The Writings of Mary Lewys

Three days passed before she slipped her key into the lock. The bolt slid into the door with ease. She smiled at the thought of the cleaning crew keeping the place warm for her. She pushed open the heavy metal door secured with an electronic alarm and keypad. She stared down a long hallway painted white. The frames for doors marred the antiseptic walls. Nerissa let the door close behind her before she walked down the hall.

The first door to her left opened on the work-out room. The weights, benches and machines waited for a work-out. Nerissa saw herself in the mirrors along the back wall; brown overcoat flapped around her legs as a black, soft suitcase dangled from her hand. Behind her, the door to the locker room was closed. It was quiet. She noticed how very quiet it was.
The next door was to the training room. Thick mats covered the walls and floor. The one-way mirror allowed Nerissa to see more of the room as she walked past the closed door. She could see her shadowy reflection in the smoky glass. She stopped to pull her sunglasses down her nose. She sighed.

She passed the meeting room with the long, oval, oak table and accompanying chairs, the research library filled with bookshelves, books, and two computers, and a small janitorial closest that held the emergency kit she’d pulled out at least once a week in another life. Nerissa reached out with her finger tips to brush the door before she stopped at the end of the hallway.
The door was closed. The brass holder for the name plaque was empty; it was bolted to the center of the door at eye level. She took off her sunglasses to stare at it for a good long while.

She slipped her glasses into her coat pocket before she grabbed the door handle.

She inhaled. The office was clean. Wood polish shined the desktop. It was littered with stacks of paper. Mail from the past month was stacked in the inbox. She circled the desk. Her coat tails brushed against the filing cabinet. The antique, wooden chair slid on its old granite wheels until its back bumped against the floor-to-ceiling bookcase. Nerissa set her briefcase on an empty spot on the desk.

Her coat slipped from her shoulders. She stepped to hang it on a standing rack. As she cleared her throat, she stepped between the desk and the chair. He cleared his throat from the doorway.

“Oh,” Nerissa stopped herself from sitting down. “Mel. Hi. I see the carrier pigeons worked.”

With his arms folded over his chest, he winced. “Stop sending them. Honestly, they are making a mess of my living room.”

“You wouldn’t answer your phone.”

“There was a reason for that.”

“I wanted to apologize.” Nerissa pushed the chair under the desk. She watched her pointy boots peek out from beneath her wrinkle-free dress slacks as she walked around the desk.
“For what, exactly?” He lifted his chin.

“For – for everything.” She laced her fingers. “I should’ve told you I still loved Tom. That my heart wasn’t available. That I only slept with you because I was afraid I’d kill myself if I stayed alone.”

Mel stiffened. His fair brow drew down onto the bridge of his slender nose. He frowned.

“You’re a good man, Mel, too good for the likes of me.”

“How about I decide what’s good for me?” He took her hands after he crossed to her. Nerissa looked up into his crystal, blue eyes. He smiled.

“Excuse me.” While wrapping his knuckles on the door frame, Nathaniel stuck his head in the door. “Is this the too-honest hour or are we meeting?”

Nerissa withdrew her hands. Mel shot an angry scowl over his shoulder before he stepped away. With his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, Nathaniel slumped and hung his head.

“Come in,” Nerissa extended her hand before she walked back around the desk. She sat this time to open her soft satchel. “Yes, I wanted to meet.”

The young man hung in the door way like some sad, lonely shadow until the half-elf clamped a hand upon his shoulder and dragged him in. He staggered and fell into one of the two, over-stuffed chairs in front of the desk. He slouched even lower, as if he was sure he did something wrong. Mel patted him lightly before moving to the other side of the room to look over the books on the dark, wooden shelves.

While she busied herself pulling folders and ledgers from her bag, Nerissa looked up to find her sister in the other seat. Dressed in her running gear, Evie sat with fingertips pressed together and her elbows resting on the arms of her chair. She did not smile and she did not frown. Her sister nodded before pushing green folders towards them.

Nerissa watched her sister while she held her breath to the count of five. She exhaled and smiled. The corner of Evie’s mouth turned upwards slightly. She took the folder.

“These are the rest of the forms I need you to complete. The first one outlines damages for the various work-related possibilities. The next one is for next of kin, legal contacts, and banking information.” Nerissa folded her hands. “After you’ve completed these, we’ll discuss our next assignment.”

“Are we going after that bad ass that wandered off the other night?” Nathaniel riffled through the paper without reading a page. He eyed the boss lady.

“No.”

“No?”

“But didn’t he kill your husband that I didn’t know about?” Evie dropped the papers into her lap and slumped down to Nathaniel’s level.

“Listen. If you’re going to be on this team, you will do as I ask.” Nerissa looked from one to the other in a point of making eye contact. Her face remained serious. “It is not to be touched. Not now. Not for a while.”

