Blood and Light

by Rue Volley

I looked at him… “So...now I get to eat everything and never gain a pound?”

  He crumpled up bag three and bank shot it into the trash can, across the room.

  “Yep...you get to keep your girlie figure forever...that should put you in a good mood.”

  Actually it did, but I wasn't going to say it to him. We sat up until midnight laughing at the crap movies we were watching. I looked at him…

  “Listen Josh…I think I'm going to sleep.”

  He looked at me... “K?”

  I looked at the bed then at him...

  “Ohhh…listen Rue...I really don't want to sleep on the floor... Please don't make me.”

  He grinned at me...that smile…the one most girls would be like… “Okay…do what you want to me.”

  “Ummm…” I looked at my hands. “Alright listen…this…” I spun my finger around on my side, “Is my side. That…” I pointed at his side, “Belongs to you...no crossing…got it?”

  He smiled and jumped up. “Gotcha...no problem.”

  He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and started to pull it over his head. I put my hand on the side of my neck and looked down, clearing my throat.

  “What...? I run hot...I sweat if I wear…”

  He pulled it back down.

  “Okay…but don't be mad when the bed smells in the morning.”

  “Gross.” I looked up at him and then turned over looking at the wall.

  “Fine…take it off,” I said

  I felt him climb into his side and I scooted towards my edge of the bed.

  “Awesome,” Josh said.

  “Yea, okay...goodnight.”

  “Nite Rue.”

  ******

  I laid there for awhile, feeling the bed move with his breathing...finally I started to drift off. I looked around... Once again, I was in the green field...

  Johnathan came towards me, he had his shirt off... I looked down to see if I had mine on…I did, good. I was on my knees, Johnathan knelt down in front of me and raised the knife to his palm, cutting across it... I looked down at my hand…

  he reached for it and cut the knife across mine…it didn't hurt, it was more like a release. I sucked my breath in. He leaned towards me and raised his hand to me…I could see blood and light mixed together on his palm. I put my hand on his and raised it to my mouth…he took my hand and did the same. I ran my mouth 146

  along the cut and a warm feeling filled my mouth…I gasped. He ran his mouth along my palm and started to tremble...sucking in his breath..

  “Rue,” He whispered.

  I looked underneath us and a pulsating light was radiating out from where we were kneeling. My whole body felt like I was baking in the sun...the waves of heat rolled over me...with each wave my heart rate increased and I started to breath harder. Johnathan touched my face and leaned in to kiss me. His mouth had traces of my blood on it. I opened my mouth and let him kiss me slowly. I laid back into the grass and he laid on top of me. He reached underneath me and arched my back, I dug my nails into his back. He bit into my shoulder and I drew my legs up...it felt as if he may have broken my skin. He pulled back from me...

  blood on his lips.

  “I love you Rue Volley,” he whispered.

  I looked down and realized my shirt was off…I only had my bra on. Crap.

  Johnathan sat up strattling me. He put both of his hands on my bare waist and started pressing up my side... He leaned down and let his mouth trace along my stomach, moving upward. I arched my back again and trembled.

  “Johnathan...please…” My voice echoed in my ears.

  I looked up and he had the knife in his hand. I looked at it and to him. I wasn't afraid, although I knew I probably should be. I reached up and wrapped my hand around his and rolled us over. I looked down at him and he released the knife in my hand. I looked at it...it's hilt started to glow blue, I didn't know what the symbols embossed on it meant, but I felt like I had seen them before.

  I traced the knife"s edge across his chest...slowly, a symbol in blood started to form behind it. I raised up and Johnathan's skin had a shimmer to it...swirling in orange and red. I leaned down biting my lip, I tasted metal in my mouth. I traced the symbol on his chest with my mouth....it glowed brighter... Johnathan moaned and reached up grabbing my hair…my knees squeezed at his sides...

  I felt what I thought was the knife going into my...

  I sat straight up, let my head fall back and “Oh my god…” I said.

