Arisen Fury

Witnessing Monsters

Rory

I wake screaming after witnessing the death of a man with jet-black hair and violet eyes. I was in early 18th-century Japan. He was beheaded right in front of me. For a moment, I swear I saw a flash of fangs, red eyes, and snow-white hair just before I woke up at the swing of the sword.

I've had similar dreams all my life. As though I'm reliving the past. Since I hit puberty, it's been of men all dying in front of me.

"Shut up babe. You'll wake the dead." He hits me in the face with a pillow.

Why do I put up with this asshole? Oh yeah, I'm lonely and he was convenient on top of being pretty. Honestly, I'm not sure what I was thinking shacking up with the definition of a fuqboi.

He is posting a selfie about just waking up due to his girlfriend screaming with the #goingtobanishthosenightmares.

Eyeroll. So long as he doesn't get me in the background, I won't break his phone. He won't be doing anything to banish these nightmares.

I get out of bed to get ready for the day. While I'm drinking my coffee and eating toast, my phone rings. "Good morning, Rory."

"Hey, Dad. What's up?"

"I called to tell you I'm going to be out of town for a while," he says with a sigh.

"Another work thing, huh?" It's always work that takes him out of town. Being a traveling doctor for a group of assassins keeps him busy.

"Yes exactly."

"How long this time?" I'm not impressed. He promised me last year he was retiring.

"Just a few months."

"Okay. Just be sure to call me at least once a week. Don't make me call someone to come hunt you down again."

I will too. I have before. My friend Natalie's husbands are good at that sort of stuff.

"I promise. No radio silence. Don't worry kiddo, I'll be home soon. I love you, Sunflower."

We will see about that. He gets so caught up with his work and research that he often forgets to even bathe or eat. I hope I don't fall in love with a man who focuses on one thing, completely forgetting everything around him.

"Love you too, Dad. Don't make me call Ali's husband." My father is laughing when we hang up.

He thinks I'm joking, but I'm dead serious. This time I'll go hunt him down myself.

Mick is still in bed, but that's fine since it's five in the morning. Being a registered nurse, my shift varies. This week I'm working twelve-hour shifts from six to six, which is fine by me. I don't say goodbye to Mick; I don't care to.

My apartment is within walking distance of the private hospital where I work. It makes me feel a tad sad as I walk past my rebuilt 1989 Dodge Ram with dual tones painted in mint and black. It has a black interior with mint accents.

Le sigh. I want to drive my truck.

I dive into my job, enjoying my work, and caring for people, even if most of them are wealthy snobs. My paycheck makes it easier to be sugary sweet no matter what rude remarks people hurl at me. They're in pain or sick and I would be cranky in their shoes, too.

Of course, some remarks are about my tattoos, facial piercing, pink hair, and anime scrubs. I only wear scrubs with my favorite anime characters on them.

My boss doesn't mind though. It's probably because I became friends with his wife and one of her other husbands. She has five of them.

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It was a nice normal day at work until an hour before my shift ended.