NanoWriMo 2011 Part 2

Class the next day was nearly impossible. Kim was groggy and irritable and she was sure it had something to do with her dream, which she could only remember in bits and pieces. She tried to tell Mithra about it, but she couldn't remember why it had upset her so. It was impossible to listen to Mr. Sullivan and chapel was worse than usual. She spent the entire hour and a half with something itching at the back of her neck, and try as she might, there was no reprieve. She sat blearily through the rest of the day, until finally she was allowed to go home. Mithra was able to give her a ride that day, which pleased her, but she said little on the car ride back, only offering a short goodbye before hopping out. She paused by her father's study--quiet today--on her way to her room, but she couldn't put forth the effort for conversation. She opened up her schoolbooks on her bed, but the words ran together and her limbs refused to cooperate, so instead she surfed the Internet for entertainment. Eventually she got a ping on her computer, and she saw a message from Ashley was waiting for her. Quickly she sent out a short hello, hoping it would keep her on this time.

Indeed it appeared to work. Three little dots let her know she was typing.

writefullyread: ello darling
stanleysstamps: ashley! i am dying! what is going on?
writefullyread: sorry i've been utterly out of it.
writefullyread: you know life.
stanleysstamps: i know mine is utterly boring.
stanleysstamps: tell me of your boy. i demand details.
writefullyread: oh yeah...
writefullyread: we were gonna wait on telling you.
stanleysstamps: we?
writefullyread: well
writefullyread: we didn't know how you'd take it, you know
writefullyread: since it only happened after you'd gone.

Kim blinked and gaped at the screen.

stanleysstamps: you mean you and thomas?
writefullyread: erm
writefullyread: yes
stanleysstamps: you mean you've two gotten together?
writefullyread: yes
stanleysstamps: as in you're dating?
writefullyread: i know it's weird. it was super weird for like five minutes for us.
writefullyread: but it's really nice.
writefullyread: i don't know why it didn't happen sooner
writefullyread: except, you know, there were three of us
writefullyread: and now there's just two

This was a new development that she didn't quite know how to react to. Of course she loved her friends, but she tried to imagine them together. It was disturbing. It made her uncomfortable to imagine her two best friends engaging in PDA. She sucked in a breath and kept typing.

stanleysstamps: that's great
stanleysstamps: weird but great
writefullyread: really?
stanleysstamps: when did this happen?
writefullyread: only a few days ago. thomas thought it'd be no big deal, but i thought about what would happen if you two got together
writefullyread: i understand why you might be unhappy
stanleysstamps: not even a little.
writefullyread: oh man i am so glad
writefullyread: because this is awesome.

To which Kim got to listen for the next hour as Ashley related all they'd been doing. She played the good friend, but she felt strange about all of this. It was another instance where the world kept revolving without her, where her friends were changing and she wasn't changing with them. It upset her the tiniest bit, but she clammed it down inside her stomach and let it pass.

---

The world was not much better the next day, or the next. Thomas had sent her a message, because he knew Ashley was overreacting, and when was she coming back anyway? She left the message to still be answered when she got home, which she decided to take her time getting home. Mithra offered to walk back with her, but Kim was in a funk, and there was little she wanted to do about it. Whining and moaning was her best defense at this moment, so instead she curled up in her mother's office and did her work quietly until it started to get late. Normally her mother would try to finish up around five, but at five-thirty, she looked up and no one had come to get her. She folded her things back into her bag and peeked outside to get a look.

The warehouse was completely empty. Not a sound emanated from the large hall, and the artifacts lay untouched on their tables. She supposed her mother must be doing some paperwork or something, but it was getting to the point where she wouldn't mind avoiding people at home. She looked around for her and found herself once again in front of the strange staff.

It did not immediately call to her. Kim wasn't entirely sure why she'd stopped. It was still in its crate, the ancient wood staring back at her. Once upon a time the symbols had been painted, but it was worn off, only specks of faded purple remaining. She blinked, and it returned to her, the strange feeling of staring at it, like she was being sucked in. It didn't whisper to her as she may have expected, but there was a promise in it. It offered things like power and fame and immortality and all the usual things, but more than anything it promised wonder. It wanted her. She found herself wanting it. She extended a hand to it, and she almost turned when someone shouted her name, but her fingers were already grazing the heavy wood, feeling the roughness of it and the thick lines in the grain of the wood. There was something like a crack of lightning, and it burst inside her. She felt energy crackle in her veins, and her head went light with it. Her eyes rolled back as every nerve in her from the top of her head to the tips of her fingers sizzled with fantastic lights, like a fire of every color. She gasped for breath and felt her ribs groan and crack with the effort, and when she came to again she was sitting in a chair in a larger office, a wet cloth pressed against her forehead as if that may help.

