I'm Brazilian and English is not my first language so please have patience!
I write both fanfic and original short stories, although I have some longer projects (but mainly short stories)
Fanfic
I started writing fanfic recently, mostly for the malevolent fandom, no specific genres for now
Current WIPS
Bella-focused fanfic (Bella x Shub Niggurath): where Bella goes to the dark world after dying where she finds a new friend and learns she can be stronger than she might think. (Also, toxic Yuri)
Originals
Most of my originals are in portuguese and I'm planning on translating them!
Current WIPS
Mystical Uni Shenanigans: A paranormal comedy short story anthology focusing on the students of the Brazilian Federal University of Mystic Arts [2 short stories to translate, more to write]
Lies of Blood (still a work-in-progress title): A high fantasy book (most of the ocs I talk about are from this wip) about a kid who is "the chosen one" but soon realizes their entire existence might be a lie.
College girl sells soul to pay rent (not clickbait)
“So… your last wish is to make a deal with the devil?”
The ghostly woman nodded.
“It won't be possible, look, you need a physical body to perform this type of ritual,” said the medium “and I can't do it for you, because if I did, it would be my soul on sale.”
What if I possess you?
The spirit's voice echoed, the candles in the small clamped room in which the medium worked began to shake, transforming the trinkets scattered around the room into frightening dancing images. This could work… in theory.
“Not going to happen. Possessions are expressly prohibited on University internships. And honestly?” she added “I wouldn't endanger myself for a job that’s not even paid.”
I can pay.
The human raised one of her eyebrows. The candle flames flickered intensely, the ghost was desperate.
“Pay? Sorry, but we don't accept drachmas or whatever currency ghosts use, only cash or pix.”
She was joking, of course. What she didn't expect was the disembodied woman's response.
What's the key?
“Excuse me?”
Your pix, what is the key?
It wouldn't be possible that...?
Is ten thousand enough? Half now, half later.
It's worth a try, isn't it?
The medium shared her key. A few minutes later, she received the following message:
“Bank: Your pix has been received! Vellota ltd. sent you 5.000 reais”
Along with several confused emails by Grandma Vellota.
Looks like someone wouldn't have to worry about rent for a long time.
Kethelyn Correia — 21 years old, necromancy student at the Brazilian Federal University of Mystic Arts — is a medium in desperate need of additional hours for college and money. Kethelyn accepted the first internship that came her way without hesitating, realizing too late it was an unpaid one. Fuck it, we ball.
After months of late rent, days and nights on ramen noodles and various odd jobs to try to survive, selling a soul to the devil didn't seem like a bad idea. Anything was better than going back to her parents' house.
And that's how she ended up, three days later, on Carlos' — a college friend, master's student in demonology and ex-boyfriend — terrace at 2:30am on a Wednesday.
It was a nice evening, the sea nearby brought them a salty breeze, refreshing the warm summer night. The street lights were very close, illuminating the terrace together with the candles, revealing the unceremoniously dragged mess at the corners of the terrace. Carlos said they needed as much space as possible, the chalk circle in the middle of the terrace was the only clean space there.
“Okay, everything’s ready” said Carlos “candles lit, circles drawn, incense burning. Has she memorized the chants?”
Kethelyn nodded, they had practiced on this part together.
Carlos blew out the last match, looking around nervously. His eyes looked big behind the thick glasses he wore, his curly hair dancing with the breeze.
“Great, but seriously, this ghost couldn't have chosen a simpler invocation? Why go full catholic? There’s so many easier options…”
“Her name is Alice, I don't know about the choice for the ritual, but… thank you. Seriously. You didn't need to do all that.”
Kethelyn was being sincere. When she asked for her help, she expected at most a borrowed grimoire and some tips on how to not die.
“No problem, ha,” he replied, hands on his nape “it's the least I can do after that mistake I made.”
The “mistake” in question was the trigger for the end of their relationship. He cheated.
He cheated in a game of uno, shuffling the cards in a way that gave his friend — some 19 year old snake kid he befriended while traveling abroad — the advantage, causing Kethelyn to lose a bet.
“Ah, yes” She sighed, Alice's spirit approached floating upside down.
Hm? Share the tea, sis.
“Mind your own business.”
Rude.
“She’s here?” Carlos asked, shaking hands making the sign of the cross.
“I still can't believe that you work with literal demons, but are afraid of ghosts.” She laughed, “obviously she’s here, she's the one who's going to make the pact, duh.”
“Oh, my saint” Carlos sighed, repeating the sign “You how much of a bad idea this is, don't you?” he spoke gravely “After all, why does she want this? She's already dead!”
“It's quite a story…”
***
Alice Vellota was a young lady from a rich family, you see, her parents were rich, her grandparents were rich, her great-grandparents were rich and so on.
Alice had everything she could want, except the person she loved.
Coming from an extremely Catholic family, it is not surprising that her love for Maria Eduarda, a college friend, was a big scandal. Her parents threatened to disown her if she pursued her love, all empty threats of course. Fortunately, nothing can stop lesbians in love, not homophobic parents, not even death.
But when Maria Eduarda suddenly passed away, Alice was devastated. Her only consolation was the possibility of meeting in the afterlife. She knew Maria Eduarda would be somewhere in hell — she was a Satanist after all — she hadn't gone to heaven! But, she thought, hell is huge... how can I find her among so many people? So, she decided to solve this problem in the most logical way possible, selling her soul.
