by Rue Volley
“Ahhhhh… I see we are awake now! Good, good,” Theodore said, as he grinned.
Theodore had a basket in his hands and took it to the stone counter, setting it down. He turned to William.
“Please… EAT!” He smiled, “I am sure you need food. I was going to get you up, hoped I could… you've slept for days!”
William sat back down cautiously and started to shove food in his mouth again. He grabbed the cup in front of him and gulped it down. He looked at Theodore, who had sat down across from him.
“How did I?” William asked.
“Ohhh… get back here? Well, you see, Sophia got a little upset with you, did she not?”
William just looked at him.
“Well my boy, you are lucky she didn't do more damage than she did to you.”
He continued.
“I argued that you were fine here with me assured them that you would not be able to leave Valon. I finally was able to visit you and you were unconscious. I, being the ever dramatic individual that I am, went to the council and pleaded that mercy must be issued. I used your well known history with Sophia, to convince the rest of them, that maybe it would be best to be with... you know… someone devoid of emotion, on the subject.”
“And Sophia just let me go...” William asked as he held his hand out.
Theodore looked at him.
“Not without protest but I think she started to feel a little embarrassed at her actions towards another protector. There are laws here William, concerning our kind.”
“Well... thank you... I guess,” William muttered.
Theodore smiled.
“You guess, my boy?” he asked.
William stopped eating.
“You took me there to begin with! And don't call me boy! You look the same age as me.”
Theodore stood up...
“Really William? What would you have me do? Hide out here with you for all eternity. I would have been no good to you dead! If they would have caught me here with you I would have been.” He sat back down, collecting himself, “I assure you, I had a plan and thank you for the compliment… I assure you am I am older than you.”
William smiled.
“Well your plan was a catastrophe. Being strapped to the tower mirror wasn't my idea of fun.”
“Oh please, you could be dead right now!” Theodore said with a laugh.
William walked to the window...
“So what is your plan now?” He turned back to Theodore.
“Well first things first. You have a trial.”
“What?” William’s eyes grew wide.
“What William? You were not supposed to be able to re-enter Valon and yet here you are!”
“What am I being tried on?” William asked.
Theodore walked to him and placed a hand on his arm.
“Well ‘Trial’ is maybe the wrong word to use, more like an inquiry.”
William just looked at the floor...
“William, they want to know how you got here, it would be best if you just told them... right?”
“Do they know you are able to take memories Theodore?”
“No they do not. I would be strapped to that mirror if Sophia knew. Good for me I suppose.”
“Well let’s keep it that way.” William said.
A knock came at the door. They both looked at each other...
“Go into your room William,” Theodore said, as he pointed to the bedroom.
He did not protest. He ran to the door and shut it quietly behind him, leaning against it so he could hear.
He could hear a female’s voice…
“I could just kill you Theodore!”
He could hear Theodore.
“Now… now just calm down little sister, I needed you to investigate, not just go in guns blazing!”
“I had to call Josh.”
“Samantha! Why… why?”
“I needed help; you should have told me what I was walking into, Theodore!”
William cracked the door open and they both looked his way.
“Come…come William, Samantha is here.”
William came out of the room and looked at her. Sam came running at him and hugged him, almost knocking him over.
“Oh William!” she whispered.
“Samantha Barrington. How long has it been?” he asked.
“Too long William... far too long.”
They looked at each other, then back to Theodore.
“You need to tell me what you know Theodore... now, not later,” Sam said.
“Listen to me Samantha, what I have retrieved from William is well...”
“What...? Things that could help us?” Sam asked.
“Things that could get you destroyed. It is best you do this the old fashion way.”
“You’re kidding me right?” Sam said, as her eyes got wider.
“Far from it... now everyone sit down and we can eat.”
Sam put her hands on her hips. “I am not hungry.”
Theodore started to laugh, “You? Not hungry...? Please, sit down.”
She looked at William and they both headed for the table.
They both took a seat, while Theodore pulled things out of his basket.
“Ahhhh... just look!” He held up vegetables in both hands... “Beautiful!”
Sam looked to William.
“Grace has contacted us William.”
William put his glass down. “Oh my God Sam. Is she...?”
“Yes, she is fine, for now, she was clear that I should contact you and let you know that she was with Caine. Not now William… she got away from him.”
Theodore dropped the pan he was holding in his hand and caused everyone to jump.
“That is not good. Caine, what messy business,” he mumbled.
William looked at Sam and reached out his hand and put it on her arm. Sam placed her hand over his.
“Rue and Kai, are they safe Sam?”
“Yes William, Josh is with them. I only came to talk to you, hoping I would be able to, so fortunate that you are here with my brother. I thought I would have to beg the council to see you William.”
William looked at Theodore.
“Your brother here busted me out of the tower.”
“That bitch put you in the mirror tower!” Sam said.
“Yes... most unpleasant,” Theodore added.
