The Unusual Befallings of Cypress Clara Paige

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*May*
Warm soft air blew through Cypress's hair as she briskly sped through the darkening street, her knee high boots clunking in the sidewalk and echoing off the building walls with a purpose. She had just finished up her shift at the corner cafe where she would be working this summer while off of class. To save time she decided to cut through an alleyway to make it through to the next street where she was supposed to meet her friends to watch a movie. That path was familiar to her feet. But the moment she reached the shadow of the alleyway, what heat was left from the setting sun was leached from her skin and she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
Her stride began to slow as she rounded a dumpster that took up most of the width of the alleyway. And a rustling sound on the other side of the dumpster caused her to abruptly skid to a halt. The rustling was followed by a thud and a yowling grow and Cypress could feel her heart rate accelerate as it pounded in her ears. Instinctively she began to back up and before she could make it more then a few feet something black darted from the side of the dumpster and richocet through her feet with a echoing...meow?
Cypress could feel her legs start to sway in relief as she realised that her hidden attacker was a scruffy dumpster cat that was missing half is tail and a piece of an ear. The cat scooted to the lip of the alley and paused to look at the human that desterbed it before scooting back up the other side of the street and out of sight.
With a sigh Cypress turned and continued on her way to meet her friends.

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"I feel like being a diminished IQ hoe is a prerequisite for being the first chick killed in a horror movie." Shelley remarked as she grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bag sitting on the living room coffee table.  

"Says the girl who is about to pop an areola out of her bra that is higher cut then her shirt." Emery giggled with a half eye role.

Seconds later Emery was showered by half a handful of popcorn, quickly followed by a pillow, and then next the remote.

Emery looked up from her phone and sassed back. "Hey popcorn and pillow called for. Remote not."

"If you can't take the heat, lay off the areolas." Shelley pouted before winking.  In the background another person was screaming on the TV as they got killed off by a pitchfork.

"Eehhh." Cypress started as she half ignored her friends bantering. "That has got to be in the top 10 of the worst ways to be off'ed. Death by pitchfork may trump death by garbage disposal, but its a close race."

"Cypress, normal people do not think like that." Emery injected.

"And titt talking is?" Cypress muttered half under her breath.

"Still heard that."  Emery clicked as she got up to go to the kitchen and a few stray pieces of popcorn fell off of her and bounced onto the carpet. "Normal, also entails talking about cute boys. Which is also something I rarely hear you bring up Miss Cypress."
Heat crept into Cypress's cheeks and the back of her neck.
"Whatever happened to that Taylor guy at the retro music shop." Shelley pipped up as she got up with a pillow and tossed herself on the floor next to Cypress.
"We've gone on a few dates, nothing serious." Cypress answered while pretending to be enthralled with the fibers in the carpet. "& his name is Travis."
"You've been keeping secrets girlie," Marisa added as she returned from the kitchen with bowls full of mac n cheese and sets one with hot sauce on the floor in front of Cypress and a plan one in front of Shelley.  "Last I heard you guys were only texting. No smoochie smoochie."
Cypress's cheeks darkened a few more shades of red and she through her face into the pillow she was laying on. "Guys, you are so embarrassing, this is why I tell you nothing."
"You know, if you told us things up front we would probably tease you less." Emery responded as she returned from the kitchen with plastic cups full of water for everyone.
"More like if I tell you things up front then you will instigate and make things worse."
"More like we will instigate and make things better." Shelley said as she reached across the floor to steal a piece of Cypress's mac and cheese that didn't have hot sauce on it, despite having her own bowl in front of her.
"More like you will ruin my life and steal my mac n cheese, both clearly with no remorse." Cypress smacked her friends hand as she tried to return for another noodle.
"That, or we will ensure a beautiful future wedding we can all help plan and get to be obligatory bridesmaids in." Marisa responded as she laid on the floor on the other side of Cypress and swiped a spoonful of hot sauce free mac n cheese.
"Is nothing sacred with you guys." Cypress pulled her bowl of food towards her so she could shield it with her body dramatically.
"If it makes it better, I helped to make dinner tonight so therefore I am entitled to noodle swipping." Marisa poked at her friend.
"Still doesn't make it ok." Cypress turned to face Marisa as Emery stepped in between Shelley and Cypress and snuck a spoonful of mac n cheese from Cypress while she wasn't looking. Noticing what happened Cypress jumped off the floor with her bowl and scooted onto the back of the couch with her feet on the couch cushions.  "You guys are worse then death by pitchforks."
Marisa, Shelley, and Emery burst into a parade of giggles.

*/*/*

A shimering water like hole widened on the brick wall and a tall lanky young man stepped through the hole before it closed in on itself and disappeared.  Ravenna stood next to the purple current makeshift door of her shop as Vance locked eyes with her.  "There's been an awful lot of black activity the past few months." The old women stated before Vance could explain.
"Very strange. This one was Nonmalificent, at least it had no intentions of causing harm. Just a small black cat like Schism. But they are slidding through the Veil with much more frequently the past few months."
"Curious, I wonder what is stirring them up." Ravenna stated.
"Or who." Added Vance. "There is talks in the Outer Veil that there are a few small tribes rallying behind the Mailliant cause again. Maybe this has something to so with it."
"Mailliant?  It has been decades, almost a century since the last great upheaval. I surely hope this is not to be the case." Ravenna looked sternly at the young man before her.