  “Rue?”... “RUE!”

  My eyes opened and a fat little cherub came into focus, I looked down and I was strattling Josh.

  “Oh my God...Josh… I…oh crap.” I crawled off of him and left the bed.

  “Yea...ummm…I already got the „Oh God" part...” he said.

  Josh sat up, with a grin on his face.

  “Was it the bed or the cherubs, that put you in the mood?” he asked with a grin.

  “Neither…no…it wasn't... I don't know what just happened… I was dreaming…I think.”

  “Way to make a boy feel cheap, Rue.”

  “I…I'm sorry Josh.”

  I turned around and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I started running cold…very, very cold water in the sink and splashed it on my face a few times. I looked into the mirror and saw that my skin was shimmering gold, with traces of orange. It was faint, but I couldn't help feeling like the biggest jerk in the world. Awesome…I was on top of Josh...great, perfect...exactly what I 147

  wanted. I turned to the door, knowing I couldn't live in here forever. Okay...here it goes.

  I opened the door and Josh was sitting up in the bed...a fake flower in his mouth...candles lit in the room. I looked around and to him and put my hand up to my mouth…holding back laughter.

  “What is...what are you...?” I started to ask.

  “Listen baby, I just thought I'd get you back in the mood.” He started laughing.

  I dropped my hand and started laughing so hard, I thought I was going to pee myself. He jumped out of the bed laughing too. He came over to me and grabbed my hand... “We're cool…don't worry.”

  “You are awesome Josh… You really are…” I jumped up and hugged him. He cleared his throat…

  “Yea…okay, but that doesn't mean that I don't need a cold shower now.”

  I smiled at him and he went into the bathroom closing the door.

  I feel like the biggest turd in the world.

  I laid back down on the bed and drifted back to sleep...no more dreams tonight, awesome.

  When I woke up I looked over and Josh was asleep, sitting up in the chair at the table. I felt a twinge of guilt...but I guess I was kinda relieved that he opted to stay out of the bed. God, if I hadn't woke up...awkward, no explaining that. I sat up and grabbed my bag...all intention of taking a shower. I made it three steps towards the door.

  “Hey,” Josh said, as he yawned.

  I looked back at Josh, he was stretching.

  “Hey…umm, thought I'd take a shower so we can get moving early.”

  I looked towards the bathroom.

  He stood up and placed his hands behind him cracking his back.

  “Oh Godddd…yea, that's better,” he said.

  “Ohhh…thanks for...” I pointed towards the chair.

  He started tilting his head back and forth until I heard a pop.

  “Yea...no problem... Wanna take a shower together?” He grinned.

  “No I do not...” I walked towards the door and shut it. I could hear him laughing behind me.

  I finished my shower… I let the hot water just was over me, for awhile. I didn't really care if I let it run until it went cold... I just felt…I don't know. I got out and I could hear Josh"s voice… I wrapped the towel around me and peeked out the door. I looked at Josh, just in time to see him lowering his cell.

  “Who was that?” I asked him.

  He looked up at me, then started to reach into his pocket..

  “It was Sam…she's com
ing,” he said.

  “Okay...why?” I asked him.

  He came to the door and opened it.

  “Hey, I could have been naked!” I yelled.

  “That would have been a bonus.” He smiled at me, looking me up and down.

  He raised his hand to the mirror on the bathroom door and started etching a symbol into it...it started to glow white.

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  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “You might want to stand back...”

  I watched the mirror as it started to wave, like liquid mercury. I started to back away... All of a sudden Kai came flying through it and knocked me across the bed...during which my towel flew off. I slid across it and fell on the other side.

  “Ouch!” I yelled.

  I peeked up over the side of the bed... Josh was smiling at me. Crap, I grabbed the red silk sheet and wrapped it around me. Kai stood up and started to shake his head. I watched a hand come through the mirror and Sam stepped through gracefully. Much cooler entrance, than Kai. I stood up.

  “What the hell just happened?” I said.

