Blood and Light

by Rue Volley

  I stood up and walked to the kitchen, tossing the apple core into the trash can. I got a bottled water and stood at the kitchen window, staring out into the yard. The trees were starting to change colors and a few leaves had fallen to the ground. I watched the wind push them around. I chugged half the bottle of water and without turning I said, “No...he's going to come back to me.”

  Josh walked into the kitchen. “Are you one of those girls who has separation issues?”

  I set my bottle down and you could hear the crackle of plastic, as I gripped it in my hand. I sighed.

  “No…no it's not like that at all, Josh,” I said without looking at him. “I know he did it because he thought he had too, but I will not let him, I can't.”

  Josh turned to walk out. “Well you better be prepared for the other outcome, just in case… I'm not going to kidnap anyone for you.”

  I turned to watch him walk away from me. I wanted to come back with something witty, but the words just laid stagnant in my mind. I knew there was a chance that we would find him and I could change my mind. Maybe he's happy now, maybe he has a new girlfriend. Maybe he had repaired his relationship with his family, and didn't want this…god knows I didn't. Maybe Josh is right, maybe I felt abandoned... Maybe I just said goodbye and I didn't want to have to again, but I didn't even get the chance to…with him. I don't accept decisions being made for me. I am going to decide this, since I don't feel like I ever really had a chance to before.

  Sam and Kai came out wearing their gear. I smiled at them both. Sam nodded and Kai started to grab food, putting in into his backpack. Sam put her hands on her hips. “What are you doing?” she asked him.

  He didn't even look at her. “Getting some snacks…I get hungry.”

  She sighed. “That's why they have gas stations and grocery stores, not to mention restaurants.”

  He laughed. “Well you may have money, but I don't...so I am grabbing some stuff.”

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  “Whatever,” she said, as she waved a hand at him.

  She leaned over to me and whispered, “He doesn't like it when I pay for things.

  He does not understand that money is abundant in my family, we've had plenty of time to take advantage of wealth.”

  I smiled at her and looked at Kai. I could understand, we had never had a lot of money, but we never took a handout either. He probably felt weird about having them here...basically taking care of us, especially since he obviously liked Sam, a lot.

  ******

  Everyone piled into Sam's car and we headed to Johnathan's house, maybe they thought that I could pick up his trail there. We pulled up and a “for sale” sign was staked in the yard near the road. I looked up the path and saw leaves piled along it, it didn't look like anyone was taking care of the grounds. I got out of the car and started to walk. Josh jumped out, he leaned into the car.

  “You guys stay here...I'll go with her,” he said. I looked back and Josh flashed up to me. I stared up the lane, flashing back, to when I told the urban legend to Sara...seemed like a lifetime ago. Josh stood next to me staring up the lane too.

  “Well…what's the plan?” he asked me.

  “We are going in... I hope nobody's there,” I said.

  He grinned. “Sweet…a break in, I love it.”

  I looked at him. “No…I just need to find his energy, so I can follow it… Hopefully there is enough here to lead me somewhere.”

  He held his hand out in front of him. “Well…children first,” he said.

  “Ha Ha...if you think I am a child, then you are a dirty old man Josh.”

  He laughed at that one. Truth was...I didn't want to hate him, although I could, for what he had done.

  “We need to get this done,” I said, as I flashed towards the house. I reached the porch first. I held my hands up to the glass and peeked in. It looked like there was furniture, but it all had sheets over it. Josh tapped me on the shoulder and I jumped. “What?” I asked.

  “I found a way in Rue...follow me.” He jumped off of the porch and walked around the side of the house. I followed him, not wanting my only option to be breaking the glass on the front door. He led us to small back door, he reached for the doorknob and went to turn it. “Wait,” I said.

  “What...? Not losing your nerve are you?”

  I grinned and tilted my head. “You just live to annoy the crap out of me don't you?”

  He bit his lip and turned the door opening it quietly. Then he yelled in… “Anyone here...? We are breaking in!” at the top of his lungs. I smacked him on the arm.

