going to let you go through this door. I'm still your bodyguard, after all." He gave her a mischievous smile.
Then, he crossed his arms on his chest: "By the way, what the hell happened to you? What are these dark marks on you and聽饾樃饾槱饾樅 are you dead?"
Isi dropped her eyes and itched her nose piercing, avoiding his stare.
"I... I wasn't careful enough" she admitted.
"Yeah. Tell Rory she needs to train you."
Isi frowned, confused: "Train me?"
"She needs to teach you how to defend yourself. I'm trying to keep an eye on you, but between you and Am', it's hard to be in two places at once you know."
He looked behind her, smiling as a splashing noise echoed.
"Go now. You deserve a full life, don't waste it."
Turning around, she noticed the water. Had it been there before?聽 Walking towards it felt right. Warm. She sat on the edge and dipped her toes in, looking back towards Jak for a final goodbye. She didn't have time to warn him about the cloaked figure reaching for him before she got pulled in.
0 notes
Text
Idrina had only just fallen asleep when she heard a loud thump coming from the room underneath her. Then one word, repeated louder and faster each time: "No. No, no, no, no, no!" Rory's voice was breaking, begging. And Rin was out of bed in a second, running down the stairs.
By the time she was downstairs, she could feel her eyes change, adapt slightly to the darkness as they would have done underwater.
She could hear the werewolf calling her sister's name. Over and over again. But no answer ever came.
Bursting into the room where Isidora had been set to sleep, Rin was faced with a howling wolf, still in human form, eyes panicked and teeth bared. Keeping her cool as much as possible, she quickly asked what happened and what her sister was doing on the floor.
Getting closer slowly, wondering if she was going to get bitten too, Idrina made a point to look non-threatening and to keep asking questions, hoping one would get answered at some point. Bending down to take a closer look at Isi, a wave of ice went through her. Her chest wasn't moving.
Her voice turning urgent, she asked one more question, demanding an answer this time:
"Rory. Can you hear her聽饾櫇饾櫄饾櫀饾櫑饾櫓 饾櫁饾櫄饾櫀饾櫓饾櫈饾櫍饾櫆?!"
The alpha whimpered and shook her head.
Springing to her feet, Idrina made some quick decisions.
"We need to get her into water. Running water. I can feel some not too far. Can you carry her there? I'll get there as fast as possible..."
She was wondering if she'd get there in time, when Rory picked her up and threw her over her shoulders.
She'd picked Isidora up in the same movement and growled something that resembled: "I'm taking you both."
Then they were running. Idrina tried her best to hang on and not lose balance, but in only a few seconds, they were in front of a frozen lake.
The wolf put her down but made no sign to let go of her sister. She called Rory's name. Once, then twice. Then met her gaze:
"We don't have time to talk about this, she's dead and her body can't stay like this for long. Look at her, all her injuries have reopened."
But that didn't seem like the right thing to say, because taking in the state Isi was in only made Rory squeeze her tighter.
So Idrina's voice turned pleading: "She聽饾惂饾悶饾悶饾悵饾惉 her scales, she聽饾惂饾悶饾悶饾悵饾惉 to heal. Right now. Please. Trust me."
0 notes
Text
"Nice try" Rory chuckled, shaking her head to answer.
Isidora let herself flop on the bed. "Who'd want to spend time next to me when I look rabid." She groaned, her emotions taking over. She felt a bit like she was PMSing, her body on the verge of tears and anger all at once.
Rory simply laughed: "You'll be alright. Trust me, I've seen worse. And I'm still attracted to you."
The reassurance was enough for Isi to sit up, making some space on the bed for the alpha to cross her legs under her.
"Even with this thing going on?" She pointed at her uncontrollable drooling.
"Yeah."
A short silence, then: "Do you want to talk about all this?"
"I don't know what to say..." Isi answered after a pause. She wanted to share her thoughts with Rory, but there were so many. Everything was so confusing.
"I don't even know exactly what's going on. Was I poisoned? I'm feeling slightly better, but is it only because I'm now becoming a..." She couldn't even say it out loud. That would change everything. Rory reached out, putting her hands on Isi's knee, anchoring her.
As she'd known it would, the touch made Isi's walls crumble. And for once, she let herself cry. She didn't question when Rory pulled her into her arms, surrounding her with comfort, making her feel so safe. Isi already felt anxious about the amount of negative feelings she was dumping on her.
She tried drying her tears, listening to Rory gently and slowly humming '饾槇饾槳饾槸'饾樀 饾槙饾槹 饾槡饾樁饾槸饾槾饾槱饾槳饾槸饾槮'. But the end of the melody came and she was still crying.
She looked up to red eyes focused entirely on her. "It's going to be okay. You can count on me, butterfly."
"I'm not going to let anything else happen to you, or your sister, you hear me?"
Isi rested her head on the strong shoulder that was offered to her, finally managing to stop the stream of tears going down her cheeks.
A couple of minutes went past, before Rory gently pushed her towards the cup.
Breathing deeply in, and out again, Isidora forced herself to pick up the cup. This one smelled like something was rotting in it. She turned to Rory again, voice still weak from the crying: "Idrina's blood isn't in there this time, right?"
Once she'd confirmed that, it was too late to go back.
