Rule 35, Alpha

-Chapter 1-

Hey everybody, this is yet another new book for me! I'm really excited! The above picture is my main characters pet, so don't be frightened! Everybody seems to use a dog or a cat as a pet, so I decided "hey, a snake would be cool!" Anyway, enjoy, vote and follow!
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Rule 7: if you feel like you're being watched, you are.

You ever get that feeling you're being stared at? Listen to it, it's almost always right. Our brains have a 'gaze detection' system that responds when others are staring at you. Even if you can't see them. That eerie feeling is correct, as nerve racking as it is.

Right now, it feels like I have a captive audience on this subway, every single nerve ending is tingling. However, I'm used to stares, it comes with the territory.

I stand out unfortunately, and not just because I'm obviously a new face.

I'm carrying three duffle bags that are about my size, I'm wearing black leather pants and a red hoodie, and my hair is purple. So in a subway full of people in business suits, work uniforms or pastel colors...I glare out like a neon sign in the desert.

I suppose I should explain a few things, considering the facts. One, my hair isn't dyed, its naturally purple. Which can happen if you're a witch, surprise! Two, I like my outfit, it suits me. And three, I'm moving, which is why I have three duffle bags with weight enchantments on them, so they aren't as heavy as they look.

But other people don't know that, they just see a girl with bright hair, multiple ear piercings, lots of bags, and earphones in her ears on a 11 p.m. subway ride. Something to stare at, no doubt.

Good thing they can't see the snake inside my shirt.

Wait, there's a story behind that too. Zuzu is my pet ball python, or as us witches call them, 'animal companion'. He's extremely docile, unless you're a mouse, and very clingy. I have a tank for him, but it couldn't travel normally, so I had to find a place where he would be warm for a few hours. The most convenient place was inside my shirt...and bra. It's where he's been napping for the entire trip, calm and warm. I just put on a hoodie in case he popped his head up from my low cut shirt, so it wouldn't scare people...or get me in trouble for having a two foot long pet snake up here.

Speaking of the little devil, Zuzu starts climbing up, his tongue flickering out as he looks up at me. I know what he wants, and that's to hang around my neck like a scarf. I pull the hood over my head and zip the jacket all the way up, so he could do so without issue.

With Zuzu now curled around my neck, I hear the announcement for my stop. Getting up, I pick up all my feather light bags and prepare to stand, holding my phone in my hand. I had called for a taxi to pick me up and take me to my new home, which will much be more secluded than my old apartment in Brooklyn.

Making my way out the subway, I see the taxi waiting for me, the driver an older man with graying hair, leaning against the door. He looks up at me, a smile on his wrinkly face. I already like this guy.

"You're Tempest Mercer?"

"Yes sir."

"I'm Simon. Well come on, lets get you in before the rain picks up."

He pops the trunk and helps me put my bags in, closing the trunk before we get in and start heading to my new home. We sit in silence for a few minutes, and I let my hood down to check on Zuzu. Only a few minutes into our drive, it starts pouring down rain, and the sounds of rain and windshield wipers fill the quiet.