Chapter 33: Interlude One: Scarlet - Crimson Abyss

The sloshing water of the half-emptied pool, soldiers’ movements, and relieved voices that echoed around the college recreational area picked at Scarlet’s mind as she sat on the hard, concrete floor with the confident lunar hare she’d only met hours earlier looming over her.

Scarlet’s fingers twitched in her lap as the pressure tightened around her lungs. She followed Rachel’s assured words; if she didn’t know any better, she’d think her blood was pumping in her ears, but it was a figment of her imagination.

Just remain calm, she repeated to herself, eyes closed and throwing a prayer into the aether to anything that would listen to her internal pleas, hoping the voice that was so similar to her own wouldn’t return. Just please, help me not hurt anyone I’m not supposed to... Please, let me not be insane and a psychopath... It’s not my fault! Please, I don’t want to...

Shockingly, Rachel’s words held true as she swallowed the blood in her throat, having replaced her saliva and any other liquid function of her body; her breathing evened out while drifting into a dark abyss to the pillar-like platform Rachel had described—at least, that was what the lunar hare had told her.

The voices of the soldiers bouncing off the walls and happy words exchanged between friends faded with a crack of thunder in a place so far distant she wasn’t sure if it was real; Scarlet could hardly breathe as she strained her ears, searching the emptiness that had embraced her consciousness.

It was challenging to open her heavy eyes, and the only thing that met them were flashes of lightning that guided her path through the darkness. She entered the heavens in a freefall past barren wastelands of ominous, swirling clouds that veiled her passage into wherever she fell. She didn’t know her location, only that it was not the place she’d been told.

In the eternal atmospheric storm, Scarlet saw images of her past in the occasional bolts that illuminated the dark mist, the chilling blood rain pattering her skin. At first, it came as still sparks of light before obscure voices echoed through an expansive space to reach her. Yet, the muffled sounds collected into one voice—her own—and time froze. Rachel’s nervous face appeared in her mind before it was swiftly replaced by the abyss.

"I understand... Hehe. I get it... I’m the markings of the terrified’s fears... Life’s twilight that eclipses champions slain."

Brow furrowing, Scarlet swallowed the lump in her throat while searching the void for what she was talking about, but the flashes skipped between scenes with each slow beat of her practically lifeless heart.

What am I talking about... Wait, Rachel, that’s...that’s not me? I’m not saying that...

A shiver ran down her spine as the clouds parted, revealing a limitless sea of turbulent ruby waters, seemingly enshrined by the gentle thunderstorm overshadowing it. Her gaze wandered, overwhelmed by the soft, memorable piano and organ sounds her parents enjoyed that were concomitant with her heavenly descent into this inner world she’d entered, welcoming her home.

A familiar pulse of a horror-based classical show’s slow, haunting ambiance bubbled up from somewhere deep within her, accompanied by the resonance of falling rain.

The crimson veil falling in the moderate breeze painted her naked body, and, rather than sound, she felt the cries of souls that had joined her in this eerie dance between life and death, yet the strangest part was that it wasn’t frightening but welcoming.

Eyes widening as clarity swept away her foggy mind, she discovered not rain from the supernatural blanket overhead but petals. Souls were with her now—the sand-like toads, wrapped in roses to be swallowed by the current below, and Scarlet’s mysterious voice caressed her ear.

"We finally meet... No matter what you dream, beware of what you say, for the cogwheel has burst out of place. Let the scent of poisonous flowers tempt you away; sweet deceit and pure red roses do await. Welcomed not by the light nor the night, you became the Bringer of Twilight."

Ocean waves enveloped Scarlet as she entered the boundless waters. The haunting storm above dampened but was always near, with the pattering of liquid against hard surfaces. With less fear than she expected, she sank into the crimson abyss, lured by something that had hooked her soul to bring her into a cold embrace.

Her mind flitted in and out of consciousness in the tide; the scenes of battle flitted across her thoughts as she fought the powerful alien creatures that had invaded in the last few minutes of twilight—or was it someone else wearing her skin? Darkness and light were in union overhead, drawing her awe.

Her blood brought their spirits in, wrapping them ever so carefully in maroon petals to enter the necropolis below the ocean’s embrace, a place not her own.

Without warning, the world opened up—twilight persisting—yet not in the place she’d expected to be; immobilized, her confusion dissipated at the horror that was the last place on Earth she wanted to be. Indeed, Scarlet unwillingly turned the wheel to bring the car into her driveway—she was home.