So she drank it all. No matter how disgusting it tasted this time. No matter what her instincts were telling her about it. That this wasn't a good idea.
And this time, she did not pass out.
No.
This time...
She died.
0 notes
Text
By the time she was out of the tub, Isidora was mostly healed, her hybrid nature clearly still present enough to have helped with all her wounds. Except for the bite mark. That one was still there. Which is what she reported to Rory, getting back into her house soon after.
"And how come the night's already falling outside?" She asked after she'd given the alpha the run down.
"Well, you might have spent half of the day passed out, but the rest of the world hasn't..." Rory said, straightening up from her position on the couch.
"Lou found your phone in the snow, by the way, it's in his room for you." Rory continued, getting up with a yawn. Idrina imitated her, clearly exhausted as well.
"You should go to sleep little one, we can go home tomorrow, okay?"
Nodding, her sister went up the stairs, probably to another bedroom.
"How do I stop spitting everywhere? I thought my mouth watering so much was because of the poison, but I feel better now..." Isi asked, hiding the lower half of her face.
Rory shook her head.
"I'm afraid we've all had to go through this. It's part of your body's reaction to the bite..."
"Speaking of..." Rory said, her head hanging low as if she was hesitant to speak her mind. Isi lifted her eyebrows.
"You won't be going home any time soon if you transform, I'm sorry."
She froze for a second, trying to take it in. The possibility that she might actually turn into a 饾櫖饾櫄饾櫑饾櫄饾櫖饾櫎饾櫋饾櫅.
She hummed and headed to the bedroom, not knowing exactly what to answer. Once there, she noticed another one of the cups Lily had her drink. Wearily, she sat next to it, considering it. She heard Rory sit back on the couch, just outside the room, and Rin settle in upstairs.
She couldn't bring herself to drink it yet. Couldn't pick up her phone either... Didn't want to deal with the outside world. She lied down on the bed, wondering if sleep would even come, with her body still so unsettled. Then she heard herself whisper:
"Rory?"
It had been the quietest whisper she could master. Part of her hoped nothing would come of it. Yet she felt the corners of her mouth tug up when Rory appeared in the doorway.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, looking over at the cup first, then at her.
"Are you tired?"
Smiling softly, Rory sat on the bed. As far on the edge as she could.
"You need some company?"
"Maybe. But if you've had too long of a day, you can go sleep" Isi assured.
"I'm okay. And not in a rush to go sleep on the couch like a bad dog."
The joke was obvious, but Isi frowned: "Sleep here then?"
0 notes
Text
To get Isidora in a bathtub, they had to go back down to the bunker. Idrina led her to the main bathroom in their underground lair, the one that wasn't attached to the bedroom. Once in there, Isi hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted to undress again and see how bad the dark marks were.
"Come on, let's get you in, the water will help."
Idrina's face didn't look as bad as it had been an hour before. That was good news, it meant she'd been right about healing.
But it also worried Isi. How bad had it originally聽been if she'd needed over a day of hourly showers to get to this point?
Catching a look at herself in the mirror, Isidora whined: "Wow. How long have I been looking like this?!"
Confused, her sister simply said: "Like what?"
"Look at my mouth Rin, that's not normal. How did I not know?"
"Oh! Rory did warn me before I saw you, that this could happen. Your mouth is numb from your teeth changing, their roots getting deeper. And for some, that means that you drool a bit all over the place..."
Isi shook her head, disgusted by her reflection. "Any way to stop it?"
A simple shrug was all the answer she got. So Isi lowered herself into the warm bath and immediately knew that her sister had been right. The marks started to blur and fade straight away. The bite mark on her arm though, that was nasty. And she could feel wounds on the rest of her body as well.
Soon enough, all the patches were gone and her scales were coming out. The sight of them was supposed to be reassuring. But somewhere, deep down, although she would always deny it, Isidora felt disappointed. Trying to distract herself, she asked Idrina, who was watching over her:
"So what happened? Last time we spoke, all those years ago, you hated humans too much to ever interact with them again..." Her voice was low but her sister didn't hesitate to answer, in an ironic tone: "Turns out I hate merfolk even more."
Isi just hummed, not wanting to say聽饾槳 饾樀饾槹饾槶饾槬 饾樅饾槹饾樁 饾槾饾槹.
"Are you here to stay?" She asked simply, trying her best not to let her inflections give away the aching she would feel if the answer was negative.
"I think so..."
Isidora sighed, relieved. Then, a question she couldn't help but ask.
"Is he dead yet?"
"No."
"Should have known" Isi laughed bitterly.
"You would have led with that if so."
"You know I would have." Idrina agreed. "He did give me a message for you though."
Tensing as her sister cleared her throat to do her best imitation of their father, she waited.
"饾悆饾惃 饾惂饾惃饾惌 饾悺饾悮饾惎饾悶 饾悳饾悺饾悽饾惀饾悵饾惈饾悶饾惂!"
"Oh, he doesn't have to worry about that."
0 notes
Text
"Have you ever seen these on anyone?" Isidora asked, hoping one of the two other people in the room would know more than she did about the blotches forming all over her.
Idrina shook her head. Only then did Isidora realise she hadn't asked the most important question: "Can I turn into a werewolf?!"
