Me Without You

by Rona Go

  Jervais opened the door just a crack, enough for Gilda to see the back of Hugh with Jonah on his lap, with their lips locked together before she closed it behind her.

  "I don't think they want to be disturbed for the moment," Jervais told Gilda saucily.

  What started as a pretentious kiss became deeper as Hugh closed his eyes and held Jonah tighter. While one hand was still supporting her from behind, his other hand went to the side of her neck, gently stroking her there. His fingers were moving up to the soft spot in her ear until they were buried in her hair.

  Jonah had also closed her own eyes and became bubble-headed as she returned Hugh's kiss, oblivious of the strong painful sensations running through her legs and arms, but not as unaware to the little bubbles she was feeling just at the lower part of her stomach. She moved one arm to his chest and it wandered there, caressing its spans.

  Jonah took in a lungful of air and her senses came in a landslide. She held Hugh's face an inch away from her, breaking the kiss. With her forehead just barely touching his nose, she said in a raspy voice, "Hugh, we have got to stop this."

  Hugh gave her another tiny kiss on the lips and held her face with both of his hands. He tilted her face so that her eyes were staring into his. Then, he said, "I know. But I can't!"

  Jonah stood up and tested her legs. Although wobbly, she knew it was because of the kiss. She slowly moved towards the door. Then, she looked back at Hugh.

  "What about X?" Jonah demanded. "Don't you care about X? How he'd feel? Are you not thinking of him at all?"

  Hugh remained seated on his bed. He ran his hand through his hair and took in a deep breath of his own. Exhaling through his mouth, he met Jonah's stare.

  "I love X like a brother. And you know that. I know you love X too. We both love him," Hugh told Jonah. He stood up and faced her then. Gesturing with his hands as if reaching out for her with genuine longing, he continued, "But when I am with you, I don't think of anything. There's nothing else. There's nobody else. Do you? X and me—we are so much alike. But do I remind you of X? Do you think of X when you are kissing me? Do you wish it was X you were kissing instead of me?"

  "I don't!" Jonah blurted out. "Oh—I don't know anymore!" Irritated, she turned around and reached out for the knob.

  But Hugh was quick and he was at Jonah's back in a few steps, leaning and putting his hand on the door and preventing it from opening.

  "Let me out, Hugh!" Jonah said.

  Breathing down at Jonah's nape, Hugh said, "If you see X in me when we are together, then you won't see me anymore." He moved his hand and stepped back to open the door and let Jonah pass.

  Seeing Jervais just standing outside the door, Jonah yanked on her sister's hair and poured out her annoyance towards her, "Some sister you are!"

  "Ouch!" Jervais cried out and straightened up. She then threw herself in Jonah's arms and hugged her firmly. "Don't do anything that stupid again, Jonah." Her eyes became moist but she quickly turned and ran towards the stairs ahead of Jonah and Hugh. "Let's get out of here!" she called out.

  Hugh walked with Jonah towards the car quietly. Although, their hands brushed against each other once in a while, they continued down the driveway without saying anything to each other and avoiding each other's eyes.

  When Hugh and Jonah reached the car, he opened the passenger door for Jonah and she got in. Bending down, he took her pinky and linked his own on hers. Then, he said, "When you don't see me anymore, then you won't. I promise!" Then, he closed the door and backed away just as Jervais put the car into gear and glided out of the driveway.

  As Hugh was heading back to the house, his steps quickened as a he recalled he had not kept the habak back to where he usually hid it. The last time he remembered, it was just lying on the floor when Jonah threw it away earlier.

  By the time Hugh was climbing the stairs, he was almost taking the steps two at a time. And the moment he opened the door to his room and looked at the spot where the belly chain landed, it was gone.

  There was no doubt in Hugh's mind where the habak was—Gilda was sure to already have it. The menthol scent was a dead giveaway. Thinking that it was just a remnant of Gilda's presence, Hugh never expected to hear her voice from behind him.

  "You thought you can deceive me," Gilda said. Hugh turned around and met Gilda face to face, standing right in the doorway frame. "I have always had the knowing it was the seventh child. And here you are thinking you can protect her. Well, there you are, you never learned anything!"