  “What the hell?” I said to him.

  He started to walk through the house at a pretty good pace. He yelled back to me, “Yea…you will just rock at giving him his memory back...! You don't even know how to read the energy in a house to know that it is vacant.”

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  I ran up to him and started to look around. “Sorry…I didn't know,” I said, as I rounded a corner into their large living room.

  “What…? No come back on that one Rue?” he said, slightly curious as to why I didn't really respond, I'm sure.

  “Nope your right,” I said, as I started to walk through, looking at all the furniture covered up.

  “Huh...? No way…did you say that I was right?” he said, as he scanned the room too.

  “Yep, sure did.” I lifted a sheet to reveal a large Victorian couch. “You were right and I was wrong…end of story.”

  “Wow…I think I liked it better when you refused to say you were wrong,” he said, as he lifted a sheet from the wall, uncovering a huge grandfather clock. “Huh,” he said out loud and I walked to him.

  “What?” I said, as I peeked around him to see it.

  “Oh…it just looks like someone stopped the time, like there was a death or something,” he said, not realizing that I would probably go into panic mode.

  “What do you mean...? Someone died?” I said with a little too much excitement in my voice.

  “It seems that way…look,” he said. He stepped aside, so that I could see that a black sheet had been placed over the clock, under the white one.

  “What in the world?” I asked out loud.

  “Don't know…you find Johnathan's room, maybe he left something behind that will open up a trail to you… I'm going to search around and see if I can find anything.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  I left him downstairs and headed towards the second floor. I reached the top of the stairs and stared down two hallways, one to the right and one to the left. All the doors were closed. “Of course,” I muttered to myself. I decided that I would go right. Don't know why, just did.

  I started to walk down the hallway and came to the first closed door on my left. I stood still before it, seeing if anything made me feel his presence...nothing.

  I opened it anyway and looked around. There was a huge bed in the middle, pressed against the wall. It had sheer white netting draped over it. I scanned the room and came to the conclusion that it must be Sophie's room. Her shelves were stacked with creepy porcelain dolls and pictures adorned her walls of friends...so many from our school. I walked along them and there she was…in her cheer leading outfit, last year"s prom, with her brother, and then one I did not expect at all… One with her family and Caine was sitting in the chair, by their fireplace in their living room downstairs...Sophie was holding his hand. I grabbed it from the wall and felt a tingle of vibration in my fingers. I stood there looking at it, when I heard a huge clatter come from downstairs and I dropped it on the floor, glass shattering around my feet.

  I ran to the top of the stairs and called down to Josh, “You okay?”

  He flashed up to the bottom of the stairs, with a huge smile on his face.

  “I think I just broke something expensive down here”

  “Be careful Josh!” I yelled down.

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  “Whatever…” he said, as he flashed away.

  I grunted and went back to my detective work.
r />   I don't know why, but I reached over and shut Sophie's door as I passed her room, I guess I was just being polite, even though I was clearly intruding. I kept walking and came to another room and opened the door up. This room was grand... The bed was three of mine put together. It was also draped, but in crimson. I walked in and it smelled like fresh flowers. I looked to the vanity and there were four vases of roses sitting on it. I walked up to them and saw where there had been cards attached to the little green holders, but the cards were all missing. I looked around and saw more pictures, on a huge dark wood dresser. I walked up to them and started to look at each one. Baby pictures. I picked up the third one over and stared at a little boy, blonde hair, dressed in dark clothing. He was sitting on a bench in a garden…the one outback, I assumed. I looked closer and knew it had to be Johnathan looking back at me. My heart fluttered, he looked the same as he had in the library, when I met him the first time, just as pretty…fair skin…pouty lips…sad eyes. I stared at him, wanting to pull him right out of that picture. I turned the frame over and undid the latches holding it in. I removed it and held it in my hand.