I'm already going to hell, at least I can ask to be close to her.
The plan was perfect. She home alone and everything was set, she just had to sing the chants and…
A window broke next to her and figures started to circulate around the apartment with loud wailing sounds. It was just the neighborhood kids playing football, but the scare was too much for Alice, she had a heart attack, dying before even starting the ritual.
***
“So, here's the problem. She's supposed to be in heaven now. “Kethelyn explained “technically she didn't make any pact, but the desire to join her girlfriend keeps her on this plane.”
“Why didn't you try… I don't know” Carlos shrugged “convincing her not to go to hell?”
“I tried, believe me.” Kethelyn's eyes were dead-serious “she's as stubborn as a mule.”
“Oh my saint, give me strength…”
“If everything is ready, let's begin.” The necromancer looked at Alice's ghost and signaled her to come “Get in loser, we’re summoning the devil.”
Suddenly, the coastal breeze refreshing the dawn stopped, the candle flames flickered without wind, Kethelyn bent over her stomach, the lights from the nearby street lights went mad. Carlos looked apprehensive when suddenly everything just… stopped.
The breeze, candles and the street lights returned to normal, only Kethelyn remained in the same position.
“Kethelyn? Are you okay?” Carlos asked worriedly. He was about to touch her on the shoulder when she straightened herself on a whim, her curly hair covering half her face, a smile weirdly wide creeping through her face.
“Boo” the ghost mocked him in the deep voice of the possessed, “still afraid, scaredy cat?”
Kethelyn saw everything in third perspective, she saw her mocking smile and Carlos' pale face. It was a funny feeling floating around, was that how her customers felt all the time?
She wanted to tell them both to start straight away, but she had difficulty vocalizing her thoughts, she didn't have a mouth after all. How did Alice do it? In any case, she didn't need to do anything. She saw her body go to the center of the circle, Carlos raised the barrier and sat on top of an old freezer away from the circle, she — or rather — Alice started singing the memorized chants.
As electrifying as a ritual to summon the bad thing itself may seem, it's pretty boring when you're just a spectator. Kethelyn spent the next 15 minutes bored to death — hah! — she passed her time enjoying her choice of outfit for the night, a pair of pink cargo pants and a matching tight crop top — what? You have to look stylish when you're going to meet someone famous, even if it's the devil.
Suddenly, a strong smell of sulfur filled the air and an unnatural fog began to rise inside the terrace. From within the fog lights glowed like flames.
There he was.
***
Kethelyn had a lot of expectations about the devil, but she wasn’t expecting that. A white man, bald, wearing a polo shirt and the most hideous goatee. Hadn't Lucifer been the most beautiful angel in heaven? What a glow down.
Disappointing.
The Demon stood still for a while, staring. All the corporeal beings present froze. He might have an ordinary appearance, but his aura certainly matched his fame.
“…So?” The Evil One broke the silence “What do you want, mortal?”
Kethelyn saw her body swallow hard, her hands shake. Alice finally took courage and said:
“I wan…” she hesitated “I want to have a reserved place, for me Alice Vellota and my girlfriend Maria Eduarda Almeida, in hell. A place where we can be together.”
The Fallen Angel raised an eyebrow.
“I want so that the moment this soul of mine leaves this body,” Alice kept going, more confident this time “I go straight to hell and meet her.”
Sathanas began to laugh.
“In so many centuries of work” his laugh was strondous “this is the first time I've seen someone who wants to go to hell!”
He continued laughing for a few more minutes, bending over himself and slapping his knees.
“So…” Alice was distressed “you accept the deal?”
“Ah, that, err…” Old Harry wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “No.”
“Why?!”
“Sweetheart, do you think I'm stupid?” He said in a fake-offended voice. “I know that the soul inside this body died a long time ago.”
He laughed mockingly.
“I am the devil” he stretched the last word as if he was RuPaul “having the courage to lie in the face of the father of lies?” he clapped his hands sarcastically “You’re a real one, baby.”
Kethelyn could see her shaking, Alice must have been desperate.
“To tell you the truth,” The enemy continued, looking at Alice again “your soul is worthless to me. But hers…” Kethelyn didn't have a body at the moment, but she felt her soul shiver the moment Satan made eye contact with her, grinning. “Oh, her soul is very precious”
Why did she think he wouldn't be able to see her? He was the devil!
Carlos, who was just watching, felt chills when he saw The Old One pointing into thin air, he did not need to see her to know.
The devil wanted Kethelyn.
***
The Serpent made Kethelyn and Alice switch places, the sale of a soul should not be done by third parties, and Old Nick was more than willing to buy Kethelyn's.
“Not gonna happen.” Kethelyn denied the moment she got her body back.
“Come on, dear” insisted the prince of darkness with the warm gentleness of a salesman. “There must be something you want, do you want me to help you summon more souls for your studies? I can make all the sinners in hell available to you! You want money? Fame? I can do it in the blink of an eye! I have great references, artists loved me in the 90’s. Just tell me your price.”
“Can you help me get my degree while keeping my mental health?
“Unfortunately, reality-bending miracles are my father’s department.”
“Then no,” Kethelyn was determined “I know what you want me for. I will not send innocent souls to your domain. I may work with spirits, but I still have decency.”
Beelzebub took a deep breath.
