Chapter Nine: So It Begins!

Alice:

Sy and I stood outside of the dark school, my fingers drawing a circle around me. Drawing the symbols in the sand, the gold necklace in my hand. Cutting my palm, Sy watched irritably while I poured blood around the circle. The symbols glowed brightly, a black circle swirling around me. The humming noise caused my head to throb, the two of us crashing into purgatory. An ashy gray fog swirled around my feet, Sy grinning crookedly in my direction. Dusting off his black Italian suit, he adjusted the cuff links that I gave him. Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, his gloved hand wrapped around mine. Ash drifted aimlessly in the red sky, the twisted black trees lining either side of us. The school lay in a heap of white marble, Sy wrapping his arms around my neck.

"Why did it have to be just us?" Sy questioned oddly, resting his chin on my head. "It is nice to see you in leggings and a sports bra. You are making it so hard to resist you. Adjusting my black sports bra, my black leggings hugging my flat stomach. Resting my hand on it, the very thought of having to get pregnant pissed me off. The cursed rings made it so that it had to happen, the thorns would recede once that occurred.

"Only two people can enter the herb garden. I needed the necklace to trade for entry." I explained calmly, wrapping it around my wrists. "This is the guardian's necklace that got stolen. I figured if we returned it, they would let us in. I just need to know where to go." Shivering a bit, he placed his jacket over my shoulder. A chilly gust lashed my cheeks, several lost souls wandering around. My face paled, cold sweat dripping off of my brown. Empty eyes bore into mine, decaying hands reaching for me. Slapping them away, a cold hand grabbed my shoulder. Horror widened my eyes, my dead parents dragging me to the loose black dirt. Blackened skin obscured their features, smoke curling off of them. A broken beer bottle sat in their hands, a sharp cry of pain exploded from my lips the moment they jammed the broken bottles into my sides. My sword slid into my clammy palms, Sy striking them down with his guitar blade. Black blood soaked my side, luck choosing to be on my side. They had landed just above my ovaries, Sy dragging me through the growing crowd of lost souls. Tears of fear mixed with sadness, my parents rising once more. Growling out an order, the ground quaked. All of the lost souls turned towards us, Sy drawing a circle in the sand. Paralyzed with fear, my blade trembled in my hands. Seeing the face of my abusers triggered my usual response, the corner of my lip quivering. Unable to move, a blank expression overtook my face.

"I need you to wake up and fight them off!" He demanded urgently, my numbness not fading. "You need to help me so I can get to a friend of mine. He has the map we need. Pumpkin!" A darker energy entered the scene, confusion dawning on Sy's face the moment I wrapped the necklace around his wrists. Cold black arms scooped me up, black leather wings carrying me into the sky. Black salt chains burned the skin on my wrists the moment they formed, all of my power draining. Hopelessness plagued my empty eyes, my parents' insults coursing through my mind. The image of my tombstone flashed in my head, my funeral probably having no one in attendance. Tears welled up in my eyes, my life of abuse playing like a movie in my head. Cupping the sides of my head, my blade faded away. Every dark emotion burst from my bottle, my shrill scream echoing in the stuffy night air. A clap of his hands resulted in a black piece of silk in my mouth, the cheap material nearly suffocating me. Unable to scream, silent tears rained from my eyes. Growing slack in its arms, there was nothing I could do. A simple black mask covered the demon's face, the black armor cold as his heart.

An eternity seemed to pass, a midnight magma castle twirling from the pool of hot orange lava. The fumes nearly knocked me out, the lungs protesting the filthy air. Jumping a bit, a splash of lava nearly scorched my skin. The shivers melted to an immense amount of sweat, the heat unbearable. A scratching thirst took over my dry throat, the desire for Sy's blood growing. A ten foot tall scarlet demon waved him down, her long silky black hair cascading down her back. An inky navy blue bikini barely covered her breasts, and round bum, her slim black tail dancing around. Pools of ink represented her dark eyes, two slate gray horns curling elegantly around her face. White fangs glistened in the orange light of the lava, her icy death glare sending shivers up my spine. Dropping me into her arms, she slammed me into a black iron cage. The wheels squealed, her joyful humming shattered any peace I had left. Pulling me through random halls, my mind took mental notes of which way we were heading. Stopping in a large throne room, stuffed heads of humans and other demons lined the wall. My heart beat picked up drastically, the damn demon pulling a brown stained white leather apron. Unrolling a tan leather strip, silver torture tools lined the two foot strip of worn leather. A poor human struggled in the chair in front of me, her wicked eye winking at me. A stained burlap sack covered his face, guilt gnawed at me. His fate was sealed but I couldn't do a damn thing about it. Unable to say anything, my hands were chained inches from the cage. Silent tears of rage flooded from my eyes, her fingers selecting a simple razor. With a swift motion, the tiny blade glided across the poor man's throat. Placing a golden bucket underneath his throat, she stared happily at me as all of his scarlet blood splashed into the bottom.