"Are you alright?" she heard her mother's voice. The fire still licked at her eyes, but she blinked it away blearily and saw her mother standing over her. Professor Aremana was behind her, looking largely disgruntled.

"What--" Her throat felt dry and scratchy and she swallowed her coughing. "What happened?"

Her mother swept her hair back. "You were knocked out. How do you feel? Can you tell me your name? What street do we live on? How many fingers am I holding?"

"Mum, I'm--" She swept her hand away. "I'm fine, honest."

"Answer the questions."

"She's fine, Hui," the good professor said. "It isn't going to give her a concussion."

Her mother glared at him. "I'm just making sure."

"I--" Kim tried to stand, but she still felt weak, and her limbs refused to work. She pressed a hand against the washcloth. It felt good against her skin. "I'm great. Totally fine."

"That is not true," Aremana said. He stood over her, his tall thin frame heavily imposing. "She's got nearly two thousand years of magical energy zapped into her. She should be ashes."

Kim grimaced at the image. "But I'm not."

Her mother stood up, displeased at what was transpiring. "You're sure you feel alright?"

"I just don't remember what happened," she said. "I was looking for you and then--"

"And then you touched the staff," Aremana said. "It is the most powerful thing in that gallery and you decided to get handsy with it--"

"Anselm," her mother said quickly, "if you don't mind, I'd like to take my daughter home."

He sneered but relented. Kim managed to lift herself, and her mother went to go gather her things. She ignored the fact that Aremana followed along with the fact that they were referring to each other by first name as well as a number of other things. She instead focused on remembering what had happened. There had been the staff, yes, and she must've touched it, and it must've knocked her out. Why had she reached for it? It had wanted her. It had called to her. She held out her hands and felt it still, the sparks of energy coursing through her, but even more she thought she could feel it out there, still sitting in its crate, waiting for her.

When her mother returned, they were still arguing, but she merely picked her daughter up and led her out to the car. Kim thought she wouldn't feel tired with the energy still inside her, but she must've fallen asleep in the car, because when she next opened her eyes it was morning. The sun came through her blinds onto her bed all the way across the room, which meant it was late in the day. Checking the clock proved her theory; her parents had let her sleep in until 11 on a Friday. She sat up and groaned, rubbing her forehead. A dull throb ached in her head, and her throat was still dry, and she made her way to the kitchen to find some water and an ibuprofen. Her father was making grilled cheese on the stove, and he looked up as she came in.

"You're feeling alright?" he asked. He put the sandwich on a plate and handed it to her.

She smiled at the gesture. "Much better now."

---

Hui-ying had returned to the gallery early in order to clean up what needed cleaning. Anselm was scowling even harder today, even though there was little damage done. The air was still heavy with magic though, and the artifacts were reacting. Anselm wanted to move the staff, but there wasn't anywhere they could put it where it wouldn't affect the other objects. He was upset, but she was more worried about her daughter and the after effects she might be experiencing. It was bad enough at the thought of merely a concussion (and she'd worried so much about letting her sleep), but Anselm was right. Whatever power that staff held would be far worse than a head bump.

Anselm, to his credit, appeared to try to care that her daughter may be hurting, but he fussed over the staff, inspecting it for cracks or damage. He'd asked her what she'd seen. Hui-ying had approached her daughter moments before her hand lay on the wood of the staff, but she'd nearly been blinded by the resulting flash that she couldn't recall anything except her daughter landing on the ground, eyes rolled back. It had been the most terrifying sight of her lifetime, and she'd have to do what she hadn't done in a long time (pray). Cadmos had promised to take care of her today, even if it meant shirking his work, which she knew was hard for him. Her husband had always been diligent in his practice at times to a point where she'd wondered if he saw anything else. It calmed her to know he would be looking after her and had even sent her a text to let her know she'd woken up and was feeling fine. He told her she'd exhibited no signs of untold magical energies, and she relayed this to Anselm, who managed a small pat on her shoulder for comfort. It was good from him. She could remember the one time she'd gotten him in a hug, and he'd nearly had a panic attack.

