So, if anyone remembers, I created this character for @jayofmemory’s Branded AU. Weeeellllll, I might’ve gotten carried away and written a backstory for her too😅This is my first piece of writing on Tumblr, so tell me what you guys think!
(*DISCLAIMER*: This is a fan work and not cannon to the AU!)
“There we go; all settled in!” Alona couldn’t help but be excited about moving to a different town, especially if it meant rooming with her best friend, Sadie. “Glad to have you here, girl,” Sadie said, a big smile on her face. “So, shall we go out tonight and celebrate?” Alona asked expectantly. “Yeah, totally,” her friend replied, “but let me see if we can get a couple of other people to join us.” Alona gave a slightly disappointed look. “I’d love to meet some of the local crowd, but I thought it could just be the two of us tonight...”
“Sorry, Alona. Things have just gotten a bit more dangerous at night since Masked sightings have gone up.”
“Oh... I remember you telling me about them.”
The Masked were a large gang of people (though some argue that they’re not even human) who appear seemingly at random to attack or kidnap innocents. That was what Sadie had told her, so she didn’t blame her friend for being so skittish about them.
“Alright,” Alona conceded with a smile, “why don’t you invite a couple of other people?” Sadie looked at her gratefully.
“Thanks for understanding.”
“Anything for you, girl!”
~~~
It was two days later when Alona found herself at the local animal shelter. Animals had interested her since she was young, and she seemed to have a... strange connection with them. Waking through the double glass doors, Alona was greeted by a pristine lobby with a cheerful looking secretary.
“Welcome! How may I help you, ma’am?”
“Hi there,” Alona replied with a grin, “I see you have a ‘Help Wanted’ sign outside, and would like to inquire about a position here.”
The woman looked her once over and, appearing satisfied, beckoned her to follow. Alona was lead through room after room of shelter animals- puppies, cats and even an aviary dominated much of the building. Every window they passed caused the animals to start following them, seemingly to try and get to Alona.
“Heh, it seems you already have a good thing going for you,” said the receptionist. Alona nodded, “I’ve always attracted animals since I was little. It’s kind of like a...” she thought for a second, “...psychic connection,” she finished with an awkward smile.
“Well, I can’t imagine why you’d be a bad fit for this job. Just need the ‘okay’ from the boss first.”
A few seconds later, the two reached a door that read “Employees Only”.
“Good luck! Though I don’t think you’ll need it,” she said with a wink.
~~~
The next day, Alona arrived bright and early at the shelter. The secretary, who introduced herself as Abbie after Alona’s interview, wanted to give her a tour before opening hours. The two walked through the cat kennels and aviary together, Abbie explaining to Alona the various jobs she would be asked to perform. Lastly, they stepped into the dog kennel, where Alona was instantly drawn to a lone enclosure separated from all the others. Peering through the bars, she saw a large German Shepard with a pair of piercing amber-colored eyes and a set of white teeth set into a growl. “Oh, that’s Brutus,” said Abbie when she noticed where Alona was staring, “he’s not the... friendliest dog in the shelter, so we keep him separate from the others.”
Alona looked at her matter-of-factly, “I believe with the proper time and patience even an ‘unfriendly’ dog can be a complete sweetheart.”
“Hey, I never said you can’t spend time with him during your break; just don’t run to me when he tries to bite your hand off,” Abbie replied with a laugh.
Alona stared into those amber eyes and silently made a vow to befriend Brutus, if only to prove a point.
~~~
It didn’t take long for Alona to acclimate to her new town. She greeted everyone she met and even organized a couple of events at the shelter. One of these events, a puppy meet-and-greet, became so popular that Alona was asked by a few schools to schedule one on campus. Happily agreeing to this, Alona became known as the “Puppy Lady” by adoring fans. Throughout her workdays and events, Alona spent breaks getting to know Brutus. She was cautious, of course, but knew that all it took was a kind heart to reach out to this dog. “You’re a good boy,” she’d tell him calmly, “you deserve happiness, just like every dog.” Brutus only glared back at her.
~~~
It was only a few weeks later when it happened. “Are you sure you’re okay closing up tonight?” Abbie asked.
“Of course,” replied Alona, “I know to bolt each lock on the inner and outer doors!”
“And you know what to do if...’they’ show up?”
“Run to the storage room, hit the red button against the far wall, then exit the back way!”
Abbie looked at her with relief. “You got a good head on your shoulders there. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye!” she said brightly.
Humming to herself, Alona started to go about her duties. “Clean the aviary, get the dogs in their kennels, close up the cat room...”
*thump*
Alona stopped dead in her tracks. No one should be in here, so what was...?
Without warning, a small dagger appeared from the far doorway, lodging itself in the wall next to her. The lights were on, so Alona could clearly see her assailants; they were wearing copper-colored masks.
“Get her!” yelled one with green hair.
Breaking out of her shocked stupor, Alona sprinted down the hallway to the supply room. But, to her dismay, a Masked was there to block her path. This one, who wore a dragon-like mask and had pink hair, held out a pair of glowing hands. Alona felt herself slow down, as if she were moving through an ocean of honey.
“Nngh...” she struggled, trying to break free of this strange gravitational pull.
Suddenly, she heard the unmistakable sound of paws pounding against the floor, and then Brutus was there, standing between her and the Masked. He growled at them, his stance curled up and ready to jump.
The Masked looked surprised, but one quickly broke out of their stupor and ran at Brutus with a dagger.
“NO!!!” Alona cried in anguish. She couldn’t let this happen!
With an burst of movement, Alona broke free of the other mask’s gravity field, making a beeline for the one with the dagger... but it was too late. The other Masked has Brutus pinned down. He let out a single yelp, then was still.
Tears stinging her eyes, Alona sank to the floor, defeated. How could she let an animal die right in front of her? In that moment, Alona was a child again, staring helplessly as a Cardinal died right in front of her. It’s body had jumped around spasmodically for a few seconds before going still- as still as Brutus was now. She couldn’t have done a thing to stop it. And now, Alona had failed another animal; one she had hoped to have as a companion. But she could do, better, she knew...!
... but she never would. In that moment of contemplation, the Masked made their move. Grabbing an intricate Peacock-styled mask out of her satchel, the pink-haired masked shoved it onto Alona’s face.
Her vision slowly faded, as a blaze of bright purple took over her senses.
~~~
She was floating in absolute darkness. But who was she? Why couldn’t she remember anything?
A voice quickly broke through: “There’s no need to suffer anymore, puppet,” it said smoothly, “just let me do the thinking for you; we’re going to do great things together...”
No more suffering? No more pain? She would be happy?
“That’s right,” said the voice, a strange static sound beginning to ring in her ears, “you’ll be happy... forever. All you need to do is accept my strings.”
She would do it. If it meant no more pain or sadness, no more disappointing anyone...
Her hands reached out and a pair of translucent red strings wrapped around her wrists. They brought a comforting numbness as the darkness dragged her down.