Ever since I discovered that my sister was an unusual person, I started watching over her more closely. It happened quite by accident, at one of the parties where, as always, I was trying to pick up yet another drunk girl. I had always had problems with women, and no matter what I did or what advice I followed, everything ended the same way—I got rejected. Still, I did not despair and continued my pointless attempts.
What I am about to tell you began with a scandal at a party. My sister, Lucy, and her new boyfriend had an argument and stormed outside, shouting at each other. I probably would not have paid any attention if Sarah, her best friend, had not approached me quite unexpectedly during yet another one of my 'attempts.'
"And then I shouted at him, 'Pull!' Well, as you know now, we all fell into the well." I finished the story and laughed. My companion laughed too, in an incredibly hoarse voice. Apparently, she found the story very funny. I could not remember her name. At some point, she had simply wandered over to me with the glassy look of a drunken sailor. She was pale and very thin.
"I still don't understand who Eric is," she said. I sighed, slightly disappointed. This was the third time I had told her the story, and she still could not understand who Eric was. Damn it! The story was supposed to work in my favor and help me win her over—enough, at least, for a one-night stand. That was when a sudden voice behind me distracted me.
"Jesse, can I talk to you for a minute?" The person behind me turned out to be Sarah—tall, slender, and fit, as if she had stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine.
"Bad timing! I almost..." I gestured toward the girl. "...had her," I hissed through my teeth, barely moving my lips, but Sarah did not let me finish. She was furious.
"This chick doesn't even know your name! And you won't be able to sleep with her anyway, because you're just a loser!"
"Why is that?" my drunken companion mumbled indignantly. "He is Eric, isn't he?"
Sarah quickly lost patience and dragged me away. I had to admit she had a strong arm. Well, of course—when your boyfriend is the captain of the wrestling team, I suppose strong hands come with the territory.
"Listen to me! I don't have time for this. Either you bring Lucy back here or get out!"
Her voice was loud enough for plenty of people nearby to overhear our unpleasant conversation. Not exactly a clever situation, especially considering her status at college as one of the most charming and attractive girls around. I decided to ease the tension and called out cheerfully with a smile.
"Don't worry, everything will be okay. You'll see."
I tapped her on the shoulder and left the huge, gorgeous cottage the wrestling team usually rented to celebrate its victories. I have to admit, I was invited to parties like this only because of Lucy, the 'queen' of our college. A huge number of guys wanted to get into her pants, but not everyone succeeded. For some, it was an impossible task, but the more persistent ones at least had a chance. It went without saying that most of them were from the wrestling team. Sometimes, when their own attempts to win my sister over failed, I came to the rescue. The guys asked me what they should do. At some point, I realized that this new arrangement might also give me a chance to have some fun with women myself. Materialistic, perhaps, but it worked—with a little encouragement, I secured permission from the wrestling team to attend all their late-night gatherings.
Strangely enough, considering my relationship with Lucy, even I was surprised that I actually helped those poor guys. We had an ordinary brother-and-sister relationship, one like thousands of others. I had always tried to stay out of her affairs, but something told me Lucy was amused that a guy like me had found a way into her world.
Nevertheless, that night I suddenly had to deal with a problem I knew nothing about. Sarah had given me no useful information. Lucy hated it when people interfered in her relationships, but somehow I had to sort things out. If I had ignored Sarah's request, I probably would have been 'excluded' from their parties. But what I saw that night turned my entire view of reality upside down.
I stepped outside, and the cold wind immediately cut through me, making me shiver. I looked around. The dark night swallowed the neighborhood, blurring its edges. The houses in the distance were barely lit, and complete silence surrounded me. I scanned the area, but there was no one in sight; only the lanterns gave me enough light to make out nearby objects. Where was I supposed to look for her? I could not exactly shout across the whole neighborhood, could I?
I decided to walk around the cottage. Inside, the party was still in full swing. As I wandered around the house, another blast of that piercing wind hit me. It started to annoy me—probably because I was a little drunk—as if someone were trying to force me back inside.
Who wants to be left on the sidelines? I asked myself. Since I had been kicked out, I needed to prove my worth.
After walking a little farther, I noticed a gazebo and heard voices coming from it. I did not rush over; instead, I crept closer for a better look. First I heard a man's voice saying something indistinct to someone who barely answered, except for the occasional moan. I thought the other voice belonged to a woman. It was not difficult to guess what was going on, and I knew the decent thing would have been to leave them alone. But this time I sent my conscience to hell. I really wanted to see who had gotten lucky tonight. Even though it could have been my own sister, that possibility only tripled my curiosity.
As I approached, I heard a familiar voice. I recognized it immediately—it was Eddie, Lucy's new boyfriend. He spoke each word slowly and contentedly.
"Yeah, baby... Yeah... I'm yours... forever... I'm yours..."
