The city center was at its busiest as the sky grew dim, the sun giving way to a muted dusk. Day workers released from their shifts filled the streets of the bustling downtown shopping center, mingling with college students eager for rest and entertainment after long days of studying. They gathered in groups outside of storefronts casting warm pools of light over the sidewalks, loud conversation and laughter filling the air. The crowd was the perfect cover for somebody who didn’t want to be seen; nobody paid attention to my slim form slipping between their giggling groups.

My hands constantly pulled at the wide hood of my jacket, ensuring the thick black fabric kept my face covered in case any of the civilians looked my way. Though I kept my head bowed, my gaze constantly darted over the surrounding people, ensuring none of them showed any signs of interest or suspicion as I passed between them. I hadn’t encountered trouble in weeks, but my pulse still jumped every time I brushed elbows with an unsuspecting local.

A wave of nausea hit me, making my steps stagger. Lurching, I felt an elbow connect with my stomach, ignoring the frantic apology from one of the harmless college students as I quickly skirted out of their way. I couldn’t stop to accept their apology- didn’t dare to risk opening my mouth or drawing any further attention to myself.

A piercing pain speared through my head, the back of my wrist pressed over my mouth as I ducked my head and rushed toward the inner edge of the sidewalk. The world spun between slow blinks, my vision growing hazy as something constricted in my chest. I pressed my lips together to silence a whimper as I leaned against the wall of one of the buildings, half tucked into a small alley meant for garbage.

Blinking rapidly, I stared down at the dirty concrete between my feet as I tried to swallow the rising agony. It churned my stomach, my hands trembling as I reached up to push my hood back in an attempt to attain some kind of relief from the feverish feeling which spread through my body.

Hidden by the shade of the building’s arching roofs and the shadows which swallowed the mouth of the alley, I though I was safe- until a warped voice reached me through the din of overeager citizens.

{{Smells… sweet… Where…}}

It was like hearing something underwater, garbled and hard to understand. What I could make out was enough for my blood to run cold. My gaze jumped up, searching the dim of the alley, trying to make out shapes in my swimming vision. They appeared in streaks of color dancing at the edge of my view, as intangible to me as I was to them. But if they could smell me, the line was starting to blur, and that struck terror in my mind.

{{Little one… where… are you?}}

I shoved away from the wall as the voices became clearer, the hovering colors beginning to take firmer form. I tried not to look at the small creatures attached to the walls, or to notice that they had too many eyes and limbs. Yanking my hood up again, I allowed it to shield my vision like a horse’s blinders. It helped me to keep my attention on the sidewalk in front of me.

Gritting my teeth, I forced my feet forward, striving to keep my balance without bracing myself against the walls of the building- too scared that I could touch one of those things, and they would find me. I had been so careful, but…

[[I can smell you. Come to me, sweet thing.]]

I nearly tripped over my own feet, my heart in my throat as I slammed my eyes shut. The hissing, malevolent voice felt like cold fingers trailing down my spine. This was exactly what I had been trying so hard to avoid, and if they found me- I couldn’t think about it, jaw clenched as I hurried my steps. Though it was just as dangerous to stop paying attention to the rest of the crowd, to draw attention from the irate people I shoved past, I was only worried about one thing now.

As I reached the street corner, a familiar shop sign came into view, and relief flooded me. It only made the ache in my gut stronger, my throat tightening as pain racked through me. I pressed a hand to the hollow spot at the bottom of my rib cage, pushing hard in the hopes it would somehow help me breathe. The street swam in front of me, street lamps suddenly hazy halos of light… but the things crawling on the pavement and the sides of buildings were all too clear.

Attempting to close my eyes made the throbbing of my head more prominent, bile scalding the back of my throat as I hovered at the very edge of the curb. My bleary gaze focused on the light for the crosswalk instead, tears of relief forming as the white, blinking ‘walk’ symbol burned against the growing dim.

I stumbled in my hurry to get across the street, the step down from the curb like a cliff. My hands were in trembling fists clutching the sleeves of my hoodie, sweat pasting my hair to my forehead. Despite my wavering vision and panting breaths, my gaze remained fixed on the store I had come out of hiding to visit- my salvation from the things creeping in on me.

[[So delicious…]] The voice was almost in my ear, a strangled sob in my throat as I felt a gossamer touch trail over the back of my neck. [[Surrender…]]

“Leave me alone,” I whimpered the words aloud, though it no doubt drew strange glances from the people crossing the street with me. My steps faltered, stopping at the edge of sidewalk, as I put my hands over my ears. I knew it wouldn’t do anything- these voices weren’t something natural which I could so simply ignore. I shuddered, desperately wanting to curl up in some dark corner, to pretend they wouldn’t see me as long as I couldn’t see them.