"I am Bloodvania." She mused playfully, her violet snake tongue licking her neck. "Don't worry. I can't hurt you. Your daddy wants you. I think he wants to do it himself too. You would taste so delectable, half demons always taste so rich." Setting the bucket down, her tongue licked the side of my face. Maniacal laughter erupted from her lips, her black claw tracing my other cheek. Turning to leave, my fingers wrapped around her ankle. Yanking her down, her key slid into my cage. Tucking it underneath my leg, her claws ripped up the left side of my face. Screeching in my face, fresh blood covered my face as her mouth only grew wider by the second. A giant bell rang, her stomping off with a steady stream of curse words flooding from her black lips. Working fast, the key slid into my shackles. Relief washed over me the moment they crashed to the bottom of the cage, the key unlocking the cage door. The silk still wouldn't come out of my mouth, my boots knocking the bucket of blood over. Slipping on the growing puddle of blood, disgust wrinkled my nose as my face splashed into the deepest part. Struggling to my feet, her heavy footfalls echoed down the empty hall leading to her throne room. Snatching the biggest saw, my fingers shoved a couple of other weapons into the waistband of my leggings. Leaning up against the wall, her key stuck out between my two fingers. Jamming it into her eye, she stumbled back, slipping on the puddle of blood. Electricity jolted from the end of a loose wire, my quaking hands ripping it from the crumbling ceiling. Stirring in the blood, her hands wrapped around a dozen silver stars. Tossing the wire into the wet blood, white electricity caused her body to seize. Sprinting down the hall, the saw sliced through the neck of a couple of her masked demons. Black blood mixed with the scarlet on my face, my vision blurring. Pounding down the halls out, my plan failed at the sea of lava being the size of an ocean. Bloodvania crawled towards me, hundreds of her servants flying towards me. An idea bounced around in my head, sheer panic twisting my face. Leaping over the lava, my feet jumped from servant to servant. Her hot breath bathed my ankles, my face growing even paler. Pulling out the smallest weapon from the waistband, my wrist flicked it towards her other eye. A muffled cry of triumphant exploded from my lips, the tiny blade quivering away. My powers were returning slowly, a black ball of energy swirling over my head. Mouthing the quiet spell, it swelled as she shrieked unnaturally. Slamming it down towards them all, my muscles braced themselves for the kick back of my attack. A blast of energy tossed me into a line of trees, my body rolling to a stop. An explosion quaked the ground, blood and guts raining down on me. The silk dropped from my mouth, the castle sinking into the lava. Struggling to my feet, the only way was forward. Marching ahead, more souls tried to kill me. Ignoring them, my mind shut off my emotions as I had always trained. The glass bottles still embedded themselves deeper into my sides, my stomach growling loud enough to wake the whole universe. A single body of foggy water intrigued me, my boots stumbling towards it. Walking in, the healing powers knocked the bottles from my sides. The blood and guts floated off of my body and into a flurry of black rose petals, my hair now plastered to my cheeks. Everything hit me, the water splashed all around. My piercing scream shattered the night, my fists smashing the water. None of this was going to help me, a familiar voice catching my attention. Sy stood on the beach, my soaking wet body crashing into his arms. Kissing my lips feverishly, my heart fluttered. Scarlet burned my cheeks, his tongue dancing in my mouth.

