Mabel Martin

Sun rose. I walked out towards the town nearby. I should go away from Riverlook to Silversteele, maybe. I don't know any other places. I walked, my head hanging low. I killed a man yesterday. I am a murderer.

The beast followed my order throughout. I was the one controlling it. I can't believe I turned into such a cruel person. Was I in a trance? Was there any need to kill him? My heart beat fast at the thought of it. Am I going to get punished for this? What did I do? Why I always jump to problems?

I walked down to a very narrow alley. It is cold here. There are tall buildings sticking close to each other. They all look old and haunted. They all are dirty. How do people live here? I saw a man walking towards me from the opposite side. He can't walk properly. He is drunk. Come on! It's only 6 in the morning. And you are already drunk? I should get away from him as fast as I can.

I hang my head low avoiding his eye contact. I walked very fast, my heat threatening to jump out of my chest. I walked past him. He seemed to be too drunk to care. I looked behind me to check the man one last time and I saw him looking at me, just standing there.

I stopped on my tracks too. I looked at him with so much confidence that I don't know where I got from. He was staring at me. Why is he staring? Does he know I am the cursed boy of Riverlook? Does he know I can conjure a beast? Does he know I killed him? No, he doesn't. There is no chance. Then why? Stop. Staring. At. Me. NOW.

His eyes widened suddenly. He backed off and ran away from me. What on the earth just happened? Are all humans like this? Or is it because he is drunk? Thank God, for a second I thought I was caught.

With a deep sigh, I walked ahead. I don't even know what I am looking for. Or where I was going. I am just walking. Now an elderly lady is walking towards me. Just leave me alone. She looks so old. Maybe more than 100. Her eyes are so deep in her head and her nose is pointed. There is a huge bump on her back. She is carrying a basket in her hands. Wonder what's inside.

She stopped a few feets ahead of me. She is looking at me. Why is she staring at me like that. Does she know me? Why are all the people here looking at me? Because I look more neat than them all. The people here are disgusting. She is trying to scare me? Alright then. I looked at her too. I am not afraid of anyone.

"Of course, you don't have to be afraid." She said, chuckling.

What? Did I say that aloud?

"Of course not, dear." She said making direct eye contact, never breaking. I am starting to get uncomfortable. What is she doing? I said that aloud, didn't I? Who is she?

"Oh me? My name is Mabel Martin. You can call me Mabel." She said. What on the earth? She is now laughing out loud. Her voice is eerie. It's scary. I just stood there frozen. What on the earth_?

Oh!

She can read minds. I should be careful.

"You can't hide anything from me, honey. The more you try to hide, the more I know."

Ok. I am done. I am really bad to stop my thoughts. Whenever I try to stop thinking, I think about not thinking and it leads to more and more thinking. She will know everything within seconds. My demon, my crime and my beast.

"Beast? What do you mean by your beast? Do you own a beast?" She asked, confused.

Oh my God. Why can't I close my mind? Why do I think a lot? She is going to get what I mean by that. She is going to know. Then I am done. I should think of something else. What else? Emma. She broke my heart. She is getting married soon. I lost her. Who is she getting married to? What is it in him that isn't in me? Why did she choose him over me?

"What_?" Her question was rudely interrupted with a man running and screaming at the same time.

"THERE IS A BEAST IN LOSE! JOSH WAS FOUND DEAD. HE WAS ATTACKED BY A BEAST. STAY AWARE!"

He screamed at both of our faces. Why does he have to scream? We are standing right here. He should have said it more… less-freaked out way. Who won't be freaked out? There is a beast in lose. Sadly, that's me.

Wait a minute.

She can read minds.

I screwed it.

I looked at her and saw her eyes narrowing at me. She heard it. She is taking time to process it. That's a very easy clue I had given her. She can crack it easily. Anyone would have get that. Why isn't she running away from me?

"You come with me right now." She said and walked back deeper into the alley. Her voice was demanding. There is no other choice for me. She knows it. She is going to turn me into the police.

"No, dear no. You are safe here. Stay close. Don't lose your way here."

We both walked down the alley and it grew darker per step. Where is she taking me? I don't even know which place this is. Precisely, I had no clue that such a place existed in Riverlook. This is the contradiction of what I heard and read about. This place isn't filled with lively people using magic, this place is… empty. No people, no magic. Deep eerie silence.

She stopped by a shop. It is more like a cave than a shop. It's dark. The glass case was dusty. A very old board says 'Dixon's' something. I can't figure out what the rest says. Maybe it's a bar. Should I go in?

"Of course, come in darling. It's now your place too."

She gave a very sweet smile. That made me remember Emma again. Why is she still in my brain? I should do something to shut her out of my head.

I walked in and saw so many people around. Some passed out drunk. Some talking garbage. Some dancing. I hate drunk people. They all are idiots. Drinks make men lose sense.

