Alexis and Diane's last few weeks were really busy, but just for this once, they didn't mind the stress at all. Their new appartment was almost twice as big as their previous one. Actually, it was hard for them to leave their old flat in West Haven - there were too many memories attached to it. But life gave them a chance and they intended to use it to the fullest.
After buying the flat (Alexis had to do all the bureaucracy, with a little help of Reverend Warren who was a little sad that the girls were leaving his home district), they began to furnish it. And they weren't afraid to spend more on quality. They chose their new furniture and electrical appliances in the best stores Serenity Square district could offer.
The empty flat soon started to look more like home. Alexis' room started to take shape of a library ("Do you really read all of this?" asked one of the assistants carrying numerous boxes filled with the girl's books) while Diane's became a mess shortly in some mysterious ways since Diane didn't even have enough time to settle in.
Diane could finally afford a giant flat-screen TV with an internet connection ("For Netflix and chill, only without the chill") and the internet was made accessible through the Li-fi lightbulbs. In their old house, they had to use standard wi-fi connection whose connection speed was often questionable.
And then, there was a main reason of their moving. Anna lived just two floors above them and she came to visit them every day - instead of long TEx journeys, she only had to press a button in the elevator. When they broke the news to Augustus for the first time, he didn't seem pleased ("When I suggested them to move here, I meant it sarcastically, Jesus Christ!"), but soon after, he began to help them with their moving.
Three weeks later, the moving was complete and the girls could finally settle in their new home.
"Hello there, neighbours!" Anna greeted them when she stepped into their flat. Sisters decided to give her own keycard so she could come in as often as she wanted - Anna became something like third sister and their bond grew even stronger. Y'know, you have to do some ghost-hunting together to be real friends, Diane claimed.
"Annie, it's you!" Alexis smiled at her while preparing lunch. "Do you want to come here with Augustus for some food? Today's menu contains a steak with fries."
"I thought that you eat only caviare and shrimps, now when you're rich," Anna smirked.
"Well, we spent majority of the budget on this flat and we have only some of the money left," Alexis explained. "It's enough to live quite comfortably for a while, but we didn't give up our job. Investigating paranormal occurences is more like a mission for us; well, we have very little choice with this," she pointed at the feather-shaped insignia on her hand.
Anna nodded. "And I'll continue being your IT specialist if you don't mind."
"Of course, we demand it. We wouldn't be able to solve the Possessed case without you."
She casually chatted with Alexis for a while, then joined Diane who was intensively testing her new gaming console, another thing they wouldn't be able to afford without Gray Forrestal's donation. Alexis couldn't join them because she was too busy with the meal, so she at least watched their Tekken fights.
"Okay, the meal is ready," Alexis announced somewhere around noon. "Annie, come and bring Gus."
"It smells delicious!" Anna said and guided her wheelchair to the front door. She opened them and stood face-to-face with a middle-aged man with short black hair and glasses dressed in blue flannel shirt and jeans. He looked at the girl and raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me," he said. "Are you one of the Warren sisters?"
"No, but they are inside."
"Thank you."
Alexis heard the conversation and approached the man. "I am Alexis Warren," she said. "What do you need?" Before they left their previous flat, they wrote a note at the door with their current address. They'd have to change it on the internet soon too.
"My name is Jensen Abraham," the man said and offered Alexis a handshake. "I presume you're those girls who are interested in paranormal activities, right?"
"You're correct. Come in." Alexis wasn't happy that someone came to interrupt their lunch, but they couldn't turn down a client. Diane paused her game and joined. The man scanned them with his eyes. "I have to say that I didn't imagine you... like this," he said.
"A lot of people are surprised," Alexis smiled and seated the man in their new living room with a balcony access, decorated by lots of flowers and several paintings on the walls. Their old living room felt somehow cramped, this one was bright and airy. "So, what do you need?"
"My daughter wants to meet you," Jensen replied.
"Does she experience any paranormal occurences?"
"Uhm... not really. She wants me to bring her The Sisters of the Cross. Well, maybe I should start from the beginning. Two years ago, Elizabeth, my daughter, got involved in a car crash. The doctors managed to save her life, but she lost her sight in the process. She used to be so lively. Now she rarely speaks and when she does, I'm afraid. She seems to catch some glimpses of future."
Diane frowned. "Glimpses of future? How are we supposed to understand this?"
"Well... Elizabeth started telling me things that were about to happen. It started with innocent things, like what will be for dinner or who will come for a visit, but those are things she can easily guess. But then, she began to predict the events in the whole city. We basically knew the content of evening news before they even aired. It got really scary when she started to predict deaths and murders."
Alexis nodded. "Surviving a huge emotional trauma can result in discovering such powers. But what did you say about Sisters of the Cross?"
"Elizabeth keeps repeating this lately. She desperately needs to talk to you. I scanned the whole internet and searched for anything that can match the description, and found you two. Tell me. Can you say you are the Sisters of the Cross?"
"We certainly are," Alexis said. The daughters of the Holy Man. "Lead us to Elizabeth... but let us eat first."
>><<
After lunch with the Lightfoot family, the girls met Jensen near the TEx station. "Where do you live?" Alexis asked. The answer was West Haven.
"So we can go home for one last time," Diane smiled.
The station was decorated by numerous posters inviting the people to join the Festival of Founding which was a feast which took place every year near the end of September in the whole city, but the main celebrations happened of course in The Centre. It is an annual holiday to celebrate the founding of the city and lasts three days - the last weekend of September plus its Friday (on Friday, the schools are closed and most people also receive a day off from their work).
"Great, the Founding Fest!" Diane cheered. "I almost forgot about it!"
Alexis rolled her eyes. "But this time, you'll stay away from the Festival Beer stands. Remember previous year? If I didn't control you a little, you'd get plastered and put a shame on us."
"C'mon, sis, I know my limits, okay? Besides that, the Fest is the only day in the year where the people can really unwind and relax. Okay, okay. I'll stay away from booze, maybe just a little. The Fest isn't only about it."
She was right - the Festival of Founding offered also splendid cultural events and gastronomical experiences. And on Friday night, the city celebrated its founding once again with a fireworks show.
Alexis wouldn't admit it, but she was also excited for the Festival. Some of her favorite bands promised to come to Gardens and this year could be the first time she didn't have to go alone. Anna's music taste was very similar to hers unlike Diane's; she listened mostly to punk and metal while Alexis and Anna preferred softer alternative or pop-rock artists. She felt a tingling in her stomach. She was really going to enjoy the shows this year.
Jensen lived on the very edge of West Haven, in the part directly bordering The Centre. The transition between casual Haven and luxurious Centre felt somehow violent - at least there was a small man-made river separating the two worlds.
The man's house was located right next to one of the bridges connecting Haven and The Centre. Just a small middle-class family house, nothing more, nothing less. Jensen unlocked the door and invited his guests in.
He led them through a hallway; several photos were hanging on the wall. They depicted a young family - Jensen, a happy-looking woman with a beautiful smile and a young girl with a blonde ponytail and blue eyes, with a smile inherited from her mother.
"That's Marion, my wife," Jensen explained when he saw where Alexis is looking. "She lost her life during the accident which also costed Elizabeth her eyesight. It was the worst day of my life."
"I'm sorry," Alexis whispered.
"That's alright. What happened can't unhappen," Jensen shrugged and led them to the staircase leading upstairs. They stopped in front of a door labelled Elizabeth. Under the writing, there were several clustered bumps - Braille letters, Alexis realized. So the girl could navigate in the house better.