“Well, I wasn't called here for nothing.” His facade fell, the warm voice gave way to a cold, cruel tone. “Either you give up your soul, and stay alive for another nine years... or you both come with me to hell, now.”
That was the last straw. Carlos ran through the old furniture and Nick Nacks squashed on the terrace to get the holy water and his other emergency supplies. If he had to fight the devil, so be it, but he wouldn't let him take her friend.
However, before he could invade the barrier, Carlos heard a yelp:
“Wait!”
It was Kethelyn.
“Lucifer Morningstar, I challenge you to a duel!”
Carlos wanted to tear out his own eyes, Lucifer grinned.
“And what are your terms, mortal?”
“If I win, you leave me alone and fulfill Alice's wish.”
“What if you lose?”
“...You can have my soul, as long as you fulfill her wish anyway.” She looked in the direction of Alice's ghost. “I know that fulfilling her wish is no big deal for you.”
From outside the barrier, Carlos was jumping, shaking his head, making an ‘’x’ with his arms, and mouthing ‘nooooooo’'. Kethelyn might be crazy, but she wasn’t suicidal, was she?
Was she?!
Lucifer pretended to think really hard.
“Okay, I accept your terms.” he smiled “And what do you challenge me to, little girl?”
Kethelyn smirked.
“Uno.”
Carlos was banging his head on the support pole of the terrace, and Alice — if she had eyes — would have them wide open in shock. They both thought the same thing:
She wants to kill herself!
***
“I'm sorry I didn't notice you before, Carlinhos!” Lucifer patted an inconsolable Carlos on the back.
The barrier had been broken, but Lucifer could not and did not want to attack any of them until the end of the challenge.
“It’s okay, Mr. Capiroto… it’s okay” Carlos repeated defeatedly. The two had met before, college projects can take you to unusual places, huh?
“So” Lucifer looked at Kethelyn “how does this… uno thing work?”
Kethelyn and Carlos looked at each other.
If the devil doesn't know how to play uno... they have a chance!
Carlos' eyes shone. Kethelyn looked at him smugly as if she had predicted this from the beginning — although it wasn't the case.
The humans took turns explaining to the prince of hell the rules of the esteemed — and supposedly — human card game, even Alice tried to help, mentioning observations and details the couple missed.
***
The clock was already striking at 3 am when the game actually started. Carlos raised another barrier for the participants. This particular barrier prevented either of them from cheating, a necessary measure for those playing with the devil.
The house rules say that the deck must be shuffled facing away from the players by someone who is not participating. As the only corporeal being left, Carlos had to take the dealer's role.
Kethelyn and Lucifer sat at the table found by Carlos somewhere in the mess. They both held their 7 cards from the uno deck, the starting card was in the center of the table, draw deck on the side. Carlos took a coin out of his pocket to decide who would start; Heads to Lucifer, Tails to Kethelyn.
The coin was tossed. Seconds of tension dragged on like hours. The coin fell into Carlos' hand. He opened his palm:
Heads.
***
It begins, Kethelyn's cards had nothing special, just a +2 red card as a special card and a predominance of reds, leaving with only one card for each other color.
The initial card, taken from the draw deck, was a green 3.
Lucifer started his attack, immediately launching a +2 green card. Kethelyn was unfazed, launching her red +2 card, doubling the attack and reversing the damage. Kethelyn, however, did not expect Lucifer to have a trick up his sleeve, as he placed another card in the pile.
+4.
Kethelyn had no way to counterattack this time, the medium let out a frustrated sigh as she picked up her eight cards: three red, three green, one blue and a special card, a red reverse.
“Color?” asked the medium.
“Yellow.”
Kethelyn nodded and threw three cards of number 7 into the pile, the bottom one yellow, the top one red.
Lucifer had no choice but to draw and place the same color.
Kethelyn places her red reverse card — drawn from the batch she just took — and then two number 4 cards, red and green.
Lucifer draws again and soon passes.
Neither red nor green cards… maybe the advantage is coming back to me. Kethelyn thought.
Kethelyn places her card again, this time two cards numbered 0, green and red, respectively. But the card Lucifer had just drawn was also red, so he places it in the pile combined with another card, changing the game's color to blue.
The game continues with blue cards until the devil places a card numbered 2, where Kethelyn manages to change the game's color to red again. Lucifer draws, and passes. But just one round later, he uses the same trick on Kethelyn, this time changing the color to green, Kethelyn places a card, Lucifer draws and places.
It's number 1, green.
Kethelyn ponders, she has three cards at the moment, the numbers 1 and 6 in red and the number 9 in green. She could try to change the color to red, she knows that her opponent doesn't have any red cards, but it would certainly inconvenience her later. She knows that Lucifer doesn't have any green cards either, and getting rid of the green card would avoid inconvenience, so that was the most obvious option, right?
Kethelyn wasted no time, playing card 9.
Lucifer smiled demonically.
— Uno! — he exclaimed, throwing the yellow card 9 on the table.
Kethelyn wanted to bang her head on the table, how had she not realized he only had two cards? What will she do now? She doesn't have another 9 card and much less yellow cards, she doesn't know the number or color of the last card, if it isn't a special card! She can't lose this game.
I can’t… I can’t…
The necromancer's hands shook as she tried to pull the next card from the deck, so much that the entire deck slid off the table.