Rory gave her a look she'd never seen before. One that meant she didn't have the answer. Then she said: "We don't know. Merfolk can't be turned, that's one thing we're sure of. But... You have a human half, right?"
Feeling her eyes go wide, Isidora nodded. "I do. You think it's possible?"
"None of us know..." A knock sounded on the metal door and Isi knew, focusing on the outside sounds, that someone had been waiting outside. Rory sighed, but seemed to give in, asking her, softly: "Can Wolfgang ask you some questions?"
"Sure, who's-" But her question got interrupted.
"I'm Wolfgang." The librarian was walking into the house, smiling. "And I need more information to be able to look into all this, if that's alright?"
Isidora blushed slightly, but the man didn't seem to care about how they'd first met, sitting on the armchair nearby and staring at her.
She breathed in deeply, trying not to get overwhelmed by all the things she could detect on him, and said:
"Go on then."
"Right, so, prior to yesterday, did you have two forms?"
"Not exactly..." Isi answered, clenching her teeth. She didn't like talking about her mer heritage.
"I'm going to need you to be precise and know that you have nothing to be ashamed of. I promise you I have seen and heard weirder." He wasn't beating around the bush. So she admitted:
"I have scales when fully immerged in water, but my body doesn't change form."
Making sure not to turn towards Rory, she focused on Wolfgang who just said:
"Right. It'd be good to put you in a bath to check if that is still happening. So was you mother human and father mer?"
"Yes."
"Since bitten, do you feel dizzy and nauseous or hungry and feverish?"
Isi frowned again.
"Nausea and fever, yes, dizziness and hunger, no."
"Well that's not helping."
"You said to be precise, I'm only telling you-" Isidora started to protest.
But the librarian lifted a hand. "I know, I apologise. We're just trying to figure out if you're being poisoned or if you're turning. Or both."
Idrina piped up, shaking her head before she said: "Neither of these options sound good."
"We know" said Rory, her voice strained. "That's why Lily's been working to-" The librarian interrupted her: "Any other particularities you had previously that we could test out?"
"I wasn't and still am not affected by outside temperatures."
Wolfgang hummed, thoughtful. And she continued: "The other couple of things I won't be able to test out and would rather not discuss." A side glance at Rory told her that she wasn't the only one thinking about what powers she'd had.
"Fine, I might have enough as it is anyway. Will you take a bath soon, check what happens, and report to me please? I need to go see Lily."
She gave him a nod and he left as fast as he'd came in.
Idrina gently said: "I need a shower right now, but I can help you after, if you'd like?"
Considering the other option was Rory, Isi quickly said that would be fine and her sister went back into the bathroom.
When they were alone again, she got to her feet, wobbly as they were, looked into the alpha's red eyes and said:
"Thank you. For saving my sister. For helping me without question. For loaning both of us clothing. For everything. Thank you."
"It's the least we could do."
That's all Rory said, but Isi could feel there was more. Some things left unsaid. For now, at least.
0 notes
Text
Isidora woke up in Lou's bed. There was still daylight outside, she noted looked out the window, so she couldn't have been out too long. Her skin was like sand paper and her ears rung, but she could hear people arguing through the gaping holes in the walls of the room.
She took one long breath, getting ready to straighten up and get on her feet. And as soon as she'd sat up, silence fell around her. Then, what she recognised as Adelyn's voice, soft and anxious:
"She's awake."
Isi turned to face the door and the person coming through it. It took her less than a second to recognise her little sister, even with the dark smudges and the worried look on her face.
"Rin!" She exclaimed, pushing to get up.
"Wait, don't!" Idrina said, rushing to come and sit next to her instead.
"I'm so glad to see you, little one. I was so worried about you." It was still harder than it should have been to speak, her energy levels were at an all time low and her skin itched really badly. But none of that mattered now that she could see Idrina was safe. She couldn't take her eyes off her.
Frowning at the marks on her sister's skin, she asked:
"What happened to your face? How did Rory find you? How long have you been here?"
"I was caught in a fire, Rory got me out before I was completely withered and, last night." Oh how Isi had missed her sister's matter-of-fact attitude.
"Are you going to be alright?"
"Yes, I have been showering every hour, which helps. My face seems to have been the most affected, but it will heal."
Idrina slotted her head on Isi's shoulder, just like they used to when they were kids.
"Good. I'm glad. How did you end up in a fire?"
"Looking for you, at your motel, when someone apparently tried to cook metal in a... microwave?"
Rin looked up to Rory, just entering the bedroom, who nodded:
"At least that's what the official story is..."
Silence fell. Then came Isidora's turn to get questioned.
"How are聽饾樅饾槹饾樁?" Rory's eyebrows where high, as if she didn't know what to expect anymore.
"I feel like shit. What was that you had me drink anyway?"
"It's supposed to help" Idrina answered, clearly relaying the information she'd been given. "They tried adding my blood in it..."
Disgusted, Isidora shivered. "Ew! You made me drink my sister's blood?!"
Shrugging, Rory didn't seem impressed: "I wasn't about to waste a chance of it helping."
"Well, I think I deserve a warning next time, at the very least."
"Really don't think that would have helped, but sure."
Idrina chuckled.