William shot a look at him. “You think?”
Theodore laughed again, bringing a huge plate of steamed vegetables to the table.
“Well the point being you, my boy, are alive and we have these wonderful things to eat… so”
He looked at both William and Sam and they both shoveled some onto their plates.
Sam lowered her fork. “William, Rue and Kai… they are both very special aren't they?”
William stopped eating... “Yes, they are Samantha. They are my children.”
Samantha looked him in the eye...
“William, Rue is receiving her powers. They are coming on so fast, it is hard for me to keep up with binding spells.”
William's eyes grew wide, “She is only seventeen. How is she…?”
“I was hoping you could tell me,” Sam said.
“I… I wish that I could Sam. I do not know why she would be receiving them four years earlier than any of us.”
“How was she created William?” Sam asked.
The room was silent, then William sighed.
“Listen Sam, Grace wanted children so badly, so did I, we tried for so long, to work around the binding placed on all of us. We did.” He looked at his plate. “We invoked the creator,” he whispered.
Sam stood up so quickly, she knocked her chair out from behind her.
“You did not... it's not possible William!”
William looked up at her. “We did. We had already created Kai. It took him twenty years to release from his energy cocoon. We were so fearful that we would lose him. He was sick. Grace fed him from herself at first and then f
inally he reached the age of one, it took fifty years.”
William stood up and started to pace back and forth. “Once Kai started to grow normally, Grace became hopeful that we had successfully broken the binding. She insisted that we try again, and we did… but it was not to be.”
“And then...?” Sam asked.
Sam picked her chair back up and sat down.
“And then what William?”
William stopped pacing, “It happened.”
Theodore had been watching the whole thing unfold. “Well William, tell her… tell her the truth.”
“Gracie became pregnant.”
Sam's eyes widened. “What do you mean William? Protectors have never become ‘pregnant’.”
“Well she did, I was terrified, I didn't know what was growing inside of her but within three months her stomach was so swollen and she began to have pain, terrible pain. I considered trying to kill it, but I did not know how to, without harming Grace. She gave birth... to Rue.”
“She actually gave birth? I... I don't understand William. What is she?”
“She is our daughter Samantha. The first of us born naturally, in 250,000 years.”
“Not the first William, or what I can guess,” Sam added.
William looked at her with confusion... “What do you mean?”
“Well it seems we have another miracle on our hands and Rue has a lot of interest in him.”
“Who Samantha?” William asked.
“Johnathan... Johnathan Graph. William, he is Caine’s son.”
***
Sam had left for Valon. Kai was playing a video game as usual and I left Josh sitting on the couch deep in thought, I could only guess. I told him I needed to lie down, after speaking with my Mom he probably believed me. I didn't care anyway. I went to my room and locked the door. I turned on my music and turned it up, then up a little more.
I had been sitting in front of my mirror for a half hour, when I decided to just cut my hair. I sat looking at it, hanging over my shoulders. I played with it and then I lifted the scissors to it. Tears running down my face, I first cut bangs straight across. Next I chopped away at the sides then the back. I ran my hands through it. I felt like a weight had been lifted off me. My Mom had told me that she wanted my hair long, said it was pretty that way. I wanted something too. For someone to tell me the truth, so in turn, she doesn't get what she wants either.
I jumped in the shower, washing the rest of the stray hair away. I got into my closet and pulled out a black shirt, black skinny jeans and my black zip up boots. I blew my hair dry. It was soooo quick, sweet. I threw on my short black leather jacket and I stopped to look in the mirror. I wasn't the Rue I had been before. I was new, and I knew exactly where I wanted to go… out.
I started to head for my door and then I looked back at the window. I ran to it and opened it quietly. I knew Josh would be pissed, I didn't care. I needed to get out without interruption, just needed time alone, for once, since all the crazy started. I climbed out the window onto the branch. I didn't feel nervous at all. That's new, I liked it. I climbed down the tree and crouched to the ground. I peeked up to see if anyone was on the porch. It was all clear. I started to walk, then I started to run. I ran all the way down Hideaway Dr. until I got to the end and then I made a right onto Riverbend. I slowed to a walk. I was away from the house now. I walked for another twenty minutes. The moonlight made everything shimmer. I looked at my hands, they shimmered too. What was happening to me?
I stopped and looked up the lane. It was the Adda house. Well, what I used to think was the Adda house. So funny, that I once saw it as some spooky twisted storybook house. That was just two weeks ago right? Yeah it was. I sat down on the curb and just stared at it. I looked down the street and saw lights coming my way. I stood up. Could it be Johnathan? The car stopped in front of me and the door opened. I heard a familiar voice.
“Get in the car Rue.”
I stood there, light starting to glow in my palms.
“Please Rue. Please get in the car.” Josh stepped up to me, “Please, I'm not telling you… I'm asking.”
“No, I'm going to see Johnathan,” I said.