Jensen knocked at the door. "Beth, my dear? I'm home. I've brought the Sisters of the Cross."
"Come in," a quiet voice sounded from underneath the door.
The man opened and stepped in. The room looked nothing like a child's room - there were almost no toys, only a few pieces of furniture and a large bookshelf. The lack of decorations was logical - there was no one to appreciate them. The window was open and relaxing, quiet sound of the river flowing right under it was filling the entire room.
Elizabeth was sitting on her bed. Alexis immediately though about a butterfly, or maybe a moth - she was thin, fragile and really pale, only a shade of the happy girl on the photo. Fair hair framed her gentle face and her eyes, now bleary and matt, stared into nowhere.
"Hello, Elizabeth," Alexis said. "My name is Alexis."
"And I'm Diane," her sister added. "Is it us you're looking for?"
Elizabeth looked in their general direction. "Hello," she said; her voice sounded more like a half-whisper. "The Sisters of the Cross. I have an important message for you."
>><<
Alexis shivered; the girl's gaze was somehow scary. It was like her ability to see visible things was replaced by seeing the invisible - their souls, their future, the things far beyond regular perception.
"You," she pointed at Diane with surprising accuracy. "You will wear pink really soon."
"Oh, really?" the girl laughed. "I'll stop wearing black only once they invent a darker color. Excuse me, Mr. Abraham, I think that your daughter's prophecies aren't that accurate."
Jensen just shrugged as Elizabeth turned to Alexis. "And you will appear on TV."
Alexis frowned. "Excuse me, but being a movie star isn't really my dream. I'm too shy for that."
"Now listen closely," Elizabeth said. "I have seen horrible things. The Devil will soon awaken from his slumber, ready for his second coming, ready to turn laughter into cries. The Devil's hour will be announced by the sky of a thousand fires."
"This sounds like something from The Revelation to John, a biblical scripture regarding the apocalypse," Alexis noted. "What's our connection to it?"
The blind girl didn't answer, just continued: "The creature from the dawn of times will provide the shelter. The ones with white faces will watch the rise and fall. The fall is covered in the white rain."
Diane looked at Alexis with a confused expression. Her sister shrugged - she had no idea.
Elizabeth took a deep breath to announce the final line of her prophecy. "And the horseman will bring death." Then she sighed and just fainted - her head hit the pillow and the girl stopped moving.
"Elizabeth! Are you alright?" Alexis gasped.
"That's alright," Jensen calmed her down. "She usually just blacks out after telling a prediction. Then, after she wakes up, she can't remember anything. She isn't able to repeat the lines she just said."
"That's strange," Alexis said. "Do you have any ideas what can her words mean?"
Jensen shook his head. "Her prophecies are usually obscure and use parables and indirect descriptions. You don't have the chance to understand them until they happen - then you track the verses back and you realize they make perfect sense, you just couldn't see it. For example: not so long ago, she predicted that The man who protects the whole city won't be able to protect himself. A few days later, Grayson Forrestal was murdered - Forrestal was an owner of the company selling security systems."
"Did she use some... let's say, biblical parables? I mean, second coming of the Devil, a sky of a thousand fires. This sounds more like a prophecy about the end of the world. Also, a horseman will bring death... the first thing that comes into my mind are Four Horsemen of Apocalypse. The King, War, Famine and Death."
"I admit that this prophecy is unusual," Jensen said. "It's usually just one verse or two. This one is really long, consisting of several parts. The pattern is also very different. You are right, Alexis, it sounds like some kind of apocalyptical prophecy. But it can be also something different."
"The end of the prophecy mentions death," Diane noted. "If she wasn't talking about the entire human race, it was about us, Alexis. Why else would she want us to come? She wanted to warn us, at least that's how I understood it." She smirked. "The biggest catastrophe, however, is me wearing pink."
"Well, needles to say, but I think we'll have to wait until something of it happens," Alexis said. "The prophecy is so obscure that we have no chance of deciphering it."
Jensen sighed. "When it happens, it may be too late."
Too late for what?
"We promise that we'll do our best to understand the prophecy at least a little," Alexis offered Jensen a handshake which the man accepted. "If we manage to find anything, we'll contact you."
"Thank you," Jensen handed her a small piece of paper. "I always try to jot down every prophecy Elizabeth tells. I also have this one, in case you forget it."
౦ Diane: wear pink soon
౦ Alexis: appear on TV
౦ Devil will awaken from his slumber, ready for his second coming, ready to turn laughter into cries
౦ Devil's hour will be announced by "the sky of a thousand fires"
౦ "The creature from the dawn of times" will provide the shelter
౦ "The ones with white faces" will watch the rise and fall
౦ The fall is covered in a "white rain"
౦ The horseman will bring death
"I don't understand a single line from this thing, but it seriously freaks me out," Diane muttered while carefully reading Jensen's notes. "And sis, do you know what happens to me when something freaks me out? I get hungry." She handed the note back to Alexis and headed towards the nearest snack stand. She ordered a burger which was ready in a minute.
"New housing, old habits," Alexis jeered. "We have enough money left so you don't have to eat junk ever again, you know."
"I'd much rather eat this than truffles with foie gras," Diane muttered with a mouth full of bun, pickled vegetables and mysterious meat while wiping off the ketchup from her chin. "It will probably kill me someday, but there has to be a cause of death on my tombstone, right?"
Alexis rolled her eyes. "Yeah, probably."
While walking to the TEx station, they passed their old block of flats. Their old home was now empty and somewhat dead. On the main door, there was a sheet of paper entitled FLAT FOR RENT. Both girls felt a sudden surge of nostalgia. Although their new home was better in every way, it would take a while for the nostalgia to disappear completely.
"I wonder who'll move here now," Diane noted while finishing the last bite of the burger. "I hope it won't be some disgusting drunk man with a neckbeard and anime body pillows. It would offend me personally."
"What would change for you if it was a cute girl or a handsome guy?" Alexis asked.
"Well... it was home of two most famous ghost hunters of Gabriel's Gardens," Diane shrugged. "They can't rent it to just anybody."
They both laughed as they entered the TEx train heading towards the Serenity Square district.
Back at home, they found Anna already there, playing on Diane's new gaming console. "Hello, neighbories," she greeted them. "I hope you don't mind that I came here since I have some pretty interesting news for you. You weren't home, so..."
"You have the key for a reason, right?" Alexis smiled at her.
"Only be prepared to turn that wheelchair to turbo mode if I find out that you messed with my game progress," Diane uttered, but everyone knew she was just teasing her friend.
"It's about our magnificent Mr. Fletcher," Anna made a funny face. "His trial regarding that thing with Henry Rudger's ghost should begin really soon. I contacted some of my friends working in the fields of justice and they confirmed it. It doesn't look very good for him."
"Good to know," Diane smirked. "I hope they'll send that sucker to jail. I've heard that the rich boys from The Centre aren't very popular among the inmates. I hope he'll have to pick up the soap really often."
"And I hope I'll be able to reach Marlene somehow," Alexis sighed.
"Marlene, Marlene," Diane jeered. "Sis, you sound like a jammed music player."
"Shut up!" Anna shouted exasperatedly. "Lex must feel horrible because of her friend. Don't mock her like that! You'd do the same if something similar happened to me, or at least I hope."
Diane blushed. "Yeah, I probably took this too far. Sorry."
"Thanks, Annie," Alexis said. She immediately forgave her sister since she was familiar with the fact that she often spoke before thinking.
