9 "Stay"

Karina was exceptionally fearful that night. She'd finally booked a hotel room to stay in, still being attacked by the doubtful decisions she must take; what she should do, where she should stay.

Her mind was inevitably blank; her thoughts were messy. She couldn't stay at the hotel for too long; It was out of her budget.

She finally arrived at the motel. It was a cheap one at that, made of brownstone, seemingly quite new. She'd chosen a one in a crowded street. The last time she was secluded, it hadn't gone well.

The cashier was a young lady, her mannerism and fresh appearance felt like she was a new employee.

As soon as Karina caught her eye, she enthusiastically gestured towards the counter. Karina grimly walked upfront.

"Welcome to the East Inn! How many nights Miss…?" She robotically went on as her eyes were on the computer placed in front of her.

"Aberra. Two nights." The thought of what she had to do after those two nights instilled a small wave of panic, coming at her way like the silent waves of the ocean; rising and rebelling against the stagnant and fragile state of her mind.

After the proceedings, she made her way to her room, on the second floor.

The room was surprisingly clean and simple. The bedding was neatly laid out with a small wooden nightstand resting beside it.

She exhaled loudly, resting her bag of belongings. Her thoughts were racing even more as she was alone; confined in an isolated space.

She wondered where she should go; How far she should associate herself with these supernatural people...After a few twists and turns, she arrived at a conclusion.

Her place of stay was one thing, but the unknown ability she fostered was directly tied to the realm these angels were from.

That wasn't something she could discard and continue with her life. It was a way to find out about her life.

A sudden flash of memory brought her to a solid train of thought. The dream she had. What she saw in that dream connected to this new world even more.

Wings.

She'd seen wings; there was a fire. If all of these things were connected to Enkeli, she had no reason to ignore the inhabitants of the realm. Those who she had no choice but to talk to again.

The only problem she faced was trust and uncertainty with her further relationship with them; along with one of them hating her. She was afraid of Dario and what he would do.

He was a stranger to her, despite her encounters with him and his friends. He was not excused of the possibility of killing her as his spite towards her showed that.

In the end, she had no choice. She had to somehow face them, as they were the only hope and answer she had.

She felt drowsy but couldn't afford the peace of sleep this night. Opening her bag, she took out the books she managed to bring. One was her sketchbook, which she dearly kept for a long time.

Whenever she was stressed, anxious, or down, doodling helped her. Whatever came to her mind to draw; may it be a messy scribble or a small defined doodle, provided her comfort and eased her feelings.

Due to the events that took place, her hands led the way, drawing a pair of wings with fiery edges; the corners and creases shaded darker.

She suddenly craved the company of Lin, spending time with her made her forget. Now, however, wasn't the time to crib or miss. She isn't here anyway.

Karina doodled messy sketches and scribbled lines with cornered designs, thinking of Dario.

It made her wonder what caused Dario to be sent here, or rather what he did to lead up to it. If he was a criminal, that made her feel more scared to go back to them.

She started doodling a character, his outfit shaded dark as he possessed large beautiful wings. Feeling unsettled, she pulled out the strange book from before. It was still translucent. Just how?

Expecting to see content, she opened the book to find literally nothing. It was fully blank. Was it a secret book? A book that she couldn't access?

She was stopped; the silence in her room was disrupted by a looming presence. Karina was instantly on alert, staying still as her ears flared like they always did when she was on flight or fight mode.

Karina could feel the possible creature moving around her room. A small audible sound made its way out of her throat, afraid. "Please…go away."

The creature seemed to be in even closer proximity than before. Karina started shaking while she searched around for a weapon.

She found a stick-like thing, not hesitating to pick it up, and defensively held it up. "Don't come any closer, I'm telling you."

Immediately, a cluster of sounds entered her ears. The only difference was they were a cluster of indistinguishable ones, the equivalent of a blurred line.

They were low but audible. She instinctively glanced here and there for the creature, but the room was empty.

She once again grabbed her bag, stuffing everything hastily. She went for the door handle and to her fortune, it opened. She was panting as she sprinted down to the main lobby.

The cashier looked up from her work, adjusting to her frightened appearance.

"Is there a prob-" Karina raced out the door before she could say any further.

She was out in the street; running in no particular direction, once again making sure she was surrounded by people.

The only people she could turn to now were them. Not knowing where they lived, she started panicking. She reached out for her phone, dialing Milo's number.

Thankfully, he picked up, "Karina?"

"I think something's out to get me."

"What? Tell me properly."

"I think the creature Dario was talking about came back; to get me."

There was a slight pause, "Where are you?"

"I'm at the East Inn motel."

Karina grew impatient, the crippling fear and anxiety increasing.

"Stay there. I'll come and get you."