The moans belonged to my sister, no doubt about it. They sounded ordinary enough, but apparently that was all Eddie needed to feel even better. Lucy had never pretended to be a 'bad' girl, but seven months ago everything changed. She had once been in love with Thomas, a graduate who planned to build a career in the big city. His mysterious disappearance and, as I understood it, the end of their relationship had somehow turned Lucy into a girl of easy virtue. Guys continued to chase after her like puppies, fulfilling her every whim. They moved around in a group, always ready to help Lucy whenever she needed them. I did not know all their names; I had only heard that students called them the Royal Guards. How she had suddenly acquired so much charm, I had no idea. No one else in our family had anything like it. I assumed it had something to do with Sarah, whom Lucy had befriended after the tragic disappearance of her beloved Thomas.
As I moved closer, the outlines in the darkness became clearer. One figure stood upright, towering over another who was on his knees directly in front of her. It was not hard to guess what I thought was happening. I smiled lustfully, already convinced I had figured everything out, and was about to leave satisfied when I heard Lucy's voice.
"Jesse, come here," Lucy said as gently as she could. I froze and decided to play the innocent guy. Better that than look like a pervert in her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Sarah asked me to find you. I..."
"Please, Jesse, come here. I'm begging you..." It sounded as though Lucy wanted me to join them. It was none of my business, and something told me I should stay away. Still, she was my sister, and ignoring her was probably a bad idea, especially since she had the power to turn my college life into hell. I hesitated, then, with my head swimming from alcohol, approached her. I wish I had not. Everything my drunken, filthy imagination had pictured turned out to be completely wrong. Lucy stood with her hands raised above Eddie's head. Blood oozed from his eyes, mouth, and nose, somehow twisting itself into thin threads. Those threads stretched toward Lucy's hands. And they were not the only ones. More strands emerged from different parts of Eddie's body, forming a web that ran from his head all the way down to his feet.
Lucy looked like an evil puppeteer controlling Eddie. She twitched her arms, and at the same moment Eddie obeyed, moving his arm or turning his head. It was a horrifying sight, yet I could not look away. I knew I would never be able to unsee it. My legs almost gave way as I tried to understand what I was witnessing, but somehow I stayed upright.
"What does this mean?" My voice was barely audible.
"I shouldn't tell you. I swore I would remain silent about this forever." Lucy continued speaking in a sweet voice, as though what she was doing to Eddie were neither terrible nor frightening.
"Yeah, baby, yeah. I'm yours forever." Eddie kept repeating the words over and over, each time more quietly.
"What do you want me to do?" I tried to force the words out, but I could barely speak. Fear and horror were more intoxicating than I could ever have imagined.
"Eddie is too strong. I need help."
"I can't... I won't..." I moaned. My legs felt heavy, and my vision blurred. I could not take a single step. All I could do was stare at poor Eddie as he kept repeating those words like a mantra.
"You have to help me, otherwise..."
I shuddered. My head spun and my temples throbbed. I looked at Lucy, and the moment our eyes met, I understood that if I refused to help her, something terrible might happen to me. That was definitely not part of my plan. My heart began to race.
"What do you want?" I managed to squeeze out. I could not stop staring at Eddie, a doll in my sister's hands. "What did you do to him, Lucy?"
"Close your eyes and obey my voice."
I nodded because I had no strength left for anything else. The fog in my head grew so thick that my brain seemed to shut down. And then I did too. I remembered nothing that happened afterward—only distant echoes of a language I did not understand and vague impressions of strange things I was made to do.
I woke up at home in my own bed. At first I did not understand where I was, but the walls covered in wallpaper patterned with abstract dark-orange triangles quickly brought me back to my senses. It was my room—dull and boring, as usual.
Thoughts collided in my head at the speed of light. What had I seen? Had it happened yesterday? Was it real, or had it all been some terrible alcohol-induced hallucination?
As I walked toward the window, I heard a car approach and honk twice. I looked outside and saw the front door open as Lucy came out carrying her books. A dark-blue hoodie with the college wrestling team's emblem stretched across her back. An unfamiliar guy stepped out of the car. He was handsome, and his face reminded me of someone, though I could not quite remember who. The thought slipped away before I could catch it. He hurried around the car and, like a devoted puppy, eagerly opened the door for Lucy. My sister wasted no time and slipped into the front seat. The guy got back in, started the car, and within a minute they were gone.
I stood there staring, almost mesmerized. The same questions about the previous night and Eddie returned, but I could not find any answers. What had happened to Eddie? Who was that new guy? All I clearly remembered was the argument that had gotten me thrown out of the party. After that, there was something unpleasant... everything else was buried in fog.
