Serenity

It’s just a book. It’s just a fucking book!

She sprinted through the back alley of a city that not even a couple of hours ago she considered her hometown. The murky water splashed at her ankles and sweat rolled down her chin. She wiped at her damp skin, breathing heavily as she tucked the black book underneath her arm. There was no way she could let him have it. She entered a tavern, the store owner smiling at her with familiarity.

“Morning Rey! The usual?”

She sped past going behind the counter, “Sorry Dougie! I have to use the toilet.”

“Sure, of course you can use my employee bathroom, my favorite non-employee pain in the ass that I love so much,” he mumbled not loud enough for her to hear. A gust of wind blew violently through the room pushing the door open. Dougie held his cap steady before the wind blew it away. It had been windy recently, but never this bad. Finally it stopped, bringing an eerie silence with it. Dougie grunted as he bent under the wooden counter, he wasn’t built like he used to be. He shut the tavern door with a sigh. Thankfully, it had only knocked a couple chairs out of place. “Rey! I need your help up here. This damn wind knocked everything around.” There was silence from the backroom. “...Hm, must be a big shit.”

And oh did Rey wish it was. Anything had to be better than the situation she was currently in: backed into a corner with piercing blue eyes staring at her, her only defense being the fucking book that got her here in the first place.

“Like I was saying before you rudely ran away,” he stepped closer with every word. “Give me that book. It doesn’t belong to you.”

“I found it. It’s mine now.”

The beautiful creature in front of her scowled, “You can’t possibly think that’s how it works.” Rey stayed silent and he moved to pry the book from her hands. She held it tighter and he sighed, “Look Serenity I don’t want to hurt you. I mean me and you both know why you want to keep that book. I mean a poor human writes in a book like a diary, I wish I had money for mom’s medical bills, and within moments you’re rewarded with $20,000 for mommy’s medical bills. Sounds like something out of a fairytale. A small black notebook that magically grants wishes, what could possibly go wrong?”

“Stop! Don’t talk like you know me! And don’t call me Serenity, my name is Rey.”

“Sure thing Serenity.”

Rey’s grip on her book tightened, “And so what if this book randomly gave me $20,000? It has nothing to do with you. My mom’s surgery is going to be successful and my family is going to return to the way it was.”

The creature face-palmed, “Why are they always the dumb, righteous justice warriors? What did I do to deserve this?”

“Lose your book?”

“Ah, that’s right! Hey so you get it. It’s my book. It belongs to me and now I need it back because a fragile-minded human like you shouldn’t have it.”

“Finders, keepers. Besides what even are you to keep referring to me as human this, human that? A demon?”

He rolled his eyes, “They wish they were as busy as I am.”

“An angel?” he definitely was pretty enough to be one.

He scoffed, “they would’ve killed you by now.”

“Then… what are you?”

He crossed his arms, “I have no need to tell you who or what I am.”

“I’ll give it to you.”

“What?”

“I’ll give you the book if you tell me who and what you really are,” Rey negotiated.

He sighed running his fingers through his white hair, “Fine in that case, my name is Anze and I’m a fairy.”

Rey tried to hide the amusement that appeared on her face, “Seriously, you look nothing like Tink-”

“I know, I know that stupid character gave us a bad rep. We’re much cooler than that, with a lot more power and a lot more responsibility,” he emphasized responsibility. “That book is one of them. As you know, it’s powerful and a lot of beings want it’s power.”

“Yeah… you’re included,” Rey narrowed her eyes.

“Because it belongs to me,” he argued. “And when they attack you then you won’t be able to protect the book and yourself.”

“And you can defend yourself?”

He scoffed, “Of course, I can do that much. Now,” he held out his hand. “Book.”

“Sure,” Rey handed the book over, keeping up her side of the deal.

“See, was that so hard?”

“Hmm… actually. I was testing something out earlier, and it worked so I wonder if it would work here too.”

Anze raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, if I happened to tear this page out of the book and write on it, would I still be able to use its powers?” she held out the torn page with the words, Anze will serve and protect Rey, scribbled eloquently on it.

“You didn’t…”

Rey smirked, “So, if I were to say Anze give me back the book.”

Anze felt an overwhelming urge to hand the book back, “You can’t be serious.”

Rey smiled, “Looks like it worked.” He placed the book back in her hands and she slipped it in her handbag. “See was that so hard?” she mocked his earlier remark. Before she had a chance to properly relish in her victory, the ground above them rumbled. “What the fuck was that? An Earthquake?”

Anze looked back at her with crossed arms, “Ha? You wish it was an Earthquaker. They’re coming for that little black book you want to keep so badly.”

“They?”

He sniffed the air, “The trolls… violent creatures, not very smart. If we stay quiet then they’ll never know where to find us, but as for your friend upstairs. I’d check on him if I were you.”

Rey’s heart dropped, not Dougie. Without thinking she headed back up the stairs, ignoring Anze's protest for her to stop. Dougie was the reason she stayed sane in her teen years. He was like a father to her. She couldn’t put him danger, but with great power comes great responsibility. And with responsibility comes losses.

Rey smelled the blood before she made it upstairs, and when she did she hadn’t realized she was screaming until her throat began to burn. Dougie was laid out on the counter like a slab of meat, blood dripped onto the floor and his eyes were wide in shock as if he hadn’t realized his life was gone until it was too late.

“Why?” Rey shook, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Why?! He had nothing to do with the book.”

“When the magic of the book is used it attracts the supernatural…” Anze spoke solemnly. “They couldn’t find you so they left you a message.”

“The book!” Rey reached in her bag ignoring Anze. “I can fix this. I-I can bring him back.”

Anze grabbed her hand before she could pull the book out, “No, if you want to live a long life then you follow one rule about that book. Don’t play god.”

Rey shook his hand off her. She didn’t realize this book was so dangerous. That this book would take a life from her so soon. “Will they continue to leave me messages so long as they can’t find me while I have this book?”

“Maybe, but they also don’t know who you are. This guy was just here by chance.”

“Then what if I leave?”

“Your family?”

“This town… everything.” Rey spoke softly. “The only thing I wanted was for my family to be happy again and if me not being there can grant that then I’ll gladly leave.”

“Why don’t you just give me the book?”

“I want to help others. I don’t want to see others suffering like me in this cruel world. I can use the book’s power to give to the people who were dealt an unfair hand.”

“You can’t help everyone,” Anze crossed his arms. He didn’t like where this was heading. He didn’t do idealism.

“I know, but I want to help as many as I can so long as I’m alive. And, I know I’ll be okay because you’ll protect me won’t you Anze?” she was smiling at him despite her cheeks still being stained in tears.

“I guess I don’t have a choice.”