The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Eight (Draft 3 WIP) "Possessions"

Splendor looked into its cappuccino and licked its lips. "Well, haven't you heard the story about Psyche leaving him for the Vampyre? He hates Athen. And he thinks Julien very strange; he was trying to curse Athen with loving the strangest person he could find."

"I've know the story," said Absinthe, "Athen won Psyche in a contest...or something nearly that."

Morpheus frowned and looked up. "Ya know, Laudy, I bet Opium knows the way Julien kills, too, even without the mirrors; she's got to stay close to Joy, and Joy's always with Julien now. She won't let me come see her shows anymore because they are always so close."

"I've been in their home, with Absidus," said Splendor, "that girl, Joy, she is becoming dependent on Julien's blood."

"Definitely," Laudanum said.

Absinthe was turning a matchbook that had a picture of a cat on it about in one hand, making it dance over the backs of her fingers. "Who's gonna get the check?" she asked.

"I've got a credit card," said Splendor.

Morpheus laughed. "You have?"

"I've got a driver's license too, my name is DeGrassi. Athen got them for me."

"And do you have to pay the bank that backs the card?" Laudanum asked at a whisper.

"Athen goes and changes the numbers in their computer."

"I think computers are nice," said Absinthe, "but they are still using their technology to build machines that manipulate their environment, instead of doing all the manipulating by thought."

"Yeah, they go through the trouble of building machines all networked together so they can communicate with each other when all the time, they are already connected, and they just...don't listen," Laudanum said.

Splendor took out xir credit card and turned it over so that it caught the light.

"That's a pretty one!" Absinthe said.

"A platinum card," Morpheus said.

It was very pretty, with lots of colorful holograms on it, and even a picture of Splendor in the corner.

"If you had a lot of those cards you could make something pretty out of them!" Absinthe said.

And then Morpheus got excited and explained that he had seen pictures in fashion magazines of such outfits, minidresses made of Coca-Cola cans and the like, haute couture collections often showed off such pieces. Laudanum and Absinthe laughed with each other, and supposed Morpheus' sudden interest in fashion magazines was related to the fact Julien was a Fashion Design major.

"He's going to be the most famous fashion designer on the planet!" Morpheus said, "Just wait."

Splendor paid for their coffee, and then they walked out onto the street together. They argued affectionately over which part of the city they liked walking in best. At this time of night, The West Village was certainly appealing, dark streets, spots of bright light, lots of small bars and cafes, stores open late, narrow dark streets that formed a maze as they intersected in so many acute angles. "Pink neon is pretty," Absinthe said, "we should have more of that back home."

"We could ask them to copy this whole neighborhood and put it in Los Angeles next to Hollywood," Laudanum said.

"And call it West Hollywood, Laudy?" Morpheus laughed, "You may as well go to the Humans' LA and take their West Hollywood."

"No," said Laudanum, "The Night Regions already looks too much like California, if you ask me it was Raziel's influence. He designed most of it himself, and he'd spent way too much time over there with his Aztecs and Olmecs and what have you."

Morpheus nodded. "Never thought of it that way...the Amber Palace is Greek..."

"Our whole Region is," Splendor said.

A small figure darted across the street, lit for just a second but Morpheus was sure they hadn't been Human. He ignored it and looked up at Splendor.

"But if you look at the most important central parts of the land, Nightfall and Los Angeles, they look American."

"I haven't been to Los Angeles much at all," Morpheus said. He felt Absinthe hold him back by the arm.

"The City of Angeles is full of really huge stone buildings, of really huge stones, pyramids, towers, large open squares, friezes and painted murals everywhere. And it's all laid out in a circle."

"Sounds Egyptian...almost," Morpheus said. "What's wrong?"

"I think someone's watching us," Absinthe whispered.

"Let's just keep walking," Splendor said.

They moved on down the street, avoiding the pools of light.

"Anyway," said Laudanum, "You should go to Los Angeles more often."

There was a series of bright flashes in the dark, then after images, and the sound of breathing.

"Oh no, someone's taken our pictures," Splendor said.

"This is too weird," Morpheus said, "Let's get inside. Let's go to the hotel."

"I'm leaving!" Splendor said and faded from sight.

Absinthe began walking quickly pulling the other two along by a hand each.

"These Humans are really getting out of control now!" She said.

"And there are so many of them," said Laudanum. "We can't go anywhere and not run into them."

Absinthe nodded sharply. "I almost don't blame the Angels for making The Land and moving away from here, but they should have taken all the Halfangels, not just some."

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Video media top: "Possession" by Sarah McLachlan

Image media mid-chapter: The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli, 1781; painting is in the public domain