by Rue Volley
“Time to go to bed,” she said, as she stood up and dropped her napkin on her plate.
Johnathan had drifted off to sleep quickly. He tossed and turned in his bed, as flashes of images and voices floated through his head. He kept seeing fire and a girl in a blue dress, he reached out, but her face was fuzzy and the image looked like a bad reception on an old television. He heard his name whispered and sat straight up in his bed. He ran his hand through his hair and felt the wetness on his hand from where he had been sweating.
“Are you okay?” a small voice came from the darkness.
He jerked in his bed, kinda shocked that someone was in his room. He tried to focus and an image came into view. Elin was sitting in the corner chair watching him.
“Elin…? Christ you scared me, what are you doing in here?” he asked, as he scooted back against his headboard. He ran his hands over his face and over his head.
Elin stood up and walked to the side of his bed.
“I was worried about you. You did not look well at dinner,” she said, with an innocent tone in her voice.
“Yea... I've felt sick all evening. I'm fine though, you don't have to be here,” Johnathan said as he pushed himself up off of his bead, and headed towards his bathroom.
He flipped the light on and turned the water on, he splashed cold water over his face a few times. He grabbed a towel and wiped his face off, looking into the mirror. He looked pale, dark circles under his eyes. He shifted his eyes and saw Elin's reflection behind him in the doorway.
“Elin, seriously… go to bed, I am fine,” he said, as he dropped the towel in the sink.
He turned and walked past her. She didn't move, so he accidentally brushed up against her as he passed. He felt a sharp pain in his head.
“Ahhh,” he said, as he grabbed at his temples.
He stumbled towards his bed and sat down on the edge of it. Elin came up and looked down at him. She placed her hand under his chin and pulled his face up, so he could see her face.
“I could make you feel better, you know,” she said in a whisper.
“What? You have aspirin in your pocket?” Johnathan asked.
“No, not exactly... lay down.”
Johnathan looked at her, not knowing what to expect. Elin pushed him down on the bed and crawled up next to him.
“Elin... listen, I don't want to be rude, but I don't know what would help me, except for some aspirin right now and a bottle of cold water.”
She touched his face and ran her hand through his hair. “I have learned how to relieve pain by pressure points Johnathan. I met this girl at school who learned from her Mother. I would not have believed it if she had not done it to me but it works, I promise.”
Johnathan grabbed at his head, as another sharp pain hit him. “Oh god... alright, I'll give it a try, but I swear... one try, after that it's aspirin, okay?”
Elin grinned, “Here.” She put a pillow under his head. She stood up on the bed and sat on top of him.
Johnathan squirmed under her. “Why do you have to sit on me?” he said.
“It's easier, silly just lay still and close your eyes.”
Johnathan closed his eyes and tried to relax. He peeked and she put a finger up to him… “No peeking Johnathan!” Elin said.
Johnathan sighed and closed his eyes. “Could we get on with it?” he asked her.
“Patience is a virtue Johnathan. You should try it.” Johnathan grunted and Elin put her hands together, focusing on the energy she could draw within her.
She started to see flashes of white behind her eyes and opened them up, as she felt the heat in her palms. She pulled her hands apart and saw a light glowing in each of her hands. She grinned, the light from her hands glowing on her face and her teeth, she reached down and placed her hands on Johnathan's head. He sucked in his breath, as she started to draw energy from him, along with the pain in his head. She whispered the word “heal”.
She could feel him jerk under her and she tightened her grip with her thighs. His heartbeat sped up at first and then started to slow down, she threw her head back and opened her mouth, white mist started to rise from the bed and enter her mouth, her eyes rolled in her head. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and she opened her eyes and climbed off of Johnathan. He laid there asleep. She covered him up and went to the door. Elin cracked it open and looked to see that Sophie was standing there.
“Is he feeling better?” Sophie asked, as she tried to look past Elin.
Elin shifted to her other foot and blocked her view. “Yes, seems to be, how are you?” Elin asked, as she reached out to her face.
Sophie turned her head slightly and Elin's eyes narrowed as she tried to read her face.
“Yea, I'm feeling much better now, I took a bath… now I'm fine. I thought I'd check on Johnathan.”
Elin looked back at Johnathan on the bed. “He is sleeping now, seems he has started to feel better, at least good enough to sleep anyway, I'm sure he'll be just fine tomorrow.” Elin turned back to Sophie.
