Blood & Magic Read Free

swaying, Henry walked past the security doors at the end of the hall, wildly swiping his entry key at the console, before continuing towards the staff bathroom. He switched on the light, for which only two out of five bulbs worked and turned on the tap, water spluttering through the antiquated pipework. He filled the bowl and sighed, staring at himself in the mirror above the sink. Physically he appeared fine, if a little pale, but then again, he always looked pale. His body felt weird, as if every cell was shifting and readjusting itself.
    Something was changing.
    Memories whizzed through his head, seemingly from the minds of a plethora of people. They seemed connected, but moved too fast for him to figure out how. It was like looking into a train carriage hurtling through a station, except somehow he recognised everyone inside, even if he didn't quite know who they were.
    He stopped the taps and plunged his face into the water, the temperature the shock his system needed. The door to the bathroom creaked open behind, footsteps coming to a halt as whoever it was clocked sight of Henry with his head in the sink. Elle had probably told Dixie what had happened and he'd come to check up on him. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Henry raised his head and looked toward the entrance to the bathroom in the sink mirror.
    In the doorway stood a
creature
.
    It was around five feet tall, with mottled green skin and tufts of white hair distending from large pointed ears that curved back around its head. It's black eyes focused on Henry, unblinking, as it’s head tilted slightly, almost as if it found the sight of him confusing. Henry stared down at the sink, shaking the vision from his mind. He was going crazy, it was the only explanation. He looked back into the mirror once again, only to find that the creature remained in the doorway looking at him, an oddly recognisable look of uncertainty adorning its alien features. Was he hallucinating? Maybe he was dreaming? Or maybe Father Christmas would escort the Easter Bunny into the bathroom any minute now. Something paused Henry’s thoughts of insanity. The creature was wearing an off white polo shirt and jeans, normal human clothes. Henry gazed down at the water and took a deep breath.
    “I must have hit my head.”
    Henry peered up a final time. The creature still stood staring at him, with what he took for a look of concern. Was this paranoid schizophrenia kicking in, psychosis taking its hold? Perhaps some trick his mind was playing, yet, he saw it in the doorway as clearly as his own reflection. Henry turned around to face the creature head on, fighting every instinct telling him to run. In front of him stood a face he recognised, in place of the monster he had just seen. Daniel, from the haematology lab, stood in the doorway where the creature had been moments before. He wore a dirty white polo shirt and jeans, like the creature had. He did not, however, have green skin and his ears appeared distinctly normal. Henry turned back to the mirror. In the reflection, the creature stood where Dan did, wearing Dan's clothes. It was as if Dan
was
the creature, but that made no sense. Henry turned back to face him again, his mind unable to produce any logical explanation for what his eyes were seeing.
    “Dan?” Henry said wearily.
    As soon as they made eye contact, Dan's face turned ashen. He stood perfectly still for a moment, like a deer caught in headlights, before he turned and fled. Henry shouted after him, running to catch up, but Dan was halfway down the corridor by the time Henry had crossed the bathroom. What the hell was going on? Was this the end of the line, last stop, crazy town? The start of some mental breakdown where soon he'd be seeing monsters everywhere and battling the nurses in whatever asylum they stashed him in? Henry's pulse raced, his veins throbbing as every muscle in his body ached - he was having a panic attack.
    Henry walked down the corridor back to the