Tales from Terminus

[Shaon]

I awoke in my bed, in pitch darkness, and with one hell of a headache.

I rolled over, hoping to fall back asleep. I had work in the morning, didn't I?

Well, I would've rolled over, if I didn't roll straight into the wall.

... A wall?

My bed's on the second bunk, I would've fallen to the ground, not into a wall.

Wait-

The memories rushed back to me.

Her.

I rolled off where I was sleeping, looking around with haste.

Why am I not getting killed? Why am I not being interrogated?

... Where the hell am I?

Okay, self, get your bearings.

The room is bare and concrete, with two doors.

There is a broken fan attached to the ceiling, covered in claw marks and missing chunks of blades.

The door behind me was locked. Probably padlocked.

The door in front of me was wide open, however.

It was a balcony, giving me the only source of light.

The light of the city.

And right on the edge of the unrailed balcony was Her, standing as if she were contemplating falling.

My bed was hastily made, out of spare cloth and bedsheets, but was surprisingly comfortable.

I stood up, silently, staring at the silhouetted DEMON before me.

There's a rough carving of what I think is an E on the floor, I didn't notice that.

The carving that was on the brick on the north tower was a part of the carving.

I took a step forward, a single step.

She turned, startled, looking ready to kill.

Her eyes laid upon me, and Her features immediately softened, her posture more relaxed.

"Oh," She said, in a voice like sandpaper, "You're awake."

She was partially illuminated by the lights of Terminus, Her two sets of horns and Her pair of wings being lighted most.

"I'm... I apologize that I could not get to you sooner, they... didn't believe me."

She was the one who took steps now, though She barely needed to.

She reached out Her long and emaciated arm, delicately pushing the hair from my face using Her clawed fingers.

I stood stock still, frozen from fear.

"They don't believe me anymore. They think I'm crazy. They wouldn't be able to, of course, they never met you. Isn't it ironic, though? They tortured their namesake."

... What?!

"Name... sake?" was all I could squeak out.

She froze for a second, blinking.

"They... don't call you Hellcat anymore, Alestis? It kind've makes sense, but he named you that before I was around... though... after... what happened... I guess I wouldn't wanted to be associated with myself, either."

She looked down, Her eyes unfocusing.

"I... god, I... I didn't mean to... they were... and they... I couldn't let them..."

She blinked repeatedly, Her eyes... tearing... up?

I stood frozen at this sight.

"Oh, dear god, Al... I'm sorry. I've screwed you up so much, and yet you still come and find me."

She suddenly locks me in this hug.

She feels like a skeleton.

"Damn, I'm crying... Wait a minute, will you, I need to compose what's left of myself."

She lets me go, holding Her head and closing Her eyes tightly.

My legs decide to stop holding weight, and I collapse to the ground as well, still in complete shock over what just happened.

After a minute or so, she lets go of her head, and she has indeed stopped crying.

She just gazes at me.

"You've changed a lot since I last... saw you."

She crouches down, next to me, lightly touching my ear.

"More cat-like... you were always a big fan of cats, though. But your mom wouldn't let you have one."

She averted her eyes.

"My aunt gave me one after you left the first time. It's probably dead now. Cats don't live for 30 years."

She let go of my ear, looking at me again.

"But you haven't changed at all, and I have. It's like my dreams."

She sighed, standing up.

"I don't know how you found and entered my city, Al, but I expect that you were leaving when my Hellcats found you. Do not worry, for we will supply you with all you need for your journey."

She turned, looking again into the light of Terminus.

Her shirt was torn at the back. She had a marking that was identical to the carving on the floor.

"Though, I'm not sure where we are... we could be in Alberta, for all I know."