"So, you already know the important thing, so I can leave now," Anna said and guided the wheelchair towards the flat's main entrance. A few meters before the door, she turned her head and smiled innocently. "Or can I stay for dinner?"
>><<
The next day, Alexis was browsing the internet until she finally found what she was looking for. "Dee, come here!" she shouted. "The official Festival time schedule is on the city's website!"
She expected her sister to rush into the room as Diane was always curious about bands and artists performing during the Festival of Founding. This time, the brunette girl just walked into the room and Alexis was sure that the interest in her face is faked. Her skin looked pale and unhealthy.
"Dee... are you okay?" Alexis frowned.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Diane replied with a crooked smile. "So... who will come this year?"
"I'm definitely going to see Sleeping Entrophy on Friday!" Alexis said. Sleeping Entrophy was one of her favorite bands; heavily alternative, mixing elements of electronic, soft rock and indie pop. Their music felt somehow dreamy and otherwordly. "I bet Annie will come with me. She loves them, too."
Diane laughed, but it sounded quite sloppy. "Sleeping Entrophy? Oh my god, that's music old people listen to. Let me see if there's something better on the menu," she scanned the schedule. "Darkest Thoughts? Nice! And... wait... Special Forces! Hell yes!"
Her sister smirked. "Aren't those the guys who perform in military uniforms and glorify war?"
"At least their music has some balls! Entrophy is really gay to me."
Alexis shrugged. "Well... Matthias, the lead singer, is very open about his homosexuality."
Alexis didn't want to continue the argument. She noticed that Diane didn't even touch her breakfast and her lips are strangely clenched; it was really unusual for her. "Tell me the truth," she commanded. "There's something wrong with you today. And don't try to tell me there's not. I know you well enough."
Diane rolled her eyes. "I'm feeling a little nauseous today. It'll be fine, I promise."
"Make sure to tell me if it gets worse."
"Nah, it's alright. I just need some rest." She slowly walked back into her room and fell back on her bed. She didn't even turn on music. Alexis started to feel anxious - it was usually her who suffered from migraines or nauseas and Diane mocked her for being a wimp.
To change the flow of her thoughts, she decided to prepare the lunch - just a grilled chicken with rice, something that wouldn't interfere with Diane's upset viscera. The work was much easier with the hi-tech kitchen equipment she was now able to afford - she felt almost like cheating as she had only a little work to do.
After the meal was done, it was something after noon, Alexis carefully stepped into Diane's room; her sister was laying on her bed like she was several hours ago. "Do you want some lunch?" she asked.
"I'd rather not," Diane groaned with a faint voice. "Thinking about food makes me feel like puking. Just please bring me some water, please. It'll be alright, really."
Alexis sighed and brought her a bottle of water. Diane's skin, now even paler, deepened her worries. "Are you sure you don't need help?" she asked.
Diane rolled her eyes again. "How many times do I have to tell ya it's alright?"
Alexis shrugged and left the room. She grabbed a book and tried to read, but Diane's nausea kept haunting her mind. The flat was quiet, which was unusual since the home of Warren sister was usually filled either by Diane's loud voice or hard rock music coming from her speakers.
After two hours or so, Diane ran out of her room and locked herself on the toilet with no explanation. Alexis could only hear muffled sounds of vomiting. Now she started to be really worried about her sister's condition. Diane stayed there for almost twenty minutes and near the end, she heard only exhausted gagging. Then Diane finally left the toilet. She looked horrible.
"Oh my god, Dee..." Alexis gasped. "This is not good."
"Probably not," Diane groaned and grabbed her stomach. "God... it hurts..."
"Do you have cramps in your stomach? God... oh god..." Alexis drew power from her insignia, rolled up Diane's shirt and placed her hands on her stomach. She tried to cure her condition, but the negativity inside Diane's guts was too strong for her. Diane kept groaning.
"It's no use," Alexis said. "I'm calling the ambulance."
"No, don't," Diane tried to protest. "I hate hosp..." the word was lost in a shout of pain the girl emmited. Alexis phoned the ambulance and a few minutes later, her sister was on her way to the hospital.
>><<
Alexis anxiously waited for a phone call. It was already evening and the doctor who took care of Diane still didn't call. She couldn't focus on anything and prayed for her sister to be alright. Diane usually tried to hide when she wasn't feeling well; her painful groans really startled Alexis.
Then, around five PM, the phone finally started to ring. Alexis immediately answered the call.
"Hello? Warren here."
She recognized the doctor's voice. "Greetings. Your sister, Diane Warren, is alright. It was just a food poisoning. You may visit her now."
Alexis felt a huge burden leaving her body. She sighed in relief. "Thank you. I'll be here in a minute." She got dressed, went outside and called a taxi; she didn't want to wait for TEx. A grumpy driver gave her a ride to the Everglow hospital in the Serenity Cliff district. She handed him the money including the tip and rushed into the building. There she asked the nurses about Diane's location.
"Dee, you scared me to death," she bursted out as soon as she entered the room.
Diane was comfortably laying in the hospital bed; she was still pale and looked exhausted, but the signature smile on her face gave away that she's feeling much better. "It was that burger from yesterday," she said. "It was probably undercooked and caused the mess inside me. Anyway... thanks that you care so much, sis."
Alexis smiled. "That's what sisters are for." Then suddenly, her face went pale. "Oh god, Diane... look at what are you wearing."
"Yeah, they..." Diane started to laught, but then she realized. She was wearing a standard issued clothing for Everglow's female patients - a short-sleeved gown. A pink gown. "That prophecy," she said. "Elizabeth was right... I'm wearing pink even though I'd never wear that color voluntarily.
"This is scary," Alexis shivered. "Does that mean that even the rest will come true?"
"Nah," Diane laughed. "You're not cool enough to appear on TV."
They both shared a laugh and Alexis felt even bigger relief than before. "I'm really glad that it wasn't anything serious," she said. "You scared me more than any ghost we've encountered so far."
"Well, the stomach pumping really wasn't a pleasant experience," Diane jeered. "But otherwise yes, I'm alright now. The pain is gone and stuff. If everything goes well, I'll be home tommorow. And that's awesome since I'll be able to fill my tummy again at the Festival!"
"You can't!" Alexis frowned. "You'll have a strict diet for at least a week. Nothing but water, chicken and vegetables. Your stomach will be still vulnerable."
Diane smirked. "Mom mode activated! Come on, Lex. I'm already feeling a little hungry and the Festival is in four days. I will be completely alright by then."
"Let's make an agreement," Alexis resigned. "You'll eat moderately until the Festival starts, then you can eat something more. Is that good?"
"I knew that you're awesome somewhere deep inside."
"Look, I just worry about you. I'm quite used to you already, so I'd be a little upset if I lost you. And not just me. Also Annie and Father."
"Stop it, or I'll start crying."
Alexis took a more serious note. "I'm starting to worry about Elizabeth's prophecy, though. She predicted this situation. Then, I should appear in TV soon. These things are still quite innocent, but after that, there comes a part with the Devil. A sky of a thousand fires. Horseman bringing death."
"I hope it'll happen after the Festival. I refuse to die before I see Special Forces live."
"Looks like we can't influence that in any way," Alexis sighed. "We'll discuss it at home. Now you should sleep well. I'll send you a taxi in the morning to bring you home."
Diane smiled. "Thanks, mom-sis."
>><<
Diane arrived just as they planned. She still seemed a little light-headed, her jokes, however, indicated that she was feeling good. Alexis greeted her with a bowl of soup which Diane gladly accepted.
"I crave for a steak with a mountain of fries," she noted after she finished eating.
