004

— to this time, this place —

THE CANDLES BURNED BRIGHT, THE GOLDEN FLAMES LIGHTING THE OLD OAK WOOD. Hazel and Rachel sat together in the old chapel, tapestries of Christ and The Virgin Mary hanging from the walls. Hazel tapped her fingers on the pew in front of them.

She leaned back and sighed softly. "Dick never hurt you did her?" Hazel asked softly and Rachel shook her head. "Okay."

"Why?"

Hazel shrugged softly. "I just... Haven't seen you that mad in a long time," Hazel reasoned. "And you never told me what really happened. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"After I ran away, and after Dick found me in Detroit he took me to his friend's place," Rachel recited, keeping her eyes on the candles burning in front of them. "He was going to leave me with them. Hank and Dawn. Wrote a note, left money."

"And you found it," Hazel said in understanding.

Rachel nodded softly before laughing. "You would have liked Hank," Rachel spoke up, looking at Hazel. "He's a hard ass with anger issues."

Hazel shook her head softly, "I'm glad that's what you think of me."

"He was nice," Rachel said in defence.

Hazel nodded softly and they fell into silence again. The doors at the end of the chapel opened and Hazel leaned back, looking over her shoulder. "It's Dick," Hazel whispered, turning back to Rachel. "Want me to stay?"

"I'll be alright," Rachel nodded.

"I'll be outside." Hazel squeezed Rachel's hand softly and stood, walking down the centre row. She nodded at Dick as she passed him and made her way out into the hall. She paused by the door, watching Dick sit with Rachel before pulling the doors closed.

Kory walked down the hall, spinning a keychain in her hand. "Where are you going?" Hazel asked and Kory stopped.

"Out," Kory said simply. "I'll be back, don't worry."

Hazel nodded softly, "Be safe."

Hazel made her way up the stairs, stopping to look at the stained-glass window of a woman. Her hand outstretched, light pouring from her palm, her hair ghostly white in blue robes. "You've taken interest in the saints I see?" Catherine said walking to Hazel's side.

"I've never seen her before," Hazel muttered.

"She's a new addition," Catherine explained, looking at Hazel, the colours from the glass lighting Hazel's face. "Zelira, the Sun Saint. She lights our world in warmth." Hazel nodded softly. "You don't believe in the faith?"

Hazel shook her head softly. "Uh no. I mean no offence."

"None taken sweet child," Catherine assured. "But I must wonder, where is Rachel?"

"Downstairs in the chapel, she's talking with Dick," Hazel explained. Catherine nodded and set off down the stairs. Hazel looked up at the glass once more before continuing to Rachel's old room. She grabbed the guitar before heading outside.

She sat under a large tree, the leaves shading her from the sun that broke through the clouds.

Hazel strummed the chords softly, the wind blowing her hair. She tapped the guitar softly, thinking to herself. Positioning her fingers on the strings she started playing softly, the soft twang of the guitar slightly more apparent by the aging strings.

"Hold on tight, to this time, this place," Hazel sang softly, her words getting caught in the wind. "Cause everything you know will be erased." She sighed softly and rested her head on the body of the guitar, looking up at the church. The birds above her whistled and Hazel reached up, plucking a flower from her hair.

She crushed it under her palm, transforming the flower into seeds. The birds whistled looking down at the food in Hazel's hand. It flew down, landing on her palm and eating from sunflower seeds. Hazel tipped the seed into the grass and the bird followed. She watched the bird for a few moments, robins joining the small blue bird.

Hazel jumped slightly when the ground beneath her started to shake. The bird squawked and flew off in a rush. The other birds above her did the same, flying into the wind. Hazel pressed her hand to the floor, trying to settle the ground. She looked up to see the side of the church explode into flames, rubble and concrete spilling out onto the ground. Hazel tossed the guitar away and scrambled to her feet.

"Hazel!" Rachel screamed, running through the cloud of dust and smoke. "Hazel!" Rachel ran at Hazel, throwing her arms around her and squeezing her tight.