  * * * * *

  Jerone was at home when Jonah and Jervais arrived. Jane was unusually in high spirits. She had the grand dining hall arranged and set up for dinner with fresh flowers, candles and Rebecca's expensive china. She was even wearing a nice blue dress which Jonah had never seen her wear before.

  "What's the occasion?" Jervais asked, sizing Jane up and down with her eyes.

  "The celebration of life and family," Jane answered and led Jonah by the hand towards the hall.

  Jonah did not really want to be with people at the moment. She had even planned of skipping dinner and just sleep until the next day. But it was so difficult for her to dampen Jane's mood when nobody in the family had been happier the past few days. So, she just obliged and went along with everybody else.

  The four of the Blood siblings occupied only a third of the long table which seated at least five people on both sides. Jane was about to take the seat at the head of the table, when they heard the thumping of their Aunt Judith's stiletto shoes moving towards the hall's direction.

  "I suppose we have one more seat available," Jane said which earned her a snicker from Jervais and Jerone.

  With the energy that she thought she did not have, Jonah immediately vacated her own seat, which would be at her Aunt Judith's right if she took the head of the table. She did not want to be under the woman's close scrutiny when all her energy seemed to be zapped and all she really wanted to do was crawl to her bed. Jonah's quick move-about made Jervais laughed even louder infecting everybody else. Jonah then, sat on the next one.

  When Aunt Judith entered the hall, she did not look a bit surprise. However, seeing the little movement from her brows and the sisters knew she was the tiniest bit curious about what was going on. Presumptuously, she took the seat at the head of the table just as Jane took the chair Jonah just emptied.

  "I presume this is in celebration for Jemma's recovery," Aunt Judith said and took a sip of her wine.

  "That and to life and to our family," Jane announced, raising her own glass and proposing a toast to everyone else.

  "Nonsense! The threat isn't over yet," Aunt Judith said.

  "Of course!" Jane acknowledged putting her glass down. "But it does not mean we have to brood and forget the good things that we have no matter how small they are, Aunt Judith!"

  "Humph!" Aunt Judith snorted. "A celebration has its own time."

  "So, how is Jemmah?" Jerone asked changing the subject and started digging into her food.

  The excitement came back into Jane's eyes and she proceeded to tell everybody about Jemmah's progress according to the doctors. "Any time this week, we may be able to bring her out of the hospital. Although, she has to undergo a few therapy sessions as an out-patient." Jane said.

  As the dinner progressed, Jonah sat there remembering that she was supposed to recall something important and yet she couldn't tell what it was. She was looking around her with a frown creasing through her forehead noting that she had seen the same scene from before and yet she could not point her finger when it happened.

  "You, okay, Jonah?" Jane cut in through her thoughts. "You seemed awfully quiet tonight." She reached across the side of Jonah's neck and felt her temperature with the back of her hand.

  "Oh, I am just tired," Jonah said and shook off the feeling. Trying to muster a smile she added, "Guess I really just want to sleep now."

  "Oh!" Jane said. "Then, do eat now so you can go to bed early. What have you been doing anyway which made
you tired. You seemed feverish." She touched Jonah's arms and forehead again.

  "It must be the boyfriend of hers," Jervais answered for Jonah, who was grateful that she didn't have to think of anything in response. She did not want to select from her memory the events that she wished to share and those she did not.

  "The boyfriend is sick, is he not?" Aunt Judith asked. She instantly sat up and became very interested.

  "No, he's doing well, in fact!" Jervais replied trying to guess the train of thought that her Aunt Judith was taking.

  Jonah attempted to avert her Aunt Judith's eyes and concentrated on scanning the food in front of her and the fast emptying plates of her sisters. Until she rested on Jane's plate and saw her sister picking on her salad. The motion of Jane's hands mixing together the veggies and the sticky sauce brought back a fresh memory in her thoughts.

  Just as Jane was drinking her wine, which Jonah noticed she had not touched once, the vision of the mysterious hand mixing a poisonous substance came rushing through her. "No!" she cried out loud.