“He's not here Rue. He's at Barrington. He went back to the school.”
I looked towards the house. “Why?”
“He decided to leave on his own while you… well he thought you were gone. Sam told him you left for the summer.”
“Why Josh...? Why would she do that?”
“Listen Rue, she… we only want you to be safe. He is not good for you. You know that, the sooner you come to terms with it, the better it will be.”
I turned and started to walk down the road, away from the car.
Josh got back into the car and slowly pulled it up next to me, as I walked.
“Rue, please get in the car. I'll take you wherever you want to go.”
I stopped and looked at him.
“Really? Take me to Barrington then,” I said.
He looked at me. That look I didn't want from him.
“What Josh?” I asked.
“Your hair... I like it, a lot.”
I looked at him “My hair?”
“Yea… it looks… you look different now. Stronger.”
“Don't change the subject,” I said.
He got out of the car and walked up to me. He looked me up and down.
“And all dressed in black. Rue, you look hot.”
“I swear to god Josh, I'll clock you again,” I said, as I rolled my eyes at him.
He grinned at me. “I'll let you, if you’re into that kind of stuff.”
“I'm... not... Josh seriously, stop the crap. I know you think I'm a little girl and you feel this need to protect me. I get it Okay.”
He stepped forward. “I don't think you’re a little girl at all, Rue Volley.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Don't call me by my full name Josh.”
He smiled at me “Why?”
“Because I... never mind.” I started walking again.
I only made it five steps and Josh flashed in front of me.
“Get out of my way Josh, I mean it,” I said, as I looked past him up the road.
He reached out his hand and traced it on my cheek. I could see a blue mist trailing from his fingertips.
“Stop...” I said as I turned my head away from him.
“He is not for you Rue. I don't understand why you torture yourself. It will only be a matter of time before he destroys you.”
I looked back at him.
“Because I love him Josh,” I said with malicious intent.
Josh stepped back from me. I felt like I just stabbed a dagger into his heart.
“Okay... fine Rue, I'll take you to Barrington if you like, but not until Sam returns.”
“What?” I said.
He started walking towards the car.
“You heard me.” he said.
I heard the car door close. I stood there for a moment, shocked that he agreed to do it. I started walking towards the car and got in. We drove home, not saying a word. Kai was asleep on the couch. Josh walked ahead of me and went up the stairs, two steps at a time. I heard a door slam. Okay…awkward.
Kai started to wake up. “Rue?”
“Yea Kai… it's me.” I sat down next to him.
“Where'd ya go?”
I looked down at my hands and then to Kai.
“I took a walk.”
He looked at me.
“Hey, your hair… I like it!”
“Thanks Kai, listen I'm gonna go to bed.”
He smiled at me. “He's in mom and dad’s room.”
I stood up.
“No… no… god no. What are you thinking?”
“I don't know, seems like he’s got it for ya.”
“Are you trying to pimp me out to your gamer buddy?” I said.
Kai started to laugh.
“I get thirty percent ho, better have my money… OWWW!”
I hit
him in the side of the head.
“Go to bed Kai,” I yelled at him.
“Just kidding Rue.” I hit him again and he turned sideways, so I got his arm.
“Go to bed Kai, I'll see ya in the morning.”
“K…! Love you too bully!”
I smiled at him and he ran up the stairs.
I sat down on the couch and sat there in silence. I couldn't hear anything and I loved it.
***
Grace placed a hand over Elin, “Awake,” she whispered. Elin started to stir. Grace looked around, she had been here before. It was a knee high, grass field. She had dreamed of it for a long time. The sun was high overhead and she could hear birds off in the distance, chirping. Grace stood up and reached her hand down to Elin and pulled her up.
“Where are we?” Elin whispered.
“Just stay close to me okay?”
Elin looked at Grace and did not let her hand go. Grace looked down at their hands and smiled at her.
“Trust me Elin, I will not let any more harm come to you.”
Grace started to walk, looking for the mirror that they came through.
“Is Caine here Grace?”
Grace stopped and looked at her.
“I don't believe so Elin. I cracked the mirror behind me, it threw us forward. I wanted to make sure he would not be able to follow us.”
“Good, that's good Grace.”
They walked for a while and nothing, but green field. They came to a hill and Grace stared down to the bottom.
“I've been here before Elin. We have to keep walking, there will be a house up this way.”
Elin looked, but she could not see anything.
“Are you sure Grace?”
“Trust me,” Grace whispered.
The sun never moved in the sky... the wind was swaying the grass back and forth…
“I am so tired Grace, I think I need to stop for just a moment.”
Grace looked back at her. “No, Elin listen to me, we have to keep walking. This place… it is a place to forget, to sleep forever. I need for you to stay with me, Okay?”
Elin smiled at her. “But I am so tired, Grace.”
“I know… please, keep walking I promise we will be there soon.”