Carlos approached it with an intense look, he looked Kethelyn in the eyes, silently asking her to trust him. Kethelyn didn't understand, but trust she did.
Carlos picked up the cards from the floor and explained that he would have to shuffle everything again.
Wait, will he…?
The game of Uno that Kethelyn lost last time was changed after Carlos shuffled the game, he knew many card tricks, including how to manipulate a deck without looking suspicious, and would never hesitate to cheat his way to uno.
But how? The barrier would prevent…
Kethelyn realized.
Carlos was outside the barrier.
The barrier unables Kethelyn and Lucifer to cheat, but that didn't count the Croupier.
When Carlos put the deck back, Kethelyn's hands were stable, she pulled out the top card...
A +4.
Kethelyn almost cried with joy as she threw the card on the table.
Lucifer drew his cards resignedly and asked the color:
“Red.” Kethelyn felt triumphant.
Lucifer played his card and Kethelyn followed without any problems, this time she was the one shouting Uno.
She placed the red 6 card. The only card left in her hand was the red number 1.
But instead of passing, the devil placed a new card on the pile.
A yellow 6.
Kethelyn felt a growing despair. She still had a chance, but it was frustrating. She was so close…
The human pulled a card from the deck and almost cried with joy for the second time that day.
It was number 1 in yellow.
Kethelyn could hardly believe her luck.
“I won!” Kethelyn announced, throwing the letter into the pile and standing up. “I won!”
Lucifer sighed mockingly.
“It seems so” he replied, and added, narrowing his eyes “this time.”
Lucifer stood up, assuming a relaxed posture as he looked in Alice's direction.
“Are you coming or not?”
The spirit looked dazed, her form flickering like candlelight.
“Already?”
“Isn't that what you wanted? No going back now.”
“Yes, yes” Alice alternated her gaze between Lucifer and Kethelyn “I just need to do one thing first, quick.”
“You know you can't run away, right?”
“I know!” She yelled before disappearing.
Lucifer looked at Kethelyn and Carlos.
“Don't think it's over yet, kids.” He gave another devilish smile. “I have as many tricks up my sleeve as you.”
Alice returned before the humans could respond.
“Let's go!” she exclaimed.
“Yes, let's go.”
Lucifer looked at the couple one last time, and pointed his two fingers first at himself, then at them in an “I'm watching you” sign, and disappeared into the darkness.
Before Kethelyn could open her mouth, a notification.
Bank: your pix has been received! Vellota ltd. sent you R$5,000.
Carlos looked at the cellphone screen clearly impressed.
“You know,” he broke the silence. “I kind of saved your life just now, so, I don't know... you could buy me a burger? As a thank you.”
Kethelyn smirked.
“Yeah, I guess we're even now, huh? I don’t know if there’s a burger place open at this hour, how about an açaí?
“Deal.”
They laughed.
Kethelyn wouldn't have to worry about rent for a long time.
“Not unheard of.” Carlos, the exchange demonology student, replied.
Liz frowned.
“I'm serious. My mom never talks about him and now there's this weird… spirit thing, following me.”
“Do you feel hot?”
“What?”
“Hot, angry, headaches, skin reddening?”
“No?”
“No signs of a hellspawn then, you're clear.”
“Come on Carlinhos, help me here, you're the only one from that weird magic uni I know.”
Carlos sighed.
“Okay, tell me what happened.”
“It all started 3 months ago.”
I had just arrived home from school. Mother sent me a message saying she wouldn't be home but lunch was in the fridge. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw Mom in the kitchen, frying rice. (my favorite!)
When she noticed me walking in she turned to me with the brightest smile I ever saw on her face. She rushed me to the table saying I should eat my lunch before going to work. And that's when I started to notice some weird stuff.
First of all, her fried rice didn't taste the same. It wasn't bad, but it didn't taste like mom's fried rice.
Second, she would not eat with me, just… stare. It freaked me out. She kept smiling while looking at me, and when I asked if she was going to eat she said:
“Oh no, human food give me stomach aches.”
She said that with a straight face, I didn't know whether to believe she was joking or not.
Once I finished my food she stood up and gently held me by my shoulders. With tears in her eyes she said:
“My daughter, my beautiful daughter.”
Do I need to say that's not something my mother does regularly? She continued:
“I missed you so much.”
And kissed me on the forehead.
It was at that moment I heard the entrance door being unlocked and the distinct voice of my mother saying:
“I'm back early sweety, did you eat already?”
My “mom” froze.
When my real mom finally reached the kitchen, they stared at each other for a moment.
“You again?!” My real mom yelled, throwing the shopping bags on the floor “I told you to leave us alone! Get away! Go! Go!”
She was slapping my “other mom” in the back and rushing her out of the house. I remember the pitiful look on my other mom’s face, she was silent as she left the house.
When I, rightfully, asked my actual mother what the hell just happened, she said we should talk after my shift, so I went to work. When I got home that day, she simply acted like nothing ever happened! She's gaslighting me to this day!
***
“Oh!” Carlos interrupted “Was it that day? The one you were so tired you thought your hand was turning gray while working the coffee machine?”
“Yeah”
“Hm…” he squinted his eyes at her “Crazy, sorry, go on”
***
And then I started to notice weird stuff happening.
First, suddenly I noticed a strange aura on the snake that always follows me around…
***
“Wait, wait, sorry again, the hell you mean the snake that follows you around? Are there even snakes in this region?! Isn't Ireland a snake free country?”