  The next moments came in a rush that Jonah was unaware anymore what came first. She saw Jane looking at her horrified while Jervais was sporting an exasperated look. Aunt Judith and Jerone were equally shocked.

  Then, in an instant, Jane clutched her stomach with one hand and her neck with the other. She crashed to the floor in both knees, dragging with her a few of the dishes and her chair which missed hitting her back just a few inches. She was choking and coughing at the same time.

  Jonah had also stood up abruptly, toppling her own chair behind her. She bent down to help Jane but Jervais was already rushing to their side and pushed her aside.

  "Don't!" Jervais threatened Jonah in between gritted teeth. She looked menacing that Jonah had to step back.

  Jervais ran towards the kitchen and in a few seconds, she was back carrying with her a bottle of sugar. She opened Jane's mouth and gave her a spoonful of sugar. "Will somebody call 911!" Jervais instructed quickly and Jerone did exactly that.

  Jane began vomiting. Even with her foaming mouth, she stuck her finger down her throat and her throwing up continued even worse.

  Chapter 34

  Double Door

  The sheet was covering part of Jonah's face as she had curled in bed in a fetal position and had slept in that same spot the whole night through. She could barely open her eyes with her eyelids drooping so heavily. She could still feel her nose somewhat congested and her lips bloated. She had been crying so hard all night until she had fallen asleep. It was just too much to bear for Jonah. She was losing her family one by one. And she almost lost Jane last night.

  By the time the ambulance had arrived, Jervais and Jerone had already rushed Jane to the hospital. Jonah was left alone with her Aunt Judith once again. Although, Jervais had called to say that Jane was out of danger and she was only confined to prevent from dehydration due to the food poisoning, which was not really serious, Jonah still felt concerned about her older sister.

  And then, Jonah had the nagging feeling that wanted to explode. The suspicions she had of her Aunt Judith were already in full bloom by the minute. Nobody from the outside would be able to have access to poison Jane. It was just from their family and her Aunt Judith was definitely the culprit. And yet, Jonah had nothing to prove that it was her.

  Without warning, Jonah felt a pair of strong hands dragging her out of bed, taking her out of her reverie. When the covers had been lifted, she was not expecting to see her Aunt Judith. Jonah did not hear the trademark stiletto steps and she was not quite expecting the kind of force the woman was exerting considering her age.

  "Hurry!" Aunt Judith instructed. "Go down now! Go down! Down to the basement!" she was pushing Jonah out of the room and on to the first floor.

  Having just woken up, Jonah could not quite gather her senses and her bearings yet. So, she just followed her Aunt Judith's nudging down to the basement.

  It was the first time Jonah had ever been to the basement. And it was nothing like the dungeon she and her siblings had imagined it to be. Painted in dainty colors of light blue and pink, the basement was a different world altogether from the mansion upstairs. It was like a first class executive hotel suite. For someone, who rarely entertained visitors, Aunt Judith had a private lounge with an excellent set of mahogany furniture and granite finishing. She also slept in a king sized bed with various sizes of pillows all over. And for someone who wore almost nothing but black, she had a whole wall with what looked like a built-in spacious wardrobe. But the latest audiovisual gadget showcasing a huge flat screen TV was almost expected to explain why Aunt Judith never get tired of staying inside her room.

  Aunt Judith led Jonah towards a double door which Jonah knew was the other way one can enter the basement. However, the double door will lead one outside the house instead of the door where they entered which was from inside the mansion. The old woman opened the right one of the double doors and pushed Jonah outside.

  "What? You can't seriously make me go outside in my pajamas!" Jonah complained.

  "Since you've been doing it with your mother in your room, just stand there and listen if you want. If you think you're in danger, run as fast as you can and hide as best as you could. But if nothing else occurs, don't let your curiosity make you wander beyond the stairs even if you're itching to. I will come and get you later when everything is safe," Aunt Judith said mysteriously and pushed the door closed.