"No, just soup today," Alexis said. "Maybe a chicken tommorow. Then, the day after, we may try something heavier to see if you won't get ill again."
Diane rolled her eyes. "I guess I have no choice, right?"
"No, you don't."
The cured patient spent the rest of the day at home, resting and listening to music. Alexis was constantly making sure that she was hydrated. Diane acted annoyed, but deep inside, she was moved by her sister's care. Alexis even brought Anna for a visit.
The day after, Alexis went outside to shop for some food. Diane wanted to come, too, but her head was still spinning; in the end, she admitted that she'll try it again tomorrow. After moving, she usually went shopping to one of the chain stores located in Icaria, just a few minute walk away from their new flat, but now, just for this once, she decided to take a ride to The Centre to shop in one of the expensive farmer shops.
After all, Diane's upset stomach deserved only the best to recover quickly.
Alexis wasn't used to travelling alone; usually, she was accompanied by her sister who just couldn't keep her mouth shut. The girl was often annoyed by Diane's constant talking, but now, she began to miss it. Fortunately, the journey wasn't long. She took off the vehicle near the Angel Square.
She took a short walk to clean her mind. Angel Square was usually a busy place, but now, it was literally crowded for some reason. Alexis' curiosity won; she joined the crowd to see what's going on.
The stage for musical performances was already built and the workers were now decorating the square for the purposes of the Festival. She looked at the stage; it wasn't empty, but instead of a music superstar, she saw only one person - the mayor, Wilbur Whateley.
The man was already, according to official sources, over a hundred years old, but still looked like sixty at most; actually, he was still very attractive with his slim figure, sharp face, gray hair and perfectly fitting suits. He looked a little like George Clooney. Nobody knew what lies behind his young appearance. Most conspiracy theories talked about secret, unethical medical procedures.
Whateley was talking about the Festival, announcing the schedule and harped out obligatory talks about how he was honored to hold the Festival in his beautiful city and how he's looking forward to the long weekend. Alexis got bored quickly, so she left.
Just a few meters away from the Square, she met the person she needed the least.
Marlene.
The girl in a dark-red dress just let out a tormented howl and attacked Alexis with her fists. She wasn't strong enough to cause any harm; the emotional damage she caused was way worse. "THEY ARRESTED HIM!" she screeched. "He will probably go to jail. All because of you, can you hear me? BECAUSE OF YOU!"
A few bypassers turned to see the source of loud screaming, but soon lost interest and kept walking.
"Marlene, calm down," Alexis said. "Kyle is a criminal. You deserve better."
"I hate you. I hate you so much," Marlene hissed. "You just had to stick your dirty nose into that business. You realized that he can never be yours, right? And you decided that if you can't have him, nobody can. But you know what? I'll stay faithful. I'll patiently wait for him. You can't take my love away from me."
Alexis patiently waited for her to finish the rant. "Kyle doesn't love you," she tried to persuade her. "You're only his tool. That's exactly what he wanted - to make you completely dependant. He knows very well how to do it. Please, Marlene. There's still hope. Remember all the years we've been together? Are you gonna flush it all because of him? I only want the best for you, trust me. Because I..."
Suddenly, Marlene, with tears rolling down her face, slapped Alexis. The shocked girl touched her burning cheek. "You're a sorry bitch, Alexis," Marlene spat out. "I wish you died." Then she turned around and just walked away. A few people noticed the slap, but nobody commented on it.
Alexis could do nothing but sit on a bench and cry in silence. This was like the last nail to the coffin of her hope. Marlene was gone. She was hoping for her death. There was no turning back now. She tortured herself with her and Marlene's happy memories they shared as little girls. Nobody noticed her sorrow since all bypassers were too hooked on the Festival atmosphere.
>><<
"Hey, sis, you're back!" Diane greeted her upon coming back home.
"Greetings, Dee," Alexis tried to smile, but the expression didn't look natural. She gave herself a long, almost all-day-long walk through The Centre and the emotional trauma caused by Marlene ceased a little, but she was still shook. She unpacked the food she bought and started to cook a light dinner.
Diane was watching the evening news. "Hey, remember Lucian Ferris?" she said. "That school-shooting guy? They released him from the nuthouse, claiming he's okay now. Would you believe that?"
"I don't think it's a good idea," Alexis replied. Lucian Samuel Ferris grabbed a gun, went to school, killed three people and injured many more when he was fifteen. Nobody knew the real reason behind the attack as the boy was sent immediately to the mental hospital. Now, seven years later, the doctors probably decided that his aggresive phase was gone. "But what do you know. Maybe it was just a breakdown and he deserves a second chance. You also wouldn't want to be imprisoned forever because of one unfortunate event."
"Maybe you're right," Diane shrugged. "Anyway, I don't want to be anywhere near him. Oh, look! A report from the Angel Square. The mayor is talking about the Festival."
Alexis stopped cooking and felt a cold sweat on her forehead. She knew what would come.
She rushed into the living room and watched the screen carefully. "Wow, you seem anxious," Diane commented. "Is something wrong?"
"Just keep silent and watch," Alexis hissed.
As she expected, it was the same speech she witnessed on the Angel Square early that day. The cameras were aiming mostly at mayor Whateley, but there were also a few shots of the crowd listening to him. During one of such takes, Alexis gasped. In the crowd, there was a barely visible person in a white sleeveless blouse, blonde ponytail and glasses. It was Alexis.
"Sis, it's you," Diane noted. "On TV."
"Oh God..." Alexis whispered. "The prophecy was right. You, wearing pink. Me, appearing on TV. It's too much to be just a coincidence."
"But that means we ran out of the 'innocent' predictions," Diane noted. "Now we should get ready for the second coming of the Devil."
"What if that 'Devil' is Kyle?" Alexis guessed. "That would explain why Elizabeth wanted namely us to receive the prophecy. And honestly, do you know any better nickname for him?" she clenched her fists and fought her emotions going wild again.
"That kinda makes sense, but the prophecy mentions his second coming," Diane objected. "Kyle already had two 'comings' - the case with Possessed and summoning Rudger's ghost. If he does some stupid thing again, it would be his third."
"Maybe she meant second coming visible to public," Alexis refused to give up her theory.
"Sis, I know you hate that guy more than a hemmorhoid, and I'm also not very fond of him, but I think he doesn't have anything to do with this case. Annie said that he'll be sent to jail really soon. Wait... something happened, right? Something regarding him."
"You know me pretty well already." Alexis told her about Marlene's explosion of rage. "I'm afraid that she'll never come back," she added. "I know she's already gone, but I still can't accept that somehow. I still kept trying even though I knew it was futile."
"Letting go is the hardest task," Diane replied. "You can do it, sis. Stay strong."
"Thanks, Dee. Well... I got an idea. The prophecy seemingly contains biblical terms and the whole thing seems to me kinda... well... biblical. I think we should talk to someone who's very familiar with these things. Maybe he'll find some hidden connections."
"I know where are you aiming," Diane nodded.
>><<
The next day, Diane was already feeling well, at least well enough to take a trip to West Haven. They entered the clothes shop which served as the secret entrance to Reverend Warren's illegal church. Today's clerk, a younger redhead woman, just raised her eyebrows and when Alexis nodded, she removed the fake pannel leading to the church with a smile.
"May God be with you," she whispered.
"Thanks. Same to you."
Reverend Warren was meditating on one of the church benches, hands clasped in a silent prayer. When he heard footsteps, he turned around and smiled heartfeltly. "Oh, look! My dear girls who left my nest. So, how are you doing? Do you miss your old home?"
