Tell No One

Chapter 6

"Hey, Alana... Does Kiera seem a little, well, off  to you?" Alana scoffed from the front seat, casting a glance over her shoulder as she carried on driving.

"She seems brighter, not sad. And anyway, Shelia, she's recovering; it's only fair that we give her the benefit of the doubt if her character seems a bit 'off'." Shelia retracted from the conversation, thoughtful. But again, she pressed.

"It just seems like, like she's taken a whole character change. I don't recognise her as the girl I knew before."

"Well, Shelia, have your mum kill herself and see how you feel."
The car fell into an uncomfortable silence. Shelia flopped back into her seat and started to fiddle with her glasses, disheartened and ashamed of her comments. But, also weirded out by Alana's outburst. "Sorry. Look, Shelia, after all Kiera's been through, it's normal she's a bit off. We need to give her time." Alana's voice was softer now.

"But tonight, tonight we forget about all that! tonight we party!" The usual optimism returned to Alana's voice, and she gave an excited whoop, pressing the speed up as they came to Kiera's apartment complex. Shelia watched on in mild awe as she followed Alana into the building, watching her feet in 6-inch bright red stilettos that she somehow managed to walk straight in. Shelia had tried high heels once, once, and had sprained her ankle. Never again.

"Kiiiiiieraaaa!" Alana's singsong voice carried into the stairwell, accompanied by a sharp knock. "Grab yo shit we gotta go!" The door opened, revealing Kiera, clad in a tight blue dress.
"Hi guys! Come in, I'm just finishing off!" Kiera bounded away, further into the apartment. Alana and Shelia glanced at each other, surprised by her energetic attitude. Shelia and Alana entered, cautious now. 

"Okay, I'm just about ready." Kiera came into the living room, Shelia and Alana conversing quietly on the sofa, an unusually serious look on Alana's face. Kiera's hooded eyes gave nothing away.

"Oh yeah, okay Let's go!" Alana stood up from the sofa and proceeded to the car, Kiera and Shelia trailing behind her. Shelia pulled up the rear, and could not help but stare at Kiera. The blue dress was tight, tighter than anything she'd ever seen Kiera wear before, and short. Very short. Strapless, too. The 'old' Kiera would never have worn anything like this before.
"I call shotgun!" Kiera laughed as she swung into the front seat, an impish smile on her face as Shelia took the backseat. Her preferred spot, anyway.
"We're meeting Darren there. We're gonna have fuuuuun toniiight!" Alana sang the words, enthusiasm bubbling for a great night ahead.

Kiera felt good. No, Kiera felt great, maybe the best she's ever felt. She sat up front, looking out the window, humming quietly to herself.

"Hey, Kiera?" Alana's eyes broke from the road to glance at Kiera.

"Hm?"

"What happened to your piano?"

Kiera flashed back to that night. Coming home, drenched in blood and soot, clothes and hair a matted mess, the carnage of her apartment was absolute. Drawers were open, their contents spoiled on the floor,  her clothes were torn from their hangers, the table laid wounded on its side. But most of all, her piano- her beloved piano- was ruined. It seems it was destroyed out of fun. The white keys were jumbled on the floor, the wood carvings splintered. Inside, the strings were cut, the hammers bent. Kiera didn't cry, even if the piano was the most important thing she owned. She couldn't call the police either, in her state. So, she began picking up the pieces, numb, and fixing the place.

"Oh, that old thing? I sold it. I didn't play it anymore and could use the extra money anyway." Alana's face fell at that. Kiera used to love playing that thing. Maybe Shelia was right. This was unlike her.

***

Kiera was dancing with Alana. They had already gathered quite a few looks, but they didn't care.

