The Cabinet of Curious Cosmos

kimber_mcleod

Kimber:

 “So, what you’re telling me is that there’s some kind of ghost murderer following us that I can’t see?”

Evelyn:

“I know how it sounds.”  Evelyn drew a deep breath, rubbing her arms with chilled hands.  “But I know I saw… something.  I don’t know what.  But those people didn’t just die in random accidents.  Even you have to admit how… how unlikely those deaths were!  Just out of the blue, like something out of… out of Final Destination or something.  Can’t you see the pattern forming?  I know there were only two of them, but…”  Pleading eyes turned up to her friend.  “You have to believe me.  Something was there with them when they died.  I saw it.”  Glancing over her shoulder, she clenched her small hands into fists, pressing her fingernails into the skin of her palms.  “We have to do something before it happens again!” 

( Trigger warning: depiction of possession that resembles mental illness. )

multiversebleed

Evelyn:

New Orleans.

Evelyn Alvar steps out of the coffeehouse where she had met with an acquaintence with contacts in the publishing world and shivers in the surprisingly cold weather, tugging her flimsy sweater closed and wrapping her arms around herself.  A small, husky chuckle emanates from her throat at the thought of the earlier conversation.   It seems she may have a new book deal.  She rather hopes so– since quitting Alice’s shop after they had a falling out, she's been subsisting entirely on freelance work, which is scarce these days.  Her savings are close to being depleted, she's been living on ramen and peanut butter, and she has been considering the merits of returning to the retail industry, albeit with a different company.  The thought does not appeal to her.

It is near the end of September, and the storefronts are plastered with pale ghostly figures, witches in tattered black robes, dancing skeletons.  A gust of icy wind tousles her hair and raises gooseflesh.  She has never known it to be so cold in Louisiana this time of year; they usually still have one foot nudged to the edge of the sultry oppressiveness of summer heat.

For reasons she doesn’t fully understand, every cell in her body begins to tingle with alarm.

And then she notices three things, one right after the other.  One:  the streets and sidewalks, usually bustling with people, are deserted.   No cars in the road, though the parking lots are still full.  Two: the scene before her is slowly becoming obscured by a flurry of white particles.  It actually takes her a second or two to realize that it’s snowing.  Three: a rapid succession of footfalls echoing behind her as somebody runs towards her.

She spins on her heels and braces herself.