After getting dressed and going downstairs, I found Mom coming in from a walk with the dog. She gave me her usual 'hello' and took Cody by the collar into the bathroom to wash his paws. Sometimes it seemed as though Mom cared more about the dog than she did about Lucy and me. I did not blame her. Maybe all parents became like that after sending their kids to college. I went to the refrigerator, took out a couple of cold sandwiches, and put them in the microwave. As I turned on the coffee maker, I noticed a note from Dad saying he would be home after nine. He worked as a construction foreman in a nearby town and often came home late. Mom had worked as a realtor for many years. She had never become particularly successful, but she had never given up trying.
Suddenly, Cody rushed into the room and started jumping around me. I could never remember what breed he was—not because I had a bad memory, but simply because I did not like dogs. I would have preferred something more exotic, like a lizard or a snake.
Mom's loud voice distracted Cody, and he immediately returned to her side. She went over to the coffee maker and quickly brewed herself a cup. The dog stayed obediently nearby.
"How are you?" I asked automatically.
"Same as always. Where's Lucy? I haven't seen her yet today." Mom looked around as if Lucy might suddenly appear.
"She has a new boyfriend..." I began, but Mom quickly cut me off.
"Oh. She's looking for trouble! Sometimes I wish that disappearance had never happened. Thomas was such a good boy! Eh..." Mom said it as though she herself would have saved Thomas if she had been given the chance. At the same time, she sounded tired of everything she kept hearing about her daughter. I suppose no parent wants to hear rumors suggesting that her daughter is 'easy.' Mom took a sip of coffee, pulled out a piece of dried meat, and tossed it to Cody. He caught it and started chewing. Then she turned back to me. "Aunt Julie is coming tomorrow. Tell Lucy to be home by seven. No excuses."
"Okay," I said with a nod, though it felt as if I were talking to a wall. Mom left with Cody and went to her office without even waiting for my reply. I quickly finished my coffee, took a bite of a sandwich, and left the house.
After walking a couple of blocks, I noticed a girl coming toward me. As she got closer, I recognized her immediately. She was the same girl from the party whom I had failed to pick up. She looked much the same as she had the night before—thin and pale—but in daylight I also noticed that she was quite attractive. It was strange that I had missed that yesterday. I had probably been more drunk than usual, and maybe everything else that had happened had simply been part of some wild fantasy.
We were almost beside each other when she suddenly smiled. It was a sweet smile. There was no one else on the street, so it was clearly meant for me. I could hardly run away or pretend not to notice her.
"Hi, um... Eric?"
"Jesse," I corrected her as we fell into step together. She seemed to glow with happiness, which made her look even prettier. I barely had time to appreciate it because I felt so awkward. To be honest, Sarah had been right: I was a loser. Despite all the time I spent at parties, I had only had sex twice. Either I was too childish to build a relationship, or most girls simply did not find me attractive enough. That was why a girl like this showing genuine interest in me felt so strange and unfamiliar.
"Right!" Her voice sounded much clearer now. "I'm sorry. I had a little too much to drink yesterday, and I don't remember everything."
"Nothing happened," I mumbled, continuing toward the college. She walked beside me without falling behind. What does she want?
"But I do remember you and your story about the well." She smiled so sincerely that I could not help noticing. "I really liked you, so I asked the girls where you lived. They were surprisingly open about it. Can you imagine?"
"I probably can." My voice grew quieter. She was starting to annoy me a little. "Do you always chase after guys?"
"Oh, I'm sorry..." she replied, as though she had not really thought through what she was saying. "It was an awkward situation..."
Yeah. I did not buy it. It was obvious to me that she had come here to mock me. Girls did not like being treated as if they were frivolous, but holding this much of a grudge against me? I must have pushed too hard. Damn, I could barely remember anything!
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry," I continued, convinced that was the best thing to say. "Just tell me straight out why you hate me, and let's forget about yesterday."
"You're a fool, Jesse!" she snapped angrily, as though I had insulted her. "If you hadn't been so drunk, I would've been with you..."
Does she really like me? I thought. This can't be happening! Nobody likes me—average height, average weight, average looks. No, there had to be a catch.
"Come on. I know your tricks! You came here to mock me, so just admit it. Don't pretend you're in love." I turned to face her and stopped. She was furious. A second later, I heard a sharp slap and felt my cheek burn. I had no idea how I was still standing. The pain spread rapidly until it became almost unbearable. Only then did I see her hand lowering. She had slapped me so fast I had not even had time to react. Her eyes filled with tears, and the smile vanished from her face.
"What a freak you are! I should've left you drunk by the gazebo!" she shouted in my face, then spun around and headed the other way.
Damn, I've ruined everything, I thought. What a jerk I am! My emotions were all over the place. I had to do something to bring the conversation back to normal.
"Veronica, I'm sorry."
"You remember my name!" She looked surprised. So was I. Did that mean I remembered more than I thought? I decided to test my memory. "You're new here, and you barely have any friends except Greg, your brother..." I stood in front of her as though I were taking a life-changing exam with the strictest teacher I had ever met. Suddenly, I realized that I remembered much more than my mind seemed willing to let me recall. More questions rushed in. Was that all I remembered? How was it possible? Had everything that happened yesterday been real?