"Girl, where did you get those moves from?" Alana struggled to be heard over the heavy thump of the music, but Kiera still understood. Kiera was.... an amazing dancer. Alana never knew. She'd always sit to the side with the bags, usually with Shelia. Alana glanced across to where she was sitting, Darren next to her.
"Mmm... I dunno." Kiera had her eyes clothes, completely captivated by the music. Swinging her hips low, Kiera pulled her hands up her body, swaying with the beat. More people turned to stare at her, the enchantresses, who held many charmed by her moves.
One man moved to dance with her, gyrating his hips to the beat.
Kiera felt the movement to her side and opened one eye, slitted at her unexpected dance partner. He wore a tight tank top, a reversed baseball cap and jeans that sagged far too low.

"Hey girl, do you belong to anyone?" The guy drew uncomfortably close, his lips basically on her ear. Kiera kept dancing and thought about her answer. He then had the nerve to place a hand on her, close to her hip. Kiera quelled her anger and took a more subtle approach. Kiera sidled up to the man, closer. His smile broadened, pulling her closer. Kiera reached up to the man, placing a hand against his cheek and bringing his ear to her lips.
"I belong to the Abyss..." Kiera hissed the words, venom practically dripping from her words. The man jumped back, his hands and face burning with an invisible fire. His gasp of pain was barely heard over the beat. Kiera returned to dancing, a sardonic smile gracing her face as she ignored her victim. The man kept staring at his hands, wiping at his face, but everywhere she had touched him and he had touched her burned. Not a light tingling sensation, but an I've-got-my-hand-in-an-open-fire kinda feel. He slinked back into the crowd, nearly breaking into a run as he headed to the bathroom to try desperately to wash them.

Alana was oblivious to the whole thing. As Kiera rejoined her, she looked around if anyone had noticed anything, but the crowd was dancing. But, as she did look around, she spotted something in a gap between the writhing bodies.

"Alana, I'm just going to get a drink." Kiera had to shout to be heard, and Alana gave her a nod, content to keep dancing alone.

"You know, in a place like this, that suit actually doesn't seem to be that out of place."
Mera gave a laugh, bemused. He was sitting at the bar, stretched out and relaxed. The way he studied her was rather feline.
"It's good to see you too, Kiera." Mera basically purred the words.
"Twice in one day? I am unworthy. Tell me, Mera, why have I been blessed again with your presence so soon?" Kiera's words exuded sarcasm.

Mera gave a small chuckle. "I told you you'd been seeing more of me, Kiera. I have orders, as with all of the gifted; I have to keep tabs."
Kiera's mood dipped at this. He was going to keep tabs? Like, reports? Oh and he's going to be everyone she is. Great.
"Tabs? For who?" Kiera's suspicions were aroused. She wasn't told about this.
Mera's smile became a grin. "Well, if we have a God who rules Elysium- or heaven as you would know it- who do you think rules the Abyss?" 

Kiera thought about it. "Lucifer?" Mera shrugged.

"Well, he's known by many names. But truly, his name Ramatees." Mera's smile grew lazy. "Until you die again, Kiera, I'll be reporting to him almost daily."
Kiera thought about how she felt about this. This power wasn't really hers; it was only bestowed upon her. She'd already given her life to the Abyss. Rationalising it, this shouldn't have come as a surprise.

"Mera, the Abyss- What will happen to me?" the question came bubbling from Kiera's lips, unintentional. That will make her sound weak- What happens will happen. Too late now.
Mera's brows furrowed, sympathetic. 
"A great big nothing. You'll simply not exist anymore." Kiera could accept that. In fact, she welcomed it. Death would be a relief.
"Unless-" Kiera perked up- "He decides you're something more. But that happens extremely rarely." Kiera let out the breath she didn't realise she'd even been holding.

"One last thing." Kiera didn't think she could take any more surprises today. "I'm not the only one who witnessed your invisible fire." With a wink, and without warning, Mera once more faded into smokey shadow, tendrils slowly dissipating in the lights of the club. Strangely, no-one noticed; even the bartender, who was facing their direction didn't raise a brow. Kiera shrugged it off; With what she could do, it was plausible he can make it so no-one noticed his disappearance. Kiera turned around to look over the crowd. Mera's last sentence held a tone of foreboding.

Who noticed?