Immortals ✓

07 | aethera

"I think it's too late for that now," Art's words brought me back and my eyes snapped up to the house in front. He stopped, barely a few yards away from the mansion and when I followed his eyes I saw her. 

A lady, standing alone on the last stair leading to the main door of the house. I could see her, as clearly as I could see Art and that's when I knew. She was like us. 

She looked every bit haunting as she looked human and from afar, I saw a smile spreading across her face and on cue, her eyes blazed more. My fingers tightened around Art's hand as my heartbeat thumped loudly in my ears. She stood against a pillar, her body rigid against it. She was in a nightgown which ended right below her knee and she clutched a light dressing gown over it. On a chilly night like tonight, someone else would be freezing in those clothes but she seemed unfazed by it then I remembered I hadn't felt cold or warm tonight too. 

By now I shouldn't be shocked by such revelations, but seeing her this way, and this thought creeping into my mind distracted me. Did the cab driver think the same way when I sat comfortably in the cold with just a t-shirt on? Was the lady on the bus staring at me because she wondered how I was comfortable with such cold, shivering weather? 

Before I could think further, the lady ahead of me moved, making Art and I stop instantly. She moved so elegantly from her place, not sparing us another look as she turned and walked inside the house, leaving us confused. 

"Should we -" I began to ask Art if we should continue but then I heard her voice. 

She sounded crystal clear to my ears, her footsteps so audible as if she was walking beside me. Art closed his eyes beside me and I knew he could hear her too. She was walking away from us and then, she stopped and spoke, "They're here. Come, now!" She yelled, and my senses took a deep dive. 

Voices emerged. Voices which had been silent and I gasped at the feeling that it left within me. There were voices I obviously didn't recognise, calling someone, asking someone to come to the patio, asking someone to even bring a snack even and then there was one, of an older man who asked someone to bring a 'shield'. 

I could hear them all suddenly, I could see their shadows moving through the window and suddenly my heartbeat fluttered like a helicopter blade, why were they bringing shields? "Art, there are so many of them," I said, taking a step towards him. For the first time since we had woken up and the needles had been taken off me, I panicked. My breathing became erratic as I heard them come down from the stairs inside the house and it was then that Art turned to look at me and let go of my hand to steady me from my shoulders. 

"Aethera, listen to me," he whispered, his eyes staring into mine. He was tensed, I could see it on his face, but he was also trying hard to mask it. "We don't have any other option, we cannot run away. It's too late."

His words cut through me, bringing me back to the harsh reality that our life was turning out to be. I couldn't outrun so many of them, not when they were present literally ahead of me, so many of them, waiting for us. 

I could hear them, and what scared me was that I couldn't place their tones. There were so many. Some were excited, some were tense, and some were whisper-yelling orders. 

And then, I saw them. 

One by one, they came into my view when I stood at the stairs of the mansion, Art beside me, his hand tense around mine. I could hear his erratic breath and I squeezed his hand when they emerged. 

She was the first one to reappear, still smiling with her eyes clearer now. She was in her mid-twenties with her hair pinned up in a messy bun to perfection. If it wasn't for her eyes, she was like any other woman you saw on the streets, living in her perfect cul-de-sac, tired eyes and messy hair but in this glow with that unnatural stare, she was everything that was the opposite of that image.