Seattle, January 2025. The rain fell hard tonight and alongside the frigid wind, it was unpleasant to be out in. The streets were pitch black, with only brief respites of light from the lamp posts. Elina, soaked to the bone in her baggy black hoody and ragged leggings, didn't seem to mind the current weather, as her mind was still reeling from earlier that night. "Pathetic", she thought, not knowing if the word referred to her or the newfound ex girlfriend. Even though she didn't start the fight that night, she sure as hell ended it. The screaming still echoing through her head, Elina wondered where she went wrong. Things had always been up and down between her and Stella, but they always managed to bounce back. In this final argument however, Elina stormed out of her ex's apartment, not even taking a second glance on her way out. Too late for the buses to be running, and too broke to get any other kinds of transport, she began her walk across the city. The dead of night, the streets empty other than shadows of the less fortunate, she began to slowly make her way home.
Her friend Fiona must have heard of the breakup by now, given Stella and her talkative nature. Call after call, text after text were ignored; Elina just wanted to be left alone, enough drama for the night. As she continued on throughout the streets, she noticed something peculiar, an old antiques shop. It appeared to have been there for decades, however she swore she had never seen it before. A sign, reading "Hollowed Curiosities", battered back and forth from the wind that night. This place, even with its strange and foreign aura, seemed to be beckoning her in. With no other plans for the night, and now presented with the opportunity to escape from this horrid weather, she gave in to the unusual calling. It was uncommon for shops to be open this time of night, though she proceeded to push through the door. Now, greeted with the ringing of a bell and a strangely intoxicating sweet musk that assaulted her nostrils, leaving her light-headed. Once she recovered, she began to roam this dated place.
Elina glanced over at the counter where an old woman seemingly ripped out of a different time. As the woman's fingers began to thump against the counter, Elina lowered her head and continued her way through the rest of the shop. The shelves were breaking and bending from all different kinds of antiquities piled within. Grime, older than she even was, enveloped all that she could see. After Elina got her fill of old kitchen utensils, toys that looked well loved, and an assortment of vintage clothing, she made her way to the front, where jewelry of various conditions hid themselves within foggy glass cases.
As she perused her way through the different broaches, rings, and necklaces, the old woman slowly made her way over. " Not a talkative one, I see", rasped the shop keeper, startling Elina who was very much still on edge. "Not so much, ma'am", she croaked in a deep voice before she caught herself. "It's been a rough night" she continued, though that was an immense understatement. "Well have your fill, we have quite the collection of odds and ends". Elina, numb to the world, kept looking through the cases, though not expecting to find anything of interest. After glancing through the stock, just before she was about to head out and finalize her long trek home, something caught her eye. Amongst the broaches and rings, there was an amulet, crescent shaped and seemingly softened and worn down from the many hands it has surely been through. She believed it to be silver, yet no signs of tarnishing were present, and embedded within its curved face sat a small gemstone, brilliantly blue and no signs of aging itself. There seemed to be a slight glow to it, fluctuating to her every heartbeat but not casting any meaningful light. Then a whisper, not of words but of feeling. Elina's skin began to prickle up and as crazy as it seemed, it felt as if it was almost begging her to hold it, to keep it safe. Just as she snapped out of it, she looked up to be face to face with the other woman.
This strange lady in otherworldly clothing, appeared to have a slight smirk on her face. "My eyes may not be as great as they used to be, but I can still see you eyeballing that old amulet there". Elina shuffled her feet and softly let out "Surely I can't afford it though, the jewel alone must be worth a pretty penny". The lady behind the counter, seemingly unphased by this comment that was just made, simply asked how much she had. Reaching all throughout her pockets, Elina barely managed to find a crumpled bill in her jacket pocket. Slightly damp still from the rain, she pulled out a $10 bill and held it up with a dejected look on her face. The old lady snagged it from her hands, stating it would do, and reached within the case. Gingerly she pulled it out and as it swung in the air, she gently lowered it down onto the top of the case.
Elina's eyes widen, stricken by the beauty of something so seemingly mundane. "I can tell, it calls to you, as it once called to me", stated the old woman, "Go on, take it, keep it close". Just as she picked it up, she was being ushered out the door. "It's time for me to lock up for the night, have a pleasant journey home". Before they could say another word, she was guided outside. As she heard the door lock behind her, her voice once again wisped through the air. ” Its destiny is now yours”. Unsure of whether she was now going insane, she inspected the amulet a little closer. Even with it being as smooth as it was, there were still glimpses of what used to be an intricate design, lost mostly to the ages. The longer it was held, the warmer it got, though not to the point of burning. It felt pleasant, familiar like a long lost friend, and the warmth continued through her body. She kept it clenched in her hand as she continued on her way.
Once she arrived back at her flat, she placed the strange amulet on the coffee table. Off came her wet clothes, as she proceeded to the bathroom, where she began to comb out her hair, medium in length, wavy and a dark brown color, though almost black by the rain. She let out a big sigh while staring at her ruined makeup. All that hard work to doll herself up, and for what, just to be alone again. After she cleaned off her makeup and dried herself off, Elina slipped into a simple, black nightgown. Continuing back to the living room area, stopping to grab some snacks in the kitchen along the way, she then proceeded to sit down. She fumbled for the remote and turned on her old CRT TV, the buzzing of the old electronics started to permeate the room. As some sitcoms were put on that were showing their age, Elina once again drifted off into her own world. She thought Seattle was going to be the best thing that ever happened to her. That she would find a job in computer programming and finally find people that actually cared for her. Although, after losing her dream job and what she thought was the love of her life in the same night, it just felt like things were just falling apart all over again.
She reluctantly began to look at her phone and was greeted with a string of worried texts from her friend Fiona. What happened, where are you, please for the love of god answer my texts, along with a few other messages were sitting right there on her phone. Just as she was about to put it down again, a phone call came through; not shocking, it was Fiona. Even though all she wanted to do was zone out for the rest of the night before she eventually managed to fall asleep, Elina decided to answer the phone anyways. "I... worried... sorry... please... my place" was all she got before the call dropped. She went to call back but didn't seem to have any signal at all. With the fury and grief built up in her body, all that was said was "Stupid piece of shit phone" as she threw it across the room, barely missing the window and landing with a loud clatter across the faux wood flooring. Lost in a flurry of emotions; anger, fear, then tears welled up in her eyes. As she looked off into the distance, the amulet caught her eye. It seemed to be glowing with a greater intensity than before and only getting brighter. A humming was not only heard, but felt all throughout the room. Elina reached her hand across the coffee table, and as soon as she grabbed the amulet, it felt as if her hand was on fire. Writhing in agony, she was unable to unclench her hand. Pain and fear filled her mind, replacing any other thoughts that were once there. Then nothing, the pain had stopped almost as suddenly as it began.
A beat, then cracking. The room shattered like glass around her and an impenetrable darkness began to envelope her. It was as if she was falling, however at the same time she could have sworn she was being buried alive. Her life seemed to flash before her eyes, picking at every little mistake she even made. Then everything changed, a chill hung in the air, the smell of sap filled her lungs, what seemed to be grass piercing into her back. Lying prone she opened her eyes, and with a slight taste of blood in her mouth, she began to wonder where she was.
