Endeca (The Escapism Series) (13 page)

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“Off I go. See ya’ll tonight,” I said. The art of keeping up appearances was becoming easier every day.

I texted Nicholas:
You coming to the party tonight?

N: Are you?

X: Yes, with my usual partners in crime

N: Tied up now but I can meet you there…

X: Great, see you then

No smiley faces or winks. Just concise, one sentence responses. I couldn’t help but read into that as him still being morose over the incident with Orion. He acknowledged it at the least but was in no condition to face the consequences bestowed upon us. Technically, Orion used us both to get what he needed…wanted.

Shortly after, Marla and Calliope reconvened at my place for a pre-drink. Drinking wine, preferably red, was a beloved ritual of ours before a night out.

“Is Landon coming tonight?” Calliope asked, casually.

“Are you kidding? He wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said, giggling, “Don’t worry, I told him to invite one of his sexy friends for you too,” she said, clairvoyantly.

“Yay,” she squealed, appeased.

“Stupid question here,” I said, giggling nervously. “Did he mention anything about Nicholas?” The wine was starting to get to me most apparent in my slurred speech.

“Are you two fighting or something?” Marla asked, concerned.

“
Fighting?” I yelped, continuing, “Yes, that’s exactly it.” Diplozoe or human, when it came to matters of the heart, it all boiled down to fidelity. It so happened to be breached for Nicholas and myself thanks to Orion.

“He mentioned running into Nicholas earlier today but that was about it,” she said, sighing quickly. “Oh wait, Landon mentioned seeing him with another girl. She’s probably just a colleague or something.”

Or something. Revenge perhaps? It didn’t seem suited as the person who deserved retaliation was Orion, not me. I chalked it down to the alcohol…it was messing with me.

We walked over to the subway and headed south bound. Many rode the subway heading downtown to the main entertainment district, which was especially lively over the weekend. The ride was smooth and fun as usual. Calliope caught the eye of a passenger amongst his entourage. He coyly stared at her while taking heat from his friends. They jabbed and nudged him to make an advance.

“Make a move, make a move,
make…a…mooooove
,” I whispered inadvertently staring into the eyes of her admirer. Both Marla and Calliope chuckled, struggling to contain themselves.

Her admirer hesitantly stood up. Either Calliope’s allure expanded or I had flexed a skill that awaited flexing. I gasped, beguiled that my intended joke had inadvertently summoned him.

“Let me help the poor guy,” I said, swiftly waving him over.

“What’d you do that for?” Calliope scowled.

“At the rate he was going, we’d reach our stop before he made a move,” I responded slyly. “I think he’s shy.”

“I don’t like him already. See what you’ve inflicted on me now,” she hastened to whisper as he sat beside her now in our company.

“Hey,” he mustered coyly. “I didn’t mean to stare. I couldn’t help it, you’re very beautiful. I don’t usually approach girls on the subway and ramble on like this, especially in front of her friends. I’m Zack.”

Marla and I nodded in polite acknowledgement.

“Don’t worry. She’s used to it. This one time, a guy actually proposed to her. She said no of course and then it got ugly with a restraining order and stuff…so yeah,” Marla overzealously divulged. She loved meeting new people and her excitement was evident.

“Got it. No proposing on the first date,” he said, smiling awkwardly.

“That’s what you got from this?” Marla winced, disappointed by him taking her cautionary tale too lightly.

“Um, okay. Let’s go for a walk, Morris.” She grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the far end of the subway cart. His two other friends stared in awe, coming over to join us as well.

“Looks like they’ve hit it off,” said a lanky guy, sheepishly. He cunningly winked at Marla.

“I have a boyfriend,” Marla snapped, turning to face me. Her expression ran wild with excitement.

“So do I,” he winked again. Maybe it was his thing, or quite possibly a twitch. “I’m Arthur but you can call me Artie. This is Jazz.”

We both nodded in salutation, staring between the two of them and then each other. “
Oooooh
, okay,” we hummed in unison.

The quiet one smiled agreeably at first before his face dropped, overrun by disbelief.

“Oh, oh-no,” he shook his head. “I’m not
his
…I’m not gay. I’m very straight...like this guy,” he said, sheepishly pointing toward a man’s man (and evidently so) dressed in sports gear holding a gym bag; he shook his head side to side, against Jazz’s favor.

Marla and I looked at one another straining to withhold an imminent fit of giggles.

“Of course,” Jazz said, sarcastically.

“How does it feel to be outed?” Marla asked, playfully.

“I was never
in
to begin with.”

“Sure,” she snickered, rolling her eyes.

We reached our subway stop and the guys rose along with us.

“Are you girls headed to the grand summoning?” Artie asked, clarifying, “You know of the party right?”

Grand summoning?  Stupid, stupid Orion.

“But of course,” I strained sarcastically.

“Mind if we join you ladies on the walk over? I promise to keep my buddy here in check,” he smirked, playfully at his friend who snarled back at him.

“Sure, we’re all headed there anyway,” Marla replied, indifferently.

“I’m harmless, really,” Jazz replied in his defense.

“You sure about that?” Artie teased, wrapping his arm around Jazz’s shoulder, tussling his hair. “Jazz never approaches girls on the subway or in public domain for that matter.”

He pushed Artie off, sighing in frustration. “Hey, I talk to girls. It just so happens they don’t talk back—big difference.”

Marla wrinkled her brow. “Aw,” she mirrored kindly, “It’s hard meeting new people.”

“You don’t say,” Jazz sighed, continuing, “You’d think a gay wing-man would work to a straight guy’s advantage but clearly not,” he scowled at his friend.

“That all depends,” Artie deliberated, continuing, “If you were trying to pick up a drunken girl, then yes, but if you were trying to converse with a girl, then no—I’m personable, what can I say,” he grinned, ear to ear. His mischievous allure was infectious.

