chapter 7

It's 5:30 a.m. as I roll in my bed. A nightmare about my grandmother woke me up. Her crystal blue eyes looked at me, as if I was less then human. She always said I was an unholy child, cold bloodied. Now I know I am one. 

I sit up, my toes reaching the ground. Sweat drips from my hair. Daria was right as well. Paranoid, is what I said she was but truth had to be on her side. It always is. 

Doing my best not to wake mom I tip toe into the bathroom. The floorboards creek but not too loudly. Moonlight shines from outside makes my way visible enough and casting an eerie light. 

The handle on the bathroom door creaks when I turn it. As I turn on the lights one of them turns on and off fastly before deciding to keep shining. 

Wight tiles cover most of the surfaces. Over the sink a mirror finds its place. My hair is pushed to one side, messy. 

After I came home yesterday my eyes had that bloodshot red colour. It was the same as the red orbs in peoples chest shine. Ragging and full of wrath. It was the colour of anger. 

Now in the mirror they still aren't the midnight blue I'm used to. A purple of violets looks back at me, glaring with eyes that didn't sleep much. 

I wash my face. Not wanting to do anything I sit on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor. The chill from them passes through my clothes and nibbles my skin. I don't mind. 

What should I do now? My country fears me. A monster is what I am. I wonder what mom would say. Not that I will tell her. 

My clothes are still the same as yesterday. Full of sweat they smell quite bad. Greasy hair falls onto my shoulders. I feel as filthy on the outside as I do from the inside. A shower can solve the first problem. 

Pulling my pants down a bright yellow sticky note falls out of them. Picking it up these words are written in black ink: 

You didn't find the information you were looking for? Why don't you come and ask here: 

And an address beneath. 

It's the note from the library. I reread it again. Does it look like a promising lead? What else do I have left to try? 

Undressing my clothes fall onto the ground. There is some mud on the pants. I should wash them. 

The water in the shower is lukewarm. It doesn't go any hotter. At least it's not freezing as it is in the school changing room. 

Leaning against the wall, I release a breath that I've been holding in for the last day. Closing my eyes the water swallows me. 

I can't be an Unexplainable. 

It wasn't a problem until now. No one could tell the difference. Maybe a curse has struck me. 

People don't have red balls or whatever in they're bodies 

That's what my grandma told me. Taught me. I learned to push it back contain it. Until I stopped seeing them. And forgot about it. Can't I go back to that? 

Staggering out of the shower I grab a towel and dry myself. Purple eyes still glare at me through the mirror. They piss me off. 

"What?" 

Yelling at my own reflection now. What's wrong with me? 

The purple eyes look at me full judgment. They laugh at me. I sigh and walk out of the bathroom sticky note in hand. 

I find some blue Sweatpants and a shirt. My mom starts to move about when I get dressed. Probably making breakfast. I go to join her. 

She looks a bit startled at seeing me but then smiles at me. It feels empty and unauthentic, overdone. My eyes caught her attention. 

"Mom?" 

"Yes honey?" 

"Let's move back to your home town." 

A look of shock passes her face. Then she remembers that she expected this, wanted this. Nodding a few times she sighs. 

"I'll start planning for it." 

A smile flickers on her face. I don't feel like returning it. 

"Did something happen? You know you can tell me." 

"No everything is fine." 

There is no need to tell her. I have always been self-sufficient. Mom looks worried but doesn't say a word. She never does. 

An awkward silence falls between us. I shift uncomfortably. Mom's got her day off today so she won't be going anywhere. Its been a while since we spent some time together. A while since we had any interest in each others lives. 

I don't know were to begin. Besides I have to check out the place on the sticky note. 

"I've got to go... to the library" 

She wouldn't let me go if she knew were I was actually going. A streak of sadness crosses her face but again she smiles and nods. It's becoming annoyingly repetitive. 

I put my sunglasses on and leave the house. Searching the location on my phone I take the first bus going in that direction. 

The buildings become more and more luxurious with every bus stop. After passing the centre they start to become more worn down and old. We're I'm going isn't even part of the capital. 

I get off on the last stop. Still not were I want to be I decide to walk there. The roads all look the same. Dull and gloomy the snow doesn't and much winter wonder to it. 

The map's on the web are broken. I have tried multiple of them and yet I seem to go in circles. What's worse is that I'm in the most dangerous part of the region. 

All the streets surrounding the place on the note are easy to find. But the one I want to go to? Nowhere to be found. 

If it looks bad were I live it is quite a disaster here. Buildings fall apart, roads are broken. Asking someone certainly isn't an option. There eyes shoot knives at me. 

It's been an hour of this and I'm starting to lose hope. Maybe the sticky note is a false lead. A joke of some sort. I should have thought this through in more detail. 

Bright neon colours catch my eye up ahead. A roadside motel with a label shining in vividness more then the whole neighbourhood combined. Which isn't a lot but still. 

Walking to the motel I spot a group of odd looking people. They're faces are dirty of what seems to be coal. There are tails swishing about them. Dark eyes with red flames glare at me. 

I panic. Unexplainables. Like from a fairy tale. Not one but 5 of them. I've never seen so many. And they don't hide their features at all. No hats for the hornes... or even shoes to cover their hooves. 

They're right in front of the entrance no way to pass them. Isn't there a back door or something? 

Am I not here to find information about Unexplainables? Is this not expected? After all aren't I one of them? Maybe they aren't that dangerous to me. 

Coming closer there eyes stick on me. Studying. 

"Oi girl ain't you lost?" 

The others laugh. Stay silent. The last thing you want to do is show fear. I hold my head high and don't let my step waver. 

They stand in front of the door not letting me pass. 

"Whatcha doing in this part of town?" 

"None of your business"

He leans closer red sparks flaring in his eyes.

"It's all of my business lady. We guard who comes into this hotel." 

We glare at each other for a while. Then he smirks. 

"Take your sunglasses off." 

I hesitate. Fingers brushing over them. 

"Go on." 

They get tangled up in my hair but I manage to get them off. Without them I feel exposed. 

The Unexplainable's eyes lose some of it's sharpness still cautious. 

"Did a note send you here?" 

Note? Does he mean the yellow sticky note from the library? 

I nod. He gives me a slightly pitiful glance. A feeling of worry spread to me. In different circumstances I'd be a bit offended. 

The Unexplainables move from the door letting me pass. It's painted white as the snow. Old fashioned but elegant. The handle into the shape of a fire bird. It's made of some mysterious red metal. 

When I touch it it's warm. Hard to open I have to put my weight against it to open. With a creek it slames open making me stumble. 

I expect to here snickers from the Unexplainables outside. No sound can be heard. Looking over my shoulder they aren't there. 

Back inside a hotel lobby greats me. A couple of chairs and a front desk. A man dripping of water sits on one of them. Green hair falls over his fish like skin. 

Short hairy men wander the hall. I don't have time to observe the others because the desk lady calls at me. 

"Hello what can I help you with?"