1 Awakening

Alice sits on the roof of her house gawking up at the sky, her cat lay beneath her purring with every gentle stroke of her palm. Back and forth she caresses the ginger cat's fur sitting under the moonless sky.

A white hole seemingly stamped into the heavens above her. What was before black was now red though no confusion is seen amongst her fellow neighbors.

Everything was silent and still this night. Her small two-story house was painted ivory-yellow and the roof a powder blue that stood out. It was a remodeled coal miner's house that sat on a curve of the concrete hill squished in a long row of houses.

"Hey, Alice!" A voice shouted from below.

Not bothering to look down she kicks her legs up, arching back against the tiles. She merely ignored the presence beneath her.

"You should be joining us out in the sky tonight, instead you laze away!" The voice cried out.

"Good, leave me alone then," Alice mumbled loudly.

"Is there nothing I can do to convince you to come with me, Alice?" The stranger continued to hound her.

"Saniya! I have told you a million times I don't care!"

Saniya snaps her fingers, she vanishes from her current position manifesting by Alice's side.

She is dressed in a fully black pleated dress, brown knee-high boots. Saniya adjusts the witch that sits high on top of her short pink hair so she could try to understand what Alice is seeing.

"All I see is the endless red sky, there are no witches in this part…" Saniya stated confused.

"I chose this place to protect the owner of the 'Golden Gaze'," Alice explained.

"So that's why you are here then?" Saniya replied pouting.

"Not that it's any of your business…" Alice snapped

"Whatever!" Saniya responded coldly.

"You realize normal humans can not see this right?" The happy blonde boasted.

"Of course I know that!" Saniya replied.

Alice's phone rings, she pushes herself up accidentally stepping on her cat's tail. At first, there is no answer, only heavy breathing could be heard on the other side.

"Hello? Who is there?" Alice shouted.

"Haha...haha...Alice...I don't feel too good…" The voice said.

"Christian, what happened? Are you okay?" Alice asked.

"I...I...haha...haha…" Christian said, wheezing.

The phone disconnects, Alice slides down as far as she could get to the gutter before jumping down. She makes a mad dash across the street to Christian's house.

Saniya and Alice's cat gradually follow behind, observing from a distance, Alice turns the doorknob as quickly as possible out of desperation.

"It's locked!" Alice shrieked.

Using her foot she tried with all her might to kick the door in, nothing she did would work.

"I can help you, Alice," Saniya responded in a monotone voice.

"Over my dead body!" Alice answered.

Gazing around the yard she spots a ladder titled to the side of the house becoming covered in vines. Alice sets it up against the wall realizing it was high enough to reach the window.

"Graham, I need your help!" Alice demanded.

The ginger cat scampers over to her aide to cling to the bottom of the steps holding them firmly in place so its master could climb up.

"Mistress, do your best!" He answered with praise.

Scaling her way up she tried her best to peek into his room, touching the bottom of the window sill she squeezed her fingers into the opening.

Lifting it up she clambered onto Christians' desk where she finds he passed out cold face down on his papers.

Dropping down from the table she gently hoists his arm up, his sheer weight made it hard for her to swing his arm around her shoulder pinning her against the desk and Christian.

"Don't do this to me, man! Wake up!" Alice argued.

"I come to help you, you stupid idiot!" Saniya explained from the window.

The two carry him to his bed, Alice grabs his arms and Saniya dragged him by his legs inching to the bed. Graham meowed from the window.

Alice lightly touched his forehead, swiftly she ran her digits down his hand raising them to find the symbol of two ankhs burned into his palm.

"Why is this symbol showing up now?" Alice desired to know.

"Shouldn't you ask the owner that question?" Saniya replied annoyed.

"Gavyn's dead! That's not possible!" Alice contested.

"How did you learn this guy was the whatever?"

"In school...I was told that the 'Golden Gaze' would be someone close to me even though Gavyn found him before that I discovered later how powerful Gavyn's conviction was to keep him." Alice illustrated lovingly with admiration.

"Snore! I am going now since you don't plan to come with me!" Saniya responded.

Moving her hand out, she pulls her broom out of an invisible wall that rippled to her touch alone.

"Thank you so much for helping me at the very least," Alice said with a smile.

"You owe me next crimson event then."

"Deal…"

"See you…" Saniya responded by hopping up into the air.

She dissolved into the atmosphere without the need to move outside of Christian's bedroom, Alice became vexed by how Saniya was able to do that.

"Christian will most likely sleep through this time to leave I suppose." Alice sighed.

Alice tried to walk away, but felt a tug at the hem of her blouse yanking her back to the Christian's bedside. Looking back she finds he has one eye open peeping up at her.

"Alice, how did you get into the house?" Christian asked.

"Through the window!" Alice responded in laughter.

Christian attempted to sit up to find a cat sitting on top of his paperwork, he let out a heavy sigh.

"I am guessing that Graham is there?" Christian questioned.

"He follows me everywhere," Alice said with a snicker.

"I have forgotten it seems."

"By the way do you remember calling me?" Alice quizzed.

Christian pauses for a moment, unable to answer her, he gets up to stretch his legs. Jogging in place for a couple of minutes watching the irritated expression on her face.

"What?"

"Nothing, I came here because you called me," Alice said again.

"You are serious aren't you?" Christian answered confused.

"You were laughing and hung up…I got scared and came over." Alice challenged.

"How did I get over to my bed now you mention it."

"Exactly, on top of that, you are burning up!" Alice responded by placing her hand on his head.

"Perhaps it was fever-induced?" Christian declared.

"Perhaps? Just take it easy, make sure to call off tomorrow."

"But I have an important call tomorrow Alice!" Christian shouted.

"It's not safe for you to come, I will do it then," Alice stated.

Alice takes her cat to descend down the ladder, a snap could be heard from inside Christian's room, a loud yell followed. He sprints over to the window.

"Alice, that thing is rotting! How did you even manage?" Christian argued.

"Badly, but I had to check on you…" Alice replied, turning away.

She could feel herself redden thinking about how she broke into his room to just check on him.

"Alice!" Christian yelled.

"Yes?"

"Thank you so much for caring enough to come," Christian responded.

Sticking his head out the window he becomes enamored with the sky above him. Alice realized why he hasn't turned away yet only to sneak a smile on her face.

"A-Alice! The sky!" Christian howled out.

"You can see that Christian?"

"What is going on?" His tone changed to a whisper.

"If you can remember the phone call I will tell you. Sweet dreams!" Alice said.

Her hands flapped more excitedly this time, Alice took off down the street feeling a flurry of emotions mainly having to do with the fact that now another person now shares her secret where the veil and human world are slowly clashing together.

Zooming past the other houses with her arms out she scurries through a large pile of leaves that crunch under her feet. They fly into the air to be carried into the breeze gently wafting around.

Graham struggled to keep up with Alice's speed, she twirled around enthusiastically.

"Mistress, why are you so happy?"

"He is finally awakening to veil Graham!"

"You are such a strange mistress…"

"Means Everett will be able to enter the human world finally!"

"You have been using Christian as a timer then!" Graham argued.