“Yeah, I didn't notice at first, there were plenty of snakes in my hometown, I hadn't realized they weren't common here.”
“And you were not worried that a specific snake followed you around?”
“It wasn't a venomous one, it's a milk snake, cute, like a pet.”
“Holy Shit.”
“Can I?”
“Yeah sure, go ahead.”
“Okay so…”
***
There was this weird aura around it.
Out of nowhere the snake tried to curl around my leg so I grabbed it gently, I looked at its face and I shit you not — I recognized it! The way its mouth stood… it looked like it was smiling, the same smile my “other mother” had at that time!
No need to say I dropped the snake and ran away.
Three days later my math teacher started acting weird as well. You know, don't you? Mr. Walker hates my guts! But suddenly he was being very nice to me. He wouldn't complain about my lateness anymore nor scold me for sleeping in his class. A sudden change of heart was weird but I wasn't complaining. Until I noticed.
His smile. He would always smile at me, with the same smile.
The same as the other mother. The same as the snake.
I wasn't having it.
After school, I cornered him in the parking lot.
“Who are you and what did you do with Mr. Walker?!”
He looked surprised for a moment.
“What do you mean, Miss Ferreira? I'm Mr. Walker.”
“No, you're not.” I rebuked “Mr. Walker can't pronounce my last name for shit. You're not him. What did you do?”
He smiled. The same sly snake-like grin.
“I believe we should discuss this in a place a bit more… private.”
“I'm not going to your fucking second location, you weirdo.” God knows what he had done to Mr. Walker. I wasn't risking it. I watch true crime documentaries, I'm not dumb.
He looked genuinely hurt. Maybe I was being rude. But fuck politeness.
“Maybe you could… choose a place and time? So we can discuss it properly. I swear your teacher is fine.”
He looked pathetic at this point. I was starting to feel bad.
“Okay…” I said and gave him a place and time.
***
We met at a diner. It wasn't late, I had just gotten off work. The sky was gleaming orange on the horizon, streets busy with workers heading home. It was fine. I was fine. I was not nervous. Not a bit.
I wiped the sweat out off my hands as I waited for him.
He showed up. At the exact time we planned. He had the same big smile on his face, it felt… silly.
“I'm glad you chose a more isolated seat,” he said to me and winked, “Let me show you a trick.”
And then the man wearing Mr. Walker's skin suddenly wasn't anymore.
I'll spare you the details of the transformation, but you know how snakes shed their skin? Yeah. That's what happened.
The new… person in front of me was very pale, although their skin had red and black spots all over, very androgynous also, and very lanky. Their hair and eyes were black as the night sky, I could not see their pupils, but I was sure they were slits and I just knew that if I touched their skin it would be cold and damp. The smile was the same though. It felt… comforting, for some reason.
I was shocked of course. And disgusted. Not by their appearance but the “trick” was nauseating to watch.
They grabbed my hands. As I expected, cold and damp.
“Lizzzzz…” they said “I know this is weird, but it's been 17 years and you need to know the truth.”
My mouth dropped to the floor as he said:
“I am your father.”
***
18 years ago, Maria, my mother was living in the Bahian Caatinga. She lived a simple life. Not so good, not so bad. Her parents wanted her to have a good education, so she went to the capital to study biology in college.
Mother had a special interest. Growing up in the caatinga she was used to seeing and handling a fair share of regional snakes. But what most people thought as just a regular inconvenience was her deepest passion.
She loved snakes and would never let her father kill the ones that sometimes sought shelter in her house. She would always hold them carefully and release them back to the wild, leaving the old man to pout and rant “They'll just keep coming back!”.
And that's cute, right? I'm all for helping the local species but… it caused her to receive some… unusual attention.
Suddenly, — no matter where she went — there would always be a snake around. She didn't notice at first, after all, what are the chances? But it was the same snake every time. A male milk snake, very common in the area but, That's weird… she thought, yet, what could she do? Even if she was superstitious, wouldn't that be a good sign anyways?
She got used to it eventually. And everything was normal. At least until St. John's day.
It was during the June holidays. Her village was going all out for the festivities that year: colorful banderoles from pole to pole, stands of all types in the street, the laughter of the children in their costumes filling the air together with the winter smells of corn, peanut, stews and alcohol brought by the cold breeze, the music never stopped, from the sanfoneiros at the plaza to the home speakers blasting all genres of music.
It was night, but the village shone as if the sun had never set.
It was during the festivities that a strange man, who later claimed to be called Conrado, approached her.
Extending his hand he said:
“Care for a danssssssce?”
Oh, he must be nervous, Mom thought, how adorable. And took his hand.
The dancing leads to flirting, and that leads to kissing, and kissing leads to… well, you know.
He promised to go see her the next day, at the cathedral by morning. She accepted, of course, after all, she had to explain that she had a boyfriend in the city… oopsies. But when she went there… there was no man, only that same snake that always followed her around.
And that was when he realized, and oh boy was she pissed.
Seriously? A snake demon?! A STALKER SNAKE DEMON?!
The snake did its best to be understood, to explain itself. But it could not talk, so I guess it didn't work.
What made Mom angrier was the fact that she didn't get her period the month later… neither the next month, nor the nine months that came after. And then I was born.
