Welcome To My World

Wouldn’t it be relatively simple to kill or make someone else commit murder as a prop master on a movie set by just switching fake guns or blank rounds with real ones? Imagine a shootout scene from an action flick and you as the prop master don’t like the actor for some reason, or you were hired to kill him/her. Whatever the reason, you know he/she will get shot at in the next scene, and they will dive behind a flipped table to take cover while steeling themselves (I know, how cliche), the table will still get shot at, but like every table in movies, the half-inch plywood is bulletproof. What the actor doesn't know is that you changed the guns to real ones and oh no, now they are riddled with holes.

It would work even better if the scene is scripted that the actor is actually getting shot and maybe even killed, few people will realize that he/she got actually hit and isn't just acting really good.

Would also work in a suicide scene, or with explosives and probably in a few other ways on set.

I wonder which professions have similar opportunities? 

I was never one to believe in the supernatural, I’m not even religious. I am or was a very logical person, the literal opposite of my best friend. She’s...complex, a dreamer if there ever was one, she lives for the supernatural. Reading every fantasy book or creepypastas and I have to admit that I like them too, but not for the same reasons my friend does. For me, it's because of the dark truth about humanity most of them carry, the so-called monsters that were just humans having done something inhuman that others couldn’t comprehend.

But back to my friend, she is probably the biggest fan of the occult that I could have possibly run into. She even tried some of the spells and rituals she found, and since she almost poisoned herself once for one of her silly rituals and I found out about it, I am now there for all of them to prevent her from doing something stupid again. I’m not going to lose a close friend again.

That’s why I’m currently sitting in my basement and watching Bailey paint some circle-spell-thingy on my basement floor.

“Remind me again why you are painting that in my basement?” I asked her, she looked up from painting to look at me and then to the ancient leather-bound book she had brought with her to, I presume, compare her work with the drawing in the weird occult book.

I long since stopped asking how she finds and gets them, I understand she is a librarian but which god damn library has these kinds of books, grimoires or tomes or whatever they're called, lying around.

Ah and before you imagine her as a stereotypical librarian I’m gonna stop you there, she looks more like a model than a mousy librarian. Her long blonde hair is most of the times in a messy bun, she has a few freckles on her cheekbones and over her nose which draws attention to her baby blue eyes. Her rosy lips are neither thin nor full, a perfect in-between. A thin body with C-cups to my taller, more athletic stature and B-cups. Besides doing nothing and still being thin as can be without looking sick, she even has bigger tits than me. The only librarian thing she has is her soul and character, she is quiet and shy, has her nose in more books than in front of other people, excluding me. But don’t you dare mistreat a book in front of her or interrupt her from reading, I interrupted her once, and I will never do it again.

“Because my basement floor is already full of summoning and ritual circles and because you won’t let me do them without you.” Bailey interrupted my thoughts.

“What are you trying this time?” I asked after she finished her circle thingy.

“We’re going to summon a demon, but I’m not sure which kind of. The translation is a bit fudgy there.” She said while starring in her book.

“We?” I asked back and raised my eyebrow.

“Yes Z, we.” She sighed and put the book down, went around the circle placing candles and lighting them.

“So what next?”

“All we have left to do is the blood sacrifice, a few drops should suffice.” She said like she was ordering something at a restaurant and took a pocket knife out of her pastel pink backpack.

“Ah what now?” I asked, hoping to have misheard, but she just opened the knife. She held it to her hand like she was about to do something incredibly stupid, but I was in front of her faster then she could react and grabbed her hand with the knife in it.

“No, you are not going to cut yourself for some stupid occult thing that isn’t real!” I said with a commanding edge to it.

“Let go.” My best friend gasped, probably surprised but to me, at that moment it sounded hurt. I let go of her hand the same moment she tugged downwards, sliding the edge of the knife across my palm.

“Shit.” I hissed from the pain and stepped away from Bailey, clutching my hand to my chest. There was blood already falling to the ground.

“Oh my god Z! I-I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to cut you!” She panicked and let the blade fall to the ground.

She was about to step towards me when air to my right, in the center of the circle, rippled like hot air over even hotter asphalt, we both froze and stared at it. Then with a snapping sound space just opened up and spilled a feminine form directly into me before closing again with the sound of a wave crashing against a cliff.

I went down with the sudden load of another person against me, I closed my eyes and waited for the pain that would come when my head will crash against the polished concrete floor, but something wrapped itself around me creating a counterbalance. Now I just had to deal with a bruised ass and not a head wound.

I opened my eyes and stared directly into bottomless red orbs.

Most others would describe the color as blood red or crimson, but the first thing that came to my mind were roses.

They were full of warmth, care, and happiness.

I placed my hands on the cold floor behind, wanting to lean back a bit to get a better view of the person straddling me, but I winced when I put pressure on my cut hand.

It was still bleeding, it also looked pretty deep, I didn’t really want to know how deep.

„Oh, my love! You didn’t have to cut yourself that deep to bind me to you.“ The woman on me said in a sweet, velvety voice and took my injured hand in her warm ones. She held it up to her face to, I guessed get a better look at it, and before I could explain that the cut was an accident, she had already dragged her tongue over my wound.

I winced as I expected it to hurt, but I just felt a soft touch, and when I opened my eyes again the wound was only a faint pinkish line.

„What- How did you do that?” I stammered and looked at the woman for answers, completely forgetting about her sudden appearance.

“Simple, my bodily fluids can either be used as an aphrodisiac or to heal wounds, but sadly only minor ones like yours. Shouldn’t you already know that before summoning me?” She said and smiled comfortingly.

Now that I could lean back on my hands I tried to get a better look at her, but what I saw took my breath away.

Her ruby eyes made a stark contrast to her snowy white skin and light silvery hair that looked like some kind of liquid metal. Two almost straight glassy horns poked through her hair above her forehead, they looked like two red polished glass gems. It’s maybe a weird comparison, but they were almost the same shape of the last couple inches of those wooden practice katanas or whatever their called, a slight curve on the front ‘edge’ that connects with an almost straight back.

She had a light blush on her cheeks, and her pink lips were in a beautiful smile. Only when I looked down her slender neck, did I realize that she was completely naked, breathtakingly naked.

God dammit Z, you useless lesbian. Get it together. I told myself and leaned back a bit more to be able to take off the sweater I had worn to fight the chilly air of the basement. When I finally got out of my sweater, now only having my sports bra to keep my modesty, I handed it to the gorgeous woman on my lap.

“You should put that on before you catch a cold, the basement is pretty chilly. Oh I never introduced myself, I’m Z, this over there is my best friend, Bailey.” I said nervously in the face of the woman's beauty and gestured to Bailey, who was sitting frozen on her ass, the expression of utter surprise and shock on her face.

“Oh, I think she broke.” Came out of my mouth before checking in with my brain.

“I think you are correct.” The woman on me, now wearing my sweater, chuckled, which sounded wonderful, “I am Maze. Should we help your friend, my love?” She asked and stood up, pulling me with her without visible effort.

Now that we stood, I could see that she was about the same height as me, maybe even a bit taller.

“Yeah we should, huh it’s kinda ironic that she is the one that is shocked.” I huffed as I looked at my friend again.

“Why is that?” Maze asked and looked at me appraisingly, I nervously brushed a strand of my straight black hair out of my face.

“Because she is the one that believes in the supernatural not me and she did this summoning thing,” I explained while I tried to get the attention of my friend by waving in front of her face, but she was still staring into nothing. Yeah maybe I could have done something differently, but whatever.

“But it was you who called me, I am bound to you, my love.” Maze frowned slightly, it looked adorable.

“Huh, I didn’t call anyone,” I said a bit distracted.

“Yes, you did. Your blood called me.” She said and pointed to my hand.

“Oh, that was an accident, the cut I mean. I tried to stop Bailey from hurting herself, and I accidentally cut myself at the same time.” I explained roughly what had happened.

“It wouldn’t have worked if she had tried, the summoning that is, but accident or not I am bound to you, it was fate.”

“What do you mean it wouldn’t have worked for her and what is this about fate?” I asked, then I turned back towards my friend, “Wait before you start explaining, let’s get her out of the cold basement first.” I said and scooped my smaller friend up and carried her up the stairs and laid her on the couch in my living room, where she curled up and passed out instantly.

“Let’s get you some clothes, I think mine should fit you well enough for now,” I said softly and lead Maze up another flight of stairs and into my room.

“You can sit on the bed while I get you some clothes.” I turned and started to go through my things to find something comfortable.