"You look like hell." He joked lightly, taking off his shirt. "Put this on, so you don't catch a cold.I will turn around." Keeping to his promise, part of me wanted him to look. Peeling off my wet clothes, his shirt hugged my hourglass figure. Spinning me around, a map fluttered in his hands. Pressing his lips against mine hungrily, the top button slipping out of its prison. My massive cleavage caused him to blush the deepest red I had ever seen, releasing me in a quick second. Curse this potion requiring me to be a virgin, my desires growing for him.

"Thanks, I just lived it." I retorted sarcastically, biting back my desire to become one with him. "Let's get the things so we can make a baby, 'kay!" My false cheeriness masked the trauma that I had just experienced, Sy explaining the landmarks we needed to see in order to arrive at our destination. The words faded in and out. Everywhere I turned, the human in the burlap sack taunted me. Limping towards me, my inner thoughts screaming for me to run. His soul had attached himself to me and he was pissed. Shouting help in my ears every other second, Sy began to notice my distress. Raising his blade, one swing severed his connection to me.

"Powers of Hell, grant me the power to destroy this soul." He groaned bitterly, his blade smashing into his heart. "Send him to Heaven." His spirit faded to a flurry of white ash, Sy tying his sword to his back. Kissing the top of my head, my boots lumbered after him slowly. My stomach growling stopped him in his tracks, his arms clutching me close to his sweaty chest. His veins throbbed endlessly, my hunger growing worse. Guiding my head into his neck, my fangs grew longer.

"Jesus Christ!" He whined cutely, wiping the tears that I didn't even know that I was shedding from my eyes. "Drink up. I don't mind. I love you, pumpkin." Goosebumps popped up, my fangs breaking his neck. His rich blood coated my throat, my hunger dwindling to nothing. Shock widened his eyes, my hand guiding his fangs to the nape of my neck. Shaking his head, the crack of my hand smacking the back of his head shattered the still air.

"I only wish to return the favor, Sy." I promised sweetly, cocking my head. "Drink up, or I will force you two. Shit! I lost your cuff links. I am so sorry." A snarl rumbled in his throat, his teeth sinking into my neck. The sensation of him drinking my blood sent my nerves into a frenzy, my thighs rubbing together. Drinking his fill, my finger wiped the corner of his lips. Sucking off my blood, a small gasp escaped my lips.

"Let's go get you those herbs." He chirped cheerfully, placing me on his back. "I will carry you there." Resting my head on his back, his reasoning making sense in an instant. The spirits avoided him like the plague, his aura protecting me. Several hours passed of him telling me his stories, his warning that the spirits would hear me if I even spoke a single word. His years of stories captivated me, most of them fun and happy. Stopping in front of a black marble statue of a dragon, the black eyes burned to life. Red eyes gazed gloomily down at us, Sy offering him the golden necklace. Blowing a puff of smoke, the silent dragon pointed to the hidden red door behind him. Tossing him the necklace, his fingers wrapped around the black crystal doorknob. Ripping it open, my breath hitched. Colorful herbs tickled our legs, the book resting in my palms. Opening it to the page, Sy would pick them since he knew what they looked like. The satchel was now full of everything we needed and extra just in case we screwed up. Motioning for me to hop on his back, he placed his fingers on his lips. Nodding in silent agreement, we stepped out. His cuff links glittered in the loose dirt, his lips mouthing thank you silently at the dragon.

"You will need to find the golden cauldron in your school." A deep voice thundered, the dragon's snout moving. "The potion won't work without it. Most people don't make it to this point. Here is your riddle to find it. What has ears but can't hear?" My jaw dropped in disbelief, know the answer was corn. My eyebrow twitched irritably, a snarl curling on my lips. His riddle was child's play, Sy cupping my hands in an attempt to calm me down.

"Corn!" I exclaimed bitterly, the dragon nodding. "There is no corn around the school." The dragon hardened back to a statue, lost souls circling us. Mouthing a silent spell, a black portal swirled in front of us, Hopping through, we both groaned as we crashed onto the cracked pavement in front of the school. Bright rays peeked over the school, both of us annoyed with the answer corn. The bell rang for first period, Dallena shoved us into the nearest bathroom. Tossing school uniforms over the stalls, we came out a couple of seconds later. Twisting her hair into a bun, her petite body felt tiny to me. Placing the herbs into a magical box, she shoved them into my bag. Sy adjusted his blazer. Running out first, Dallena pulled my hair into a ponytail. Noticing my pointed ears, she took my hair down. Fluffing it up, a wicked grin danced across her face. Dragging me out of the bathroom, Sammy leaned on my shoulder. Sticking out his tongue, the drama club was running at me. Turning to run, Sammy and Dallena held me down with matching grins on their lips. The nerdiest one bounced up down in front of me, her mousy brown bob a tangled mess. Her five foot height made me feel even taller, her sea of friends shoving a script into my hand. The writing was shit, and the concept threw me off. Before I could say no, it was too late.