“Shouldn't you get to bed Elin? I am sure my Mother would appreciate you taking care of Johnathan, but now he's asleep… so why don't you get some too,” Sophie said, as she waited to get an answer from her.
“Yes… okay, I'll go to bed now, I'm sure he'll sleep the rest of the night now.” Elin stepped out of Johnathan's room and Sophie leaned to see him, she caught a glimpse of him lying on his back, with the covers on.
Elin shut the door and looked Sophie in the eye.
“Well... I will see you in the morning then,” Elin said, as she turned to walk to her room.
Sophie thought she saw a glow in Elin's eye as she turned, but dismissed it as a reflection from the dull light in the hallway. She stood there for a moment, wondering if she should go into his room to check on him, but she sighed, and walked to her room. She stood at her door, until she heard Elin's door close at the end of the hallway, then she went in, and shut her door behind her. Sophie lay down on her bed and pulled the covers up. She listened closely to make sure that Elin wasn't sneaking around in the hallway. She didn't talk to her brother much, but one thing she did know is that Johnathan was not getting married. She just didn't believe it. Not to Elin.
***
Johnathan woke up and held his hand up to shield his eyes from the light. He sat up and noticed that the pain in his headache was gone. He pushed his comforter off and went into the bathroom. He flipped the light on and looked at himself in the mirror. He had to blink his eyes, the dark circles under his eyes were darker and now he seemed to have lost weight too. He turned his face and looked at his cheekbones, kinda sticking out. He leaned over to grab his toothbrush and ran the water. He placed the toothbrush in his mouth and started to brush. He leaned over to spit the toothpaste out and the white was traced with red. He opened his mouth, but didn't see any bleeding. He rinsed his mouth out and the water he spit out was pink in color. He sighed and turned on the shower. Maybe some hot water would wash away this weak feeling he had. He leaned against the wall and let the water beat down on him. He coughed and red drips of blood fell from his mouth, it swirled at his feet.
“What the hell?” he whispered.
He opened his mouth and let the water fill it. He spit it out and grabbed the soap on the shelf. He reached up to rub it to his face and felt a sharp pain in his temple. He dropped the soap and grabbed at his head. He staggered, as it became overwhelming. He turned and let the water wash over his face to get the soap off. He reached for the door and slid it open. He tried to step out, but fell to the floor with a thud. He rolled over and grabbed his head. Flashes of white light started to pulsate behind his eyes. The ringing tone in his ears reached a fevered pitch and he squeezed his eyes shut, yelling out. Suddenly everything went silent.
He opened his eyes and he was looking into the mirror with the toothbrush in his hand. He looked to the shower and the water was not on, the door was closed. He looked back at the mirror and jumped when he saw Elin standing behin
d him.
“God!” he called out, as he turned to her. “Do you ever knock?” he said to her.
Elin laughed. “I did… you didn't answer,” she said.
“Well, when people don't answer their door it means they are either asleep, or they don't want company.”
Elin looked at him, trying to look distraught. “Are you saying that you didn't want to see me?” she asked, one hundred percent, upset girl.
“No… listen, I didn't hear you knock, even if had, I wouldn't know it was you… How could I?”
Elin crossed her arms. “That's not what you said.”
Johnathan sighed, he was fighting a circular argument, he just knew it.
“Listen, I'm sorry, I haven't felt well lately and I am grumpy. I was rude, I apologize.”
Elin grinned. “Okay, apology accepted, let’s go out today. Fresh air would do you some good, you look like a ghost.”
Johnathan squeezed the back of his neck and rubbed the side of it. There was no saying “no”, he knew it, but he really did not want to go anywhere. “Okay... fine, I will go out, but not long... something quick.”
Elin clapped her hands together. “Oh... sweet,” she said, as she left his room.
Johnathan sat down on his bed and sighed. “I think she did that on purpose,” he muttered to himself. “Girls,” he said, as he shook his head. He walked to the bathroom and looked into the mirror, he bent over and spit into the sink. Nothing... no blood. He looked back at himself and saw how pale he was.
He pulled at his face. “God, she's right...I look like death,” he whispered to himself.