“Thanks, my love and to answer your previous questions. Only a few fated people can successfully summon demons. I guess it is similar to the whole soulmate thing you humans obsess about,” I could practically hear her teasing smile, “When somebody with a fated soul summons a demon and not just any demon, there is only one that would fit, then they exchange a part of their soul with each other. The humans who have demonic soulmates are also fated to get them, one way or another their paths will intertwine.” Maze explained while I found some panties and comfortable shorts for her. I turned back around and gave her the clothes.

“Why am I not freaking out about a gorgeous demon appearing in my basement, especially the demon part?” I muttered to myself, questioning why I’m so calm and accepting.

“Some part of it is because we each have a piece of the other's soul and I’m a succubus to be exact.” Maze answered softly and took my hand in hers, her skin felt so warm, so good, so...right against mine. Her hand moved up my arm, over my shoulder, down my collarbone to my side, where she started to trace patterns across my skin, that felt vaguely familiar. I was so glad I only wore the sports bra as her touch felt so indescribably good on my skin.

“Where did you get these scars?” She breathed softly, ahhh that was why the pattern felt so familiar, she had been tracing the scars on my body.

“When I was seventeen, my parents and I were on the way back from our winter trip when a drunk truck driver swerved on to our lane and crashed into us. My parents died on impact, I was luckier… or unlucky, it’s debatable.” I explained in a flat voice, after nine years I have become somewhat insensitive about it.

“But this looks like something was stabbed through you?” She traced the round scar under my rib cage.

“Yes, that’s basically what had happened. The truck had some poorly secured rebar for construction work loaded, some of it punched through our car and one through me.” I placed my hand over hers and moved it to my back, where the matching scar was.

“There was also a bunch of other metal scraps that had hit me,” I moved her hand from scar to scar over my body, “When I woke up from my coma, a nurse had told me I had looked like a pincushion when I was brought in, well my right side.” I smiled as I remembered the nurse, it had been an older woman, she was a person that loved life, always friendly and encouraging. Even though you could tell she had seen some messed up shit, she was so warm and caring.

“You have been through a lot, my love,” Maze whispered and pulled me against her, I couldn’t help but melt in her embrace, “But you’re still this strong, maybe it’s because of this strength that you’re taking this so calmly.”

I just murmured some unintelligible response in her shoulder, content with being held, being supported at that moment.

We stood like this for a few more moments, Maze warmly stroking my back and my face nuzzled in her shoulder when her stomach suddenly rumbled. I looked up and found her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, this girl hadn’t batted an eye when she had been naked, but when her stomach vocalist her hunger, she got embarrassed. Just adorable.

“I was about to eat dinner when you summoned me,” Maze muttered a touch defensively.

“Let’s go down, and I will make you something,” I giggled and dragged her behind me downstairs and into the kitchen.

“Wait, why were you naked when you came here?” I asked, remembering I hadn’t asked yet.

“Ah, that’s because we can’t bring anything here from hell, it gets destroyed in the summoning to prevent anything from getting out that shouldn’t.” She replied as she sat down on a stool by the breakfast bar.

“So you weren’t cooking naked?” I teased.

“Maybe, maybe not.” She smirked back.

“Mhm, what a nice mental picture that would be. Anyway, what do you want to eat.”

“Oh, just something simple, I’m curious how much difference there is between food in hell and here.”

“How does pasta with pesto sound, I have a basil pesto, a tomato one, and a paprika pesto,” I said and moved around the kitchen to gather the ingredients, putting the pestos with a small spoon in front of Maze, so that she can taste them.

“Thanks, my love.” She said and looked the pestos over.

“Why do you keep calling me my love,” I asked as I put a pot of water on my stove.

“Because I love you, Z.” Maze said with a charming smile. It completely threw me off balance, I somehow didn’t expect her to say that, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of being loved.

„Why?“ I croaked insecure, afraid of being crushed under high hopes.

„How could you love me, you saw the scars.“ I had tried dating several times after I had the accident, but the moment they saw my scars, they left in disgust. How could she say she loves me after seeing how broken I am.

„Firstly,“ Maze stood up and stepped towards me, suddenly looking angry, „never doubt yourself again.”

I tried to look away, but she placed her hands on either side of my face and held me, while she continued.

“Secondly, if I say I love you, I mean it. I love you because of your strength, how you care about the people close to you, even the ones that were just thrown at you through a portal. Because you are beautiful and yes even your scars, they tell a story of survival through hardships, they are marks of your strength.”

Her ruby eyes stared at me intensely, then her features softened.

