Newborough - Book Three

Knowing Polly's Alter Ego

"It seems to appear that the boy asking you out on a date has devastated little Polly," Polly's alter ego purrs with a smirk. I notice that her hand that's holding me grows hotter, making me sweat. 

"What do you want from me?" I demand, ignoring the dating bit. I didn't realise that Jasper was asking me out on a date. I thought he just wanted to hang out.

Oh well.

"You accepting that cute-ass date is adorable and all... Not to mention it's the reason why I can take full control of this body. Personally, I don't give a shit, but you deeply upset the human," the creature explains.

"You... care about Polly?" I question. Confusion shown in my tone.

She hisses at me. "Hell no. I don't care about that weakling. All I need is a body and she just happen to be in it."

The both of us hear footsteps that are on the way towards our direction. Polly's alter ego drags me to a nearby janitor closet and bring their bodies close to each other. 

"Uncomfortable, love?" Polly's alter ego teases. 

I try to ignore how close our lips are despite the fact that she's clearly taller than me. She definitely knows that I don't fancy her. I can't help but only see Polly as a friend regardless of her crushing on me.

"Just tell me what you want and leave Polly alone," I hiss at her, ensuring that I don't touch her.

Polly's alter ego narrows her eyes at me. She flips her now-black hair as she puts both hands on the wall behind me, caging my head. I am trapped within her body and can basically feel the heat she's emitting. 

"You're not in any position to demand, darling," she purrs. 

My heartbeat race, anticipating her next move. God forbid if she tries to do anything funny, I'm going to demonstrate my new moves on her. 

But at the same time, I don't want to hurt Polly physically. I don't know if she would internally feel any pain that I could inflict on her alter ego. 

I'm torn between defending myself and hurting my friend.

"Relax."  Her voice enters my mind, trying to manipulate me. My Siren instincts detest her hypnosis tendency and internally hisses at her. Polly's alter ego jerks back in surprise. 

"Interesting," she murmurs, black eyes gazing straight into my soul and then at my visible Identification tattoo. "You're powerful. Good. How did you manage to hide your DNA, love?"

Agitation grips my body. She knows something. "It's none of your business. What the hell are you?" 

She lazily smiles at me, boldly putting both her hands on my shoulder to pull me into a hug. I let out a yelp of surprise as she puts her lips near my ears. 

"If you try anything, I'll make sure the human never comes back."

I freeze, trying so hard not to deck her in the face. I have no doubt that this creature is capable of wiping Polly out of existence. Poor Polly doesn't deserve to be erased. 

"You smell of some sort of sea creature," she mumbles thoughtfully, sniffing my neck. "Hmm... mermaid? But you can hear my mindvoice. Siren? Extinct. Loch Ness Monster? Hydra?"

"Get off me!" I struggle to let myself free. She allows me to push me away with a smirk of satisfaction. 

"You'll have to do, unfortunately. I am Angra Mainyu," she responses, eyeing me. 

I raise an eyebrow at the anti-climax. "Am I supposed to know who you are based on your name?"

"Uncultured being," she hisses, patting my head hard as if I'm a puppy. "What does school teach you? Greek gods, vampires, werewolves, Jewish legends... That's it? What of zoroastrianism?"

I blink at her. 

Polly's alter ego sighs in exhaustion. She's probably tired of explaining this countless times. "I am known as the destructive spirit. At one time, I was thought of as emotion - anger - yet I grown powerful enough to gain my own body after thousands of years of existing."

"So you're a demon?" I dumbfoundedly say.

Angra rolls her eyes. "Sure, we can go with that."

"A fire demon...?"

"Did you not listen to me, love?" she snaps. "Destructive spirit. Prior to retrieving my body as a gift, I had the ability to possess anyone and each body have a unique tendency to react to me. This body happen to control fire when I am in it."

I mutely nod in understanding. Knowing that she can possess people terrifies me. What if she enter my body and torture out of my mind like she did to Polly?

Angra notices my fearful form and pats my head again. "Don't worry, Nessie. Possessing takes up too much of my energy. I'm not as young as I was thousands of years ago."

Did she just call me Nessie? Does she really think I'm a Loch Ness Monster?

Do Loch Ness Monsters even exist?

"Then why are you possessing Polly and destroying towns? Why are you doing this?" I ask softly. 

Angra tilts her head, trying to understand what's in my head. She ignores my questions. "You told Polly to go to the HQ Agents the last time you two met."

I warily eye her. "What about it?"

"Where is the HQ Agent's new headquarters?" she asks, seriousness takes over her features. Any teases and smirks from before is not gone. 

"Are you willingly going to the HQ Agents?" I question in surprise.

"Answer the goddamn question, Nessie!"

"I don't know."

"Stop lying!" she screams, grabbing onto my shoulders painfully. Her hands are painfully hot, no doubt burning me.

Is this person bipolar? One moment she's close enough to kiss me, another she's happily telling stories about herself and then scream bloody murder at me. 

"Get your claws off me," I snarl, clenching my fist together and getting ready to punch the daylights out of her. 

Angra takes in a deep breath to calm herself down. "I'm going to have to take a minute from you," she tells me.

"What the - "

Polly's body crumple to the floor. Heavy black smoke with shadowy red eyes come out from Polly's mouth. The smoke almost resembles Genie from Aladdin, but less human-like figure and somewhat feminine figure. 

If I am being honest, it looks like the vape smoke that comes out from the vaper's nose.

"Cooperate and it shall only take a few seconds," Angra's echoing voice booms in my head.

"No no no," I whisper, making myself move and run out of the janitor closet.

Unfortunately, Angra was faster. I felt something forcefully sharing my body and my mind. The last thing I see before Angra pushes me into the darkness of my mind is Jasper's look of horror and him catching me before my head hits the ground.