Unikum 08 October nett

“Sitting beside Elisabeth are the twins, Gaab and Gabriel.”
Next to the manic girl is a young boy, huddling in a black sweater,
on his head a giant pair of glasses resides, the glass made up of
a hundred tiny hexagons. He looks to be around 14-years old. He
smirks at Azalea with a mischievous smile. Right by his side is an
adult man, in the same sweater, however, two hoods are additionally
attached to it. Despite the massive size of the clothing, Azalea could
at first glance see how anorexically thin he is by staring at his
famished features. He did not meet Azalea’s gaze, instead staring
into his empty plate. At first Azalea thought the twins remark was
merely a joke considering their clothing, but as she deciphers their
features, she realizes they share overtly many.
“And then there’s Luc- no, excuse me my dear, did not notice the
costume change, there’s Lilith.”
Opposite of him sat a woman, draped in the most beautiful, blonde
hair Azalea had ever seen. She is applying make-up, the lipstick
viciously painting her plumb lips, and with a delicate finger, she
erases the excess. Once her gaze is ripped from the mirror, she
notices Azalea’s gaze and she winks at her.
“Of course, can’t forget our dear Ma-”
“It’s Wary now,” the girl interjects.
“Wary, right.”
The final guest is a young girl, her hair a concoction of the blackest
black and brightest red, matching her garments. Azalea could
sense the adolescence of her, the girl’s attitude conveying as much,
as she deliberately avoided Azalea’s gaze, everybody’s gaze for that
matter. She plays with a suspiciously sharp pick.
“And finally, Sarah.”
The picture which previously was turned now stood in the empty
chair atop what seems like a speaker. The woman in the picture has
radiant, brown hair, braided in breathtaking patterns, tied with a
pink bow. But what radiance that lacked is in her eyes, no spark
can be found within them.
“As you can surmise, she could not attend. She has…a condition
however…”
“I’m…here. Hello, whoever is…listening,” it sputters from the
speaking beneath the frame.
At first Azalea thought the speakers were of suboptimal quality, then
realized that the sluggishness is not caused by the transmission,
but by the speaker.
“Now, let’s feast, for the night will be long, but the fruits we shall
reap will be worth the labor,” Adam announces.
Awkwardness lingers in the air, as the family starts trading plates
and dishes, exchanging bare conversations and empty platitudes
with one another. The more Azalea observed them the less they
appear to be a family, more so six strangers. No one engages with
Azalea, except the occasionally pinch by Elisabeth or the kiss
Lilith would blow. Gaab and Gabriel squanders with one another,
Wary attempts to burn her meat with a lighter and an occasional
struggling moan erupts from Sarah’s radio. Finally, Adam claps his
hand together:
“Now that we’ve all met and feel ready for the challenges to come,
it’s finally time to provide our dear Azalea with some answers.”
Azalea leans forward in her chair, before realizing the impolite
implications and retreats back.
“We do possess the power which you seek. But, this power is not
merely just for resurrection, quite frankly, it is so much more. And
before relinquishing it, we, the family Alighieri must determine
if you are worthy of it. How do you prove your worth? Simple.
Everyone here has a precious possession, retrieve it from them,
and I shall grant you passage to the resting place of the power you
desire. If you want to resign from this trial, you are free to do so at
any time. Have I made myself clear?”
The entire dinner table turns towards Azalea, a grin plastered on
everyone’s faces. The boiling in her gut occasionally releases a
sputter of searing pain, but she clenches her teeth, finding comfort
in her hopes, for within those rules, is the safety she needed. An
exact description of the power she needs, the power she must find,
not merely the resurrection of her hopes.
But the resurrection of her mother.
“Yes, all is understood. If that is what you demand of me, I will do
it, I promise,” she responds, some of her words shaking underneath
the pressure of her counterfeit resolution.
“Perfect,” Adam says and with a simple snap, the family disappears.
All that is needed, is to retrieve the family’s possessions. She would
persuade every single one of them. Suddenly, it all becomes more
feasible, a goal which is obtainable. For what had once been obscure
dreams and promises are now real objectives, all which Azalea is
determined to overcome. Adam walks slowly around the table until
he has completely closed the space between him and Azalea.
“You may attempt to persuade them, but some of the family will not
relinquish their possession with ease. No, perhaps persuasion will
not work at all on them,” he says.
Then, he leans in, closing any empty space between his face and
Azalea’s ear:
“I will not judge your methods of retrieval, what matters to me is
your acquirement of the possessions. Simply put, if you feel it’s the
only way, I will not stop you.
Even if you have to kill them.”
Continues in November...
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