“So believe me, when I say that I love you because I fell for you in about twenty minutes and with only seeing a fraction of you.” She said softly and kissed me on my forehead, before letting go of me.

She turned around to sit down again, but I wrapped my arms around her before she could take more than a step.

“I… Thank you,” I muttered into the nape of her neck.

“Mmm, I wouldn’t mind staying like this for longer, but the water is already boiling, and I’m famished.” She said softly and patted my arms that were wrapped around her.

“Oh, right.” I reluctantly let go of her and put the pasta in the boiling water.

“Will your friend be ok?” Maze asked as she looked at Bailey’s sleeping form.

I looked over to my friend from the open kitchen, “Yeah, should be fine, but she will probably stay here tonight. Ah, I should warn you though, if she wakes up, she will. Actually, I don’t know how she will react, so uh prepare for… something.” I said awkwardly, Maze just smiled and I couldn’t help but stare at her stunning… everything.

“I will try to.” She smirked as we stared at each other.

There was something, some kind of bond forming between us. It was as if I could almost tell what she felt, but when I tried to focus on it, it was similar to grasping at running water. I could briefly feel the temperature, but I couldn’t hold on to it easily.

She told me before that we were bonded, but I hadn’t realized what exactly she had meant by that. I was still unsure if I just imagined what I felt or if it was real, but if it were real it wouldn’t just go one way, right? So she has to feel it too, but exactly did she feel from me.

Maze had said she was falling in love with me, so what about me, I knew I felt attracted towards her. How couldn’t I, she was hot as hell, quite literally I guess. I also welcomed her company, her honesty, and directness too.

The beeping of the timer, I had started when I had put in the noodles (I get easily distracted while cooking, so to avoid accidents I always started timers when I cooked), pulled me out of my head and back into the kitchen.

After I tried the pasta and was content with the result, I drained the water from the pot into the sink and put a piece of butter in it, to stop the pasta from sticking to each other.

I heard a groan from across the kitchen as I put the pasta and plates in front of Maze. When I looked over, I saw Bailey stretch beside the couch.

“When did I fall asleep on the couch? Nevermind. You wouldn’t believe the crazy dream I just had. I dreamed about really summoning a demon. We were in your basement, and you tried to stop me, and I cut you on accident, then a portal opened and threw a naked demon at you, she was crazy beautiful. Huh, wait, where is my bag? I know I brought it with me.” She said, not once looking up towards us while she talked about her dream.

“Thirst of all, your pink bag of craziness is still in the basement, and second, please, please don’t faint again,” I said, hoping for the best.

“Why should I faint?” Bailey asked right before she looked over to us and then froze. Again.

I looked at Maze with a smirk, “Stop breaking her.”

Which earned me a sheepish grin from her in return.

“Eat, I’m gonna try fixing her,” I said, patting her arm reassuringly and walked over to my best friend. I took her head between my hands and just stared at her for a moment, trying to find the right words.

“Sorry,” I began, and her eyes focused on me, “Sorry that I didn’t believe you. You're incredibly smart, and I should have had more faith in you. But, not to make excuses, I didn’t want to see my best friend getting hurt, or god forbid-” Ahh sudden thought out of left field interrupted my little speech, and I looked back at my demon sitting eating in the kitchen, watching us.

“Is the big guy up there also real?” I asked nodding upwards.

“The big guy… ah you mean the god most of you humans worship. Yes, he exists.” She said around a mouthful of pasta.

“Is it ok to mention him, you know with you being a succubus?”

“Yeah sure, I don’t care,” Maze shrugged.

“Ok, back to where I was. Or god forbid-” I glanced back over my shoulder to make sure it didn’t bother Maze, but she just rolled her eyes at me, “-hurt herself. ….Wow, this is a really lame apology.”

“It is,” Bailey said, making me smile, “but you don’t really have to apologize in the first place, I was actually thinking about dropping the whole demon thing, but I had this powerful feeling that I had to try that spell one last time, with you. So I guess I should apologize about always having to put up with my selfishness.” She finished, and I hugged her.

Deciding to put this whole mess behind us, at least for now, I dragged her into the kitchen, and after asking her if she’s hungry, I put two plates next to Maze. We ate and talked about random stuff, which surprised me because I expected Bailey to interrogate Maze about demons and stuff, but she didn’t.

For however got through all that, thanks I hope you enjoyed it. This is the first writing I ever posted so I would be grateful for feedback. I will try to get more out as soon as possible.