  Awesome, now I'm thief too, oh well, at least I'm not destroying things like Josh downstairs. I heard another loud bang downstairs and heard a “Sorry” off in the distance. I sighed and rolled my eyes, I'm not even going to ask this time.

  I finished looking through the pictures on the dresser and pulled the largest one out that sat behind the others. It was the same picture as the one in Sophie's room, with Caine sitting in that chair. I opened that one up too and took it out. I rolled both of then together and slipped them into one of the straps on my thigh, being careful not to crush them in the process. I walked to the window and could see out into the woods. From this height, the trees looked smaller. I imagined how it would have looked as a child here…everything so large, them so small.

  I turned around and headed for the door. I stopped, when I saw a sheet covering something very large in the corner of the room. I walked up to it and pulled the sheet off. A huge mirror stood before me, large enough for two people to stand and see themselves in it, no problem. I reached out to it and felt a humming on it's surface. I quickly took my hand off of it and stood there, wondering what the hell Elie had this here for. I started to feel a bit uncomfortable in the room, like I was trapped on an elevator and I backed away from it. I looked over at the roses and walked up to them… I didn't know when they had left here, but the smell was strong in the air...so I touched one. The pedal fell, well...maybe longer then I thought. I picked it up and it still felt like it had some moisture left in it. “Huh,” I said to myself.

  I left Elie"s room and had one more room to inspect. I opened the door and a wave of heat came over me. I closed my eyes and let it wrap around my body. I started to slow my breathing down and focused. I could smell him in this room…

  This was Johnathan's room, I knew it. I could see red swirls behind my eyelids and when I felt like I was completely in tune with his energy. I opened my eyes, the room swirled in color. I reached my hand out as the color swirls snaked across my skin. I sucked my breath in, it felt like his touch. I tried to compose 263

  myself. My hands were sweating and I reached up and wiped sweat from my forehead. I started to feel a vibration in my hands and I looked down, as some of the red swirl started to absorb into my skin. I felt my heart flutter and I had to steady myself on his dresser.

  I stood there for a moment longer, knowing that I would have to get myself under control if I hoped to use this to find him. I looked at his dresser and saw pictures lined up…just like in the other rooms. Looked like more family photos, only his had other pictures mixed in...ones of his school, other boys I did not recognize and then there it was. A small photo, sitting back behind the other ones. I had to stand on my toes to reach it. I pulled it out, trying not to disturb the other ones, but knocked one over. I pulled it down and there it was…a photo of Johnathan with Caine and Noble...and Elin. “What the hell?” I whispered.

  “What?” Josh said.

  I almost passed out, I fumbled with the photo and almost dropped it.

  “Geeeeezus!” I yelled at him.

  He laughed. “God...really…? Your bloodline doesn't allow for people to sneak up on you so easily Rue!”

  My heart rate had sky rocketed. I tried to steady my breathing, but with Josh there taunting me, it was going to be hard to do.

  “Look at this!” I said to him.

  He took the picture from me and stared at it. “Well...look at that,” he said.

  “Why the hell would he be in a photo with Caine and Noble?” I said to him. “And that girl,” I pointed to Elin. “Is a tricky bitch…I've dealt with her, very bi-polar,” I said, as leaned against his shoulder.

  “You know her?” Josh asked me.

  “Yes…she, well…I've seen her three times, once she gave me an apple from this tree… She said she was a friend of my mom"s… Then she tried to stab me in the tree and then she was the crazy bitch that had us all screwed up in the mirror!”

  “What?” he said.

  “Oh my god...do I have to tell you again?” I said to him with disgust in my voice.

  “You've been IN the tree?” he asked me.

  “Well…I guess, but I was asleep one time and the other time I was trapped in the mirror when Johnathan fell in.”

  “I know her Rue... Her name is Elin… She is a human…very treacherous girl,”

  Josh said.

  I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. “Don't tell me that you were with her too Josh.”

  “Well.” he looked back at the picture. “I guess you could say...kinda.”

  “Geezus, you get around don't you?” I pulled the picture from his hand.