"Sometimes," Alexis admitted. "But we can be with Annie every day, and that counts."
"Is this just a friendly visit, or do you need my help?" Warren smiled.
"I'd say both," Diane answered. "Do you believe in prophecies, Father?"
"Oh, The Book is full of prophecies. The Lord can see everything, including our fates, and sometimes He decides to reveal a bit of His knowledge to us, sinners."
"Well, our fate was revealed by a blind girl," Diane uttered and handed Warren the paper with the prophecy. The holy man read it as Alexis began to describe their encounter with Elizabeth. "The first two already came true," she said. "When Diane was in the hospital, she was wearing a pink gown. And I accidentaly got involved in the reportage for the news. Now we need to know more about the rest. Is it familiar to you?"
"A sky of a thousand fires," Warren mumbled. The only thing I can thing of is the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah — from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities — and also the vegetation in the land. Genesis, 19."
"You often call Gabriel's Gardens 'New Sodom'," Alexis noted. "Can it be about destruction of the whole city? This time not by God, but the Devil?"
Warren shrugged. "It's possible. One thing confuses me - second coming of the Devil. I'm not aware there was even the first one. The term 'second coming' is usually connected to Jesus, not to Devil. Also, the final verse. The horseman brings death. There are four Horsemen of Apocalypse and Death is one of them. But during the Doomsday, all four should be present."
"Maybe Satan will send just one due to budget cuts," Diane smirked.
Warren laughed. "I hope the Lord will forgive your blasphemy! Also, the other verses make no sense to me. Those with white faces. Creature from the dawn of times. White rain. I'm sorry, girls. As you said, it sounds a little biblical, but I'm afraid that I can see no sense in it."
"So we should just wait until something terrible happens?" Diane exclaimed.
"As I said, I'm sorry. You know that I'm ready to help you anytime. But the predictions of that girl are really obscure and don't make much sense - until they happen. But I'm afraid it may be too late. The prophecy is talking about a catastrophe, that's no doubt. But there has to be a reason why she gave the prophecy namely to you. She believed you can do something about it."
"But Father, we've hit the dead end," Alexis murmured. "If we have no idea what does that mean, how are we supposed to prevent that something those verses predict?"
Warren shrugged. "Maybe you should try and examine the prophecy one more time. Sometimes the answer is so obvious that you can't see it at first. For example, look at this line. The Devil is 'ready for his second coming, ready to turn laughter into cries.' Where do people laugh?"
Alexis frowned. "In the cinema... a dance floor... when they're having fun..."
"The Festival!" Diane bursted out. "I bet there'll be lots of laughing people there!"
"Oh my god... you're right," Alexis admitted. "That's probably no coincidence. Something terrible is probably going to happen at the Festival of Founding... which starts tomorrow."
"It's only a guess," Diane said. "And it doesn't explain the other lines."
"We'll have to think about it," Alexis muttered. "Let's hope there's still time."
>><<
After spending a sleepless night thinking about the prophecy, the girls woke up to Friday. Finally. All media in Gardens were talking about the Festival of Founding.
"I'm so excited!" Diane cheered. "Special Forces' concert is tomorrow, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the Fest even today. I'm curious if they manage to make it better than the previous year!"
Alexis put on a black T-shirt with the Sleeping Entropy's logo on it:
"As you probably know, me and Annie are going to see Entropy tonight," she said. "You can do whatever you want, but, for the God's sake, don't even think about touching alcohol. I don't want to risk that your stomach isn't completely alright yet. Promise me you'll stay away."
"Well, it's not like I have a fancy for drinking right now," Diane admitted. "I have a feeling that my stomach would reject it very quickly. Maybe a beer or two."
"Not even a beer or two. Promise me."
"Okay, okay. I promise." She put on a pair of jean shorts and a sleeveless black top. "Okay, sis, are you ready? Let's pick up Annie and go."
Anna was already waiting outside the building, wearing a short black skirt and Entropy's T-shirt, too, this time with a picture of the cover of their first album, The Ocean of Delusions, imprinted on it. "Today's gonna rock!" she shouted as soon as she saw her friends.
Just like they expected, the TEx to The Centre was crowded. They had to add more trains to dispatch all the visitors of the Festival, but it was still a problem to get in. Fortunately, some people were compassionate about Anna's condition and helped them to het in.
"See? It has its benefits," the paralyzed girl shrugged.
The Centre was already raging with energy. As soon as they left the TEx train, they were greeted by loud music. The air was filled with various smells - grilled meat, fries, sweets, smoke and even marijuana from time to time. The streets were lined with various stands offering all kinds of goods - food, toys, clothes, alcohol, flowers. Clowns and female dancers were offering free samples of everything.
Before they managed to get to the Angel Square, Diane had already eaten a burrito, a kebab and a cup of chinese noodles. "It's all so good," she noted with a full mouth.
"One would say that you'll stay away from fast food for good," Anna smirked.
"I have a short memory," Diane replied. "Besides that, it's not a fast food if you eat it slow," she poked her forehead several times with her finger.
There seemed to be the whole population of Gabriel's Gardens present on the Angel Square. The stage was occupied by a less-known garage band playing loud grunge music. Diane banged her head to the beat. "This is good!" she said. "Not as good as Special Forces, but still good!"
The girls seated themselves around one of the tables in front of the food stands. They were immediately accompanied by one of the street dancers in a long skirt, orange bikini top and a headband with long feathers - they also served as the attendants of the visitors. "What can I offer you?" she asked. They all ordered a steak with fries, a famous speciality of the Festival.
"It's so great here, isn't it?" Diane smiled.
"Of course," Alexis replied. "But I have a bad feeling about this."
>><<
They spent a day full of fun and even Alexis was able to unwind a little. She also really enjoyed Anna's company. Their most common conversation topic was tonight's concert of Sleeping Entropy. The more surprised the girls were when they spotted a stand dedicated to Entropy's merchandise.
Diane rolled her eyes. "You ain't spending money on that, right?"
"What? I can't hear you," Alexis jeered while buying Entropy's hoodie.
"This is golden," Anna purchased a keychain and immediately attached it to her wheelchair. "And I'm also getting this and this," she grabbed a wristband and a mousepad.
"I see that you have a good taste," they heard a soft, gentle voice belonging to a tall man with shoulder-long brown hair, sunglasses and beanie dressed in jeans and blue polo shirt.
Alexis scanned him with her eyes. "Aren't you..."
"Matthias Blake!" Anna cheered. The man smiled and removed the sunglasses - his bright green eyes revealed that he was really Entropy's lead singer. "Nice to meet some hardcore fans," he said. "Sadly, you are the first to recognize me today. I decided to go incognito, just to see the Festival with my boyfriend." He pointed at the man buying a popcorn in a nearby stand.
"Oh no, you have a fangirl attack," Diane rolled her eyes again. "Knowing my luck, I won't be able to get even an autograph from Brayden." She was talking about Special Forces' singer and guitarist.
"That reminds me," Matthias said, grabbed two copies of Entropy's latest album (The Great Nowhere) from the stand, signed it and handed it to the girls. "I'll pay for it later," he smiled at the stand's clerk.
"Thank you!" Alexis and Anna said in unison.
"I presume you'll be attending today's concert," Matthias said.
"Is that even a question?" Anna answered.
The singer leaned towards them. "Don't tell anyone, but I have a VIP pass to the front row. In case you want it, of course." He handed them the tickets and accepted another wave of thanks.
