I was walking home the next day when it happened.
It began as a strange feeling, like an inexplicable anxiety. Soon it intensified. Am I ill? I thought. I hurried to a nearby alley, for if I was to vomit, I did not wish to do it in plain sight of everyone in the crowded street. By the time I reached it, I felt as though some force was trying to claw its way out. It was the most terrifying sense of nausea - if you could call it that - I'd ever felt. What strange illness is this?
Then it escaped, and everything went black.
When I returned to consciousness, I was still in the alley, though I was now on my back. I heard voices, though I couldn't make out individual words.
The voices were coming closer. "Miss? Miss, are you okay? Can you hear me, Miss?"
Two faces entered my field of vision. Both seemed to belong to young men. "Miss, can you hear me?" one repeated.
"Give her a chance, Jim, she's just waking up," scolded his companion.
I slowly sat up. Jim placed a hand on my back and applied a gentle pressure, ready to ease me back down should I feel too dizzy. "Who - who are you?" I felt groggy, as though I had just been woken up from a much needed sleep.
"Never mind that, we're here to help you. What happened, Miss?"
It took me a few moments to string together a coherent sentence. "I - I'm not sure. I was walking home when I suddenly felt very ill. Then I suppose I went unconscious, because everything went black. Then I woke up."
"Are you still feeling ill, Miss? Should I walk you home?"
"Jim, she needs a doc! I bet some of that gas from the explosion got to her!"
Gas explosion? I thought. What is he talking about?
"No, you dimwit, if that were true, then we'd be out cold too, we saw it, remember?"
"Well, I still say she needs a doc."
"No!" I snapped. Then, more gently, I said, "No, thank you. I think I will be fine." I wasn't quite feeling like myself, but how would I explain my symptoms? Surely this was like nothing ever seen before. "I believe I can make it home myself."
Jim shook his head. "I can't let you do that, Miss, not in your state. At least allow me to accompany you home, since you are so intent on doing so."
I couldn't deny him that. "Fine. And my name is Rayn, Rayn Bell," I added. His constant use of the word "miss" made me slightly uncomfortable.
Ten minutes later we arrived at the apartment. I thanked Jim and his companion, whose name was Allen. Jim responded, "You are very welcome, Miss Bell. I hope that one day we shall meet again."
No sooner had they left than Queenie came rushing out. She looked panicked. "Rayn, are you all right? I heard about the explosion, and you took so long getting here I thought that you had got caught up in it!"
Her seemingly genuine concern surprised but touched me. "No, I'm all right. I just got held up at the library." I didn't want to worry her with my illness - I hadn't known her for very long, and I also had the unsettling feeling that all was not as it appeared. To keep up the act of ignorance, I said, "What explosion?"
"Thank goodness you're okay. There was a gas explosion just a few blocks from here. At least, they say it was a gas explosion. I'm not so certain, but I also don't know what else it could be. It destroyed the building, there's hardly anything left."
I didn't either, so I didn't think too much on it. "Hmm. Very curious."
I must have sounded uninterested or bored or something, because Queenie said, "What's wrong, Rayn? You sound ... odd."
"Hm? Oh, well, I'm just tired, I had a hard day at the library. We were very busy today. I'm going to turn in early."
"Okay, just let me know if you need anything. Just remember, I'm right across the hall."
"Thank you, Queenie."
Later, I was shocked that I made it up the stairs to my bed unharmed, for I did not lie to Queenie - I was exhausted. I didn't even bother to undress or pull a blanket over me; I simply let myself fall on my bed and fall asleep. Before I slipped into sleep, however, I thought I heard the cry of an occamy. Being as tired as I was, though, I dismissed the thought as fanciful, for what would an occamy be doing in New York City, where I was far, far away from magic?562Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPwTDNfeMN
