Volume 1 p4 Beauty and the Beast

Watching, waiting for a reaction, Zoe stares through the glass at the stranger. She asks, "Do I approach them, or are they the danger I must watch for?" She looks around the area, searching for clues that might provide some answers or context. Zoe had hoped for a wave, a nod, some acknowledgment. Nothing. Curiosity and caution warred inside her. If this person was dangerous, wouldn’t they have done something by now? Pressing the window button, Zoe slowly lowers the passenger windows about halfway. Leaning across the console, Zoe yells out the window, “Hey,” and then waits for a reaction or response. Nothing, no wave, no turning around, no walking over; they stare straight into the field. “Well, Zoe, she says to herself, it looks like it is decision time,” she says to herself, “either walk over there to see what is going on or go home.” Thirty seconds later, the door handle clicks, and the car door swings open. Zoe exits the car, glances around again, and then walks to the passenger side. Zoe is half expecting something to happen now that she is out in the open. Her curiosity urges her forward, but everything else says to return to the car and leave. She takes a deep breath and takes the first anxious step toward the person. Walking along the edge of the driveway, keeping her eyes open for the first sign of trouble, Zoe makes her way to the end of the drive.

She pauses about ten feet away from the person. Now that Zoe is out of the car and closer to the person, she can see what they are sensing. She can see the deer sprinkled throughout the field and hear the noisy birds in the trees. Combine those details with the person standing in the grass, seemingly entirely mesmerized by the surroundings, and you have a compelling mystery unfolding.

Zoe stands a few feet away, staring into the distance. She steals glances. The person is very different from her. This person is tall, strong, and has a menacing look. Do I say something? Wait until she notices me?

What do you even say to someone who looks like they could snap you in half?

Maybe… “Hey, lady, are you looking for a supernatural being, too?”

Nope. Nope. Do not say that. I like my face unpunched.  

Zoe tries a subtler approach; she clears her throat. No response. Throwing caution to the wind, Zoe says, “Any chance you are here because you are hearing a hum, and you came here to see what is going on?”   

“Depends on who is asking,” Alex replied.

The quick response startled Zoe, “Rude,” Zoe snapped.

Alex’s brain was scrambling; it was difficult to process everything around her. I’m all about action, Alex thought; all this thinking hurts my head. Alex studied the girl beside her. Friend or future enemy? She seemed harmless—too small to be a real threat. At least she wasn’t trying anything. Yet... Alex has been overly concerned about being out here, exposed, in the open, vulnerable. It is way out of her comfort zone; she does not like it. Then someone showed up, trying to get her attention and trying to talk to her. Alex had been fighting the urge to run since she left the skate park. She takes a moment to decide how best to handle this new wrinkle. Eventually, she decides Zoe is okay.

Zoe and Alex began to talk slowly at first. Zoe asked Alex what she had seen with the deer. Alex explained that they had been standing like that since she first noticed them. They shared thoughts about the hum. They learned that they shared similar concerns about the possible danger. Alex nodded her head at Zoe’s last statement in agreement. Still trying to process everything, she began to move toward the field.

“Are you going out there,” Zoe asked.

“Affirmative Cupcake,” Alex responded, “I need to know what is happening.” Moving her neck from side to side, deep pops filled the air. Alex has been battling her fight-or-flight instinct, wavering between the two. She has decided to fight; what does she have to lose? No one would care if she was hurt or worse. “This whole sitting around thinking about stuff has my head spinning; I need to find some action or punch something.”

Scurrying to catch up, Zoe said, “Well, since I am the only one here, let’s call punching something plan B or maybe even plan Z, but I agree. We need to go and find the source, even if it is for different reasons.”

Zoe’s last sentence made Alex curious: Why is Zoe seeking the source? “I know why I want to find the source. Alex says. I want to figure out what is causing this chaos and hum. I need to see if it needs to be stopped or protected. The question is, why are you doing this?” Wow, Zoe thought, Alex is a tough girl; she's ready to throw hands; she's just trying to find out which side to be on. “The reason I want to find the source is to study it. I want to learn about its power.”

“If it can cause all of this to happen today, doesn’t that make you nervous about getting close to it?” Alex asked.

“I am very nervous and possibly scared, although going with someone else helps. We make a pretty good beauty and beast kind of a team,” Zoe said, laughing.

Alex frowned and returned fire, “It’s cute that you think you’re a beauty.”

Zoe mentioned being scared, but she and Alex didn’t know they had a real reason to be afraid. Beyond the ridge west of the cemetery, ten lights flickered to life. They glided just inside the tree line, hovering,

They glided just inside the tree line, deliberate and silent, almost in coordination. Then they stopped, hovering… and turned toward Zoe and Alex. Waiting. Watching.

Thank you for reading this part of Volume 1. For fan reaction, follow us on the X at @TeamMAD. If you'd like to share your thoughts on this or send some fan mail to one of the ladies, you can email us at TeamMADzakmaj@gmail.com.