"Now, who would you prefer to help you shower?"
Isidora frowned: "I can shower on my own." To prove her point, she got to her feet. And even though she had to keep her focus on her knees for them not to buckle, she managed to stay up.
However, the alpha didn't seem to think that was enough proof. "You can try, but I want someone with you in the bathroom, in case you fall or need help."
Isi huffed, but she knew that was reasonable and took Idrina's hand, letting her lead the way.
When they came out of the bathroom, everyone else had left the house, except for Rory. Isi could feel it. She couldn't explain why, but her senses had changed. She was hearing more things. Smelling more things too, now that she had showered.
"Who's clothes am I wearing? They smell good."
The twinkle in Rory's eyes told her enough and she pretended she hadn't said anything, heading for the couch. Sitting down, she examined her skin once more. She'd discovered something troubling while cleaning herself: the dark marks on her body weren't dirt. And she didn't know 饾樃饾槱饾槩饾樀 they were.
0 notes
Text
It felt like an hour had gone by, but Isi couldn't be sure. She'd drifted in and out of consciousness many times. Too many to count. An old woman that Isi had only seen once before entered the small room and Rory's shoulders visibly relaxed at once.
She gave Isidora a cup of some sort, then left without a word. Desperate for water, or any other liquid that could maybe stop her mouth from watering so much, Isi drank it all in one go, Rory looking at her with wide eyes, hope shining in them.
And for a few minutes, her body cooled down.
But then, without warning, her head started spinning. She could barely hold the liquid down, her stomach twisting and turning. Rory took a step forward:
"What is it?" she asked.
"I... I feel like something is trying to blow me up from the inside..."
Swearing, Rory barely caught Isi in time as her body became completely limp. Lowered her head down onto the pillow. Started whispering conforting words, voice a tether to the real world as everything started to blur for Isidora.
"Help me" Isi heard herself beg.
Rory's breath caught in her throat and she put a warm hand on her shoulder, wincing at how cold her body had become in the span of a minute only.
"I'm trying baby, I promise. I'll have Lily make another batch, a different one, taking into account your mixed DNA..."
Isi's brain settled a bit at that. She聽饾樃饾槩饾槾 trying. And the mention of her mer half reminded her of who she'd been out looking for. Through the fog, the fuzziness that ruled over everything, she managed to say her sister's name out loud.
Rory moved her hand to Isidora's cheek and said: "I found her."
Hearing that was enough to settle her concerns. She closed her eyes, even though she probably should have asked where Rory had found Idrina, if she was okay, and where she was now. Isi surrendered to the black mist taking over her thoughts.
She must have slept for hours because when she woke up again, she didn't feel cold anymore. She was warm again. Too warm... She opened her eyes, looking for Rory, only to find a white wolf watching over her.
"Hey." She wanted to ask who it was, but that word alone had already been so painful.
Slowly but surely, she sat on the edge of the bed. Breathed in and out, gave a couple of seconds for the pain to receede. The white werewolf whined, pushing off the wall to get closer. And as Isi got to her feet, Rory walked into the room.
"Hi beautiful, how are you feeling?"
Unable to give an answer, Isi simply bared her foaming teeth.
"Wow! Okay, maybe getting out of bed isn't a great idea then!" Rory said, running to support her. But Isi shook her head. She had to get to the fresh air. She was too warm down here, stuck in this room. She needed聽饾槹饾樁饾樀.
After only a few steps out of the small bedroom, she stumbled.
"Right, let's sit." Rory ordered. But that wasn't what she'd wanted... Air was what she needed, and there still wasn't enough here. As they moved towards the couch, Isi cleared her throat.
Finally, she managed a couple words strung together:
"Outside, please? And where... my sister..."
Rory sighed, but she seemed to have been expecting it. She groaned "That would imply going outside and it's way too cold right now. The sun's barely out yet."
Isi shook her head, the world spinning.
"Be fine, I don't... get... cold." Isidora answered. Rory hoisted her up in her arms, apparently not willing to pick a fight.
"Idrina's been asking about you as well." She admitted.
Going back up the stairs seemed easier, then they were outside. It was mild, the snow making everything soft.
She breathed the fresh air in, her skin cooling down and the constant itch that she'd been feeling since waking up calming down too.
"Thanks." Isi breathed, Rory nodding in response, before slowly heading towards a familiar path, leading to her and Lou's house.
When they got there, Rory shot her a look, as if to assess how she was. Feeling better, her fever and nausea having receded, her voice also a bit more sure now, Isi confirmed: "You can put me down."
Then the door opened, heads immediately turning towards them.
Isidora searched the faces, looking for her sister. Looked to Rory again, her question clear on her face. Where was Idrina? But before any other words were uttered, the older woman was handing her a drink again.
"It can wait a minute, she wants to see-"
"It's already been too long Rory."
The woman had cut her off with a defiant look. Retreating, the alpha lowered her head, letting Isidora take the cup. Everyone's attention on her, she felt like she better get this out of the way and downed the mixture, thicker than last time but the taste similar.聽
And passed out again.
0 notes
Text
When Isidora awoke again, she could feel her blood pulsing too fast in her veins. She'd known pain before, but nothing like what was tearing through her right then. She couldn't tell if she was so hot she felt icy, or so cold she'd started to burn from it.
