Anna

Leaving Veronica to go and do as she would with Trent, Anna went out through the front door and sat down on the cold cement stairs in front of the house. She knew she needed some time to try and contain the resurgent wildfire burning within her lest she succumbed and do something unfortunate to Valen. She wanted him so bad but knew if she took what she wanted, he would be no more. The rapid escalation of her desire reminded her she still had very little control over the force of her emotional arousal. Letting her breath out slowly, exhaling a plume in the cool December air, she closed her eyes and chuckled softly. Despite her newly heightened self, there was still so much she did not yet know or understand. She suspected her own deep and affectionate feelings for Valen were significantly heightened by the awareness of his love for her, fueling her libido, like a spark to her highly volatile emotional state. She wanted that glowing essence, craved it.

She was also aware that while she could affect him and manipulate him with her power, she couldn’t open him to the power the way she had Veronica, couldn’t impart some of her gift on him. She presumed this had something to do with the difference between the natures of male and female energy. All of her abilities stemmed from the feminine aspect, drawing nothing from the masculine, though she could certainly detect its subtle presence all around her.

Getting up to her feet, she immediately doubled over, clutching her stomach and falling to the ground in a fetal position, a pain tearing through her midriff like something inside of her rupturing, terrible and fierce, more agonizing than anything her father had ever subjected her to, robbing her of her wind and making her gasp as more concentrated seeped into her flesh.

Rolling over onto her side, she gasped, trying to catch her breath and identify the source of the influx of the raw energy inciting such intense torment. It seemed to be coming from all around, though she did detect a sense that a subtle thread of energy leaking out of her and flowing elsewhere, being drawn to another location.

Using her will, she tried to stem to flow pouring into her, while allowing the power seeping out to release the pressure while she attempted to compartmentalize it and bring some relief to the pain. Despite the frigid winter air, she felt her entire body break out in a sheen of perspiration as she pushed herself over onto hands and knee, suppressing the sudden urge to vomit.

The power held at bay, at least for the time being, she sat back on her heels, placing her hands on her thighs. Closing her eyes, she opened her mind to the energy surrounding her, but more, the stream being pulled else place, tracking it to the horizon. She realized what it meant, understood what was transpiring. Someone was specifically leeching power, accumulating it in preparation of another attempted opening of an access portal to open the way for Inanna.

Eyes snapping open, a grim expression on her face, she got to her feet, brushing the crystalized snow from her knees.

“Anna? Are you alright?” asked a voice she recognized as belonging to Mr. Harralson, her neighbor to the left. He was an aging man who lived by himself, dressed in his winter apparel, staring at her.

Turning her head, she looked at him, eyes baleful.

“It’s freezing outside,” he commented, “you shouldn’t be out here without a jacket, you’ll catch a cold for sure,” he added.

She smiled, “I’m fine Mr. Harralson,” she advised, maintaining a civil tone despite her irritation at his presence.

He made a noise of disapproval and shook his head. “There has been something odd going on, earlier, it looked like somebody had smashed all your windows,” he provided, looking beyond her.

“As you can see, the windows are intact. Thank you for your concern,” she added, turning and opening her hand in the direction of the house.

He walked up the drive. The closer he got, the more she could sense his desperation, his loneliness and isolation. “I wasn’t sure if I should phone the police or not, on account as I’m not familiar with that suspicious looking red car over there,” he said, drawing close and pointing at Jim’s rental.

Looking at the car, “It belongs to a friend,” she replied, “no cause for alarm.”

Nodding his head, “Okay, that’s good,” he said, giving her a manufactured smile intended to convey genuine concern though she could tell it was devoid of any sincerity.

She could feel his curiosity, his inquisitiveness churning away at him, his want to be included and in the know of all the details. It gave him drive and purpose, a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. It annoyed her. He was small and petty, living a life barely worth anything. She smiled at him, extending her hand and placing it on his cheek. “Everything is okay,” she stated, eyes flashing before she removed her hand.

“Yes,” he mumbled, eyes blank. “Everything is okay,” he added nodding and turning away.

She had half contemplated making him small and swallowing him not out of malice, but just to put him out of his misery, he was so lost. Frowning, she watched as he shambled back down the drive and toward his own house.

Her eyes flicked over to the red Chevy Cruz and she nodded slowly. With the vehicle, she and Veronica could drive to the location where the power pooling and identify the locus of the intended spell. There, she could thwart the plan and seal the goddess away. The only thing she didn’t know was how many possible gatherings were there? How many potential hosts or other innocent girls were there raised to be nothing more than a vessel for the returning goddess?

Climbing back up the stairs, she stepped into the house, sensing Veronica, feeling the intensity of her heat rising. She decided, she would let her friend finish with Trent before collecting her to investigate the source accumulating power.