"Are you alright? Did something happen?" Hazel questioned in a rush, pulling away from Rachel, trying to flatten her hair.

"The sisters, they- they," Rachel took a deep breath, her chest heaving. "They tried to lock me in. We have to go, right now."

Hazel nodded and they sprinted towards the woods, the thick trees standing tall. Hazel looked back and threw her arms out, breaking a tree at the roots and toppling it over, blocking the entrance to the woods. Rachel grabbed Hazel's hand, gripping it tight as they sprinted through the trees.

They slid down a small hill, landing by a small creek the snow from the dark clouds already starting to cover the ground. Hazel stepped into the creek first, the water chilling her skin and soaking the bottom of her jeans. "Alright, hold on," Hazel whispered. Hazel walked across the creek, growing vines and branches across the water. Hazel held her hand out and Rachel rushed across. Hazel cracked the makeshift bridge, watching it float downstream.

Hazel's breath came out in thick fog and the hairs on her bare arms stood, the wind and snow chilling her skin. "You're gonna freeze out here," Rachel realised, helping Hazel from the creak and up the side of the small hill, stepping into the snow.

Hazel shrugged softly, "Then let's get out of here."

Both girls halted as a growl echoed from the trees. Hazel grabbed Rachel, pulling her behind her, watching the trees. A large green tiger stepped across the snow, circling the girls. "Do not move," Hazel whispered, keeping her eyes on the tiger. The tiger stopped and sniffed the air before suddenly reeling back, the bones in its shoulders cracking and grinding.

As the sounds of snapping bones grew louder, the tiger turned and dived for the bushes. The pained moans of the tiger melded into groans then all the noise stopped at once. A boy with green hair shot up, struggling to pull his jacket on.

Hazel's eyes widened and stepped away from Rachel. "Gar?" Hazel called. Gar turned around, smiling at the girls. "Um? What?"

Gar raised his hand, holding his backpack in the other. "Don't worry. I don't bite," he said with a laugh.

Hazel looked back at Rachel who stared up at her. "Well, that's good to know," Hazel whispered to herself.

Gar hopped over the bushed and ran to them. He held out his hand and smiled. "Well, come on," Gar encouraged. Hazel took Gar's hand, his skin soft and warm compared to Hazel's quickly cooling skin. They ran off, Rachel running beside Hazel.

❁

THE SNOW HAD FALLEN QUICKLY, COVERING EVERYTHING IN SIGHT IN A COVERING OF COLD ICE CRYSTALS. Gar led the girls to a small shack in the woods, a small fire set up that Rachel sat by. Hazel rubbed her arms, wishing to sit by the fire but she kept watch by the window. "Here," Gar spoke up, holding his jacket out to Hazel.

"I'm okay. If I take it, you'll freeze too," Hazel reasoned, turning back to the window.

"The uh, tiger half keeps me warm," Gar explained, scratching the back of his neck.

Hazel took the red and white jacket and smiled. "Thanks, Gar," Hazel said, pulling the jacket, which was slightly too big, over her shoulders.

Gar nodded and picked up another stack of sticks putting them onto the fire. "It's not too far from here. We'll just warm up for a bit," Gar explained, pocking at the fire with a longer stick.

"What's not far from here?" Hazel asked, turning away from the window.

"Someplace you guys can chill," Gar answered.

"I can't chill," Rachel countered, wringing her hands together. "You don't understand. I'm changing and I can feel it. And it's getting worse."

"Well, no worse than the crew I live with. Trust me," Gar encouraged. He paused for a moment searching for the right words. "We're, uh special, too."

"I'm not special. I'm dangerous," Rachel corrected. "You saw what I did back there."

"Yes, but I've also seen you through Tommy across the classroom for trying to feel up a junior," Hazel recalled stepping away from the window and sitting next to Rachel. "They were trying to hurt you Rache, that's not dangerous. You were protecting yourself."

"Not to mention, you both saw me as a tiger," Gar reminded me. "An actual dangerous predator. You're not scared of me, right?"

"You turned into a tiger, that's pretty cool," Hazel chuckled and Rachel laughed softly at Hazel.