The day was a fairly routine clean up. She and her co-workers, Bartholomew and Handel, merely checked each item in close vicinity to the staff and had to dampen the magic, which was never an easy process. Magic didn't like to be caged and it certainly didn't like to be told what to do. There was a mishap with a golden goblet overflowing, but past that they experienced little trouble. It took much longer than expected as well, and they still had much to do after the day was over. She promised to return after dinner and work a little more, only because she knew Anselm was angry that a teenager had been roaming around his storehouse.

---

Kim was feeling much better by the time her mum arrived home. She and her dad had been watching old movies, and she'd sat up to greet her. She was caught off guard by the hug but wasn't unhappy with it. Her mum had been scared last night, which in a small way comforted her. Mrs. Zhi promised to make them something great for dinner, and they could watch another movie as well.

"I'll have to go back," she said as Kim helped her slice vegetables. "We have to make sure nothing was affected."

"I'm really sorry," Kim said. "Mr. Aremana probably doesn't want me around anymore."

"That's true. But it's not your fault, Hakimi. I've had to stop myself from grabbing onto things before, and it's not easy."

Kim pouted at the use of her real name, usually reserved for when she was in trouble or very serious situations. She felt this was not called for.

They all ate together for the first time in what felt like a long while. They sat on the couch and watched a silent film, and then the dishes were left to Kim and her dad. After cleaning up, Kim went to her room and stared at her computer screen. She'd been trying to think of ways to relate the message to her friends, but after reading Ashley's message about their date last night, she felt a little put out. Instead, she grabbed her phone and texted Mithra, just to ask her what she was doing. There was no reply for a long time, and she was midway through composing her thoughts once more when she got a text back: 'sorry, networking. talk tomorrow?' Kim had no idea what it meant and sighed, returning to the problem at hand. She was distracted by Thomas being online, and they chatted until he was off to a party. She still didn't know how to tell anyone about the experience and eventually decided to tell no one. There was too much explanation, too much worry involved. For now she was willing to forget about it and move on with her life.

If only she could be so lucky.

---

There was a little gold ball that was entirely too easy to miss. It had been sitting close to the crate that held the staff, and they'd decided it was probably fine. There were more important things to worry about. It looked so little and innocuous, there wasn't any reason to worry about it. Now, late into the evening, it sparked lightly with a many colored fire. It began to roll.

It hit a ceramic cat, a large helm, a tea pot, and a pilum before Bartholomew noticed. By the time he caught it, it had bounced off an ancient shield and was on its way to the stacks. He put it back and washed it of its power, and when they assessed the damage, they realized the cat had walked off, the helm had disappeared, the tea pot was steaming, and the pilum had driven itself into the ground. They washed everything they could find, and Hortense told them she'd seen a cat walk through only moments ago. Bartholomew was sent out to chase it.

They forgot about the shield.

---

There were trees.

There had always been trees. It seemed like all she'd ever known were trees. It was different, inside them. She knew their roots and their rings and their branches. She knew each leaf and each grub that grew in her skin and every bird that rested on her branches. She felt the wind and the rain and the sleet and the cold and more than anything she craved the sun. She spread out her leaves to face it and swallowed it all in. She had felt fire licking at her skin, but never the fire she sought. It was almost colorless in this world. She sought colors.

And there, something sparked, but it faded all too quickly. She reached out to it but only found trees.

---

There was a catalyst in all this, and though his motives may be hidden and his reasons never known, he set things in motion.

If he'd been awake, he may have chuckled.

---

Hui-ying was working past ten, and this was only because she'd promised. Anselm had come in to tell her to leave, but after all the excitement over the cat there was still so much to do. Still, as it neared the half hour, she began to pack up her things. She heard, every so softly, coming from outside, a noise. It sounded metallic, like it was being scraped across the floor. She froze and then slowly opened the door to her office. There was nothing there, and only a few lights were left on for her. The place was dark and eerie, and some of the objects glowed softly in the low light. There it was again, this time quick, like a knife being dragged across a counter top. She walked out into the stacks, trying to see if anything had been taken. She called for Anselm, and all she got in reply was a low, metallic hiss. The empty space caught her eye before she could react. She remembered what was supposed to go there, because she'd been looking at it just the other day. It was the only remaining piece of a statue of Athena that had been found in the ruins of a temple. She remembered she thought the snakes in the Medusa's hair had moved and then decided it might only be a trick of the light.