"Yes, it was." Veronica raised her head and wiped away her tears. "I've never chased after guys before. And I won't do it again."
"You won't have to. Forgive me." I tried to make up for my mistake as best I could. "I deserved everything you said. And you've got quite a punch."
"Does it still hurt?" Veronica seemed to come back to life. I nodded, and she smiled. "I've been doing Taekwondo for years," she said. "And I've never hit a guy before. Only girls."
"I feel sorry for them. You've got a heavy hand—and a fast one, I'll admit." I smiled back. It seemed luck was on my side again. Veronica smiled sweetly, which meant her anger had softened. Now I could not stop wondering what a girl like her had been doing at a party like that.
We walked toward the college together and kept talking. As it turned out, we had a lot in common and were interested in many of the same things. Little by little, I began to feel more comfortable. Whenever I looked at her, she lowered her eyes. Her modest reactions made me feel strangely soft and tender. Was it really possible that I could have a serious relationship after all?
During our conversation, I also learned that Greg, who had been at the party, had driven me home after Veronica found me unconscious near the gazebo. She told me that if it had not been for Lucy, who had been gentle and friendly with her, I might have been left there much longer. Yes, Lucy could be a very nice girl. I remembered hearing that about her too, but it had been a long time, and I found it hard to believe she was still the person Veronica described.
When we reached the college building, the area was crowded with students. Veronica suddenly stopped. At first I could not understand what was wrong because everything looked normal, but she had simply frozen in place. I followed her gaze and felt a jolt of surprise. Lucy was walking along the main road toward the college, laughing with Sarah and several other girls. Nearby, a group of guys watched their 'queen.' That would have been nothing unusual if Veronica's brother, Greg, had not been among them. The moment I saw him, I remembered whose face his had reminded me of—Veronica's. Everything suddenly fell into place. Greg had driven me home, and somewhere away from our parents' eyes, Lucy must have done to him what she had done to Eddie. Eddie himself now stood at the front of the Royal Guards, scanning the area for possible threats. The realization struck me like lightning. What I had witnessed the night before had not been an ordinary ritual. It had been an initiation into the Royal Guards.
I decided not to tell Veronica what I had concluded and tried to continue our conversation. But when I turned toward her, she was already walking toward the Royal Guards. She quickly reached Greg and grabbed his arm. Her lips moved as she tried to reason with him, but he did not seem to hear her. His eyes remained fixed on the 'queen.' Then Greg shoved Veronica aside and continued on with the Royal Guards, completely ignoring her. Veronica stood stunned, frozen in place with her books in her hands. I walked over to her.
"What's wrong?"
"Greg... he's never pushed me before... and he's with them..." She pointed toward the group of Lucy's 'fans' disappearing into the building.
"Ahhh... the Royal Guards. You're new here, so let me explain the rules of this eighth wonder of the world."
Of course, I said it with irony in my voice, but that was probably the last thing Veronica cared about. Irony had always been my main weapon in conversation.
"Tell me everything," Veronica said sadly. I decided to skip a few classes so I could give her a better idea of what she was dealing with. As I spoke, I was hit by a strong sense of déjà vu, as if this were the third time I had told her the same story. It was hard to explain, but it felt as though we had known each other for years. Veronica listened to every word. I saw sadness and rebellion in her eyes. I could almost see her forming a plan to bring Greg back to reality.
I lost track of time, and when we found ourselves in front of the college entrance again, the same scene seemed to repeat itself: Lucy walked along cheerfully with the Royal Guards following behind her. It felt so unnatural that I turned toward Veronica, ready to say something. At that moment, dark clouds swallowed the sky as though I had been pulled into a parallel reality. The colors, smells, and sounds around me faded away.
"This needs to stop." Veronica turned to me, shoved her books into my hands, and headed straight for Lucy. She looked deadly serious. Everything happened so quickly that I did not even have time to say a word. Veronica planted herself in front of Lucy, and a heated argument began. Then Sarah gave a signal, and a group of Royal Guards rushed to protect their 'queen.' I should have hurried to help, but there was no need. Like someone out of a Bruce Lee movie, Veronica began scattering the guys with a storm of kicks and punches. There was something beautiful and astonishing in the way she moved—or maybe I was simply falling in love. Either way, the Royal Guards never stood a chance. At one point, I almost felt sorry for them; I could hear every impact she landed. Then everything stopped abruptly when Veronica's eyes met her brother's. They stared at one another until a group of teachers arrived to break up the fight. At Sarah's signal, the Royal Guards immediately stopped resisting, while the teachers began separating the students involved. Everyone was reminded that fighting was strictly forbidden and that serious violations could lead to expulsion. I wanted to approach Veronica, but she was already devastated and followed the teachers who had taken hold of her first. When I called her name, she looked back at me with the hope that I could somehow save her, but there was little I could do.