She raised her head as feet approached her.
A voice she didn't recognise asked her if she was alright, but she couldn't answer, her mouth completely full of spit. As she turned to face the stranger though, he took in the state of her and swore colourfully. Within a few heartbeats, he'd lifted her up into his arms, moving too fast to be human.
"Ro...ry..." Isi managed to articulate and the man quickly answered: "Yes, yes, don't worry, that's where I'm taking you."
He ran, carrying her as best he could as she kept lurching, repeatedly falling out of his arms because the pain bolting through her was too intense.
He entered a bunker, trying not to drop her going down the stairs. Putting her down once they'd reached the bottom, just long enough to yell for help. The sound of his voice echoed in Isi's ears. The light attacked her retinas, keeping her from seeing the white wolf appearing in front of them.
She must have been losing time, passing out and waking up without noticing, because the next second, she was being dropped on a sofa. She was still in agony. Her head was pounding. Her whole body aching. Yet she felt a sliver of relief when she heard Rory's voice:
"What happened?!"
"It was Greg. Don't know how bad it is though. I found her about 2 minutes ago, it couldn't have been more than 10 before that. There's still time. I sent Ade to get Lily."
Rory let out a low growl, leaning over Isi, who shushed them, turning around on the couch to face the dimmer side of the room.
"Talk to me dove, where is the pain coming from?" Rory asked, taking Isi's beanie off, as if sensing she was way too hot. Maybe she had a fever.
"Everywh-"
Isi had to stop, the bitterness in her mouth overwhelming her. And without hesitating, Rory picked her up, whispering softly: "Come on."
She carried her inside a small bedroom, where the only light emanated from a small moon-shaped lamp. Sat her down on a bed and stilled, before she asked:
"I need to take your clothes off, to check where the bite is. Is that alright?"
Isi nodded, mastering enough strength to answer: "I trust you."
Then, she fainted again. Woke up once as Rory was taking her to the shower. And again when she brought her back to bed, wondering when she'd blacked out. Everything was too loud, too bright, too hot and too cold. Her mouth was still constantly watering. Would it ever stop?
0 notes
Text
While Isidora's path was leading her into the shadows, Idrina arrived at the motel, her hopes high. Entering the room her sister had just stayed in, only the night before, she checked every corner, convinced that if she looked hard enough, she'd finally find her.
Once again, she'd arrived too late. She was so tired of this pattern repeating. Sitting down on the battered chair, her head in her hands, she tried to remember how to use a phone. The one in this hotel room wasn't a portable one like everyone seemed to carry these days, maybe she could manage it.
Idrina didn't hear anything when, in the room just underneath hers, someone lit a flame. Her mermaid body didn't feel temperature. So she never noticed how warm the room was getting as fire was starting to rage, coming from everywhere, all at once. The whole building going up in flames.
She did notice the flames coming through to the roof though, just outside the room she was in. Only had time to start panicking, getting on her feet, before a pipe blew up in the bathroom, the explosion knocking her down to the floor.
She heard someone call out in the next room: "ISIDORA!"
She didn't recognise the voice, but the name was unmistakable. She yelled back, hoping she'd be heard above the roar of the fire now spreading in the room. She tried to stay on the ground, but from where she was, she couldn't see who crashed through the door. Glowing red eyes landed on her.
"Where's Isidora?!" The woman's shout was both demanding and desperate.
"She's not here, I've looked everywhere!" Idrina answered, shaking her head, her voice already so raspy.
"Fuck."
That's all the stranger said before grabbing her and carrying her out of the hellfire the motel had become.
Meanwhile, unaware of everything that had happened back in town, Isidora had a feeling that she was being followed. She stopped in her tracks, deciding it was getting too late to search anyway.
Turning around, she jumped when a huge werewolf appeared right in front of her. Unsure, as she remembered Rory having grey fur in her wolf form, Isi slowly dropped her protecting stance.
"Ror-" she started, her questioning tone cut short when a clawed hand closed on her throat.
The strength applied to her windpipe made her gasp, completely taken aback. Their eyes might have been red, but Isi could tell it wasn't Rory. She tried to escape the iron grip that kept her lungs empty.
A deep growl came from the wolf's body, their eyes widening slightly as if they'd just understood something. For half a second, Isi felt the hand that held her relax. Taking advantage of it, she kicked and almost managed to turn around fully, to start running. Sharp teeth tore her shoulder out.
Her skin started burning immediately. From her neck, past her chest and arms, all the way into her legs. Her blood was boiling, while still coursing through her veins. The scream she'd let out when the beast had caught her again died on her lips, as her throat closed up. She lost consciousness.
0 notes
Text
Oh, for anyone wondering, this is what The Pied Moth (namely Isidora Polilla)'s first album looks like !
0 notes
Text
The next morning, Amani and Isidora left early. Stopping to fill up the car just outside of Moonwood Mill, they agreed they would need some snacks for the trip. Inside the shop, they both went their own way. Their phones had been ringing since dawn as the album had released at midnight.
So far, Wes was super happy with the reaction to it. Isi had tried to stay as far away from it as possible. As with everything that had happened that week, she just couldn't connect it to her reality. Too much, too fast...