She felt the presence behind her and realized she may have been wrong.

Hui-ying closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She felt the cool metal brush against her hair and heard the hissing of many snakes. There was something like a laugh, and after that it all went dark.

---

Kim woke with a start. She didn't mean to drift off waiting for one of her friends to get online. She checked her phone to see the time, and a message from Mithra lay in wait. She began to type a reply when--

When it exploded in the base of her skull, a rainbow of fire burning into her skin and her eyes and her nose and her tongue until it consumed her until she fell to the ground gasping for breath until she opened her eyes and saw.

She clutched at her shirt, trying desperately to breathe again. It screamed at her, though she could not understand what it was saying. There was no language, only breath and smoke and fire and she didn't understand. It wanted something from her. It wanted her to understand.

Eventually she climbed up and stumbled into the hall. No noise emanated from the house, and she nearly slammed against the door to her parents' bedroom. When she righted herself she could only knock weakly. Her father appeared, eyes filled with worry. She tried to explain, but no words could come out. He lifted her up and went to phone her mother, and that was when she realized her mother wasn't home and--

Awoken and free her kind is disgraced by the gods and she would burn the world in her revenge she would murder everyone there will only be death and violence from her you must come you must come you must

Kim stumbled again, collapsing into the chair and hacking away as smoke filled her throat. Her father was looking more and more worried and she tried to be alright but again it sparked in her brain and she felt herself falling back and her hand reached out--

If you will not come to me I shall go to you.

--and wrapped around something wooden, her fingers brushing against familiar cracks and crevices. She opened her eyes blearily and realized she was holding the staff in her hand and she only had time for a single thought (how did that get there?) and with a crack and a flash of light, she felt herself moved. She landed butt first onto the hard floor of the warehouse, and the fire cleared from her mind. Breathing clearly was exciting and new to her once more, and she shakily got to her feet, holding the staff at arm's length, afraid of any further havoc it might wreak. Slightly more distressing was the fact that she was alone in the warehouse in her purple pajamas without any shoes or a phone or means of transportation. She remembered vaguely that her mother had not returned home, but was it possible that she was already on her way? The lights were still on here, so maybe someone was in.

Her mother's office indeed was empty, and from there Kim tried to determine where Aremana's office might be. The only time she'd even been near it was when she touched the staff, and that was not helpful. She wandered into the stacks to find someone and turned a corner and then stopped so suddenly she almost heard the heel of her foot screech. She stared at the staff still in her hand. It was warm in her grip, like there was a heart inside of it, and while it still didn't speak it had somehow--

She moves quietly but if you listen you can hear her the metal scraping against the floor she's coming

--warned her. Kim turned slowly around, eyes carefully trained on any sort of movement. There was something here and, yes, she could hear it. It was the softest sound like something being dragged over the floor. It was far enough away that it might not just be her imagination, but close enough that fear began to seize inside her. There! She thought she might see something moving within the stacks, a slender body and a long tail and she peered through the cracks trying to get a closer look.

That was when the phone rang.

It was like even the air paused. It was coming from her mother's office all the way against the far wall, and she remembered that her dad was probably looking for her and her mum and was probably phoning right now. For a second, she thought she heard a series of hisses near her ear, and that was all she needed. Still clutching the staff tightly in her hand, she ran.

It lunged. Oh god it lunged for her, metal clawed fingers just missing her and scraping against the floor. She didn't look. The staff was screaming now, telling her to keep going keep running you're almost there don't look don't turn around just run, and that was when she tripped. Her foot caught on something soft and she almost landed on a table. Her knees scraped against the floor and she cried out. She scrambled up, barely pausing to see what had tripped her, and with growing horror she recognized the shape of the thing and then she recognized the print of her shirt. It was her mother, lying on the floor, eyes shut and bleeding all over everything. The noise behind her grew and grew until the creature stalking her was only an arm's reach away, and that was when the fire struck her again. She screamed with the ferocity of it, falling once again to her knees. Against her own volition, her arm swung out, and she felt the power course through her. It thudded in her chest and filled her throat and she couldn't even see with the fire filling her, but the staff did something, and the monster was thrown back with a screech. Kim fell back as well, clutching a table for support, and her eyes cleared and she looked to her poor dear mother dying at her feet. She glanced up quickly, but the creature had already skittered away, and knelt down to her mother's side. Gently she pressed a hand against her shoulder.

