My Normal Life Now Has Monsters Trying to Kill Me

“This is seriously your grand idea to make me some super special destined hero or whatever?” Tama grumbled, jumping over a crack as they passed by rows of identical homes; not even the mice seemed brave enough to disturb the grumbling between human and faerie while quiet, harsh artificial light lead the way forward. “Nothing ever happens here. I’ve gone out for, like, a million late night snack runs by myself—no monsters pulled up, not even any dopey pickpockets.”

“I’d be fine with it if you turned out to be the heroine of a tragedy,” Sarine grumbled, arms crossed as she flitted forward and raised her voice. “Maybe you had a lot of nice, normal nights before, but now I’m around! Magic’s the best way to attract the unknown.”

Tama sneered. “So you’re using yourself as bait?”

“Don’t say it like that! You’re the bait!”

“Okay, but I’m not the magic one here. Juuuust sayin’.”

Sarine pulled at her hair, shooting Tama a look so murderous, Tama slowed her pace to put distance between the two (though not enough to earn an ear-dragging from the temperamental faerie).

“Okay,” Tama said, kicking a rock, “so let’s say we do find something cool and magical. Then what? Are we working on demon rules?”

“A—what? Huh? Those aren’t real.”

“Don’t say that! You’re a faerie!”

“Shut up! There’s no demons in any worlds I know, and besides, that’s not what I’m expecting!” Sarine turned around, face red. “Other creatures can detect my innate magical connection and know to keep their distance from me, but you’re mortal—defenseless, kind of pudgy around the skirt, but more importantly, you’re living. With an intact soul, spirit and everything. There’s plenty of creatures that’d jump you if they got the chance.”

Sarine smiled, watching Tama not-so-subtly sneak back in the direction of her home. A swift grab of the ear put a stop to that.

“You can’t say monsters wanna come steal my soul and leave it at that!!” Tama yelled, trying and failing to escape the enraged faerie’s grasp.

“C’mon, you think your faerie guide would go and let you get eaten just like that?”

“If it’s you? Yeah!”

“Shut up! I have to care about you—it’s my job!”

“Ugh, that’s not reassuring! Not at all! If something happens, it’ll be your fault for dragging me out here without some kinda plan!”

“I do have a plan!”

Tama frowned, holding a hand out. “Then tell me.”

“That’d ruin the plan,” Sarine said, and out of nowhere, Tama procured a fly swatter and swung. Sarine dodged it before she snatched the weapon from the girl’s hand and tossed it into someone’s backyard. “Hey! When’d you even get that!?”

“Just in case.”

“You—!!”

Sarine pulled at Tama’s hair, and while Tama grappled to pick her out, she stumbled, running as fast as possible in whatever direction laid before her. Wherever she went, whatever her anger wanted to take her towards, it carried her so faithfully, with sordid steps and solid, sneering—

—dripping—

—electric rage.

A flash; Tama lost her balance and tumbled. Sarine landed next to her, grumbling and rubbing her butt before she snapped back to the air. “Is that..!?”

The little faerie flew around; the sight of no beasts nor heroes brought despondency to her. “Oh, come on!”

“Looks like a light went out,” Tama said, glancing up at the streetlight blown out overhead. A smattering of glass smeared the pavement several feet away. “So chill out, there’s nothing here.”

Right—nothing.

Sarine sighed, looked down, where the nothing lingered, away from the Something so slobbering and dangerous, lurking behind Tama’s unassuming, frustrated person.

Nothing but a hand.

Nothing but a hand reaching, snapping around Tama’s torso, dragging her away screaming, flailing, Sarine’s eyes wide open as the monstrous being stepped into the lingering pinpricks of light.

To describe it as a ‘monster’ came easily, though to go into more detail required stretches of description and imagination girl and faerie alike lacked. An amalgamation of human fears, eyes fractured into a spread of peering pupils, a mass of limbs grabbing, forcing everything into its person, a single jaw hung in the middle and strung up by each arm. It floated, dragged the hapless teenager closer to rows of pointy, jagged teeth.

“Quick—fight back!” Sarine yelled. “Punch it, do a roll!”

Tama had nothing to say. Cries, perhaps, but no real way to register any advice against the worst thing she’s ever experience.

Sarine huffed, body glowing bright as she flew circles around the creature. Eyes locked onto her, it aimed all its hands towards the light it wanted so, so badly. She dodged the yearning palms, the grasping fingers, but the numerous limbs surrounding her only missed their mark for so long.

“No—shit, no no no—!” Sarine watched as Tama dangled at the edge of the monster’s jaws, the moment of horrid hesitation trapping her in a cage of hands, of eyes, protruding from palms like fruits dangling on thin branches, mesmerized by mortality.

A finger brushed against Sarine, and cold fear gripped her soul as a sticky digit caught onto her wings.

If this was the kind of horrible world she ended up in…

It would’ve been better to just give up.

Still, Sarine whispered a prayer. She closed her eyes and remembered.

The kindly gaze of her faerie teachers, all the little bodies of them and her peers huddled under a fan leaf in the endless forest, forever bright, green and safe from danger.

Magic consisted of words, gestures, and the intent behind them. Though all species across the universe cultivated specific systems to best harness this power, only the faeries truly understood the freeform nature of the abilities granted to them by the Powers of Prime.

A word said with enough hatred or love. A punch armed with a curse, a call towards something greater than yourself; anyone with enough intent could bend the laws of reality to their will, with permission.

If Sarine’s words meant anything to the Powers of Prime, then she’d give up all she has for another chance.

For a savior.

A guardian.

A hero.

Clad in blinding light, shouting—