Page 32 of Fallen Thorns
That encouraged more laughter, to the point where I joined in myself as the memory replayed in my head.
We then somehow got onto the topic of halls of mirrors and fun houses — things we collectively agreed were a menace to society.
Once I’d settled back into conversation, I decided to discretely press Carmen to try and jog my memory of where I had met her before.
“So, how did you two meet?” I tried to ask casually, taking a sip of my now room temperature tea. I swallowed disdainfully.
“Oh, well it’s a funny story actually,” Carmen started before Rani added, “kind of similar to the way you and Mars met, one of those weird coincidences...”
That’s when I knew.
Carmen.
Those ocean eyes, peering out from the shadows of The Thorns hideout. She was one of them. One ofme.
But I can hear her heart? She’s human. A human working with The Thorns?
Dread washed over me. How could I warn Rani? The Thorns had taken things too far now. It was one thing to monitor me, I could handle that now, but it was another thing entirely to invade the lives of myfriends— my best friend, for that matter. I could not let Rani get dragged into this world. It would be too dangerous. I could not bear the thought of her being put in danger all because of me.Are they using her to get closer to me?
“Arlo, are you okay?” Carmen asked.
“He zones out sometimes. Earth to Arlo…” Rani waved her hand dramatically in my line of sight.
I looked up at her jesting, but I’d clearly embarrassed Rani by ignoring the conversation, lost within the depths of my thoughts.
“Sorry. I — I think I just need some sleep.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I think we can all relate there,” Carmen said. “I was just asking what you like to read. Rani told me you read a lot. I’m somewhat of an avid reader myself.”
“Oh, right, yeah. Yeah, I enjoy reading. Erm, mostly literary fiction, contemporary stuff? A bit of poetry. You know, the standard English student stuff. I don’t really have that interesting of a taste really. I like a bit of everything. You?”
Keep it simple.
“I love a good horror, you know. Not the mundane stuff, like a really gritty, mess-with-your-mind sort of horror. And fantasy, which is probably a bit of a contrast to you.”
I got the reference. Carmen knew who I was.
She wanted to play a game? Fine.
“Monsters?” I suggested.
Carmen grins. “Oh, the worst kinds.”
We stared head on now. I was trying to suppress my shaking. “Ghosts? Werewolves?”
“Nah, not real.”
My hand tried to still my leg under the table. “Serial killers?”
“Boring.”
“Psychological horrors?”
“You’re avoiding the obvious.”
My blood boiled, but I refused to let her win.
“Nightmares… hallucinations… body horror…” I gulped.