  “I'm going to need for you to show me everything about her Rue.”

  “Sure…not here… Let me look around, this is Johnathan's room, I can see his energy in here…this is where the trail starts for me.”

  Josh stood there looking around while I walked around the room. I touched his desk, picked up his pen. I felt vibration from it. I closed my eyes, but nothing…just vibrations. I turned and looked at his bed.

  Josh smiled at me... “Nice bed,” he said.

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  I rolled my eyes and walked to it. I ran my hand across the sheets and felt it throbbing in my palms.“Oh,” I muttered.

  Josh looked at me funny. “What Rue?”

  I placed my hands on it and closed my eyes. I could see his face.

  “Johnathan,” I whispered. I opened my eyes and laid down on his bed. Josh walked to the edge, looking down at me.

  “You need some „alone time"? he asked as he grinned.

  “Shut up,” I said, as I closed my eyes.

  “I don't know what it is but…”

  I immediately had a bright white flash pain through my skull, I arched my back and cried out in pain. Josh tried to grab me, but a flash of light threw him away from me and he hit the door...slumping to the floor. “Geezus!” he yelled out.

  I felt my arms pull from my sides, straight out, and I started to levitate above his bed. I had visions flashing so quickly in my mind I could not make sense of them at all. I heard voices, chanting...cries out. I was flipped over midair and opened my eyes up. I was looking down at his bed, the mattress started to shake and then it moved off of the frame, like someone had grabbed it from the bottom and tugged it. I cried out again, as sharp pains splintered through my brain.

  I opened my eyes and looked down at a mirror, red and black swirling in it.

  “Oh my god!” I screamed out. Josh pushed himself up and lunged at it with his blades. I was jerked downward towards it and I could see the mirror was starting to liquify. “Josh...please help me!” I cried out.

  His palms started to glow and he began to chant in Latin. I was still being pulled downward and he started to yell his chants out. He reached out to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. He jerked me as hard as he could towards him, I felt
like I was being torn apart. He flipped me over his back and I flew across the room, slamming into the wall. I fell to the floor with a yelp, as the air got knocked out of me. I looked up, just in time to see Josh slam his blades into the mirror, a terrible creaking sound filled the room. The pitch was unbearable and I covered my ears.

  Josh turned his head and I could see blood coming out of his left ear. He screamed out one last word in Latin and everything stopped. He fell backwards and reached up, wiping blood from his ear. “That was fun,” he said way too loud.

  I was afraid he might be deaf. I pushed myself up and went to him, as quickly as I could.

  “Oh my god Josh!” I yelled, as I placed my hand on his face. He looked at me.

  “You don't have to yell Rue, in fact I wish you wouldn't…it kinda hurts,” he said as he cupped his ear.

  “Oh Josh, what the hell just happened?” I said as I kept looking him over.

  “Well…if I had to take a guess, this...” he waved his blade at the mirror. “Is a memory absorber, seems Johnathan sleeps on one.”

  “Why would he do that?” I asked as I stood up and stared at it.

  Josh slammed the tip of his blade into the wood floor and started to push himself up. I reached down and he took my hand to pull him up the rest of the way.

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  “Well…either because he wanted to store memories away, or maybe he didn't know he had it under his bed... Who knows,” he said as he smeared some of his own blood from his ear on the front of his leather.

  “This doesn't make any sense, Josh,” I muttered.

  “Well…it would either way Rue. Think about it, he knew that Theodore and I could take his memory if we wanted to… Maybe he wanted to protect a secret.”

  “I don't believe that, he would never do that Josh,” I said, as I looked at the mattress on the floor.

  “You don't know that… You never thought he'd leave, but he did.”

  I had to look down, it hurt to hear it, I knew it was true, but I didn't need it spoken.

  “Well…I trust him Josh,” I said in a whisper.

  “Ah, love...so blind,” he crooned.

  “Oh shut up Josh… Don't tell me that you have never been in love before.”