Years later, when I was… uh… five? she moved to Ireland — the only place with no snakes she could think of — to further her education, claiming I would also be safer here.
It took a while for “Conrado” to find us, most specifically, me. But he is very happy he did. He's been watching over me ever since.
***
“Wait, you said she had a boyfriend back in the city?” I asked.
“Hm? Yessssssss… I didn't mind though…”
“That means I could also be his daughter.”
He gave me a sad look.
“Yessssss but, I feel you aren't…” He looked even sadder. “But you musssst have notisssssssed, right…? That you are different.”
“No. I didn't.”
Was my skin a little weird? Yes, but I'm a teenager. Do I have some speech impediments related to s and z sounds? Yeah, but lots of people have it too! Was my sense of smell stronger? Yeah, but that's not out of this world. Was I a bit stronger than normal for my build? Yeah, well actually no, y’all are just a bunch of wimps.
He looked at me with the saddest expression I ever saw on a man, he looked… pathetic. Exactly my mom's type, that I can't deny.
“Okay, then…” he sighed, “but if you notice something… anything, you can call me, alright? I'm staying in the woods next to your house, just scream into a tree and I'll find you.”
He was about to leave, but then realized something and turned back to me.
“Also, take this,” he handed me a rock with a hole in the middle “You might not be my daughter, but I still want Maria's kid to be safe.” aw
And he left.
***
“And that’s it.” Liz finished her story with a sigh. “He can’t be my real dad, right? I would have noticed it…”
“Liz,” Carlos said in a deep voice “Did you notice that you didn’t blink a single time in this conversation?”
“What?”
“And that your hands and arms have camouflaged themselves on the table?”
“What?!” Liz looked down and sure thing, the color of her hands was completely changed, blending in with the table. Liz's mouth was on the floor.
“Also, everyone thinks I am enrolled at a regular university, no “weird magic uni”, for the institution is spell protected.”
Liz was flabbergasted “Then how? I…?”
“Only special humans or magical beings are able to know the truth about the university.”
“...”
“You should call your dad.” Carlos said “Also, you're almost finishing high school, right? I think you'll be getting an email soon…’’
“I… don't I need to apply first?’’
“The mystic arts university works differently, it's more like they come for you, no application needed.”
“I… I'll get going.” Liz stumbled.
Needless to say, a certain snake was very happy that evening. And feelings aside, Liz could not help to feel relieved to have a uni waiting for her already, admission exams were such a pain in the—.
i started liveblogging my read in my tags but i ran out of tags so imma continue here but like. read the tags first and then this cuz thats the order. damn i wish i had slots left so that i could tag the reblog w the writing tag as well n stuff. welp, next time ig
anyway moving on from phone-trees
“you may not be my daughter but i still want Maria’s kid to be safe” thats so cute i love you snake man
“for the institution is spell protected” ooh interesting!!!
“admission exams were such a pain in the—“ liz you are 100% correct. also its so fucking cool that you can camouflage!!
okay so if its an anthology im assuming it happens in the same universe? but idk lost of anthologies work differently
if you have more thoughts about the university id be happy to listen im curious to see what kinds of courses there are!!!!!
also im wondering what sort of magical beings are possible in this world. and now thinking of it, i wonder whats up w carlos he seems like a chill dude, i like him
Arthur stopped, Oscar’s words still echoing in his head.
"Oscar, this purpose thing… I’m not sure what you’re saying, this is too–"
“Much? Indeed. I apologize.” Oscar said with a chuckle.
“No, it's- it's okay, it's just, sudden.”
“Arthur, I-” He leaned in, his hand close to Arthur’s face, too hesitant to touch, he rested his hand over Arthur’s instead “I am sure of everything I said.” Oscar managed to get even closer “You are my purpose.”
Arthur could feel the closeness, he felt his breath quicken, his heartbeat louder than whatever John was muttering in his head.
“Oscar-”
Arthur's words were interrupted by Oscar's lips on his.
“Arthur, what the fuck is he doing!?” John yelped.
Even with the screaming entity in his head, Arthur was eager to reciprocate. His right hand held Oscar by the hair, pulling him closer; his left was pressed to the priest's shoulder in an attempt to push him away.
Oscar broke the kiss too quickly.
"I - I'm sorry, I don't know what came ove-"
"Don't bother," Arthur interrupted. He felt dizzy, chest warm while he pulled Oscar closer for another kiss, only to be interrupted by John's hand blocking Oscar's mouth.
“Arthur, what the fuck are you doing?” John was a mix between livid and confused. Arthur could feel the pressure in his head with the vibrations of the entity's voice echoing through him.
"Oh" Oscar breathed with a faint laugh. He took John’s hand gently in his own, leaving soft kisses from its palm to the wrist in a teasing manner. Arthur didn’t realize until he felt John flinch, and heard his voice pitch up into mortifying disgust.
“Ngh- what the- Arthur, make him stop!” John demaded.
John's hand curled into a fist, and Arthur felt it nearly jerk upwards with the intent to smack Oscar away. He instead grabbed it quickly, holding it closer to his chest.
"Sto- Oscar, please, stop,"
In the back of his mind, Arthur felt John roiling with discomfort. He traced a circle on the back of his friend’s hand—soothing, he hoped. Oscar let out a confused sound.
"I'm sorry, it's just- It's been… a hell of a day," Arthur said wearily, "For the both of us."