Thunder rumbled from the cloudless heavens overhead, somber music accompanying the invisible rain that peppered her body as Scarlet exited the vehicle, petrified thoughts watching yesterday’s events unfold like a black-and-white movie.

Navigating around the vehicles that littered the front, Scarlet knew what she would find inside. Neighbors, family friends, and associates of her parents that she’d known much of her life were preparing for their weekly D&D campaign—of course, she knew the truth now. This night, this cursed memory, was the last night she’d ever see her father again.

The trepidation she should have felt was blown away like the gentle breeze that drew back her curled hair as Scarlet came to the closed door, hearing laughter and merry voices within. Everything had been so typical the previous day; her eccentric, wealthy parents had nothing better to do than engage in their decades-old roleplay.

Opening the door, Scarlet remembered her feelings of frustration and annoyance when seeing the dozens upon dozens of men and women in her large house.

Her father had won the lottery shortly after marrying her mother, and ever since, thanks to successful investments in stocks and companies, they hadn’t worried about money their entire lives. Yet, her parents weren’t your typical rich folk, nor had she lived the average manner the elites and privileged basked in... Far from it.

They had traveled the world throughout Scarlet’s life, but instead of fancy hotels, extravagant restaurants, or popular tourist places, they went to the most remote, obscure areas known to man that held ancient significance to civilizations long dead. They collected goods and funded expeditions—their house was practically a museum—all to facilitate their obsession with these particular meetings.

Scarlet forced a smile and waved at Kyle and Katie—husband and wife—who lived nearby. They’d brought Veronica, their daughter, and the blonde offered an enthusiastic wave and greeting; ever since she could remember, her mother had tried to get her to befriend her weird group’s kids, which only made her want to push away further.

To her, nothing was worse than talking about her parents’ obsession—to them, passion—somehow, every new neighbor they’d gotten over the years had been pulled into their D&D Scarlet Hand roleplay. Typically, they were ordinary people, but on nights like this, they stole her hairbrush and waved it around like some kind of holy item while performing rituals.

It was harmless and mostly annoying—minus some of the damage to her personal products that her mother stole over the years—but Scarlet was convinced her parents had cursed her, at least socially.

Every friend she made over the years was moved away by their parents or fell out of touch six months after meeting them for random, sometimes ridiculous reasons; it was mean to say, but friends weren’t her thing now that she’d left school.

Oddly, her parents hadn’t been helicoptering over her to jump into college or anything else; it wasn’t like she needed money, but Scarlet wanted to get away. The problem was figuring out what she wanted to do; when she was constantly being put on a plane and flown around the world, there wasn’t much time to settle down and think about her future.

Heading for the large stairs to reach the 3rd floor, Scarlet grimaced as her mother grinned upon seeing her and hurried over; she had her brush again—hair was a big ritual thing, and apparently, a ’virgin’s’ was needed.

How they knew, she couldn’t guess, but it wasn’t like she had many options in meeting guys due to the hectic lives they had, and she’d even been homeschooled during various points in her life when staying in other countries. If that wasn’t bad enough, recently, they’d gone into ’educational’ overdrive, and it had been this way since her graduation last June.

What did that entail? A ton of trips and activities around the world that most girls would be jealous of, but ’too much of a good thing’ was a real statement. She was exhausted. Sure, they went on a lot of vacations throughout her life, but it was really just an excuse to do their role-play things...but nothing this much. Thankfully, all of that had come to an end last week.

The dull noise of the storm rumbled, and the melancholy music played in the background as if mocking her while her slightly taller mother bustled over to engage her. Scarlet crossed her arms, trying to remain neutral as her dad talked excitedly to the others.

"Hey, Mom... The big night you’ve been talking about?"

"It’s tonight! Oh, how was the little reunion Mr. Jenson set up for your schoolmates? Did you have a fun time?" she brightly asked, brown eyes shining as she practically bounced up and down, waiting to talk about her own event.

Scarlet scratched her shoulder-length hair with a short shrug. "Meh. It was whatever... I swear you had a hand in it since the theme was vampire-related. You just wanted me out of the house so you could get all your stuff put in the basement," she mumbled, rolling her eyes and getting to the meat of what she wanted to talk about so as not to drag it out. "Who is it this time, the holy apostle of Scarlet, Revilla?"

Her father chuckled while moving to join them, and, surreally, Scarlet’s vision swapped to him, seeing the annoyed crease in her own lips and unfriendly posture from a much taller vantage point than she was accustomed to.

"I get you’re not into this stuff, Sweetie, but tonight...tonight it happens—everything will change—it’s different now!"