A Tale of Two Worlds ii : Cursed Wheel

Chapter vii: The Scientist

 The white snow on the ground was dyed red. The paper bag that contained the spaghetti noodle's was on the ground. Red.

 Claire's long blond hair turned into a scarlet red as her mother's blood flew down her face through her neck. She never felt really cold, since this is the place she grew up on. Moscow, Russia.

 The wind that brought snowflakes blew. Claire stood up, and there she saw her mother. She was shot.

 Claire screamed.

 "Whoa!" Alexandria said, startled by her cousin's sudden jump from her bed. "What happened?"

 Claire picked up her glasses on her study desk. Looking at Alexandria, she saw that she was reading the yaoi doujinshi that she ordered on the internet. "You have the wrong idea." She flicked the back of her short hair.

 Alexandria scoffed. "Since when did you started reading this crap?"

 "....research." Claire said, placing her small hands on her knees.

 "Yeah, I cleaned your weapon stash. Every damn barrel."

 "Old habits can't die easy, huh?" Claire said, tilting her glasses.

 "I was bored. And my guns are on Albert since he left. You should've given him yours instead. You don't use don't them much."

 "I go to the shooting range once in a while."

 "Not as 'Once in a while' like my 'Once in a while'." Alexandria said, smiling. "I'll confiscate this." Alexandria said as she stood up and placed the doujinshi on her armpit. "I'm the oldest here, so I get to read it first." She grinned and turned around as her long blond hair flew in the air as she walked in large strides.

 Claire let out a huge sigh. "So much for my research."

 Then she remembered the dream she had earlier. It was the same dream she's been having since her mother died. Her mother's death on that cold winter's day.

 .....

 ...

 Four years earlier, she roamed the city of Moscow. She lived just by herself and begging for food. Claire envied the other families when she takes her stroll around the city to look for something to eat. Some people gives her food and money. She managed to live for a few weeks. But the winter in Russia is harsh. Without a room on her head and walls to keep her warm, she was on the verge of being frozen to death when she was about to be buried deep in the snow. That was until a man came to her to help her.

 He told her that he'll feed her and treat her as his own. Left with no other choice, she agreed. But she never thought that she was about to suffer more.

 She was fed, she was sheltered and she was clothed. But Claire was raped and tied on her bed.

 Everyday, different men entered and left the room she was in. She lost count of how many men have abused her small body. She was about to lose her sanity until another man came to the room she was in.

 "Don't worry, I'm not like any other man." His blue eyes turned dark red. Claire thought she already lost her mind. But she was wrong. "I'm here for a deal." The man said as his eyes returned back to normal.

 The man sat on her bed and untied her. "I'm hungry, and you want out. I think we can make a small deal." He smiled. "I can give you anything you want."

 Claire sat on the bed, her body hurts everywhere. "I want... to be smart." She said.

 She has always been stupid at making decisions. And she have regretted the last decision she made the most.

 The demon smiled, "Why not the deaths of those who placed you in this situation?"

 "Why are you giving me this deal?"

 "I haven't granted your wish yet, but you are already becoming smart."

"Answer me."

The demon sighed. "I have plans for you. On the other side, that is."

 "You're gonna torture me to death?"

 "Well, no." The demon wearing the meatsuit of a man shrugged. "You see, I'm walking this Earth to look for unfortunate children. Like you. I mean, come on. How many men have.... well.."

 "And you're going to make me a foot soldier of yours?"

 "A general, maybe. You deserve to have a higher paygrade. Higher than mine." He scratched the back of his hand as he stood up.

 "So you're going to take my soul when I die?"

 "Something like that. But I'm taking the half of it now."

 "Wait, what?"

 "A part of you that you don't need."

 "And what's that?"

 "You're emotions."

 ........

 ....

 ..

 "Sealed with a kiss."

 "You mean 'It started with a kiss'?" Melissa said, her eyes deeply drawn with black eyeliner. She was still in her uniform at the moment.

 "That Korean drama? Never thought you were into that kind of stuff." Cezille said with disgust, her blue eyes surrounded with eyebags. She was only wearing a tank top and on her school uniform's skirt. Somehow, she is already on recovery. She started to get more sleep than usual.

 "Here's your cola, Cezille." It was Keiren, dressed in a maid uniform. Her hands shaking.

 "Thank you. You may now leave." Cezille smiled at the fragile maid.

 "Yes."

 "I just remembered something that I need to do down at the basement." Claire said.

 "Suit yourself, more cola for us." Melissa said as she raised a glass of cola to Claire.

 "Indulge your selves." Claire said. She would be smiling if she could. But she couldn't. Ever since that fateful kiss that sealed the deal, she could no longer feel anything nor express what she feels. But how can you express what you're feeling if you're feeling nothing? Even though she had all the smarts, she could never find an answer to it.

 When she got into the basement, Vincent was there, lighting all the candles. And on the middle of the empty and dark basement that's only being lightened by the said candles, was the Devil's Trap. And outside of it was a small table and other stuff needed to summon one.

 "The circle doesn't need to be in blood. Nor on red paint." Claire said to Vincent, who was smiling at her when she entered the room.

 "Chalk would do, but hey." He flicked his hair with his hands. "Showmanship is everything, I must say."

 "You're right. It does look good."

 "Do you want me to leave, Miss Claire?"

 "This will get bloody. Since I'm going to kill a demon tonight." She sighed. "I need you fresh for tomorrow morning when you're going to dump his ugly little corpse."

 "Or yours." Vince grinned.

 Claire closed her eyes. And when she opened it, dark red eyes started to glow in the dark. "Or yours." She only have to raise her hand in the air like Darth Vader does when he is using the Force to choke someone. And that's how the scene looks like now.

 Vince, who's in the air struggles and kicks in the air. His hands on his neck. Claire threw him on the side where the junk of the basements were placed on big boxes.

 "Clean up that mess before you leave."

 "Y-Yes... Ms Claire."

Thanks to A.j.-san for editing and bakemono for his efforts <3