story i just felt like posting here (it’s not finished btw) when the date appears to pov changes it’s supposed to be written like a journal entry (also it continues into the notes and credits) January 3rd, 366 mint scarabs pinecone dust I woke up to whispering outside my studio apartment. My neighbors seemed to be gossiping about something again. Some people like to sleep, you know? I put on my mask and did my eyeliner, before poking out into the hallway. “What is going on out here?!” I grumbled. The minute I appeared, all the chatter ceased. The people gossiping were all clustered around my door. All of their eyes slowly traveled from me to a pair of letters on the floor by my feet. The minute I saw the envelopes, I knew why the other tenants were freaking out. For a moment my eyes widened in fear before relaxing again as I picked the letters up. “Next time,” I said, “try to be quieter.” And retreated to my room. ~DEPARTMENT OF FAITH AND PUBLIC SAFETY~ Dear Rosetta Raveneye, We would like to inform you that you have been chosen as the Second Maiden of Death. The date of your exit will be sent to you within the next five days. Upon learning this news, most people would be scared and worried. But I wasn’t distressed. Everyone in the realm knows that they’ll die eventually, and that being a Maiden of Death is only an honor. But I was calm for another reason. We hope this letter finds itself in the hands of The Doctor. We would like to make a contract with you to provide certain advantages for your journey as a Maiden. If you agree, sign here: _____________________ Sincerely, the Thanatonan Resistance I’m unsure of what this could mean, but I signed it anyway. Thanatonan Resistance. Hmm. Out of the blue, my right arm went numb, like the nerves had all turned off. “Ahh!” I said. It was not painful, but very shocking. And it wouldn’t go away. I tried everything to wake my arm back up, but it was useless. What happened? Is this because of me signing the strange letter? I did not know. My arm was beginning to turn blue, when— It stopped. All sensation in my arm returned. I wiggled my fingers around. They were completely fine. Then I noticed something. A mark. A tattoo in the shape of a bird mask with little flowers beneath the eyes, just like mine. I’m sure this symbol was never on me before. The only conclusion I can come to is that it somehow appeared when my arm went numb. I touched it. Then the winds around me picked up, and my eyes filled with light, and I was gone. “Hello, Doctor.” Junaree 3, 366 Hello, this is the Star Princess. Yvi Aster. I am writing this in a dark apartment in the Mother Realm. I have been sent here as one of the Maidens of Death. The Star Realm has had to revert to the old ways of worshiping the spirit of Death, due to plagues of darkness invading the realm. I have been given this apartment by the Mother Realm’s department of public safety or something. I also got this letter that said that it was to “the Alien”, whatever that means. I thought it was just another part of the whole “Maiden of Death” procedure, so I signed it, but now I'm not sure it was. My guardians back home told me I have to study death, to try to reach it. This is so weird for me cuz our entire culture is about finding immortality. I was put into a slumber on the way here, and I dreamt strange things. I mean, that isn’t such a surprise, but these were different. They seemed to speak to me. I stood in a void of gold, and I could see small glowing eyes all around me. When I looked at the eyes directly, they faded into the mist. But I could always see them in my peripheral vision. I could hear them speak my name, but the noise was only in my head. And, even weirder, when I woke up, a weird symbol appeared on my forearm! It looked like a face with a third eye and shimmering freckles. Anyway, not to be rude, this apartment is really sad. Actually, this whole city is sad! Where is the color?! Everyone is so blunt and not passionate at all. And these clouds are just depressing. But it looks like it’s time to sleep. Of course, it’s 2 hours early for me, but I don’t want to freak out the people here. They’re already scared enough of my skin tone and stuff. Time to recite my prayer: “May the sun set in your wake, May the moon rise for you. May the earth bow to the princess, Fair princess, complexion blue. “May the stars glow in your eyes, Shining eternally bright, And may you rest forever sound In our eternal night.” I close my eyes, and suddenly all I see is light, and all my physical sensations disappear. I hear a voice. “Welcome, Alien.”
Jan. 3, 66, 11:11 pm. Wild Mouse Test 102. Procedure: I take the corpse, using the usual method of cleansing to make sure no magic from previous test has lingered. I arrange the circle. Base circle of darksage and and ebony (3 ft across) Inner ring of mouse spine (dried) Crow talon (grinded) scattered in circle Outer ring of sunflower petals (deepshaded) 6 pine-scented candles Mushroom fertilizer covering the whole thing I step back and begin the ritual. I wave my hands in the 27th pattern, (adjusting the 3rd and 6th symbol) and open my eyes, activating the ritual. Bright red mushrooms shoot up across the circle. (An avg. of 3 inches higher than normal) My powers seem more powerful lately, as I suspected. Now for the final price of the ritual: the sacrifice. I snatch a mouse from the cage, holding it high over the circle. I lift my opal knife in the other hand, both arms extended as far as possible. With a final swoop, I swing the knife into the squirming mouse. Sqsh! The mouse falls to the center of the circle next to the corpse with a sad little squish sound. Both mice were still dead. I sighed, cleaning up the circle. Time and time again, I killed mice and used resources, and time and time again nothing happened. The mice stayed dead. 11:45 There was something at the door. A letter. And not the usual bills and noise complaints. A letter to “The Necromancer”. “The necromancer? That’s a stretch.” But a part of me was honored, a little. But there was more. The letter said: We hope this letter finds itself in the hands of The Necromancer. We would like to make a contract with you to provide certain advantages for your journey as a Maiden. If you agree, sign here: Amanitette Razortooth Oh crap. I must have missed the other letter. Yup. I’m the freaking Third Maiden of Death. But the important part is who it was from: Sincerely, the Thanatonan Resistance The Thanatonan Resistance!!! This is a necromancer’s dream! But I do wonder if this is a trick or a scam or something, like a joke by the kids in the neighborhood who make fun of my interest in necromancy. But it looks legit. This is crazy! The T.R.! And I’m a MoD, but that’s not big deal! Not if the resistance of death itself is on my side! But it’s time for bed now. Idk if I’ll be able to sleep at all after this, but my dark circles are getting out of hand. This is Ami, signing off. I close my eyes and everything goes dark for a few seconds, before turning bright white, filling up my eyes. “Lovely to meet you, Necromancer.”
