MHOS Part 36: Obsession Lake

l arrive at the lake in Obsession as Alastor sits on the Gazebo table and says "You are late." He turns around & sees the blood and smiles. "You are forgiven" he continues and I smile back. "These lakes don't take a long time to search Alastor, chill. I just stopped for a snack along the way."

He pulls out a compact from his jacket and offers me a pre roll. I narrow my eyes at him as I hesitantly take it. "What is this?" I ask "Sativa, peppermint and chamomile" he replies "For a calm and focused energy" I smile as I light mine and offer him a light for his. "I didn't know you studied plants!" He smiles and says "I don't. I bought them pre-rolled, the woman behind the cash register told me." And we laughed. Our silence together is comfortable as we smoke and look out at the water. I don't know how a man capable of so much destruction of so much jealousy, can be so calming..

We finish our smoke break and I slide off the table saying "I will see you in a few hours." He stands up and walks me to the edge of the water and touches my shoulder saying "Yes, you will." I look back at him, touch his hand in return. He looks down at the physical contact, back up at me and we both let go. Finally, a kind and gentle Alastor, maybe he's not all bad after all.

I dive into the water and this lake is different.. not wide, but deep.. swim out to the furthest depths to find the algae doesn't have a set glow. It seems to be.. copying mine? Maybe not copying.. perhaps reflecting.. it feels like the lake is watching me.

I get to the express tunnels and find there's not much around. No one is at the tunnels, the flats looked dead & there were no signs of life at the mud baths.

There had to be SOMEONE around.. it's not a small lake it's deep.. I begin singing my siren song with my whole chest and as I do my whole chest turns purple "Holy shit!" I say as I stop singing mid sentence.. I swim back to the caves and start wandering through them to find a mirror. I don't find one, but I find a metal sheet with a poor reflection on it.. I look at the silhouette of myself on the sheet as I sing a popular earth song with my whole chest again to watch the purple expansion..

It starts in my chest, it grows down my torso and starts spreading down my limbs until I am a being of pure purple light.. and as my entire body is enveloped in light, it shoots out of me like sound waves.. I have no idea what that did, but it was fucking cool. I swim back to the mud holes and settle myself in for a nap.. Not a single living creature is in earshot.. and I just finished kicking the crap out of a bunch of dudes.. I deserve a spa day.. As I settle in for a nap I think to myself "I should grab some mud for Husks bruises" before I nod off.

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I awake and check the time.. 2 hours.. not bad.. I head back to the caves and start pulling everything out of all of them.. decorated, not decorated, I gave no shits.. If someone wants to stop me they are free to. I pile everything I found in the caves and start sorting for a game of Keep & Toss.

I take everything I plan on keeping and I start decorating the largest cave in the row.. If I'm going to set up shop here I'm getting the biggest place possible. I spend the day decorating with the few objects I found and once the place is looking decent I grab the rest of the stuff and decorate the caves on either side of mine to make sure I have no neighbors.

I head over to the Bodega and it's a single solitary store.. with a permanently closed sign on it. I broke into the store and rummaged through it as well. There were a few articles of clothing, some shells, some blades and some glowing algae.. that glowed purple.. like my siren glow purple, but as I pack it in my bag it too begins to mimic my colour shifts. I gather everything I found and bring it back to my cave and set it all up. I drop everything off except an empty jar I found. I swim back out to the mud pools and fill the jar.

I swim back to the surface to find a surprised Alastor "Back so soon?" And I reply.. "No one's home." As I walk up to him holding nothing but a jar of mud. "Hmmmmm" replies Alastor. As he escorts me back to Peaches place. He looks back at the lake disappointed and says "No one?" And I say.. "Not one soul."

He drops me off at Peaches and says "You searched the lake in a day. I guess that means you're free to go." As he stands on the front lawn. I turn around and ask "Is there something else? Or do you just not believe me?" He chuckles and says nothing. He walks away and the comfortable silence with him faded into an uncomfortable silence alone.

I knock on Peaches door and she looks up excited. "Dinner time?!?" She asks as she pulls me into her house. She immediately starts chopping and cooking and I listen attentively as she tells me all about her day.

She asks me how I've been today and I say "I found out I was Husks first in Hell" Peaches giggles and says "You're going to have to explain that one further because Husk is a full grown man." I laugh and say "In Hell. He's a new arrival like me. He's only been here a week longer than I have."

Peaches goes "Awwwww! That's so cute! I love you two together." as she hugs me and asks "What else?" I sit her on the counter as I stir the food on the stove and say "Ummm.. I went on a hunt with Husk before work & own 2 new souls." Peaches jaw drops. "2?!?" and I say "Yeah, I want to see if one of them can fix Husks window." and Peaches says "Oh yeah! we should head over there!!! meet them! Oh field trip!" as she grabs my hand and drags me to Husks place. We walk around the outside of Husks place to see the broken window along the outside.

I walk in the house to see the men sitting inside Husks waiting. I say, are you ready for your first task? the two silently nod. Peaches giggles. I continue "I broke Husks bedroom window with my Siren scream. it needs to be replaced. I want it done by dinner tomorrow. For now come with us, Peaches is making dinner." I reach my hand out to Husk and he smirks as he slides his arm around my waist and we all head out.

As we get back to Peaches place she runs to the stove to mix the food again and says "It's ready!" turning off the low simmer. I grab 5 plates out and serve Peaches and our guests before grabbing a portion for myself and settling down at the table to eat. As we eat we chit chat and the men begin to visibly relax as they enjoy our company.

We laugh as the evening turns to night and as my alarm goes off on my wrist I look down and say "It's 10:30 already? Peaches it doesn't look like I have to travel far to tuck you in tonight huh?" and she giggles "Nope." as she looks at our guests and say "I expect you to be at Husks tonight cleaning the frame, and tomorrow installing a new window. you are excused." no violence, no intimidation, just simple instructions.

They stand there a moment confused. I turn around and say "I have a Peaches to tuck in and a Husk to go home to. Leave." the men immediately do as told, ready to go to Husks place tonight to start the project, returning in the morning to complete it. As they leave I pick up Peaches and koala hug her around my torso. "Bring them back to your place and have them start. I will come pick you up." I say to Husk as I make my way to Peaches bedroom.

I lay her on the bed and curl up beside her, stroking her hair and ask "You don't mind that I am taking Husk home with me right?" and she says "You two are good together. like the parents I always wanted" as she yawns and dozes off into nothingness. The thought is so sweet, I lay my head where her faded from for a moment before heading back to Husks place.