I touched my forehead, and everything instantly turned upside down. We were standing in front of the college again. Veronica was still frozen in shock. The faded colors were gone, and everything around me looked normal.
"This needs to stop." Veronica turned toward me, about to hand me her books.
Wait a second, I thought. Déjà vu! It was as though I had just seen a future in which the fight led to nothing good. Now I had a chance to change it. The moment I understood that, I grabbed Veronica by the sleeve and refused to let her go.
"Do you want to get expelled for fighting?"
"I don't want Greg to become an object of ridicule!" Veronica's face turned red with anger. Her usual pallor vanished, and for a moment she looked like a she-devil plotting something dangerous.
"Trust me, beating Lucy won't change anything. It'll only make things worse." I slowly tried to bring Veronica back to her senses. Lucy and Sarah had more influence over the teachers and the college in general. It was probably better not to challenge them openly.
Veronica was still fired up. For a moment, it seemed I was only making things worse instead of calming her down. Then something finally reached her. She looked at me with open hope in her eyes.
"She's your sister. Talk to her." Veronica was gradually regaining control. Her voice softened, and the color drained from her face until her usual pale complexion returned.
"Diplomacy. I hate diplomacy..." I muttered. Passive aggression had followed me all my life, and somehow I always ended up having to negotiate with it. And now here we were again. "Okay. I'll talk to her."
I left Veronica waiting and walked toward Lucy and her friends. The girls were clearly not happy to see me. One of them, Zoe, had already made me look ridiculous after I tried to pick her up at the party, which was enough of a reminder to keep myself under control. They stopped, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed the tension rising among the Royal Guards. I silently begged myself not to do anything stupid. Sarah stood beside Lucy like the right hand of the 'queen.'
"What do you want?" Sarah asked irritably. Lucy, on the other hand, looked at me sweetly, almost like an old friend she had not seen in years.
"It's personal. A family matter," I began, but Sarah interrupted me again. She had enormous authority at the college and used it whenever she could.
"We have no secrets. Right, girls?" Sarah pronounced every word with such a sugary sweetness that I could almost taste it.
"Okay. Aunt Julie is coming. Mom wants us both home by seven, so you need to be there too." I directed the message at Lucy, although that was not really what I had come to say. Still, I knew that home was probably the only place where I would get a chance to speak with her in anything close to privacy.
"Okay, I will. But not for long. We have plans tonight." There was a faint happiness in Lucy's voice that made me uneasy because I had not heard it in a long time. "I hope Aunt Julie can read the cards for us again."
"Um... she might. I think so..." I could barely hide my surprise. Lucy had not asked Aunt Julie to tell her fortune in five years. What had changed today? After my answer, Lucy immediately headed into the building with the other girls. The meeting had gone better than I expected, though not as well as I had hoped. A moment later, Veronica came over and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Well?"
"She's kind of weird..." I said thoughtfully. The conversation with Lucy had left me with more to analyze. It felt as though she had been trying to hint at something. I decided not to share that thought with Veronica and only added, sadly, "We agreed to talk at home."
"Well, that's better than nothing. Tell her she needs to leave my brother alone." Veronica looked at me with confidence. "Greg isn't her kind of guy."
"You said he's a good wrestler. Could the guys from the wrestling team have influenced him?" I asked, just to make sure Greg had not fallen into some kind of bullying situation where accepting new rules was the price of protection.
"Trust me. Greg is hard to influence."
I sighed heavily, and Veronica and I went into the main college building together. That was exactly what I was afraid of—the ritual might have taken place when Greg brought me home that night. All day, I kept thinking about the previous night and its consequences. Moving from class to class, I kept noticing Lucy, then Sarah, then Veronica. The Royal Guards remained alert and watchful. People were talking. I overheard several students saying that the Royal Guards looked even stranger than usual. To me, though, they looked exactly the same.
Before the last class, Veronica and I agreed to meet later that evening, almost as if we had planned a date.
I stepped outside the main building to get some fresh air. Out of nowhere, a quiet voice clearly called my name. I turned around, but there was no one there. After I had walked another dozen yards, the same voice called again. I looked around, yet no one was approaching. When I turned back, I suddenly found myself standing in front of an empty college building. I turned once more and discovered that it was now night. I stood at the college entrance beneath a huge lamp that flooded me with light. Everything beyond that circle of light was pitch-black. Then a voice came from the deep darkness surrounding me. This time it was clearer and slightly rough.
"Now you've seen it, Jesse. But I don't have another chance..."
"Who's there? Where am I?" I asked nervously, cutting off the voice in the darkness. Something cracked in the yard, and a shadow emerged. It moved slowly toward me. I stared until recognition hit me, and then I froze in shock. It was Thomas, Lucy's first love. But now he was unnaturally pale, decomposed like a corpse, limping on one leg, his face covered in small scars.
