*fairytale

This place feels and smells familiar. There's no need for me to open my eyes to know that I'm safe. The atrocious nightmare is over. An octopus, one so huge it would need a stadium as a bathtub. I can still feel the suction sensation on my leg as its suckers take a position.

I look down, nothing, there's no trace.

Did I dream?

No, then why am I in the bedroom of my parent's house. It's been a long time, maybe three or four months. Nothing has changed here; I guess home is the only place one wishes it to remain as it is.

I get out of bed. I'm even in my old pajamas; I can almost swear I was in Aurora's dress. When you're someone with my passive, you can't trust your mind.

Perhaps all was a fantasy, after all. I leave the room and begin to go down the stairs when I hear a voice I haven't heard in a long time. They're talking, and I try to make the less sound possible as I creep down to listen.

The kitchen door is slightly open, and I peep through the crack like a thief.

"You told me to leave, that you would protect Inna and tell her the truth. What do I find? Inna at the mercy of a Kraken," he paces with his hands on his hips.

"Knox."

"You promised. I did everything you asked."

My father shakes his head, "Knox, why are you here?"

My brother swipes a hand on his face and says," do you know what happens when she takes off her pendant? You can't since you're human. Well, I'll tell you. A colossal shockwave swipes the earth; it's like a calling. I'm here because I heard Inna's scream from the other side of the planet."

"Come on, Knox, Inna never takes off her pendant," my father replies. I recognize his usual cool. One could tell him there was an earthquake in Japan, and there were kaijus everywhere that my father would go. Is that so, do you want some coffee?

Knox is furious I've never seen him like this.

"How do you know? How do you know Inna doesn't take it off. She doesn't even live in this house anymore. Do you know what's happening outside? Have you checked the streets of Crimson lately? All the species and sinister beings imaginable have invaded the streets, and do you know why?"

"Knox, calm down. Inna has the right to live like anyone else. It's why we took her," my mother says in her poised voice as she attempts to approach him.

Knox shakes his head to deny, "but she isn't like anyone else on earth."

"Knox, please stop screaming. You might wake her."

My brother shuts his eyes and opens them, "listen, Inna has to know. Her ignorance is putting her in danger. She reeks Strigoi; some bastard even managed to cloak her, can you imagine that?"

"Mind your language, Knox."

Knox slides his head back and blinks in dismay, "dad, are you serious? Inna almost got gobbled by a Kraken, she's cloaked by a strigoi, and all you care about is the word bastard. What type of fiction do you live in? They're invading the city. We have to act fast and exterminate the vermin."

"You sound like a Hellsing extremist."

"What? You know as well as I do, peace with these predators around is impossible. They are already introducing the ideology of their existence through media. Music, books, cinema they've managed to make their existence seem trendy and legitimate. One of these days, one will want to run for president, and then what? Some humans cosplay vampires and accept to become Offerings; they want to be like them. We can't allow that, and Inna must know who she is."

"Knox, it's not as easy as it seems. What can we tell her? We don't even know who nor what she is. We saved Inna and you. And you're accusing us, don't you think it's a littleㅡ."

It's too much, and I can't hold back. I enter, "what did you save me from?" I say, but my stare lingers on Knox. His hair is gray, grandpa gray, and his eyes have that nightly glow I have seen since the concert.

"What did you save me from?" I repeat while my stare switches from Knox to my parents.

"Inna, honey, you don't need to know now," my mother replies as she approaches me the way she did Knox. The gesture is particular; she has the same movement as of animal tamers on the National Geographic channel.

"No, I want to know now. So tell me."

Put yourself in my shoes one second; imagine discovering you're not human. Wouldn't you want to know who you are on the spot?

The story is mad fishy.

My mom and dad look at each other, "Inna, everything we did was for your good."

Yep, I knew it; the shit reeks.

"Who am I?" I take a step back as my mom advances.

"Inna."

"What am I?"

My mother stops in front of me and smiles, "you're an artifact I found."

"Say what?"

"The Hawks stole you and took you to their headquarters," my father adds.

"The what quarters?"

"And we stole you back and brought you here till you hatched," my mom finishes.

"I did what?"

Did my mom say I hatched? She said it, I heard it, right. Mom said I hatched. All my mind envisions at this instant are chickens and birds of all species coming out of their shell.

It's crazy how one spends their whole life wanting to be unique, and when someone confronts them to the opportunity, they find themselves backing away.

Right now, I'm no longer curious to discover I'm not like everyone else. I don't want to be an interdimensional portal or some fifth element from outer space. Dawn and Leeloo can keep the weird spot crown.

All I hear is heavy breathing, and I wish the sound to stop when I realize it's my halting respiration.

My parents' information doesn't even get to make a complete course in my mind. Knox's head appears in front of mine. His void black pupils take the entire space in his eye. Knox blows something into my face, and I cough. He whispers something and then blackout.

My mind is a blur, and I wake in my apartment. Fragments of souvenirs swirl in my mind; I see my room back at my parents, dad, mom, and even Knox. I see them, but I can't hear a thing of what they're saying. It's as though someone turned off the volume. It's the most realistic dream I've ever had.

The house is silent. I get out of bed.

"Aurora?"

Nothing.

My head throbs hangover style. I go and knock on her bedroom door, which slides open. She isn't there. The smell of bacon and eggs fills the air. I hurry to the kitchen.