"Okay, see you there!" he smiled and left.
"Would you believe it?" Anna stared at the signed album. "It was actually him!"
"He's such a nice person," Alexis nodded, then she turned to Diane. "The entrance fee for tonight's concert is optional and all the money, from the concert and this stand, will go to charity. Isn't that awesome?"
"Probably, yeah," Diane admitted.
Alexis wanted to suggest Diane to go with them since the entry was free, but decided not to. She wanted to spend time alone with Anna, and besides that, Entropy's music was too soft for Diane's taste.
An hour later, the parade of allegorical cars started. These cars were docked near the Angel Square, then, at every Festival day at three, they went for a ride through the whole Gardens (except the slum districts; this rule was added after some cars were burned down by an angry mob of homeless people) and ended back in The Centre. This parade was popular among all the visitors, especially children.
The girls, of course, went to see the parade. Anna's handicap even got them a place in front of the crowd, so they could see everything. Mayor Whateley was standing on the first car with a giant figurine of Phoenix surrounded by pretty realistic illusion of flames. The mayor was standing in the flames, smiling and waving at the crowd as the firebird's figurine above him flapped its wings.
The cars were beautiful - a giant butterfly on a meadow, a dark, half-ruined house with actors dressed as famous horror movie characters, a prehistoric jungle with a scary tyrannosaur figurine, a Chinese dragon. The people cheered. For a moment, Alexis even forgot about the prophecy.
The people around her laughed, everyone. Ready to turn laughter into cries.
Can they actually do something about it? The sky of a thousand fires. It sounded more like a natural disaster - in that case, their efforts would be futile. Maybe they should warn the people at least. But such statement would cause either mockery or panic. Both options were bad.
Maybe it was not connected to the Festival at all. Alexis decided that no matter what happened, she would enjoy Entropy's concert with Anna like there was no tommorow.
>><<
It was finally eight PM and the sun started to set. Sleeping Entropy was already on stage. The whole Angel Square became one big mass of people loudly chanting the band's name. As Matthias promised, Alexis and Anna were standing right in front of the stage.
Matthias found them in the crowd and winked at them. Karen, the violinist dressed in a beautiful black robe, was testing her instruments along with other three members of the band playing guitar, drums and piano. Finally, the giant speakers on the stage came alive and the band started to play The Elegy, a sad melody used as an intro of their first album and opener at their live shows.
The crowd went completely silent as Matthias: soft voice started to sing:
I pray for the dead, I pray for the living;
the world of delusion and meaningless killing;
I want to make the world's conscience clean;
but it seems I'm the only one who has this dream.
Alexis grabbed Anna's shoulder and both girls started to chant the lyrics alongside the singer. Fortunately, the depressing song was quickly followed by Head in the Clouds, the lead single of the new album - faster, lively and energetic. The crowd reacted by jumping, screaming and putting fists in the air.
The girls enjoyed every single minute of the concert. They cheered during the optimistic songs. They shed a tear during one of the saddest songs of the band, If I could reach You. The song was about losing a loved one and Alexis immediately thought about Marlene.
If I could reach you, would you grab my hand?
Just one touch and we can make it end.
Maybe in the end, we're both in the right place,
divided by the void of mysterious space.
Alexis looked at Anna. She was crying, too - probably remembering her parents. But not all moments were sad and emotional. For example, Anna began to sing really loudly a verse from the song which went: I'll walk a thousand miles to find myself. She looked at Alexis and then at her paralyzed legs. Both girls bursted into laughter. Alexis adored Anna's ability to joke about her handicap.
They were singing along the band until their throats became dry; they knew all the lyrics, not just the most known ones. They secretly hoped that Matthias noticed it.
Near the end of the show, they proceeded to play a song called The End which pointed out how ridiculous wars are. Only one verse was enough to change the whole day. Matthias singed:
Would you kill a person because your leaders are mad?
Bombs like fireworks exploding above my head.
In that moment, Alexis stopped to sense the music as the cogwheels in her head started to spin like crazy. One sudden realization started a chain reaction and suddenly, everything started to make sense. The girl looked at her wristwatch and realized she only has twenty minutes left to save the day.
"Annie, the prophecy!" she shouted at her friend. "Now I understand everything. I have to leave and contact Diane so we can do something about it. If we don't, something horrible will happen in twenty minutes."
"Oh God, Alexis..." Anna frowned. "I have no choice but to believe you. Go. Good luck."
Alexis started to make her way through the crowd of Entropy fans. As soon as she left the area, she phoned Diane. "Dee? Can you hear me? It's urgent. Go to the angel statue as fast as possible and meet me there. I understood the prophecy and we have to act fast."
"Lex, you're creeping me out," Diane replied. "On my way. If it's a prank, I'll kill you."
"Would I voluntarily leave Entrophy's concert early because of a prank? I'm serious."
"Sounds legit. I'll be there in a minute."
>><<
Even though Diane sprinted the whole way and was all breathless and exhausted when she finally reunited with Alexis, her sister still thought it was taking too long. "Look, I'll explain it briefly because we have only fourteen minutes left," she bursted out as soon as Diane arrived. "A sky of a thousand fires. The firework show. Today at ten." A huge clock on the square was showing 9:45.
"Man... that makes sense," Diane admitted.
"I also know who is the Devil," Alexis continued. "How could I be so blind? Lucian Ferris. That name screams it right into the face!"
Diane frowned. "I don't get it. Why him?"
"Listen closely. Lucian Ferris. Luxferris. That's a Latin word for Lightbringer - and if you listened to Father's sermons at least once, you'll know who bears this title."
"Lucifer," Diane uttered.
Alexis nodded. "Besides that, his middle name, Samuel, is only two letters away from Sammael, which is also a demon. His name is infernal from the top to the bottom. And the sky of a thousand fires - the firework show - will indicate his second coming. He's willing to turn this crowd into a goddamn shooting range as soon as the fireworks will start to bang - it will muffle his gunshots!"
"Alright, I got it," Diane said. "We have to find Ferris in this huge ass crowd during the next thirteen minutes and somehow stop him from shooting randomly into people. It seems pretty crazy, but we have no time to lose. Let's split and find him!"
They began to scan the crowd more or less randomly, knowing how futile their work probably was. There were thousands of people and they were looking for one person. They didn't even know very well how he looked - they saw him only on TV so far.
The crowd was like a giant living organism and the girls had to use their elbows, otherwise it would swallow them whole. Alexis looked at the clock. Three minutes.
They wouldn't make it in time. The former school shooter will make his second coming. And this time, he'd probably have more than three victims.
A moment later, Diane saw an anxious-looking young man with deathly pale skin and long black hair dressed in a long-sleeved black T-shirt, leather jacket and jeans. He kept looking at his wristwatch and touching something hidden under his jacket.
It was him. Lucian Ferris. Lucifer.
Diane had to wait until there were only a few seconds to ten. Then Ferris pulled the item from beneath his jacket - a gun. At that moment, Diane rushed forward and tackled him to the ground. Ignoring the confused and frightened screams of the people around, she firmly grabbed his wrist and started to yank it until Lucian dropped his weapon. Diane grabbed it with her other hand and threw it randomly far away from them.
I just hope another crazy killer won't find it, she thought.
"What the hell are you doing?" Ferris screamed. Looking into his eyes, Diane wondered how could the doctors consider him sane. The pupils of his eyes were narrowed like he was on drugs, which was probably true. Then he began to fight back. He was surprisingly strong and Diane stumbled after his unexpected assault.