I rolled my eyes and walked behind the old lady. She went to the bartender and handed him the basket in her hands. He took it with a very fake smile. He looks like a man about my age, maybe older than me. She went to him and sat on a chair at the counter. I hesitated, but joined. He placed two large glasses of something I don't know. I don't know what is happening in my life. I don't know where I am. I don't know how I am going to survive. All I know is I emptied the whole cup in one swing. Mabel laughed out loud at me. The bartender had a grin on his face. Why is he grinning like that?

"Theo, meet this young man here, Austin." She said to the bartender.

He extended his hands for me to shake. I looked from him to his hands. I thought for a moment. Where have I seen it before? Oh yes. This has happened to me before. Exactly the same situation. Me being alone. Some unknown person trying to become friends with me. I sighed at the thought and gave my hands to shake.

"I am Theodore Dixon. I own this bar."

"Austin Tyler. I own nothing."

It's true. I have nothing with me. No one with me. I have always been that way. Yesterday I thought that I am not alone in this world. Because she was by my side. Now I am alone. No one is even going to notice my absence. No one knows I am missing. That means I am just lost. I am so lost.

"Oh Theo, have you heard about Josh? And give this heartbroken young man some more drinks, please."

"Yeah. Heard Josh was attacked by a beast. He deserved to die, by the way. Wonder who did that."

"Then it's your lucky day. Here he is."

She said, chuckling at Theo's shocked expression. His eyes scanned mine for a second and I presented him with my most fake smile.

"Did you_?

"Yeah, it was me. Got any problem with that?"

"Mabel, you found him. You are such a piece of precious jewel. But how can I trust him… and you?"

She laughed again. "He conjures a beast whenever he feels like hurting someone. Beast can be made from anything like bricks, am I right?"

"Yeah yeah go ahead."

"He went in search of shelter for a night. And Josh, as who he was, took out his anger on him. He doesn't know that who he was trying to hurt has already had enough."

I grew silent. She is talking my mind out. And hearing it out made me realise everything. I have had enough. I want to do something I always loved to do. What was it again?

"Don't think about your previous life here, darling. Start one. This is Reasel town. And thank me, I found someone for you already. Theo will explain the job. And one more thing… forget her, there is no hope. And besides, if you find the one…" Her voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned to my ears. I was too drunk to back away. "...you will lose the rest."

She laughed as she emptied her glass. She stood up and left. I sat there and watched her leave. She is really something. Even at this age!

"So Mr. Tyler_"

"Call me Austin." It came out as an order. I didn't want it to be that way. But the drink in my head made me. Moreover, I don't want to be known by my family name.

"Ok ok. Firstly you need to name yourself. Like a code name. Choose one and I will be right back."

He went to attend a table and I sat there deep in thought. I got a chance to name myself. What can it be? He said code names. Like Red wolf, stone heart, devil's eye. I chuckled at the thought. Imagine being called as the devil's eye. It would be so funny. Before I could stop my laughter, Theo came in.

"Why are you laughing? Got something?"

I laughed throwing my head back.

"Imagine being called as Devil's eye. It's so gross. Why one should want themselves to be called as Devil's eye?" I laughed and Theo joined. We both are so drunk. I don't remember how many glasses of drinks I had. But you got the idea.

"I will name you."

We both placed our elbows on the counter supporting our heads. He stared into me and I stared at him. I don't even know what I am doing. Whatever that was in my glass is now in my veins and brain and every cell of my body.

"Let's call you Ace. Because I know you are going to do great."

"What am I going to do?"

"It's written in this contract. Read it and sign at the bottom page. You can't break any rule. If you do, you die. I will get you a pen."

I waited for him to come back and he did. I signed at the end and he did some kind of spell. I don't know what it is. Like I would understand. Magic has always been a difficult area for me.

"Very well then. I will show you your staying place. Come with me."

He walked me to the door leading to another alley. He began to walk ahead of me in to the alley and stopped by a not so tall building. It is written all over the house that it is haunted. It's going to be fun, living with ghosts. We walked in. It looks like a appartment. Maybe that's what they meant. But ended up being a haunted house. Bad engineer. It look more large from inside. How long did I walk today? All my energy is lost. Besides I didn't had any food from yesterday afternoon.

"I am hungry, Theo."

"We can arrange that. Everything is in your fingertips, Ace."

We walked to the person who was sitting at the other side of the dusk. Theo stood in front of him. He looked from his newspaper, to Theo and back to the news paper.

"A room for Ace."

That man looked at me to Theo. He snapped his fingers and a key came flying towards us. We followed the key untill it found it's right door.

"Home sweet home!" He chanted before entering the room. I stopped in my tracks. Why is Theo being like her all the time? Why?

"Can I take a nap?"

"Yeah, be there at the bar at 3 in the evening. Go so much to do."

He left. What to do? Where am I again?