No one said anything. Nerissa stood from her desk. “Right. Let me give you a tour and then we’ll discuss our first assignment.”

Project 365 Short Stories by Mary Lewys is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

With a wave of her arm and a scattering of sea salt, dried lemon rind, ground spearmint, white willow bark and wild clover, Evie brought forth a large wave from the ocean. It rose over the warehouse and crashed at her feet. The water fell between the warped planks of the wharf. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared, taking the fire from the depot with it.

“Nerissa!” Mel stretched his hand towards her, but Nathaniel grabbed him up before he could enter harm’s way. As he dangled in the large, glowing outlined hand, he dropped his outstretched arm when he saw her silhouette. The light above the warehouse door was twisted at an angle but still lit.

She was plastered against the metal siding. Her eyes were wide. She smiled. She smiled wide enough to show teeth before laughing. As she walked towards her team, she covered her mouth with a louder laugh.

“That was outstanding, you guys!” Nerissa opened her arms at the last minute for Mel to sweep her up. He hugged her tight and spun around.

“What where those things?” As his feet touched down, Nathaniel stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“What do you think they were?” Evie gave him a wink before she hugged her sister.

“Are you serious? Dude. Fucking no way.”

“I warned you it might be dangerous.” Nerissa rubbed his long, hanging bangs. She smiled along with him until his smile started to fade.

She turned. From the mist and smoke, within the glow from the warehouse door, a figure appeared. It sauntered with a swagger that would’ve given a big game hunter pause. An arrow whispered by her ear. It swatted it away; a second and a third. It didn’t even break stride. Nerissa held her breath.

She was stock still though Mel, Nathaniel and Evie stepped back and away in a fan position. While the creature circled, Nerissa started to tremble. Her pupils dilated down and the white of her eyes grew. Her chest heaved short, fast breathes. She squeaked when it leaned in and sniffed.

“You smell familiar.” Its voice was dusty dry with a thick, iron-curtain accent. “Have we met?”

“Stay away from her.” Mel raised his bow to point his metal arrowhead at the creature’s eye. It smiled.

“I don’t know you. None of you – but you, I know.” With a small flourish, it took hold of Nerissa’s chin. Its nose met hers. “I have no time to know humans.”

“T-T-T-Tom,” Nerissa squeaked. She swallowed hard. Her tremble turned into a full-body shake.

“I have no time for human names.”

“My husband.”

“Who’s Tom?” With his fists clenched at his side, Nathaniel whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

“Her husband.” Evie dug into a pocket on the thigh of her pants. “He died.”

“Do you not know?” Mel spared a glance at her to see if her face said she knew. Evie shook her head. “Nerissa never told you.”

“No.”

“Ah! The faction that came. Yes. You thought you could finish us.” The creature grinned ear to ear to show long, sharp teeth. One of its hands rubbed the other as its too-pink tongue licked its pale, blue lips. “Great sport, it was. Dinner brought in. Delicious, warm, tell me, how many did you lose?”

Its laugh was cruel as the dry, desert sand in one hundred mile per hour winds. With its long, lean fingers, it peeled back her coat to see her neck. Its eyes grew wide as it inhaled when her white scar tissue was revealed. “How did you survive? Much blood you lost, mostly in my belly.”

“Get away from her!” Mel stepped closer. His bow was stretched and ready. Evie side-stepped in the opposite direction while she rubbed her herbs into the point of her wooden stake. The creature glanced over its shoulder and laughed.

“You came back to finish. For revenge?” It released her coat. “You kill my family because I killed yours? Is that what you think we are? You are pathetic. You will never know what it is because you are unworthy worms. Go now.”

No one moved except for the creature that turned and walked back the way it came. It faded into the smoke and mist. Silence filled its space, broken by a distant fog horn.
“What the fuck was that?” Nathaniel gasped from holding his breath so long. He looked to Mel then to Evie for an answer. They looked to Nerissa.

“Nerissa,” Mel reached for her. Before his hand could land, she spun and slapped it away. The smack caused Mel to pull back. He withered in her stare.

“Don’t you ever do that again. Do you hear me? Not without my command.” Her voice was filled with every bit the gravel that a smoker should have. Nerissa snatched his bow only to shove it back into his chest. She swung at her sister as she tried to approach. “Get out of here! All of you get out of here!”

“Nerissa,” Mel tried again, but Nathaniel snagged his shoulder. He shook his head. His hands found his pockets as he walked away with Mel. Evie stared until she realized that Nerissa wasn’t going to look up. She tisked and sniffed before walking off.

When the cold from the mist and the darkness of the night swept in, Nerissa’s knees buckled. She sank to the dock. Her hand covered her face as her shoulders started to shake.

Project 365 Short Stories by Mary Lewys is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.