"Remember me?" Thomas asked. I nodded. He grinned and continued, "Well, congratulations."
"For what?"
"You've done something neither I nor any of us could do," Thomas said bitterly. He stepped closer so I could see his face properly. His nose was broken, and he had almost no teeth. "As I'm sure you understand by now, I'm dead, and soon the police will find my body. So keep an eye on the news."
"What is going on? Where am I?" I could hardly believe what he was saying. Everything felt unreal and absurd.
"Well, first of all, the fact that you're in a parallel reality and haven't realized it yet suggests that the connection has been broken."
"What connection? What are you talking about?" I snapped. I wanted to leave, but my feet felt chained to the ground.
"How can I explain this?" Thomas paced around for a moment, thinking. Apparently, he could not find a better answer. Finally, he stopped. "It's easier to show you than explain."
Thomas grabbed my arm. Only then did my legs begin to move, forcing me to follow him. Everything around us started changing like a slideshow, revealing fragments of Lucy's history with the Royal Guards. I saw scene after scene in which Lucy lured guys to her under different pretexts and later performed a strange ritual over them. During those rituals, she cut her hands, and the blood transformed into thin threads that spread across each victim's face and body. Every man knelt before her while Lucy, like a puppeteer, forced him to copy her movements and repeat her words. I could not fully understand what I was seeing, but Lucy did not seem to be acting entirely of her own will. It felt as though something else—something alien by nature—was pressing down on her with a force she could barely endure. During the rituals, that mysterious presence allowed Lucy not merely to control the men; she became part of their bodies and consciousness, something inseparable and essential. It had been happening for years. Until now. Something had gone wrong.
I did not know what to think about what I had seen. Thomas remained silent as he led me in an unknown direction. My mind raced while I focused on the scenes unfolding around us. When I finally came back to myself, Thomas was standing in front of a wall that blocked our path.
"Where are we?"
"At the beginning," he said with a hint of uncertainty. Thomas looked at me again, as if weighing his options. "What you're about to see is the last thing I can do for you. After that, I'll disappear."
"What does that mean?" I felt completely lost. I still could not believe what I had seen.
"Since my disappearance, I've tried to stop it. As you can see, I'm in bad shape. I simply can't die, but I really want to." Thomas sighed heavily. I still struggled to believe what I was seeing. Then he continued. "Luckily for me, the connection between Lucy and that substance inside her has weakened. She's fighting it from within. I can feel it."
"I don't understand..." I began, but he cut me off.
"I know you're more than confused. It would take a long time to explain everything, and for me this is a one-way road. Only you can stop it." Thomas's expression held both sadness and relief. "Stop it before it's too late."
"But what exactly am I supposed to stop? I still don't understand..."
"You'll understand when you see it. Just walk to the end of the tunnel and open the door."
He struck the wall three times, and it crumbled into small pieces. One by one, the fragments slowly vanished into thin air. Thomas, standing beside them, disappeared with them. A tunnel opened in front of me, with a door at the far end. If I wanted to leave this parallel reality, I had to go through it. So I moved forward.
Huge images surrounded me like movie posters. Some flashed into existence and vanished in the blink of an eye; others lingered. I passed through scenes of Lucy and Thomas dating—their friendship, their first love, their first time together. When I finally stopped in front of the door, new visions appeared. Thomas and Lucy were somewhere in the countryside, lying beneath the stars. A shooting star crossed the sky, and Thomas told Lucy to make a wish. Lucy jokingly muttered something unintelligible and laughed. They looked back at the night sky and continued talking, apparently about something pleasant. Then Lucy noticed an object resembling a ruby slowly drifting toward them. It turned out to be a small pebble, light as a feather. The stone settled gently into Lucy's hand and merged with her skin without causing any pain. They both laughed and kissed passionately. Then Lucy realized that her arms were wrapping themselves around Thomas. When she looked down, she saw threads of blood surrounding him. Terrified, she tried to pull away, but nothing worked—they seemed trapped together. Thomas screamed in pain, but it was already too late. Lucy appeared to absorb his energy and could not release either of them. Suddenly, everything stopped, and Thomas collapsed, dead. Lucy stared at herself in horror and tried to cry, but the tears never came. Her sobs turned into laughter instead. Terrified, she ran away. At that moment, the final vision disappeared and the door opened. I rushed through it as fast as I could.
I found myself back at the college entrance. It was getting late, and no one was around except the security guard, who knew me and shouted something irritably in my direction. It took me a moment to understand that I was somewhere I was not supposed to be.
"Forgotten something?" the guard asked as he came closer. Only then did I fully register what he was saying.
"Yes, but I have to hurry now." I looked at my watch. It was already seven. I broke into a run. Block after block, I kept replaying what I had seen. A stone? Thomas dead? Lucy under some kind of influence? Too many questions and nowhere near enough answers.
