I had grown more tired than I should've been, and at times, I could no longer make sense of the thoughts running through my head. I wanted to believe that everything was just a delusion; maybe all of it was a product of my imagination. I didn't know how much longer I could endure this. Even the medication I took had stopped working. If I had one single chance, I would want to live everything all over again from the beginning. I didn't want to think I had gone mad, like my family once believed—but there was no explanation for any of this. Even my short periods of sleep had turned into nightmares, and I had begun to wake up terrified. I no longer had the will to face a new day; sometimes, I even found myself wishing not to wake up at all.
Because of the phone ringing on the nightstand, I had no choice but to open my eyes. The caller was Anna. Since I had the day off, I hadn't gone to the club where I worked—perhaps that was why my dear boss was calling. I looked at the wall of floor-to-ceiling glass across the room. Snow was still falling heavily outside, and it was pitch dark; even the forest wasn't visible. Picking up the phone, I answered the call. A moment later, Anna's gentle voice filled my ears:
"Mabel, please tell me you're asleep and that the dark circles under your eyes are gone."
"Can't really say that," I swallowed. In response, I heard an annoyed sigh, and I took a deep breath. "You're starting to look like a zombie," she muttered under her breath. My sleep problems had become a real issue. I was so exhausted during the day that I'd lost count of how many glasses I'd broken while working.
"I wish I could kick the asses of those creatures you keep seeing; then we'd both finally get some peace."
Her comment almost made me laugh. We both knew that wasn't possible, but I still smiled at her attempt to cheer me up.
"Is everything okay?" I asked. It was Sunday, and I knew things were quite busy at the club. Even though it was a small town, there were plenty of troublemakers around. Anna was so beautiful that she drew everyone's attention. That's why I always worried when I wasn't by her side.
"Other than the usual ex-boyfriend drama, not much," she replied.
"Oh God, him again?"
"Yeah," she grumbled. "I just don't get what he's trying to do. No matter what, I really loved him, Mabel. But now, seeing him with other people makes this cold emptiness spread inside me."
"He's just scared, Anna. You're not someone he could handle. Leaving you was easier for him, because he's tired of dealing with hard things. He didn't want responsibility. And if you ask me, you deserve much better. He's the one who lost. You just need to realize your own worth," I said, trying to comfort her. I knew she was hurt, but taking him back would be a huge mistake.
"You're right. Hey, want me to come over? Some weird guy showed up today and gave me a book. I don't really understand what it's about—maybe we can take a look at it together."
With a small smile, I replied, "Sure. And maybe bring some alcohol while you're at it?"
"Only alcohol? I'm starving—I'll grab some food too. I'll be there in ten minutes."
"The roads are icy, be careful. I hope you put on your winter tires."
She made a noise of agreement, and I hung up, getting out of bed and stepping out of my room. The creatures I usually saw around the house weren't there this time, which was reason enough to feel relieved. I went downstairs into the open kitchen, grabbed a snack jar from the counter, poured some into a small bowl, and placed it on the table along with two glasses in front of the TV. Since Anna said we'd be examining a book, I skipped the movie selection.
I sat on the couch, leaned my head back, and waited for Anna. I was so sleep-deprived I could've fallen asleep at any moment. If that happened, Anna would probably kill me—so I did my best to stay awake. About five minutes later, the doorbell rang. Moving sluggishly, I went to open it. Anna stood there shivering from the cold, which made me laugh. As always, she had parked her car in my yard. I sighed in mild frustration and rolled my eyes.
Rushing inside, she said, "God, you can't even see that stupid grass anymore! Everything's frozen, so you can't be mad at me for parking there," and hung her coat on the rack.
Looking at the black book in her hands, I frowned. "Are we really going to sit here and study the history of witches?" I muttered.
Turning the book over, she smirked. "Why not? I think it goes perfectly with your all-black house."
"What could witches possibly be? Fortune tellers? Tarot readers? What's so interesting about that, for God's sake? Believe me, a movie would've been way better," I said, popping a pistachio into my mouth and reclining with my legs stretched out on the table. Even my nightmare-filled sleep was more interesting than that book Anna was holding.
While Anna unpacked the bags she'd brought, I opened a beer and started drinking. She placed the food on the table, and I picked up the book she had set down, turning it over in my hands.
"You really love this mystical stuff, don't you?"
"What could be more interesting than that in this world?" she muttered.
"Living, breathing creatures," I said teasingly.
"Are you one of them?"
Picking my nose, I replied, "Considering I see monsters everywhere, I'd say I'm the most interesting creature in this town."
Sitting next to me, she grabbed a slice of pizza from the box and took a bite. She placed the book on her lap, and I dreaded that whatever she was about to read would sound like a lullaby to me. When she opened the cover, I frowned at the strange symbols inside.
"Is this some kind of cult book or something? I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up as sacrifices any minute now," I said.
"Can't you be serious for at least a few minutes?" she snapped in frustration. I rolled my eyes. If she thought I was going to take that damned book seriously, she was wrong. Still, I kept my mouth shut and tried to pay attention. She stopped at a page showing various creatures.
"Oh my God, Mabel! It talks about monsters here. Do you think any of them are the ones you've seen?"
"Some idiot probably just drew creatures he saw in movies. What's there to make a fuss about?"
"It says here that monsters were once under the control of witches. And according to the book, they used to have their own consciousness, just like humans. Meaning, they were all equal to humans—except for their appearance."