“And I- this- this is a very sudden situation I- we weren't really prepared for, I imagine. So while I am willing — to work this out I mean — I don’t want to put you in a position where we haven’t properly spoken. I don’t want you to feel like I’m… not paying attention to your needs and being overall selfish. Besides, we need to keep focused, there will be time after for…” he paused, biting his lip “...whatever may happen between us.”
“He seems more concerned than hurt,” John huffed, although Arthur could hear the anxiety in his voice.
“Not unheard of.” Carlos, the exchange demonology student, replied.
Liz frowned.
“I'm serious. My mom never talks about him and now there's this weird… spirit thing, following me.”
“Do you feel hot?”
“What?”
“Hot, angry, headaches, skin reddening?”
“No?”
“No signs of a hellspawn then, you're clear.”
“Come on Carlinhos, help me here, you're the only one from that weird magic uni I know.”
Carlos sighed.
“Okay, tell me what happened.”
“It all started 3 months ago.”
I had just arrived home from school. Mother sent me a message saying she wouldn't be home but lunch was in the fridge. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw Mom in the kitchen, frying rice. (my favorite!)
When she noticed me walking in she turned to me with the brightest smile I ever saw on her face. She rushed me to the table saying I should eat my lunch before going to work. And that's when I started to notice some weird stuff.
First of all, her fried rice didn't taste the same. It wasn't bad, but it didn't taste like mom's fried rice.
Second, she would not eat with me, just… stare. It freaked me out. She kept smiling while looking at me, and when I asked if she was going to eat she said:
“Oh no, human food give me stomach aches.”
She said that with a straight face, I didn't know whether to believe she was joking or not.
Once I finished my food she stood up and gently held me by my shoulders. With tears in her eyes she said:
“My daughter, my beautiful daughter.”
Do I need to say that's not something my mother does regularly? She continued:
“I missed you so much.”
And kissed me on the forehead.
It was at that moment I heard the entrance door being unlocked and the distinct voice of my mother saying:
“I'm back early sweety, did you eat already?”
My “mom” froze.
When my real mom finally reached the kitchen, they stared at each other for a moment.
“You again?!” My real mom yelled, throwing the shopping bags on the floor “I told you to leave us alone! Get away! Go! Go!”
She was slapping my “other mom” in the back and rushing her out of the house. I remember the pitiful look on my other mom’s face, she was silent as she left the house.
When I, rightfully, asked my actual mother what the hell just happened, she said we should talk after my shift, so I went to work. When I got home that day, she simply acted like nothing ever happened! She's gaslighting me to this day!
***
“Oh!” Carlos interrupted “Was it that day? The one you were so tired you thought your hand was turning gray while working the coffee machine?”
“Yeah”
“Hm…” he squinted his eyes at her “Crazy, sorry, go on”
***
And then I started to notice weird stuff happening.
First, suddenly I noticed a strange aura on the snake that always follows me around…
***
“Wait, wait, sorry again, the hell you mean the snake that follows you around? Are there even snakes in this region?! Isn't Ireland a snake free country?”
“Yeah, I didn't notice at first, there were plenty of snakes in my hometown, I hadn't realized they weren't common here.”
“And you were not worried that a specific snake followed you around?”
“It wasn't a venomous one, it's a milk snake, cute, like a pet.”
“Holy Shit.”
“Can I?”
“Yeah sure, go ahead.”
“Okay so…”
***
There was this weird aura around it.
Out of nowhere the snake tried to curl around my leg so I grabbed it gently, I looked at its face and I shit you not — I recognized it! The way its mouth stood… it looked like it was smiling, the same smile my “other mother” had at that time!
No need to say I dropped the snake and ran away.
Three days later my math teacher started acting weird as well. You know, don't you? Mr. Walker hates my guts! But suddenly he was being very nice to me. He wouldn't complain about my lateness anymore nor scold me for sleeping in his class. A sudden change of heart was weird but I wasn't complaining. Until I noticed.
His smile. He would always smile at me, with the same smile.
The same as the other mother. The same as the snake.
I wasn't having it.
After school, I cornered him in the parking lot.
“Who are you and what did you do with Mr. Walker?!”
He looked surprised for a moment.
“What do you mean, Miss Ferreira? I'm Mr. Walker.”
“No, you're not.” I rebuked “Mr. Walker can't pronounce my last name for shit. You're not him. What did you do?”
He smiled. The same sly snake-like grin.
“I believe we should discuss this in a place a bit more… private.”
“I'm not going to your fucking second location, you weirdo.” God knows what he had done to Mr. Walker. I wasn't risking it. I watch true crime documentaries, I'm not dumb.
He looked genuinely hurt. Maybe I was being rude. But fuck politeness.
“Maybe you could… choose a place and time? So we can discuss it properly. I swear your teacher is fine.”
He looked pathetic at this point. I was starting to feel bad.
“Okay…” I said and gave him a place and time.
***
We met at a diner. It wasn't late, I had just gotten off work. The sky was gleaming orange on the horizon, streets busy with workers heading home. It was fine. I was fine. I was not nervous. Not a bit.
I wiped the sweat out off my hands as I waited for him.
He showed up. At the exact time we planned. He had the same big smile on his face, it felt… silly.
“I'm glad you chose a more isolated seat,” he said to me and winked, “Let me show you a trick.”