When I reached the house, I stopped to catch my breath, then went inside as calmly as I could. Aunt Julie, Mom, and Lucy were sitting in the living room. Lucy held her phone in her hands and seemed to be waiting for something. Dad was still at work.
"Well, finally, my beloved nephew." Aunt Julie stood and greeted me with a tight hug. "How are you?"
"Everything's fine, Aunt Julie. I'm good." I smiled. My aunt studied me intently for several seconds, then smiled back. She took my hand and led me into the living room. The way she looked at me had always made me uneasy. She was a medium and, as far as I knew, a very good one. Reading cards and predicting the future was how she earned her living. Aunt Julie had never told me exactly where her abilities came from, but Mom always told a story about a meteorite. Many years ago, a meteorite had fallen near our city, and Aunt Julie had found a fragment of it. According to Mom's story, that was when Julie's abilities began to appear. Mom did not believe any of it, but my own experience suggested otherwise. Many of Aunt Julie's predictions had come true, sometimes exactly as she had described them.
"Read the cards for us today, Auntie," Lucy said as sweetly as possible. Surprisingly, Aunt Julie did not seem surprised at all, almost as if she had known the request was coming. She nodded and quickly took out a deck of cards. They were not ordinary tarot cards but a unique deck created specifically by Aunt Julie. She had once mentioned that she designed them herself based on images from her visions. And only in her hands did the cards seem to obey.
"What do you want to know? The past, the future, or the present?"
"You're telling fortunes again!" Mom gasped, clearly displeased. "Can't we have one visit a year without turning my sister's stay into a consultation with a medium?"
"It's fine. I can do it this once." Aunt Julie touched Mom's hands reassuringly. "Especially since Lucy hasn't asked me for a reading in five years."
"Fine, but only once." Mom nodded and leaned over the table with barely concealed interest while Aunt Julie shuffled the cards vigorously. I looked at Lucy. She stared at me as though trying to send me a message without speaking, then glanced down at the table. One brief look seemed enough for her to understand the layout. Then she looked back at me. I caught her eye again and realized she wanted me to pay attention to Aunt Julie.
"Hmm... a woman with a ruby necklace... someone is under a very strong influence, some girl or woman. The moon is hidden in fog, so there is some kind of shared connection, but the horseman of death... I don't understand it."
My thoughts overwhelmed me. Everything I knew began falling into place. The stone had influenced Lucy and created some kind of bond. That was why she had become this distorted version of a femme fatale. That was how the Royal Guards had come into existence. That was what had happened to all those boys. And I had recently taken part in one of those rituals myself. And Thomas... I still could not believe Lucy had killed him. Yes, it had happened by accident, but she should have gone to the police. And what exactly was that stone? My emotions threatened to overwhelm me. I wanted to shout out everything I knew, but I held back. I had to stay focused. The only way Lucy and I could communicate right now was through the reading. Aunt Julie continued, turning over one card after another.
"Strange. A dead warrior. I don't understand... servants following an image... and a house where a ceremony takes place..." Aunt Julie raised her head and gave Lucy a questioning look, but my sister only smiled sweetly. "What does this mean? That's for you to figure out."
"Not really," Lucy replied, trying to hide the fact that everything Aunt Julie had said was true.
Thomas is the dead warrior, I thought. The servants following the image are the Royal Guards, and the house where the ceremony takes place is the cottage where the parties are held. Lucy looked at me again. Was she really trying to send me a message? To me, it was becoming clear as day. Then she turned back to Aunt Julie. "That was the past and the present. What about the future?"
"Are you sure you want to know?" Aunt Julie asked, studying Lucy as if trying to see through the wall she had built around herself.
"Oh, come on. Don't make such a drama out of it." Mom stepped in. She was interested despite her objections to fortune-telling. "There are only three cards left. Just lay them out and get it over with."
Aunt Julie seemed to sense that something was wrong, but she still decided to finish the reading. She shuffled the cards again and began drawing them one by one. I closed my eyes for a second. Then I heard a familiar voice. When I opened them again, I was standing in a strange room that clearly belonged to a girl. Posters and photographs covered the walls, all framed in soft, delicate colors, and the room felt surprisingly cozy. The voice came again, and this time I knew exactly who it was.
"What's wrong with you?" Veronica asked, looking surprised.
"How did I get here?"
"Very funny. Ha-ha." Veronica looked slightly confused by my question. "You came here because you wanted to talk. You stopped remembering things right before your Aunt Julie laid down the last three cards."
"Sorry. I guess I'm just a little tired." I quickly got out of bed and forced an awkward smile. "Can I have something to drink?"
"Oh, my mistake. Would you like some coffee?" Veronica asked. I nodded. She got up and gave me an uncertain look. "Can you wait here for five minutes? Just don't go sightseeing around the house, please."