"We saw your pretend fighting the other day, and wrote a play around it." She pleaded desperately, my hand slapping their hands off my shoulders. "Could you two be our lead? We called it the King of Halloween Street. It is about the legend of Halloween Street. I want you to play Alice." My face paled, cold sweat dripping off of my brow. Sy grabbed my shoulder, smiling politely at them. Quiet rage simmered in his eyes, my hand cupping his.

"I don't see why not. Give the scripts to Sammy here." He choked out as calmly as he could, dragging me to the first period class. "We will stop by the auditorium after school to begin practicing. Have a nice day." His last words were more of a snarl, his hand pulling me into the janitor's closet. Standing a million feet away, his eyes narrowed. His demon form began to show, my arms wrapping around his neck.

"What's wrong?" I asked warmly, him shoving me into the shelf. "Whatever, I am heading to class. Go ahead and skip school then. Talk to me when you are calm." Brushing past him, the English teacher stopped me. Placing me in the front of the class, everyone began to laugh at me. The title The Scarlet Letter was on the board, the teacher's cold gaze meeting my death glare. Smacking the desk behind me, Sy marched into class. Saying nothing, he slammed scarlet A's on our chest.

"Wait a minute!" I snapped hotly, rubbing my forehead groggily. "I didn't do anything wrong. Nor did the main character of the book. She was used and thrown away to protect his ass. How do you see nothing wrong with that?" Ripping the A's off of our chest, shock widened the teacher's face the moment I pinned it on him. Everyone turned to Sy who just dragged me to my desk, his chest rising up and down. The teacher's lips parted in protest, Sy cupping the side of his head. Seconds from losing it, the cap blew off.

"Shut the fuck up before you speak!" He screamed venomously, throwing the eraser at the teacher's head. "You are just a bitter old man who will end up rotting in Hell like the rest of the assholes just like you." Shocked gasps echoed around us, sharp whispers chasing the moment. Burying my head into my arms, this wasn't good.

"You two go to the pr-'' The teacher began, Sy already taking me to the office. Knocking on the door, an elderly turtle of an old lady directed us to mismatched chairs in the corner. Scanning the room, my eyes fell on the poster of corn. Snapping my fingers, time froze. Even Sy sat frozen sulking in the corner, fingers ripping off the corn poster. A musty gust of air knocked me back, a golden cauldron falling into my laps. Snapping my fingers once more, time caught up with itself. Dragging Sy out of the school, our boots pounded towards the funeral home. Smashing through the front door, Mr. Dorth waved as we ran down to the embalming room. Ignoring the dead body on the table, Sy watched as I measured out the ingredients he handed me. Grinding the herbs down, Sy was already boiling the perfect amount of water. Pouring the herbs into the water, our simple silver blades slid across our palms. Dripping our blood into the mixture, a black heart floated into the air. Scooping the goblet out of my bag, Sy poured the contents into the goblet. Rising the blasted cup to my lips, his hand wrapped around mine.

"You don't have to do this." He warned sadly, refusing to look at me. "If you do this, then you will be stuck with me." Shrugging my shoulders, the acrid liquid slid down my throat. Struggling to swallow it, Sy pinched my nose while I shut my eyes. Nausea wracked my stomach, clammy sweat drenching my skin. Clutching my stomach, why did this shit not want to stay down! Ignoring the burning stomach pain, my vision blurred slightly. Falling back into a chair, the feeling faded away to nothing. Scooping me up into his arms, he carried me to our room. Laying me down on the bed, all of my muscles refused to move. Jolts of electricity shocked me back to life, an endless stream of energy causing me to twitch wildly. When will this pain end?