Page 44 of Poison

Kevin’s voice cuts through my shock bringing me back into the present, the words playing on repeat in my head. I take off down the street to my left, away from everything here, pumping my arms and legs as fast as I can. What the hell do I do now? Where do I go?

Clearly, I’ve underestimated how powerful Kevin really is and I know he will be able to handle himself now. My ears pick up the sound of fighting as I slow my pace, so I look over my shoulder towards the mouth of the street. It’s complete chaos; the magic users must be throwing everything they have at Kevin.

Don’t stop, you idiot!I mentally chastise myself. I know he can handle himself, but my mind keeps bringing back the picture of him now,how didn’t I know he could change his size to that?

Focus!

It kills me to leave him there facing off with the three of them, but I don’t know if I will be much use. From the sounds I can hear, he’s holding his own back there, so I set off again, running down to the end of the street and turning right.

What do I do? Where do I go?

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Ican’t go back to the flat, because they will probably think to look there. Crap! I’m in the human world and I haven’t got a clue about anything.Trust your instincts!I let Kevin’s words guide me, slowing my pace enough to try and pull as much oxygen into my lungs as possible. Whatever it is hiding within me better show its head again soon. I get to the end of the next street and stop, the sounds of fighting have died down. I take a minute to try and slow my heart rate.

Think, Poison!

I let my feet guide me like I’m auto-pilot, taking off down the street to my left, then right, until everything feels like it’s become a blur. The anxiety and adrenaline begin to subside the further I go, the feeling of urgency no longer there. Slowing my run into a brisk walk, I look around and take in my surroundings. Then I freeze.

I’ve gone so much further away from the streets I recognise, it’s kinda scary. People swarm the streets going about their lives, laughing and joking.

Guilt floods me knowing I’ve left Kevin behind, but knowing my best friend, those magic users don’t stand a chance.

Food, I need to some food and then I can decide on my plan of action because my stomach is trying to eat me from the inside out, I’m that hungry.

There’s a café on the corner with a seating area outside that looks good, and I check the road before crossing. I don’t want to be nearly run over by a car again. Once I’ve stepped onto the opposite pavement, I spot a woman in a suit eyeing up the only available table at the café. We both power walk towards it, and I manage to slide into a seat as she tries to sit down. She stops mid-sit, eyes narrowed on me.

“Are you going to move?” she snipes. “This was my seat.”

I shrug my shoulders, saying nothing but not breaking eye contact with her either. Even though the wordssnooze you loseare on the tip of my tongue. I fold my arms across my chest, my eyes firmly on her. She’s still perked in the half sit position, her butt barely touching the cold metal of the chair.

“Delinquent,” she growls, pushing to her feet, then storms off down the street muttering something.

“What can I get you today?” a soft tinkling voice says.

I look up to find a girl in a white shirt and black dress, standing at the side of my table with a small notepad in hand.

“Erm,” I mutter quickly grabbing a hold of the menu and scanning the neatly printed writing. “Can I have this, please?” I say, pointing to something on the menu I can’t pronounce. “And a glass of water, please?”

“Sure, can do,” she says with a friendly smile, scratching her pen against her notepad to write down my order.

Rubbing my hands together, I’m itching to ask her some questions so I can try and figure out where in Ravenshard I am, because this doesn’t look anything like the area around my flat. No, this looks like one of those rich people towns you see on the mundane TV shows, the ones where the kids all go to expensive schools and have access to a load of money that they can spend whenever they want.

The thought that I’m kind of one of those, in the sense I have access to a load of money that I can spend however I want, makes me smile.

The girl brings my glass of water over and tells me that my food shouldn’t be long now. I smile softly at her, muttering a thank you as she continues with her job. I find myself getting lost watching people in the motions of their life, wondering what they would do if they knew about everything that they can’t see. Would they be able to continue on as they’re now or would it look like something out of the TV show I watched once, with loads of zombies?

A repulsive smell assaults my senses, making me want to gag. A plate is laid down in front of me, and the steaming pile of contents has me frowning as the smell becomes more prominent. I glance up to see the girl looking at me with confusion on her face, then my eyes drop back to the weird goo in front of me.

“What’s this?” I ask nauseated.

“It’s what you asked for,” she replies. “Tlokheh.”

“Okay,” I say, my tone thick with confusion. “That is?”

She chuckles as I rub at my nose trying to clear the smell from it. I look over at the other table seeing a group of women chattering, one of them has the same dish as me and she’s tucking into it eagerly.

“It’s lentil and noodle soup,” she says after a beat of me staring at the other table.

---