Yet, in the stillness of that late morning, she checked her phone again.
Underneath the tens of notifications, she found text messages and missed calls from her mother. The latter wasn't unusual, Isi just thought she'd call her back that evening, after getting home. 饾槢饾槮饾樄饾樀饾槳饾槸饾槰 wasn't in her habits though. Frowning, she opened up the conversation.
"Oh shit..."
She walked back towards the counter and Amani gave her a curious look.
"What is it?"
"My sister's on a train to Moonwood right now, she showed up at my mum's looking for me..."
"Your 饾槾饾槳饾槾饾樀饾槮饾槼? Hasn't it been years since you've even heard from her?"
"I'm just as confused as you are right now, but that's all the info I've got... I'm going to walk back into town and call my mother."
Isi decided, still completely bewildered to think that Idrina was on land.
"Don't be silly, I'll drive you back!" Amani argued.
"No you won't, you need to get your mother's car back to her by tonight, and I don't want you rushing on the road back. You'll have to promise me to stop every hour and a half. I'll check in by text."
She got her friend to promise she'd be as safe as possible, then she was out the door.
The worry Isi had been harbouring over Amani's wellbeing lately was clashing with the concern knowing her sister was all alone in a train, in the middle of winter, with every bit of running water around frozen solid. She cursed herself for wearing heals, tracing the road back up.
It was midday when she finally got to the station. But apart from some animal noises in the forest surrounding it and the heavy snow covering everything, it was completely empty. As soon as Isi spotted someone who seemed to work there, she went to ask when the next train was due.
"Oh, the morning train has already been, you won't get another one before tonight now..."
Defeated and wondering which way Idrina could have gone, Isi figured she'd get some help looking for her and headed for Rory and Lou's house. The door opened in a loud metal whine.
"Why are you still here? I thought you'd left."
Lux's annoyed look wasn't what Isidora had been hoping for, but it was still better than nothing. Wringing her hands, she explained:
"Hey, I was about to, but apparently my little sister hopped on a train to meet me here."
"Must have gotten to the station too late though, she was already gone. Thing is... I still don't know this place too well and it's freezing, so I was wondering if you guys could help me look for her?"
Unimpressed, Lux simply answered:
"Didn't work out so well last time we helped, though, did it?"
Speechless, Isidora felt herself nod slightly, forced to admit that was true. And before any other words were uttered, the door was slammed in her face. As if struck, she stayed still for a couple of seconds.
Then she was on her way. Fuming. But at least the indignation kept her warm.
The snow got worse as the day went on, Isidora exhausted all the places that made sense for Idrina to go to. The motel, caf茅s and bars, anywhere she could have gone to stay warm. She was still looking when night started falling. Getting increasingly closer to the forest...
0 notes
Text
Idrina's first night on land was strange. Lonely. Quiet. She had many words to describe it, and few of them were positive. She'd found a discarded towel to wrap around her body, remembering that humans did not like to see naked bodies.
Her legs had started aching quickly and she spent most of the next few days sleeping and doing her strengthening exercises. She'd found a small creek away from the streets, where she caught some fish any time she got hungry. Until she decided she was steady enough to venture closer to humans.
The first thing Idrina noticed was that summer was officially over, as everyone was looking at her like she'd grown an extra head. Sitting in a caf茅 that offered access to computers, she was trying her best to ignore the looks and comments on her outfit.
She'd stopped by Isidora's old house, caught a glimpse of her mother and ran away when she'd seen enough to confirm that Dora didn't leave there anymore.
Looking for her name online gave her a lot of information. Idrina now knew that her sister was on tour.
Unable to find out what her new address was, she'd made a list of all the upcoming shows she would be at. Then, she started walking, following the tour announcements. On the way, she made sure to steal some clothes from a washing line, some shoes at the entrance of a big building.
She arrived in Del Sol Valley as autumn was at its peak. Isidora was supposed to be back in the city now. Idrina had been very unlucky, always late to the stops on her sister's path. It was hard for her to follow the human clocks. After all this time, she still didn't understand how they worked.
Calendars confused her even more. So really, when she reached Del Sol, she decided she would just stay there until she found Dora. After all, her sister lived here, how hard could it be to find her?
In a city this big... Harder than she'd thought.
Winter had settled when she finally saw her sister's face, walking under a street light, in the middle of the night, alone. Or at least 饾槾饾槱饾槮 seemed to think so. She was being followed by a hooded figure. Idrina felt the aggression coming off the man's body and decided to teach him a lesson.
When she was finished with him, she turned around to catch up to Isidora, only to find that her sister had vanished. Idrina slept on a bench not too far from the place where she had disappeared, hoping she'd come back to this spot eventually.
And she didn't have to wait too long, as waking up the next morning, she saw her again. Only this time she was quickly walking towards the train station. Idrina ran as fast as her human legs would allow her, but she couldn't board the same train Isidora did.
However, its destination told her enough. If Dora was going to see her mother, then she would meet her there. The train wasn't an option on her own, as she still hadn't found any human money. So she set off on foot again. Walked for days. Stopped as little as possible, slept even less.