"Knox, oh my goodness, Knox."

"Good morning little, sis-."

Before he can finish, I hug him and close my eyes. Knox wraps his arms around me.

"I missed you, so-SO-so much."

"Not more than I, not more than I," Knox repeats.

I let go, step back and take a look at him, "Knox, your hair?"

He swipes a hand on his head, "yeah, I dyed them," he replies.

Knox is a lousy liar, and I don't get why he's lying about his hair color. The grey is particular; It shimmers. Whatever he did must have cost a fortune.

"It's cool, very Kpopish," I can't help but smile.

It's a euphemism; my brother is Asian, and I guess he's Korean. While I'm mixed, at least that is what people believe. I'm not blasian, though my father is Asian and my mother is black, which was practical as we never needed to tell anyone we were adopted. The truth is nobody knows. My complexion is fair, but it doesn't mean I'm not black.

"How have you been?" I ask as I take a seat.

"Good," Knox replies and sits down.

"And your studies?"

"Finished. Graduation is in a month," Knox replies with a smile

"How long do you plan to stay here?"

"Forever with you," he beams. My brother has a beautiful smile, he seems taller, and his shoulders look broader. Knox is a handsome man. He always has been. It's just now I see what the girls at school probably saw every day.

"Inna?"

"Hmmm?"

"Eat," Knox nudges a hand on my head, and suddenly I feel like a little girl again.

"Ah yes," I start eating

"So tell me, how have you been?"

"Good, things have been perfect since mom and dad have stopped chaperoning me. Aurora works full-time at the gallery and me at the Galleria. Oh, and I've made a new friend."

"Ah yeah, who?" Knox asks as he scoops some scrambled eggs on his fork.

"He doesn't speak, but he isn't deaf. He's super cute; Aurora has the hots for him. He owns a tattoo parlor in the Heights."

Knox nods, "I see, and do you hang out with him?"

"We've been out and about a few times. I'm thinking of getting a tattoo. I've got an idea why don't you come with me to choose one."

"I don't like tattoos, Inna, and I don't want you to have one."

"Knox, I'm twenty-four and hell to you if you think I'm going to listen. So do you want to come with me or not?"

He looks at me, takes my hand, and squeezes lightly," I don't want you to get it."

"It's just a tattoo, Knox."

"Inna, there are things you don't know and that I need to tell you."

The solemn tone he employs isn't reassuring.

"Knox, what's the matter?"

"Can we put the visit at the tattoo parlor later? I want us to see mom and dad."

"Sure, we can go to Oblivion tonight."

Knox frowns, "tonight?"

"Yes, it only opens from 6 PM to midnight."

My brother raises a brow, "where did you say it was again? "

"In the Heights."

"Okay, I'll take you."

Knox drives; it's practical.

"Great, at what time do you want us to see mom and dad?"

Knox turns smiles, "let's spend the day together. We can visit them tomorrow."

"Oh, okay."

That's my brother for you. He changes his mind like a weather cock.

He slaps his hand down on my head, "what's with your hair?"

"I shaved it off. I wanted a change," I shrug and say as I look into my coffee cup. There's something about its darkness, it'sㅡ.

"Inna, you were saying?"

"Oh, yeah, I wanted a change. So many things have happened. I went to a Tempest concert."

"What you left crimson?" He exclaims.

"No, the band came here. I even met Jesus; the man is soSoso handsome. His assistant is from another dimension. Did you know she walks around with a snake in her sleeve? Aurora freaked out," I say and chuckle at the memory, "his brother owns the tattoo parlor. I didn't even know he had a sibling."

"Inna, what's his brother's name?"

"Søren, Søren Tepes."

Never have I seen my brother's eyes so vast. I mean, he breaks his slits; his expression is a prism of multiple feelings that I can't explain. Sweats break out on his forehead. He looks as though he wants to scream with terror.

"Knox, what's wrong?"

"Inna, are you okay? Did anything happen to you? Did he touch you?"

"Knox, the rumors are fake. Nothing weird happened," I say while trying to retrieve the images from the concert. There too, I meet a firewall. It's impossible for me to recall anything after taking the helicopter.

My absences are more predominant, I know I should speak up, but I'm not comfortable expressing myself on my mental issues. Lately, I've been wondering if I don't have Alzheimer's. Though rare, I read there were some cases on young patients. It seems far-fetched, but the option remains a possibility, one that scares me. I don't want to forget those I love.

Knox grabs my hand, "Inna, you can talk to me, you know that, right? "

I sigh, "I feel like such a weirdo sometimes."

"You're not a weirdo. You and I are just people who see the multi-layers of this world."

"Layers?" My clueless expression pushes him to pursue.

"The worlds within the world."

Yep, that's my brother. When I speak to him, I almost feel normal at times. I can trust him to sound crazier than me.

"Inna, listen to me carefully. I don't ever want you to approach the Tepes brothers again."

"Knox, why?"

"They're dangerous, Inna. They're not who or what you think they are."

"Knox, what on earth are you talking about?"

"I want you to move back home with mom and dad."

"What? no," I yank my hands from his grasp, "It's out of the question."

"Inna, I beg you. I promise I'll explain everything to you, but please do what I tell you for now."

"Knox, look at my face. I said no."