Otherly Natural

Chapter 1

Cassandra looked out the window of her new room.

They were still out there.

She moved the shade aside to get a full look at that van with the gaudy buzzing fly symbol wrapped around its side. It was parked in someone's driveway right across the street. Their vehicle stuck out like a bug in soup and hadn't moved an inch in a whole week.

The voice of one of those punks echoed in her head-

“That's what our “cute symbol” is all about,” he'd said while she had been tied up in the back of the flatbed of his ugly truck, She hadn't been able to move, so that van had been filling her vision where it was parked next to the truck.

“It's who we are. What the Fraternity of the Fly is all about. See, flies eat things that aren't alive no more, or that shouldn't be alive. That ain't natural. We follow the Signs of the Fly right to you things. Works every time.”

He had used this pause in the narrative as an opportunity to push the silver knife that was in Cassandra's shoulder deeper and she screamed.

The man had laughed and went back to ignoring her and waiting for whatever he was waiting for as her blood dripped off the side of truck and into the dirt. Cassandra could sense her bound hands behind her but her body just felt numb.

She'd been able to think about nothing save escape at the time, but come to think of it, that flatbed had smelled a lot like blood. Even before she'd been cut, the scent had washed over her- probably from a previous deer hunt or something. She wondered briefly if that's what had alerted Minerva to the area in the first place.

Funny how little things could make such a big difference in the most important events of your life.

Anyway.

Casey let the shade fall again, and took a breath, scratching at that spot on her shoulder. She'd healed from that wound the next day, but the scar wasn't quite gone yet.

She wondered if it was permanent.

Whatever, it was OK. She was safe now. All of them were. It's not like the situation was resolved or anything, but this week was certainly better than the one before. She took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of Lilacs she was sensing from Delilah's balcony garden from a block over. The ocean wind always brought it right to her nose. The fragrant flower was strong enough to overpower the scent of the sea. It was always a pleasant combination, like a refreshing after scent.

She suddenly found herself hungry, and began stalking into the common room despite her best efforts to appear casual. Fortunately, no one was there to see the wolf hunting its prey in the nearby refrigerator.

More scents greeted her now as air swirled around from her opening her bedroom door. There was, for example, the overpowering scent of human blood coming from Minerva's room, for example. Mixed with that smoky burning smell from the mishap with Sunny earlier. She almost wished she could commiserate with her friend about the Flies outside, but after all, it was still technically the day and even then, Minerva was entertaining “visitors” in there.

Two of them, if Cassy remembered right.

Sunny's door was also closed. She had a visitor too, so Cassy should probably not bother her either.

Cassandra went over to the refrigerator in the side kitchen in the common area and took care to not rip the freezer door off its hinge, took out a big hunk of meat there from the portion of deer they'd wrapped in plastic, what was left of it, and popped it in on the counter.

I should probably cook it, she thought, but why not do it her way? No one was here, after all.

She poured herself an iced tea, got a bit of lemon from the bag in the refrigerator and popped the slice on the edge as she stirred in some sugar. Maybe she should go out onto the balcony so those thugs could see her sipping it casually? No, it would be better to ignore those Neanderthals completely.

While she sipped her tea, she continued to breathe deeply like Minerva was teaching her, and picked up the pamphlet Mellie had given them when they'd moved in.

Melinda's Wayhouse for the Otherly Natural and Downwardly Mobile

Nice old lady, Cassandra thought.

It essentially just says everything is free except for utilities, and please don't trash the place, she thought, deciding not to open it

. She couldn't help but wonder why Mellie was so generous.

But, if it was a trap, wouldn't it have sprung by now? Also it seemed this would be a better trap to hang out in than whatever the rotting Fly boys had in store. Or whatever that was from last week.

Cassandra laughed at that.

Nah, she wouldn't hurt a fly, she thought. Well, maybe a Fly. If their meeting had been any indication.

Cassandra found herself drifting back to the night they had met.

The silver knife in Cassy's leg had slowly taken its toll as she lay there, tied up, paralyzed, and falling in and out of unconsciousness.

The flashback was interrupted by the scent of raw meat hitting a crescendo in her head. She had forgotten about the meat for a moment, but the scent was filling the whole room now and it was so thick she could literally taste it in her throat almost. She ripped into it with her hands not really having the patience to wait.

She finished scooping meat into her mouth, but decided to get some paper towels to avoid getting covered in blood. You know, in case anyone knocked on the door or happened to see her through a window. With 'protesters' outside, she should probably be careful.

While she was cleaning up, Cassandra heard movement from behind the third door, where her second roommate lived.

The door suddenly opened, and a woman with dark hair, a dark hat, and a black ankh hanging from her neck emerged.

She nodded at her, moved to the outer door, and left without a word.

There was a beat, and Cassandra looked back into the third room, but there were no lights in there, and the light from the window all the way in the back was already getting dim as the sun was below the horizon.

Cassandra sat down in her couch in the common room, content to wait, as there was a loudish BOOM that came from the room. There was a flash of light. Suddenly, big, roiling fog began to come from seemingly nowhere and filled up the common room, obscuring her vision a bit until she could barely see at all. A heavy wave of cold air washed into her feet.

Nothing more happened for a beat, except for more Booms, like thunder.

Cassandra walked over to a button over the oven going by memory and the scent of burnished iron she smelled there after a sniff or two, though she had to wave her hands in front of her face to clear the roiling mist out first. Finding the button underneath her fingertips, she turned on the fan, though it barely had any effect on the fog at first.

Then there was a rush of air, another bang and some of the fog swirled into an area in the center of the room, making it easier to see.

“Hey Sonny,” Cassandra said, sipping on more of her iced tea.