When she finally got to the university town, she was exhausted. Yet hope was still urging her on. She went straight to the townhouse, couldn't care about her hesitation to face Dora's mother anymore, not with her goal so close. She knocked on the door, her legs barely holding her up anymore...
Marribel opened the door, shock painted on her face.
"Idrina?!"
"Hello Marri. Where's Isidora?" Her voice was strained, she'd been practicing speaking out loud but clearly not enough.
"Oh, baby... Your sister left this morning."
0 notes
Text
Night had fallen when the two girls got to the motel. As soon as she was inside, Isidora changed her suit jacket for a comfortable sweater. Turning around to ask Amani if she needed help out of her dress, she realised her best friend was crying again.
"Can I do anything to help?" she asked, sitting next to her on the edge of the bed.
"Tell me if this is the bedroom he was in when you stayed here?" Amani's voice was distant, the tears still streaking her cheeks.
"No, he was in the one just underneath this one..."
Silence swallowed them.
After a while, Amani turned slightly to her to say, almost a whisper: "Thank you for saying something, during... I'm glad someone who knew him could."
"Yeah." Isi's breath caught in her throat again and she could feel her eyes getting wet again.
Bumping theirs shoulders together, her friend asked "What did Rory think of it? I saw her run after you."
"I didn't really give her time to say anything to be honest." she admitted, guilty.
"Mmmh. You should have."
Amani got into bed a little while later. Yet Isi knew she wouldn't be able to sleep...
Making her way once again to the laundry room of the motel, she wished she had thought of taking music with her like the first time. She entered the room, trying not to let disappointment take over when noticing that Rory wasn't there to raise an eyebrow at her this time.
She didn't have to wait long to hear a loud thumping noise coming from the outside, though. Turning around, she couldn't help feeling relieved when red eyes and blue hair entered the room.
"Doing laundry this late?" Rory's voice was light.
"I thought I might find you here." Isi admitted straight away, too tired to play games.
"You've got me baby!"
Rory opened her arms, probably to emphasize her presence in the room, but all Isi could think of was how much she wanted to just throw herself inside them.
Putting her hands on her hips to keep her energy centered, Isidora started talking:
"I just wanted to say... I was rude earlier, you were just trying to help."
For a second, Rory seemed taken aback.
"Oh. It's fine, you're grieving. It's never easy to navigate." She answered simply, looking away.
"And thank you for coming today. You and the others. It would have felt even more empty if it had been just Amani and me."
Isidora could feel her voice straining as she spoke, but she really needed to say it. To make sure Rory knew how much it had meant to them.
How much it would have meant to Jak.
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she could feel the sobs creeping up again. She tried to hide her face, but Rory's touch on her arms kept her from putting her walls up again. Cupping her face in her hands, she breathed with her, through the pain.
Following the gentle guidance, Isi slowly calmed down. Only then did she feel her pull away. Stumbling a step forward so they would still be close enough to touch, she gasped Rory's name. A pleading breath. Then, lower than a whisper: "Don't leave me."
"Angel, I don't think-" Rory started, her voice so incredibly soft.
"Exactly. Don't think. Just kiss me." Isi demanded, closing the gap between them.
A second before their lips touched though, she felt Rory tugging her closer, giving her a hug instead.
"I'm not going anywhere until you make me, love, but I don't think what you need is me to kiss you right now."
They stayed like this for a while, Isi trying not to feel heartbroken and rejected. Trying not to think about how this refusal hurt so much more than it should have.
Until eventually, she pulled away slowly, almost cursing herself.
"Of course you don't... You weren't expecting to see me ever again. You've probably found someone new since I left."
She heard Rory choke slightly, as if repressing a laugh.
However, when she raised her head, she couldn't see an ounce of humour in Rory's eyes.
Quickly, afraid of where this conversation might lead them, Isi continued: "Anyway, I'll go back to my room now, I need some sleep before the drive back tomorrow."
There was a pause, then: "Of course."
"I'll walk with you."
The silence stretched until they arrived in front of the door. Isi prepared to say goodbye once more, when Rory's voice rose again.
"To set the record straight: I'm not with anyone else, darling. I'd wait forever for you to come back to me, you know."
Isi's vocal chords gave up and she just stood there, as Rory continued.
"I just knew how far things could go tonight, if I let them. And I have no desire for our first time to be in a dingy laundry room."
Only then did her voice come back: "Our 饾櫅饾櫈饾櫑饾櫒饾櫓 饾櫓饾櫈饾櫌饾櫄 Rory? Intense phrasing for a hookup."
0 notes
Text
The next day, snow was falling and the air was crisp as Isidora and Amani approached the cemetery. They'd left in the middle of the night, taking turns driving and keeping each other awake, trying their hardest not to burst in tears every five minutes.
饾槓饾樀 饾樃饾槩饾槾 饾樀饾槳饾槷饾槮 饾樀饾槹 饾槾饾槩饾樅 饾槰饾槹饾槹饾槬饾槪饾樅饾槮.
They walked into the small room set up for the funeral and she managed to hold herself together when walking past Rory and Adelyn. The teenager stayed outside and Isi caught a glimpse of Lux, keeping their distance, yet still present. She wondered if anyone else would show up.
