All the while, I continue the walk back to our apartment, a little glimmer of hope niggling its way into my heart. With the exception of Stacy’s characters, my drawings have mainly been dedicated to the images of the different things I’ve seen when I blackout. It would be nice to draw things people appreciated.
Ever since these strange visions started increasing in frequency, I’ve been worried I wouldn’t be able to find another job. Premonitions or not, I knew Jeanine had it out for me. I have no idea what her issue was, but I knew it was only a matter of time before she fired me.
With a job I can do from home, it won’t matter whether I have the occasional vision or two. Maybe getting fired will give me theopportunity to put my art out into the world. “You really think I can get away with charging that much for my art?”
“Oh, for sure. In fact, you can probably charge more, but it might be an easy way to put your name out there first. My friends will see it as an amazing opportunity to get affordable character art that’s absolutely stunning.”
A new sense of excitement zips through me. Rushing up the flight of stairs, I fish out my keys and jab them into the lock. As soon as I push the door open, a head of messy blonde hair pops up from behind the couch.
Stacy peers over at me with a wide grin before ending our call. “Does this mean you’ll do it?”
Cleo, my adorable black cat, suddenly appears and rushes to the door, weaving happily between my legs. I scoop her up into my arms, and she immediately begins purring. Stacy’s words replay in my head. Oh gods, I want this. I want to start living my life and chasing my dreams. I want to be brave and take a chance. I nod eagerly. “Let’s do it!”
She jumps up from her spot on the sofa and throws her arms up into the air. She whoops with joy before she does this happy dance that makes it look like she’s jogging in place. “Yes! Let’s do this,” she repeats. “But first, let’s head over to the thrift store. I’m making you a badass Halloween costume. Now that you’re free from that dumb toy shop, we are going to party at Club Sip tomorrow. We’re freaking celebrating!”
Thirty minutes later, we’re in our favorite thrift store downtown. “What do you think about this one?” I ask, holding up aSpider-Manbodysuit. With my slim body and the fake muscles built into the suit, I’d look pretty damn hot. Honestly, I’m surprised it’s still here the day before Halloween. I flip over the price tag and wince. “Yeah, okay. Never mind,” I say, jamming the hanger back onto the rack. It’s way too expensive.
“No way. I told you I’m making you a costume. Plus, there will be so many superheroes this year with the new movie coming out.”
“True.” My mind wanders to the teenagers I saw earlier. I want to stand out for once. I want to feel pretty or look handsome. Moving from foster home to foster home and changing schools so many times throughout my life, I’ve learned how to fade into the background. To blend in so I don’t draw any unwanted attention. To hide my sparkle.
Stacy sorts through the clothes like she’s on a mission. As if reading my mind, she peers over at me. “Let’s do something unexpected. It’s time you stopped hiding that sassy personality I love and showed the world who you really are. You said you wanted to catch someone’s attention, so why don’t we make this Halloween costume something fun and creative? Maybe something that is meaningful to you.”
Something meaningful.I tap my chin and eye the clothes in front of me.
For some reason, I picture the ocean and its crashing waves. Something about the ocean calls to me. Not that I’ve actually seen the ocean in person. But every time I see pictures of the beach, or watch movies about the sea, I’m fascinated. Ocean documentaries have always captivated me.
The closest beach is only two hours away. Maybe I’ll make it a New Year’s resolution to finally go next year. Maybe getting fired wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened. And maybe this is the next step. New potential career path, new me. Suddenly feeling inspired, I smile. “This might be weird, but what if I did some kind of mermaid or merman costume?”
Stacy blinks. She doesn’t say anything for a long moment, and now I feel kind of foolish. “Never mind,” I say. “It’s silly I—”
She slashes a hand through the air to interrupt me. “No, no. That’s perfect. With your pretty, long blond hair and toned figure, we could make this work. I mean, I can’t make you a full fishtail or anything since you’ll still need to be able to walk anddance, but I can totally do this!” She snaps her fingers. “I just saw something a few minutes ago!”
Stacy rushes over to a nearby rack, searching until she pulls out a pair of sparkling iridescent leggings. She holds them up to the light, and the leggings shimmer mint green, teal, and pink.
My eyes widen. I’ve never worn anything so tight before, but… “Those actually look like mermaid scales.”
She nods eagerly. “And your cute little bubble butt is going to look fucking fabulous in these. You will definitely have eyes on you tomorrow.” Stacy holds up the leggings again. “What do you think?”
Suddenly, the world swims around me, with a vision of those same chocolate-brown eyes peering down at me. Only this time, they swirl with a stunning gold that almost seems to glow. The golden orbs are breathtaking, but there’s no way they’re real. It must be a trick of the light. “You’re the most stunning merman I’ve ever seen,” says a rumbly voice so deep, it makes my toes curl. People in various costumes dance around us, but my sole focus is on the stranger in front of me. Just as quickly as the vision appears, it fades away, leaving me desperate to learn more about the man with the magical eyes. Was it real? Am I really going to meet someone tomorrow?
I let out a shaky sigh, releasing the pent-up nerves and embracing the excitement rolling through me. “I think it’s perfect.”
Chapter two
Darius Storm
While krakens are mythical monsters, a kraken shifter can transform into a large octopus at will. Rarer still is a Mer-kraken hybrid. In its shifted form, a Mer-kraken looks like a human from the waist up and has tentacles instead of a fish tail. These aquatic beings have unique powers stemming from the ocean’s magic, making them quite dangerous.
-From the Encyclopedia of Otherworldly Creatures
(Halloween day.)
The magical bell over the door to my tea shop chimes as two of my closest friends walk in. Zero’s stunning amethyst dragon wings shimmer in the sunlight. Even wrapped around him like a cape, the dragon shifter’s wings are an impressive sight. His best friend, Rook, stands next to him, just as tall and impressive.
Rook’s clawed fingers clutch a beautiful leather-bound book, a gift from his mate. When I first met the large wolf man, I thought he would be just as fierce as Zero, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover he’s just as sweet as a golden retriever.
Everyone in this cozy ocean town has been a pleasant surprise. After two decades of working dangerous missions for the Elite Guard, I’m ready to settle down. Heart’s Hollow is a true sanctuary town for paranormals of all kinds. It’s peaceful here, and I love it. It’s exactly the type of place I always imagined settling in after retiring. A place to call home.