“It’s true. I like you already,” I agreed, cracking a smile as Artie chuckled, getting a rise out of his friend. “I’m still not feeling you, Jazz.”

Marla looked away, avoiding eye contact. “No comment.”

“Well, I guess it’s settled. I’m a big loser,” he muttered, accidentally bumping into a pedestrian who was rather annoyed. “Watch it,” the stranger grumbled pushing past Jazz.

“My bad,” he said, with his hands up in defense.

“Tonight is so not your night. Come here, Jazz,” Marla whispered, holding her arms out in pity.

He graciously accepted her pity hug, progressively grinning. “Hey, from where I stand, things are already starting to look up.”

Marla rolled her eyes. “I need some cash. I’ll quickly run inside. Do you mind?” she paused to ask as we passed a local bank.

“I’ll loan you some cash—interest-free,” Jazz offered, grinning devilishly.

“No thanks. I have a strange feeling I’d somehow be indebted to you,” she snickered.

Calliope and the others continued to walk ahead, while Marla and I headed to the bank. Marla quickly withdrew money, as there was only one functioning machine. I decided upon back up cash myself.

Marla’s cell phone rang. “It’s Landon. I’ll take it outside,” she excused herself, while chatting amicably on her phone.

I rummaged through my wallet, finding my card wedged between two other points cards. As I pulled it out, it fell to the ground. “Shit,” I grumbled, bending down to pick it up. That very moment, I heard a loud cracking sound—a sound I had only heard in movies. A horrid sound I never thought I’d hear firsthand ever in my life. I turned to face the exit where only seconds ago, a blissful carefree Marla stood. Instead, she lay on the ground as a mysterious man made off with her purse.

I ran outside, falling to my knees beside my wounded friend—more than a friend, she was family. My heart thrashed violently, but I felt it not just against the wall of my chest, but through my head. My skull felt as though it cracked just a little as the blood rushed, pooling down toward my lower limbs.

“Marla! What happened?” I cried hysterical.

“It…I don’t know…it happened so fast,” she said, coughing. “He said something about…my purse…he took it,” she said, feeling the ground around her, while her other hand rested over her wound. She was shot in the abdomen and there was a lot of blood—too much blood. She shut her eyes and I wept uncontrollably.

“It’s okay, s-stay with me. I’ll get us help,” I stuttered as Calliope and Zack ran back toward us in what felt like slow motion. Everything around us moved slowly, except for the erratic, rapid beating in my head and chest. Calliope stooped to Marla’s other side, her face grave with worry.

“I’m calling for help,” Zack reassured, panic-stricken. Artie and Jazz looked around, scrambling to do something.

“We’ll go look for help,” Jazz hollered, as they took off in different directions. “Help!” They both screamed, one after the other until they were too far to hear.

I removed my cardigan, using it to compress the wound over her abdomen, but there was too much blood.

“Cal, go to the convenience store down the street, we need gauze—lots of it,” I ordered.

I didn’t want her to witness what happened next
.

She nodded, smearing blackened tears from her eyes before scurrying off.

My heart rate escalated and the surge of sadness and anger immersed into every cell of my being. My blood boiled and something felt ready to rip through my flesh, I reached my breaking point, unleashing a scream at the top of my lungs. A bright light, a warm healing light emanated from my hand and I instinctively pressed it over her wound.

A Cyclopod dropped beside Marla, crackling in the gravel. I panted wildly, ferociously craning my neck to look up at him.

His face turned ghostly white. “What…the fuck?” he stammered, backing away. “Your hands…your eyes…they’re bleeding!”

“
GO…AWAY!
” I growled a sound from a different dimension. He was insignificant to me and the last thing I needed was to explain myself to someone I barely knew.

Zack picked up his cell, tripping a little in the process as he quickly ran off, kicking the sparse gravel aside.

“Marla?” I cried in shambles as she coughed up blood, struggling to speak. “Please don’t leave me.”

“Xenia…I don’t feel so good,” she strained, continuing, “I can’t…breathe.”

“Keep trying, Marla. Help is on the way,” I reassured, although self-doubt consumed me.

The beautiful sparkle of light I saw in her eyes day in and out was fading all too quick. She gasped and her chest stopped moving.

I could see Calliope running back with lights and sirens of emergency in tow…all too little too late. I rose and everything started to move quicker again. With one last look at Marla, I left.

There was nothing else I could’ve done to help her.

The wind briskly stroked my cheeks as I ran faster and faster through it. I slowed down to a walk, turning through an alleyway. My rage intermixed with Styx’s—she empathized for me and urged me to seek retribution at once. I was confused for the most part, uncertain with which sensations and thoughts were my own. Was Styx trying to rip through me or was it my own anger and fear.

As I walked through the alleyway, I startled the homeless hiding in the shadows; some were scrambling away, while others stared in awe. It felt like I was walking but I couldn’t feel the ground.

“Hey baby, where you going?” called out a drifter lurking from behind. “I’m talking to you,” he shouted, drunkenly throwing a bottle.

I continued to walk, rubbing the tears from my cheeks. “Stay…away,” I growled something fierce. With everything happening so quickly and with Styx feeding the fire that burned my being, I was ready to unleash something unfathomable.

He neared me, grabbing my arm. I turned to face him, instantly throwing him up against the wall.

“I don’t have time for you,” I said, robotically. Although I wanted to snap his neck, I continued walking, channeling my emotion toward the appropriate target. Every second of my existence blackened with rage I had never quite felt before. It was an entirely different level of being and the wind churned around me tremulously. The sky darkened and the wind brought forth rain. With my hands stained of Marla’s fresh blood, I transitioned to the darker side of the River Styx that I had visited before…with Orion.