"Mum," she whispered. "Mum, please."

She was still breathing, and her heartbeat wasn't even slow. The blood she determined was coming from a cut in her arm, not the most deadly of places. After another minute, her mother gave a light groan and began to lift herself up.

"Hakimi," she murmured. "What--"

There was little time for explanation. Kim dragged her mother to her feet and they made their way to her office. She could still hear the slithering, but where it was coming from was not easily determined. They locked the door and Kim pushed a chair beneath the handle as if it may help. Her mother was still woozy, and she rested on the desk.

"I remember the gorgon, yes," she said slowly, gathering her thoughts. "How did you get here?"

Kim only held the staff out as a response. If they didn't die this evening, she would explain to her in detail. For now she accepted it with a nod and went to the phone.

"Your father must be worried sick," her mother said. She frowned at the gash in her arm and reached into her desk drawer for bandages. She instructed Kim to call home while she patched herself up.

Kim was pleased when he picked up after the first ring. He told her he was already on his way to the gallery, but only having one car meant he was running there now. She told him of the events happening outside the office, and he promised to be careful. When she hung up, her mother used the phone to call Aremana. It was easy to tell through the little speakers how displeased he was by all of this. Kim tried to ignore him and listen at the door. For a moment she heard the metal body scrape up against it, and there was a light chorus of hisses. She backed away quickly.

"It's alright, dear," her mother said, gesturing her over. "Your father and Anselm are on their way."

"I'm finding it really hard to be calm right now," Kim said. She folded into her mother's arms, who rocked her back and forth.

"Gorgons are simple," she said. "They just need to see their reflection, and she's made of metal. It's only a matter of time."

"Where did she come from?"

"Our negligence let a small play thing touch quite a few objects. It was owned by a child who liked to create things. It seems to have inherited some of his power."

Kim looked up at her mother. "Do you ever get the feeling we're not living a normal life?"

"Never, darling."

There was a loud bang against the door, and they saw it actually bend with the force. The chair was knocked aside, but the lock remained. Again, the gorgon threw herself against the door, and this time they physically jumped with it. After a moment there was the sound of her claws being dragged over the surface. Then there was silence.

"Dear," Mrs. Zhi said, grasping her daughter's wrist. "How is it you came by the staff again?"

Kim held it out. "I--I don't know. It felt like--like when I touched it. It felt like I was on fire, and then it was there, and then I was here. It's been--not speaking--communicating with me, I suppose is the best answer."

She nodded, as if that explained everything. "Hakimi, I want you to listen to me very carefully. There is something I want you to do."

"What?"

"This staff seems to have chosen you. It's trying to bond itself with you."

She stared at it, wide-eyed. "That's not what I want."

"Yes, and it may have very poor consequences in the future. Right now, dear, I need you to trust it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it's not just calling out to anyone." She placed her fingers against the wood. "It wants you, and it seems to have been storing its power. I'm not telling you to take everything that whispers at you, but right now it needs a wielder. It needs you. And we need to get out of here. Do you understand?"

She did. She closed her eyes and nodded.

"I wouldn't ask you this if weren't very important."

"I know, mum." She managed a smile. "I've got this taken care of."

That was when the door collapsed. Splinters went everywhere, and Mrs. Zhi forced a hand over her daughter's eyes and pulled her away. Kim thought she was protecting her from debris, but then she realized there was something far worse waiting for them. She'd called her a gorgon, claimed she was a Medusa, if not the real thing than some sort of representative. One look at her features could leave them both paralyzed as stone. The staff, however, did not need eyes. It somehow saw for her, told her where the creature was. She was standing over them, watching their huddled mass like a snake inspecting its kill. She rose up on her tail and made to strike and there was a flash of light and this time it didn't burn--she didn't even scream--and they heard something hit the floor. The danger, according to her staff, had passed, but they still waited a long time to unshield their eyes. Kim did it first and saw the rusted old shield laying there, Medusa's visage glaring up at the ceiling. It'd turned her back. In a flash of light, it'd undone whatever spell had brought her back. Kim gasped and hoped it hadn't sounded like a sob. Her mother hugged her closely.

"Good girl," she whispered. "Good job."