The screams navigated Alexis to the right place. She saw her sister fighting with Lucian; at the same time, the firework show began. The sky was filled by the colorful explosions which drowned out the people's screams. All seemed so surreal - their faces were illuminated by lights of all different colors with brief moments of darkness. Alexis joined the fight and tried to attack Lucian, but the man flinched.
He grabbed the nearest target, a young teen girl in Sleeping Entropy T-shirt, pulled a knife and held it against the girl's throat; she started sobbing, unable to even move. "STAY AWAY!" Lucian screeched. "If you make one step forward, I'll cut her throat!"
The crowd parted like the Red Sea before Moses and Ferris began to slowly back away while still holding his hostage. When he reached the edge of the crowd, he just pushed the girl towards the nearest people, turned away and started to run.
"After him!" Alexis commanded.
>><<
While the fireworks were still exploding above their heads, the girls followed the offender, but he was nowhere to be found. "Where did he go?" Diane shouted at random people, but they either didn't know or pointed in some vague direction.
"I guess that sucker ran away," Alexis muttered as the last firework exploded. The square now drowned in nervous silence. Nobody lost their life as Lucian intended, but he was now hiding somewhere and it was for sure that he'd try his luck some other time.
"We have to find him, but he probably hid somewhere!" Alexis groaned.
"Let's consult our prophecy," Diane said, then started to run. "I know where he is! Follow me!"
Alexis ran besides her sister and her untrained legs soon began to protest. They arrived to the big parking lot which usually belonged to the customers of a shopping mall, but now it was reserved for the allegoric cars. All of them were parked there. While idle and not illuminated, they looked somewhat sad, maybe even dead.
"The allegoric cars?" Alexis asked. "Okay, tell me your theory."
"The creature from dawn of times will provide the shelter," Diane chanted. "And the only creature from the dawn of times I've seen today is right here." She entered the parking lot and walked between the decorated cars until she found the one she desired - the one with a tyrannosaur figurine. The king of dinosaurs now looked like sleeping. Diane grabbed the handle of the car's door and opened them.
Lucian was hunched on the back seat. He stared at Diane with his eyes wide open. "H...h...how?" he bursted out. "How did you find me?"
"We had a little supernatural aid," Diane smirked. "Leave the car. You're going with us. Now you have no hostages to hide behind and you are harmless. Just answer me... why the hell would someone go on a killing spree as soon as they release him from a nuthouse?"
Ferris' shocked expression changed into a maniacal grin. "It wasn't easy to fool them. I had to figure out some things before finally making them release me... but now, I'm back and you are not gonna stop me. They hate me... they all hate me. And I hate them, too. Yes... I hate them even more. They all want to kill me... but they can't, if I kill them first!" He started to laugh. Both girls knew he was insane.
"Boy, those psychologists did a really shit work," Diane noted.
"Also, you are wrong. Wrooong," Lucian hooted. "I have been preparing for this. For a very long time. I am not harmless." He suddenly pulled out a gun seemingly out of nowhere and started shooting towards Diane. Only her quick reflexes were able to save her.
The insane man opened the car's door and slithered out; then took a few more shots at the girls who hid behind the car. Lucian didn't waste time and ran into the streets again and started to shoot randomly at the crowds of people who tried to run away in panic. Painful screams hinted that the bullets managed to injure someone. The girls went after him.
He was too far away. They couldn't make it in time.
The help came from an unexpected source: one of the clowns, serving as entertainers and free sample distributors at the Festival, carefully approached Lucian from behind and tackled him down. His workmates joined the fray, trying to disarm the offender.
"Look at it!" Alexis pointed at the clowns. "The ones with white faces."
"Okay, another point fulfilled," Diane muttered. "Clowns normally freak me out, but now, their help is much appreciated. Quickly! He's starting to struggle."
They splitted; Alexis joined the clowns while Diane ran ahead. Lucian managed to shoot one of the clowns; the man hit the ground with a painful groan. The funny blue clothing began to soak with blood on his shoulder. It was nothing serious; he should be able to recover fully.
Alexis managed to grab Lucian's shoulder and begun to absorb his energy as her insignia glowed. "Bitch!" Lucian groaned and aimed the gun at her, but one of the clowns was quicker and punched the offender hard in the face. They all began to fight for his weapon.
>><<
A few more gunshots sounded through the almost empty street; the people started to evacuate (or more accurately run away in panic in a disorganized crowd). When Alexis and the clowns joined forces, Lucian lost his second weapon really soon.
The sounds of police sirens and the ambulance became audible in the distance. Lucian, disarmed, clenched his lips, realizing that he probably wouldn't be able to escape. One of the clowns tried to restrain him, but Lucian started to frantically defend himself using his nails and teeth. He fought so viciously that the costumed man had to step back; that provided Lucian enough room to escape.
Alexis ran after him, but he was faster. The madness inside of him probably allowed his body to switch into an emergency mode fueled by the adrenaline in his veins. "Diane!" she screamed. "Stop him! Somehow!"
Fortunately, Diane was ahead far enough to halt his progress. She saw a glimpse of metal in his hand; he probably had a knife. She was too scared for a hand-to-hand fight, so she quickly had to figure out some other way. Then she saw a small popcorn stand on wheels nearby.
Bingo.
She grabbed the handles of the stand, waited for the perfect timing and pushed it forward, right into Lucian's way. He couldn't halt quickly enough; he shouted and collided with the stand. It overturned right at him and trapped him below. Small pieces of popcorn started to fly all over the place.
The white rain.
Lucian, covered in popcorn, tried to get his legs from beneath the stand while cursing loudly. Diane headed towards him, her insignia glowing, ready to knock him out. But she was stopped by a sound which raised a wave of fear in her. A horse's neigh.
All points of the prophecy came true, except for one. The horseman brings death. She quickly turned around and saw a police officer on a shiny brown horse galopping towards them. She panicked and that moment was enough for Lucian to escape. "Shit," Diane uttered - if she didn't got distracted because of the horse, Lucian would already be unconscious, ready to be transported somewhere safe.
And the horse was still dashing in her direction.
Lucian pulled something out of his pocket. One of the items was a lighter. He carefully ignited something and threw it in the horse's direction. A second later, the air filled with the sounds of explosion. Lucian ignited a firecracker to cause even more havoc - and he was successful.
The horse started to neigh and get on his hind legs. The officer on its back tried to calm it down again, but he was successful only patrially; the animal was still scared and stressed out. In addition, another figure appeared near the horse. Diane recognized a blonde ponytail and Sleeping Entropy's T-shirt.
"ALEXIS!" Diane screamed.
The girl tried to run away, but tripped over something and started to stumble forward. The confused horse kicked her with his front hoof - Alexis fell to the ground and didn't get up.
The last part of the prophecy came true. The horseman brought death. Diane's eyes started to burn as they filled with tears; her brain tried to comprehend the fact that her sister was most probably dead. A moment later, the horse calmed down, but the damage was already done.
Also, Lucian was gone.
The officer got off the horse and started to examine Alexis' body. The animal just aimlessly roamed the street. Diane took the chance, ran towards it, swinged up on its back and urged it to accelerate. When she was a little girl, she used to ride a horse a lot in the horseriding club of Gabriel's Gardens. Riding a horse was like riding a bike - as soon as she felt the animal's flesh between her hips, all came back to her.
She started to gallop forward, fueled by cold rage. Soon after, she saw Lucian looking for the best route to escape. When he heard the sound of hooves behind him, he turned around and cursed again. His speed was no match for the horse. "Gotcha, you son of a bitch," Diane hissed.