  But Jonah held it open just a crack. She was totally overwhelmed when not a minute had passed before Aunt Judith opened the left one of the double door. She could see the back of a man in a brown robe with a hood like a monk. She looked back from behind her and there was the stairs from the left of the mansion which would lead her outside. There was nothing peculiar to it. And yet she had no idea where the man was coming from not to have seen him or he her.

  The man stuck out a wrinkled hand to grasp one of Aunt Judith's arms. Then, in a quivering old man's voice, he said, "How come she who has claimed to be the new one has been poisoned so easily? Unless of course, she is not the one! Tell me Jud-ith—where are you hiding the new one?"

  "Get your filthy hands off me," Aunt Judith said angrily. "I am warning all of you to lay off. I have not exerted any effort on you yet with our dear Rebecca still in our plane. But when I do, you will be sorry!" At that precise moment, she shook off from the man's clasp and shut the double doors closed, catching Jonah's eye and frowning at her.

  When the door closed, Jonah backed off and went up the stairs to wait for the unexpected. Either Aunt Judith's guest will leave sooner or later then she can go back to her room or the guest will venture out and find her there. Either way, she deemed it advantage to put a head start in case there will be chasing involved. But when she reached the top of the stairs and was able to get a glimpse of her surroundings, she discovered that she was totally in a different world.

  The double door was a portal to another world… Jonah mused.

  It was not the expanse of the Blood mansion that Jonah was seeing. She could see a mountain of white stones and the clearest blue skies she had ever seen. There was not a trace of cloud on it.

  Despite the clear warning of Aunt Judith not to wander beyond the stairs ringing loudly in Jonah's ears, her feet began to lead her towards the mountainous trail. To her amazement, she saw a clearing with a sparkling pond just beyond. There were also trees around which was unlike the trees she had ever seen. The colors were monotone but more vibrant. One tree was in all shades of purple even the trunk. And she passed another which boasted a lime green color. And the butterflies were almost everywhere also in untainted colors.

  When Jonah looked back, the trail leading to the stairs was gone. But she did not feel anxious of not finding her way back again. She felt ridiculously calm and peaceful. It must be the air in the environment, dense with so much serenity. It was like coming home. It was just the kind of reprieve she needed—away from the hunters, from Hugh, from Xavier, from the pain o
f losing Brice and Jenssen…away from everything. The place was a sanctuary.

  But before Jonah could take another step, a hand pulled her by the elbow. And Aunt Judith's voice rasped behind her, "Foolish girl! Didn't I tell you not to wander beyond the stairs? Your curiosity had already killed you too many times, I can only wonder why you are still alive."

  "Aunt Judith!" Jonah gasped. "I didn't—I was just—"

  Aunt Judith dismissed Jonah with her hand and said, "Don't you know you could be lost here forever and nobody can find you? Time stands still in here. This place is not like ours. Now, hurry, take off your clothes and wear them upside down!"

  "What?" Jonah asked skeptically. She was not sure she heard her Aunt Judith right.

  But when the older woman did not answer and instead began undressing and wearing her clothes upside down, Jonah reluctantly did the same thing.

  "Even your underwear," Aunt Judith instructed.

  "But you didn't—" Jonah started protesting.

  "I am not wearing any!" Aunt Judith said unabashedly.

  After Jonah had turned over everything she was wearing, she found herself and Aunt Judith back at the top of the stairs which led to the basement. Even if Jonah was really flabbergasted with everything she had witnessed, she did not say anything as she headed back down and entered the double door.

  "Was he after me?" Jonah asked.

  Aunt Judith did not answer Jonah. Instead, she took hold of Jonah's elbow and pulled her towards the other door that will lead her upstairs and inside the mansion. When they had finally reached the ground floor of the house, Aunt Judith finally broke her silence and said, "They are after everyone else in this family, has it not sink into your head yet all these time?"

  Before Jonah could make a retort, which she was burning to do, Jervais cried from behind them, "Jonah, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you." She ignored Aunt Judith who was standing beside Jonah and continued to appraise her younger sister in her inverted pajamas. "You've been in bed all day long? Don't tell me you'd be back in bed in a short while?"