  Sam looked at me, then scanned the room, she put her hands on her hips...

  “Shouldn't I be asking that?” she said.

  Josh stepped up to her.

  “Yea this...this is all they had here Sam... I think it has potential, don't you?”

  “No I do not...looks like a brothel,” she smiled. “A cheap one at that.”

  She turned to me… “Why are you naked?”

  I looked at her, then to Josh…

  “I…I was taking a shower,” I muttered.

  “Uh huh…” Sam said.

  Kai decided to chime in...

  “What the hell Sam!? I told you I could do it on my own.”

  Sam looked at him.

  “We stood there for five minutes, while you kept saying... „I'm almost ready." I ran out of patience, so I threw you.” Sam grinned at him.

  “Not cool Sam!” Kai crossed his arms.

  “Stop…being a girl Kai.”

  He frowned at her... I wanted to laugh, but I had questions.

  “How...how did you guys get here?” I pointed at the mirror.

  “Oh that?” Sam swung her hand in the mirror"s direction. “Cool huh...? We can portal through them…as long as we have a protector on the other end putting a

  „liquid" symbol on it...would suck, just to step into one... You have to have someone on the other end or you can end up lost in la la land.”

  Kai just noticed his surroundings... “This is the bomb!”

  Josh pulled him over to the side of the bed, to the magic silver box and put a quarter in it. Kai dropped down on the bed.

  “TTTThiss isss thhe coolessst shhit!” Kai yelled out.

  Sam threw up her hands, “I swear to god.”

  She turned to me... “Get dressed Rue… We're going to Barrington with you.”

  I just looked at her, not sure what the deal was, but I couldn't stand in this room half naked any longer. I headed for the bathroom, looking back to see Josh had joined Kai on the bed. I hate that bed, I really, really...really do. Cherubs can suck it.

  ******

  149

  I got ready super quick... I came out of the bathroom and everyone looked at me.

  I put my bag on my shoulder and said...

  “Guess we can eat at the diner, while the windows are getting fixed.”

  We all stepped out and the windows on the car were fine. I looked back at Josh...

  “When did they get fixed?” I asked him.

  Josh looked at me and headed for the car… I looked at Sam and she smiled.

  “He fixed them this morning Rue... Josh is good at fixing things... He's always come in handy when we have had a broken mirror.”

  I looked at him “What?”

  He got in, acting like he was going to drive. Sam came to his side. Holding out her hand. Josh placed the keys in her hand and got in the backseat. I walked around to get in the front with her, but Kai slid past me, so I had to get in the back.

  “Fixed them...you fixed them?” I said.

  Josh grinned at me… “Yea..this morning, not last night.”

  I looked away from him... We said goodbye to Adda...and the heart shaped bed forever.

  ******

  We drove for an hour...music played and Kai tried to joke around with Sam after awhile. He had always been a boy who loved a challenge, so Samantha must be the ultimate conquest for him. Finally I decided to talk...

  “So...Sam, Why are you here?” I asked her.

  She looked in the rear view mirror at me and said.

  “Josh needs help to retrieve Johnathan.”

  “What?” I looked at Josh. “What do you mean to retrieve him?”

  “Listen Rue…Johnathan needs to come back with us... He can't be left alone any longer… His power is increasing, just like your own and soon he will be a danger to himself and to those around him.”

  I leaned up behind her seat... “What do you mean by a „Danger"?”

  “Just that...if you…well, if I didn't care for you, I would try to kill him myself...but truth is, I don't think he can be killed.”

  “Kill him?” I looked at Josh…

  “You knew this didn't you... You had no intention of letting me visit him, this was a trap… You were using me as bait...! To throw him off guard or something!”

  The light in my palms started to glow…

  “Rue…you need to calm down... Don't get yourself all worked up… Remember how I showed you to center yourself?” Josh said.

  “Screw your centering... You are the biggest jerk I've ever met!” I yelled.