I nodded again, and Veronica disappeared through the door. I looked around the room once more. I had no memory of how I had arrived there. Apparently, I had done everything automatically, as though moving through a fog. And those final three cards—I could not remember them at all. It was as if they had been erased from my mind. I tried harder to reconstruct what had happened. I remembered Lucy's phone ringing and her stepping outside. I remembered her coming back, and Mom laughing about something with Aunt Julie. Then there was a huge blank that led to another memory: Veronica introducing me to her father. She had said we were working on some kind of project together, and her father had given me a sly grin. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not remember those three cards. Damn it!
Veronica returned carrying a tray with two cups of coffee and some cookies. I grabbed one and took a bite. Coconut. Exactly what I needed.
"I wonder what those last three cards were," Veronica said, and I knew I had to answer her. Quickly.
"Would you believe me if I told you I don't remember?" I decided to be honest instead of hiding anything from her.
"It'd be hard, but possible. So what do you think about all this?"
"I think we need to start watching them. There's something wrong with the Royal Guards, and if we figure it out, maybe we can pull Greg out of it..."
A sudden knock on Veronica's bedroom door interrupted me. Her father stood on the other side, clearing his throat loudly as though giving us time to finish whatever he imagined we might be doing.
"Vera, your friend is downstairs. She says she wants to talk to you."
Veronica looked at me in surprise. I carefully glanced out the window and saw Lucy waiting by the porch. She had not noticed me, so I quickly turned back to Veronica.
"It's Lucy," I whispered. Veronica looked even more surprised.
"Dad, I'm coming down!" Veronica called loudly. She clearly had no idea what to do.
"Play along and let her do the talking. I know you're angry, but please don't hit her."
Veronica nodded and quickly left the room. I returned to the window and watched discreetly. Lucy and Veronica stood on the porch talking. It did not last long. Less than a minute later, Lucy hurried away and Veronica came back inside.
"Well?" I asked eagerly.
"She apologized and gave me this." Veronica handed me a note. I opened it immediately. Lucy's handwriting was clumsy, as though she had written it in a hurry. My eyes widened. Suddenly, everything became clear. The note read: "Thomas was found. I can't take it anymore. Sarah is blackmailing me. Help me."
"Anything else?" I asked.
"Yes. This is all very strange, but your sister asked me to give you the note and said the last three cards showed a man on his knees, a dagger lying on a pedestal, and a broken ruby ring." Veronica was still confused, but I was not. The meaning hit me with such force that I had never been more certain of anything.
"I know how to get your brother back, but you have to promise me something."
"Um... I'm listening..." Veronica replied uncertainly, clearly unsure where this was going.
"You have to do what I tell you when I tell you. Agreed?"
"If this turns into some BDSM dynamic, I'm out." Veronica smiled. "But I trust you. You know your sister better than I do."
"Don't worry. I'm not a pervert. I just need your support." I smiled. It seemed I had not only found a girlfriend but also landed in the middle of some teenage science-fiction story about extraterrestrial beings. It was thrilling. I had never felt so happy and so anxious at the same time.
Later that evening, lying in my own bed after spending time with Veronica, I kept thinking about those three cards. The man on his knees could have been any man, even me. The dagger might represent the ritual that could break the influence of this alien invader. But Sarah, who kept pushing Lucy, was the biggest problem. Getting her out of the way would not be easy. And if she really was blackmailing my sister, removing her from the equation might be almost impossible.
From that moment on, I decided I would keep an eye on Lucy. I would study her role, look for a weak point, and wait for the right moment.
Veronica and I met every day, and I told her everything. Little by little, I guided her toward the same conclusions I had reached, and she seemed to understand. Meanwhile, I was preparing a plan to turn myself into one of Lucy's dolls. I did not want to tell Veronica about it yet. I would only do so if I failed to come up with a better plan. It would not be easy, especially after seeing how much influence Sarah had over my sister. Things became even more complicated after the investigation into Thomas's death was reopened. Just as he had told me in that strange reality, hunters eventually found his body in the forest. News of the discovery spread quickly, and afterward Sarah and Lucy began spending even more time together. Watching them became increasingly difficult. As the investigation continued, I heard that the police were considering the possibility that Thomas had been murdered and his body hidden. There were many suspects, including my sister.
As the investigation went on, I continued having strange visions similar to déjà vu. Most of them showed something unpleasant, and I tried to follow the warnings, hoping they would not fail me when I needed them most. The visions also began affecting my sleep. At night, when I could not rest, I kept asking myself the same questions: What was wrong with Sarah? What had made her this way? Why could Lucy not resist her? Had Sarah stopped being human and turned into a monster in the flesh? What drove the two of them—guilt, fear, temptation, or a sense of impunity? I had no answers, but I was determined to find them.
Hold on, my beloved sister. I'll come to the rescue soon. I hope it won't be too late.