I sleep late and wake up alone. The growling of my stomach when I wake up tells me that I have slept in for at least a couple hours. I check the bedside table and sure enough, there’s a handwritten note from Bellamy.
Good morning,I didn’t mean to keep you up so late last night. I hope you’re sleeping peacefully, you need the rest. I’ll call and wake you if you aren’t up by eleven since you have plans for lunch. So if you’re reading this I guess it isn’t eleven yet…I’m heading out this morning with Alex to meet with some of the local Shifters that knew the Brooks family. It might not lead to anything and there are plenty of non-Shifters we should talk to as well, but at least if we start with the Shifters I can be sure that they are telling us the truth and it might give us a bit of a general background for the family.I plan to be back by late afternoon.Good luck talking to your Oracle friend and call me if you need or want anything.-BellamyIt’sI run to the door and swing it open just in time for Shaun to nearly hit me in the face, his fist raised to knock. He stumbles backwards and lowers his arm. Amber is standing beside him looking amused. Her unnaturally red hair is a little windblown and the ends just brush her shoulders. She’s thin and with her bright blue eyes she looks a lot like a little porcelain doll. Eyes are another common misconception that people have about Oracles. Just because one or two of them were blind and became famous for getting by using their ‘other sight’ forever ago, now people seem to assume that they’re all blind. I remember Amber lecturing someone about it once when they insisted that she couldn’t be an Oracle because her eyes were functional. She then continued to tell me later that just because some fanatics think that they have to blind themselves to ‘unlock their potential’ that doesn’t mean she wants to destroy one of her senses. “Sorry Miss Gale!” He says, looking horrified. Amber f
“Can you tell me more about what you see? Does it always happen? Does it ever change?” I ask, all in one go. Amber patiently answers all my questions. “I will see a scene as it happens, like a kind of spectator. I have no control over what viewpoint I have and I don’t get context. Like playing a random clip from a movie but you don’t know what movie it is or what part of the movie it’s up to. You might be able to work out what’s going on from context clues, you might even recognise the people or location. Sometimes I can get the exact times if they happen to stand by a clock or have a phone or watch I can see.” She pauses to think before answering the next question. “The things I see USUALLY happen. But not always, they can change. If someone changes their mind about something. I suspect the visions I see are usually the results of specific decisions. For example I saw you talking about having me over. Because you made that decision I saw it. If for some reason you changed
I manage a weak smile for Amber.“Thank you, you’re definitely the world’s best supervisor.” I joke, Amber beams.“What are friends for?” This time my smile is stronger. I’ve known Amber for a while now but I never particularly considered her a friend, we always got along okay but it didn’t occur to me that she would WANT to be my friend. I’ve changed a lot in the last few months. Being around Megan and Bellamy and hearing them express the reasons they appreciate having me around, spending time with the other guards and re-kindling my friendship with Harrison, it's helped me build my confidence a little. I never would have been brave enough to ask Amber for a favour like this, much less treat her like a friend. I was always nervous of others because I know they can leave me. Seeing my strings with them gave me the confidence to try and being around them has apparently given me the confidence to reach out to others more too. I really do want to be good friends with Amber. I'm
The conversation wraps up quickly after that and Shaun makes his way home. He says goodbye cheerfully as usual but he’s obviously very distracted. I wonder how long it will take him to ask me for Amber’s number. That’s something to look forward to at least. Bellamy had followed Shaun so he could lock the front door behind him so I grab my phone and start researching different ways to meditate and tips for clearing your mind, focussing. Stuff like that. A lot of it involves creepy ads for potions and spells. Particularly when I added the word ‘focus’ to the search. Illegal study aid spells came up a lot. I wish it were that easy. I’m going to have to learn this on my own without magical assistance. When Bellamy returns, I feel him drop down onto the couch beside me. I don’t look up from the article I’m reading until he clears his throat. I look up and realise that his face is right next to mine. He’s sitting close. Very, very close. Much closer than he was before. I meet his gaze and
Bellamy gets to his feet beside me and I figure he’s going to leave and give me space, maybe go get Megan to calm me down. But no, instead he kneels on the carpet in front of me. “Darling please don’t cry.” He reaches out slowly like he’s trying not to spook me and gently tucks my hair back behind my ears and out of my face. “I need you to look at me. It doesn’t make it okay but I want to explain so I can apologise properly.” He insists. Finally, slowly, I look up and meet his eyes. He looks panicked and guilty. Already I can’t help but soften towards him. “I wasn’t thinking. I came home and I was so excited to see you and you ran to meet me which probably makes my top ten most thrilling moments, all of which involve you by the way, but then I realised you were just relaxing and having a nice time with Shaun and I got jealous that he was able to spend the day with you, which is insane because I’m the one who insisted on it, I know. But it still happened. I wanted to g
COCK TALESAmber has been added to the group.Ryann- Hi Amber. In case you don’t know, this group chat is dedicated to documenting the tales of my friend Harry flirting with this cute bartender chick who is apparently completely uninterested in him. This is particularly entertaining as he is an Incubus and doesn’t usually have to work so hard for a girl’s attention.Harry- Hi Ryann’s friend. I want it noted that I am in fact incredibly handsome and ridiculously charming. It’s this girl that’s the strange one. Amber- Noted. To avoid confusion, I am an Oracle and sometimes know extra things about the people around me. Don’t ask if I know things, if I tell you anything it’s because I’ve chosen to and no amount of whining will change my mind. ’t kill you. So I vote yes. And document what happens. Photos and videos are appreciated… unless it’
Over the next week the papers report two. more murders. Both of the victims were women in their twenties with dark hair. Unsurprisingly, with each murder Bellamy became more and more on edge. In fact everyone did. Megan and I stopped going on outings other than the occasional walk around the inside of the Shifter compound with our guards to accompany us. I was alright, honestly I don’t find it all that stressful staying inside for a while, but as a Shifter, Megan has definitely started getting antsy. She wants to go out and run, see people, whatever. Bellamy has also been antsy but aside from absolutely necessary trips, he’s been staying home with us. Actually, he barely lets me out of his sight and when Megan is in her room and not downstairs with us, he checks on her constantly. He has increased security around the compound and checks the locks on the houses doors and windows several times a day. The papers didn’t provide a cause of death, but in his paranoia, Bellamy had Aaron and
He is quiet for a moment, then he pushes his shoulders back and blurts out;“I-want-to-ask-her-out-will-you-give-me-her-number-please?” He says it all in one breath and then I’m pretty sure he doesn’t take another one. He’s just holding his breath, waiting. “Sure.” I agree easily. He drops the towel on the ground in shock. I think he expected me to say no.“Really? Don’t you need to check with her or something?” He asks doubtfully, like he thinks I might be messing with him. I can’t help but laugh.“She already agreed. She told me the day you met that when you got up the nerve to ask for her number, I should give it to you. She’s an Oracle, remember? I’m pretty sure she’s waiting for you to call.” I tell him. His answering grin is blindingly bright.“Really?” “Yes really. I’ll give it to you as soon as we finish the dishes.” Let me just say, I have never seen someone dry dishes as fast as Shaun is right now. We have the job done in no time and I read out Am