She dropped her head against Hazel's shoulder. "Can I be an ass?" Rachel questioned, looking at Hazel. "Can I have some strawberries?"

"You have food?" Gar piped up, his eyes widening. Hazel laughed stretching out her hand, tugging up the sleeves of Gar's jacket. A small white flower grew from her hand and then let it bloom into a strawberry bush. Rachel picked one off and Gar cautiously took the other.

Hazel pulled her hand back, pulling the sleeve back into place. "Freaks all around, I guess," Hazel chuckled.

A gunshot rang through the air, and it made the three jump. Gar rushed to grab his bag before running to the door, Gar holding it open for the girls. They rushed out into the snow stopping a few meters from a pair of hunters standing over a whining doe.

"They shot a deer," Hazel muttered. Rachel took a sharp breath before running out in front of the hunters.

"Uh," Gar stuttered and ran behind a bush. "Hold these," Gar ordered tossing his shirt and jeans at Hazel. Hazel grabbed the clothes and turned away slowly walking the way Rachel went. Gar, as a tiger, stepped out of the bushes, walking ahead of Hazel towards the hunters, growling softly.

The hunters stepped back slightly, turning towards Gar and Hazel. Their eyes widened as they stared at the tiger. Gar took a deep breath and roared at them. The fell jumped, slipping and falling backwards into the snow. One of the hunters squeezed the trigger of his gun and shot the other in the shoulder.

"You shot me!" The man yelled, his voice cracking.

"Get outta here!" Rachel ordered. The men scrambled, slipping and stumbling as they scurried off. Hazel set Gar's clothes down and grew a bush to cover him properly. Rachel dropped next to the deer, her hands pressing to the bullet wound in its side. "Hazel! Help!"

Hazel dropped next to Rachel, carefully moving Rachel's hands from the bullet wound in the animal's side. "I should've done more than roar," Gar admitted walking closer.

"Gar be quiet," Rachel said, keeping her voice soft.

Hazel pressed her hand against the bloody wound, taking a deep breath. Green lights ran down Hazel's arm, through her fingers and coursed through the deer's body. The wound, broken skin and damaged organs stitched back together, connecting and piecing themself together, leaving no trace of a wound.

Gar looked over Hazel's shoulder, his eyebrows furrowed. "What did you just-?" The deer jumped up, the sudden scare making Gar slip and fall. The deer got its footing, shaking its head. Rachel reached out and the deer bumped its snout against her palm before rushing off into the snow.

Gar pushed himself onto his knees and smiled. "Rachel, there is nothing evil about you," Gar said softly making Rachel look back at him. "Nothing at all."

"Hazel did that, not me," Rache sighed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but you ran out in front of two hunters to save a deer," Gar pointed out and Rachel couldn't help but smile. "I have a pretty good instinct about this kind of thing." Gar stood, brushing the snow off his jeans. "Come on."

Hazel stood, taking Rachel's hand and pulling her to her feet. They followed Gar through the snow for a few more minutes before arriving at the top of a hill. "Holy shit," Hazel cursed. Just at the bottom of the hill was a large mountain, vines weaving up the brick walls, the colour fading from the sun and the wood breaking away from time.

"Whoa, you live here?" Rachel questioned, looking up at Gar.

Gar nodded, his smile growing. "That's so fucking cool."

Gar nodded them on, leading them down the hill. He led them around the side entrance towards the cellar entrance at the end of a small flight of concrete stairs.

"Are we going down there?" Hazel asked, peering down the stairs.

"Oh, yeah," Gar hummed. "Cool, huh? Come on." Gar raced ahead and pulled open the door. Hazel followed him, peeking through the door, only seeing black on the other side.

Gar nodded her on and Hazel stepped inside. "What is this place?" Hazel questioned, looking back at Gar and Rachel who followed.

"I call it..." Gar flipped a switch and the room sprung to life. Colours and light ignited in the room, arcade machines played theme songs, and the TV turned on displaying a Cuphead loading screen. "Nirvana."

— gods —