A VERY DARK tale (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 18

His steps were fluent and determined. He obviously knew his way around. When we got to the cashier, I saw a young man behind the counter. The guy's eyes flickered to Chris for a second and he smiled a small formal smile, greeting him. The guy looked around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. His entire posture and appearance hardly fitted into a role of a clerk-boy. His eyes were intelligent and shoulders wide like of a marine officer. Dwight had the same pose as the young man. Very steady, as if he was made of stone. Thinking of Dwight filled my heart with sorrow.

"Hay, Chris, man," the guy said casually.

"Hey, Spence. What's up?" Chris replied placing the items from his hands on the counter.

"Not much. Yourself?"

"I'm throwing a party tonight," Chris said without any excitement in his voice. "You should come and bring a case of beer. Take Terry along."

Spencer's gaze was hardened. "I will. How many people?"

"Not much. Only close friends. Stacy is the one I want to introduce," Chris pointed at me.

Spencer nodded observing me. Something was wrong with the way he was inspecting me. There was something nostalgic and full of grief inside his eyes. I didn't smile, just gave him a curt nod in acknowledgment. Then my thoughts drifted to a word – party, and my brows creased. I didn't think that to throw a party was the wisest thing to do for Chris. I didn't want to meet new people. First, I needed to put my head on the situation and adjust to the new things that this world has to offer, and maybe then expand my circle of acquaintances.

"What's the theme of the party?" Spencer asked still looking me over.

"Harry Potter," Chris replied, and Spencer's eyes widened a little. And when they did, a realization finally found me. The party was a code word that stood for some kind of gathering of no social type. And it did make me thinking about what kind of people were they. Was it normal for people to have such informal groups?

"I'll grab the movies and popcorn, too," Spencer finally replied.

"Great," Chris returned nonchalantly.

"It'll be sixteen fifty-eight," Spencer said when something beeped, and he started placing the medicine into a plastic bag.

"Sixteen fifty-eight?" I choked. "For two medicine jars?"

"Uh, yeah..." Chis shrugged his shoulder and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket.

"You could've bought food supply for an entire week for this amount, or a pearl necklace with the extra set of earrings," I mumbled. "I mean..." I took a breath and shook my head. "Never mind."

July 10, 1963

It's been over a month since Oengus paid me a visit. During this month they continued injecting some kind of liquid into me. My hands were always tied when my demon nurse would come to cram me with tranquilizers, and that substance that burned me from inside. After each session, I would throw up that hateful black mucus. But strangely, even though my body condition began worsening, I kept my full strength. That, probably, explained a constant supervision of two guards while the nurse was at her task with me. I was never hurt physically. Just, my mental state was balancing pretty close to insanity.

Dr. Farmosa kept our daily séances. However, her tactics did change. Instead of assuring me of a demon-free world, she started to break my mind, forcing me to accept Palus' bond. She constantly repeated that I was a lucky chosen candidate to join their family. She almost wiped out my memory, by placing me into trances and washing away all my human experiences. I was no longer felt compassion or love. Something in me grew incredibly cold and unresponsive.