And then the man wearing Mr. Walker's skin suddenly wasn't anymore.
I'll spare you the details of the transformation, but you know how snakes shed their skin? Yeah. That's what happened.
The new… person in front of me was very pale, although their skin had red and black spots all over, very androgynous also, and very lanky. Their hair and eyes were black as the night sky, I could not see their pupils, but I was sure they were slits and I just knew that if I touched their skin it would be cold and damp. The smile was the same though. It felt… comforting, for some reason.
I was shocked of course. And disgusted. Not by their appearance but the “trick” was nauseating to watch.
They grabbed my hands. As I expected, cold and damp.
“Lizzzzz…” they said “I know this is weird, but it's been 17 years and you need to know the truth.”
My mouth dropped to the floor as he said:
“I am your father.”
***
18 years ago, Maria, my mother was living in the Bahian Caatinga. She lived a simple life. Not so good, not so bad. Her parents wanted her to have a good education, so she went to the capital to study biology in college.
Mother had a special interest. Growing up in the caatinga she was used to seeing and handling a fair share of regional snakes. But what most people thought as just a regular inconvenience was her deepest passion.
She loved snakes and would never let her father kill the ones that sometimes sought shelter in her house. She would always hold them carefully and release them back to the wild, leaving the old man to pout and rant “They'll just keep coming back!”.
And that's cute, right? I'm all for helping the local species but… it caused her to receive some… unusual attention.
Suddenly, — no matter where she went — there would always be a snake around. She didn't notice at first, after all, what are the chances? But it was the same snake every time. A male milk snake, very common in the area but, That's weird… she thought, yet, what could she do? Even if she was superstitious, wouldn't that be a good sign anyways?
She got used to it eventually. And everything was normal. At least until St. John's day.
It was during the June holidays. Her village was going all out for the festivities that year: colorful banderoles from pole to pole, stands of all types in the street, the laughter of the children in their costumes filling the air together with the winter smells of corn, peanut, stews and alcohol brought by the cold breeze, the music never stopped, from the sanfoneiros at the plaza to the home speakers blasting all genres of music.
It was night, but the village shone as if the sun had never set.
It was during the festivities that a strange man, who later claimed to be called Conrado, approached her.
Extending his hand he said:
“Care for a danssssssce?”
Oh, he must be nervous, Mom thought, how adorable. And took his hand.
The dancing leads to flirting, and that leads to kissing, and kissing leads to… well, you know.
He promised to go see her the next day, at the cathedral by morning. She accepted, of course, after all, she had to explain that she had a boyfriend in the city… oopsies. But when she went there… there was no man, only that same snake that always followed her around.
And that was when he realized, and oh boy was she pissed.
Seriously? A snake demon?! A STALKER SNAKE DEMON?!
The snake did its best to be understood, to explain itself. But it could not talk, so I guess it didn't work.
What made Mom angrier was the fact that she didn't get her period the month later… neither the next month, nor the nine months that came after. And then I was born.
Years later, when I was… uh… five? she moved to Ireland — the only place with no snakes she could think of — to further her education, claiming I would also be safer here.
It took a while for “Conrado” to find us, most specifically, me. But he is very happy he did. He's been watching over me ever since.
***
“Wait, you said she had a boyfriend back in the city?” I asked.
“Hm? Yessssssss… I didn't mind though…”
“That means I could also be his daughter.”
He gave me a sad look.
“Yessssss but, I feel you aren't…” He looked even sadder. “But you musssst have notisssssssed, right…? That you are different.”
“No. I didn't.”
Was my skin a little weird? Yes, but I'm a teenager. Do I have some speech impediments related to s and z sounds? Yeah, but lots of people have it too! Was my sense of smell stronger? Yeah, but that's not out of this world. Was I a bit stronger than normal for my build? Yeah, well actually no, y’all are just a bunch of wimps.
He looked at me with the saddest expression I ever saw on a man, he looked… pathetic. Exactly my mom's type, that I can't deny.
“Okay, then…” he sighed, “but if you notice something… anything, you can call me, alright? I'm staying in the woods next to your house, just scream into a tree and I'll find you.”
He was about to leave, but then realized something and turned back to me.
“Also, take this,” he handed me a rock with a hole in the middle “You might not be my daughter, but I still want Maria's kid to be safe.” aw
And he left.
***
“And that’s it.” Liz finished her story with a sigh. “He can’t be my real dad, right? I would have noticed it…”
“Liz,” Carlos said in a deep voice “Did you notice that you didn’t blink a single time in this conversation?”
“What?”
“And that your hands and arms have camouflaged themselves on the table?”
“What?!” Liz looked down and sure thing, the color of her hands was completely changed, blending in with the table. Liz's mouth was on the floor.
“Also, everyone thinks I am enrolled at a regular university, no “weird magic uni”, for the institution is spell protected.”
Liz was flabbergasted “Then how? I…?”
“Only special humans or magical beings are able to know the truth about the university.”
“...”
“You should call your dad.” Carlos said “Also, you're almost finishing high school, right? I think you'll be getting an email soon…’’
“I… don't I need to apply first?’’
“The mystic arts university works differently, it's more like they come for you, no application needed.”
“I… I'll get going.” Liz stumbled.
Needless to say, a certain snake was very happy that evening. And feelings aside, Liz could not help to feel relieved to have a uni waiting for her already, admission exams were such a pain in the—.
