Storyteller's Universe // Violent Visions
Lift Line
Carla parks their car in front of the block of flats they live in. When they kill the headlights, for a second we’re both in complete darkness before they turn on the dome light.
They undo their seatbelt then stare at me intently for a moment. I stare at their hand on the steering wheel. Eventually they kill the dome light too and sit with me in silence in the dark car. It feels awkward.
“I’m sorry Shae.”
“I forgot my keys.”
“It— What?”
I feel their eyes on me, even in the pitch black.
“Are you thinking of going back there?!”
My stomach feels as if a ton of weight just dropped into it, that’s not what I meant.
“You would’ve gotten assaulted if not for your superpower, are you seriously thinking about coming back home?”
“I just for— forgot them!!”
I’m sobbing up hiccups. Carla, with a sigh, puts their hand on my shoulder and rubs it.
“They will let you in or I will make them, you will be okay without your keys. But uhh… I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay there for the time being. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I’m homeless…”
“Nonsense, you can stay at my place until we figure something out, okay? Come with me.”
Carla opens the front door and gets out of the car, I undo my seatbelt and follow after them into the building. We get into an elevator and ride it up onto the 4th floor.
Ding.
Carla steps out first and I follow them. They put their key into the lock and gently turn it, the door instantly opens. Carla pauses, the spotted fur on their neck bristles.
“Wait a moment, alright?”
They pull out their book of spells out of their bag, open it on some page covered in squiggles, and carefully enter their home.
“Is someone in your flat?”
I call after them, but I don’t get any response for a bit.
“Clear.”
They announce, poking their head through the doorway.
“Come on in, I must’ve forgot to lock the door. I was rushing to pick you up.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing, I’m just paranoid.”
I enter after them. They go into the kitchen, I’m left in their bedroom. I’m feeling too restless to sit down, instead I walk up to the window and hide behind the curtains so I can see better outside without the reflecting light obscuring the view of the empty night city.
“We will figure everything out. Might not be safe enough for you to stay here, but I’m sure Kingsley and Haji can help us find you something.”
“Are the bank guys still after you?”
I see a single person outside down on the street, they’re leaning against a car and smoking a cigarette. They’ve got a lit candle in their hand, a weird sight.
“Yeah… Haji’s been helping me avoid them well enough though. It took them a whole month to stop the cash flow, it’s embarrassing!”
I can hear their laugh move from the kitchen to the bedroom.
“Hey, hope I haven’t made you anxious, you don’t have to look out for them.”
“No, I just wanted to look outside…”
Illuminated by the candle, I can see the guy look up. At me? At the light in the flat? He blows out the candle.
“We will be—”
An explosion. My ears are ringing, I’m flung through the window — falling in a shower of shard glasses four stories down. After what feels like forever, I land on my head with a loud crack.
Ding.
I grab Carla by their wrist as they’re leaving the elevator.
“There’s an assassin outside. He will blow up your flat when he notices the lights on.”
I feel clear headed.
“Does he blow it up instantly?”
“No, it takes him a moment to notice.”
“Okay, I have a plan. I will grab some of my things from the flat and you will show me where he is.”
I stamp the cigarette on the ground. Looking back up, I see the light on in the target's flat. That’s my cue to act.
I blow out the candle. The spell etched into the wax’s surface promptly melts off and an explosion from above follows. Glass showers the area around me, some of it bounces off of my thick coat.
That’s a job done. I walk around the car, open the passenger door and retrieve my gun from the glove box — My job finisher in case there’s survivors.
A tap on my shoulder. I instinctively hide the gun under my coat and turn around.
Fuck.
“Get in your car, accelerate to hundred fifty and drive into a wall.”
…
“Easy enough, will do.”