BANISHING BOUNDARIES

The first thing Mara noticed upon entering the tavern was that it looked emptier than usual, even the number of usual late afternoon patrons looked thinned out. Sitting at her favorite corner of the Bar, while Joe went to fetch old man Blake, she waved to Perth, the bartender, the only other female in town whose potent mixes rivaled Joe’s. Idly chatting with Perth and absentmindedly munching her sandwich, she wondered what was keeping Joe and more importantly where was Meren? Shortly, Joe returned, a strange expression writ over her face. “Can you believe those two?” she ranted, referring to the two male Blakes- “They’ve both taken off to who knows where without as much as a peep to anyone…. And I’m expected to handle all this alone?!”

Mara fought not to look to disappointed that her questions were to remain unanswered yet and offered to pitch in and help run the place like she’d done many times before. Joe firmly declined stating neither were in any shape to even stand, leave alone wait tables so she’d shut the place early instead. “Besides, it seems to be a self imposed dry day of some sort anyway” she added, looking around, a little perplexed, noticing the absence of regulars only then.

Leaving Joe to hold the fort until the men returned, Mara took a cab back to the University and wearily plopped down on her bed falling asleep even before her head hit the pillow

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A shadow slithered alongside the two human forms, noiselessly, formlessly- as they made their way towards the edge of the village, to what looked like a large cottage made of stones, just before the forests began. It stared at Mara with a hungry intensity, almost wishing it were present in physical form to complete its mission. But the previous night’s disaster had greatly sobered its restless need and forced it to wait a while longer to fully evaluate the latent’s capabilities before trying again. It had waited patiently for 21 years and would not fret a day or two to endanger everything. Besides daylight made its form greatly vulnerable, and there was no need to expose itself yet again, especially since the human with the flaming hair could sense its presence even in this frugal version when it was as intrusive as a hint of breeze and the previous night’s unexpected combat had left it weakened. Victor, but still weakened.

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A bundled figure sat in an ancient rocking chair that was as ancient as the figure that sat upon it and creaked like old bones as it rocked. The only sign of life forthcoming from the room was a slow raspy sound like laborious breathing, seemingly across from where the chair and the figure on it sat: and in the darkness of the windowless room, it was hard to make out anything distinctive about the room or its inhabitant.

As if out of nowhere, from the direction where the breathing was to be heard before, came a shower of sparks and sharp buzzing like a live wire followed by a small explosion that briefly illuminated the room and bathed the figure in the chair, now standing tall and alert though still shrouded, in an eerie blue light, so intense, that it almost looked white instead.

The ground seemed to tremble in the aftermath of the explosion and a roar echoing anger and agony now emanated from the same corner where the sparks and the lights had come from a moment ago. A deafening silence rushed in to fill where chaos earlier ran amuck and through all this, the silent figure stood stolid, unperturbed and unaffected and then began to cackle loudly, in undisguised mirth, like a hyena, causing the hooded shroud it wore to ripple like a dark cascading waterfall. As abruptly as the laughter had appeared, it ceased and in a voice like the sound of rustling papers, the creature began to speak.

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Caught off guard and thereby defeated the night before, and now further debilitated by the treacherous spell this vile creature had managed to wrap around him, he watched in utter disgust and contempt as the thing began to speak. While all that it spoke were alien sounds to his ear, he began to violently shake his head from side to side as the sounds began to reach out like a million invisible hands over his head, trying to gain entry into his mind, trying to weaken his will, trying to break him. He didn’t relent and snarled, feeling those hands trying to push harder. “My strength may have weakened but my mind will not, you creature of filth.” he spat out, repelling the hands effectively with a few syllables muttered under his breath

All of a sudden he jerked his head up, those eyes of glittering black pearls fixing their stare upon her’s in desperation. “Get out of here ‘Mara!”, Meren whispered urgently. ”Get out of here now!”