  With that...light flashed in the backseat… Sam swerved the car and barely held it under control, pulling it to the side of the road. Kai and Sam piled out...all the locks went down on the doors. Josh sat calmly next to me, looking at his hands.

  “What...? Are you going to let a „little girl" kick your ass?” I yelled at him.

  150

  He looked at me. “I have seen a lot, in the many centuries that I have lived Rue Volley...but I have never seen anyone with a quicker temper than my own.”

  “Is that some type of compliment?” All the windows in the car were steaming up...

  blue flames started to come off of my skin.

  “If you want to destroy me, then do it Rue…I won't fight you.” He turned towards me.

  “Concentrate all of your energy into your hands...you'll need enough to strike at my heart.”

  I looked at him, completely confused.

  “What is this, some kind of reverse psychology crap?”

  He took my hands and placed them over his heart. I could feel a steady beat…

  he wasn't even excited.

  “Concentrate on the core and draw the energy into yourself Rue.”

  I jerked my hands away from him. “Are you crazy Josh?”

  “You have to learn to defend yourself…why not practice now, while you have hatred in your heart for me.”

  “I...I'm not going to kill you Josh.” I screamed at Sam and Kai, “NO ONE IS

  KILLING ANYONE! GOT ME…”

  I rubbed my hand to clear the steam and saw them both staring at me, “GOT

  ME??”

  I saw both of them nod their heads. I looked back at Josh and he was smiling at me.

  “You are a beautiful creature Rue.”

  “And you are suicidal,” I said to him.

  Sam and Kai got back into the car. Kai turned around to me…

  “That time of the month?”

  “Shut up Kai,” I said.

  I sat back against my seat.

  “You guys have very odd foreplay,” Sam said.

  Kai turned to her... “Fore what?”

  She rolled her eyes and looked back at the road. I turned to Josh and he reached down and grabbed my hand. I let him hold it...I didn't have the energy to say “no.”

  ******

 
We drove the rest of the way in silence. I really didn't have anything to say. Truth is, the closer we get, the more I keep thinking about Johnathan.

  Flashes of memory keep going through my mind. I'm trying to not think about the heavy stuff, but it sneaks in… I looked down and realized I was still holding Josh's hand and I let go...it's none of his business. He didn't protest it…good. We started driving through woods…thick and daunting. I leaned forward when I caught my first glimpse of Barrington. It was a huge building, nestled in the side of a mountain. It's bright white stone stood out against it's surroundings.

  Sam looked in the rear view mirror, at Josh.

  “Do you feel that?” she said.

  151

  Josh started to look around… “I do.”

  I looked at him and asked, “What?”

  All of a sudden, something flashed across the road in front of us and Sam slammed on the brakes. We all braced, as the car came to a screeching halt.

  Sam turned around in her seat and looked at Josh. They both jumped out of the car. I jumped out of the car, breathing hard…

  “What was that?” I said to them.

  They both took off in the direction of the blur... I started to run after them, but I lost sight of them almost instantaneously… I started to yell out their names... I kept running forward…tripping over limbs and fallen debris in the woods.

  “Josh…? Sam?” I called out.

  Nothing.

  Suddenly I felt a flash of air go by me and heard a voice behind me.

  “Rue?”

  I turned around and it was Johnathan…looking so pretty. The look on his face was odd to me. He looked in my eyes for a moment, but then he looked down at his hands.

  “What are you doing here?” he said.

  I squared my shoulders, not knowing what to say.

  “Listen…Johnathan, I…we came to take you home.”

  He flashed towards me.

  “Rue...I'm changing, I don't know what is happening to me.”

  He reached out his hand towards my face and in a flash he blurred past me, to the left... I heard him groan, as he rolled against a tree. I looked to him and Josh had him pinned against it, with his hand at his throat.

  “Josh!” I screamed.

  Johnathan looked at me...but Josh did not, his gaze was set on Johnathan.

  Sam came flashing up to us and I could hear Kai yelling out in the distance... I looked at Sam… “Go get him please.”