Psycher Chronicles

Chapter 54

Paranormal Meetings

(Darcy Renolds)

Anytime you have so many excited teenagers in one area you are bound to get nervous tension and drama. Add to that the idea that by being the one who gets seen by the pop icon would get the dream job of being given backstage passes, admittance to the tour and more.

Tension.

Having arrived so early, people found themselves shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. Women who started off wearing heels were already carrying their pair of heels, opting to rest comfortably in their bare feet against the smooth tile flooring.

On top of everything was the smell.

Grabbing so many teenagers into one spot was bound to create some chaos. The number of food kiosk vendors had seemingly tripled for the day, the scent of fresh food only seemed to coat the smells of tension and teenaged angst. It didn’t help that everyone was dressed for a cold Pittsburgh day, meaning that many had worn thick winter coats inside.

“Get out of my face.” One girl hissed at a smaller girl who just shifted anxiously from foot to foot.

Misha and J-Sweep looked on wondering if they needed to step in. Well Misha did, J-Sweep was more interested in seeing what actually happened.

Fortunately, the security detail that was on call was also heightened as a real cop and a mall security guard team came forward to try to deescalate the situation.

“What seems to be the problem here?”

“Her, she is constantly being all twitchy and even stepping on my designer shoes.” The angry girl spat out, and like that the disparity in poverty between the two girls was quickly drawn into comparison. The girl that was talking was slightly taller with a thin lean build wearing an eye catching white dress and surprisingly enough was still wearing six inch heels. This ensemble and her attitude seemed to scream that this girl was from wealth.

By contrast, the smaller girl in front of her looked like she was from a much worse place socially. While her clothes were clean and pressed, they had clearly been worn multiple times before and didn’t have that first day clean look that the angry girl’s clothes did.

“I didn’t even touch your stupid shoes.” The second girl hissed back.

That was but the first instance, many more similar events played out all around. Due to the girl’s sizes the trio mostly found themselves left alone.

Yet, despite all of this, there were oddities that began to crop up.

Achoo.

Sneezing, what seemed like simple allergies began to break out quickly amongst the crowd.

A few of the more nervous patrons began pulling out miniature fans, or perfume bottles to make sure their scents were covered, or at least that seemed to be the attempt behind so many different individuals coming out and adding differing and competing scents.

By the time Hasty and her entourage of guards arrived an hour early for staging, the atmosphere seemed to resemble more of a Dutch oven than a mall having more attendees here today than it had all month.

As the fashion superstar made her way, everyone pulled out their phones, as cries of joy and attention came out from her fans that would all supposedly get a chance to be Hasty’s legendary helper.

“Hi Hasty!”

“Hasty I love you!”

A few different groups even broke into bouts of random serenading of famous Hasty songs as she passed. People did everything and anything to grab Hasty’s attention as she smiled and waved, but never seemed to look at any one contestant in the face. Instead, she just seemed to be tangentially aware of the rows of adoring fans as she speed walked past the line.

This was her typical M.O. and the way she had handled all of her selections thus far, which was why she shocked everyone, when she completely broke protocol and her long elegant stride as she came to a complete stop as her head and eyes seemed to snap to her right as she locked gazes with the giant red headed high school goddess that was Misha Tulley.

Misha not saying a word just stoically nodded, as if such an action was to be expected.

Of course, as far as Darcy was concerned maybe Misha had expected this type of reaction all along, it was Misha after all.

“You,” Hasty called out, pointing out Misha.

With that every head turned as one to face Misha, Misha who was just standing stoically there in the center.

Then before anyone could react, Hasty turned to her head scheduler, planner, or whomever the regal lady was to her side. At which point she declared before God and everyone that this random goddess was to be her helper, she did so with one declarative word, “her.”

At which point two guards came forward, placing themselves on either side of Misha.

When Darcy saw this, she thought this was it, that Misha was going to leave them. Hell, Darcy knew she would, though as this unfolded, one desperate thought filled her mind as she idly wondered how she would get home with Jasmine.

Turning to glance at Jasmine Sweet, showed that she too was having the same worries about abandonment, as what do you do when your ride is the chosen helper.

Fortunately for both of them, Misha was made of different materials as she stood still, a calm note of authority coming to her as she pointed out both Darcy and Jasmine both.

Hasty seeing this asked, “they’re with you?”

Misha nodded.

“Yeah, you two, please also be my guest.” Were Hasty’s words that sent chills down Darcy’s spine, as this was Hasty, the Hollywood superstar who had come down from the heavens and had now chosen her.

Well really, she had chosen Misha and Misha had chosen her, which was totally like the same exact thing. Almost as if Hasty had chosen her directly.

What happened next was hard to explain, even having lived through the phenomenon Darcy would have a hard time explaining what exactly happened next.

For a moment there was a faint lull, as everyone tried to take in what had just happened. Not only had Hasty made her decision for a helper before she had even seen the entire line of people, but she had done so, in such a definitive way that she caught everyone, her staff included, off guard.

There was a brief moment as the end of her security detail caught up, while the two guards that had originally come for Misha now surrounded Darcy and Jasmine, both of whom were still on Misha’s sides.

The trio plus two guards made their way to join the other security guards, even going to stand next to Hasty.

Hasty stuck out one elegant hand towards Misha.

Misha looked at the hand apprehensively for a second, but then ultimately agreed, sticking out her own hand. Then poof.

People would later call what happened a miniature terrorist attack, a minor EMP going off.

Yet, Darcy being that close she felt it, sure as anything she felt the burst and exchange of energy. She even saw the way both Hasty’s and Misha’s eyes seemed to glow ominously with a silvery hue.

“AHH!”

Immediately people began panicking.