She could see Lou and Celene, as well as the cop who'd been in charge of finding Jak. But Isi's label had been unwilling to push the album release, so Wes had had to stay in Del Sol to take care of it. And Jak didn't have any family left... It was a small crowd indeed.
People were sitting down and Isi remembered she was supposed to give a speech. She'd tried writing something in the car but came up empty.
The whole thing didn't make any sense to her. Couldn't be real.
She felt Rory getting close, extending a hand towards her.
Terrified she would completely break down with Rory's warmth around her, Isi decided to walk up to the wooden lectern and clear her throat, getting everyone's attention before she could chicken out.
"Hi everyone. Thank you for coming." Her voice wasn't as weak as she'd expected.
"I... Jak was..." she started, her eyes falling upon the casket. His body was in there. They hadn't been able to see him, his body too decomposed by now. Breathing in, and out again, she tried to focus. "Jak was my coworker and my friend."
"He was the most protective person I've ever met. Sure, it was part of his job, but it was also engrained in him to take care of others." Racking her brain to find something else to say, Isi heard herself go on: "He rick-rolled us at least once a day while on tour. Couldn't pee if not outside."
"Was never satisfied with the bedding in a motel. Always on time. Always pissy when we weren't... He was a good friend of mine before we travelled together but I got to know him even better in that time, I just can't-"
Her uninterrupted word vomit stopped as her throat closed up.
Before she could think another coherent thought, she was in tears and her voice was gone. Shaking her head, she mumbled some apology, to the attendees but also to Jak. Her breath caught as she gently touched the coffin, heading straight for the door.
She walked right by Adelyn, who was still standing in front of the building. Kept going until she couldn't hear any of the chatter anymore. Until she was all alone in front of tombs and a small pond.
Breathing slowly, doing her best not to let it all out. She felt more than heard Rory approach.
"Hey-"
"Don't you dare come closer." Isi immediately said. "I'm dealing with this, I don't need 饾樅饾槹饾樁 all up in my business."
A slightly stunned silence followed. She took advantage of the few extra seconds she had to get herself together, already feeling bad for lashing out.
"Do you want me to leave?"
There was an understanding between them, as if Isi's outburst was already forgiven. So she simply shook her head.
"I'm sorry." Rory's voice was quieter now. "I was down there every day-"
She was getting closer as she spoke. Isi raised her hands, protecting herself.
"饾悞饾惌饾惃饾惄. Please don't touch me."
Rory went still, closing her mouth in the same beat.
"I need to go check on Amani." She simply said, before going back inside, finding her friend crying while trying to keep a conversation going with Celene.
0 notes
Text
Isidora and her mum spent the rest of the day arguing over her hair. She was asking her mother to lighten it slightly, not trusting herself to do it alone, for fear of having it turn out completely blond.
The only way her mother would agree was if Isi promised to take better care of it and wear her bonnet every night, without fail. They went down to watch one of her mother's favourite movies, talking about their plans for the next day together.
"I thought you said you wouldn't be working while you're here Dora?"
"I know, I know... I just can't take a break right now, Amani is working on the visuals for my album release next week and I need to approve some of them." Isi explained, feeling guilty.
Her mother made a disapproving noise but didn't push the matter further. It didn't stop Isi from hearing everything she hadn't said. That she'd already spent the holidays working away and would just miss out on so much if she only ever focused on work.
The movie started and she realised it was the sequel to the movie that had been shown in Moonwood Mill's outdoor cinema, a few months before. Her throat had gotten thick all of a sudden. Quick to notice, her mum asked her what was wrong. And the tears started filling her eyes.
It was hard to explain, but Isi found herself describing how out of place she'd been feeling since coming back from touring. At first, she had blamed it on the remorse she felt about Jak vanishing.
But her therapist had unravelled that, along with other things, and now she was just left with the need to get out. The feeling that Del Sol wasn't her home anymore... And she had no idea what to do with that.
Pulling her closer, her mother started humming a lullaby.
Isi's heart rate slowed down, she managed to breathe normally again. Only then did her mother stop singing, and kissed her head. She hadn't expected any advice, only a listening ear, so she changed the subject: "Rory singing voice is amazing, too, did I tell you?"
An amused look on her face, her mum asked, her voice barely more than a whisper:
"Maybe if you feel so strongly about this woman, you should consider reaching out again?"
Shaking her head, Isi refused to let the idea set in. "It was just a fling, Mama."
A few days later, the long train journey home gave Isidora some time to think. Visiting her mother had been one of the best things she'd done in ages and, as she could see Del Sol Valley approaching through the windows, she couldn't help but notice the pollution surrounding it.
Couldn't help thinking of all the other places she'd seen while on tour and how much more appealing they'd been. Maybe she'd ask Wes if he wanted to go on the road again. Although she wasn't sure she couldn't handle that without Jak and with the threats she'd been receiving.
She got home some time in the afternoon, immediately doing a remote interview for the release of the album, now only two days away. She planned a date with Quintin, the journalist she'd been seeing, wondering if sleeping with him would make him more or less interesting.
An hour later, her phone was lighting up, her agent's face on it.
"Hey Wes! Is it gonna be the album release of the century?!" she asked, hoping he'd be as excited as she was. But all she heard for a few seconds was the crackling of the line.
Then: "Iz'. They found Jak."
0 notes