{This way.} The light, airy voice broke through my growing panic. There was a faint tug against my fingers, warm and much friendlier than the voice snarling at me to give in.

I let my hands fall to my sides, forcing my eyes open again as I followed the tugs toward my goal- the shop with the beaming, fluorescent sign of an herbalist. This side of the street was less crowded, my path easier and quicker as I dashed for the door.

A soft bell chimed overhead as I shoved the door open, nearly slamming it behind me as I took shelter in the building. I knew it wouldn’t last- there were no wards here, nothing to keep them out. But there was another solution, and I nearly ran for the counter in my hurry to reach it.

My hands pressed against the cool, smooth surface of the glass countertop. I was sure I appeared frantic, my gaze wild as I looked up at the man behind the register, a wall of shelves with glasses full of shimmering liquids covering the entire wall behind him. “Hey, Tom.” My voice was raspy as I tried to force a smile on my face.

The man was stocky, with a shock of wiry golden hair that seemed impossible to tame. His gaze was narrowed until I reached up to push my hood back; immediately his expression cleared, an easy grin on his lips despite the worry hiding behind the more nonchalant expression. “Pretty late, Kit. The usual?”

“Yes,” I breathed the word in a sobbing sigh of relief, digging into my pocket as he rang my request into the register.

He turned away to his wall of potions as I tapped my card to the reader, the small machine giving off a cheerful beep as it accepted my payment. Tom knelt down to access a locked drawer hidden at the bottom of the shelves, rattling with boxes and bottles. He retrieved a small vial of purple liquid, swirling with shimmers of silver, before standing to offer it to me. “Just-”

I didn’t listen to his warning, the cork already removed so I could slam back the contents of the vial. It tasted foul- an unpleasant combination of uncommon ingredients that slid down my throat like sludge. It always made me shudder, fighting my gag reflex as my already inflamed stomach protested the unnatural solution. I would have given anything to never have to drink that disgusting potion again… but I had no choice, because it was the only thing that made the voices fade away.

It was already working as the pressure in my head began to ease. Blinking rapidly, my vision cleared, the traces of unearthly creatures and hovering lights disappearing. The relief almost took me to my knees, fingers clutching the edge of the counter tightly as I leaned my weight against it.

Tom’s gaze was heavy on me, unease in his deep brown stare. “Listen, Kit-”

His words were interrupted again by the chime of the door’s bell. My gaze snapped to the entrance, any measure of solace I had found in the silence in my mind ruined by the sight of a pair of men in dark, expensive suits. They shimmered with a rainbow of colors as silver threads reflected the light, bright jewels encircling their necks and wrists- wards to prevent magical attacks. Familiar symbols were emblazoned on the chest pockets of their crisp jackets, stars scattered around a stack of books and potion bottles.

Alchemists.

I looked away, searching for another exit, any means of escape from the threat I had been watching for on the streets. I could have sworn I hadn’t drawn enough attention to bring the hounds down on my head- but this wouldn’t be my first time escaping their grasp by a hair. My gaze locked on the door to the supply room at the back of the shop, hoping there was a back door into the alleys.

Before I could slip away, a hand latched tightly around my wrist, holding me in place. My gaze snapped up to Tom, flooding with bitter anger and betrayal as he gave me a guilty look.

“I tried to warn you,” he muttered, his remorse banished by fear as his gaze slid to the men who had entered the shop. Their eyes met, Tom visibly swallowing as his grip tightened around my wrist. “They monitor the sales of every potion ingredient in the city, so it was only a matter of time. It was you… or me. Sorry, Kit.”

It was hard to believe his apology as the man came around the counter, his grip unyielding as he dragged me with him; still weak from my struggle to simply reach the shop, I didn’t have a chance of getting away. I was shaking, tears in my eyes, as I was thrown to my knees in front of the cruelly smirking men.

One of them knelt down to grasp my chin tightly in his hand, hazel eyes burning into mine as he leered at me. “At least you’re a pretty one.” He reached his other hand up to his comrade, who handed him a simple, sleek black club.

I closed my eyes, and though I braced myself, I couldn’t prepare myself for the pain. Stars burst behind my eyelids, the dizziness and nausea I felt on the streets nothing compared to the swift loss of consciousness. As I toppled forward, my last thoughts were terrified and hopeless, grieving the fact that all of my efforts and years of running had only landed me in the hands of people prepared to tear me to pieces for profit.