>><<
Lucian turned around, but realized he hit the dead end. Diane grabbed the collar of his shirt and punched his face with the strength of a sledgehammer. The man groaned, spat out a tooth and a stream of blood started to drip from the corner of his mouth.
"Let... me... go!" he bursted out.
"You probably killed my sister," Diane purred. "Why should I have mercy with you?"
She didn't wait for the answer and swung her fist; the deadly blow connected with the man's chest and sent him flying. Upon landing, he coughed out some blood and reached for his knife, but Diane already approached him and kicked him in the ribs. "Death for death," Diane said. "That's fair, isn't it?"
Heavily bruised Lucian stood up and stumbled a few steps backwards. His back hit the pedestal of a statue he didn't notice before - he was cornered. Diane advanced towards him like a goddess of revenge, her fist clenched, her insignia glowing.
She swung at him again, ready to end it. She didn't really want to kill him, but Lucian had no idea about that. Right before Diane's fist could hit him, he ducked. The fist hit the statue with enormous power. It was already old; the screws holding the statue couldn't endure the pressure and cracked. The giant piece of bronze started to fall to the ground. Diane jumped back.
Disoriented Lucian didn't know what was happening. When he noticed, it was already too late. The statue fell right at him and crushed him underneath.
Diane, breathing heavily, tried to not look at the crushed body, but she couldn't resist a peek. Then she realized what was the statue depicting. It was a knight in armor holding a sword. On a horse.
"Holy Moly," Diane whispered. It was a horseman. And it caused death.
Which meant...
"Alexis!" she shouted and ran back to the place where the police horse went wild. Several doctors were already there, taking care of Alexis. She was already conscious, drinking water from the bottle. Next to her, there was a figure on a wheelchair. Anna.
"How is she?" Diane bursted out as soon as she reached her sister.
"Slightly bruised, but otherwise okay," one of the medics replied.
"Where's Ferris?" Alexis asked. She looked slightly disoriented and her glasses cracked, but she was alive. Diane felt a relief so strong that she had to hug her sister first.
"I'll deny that later, but I'm so glad you're alive," she muttered and tried to hold back tears.
Alexis smiled. "That's really nice, but please answer my question. Where is Lucian Ferris?"
"Well, he won't cause any more harm," she shrugged and pointed in the direction of the final fight. "He's over there, but I'd say he's in the... pancake state." She briefly explained what happened. "When that horse hit you... I was sure you were dead. Now... I'm kinda glad you don't. I got pretty used to you through all the years, and..." she sighed. "Screw it." She hugged Alexis tightly once more. "I love you, sis."
Anna, along with all the doctors, was smiling. "If you ever needed a witness for this little act of sweetness, feel free to ask me."
Diane gave her a deadly look. "Don't ever talk about this, Annie."
Soon after, the place filled with police and doctors. Thanks to their intervention, nobody died, except for Lucian himself. "You did a pretty good job," they heard a familiar voice; it was Alyssa Lafayette, the policewoman who helped them in their previous case. "I somwehat expected to see you three here."
Diane shrugged. "I guess it's our family business, helping you catch insane suckers."
After several minutes, Alexis was able to get up on her feet. She smiled at Anna. "I will still mark this as the best day ever."
Anna smiled back. "So will I."
>><<
The next day, Diane was preparing for the Special Forces concert; she was putting on a camouflage T-shirt with the band's logo and baggy black shorts while loudly singing their lyrics. Thanks to them, the Festival didn't have to be cancelled - the mayor decided that the dead offender meant no further harm.
The girl put on a black eyeliner and knotted the top above her waist, then sat next to Alexis. The bruises were still painful, so she was just relaxing the whole day. It was unusual for her to take a day off.
Diane put on a more serious expression. "Y'know, I still feel kinda guilty about Lucian's death. I killed him, after all. That sound when he got crushed... just pfffft."
"He deserved it," Alexis shrugged. "Besides that, it was an accident."
"You're probably right, but I still have doubts God will be alright with it."
Alexis smirked. "Since when do you have God in mind?"
"It may not look like it, but I'm the adoptive daughter of the only holy man in the entire city," Diane jeered. "I believe in afterlife, in Heaven and Hell. And yes, I'm afraid I'm one more step closer to Hell now."
"You did it for me," Alexis objected. "I'm sure God will understand."
Their little religious discussion was interrupted by Anna, driving into the room on her wheechair. "I'm afraid I don't bring good news," she said. "Kyle is free. While defending himself, he said that he didn't have any idea what the summoning of Rudger's ghost would cause. It was only a stupid dare which ended as a disaster. His lawyers built his defense on this and put some dollars in the right hands. He was released on licence."
"Shit," Alexis uttered; it was one of the rare cases of her swearing. "So he made an idiot out of himself to avoid the jail? Screw that." She looked genuinely infuriated. Diane and Anna weren't used to such sight.
"Basically," Anna nodded.
Alexis sighed. "Well, he'll want to take another revenge on us. We should expect anything."
"The families of the murdered appealed to a higher court, so there's still chance," Anna said. "Until then, we have to wait. What are you up to?"
"We'll go and visit Elizabeth Abraham, the girl with the prophecy," Alexis replied. "Dee will then go to the Festival to see Special Forces. I'll probably go home right after the visit. It still hurts and it's insufferable when I walk for too long."
"I'll stay here and wait for you," Anna smiled at her. "We can have a nice evening together."
"I can't accept that, Annie. You should enjoy the Festival while it's there; I'll finish reading that book you borrowed me. It's great, by the way."
"I'm glad to hear that. But I really want to be here. There are still two days of the Festival left, right? We can go tomorrow, you'll be feeling alright by then, so you can go too!"
Alexis laughed. "Your kindness is out of this world, Annie."
The sisters left Anna in their flat and caught a TEx to West Haven. After knocking, Jensen opened the door immediately. "I've been expecting you," he said. "No, really. Just a few hours ago, Elizabeth predicted that the Sisters of the Cross would return."
"You probably heard about that terrorist attack from yesterday," Alexis asked.
"Of course I do."
"Elizabeth's prophecy regarded this event. Because of it, we could stop Lucian Ferris before something horrible happened."
"Dad? Is it them?" a voice sounded from the living room.
"Yes, darling," Jensen replied. He invited the girls into the living room where Elizabeth was sitting. The blind girl stared into their souls again.
"Thank you," Alexis said. "Your prophecy saved lots of people." She explained it point by point. Jensen listened closely. "I also have to thank you for your quick wit," he said. "My brother was there, he went to see Sleeping Entropy. Maybe, if there weren't you, he would..."
"Piece'o'cake," Diane smiled.
"Elizabeth?" Jensen frowned. The girl stared blankly at the wall. "Oh no... it's here again."
"You should beware of the book," she chanted. "When the time comes, losing lives will be inevitable. And you," she turned to Alexis, "your love comes with a high cost."
"Woah," Diane noted. "That was probably even more creepy than the previous prophecy."
Alexis felt a cold shivering. Your love comes with a high cost. What did that mean? She had an idea - and she didn't like it at all.
In the meantime, Elizabeth blacked out again. Jensen offered them a cup of tea and a short chat. After thanking the man for his hospitality, Alexis smiled a bit nervously. "Okay, Dee, enjoy the concert, I'm coming home." The prophecy scared her. But she learned that Elizabeth's foreseeings started to make sense usually when they happened. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she thought.
Besides that, she could spend the rest of the day alone with Anna. And that was worth forgetting the prophecy for now.
sters smiled^