That’s when the security detail began moving, rather than going out the exit they came, or towards the initial exit which was somewhere towards the front of the line, the security guards broke protocol and apparently pulled an audible as they went through Jelk’s Clothing Store.

Then Darcy felt a strong set of hands on her back.

“Follow me,” a loud voice called out apparently belonging to the hand that then pushed Misha forward.

At that Darcy half ran, half seemingly glided through the mall, to the department store, then quickly out the back of the store as they made their way towards the still shining sun.

Despite everything that had been happening, it was still light enough out that everyone could see what was happening within the mall.

Yet, apparently every piece of electronics for a thousand yards around the famous meeting had been irrevocably lost, making so that only those that were livestreaming at the moment had their content saved.

A fact that Darcy would be immensely grateful for later on, as it meant no one could get a good enough angle or shot of the trio to find out who had stolen their shot at being Hasty’s Helper.

As they got out, a limousine was already prepped and ready to take off, once Hasty, her secretary, the trio and two guards got into the back of the vehicle.

An Awkward tension filled the cab of the limousine, and for a second Darcy wondered if the limousine had also been shorted out by whatever had happened.

Vrroomm.

Yet, the car started up almost immediately.

Looking quickly, Darcy could almost see the faint glow of Misha’s eyes burn a little brighter the instant before the car started up. Yet, that could all just be part of Darcy’s mind adding even more oddities to what was clearly a very vivid dream.

Figures that even in her dreams that Hasty wouldn’t choose her, but the girl she too now found herself obsessing over.

Movement.

Only once the limousine started moving did everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. Everyone except for Misha who seemed to be as calm and stoic as ever.

“Wow, wasn’t that exciting.” Hasty began.

Giggle.

Darcy for her part couldn’t help but let out a slightly nervous laugh at that. Everyone laughed, but Misha who just nodded.

Hasty still seeming to be oddly tense and nervous, an effect that was oddly endearing to the pop sensation pressed on.

“So, do you all still want to be my Helpers?”

SQUEAL!

There was a high pitched squeal being released, and for a moment Darcy felt extremely self-conscious that she managed to get that loud, before she realized there was also an echo in the limousine as Jasmine too was squealing.

Looking out of the corner of her eye, Darcy could only relax when she saw the giant smile on Misha’s face. While she still won cool points for not squealing in front of the legend like a moron, she still looked amazing smiling at her obvious excitement. At that moment right there, Darcy knew she had it bad.

Worst of all, it was clear that Misha only saw her as a friend. Which was okay, this was not her first rodeo of unrequited love, and after James, she felt she was much better able to handle such murky waters.

Though, Darcy knew that given the odd looks that Hasty kept sending Misha’s way, she knew that her work was cut out for her. As it was clear that for whatever reason Hasty herself was smitten with her Misha.

Yet, that was not noted in her words, as Hasty immediately turned to face Darcy first.

“So, tell me all about yourself.”

Then almost as if compelled to tell her entire life’s story, Darcy did just that. “I am Darcy Nicole Reynolds, and we came from Jackson West Virginia to be here.”

“Jackson?” Hasty asked, a note of surprise on her face.

“Well we did have a brief stop over in, where was it? For the basketball game.” Darcy asked, turning to her two friends.

“Basketball game? You play?” Hasty asked, her words completely sincere as all Darcy could do was tell everything that was the truth.

“Me no, that is the two goddesses that you see next to me. I just went on to cheer them along.” Darcy found herself answering, yet despite feeling like she had to tell Hasty everything, it also felt natural. Like she was catching up with a long-lost friend.

What she missed was the way Misha’s posture shifted slightly, as if she were becoming guarded herself.

“The two of you play basketball?” Hasty pressed suddenly shifting her attention to Misha and Jasmine.

“Yes.” Jasmine answered back enthusiastically.

“On the same team?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t until that night that Darcy would realize that while Hasty only engaged in conversation with Darcy and Jasmine, each question ultimately yielded a response that gave more information about Misha. But that was just her being paranoid, right?

***

(Alishia Stone)

The talisman that Shaman Bruce gave her was creepy and smelled of rot. In her mind she knew the talisman had to have been carved from dried out meat of some kind. Yet, Alishia didn’t have the heart to ask where exactly the meat came from.

Instead, she was more appreciative of the result, namely the fact that she was no longer plagued by vivid dreams where she was murdering an old woman who could only cry out in pain with each movement made in her dreams.

Now Alishia as the next pack Alpha had been tasked by Bruce to find five people that she would give similar talismans to, these five would form the basis for her pack.

In her mind she already had the names, Tricksy from North, Amoni, so she could keep ties with Bruce. Then there was Troy, Dave, and Rodger from the football and basketball teams.

Pulling into Rodger’s driveway, she held the package with the fleshy talismans that almost seemed to have dried blood etched deep into the carvings.

“Now all I need to do is get my ex to wear this, for his protection, so he will come back to me.” Alishia said, touching the trinket and finding the one made for Rodger was just as slimy as the one she now wore around her neck. “Then how do I get him to keep it against his skin.”

With that task in mind, Alishia exited the vehicle wanting to break whatever hold that harpy had on her man. For while Bruce was still at a loss for who might have cursed them, even going so far as believing that it was the ghost of their victim coming back to haunt them, Alishia had her own opinions on the matter. Opinions that only made sense if they related to the new girl who had so completely undermined everything that Alishia had spent the last year and a half going about earning.

Exhale.

Ding-dong.

Letting out a breath, Alishia rang the doorbell of her ex, and braced herself holding an ornate wooden box in her hands. One that contained a flesh talisman that she desperately needed her ex to wear, without going to the authorities about where the talisman might have come from. Simple, right?