***
Elin sat at her vanity, putting her makeup on. She honestly didn't need it. Her feeding had retained her youth. Frozen her at twenty-one. Truth was, she would have been fifty-two past December, but you couldn't see one line on her face. She was flawless all her faults keep deep in her soul, or lack of one. She sat there smiling at herself and looked down as her phone went off. She turned it in her hand and saw “master” flashing at her. “God, Noble… what do you want?” she said to herself. She pushed the button.
“Yes,” she said, irritation in her voice.
“You sound flustered my girl, what’s wrong?” Noble asked her.
“Nothing… well, Johnathan is weak. This would have been easier if you would have had the mirror here before we arrived, I fear he is having flashes of memory,” she said, as she rolled her eyes.
“I told you that Elie would not allow for the mirrors to be transported by anyone but the movers she hired,” Noble said.
“You are immortal. You could have made it happen,” she said mockingly.
“That is true, but it takes a lot of effort to change things. It has been enough effort just to shield you and Johnathan from leaving a trail,” Noble said with anger. “You would be wise to appreciate what I am able to do for you Elin. Remember that I made it possible for you to enter the realm of memory. You could not do it yourself.”
Elin laughed. “You need me as I need you, remember that it was me who pulled you out of that stupid library. You could have perished there, with the others.”
The phone was silent for a moment. “Come to me Elin. I am hungry, as you are.”
“I cannot, I have a ‘date’ without Johnathan today. I will try to see you later on, I promise.”
Noble sighed. “Don't be long...”
Elin laughed and pushed the button on her phone, ending the call. She picked up her lipstick and put it on slowly. “I will see you when I feel like it,” she said, as she dropped her lipstick on the vanity.
She stepped out into the hallway and ran downstairs. Johnathan was waiting for her on the large Victorian couch. He stood up when she reached the bottom of the stairs.
“So…? Where to?” he asked.
“We are going to the woods, to take a walk Johnathan,” she said, as she grabbed her new red coat.
***
“Give me the keys Kai,” Sam said as she grabbed her bag.
“Oh come on Sam... let me drive this time, just once,” Kai said as he threw his jacket on.
“I'm not asking, I'm telling you,” Sam said as she blocked the front door. She held her hand out.
“Fine,” Kai said as he dropped them in her hand. I giggled.
Kai was never one to give in so easy and I have to admit that watching Sam semi-bully him, was a treat. I reached down and grabbed my backpack and swung it up on my shoulder. Josh came down the stairs and had a small plastic bag. I looked at it in his hand.
“That's all you’re bringing with you?” I asked him.
He looked down at the bag and back to me. “Erm... toothbrush, we are going to be close to my house, I'll swing in and grab whatever. We won't be gone long anyway, Johnathan isn't going to be a problem.”
Theodore laughed. “Really...? Did you not get the point that it is not Johnathan we will probably have to deal with, but Elin, Josh?” He was dragging a huge piece of luggage behind him.
Josh looked at his suitcase and grunted. “What is that for?” he asked.
“Well, I like to be ready for any situation,” Theodore said as he stopped and put it down on the floor.
He looked down at it. Josh raised his eyebrows. “What?” he said. Theodore started to walk to the door.
“Oh for god’s sake,” Josh grunted. He walked to Theodore's bag and picked it up. As Josh passed me, I pulled my backpack off and held it out to him.
“No,” he said, as he passed me by.
I swung it back on my shoulder and looked around the room. I hoped that the next time we stepped in this house that Johnathan would be by my side, I could only hope.
I walked out to the car and Kai and Sam were in the front and Theodore was already in the back seat. Josh was stuffing Theodore's bag in the trunk. I threw my backpack on top of the bags in the trunk over him and he grunted, I guess because I didn't stop to pack it in. I stopped at the back door of the car and waited for him.
“You sit in the middle Rue,” he said, as he walked up to me.
“I get claustrophobia,” I said.
“Listen, I am over six foot, Rue! I cannot sit in the middle,” he said, as he waited for me to hop in. I looked in the car and Theodore smiled at me.
“Fine,” I muttered. “But if I freak out and the car explodes with a flash of light, don't act like I didn't warn you,” I added as I crawled in.
Josh got in and I adjusted myself, so I didn't feel like a caged bird.
“I doubt that you will blow up the car Rue,” he said, as he pushed on the seat in front of him.
“Listen princess, I need for you to move the seat up,” Josh said to the back of Kai's head. Kai pulled his seat up, without responding to him.
“So... we will be pretty close to Valon, huh?” I asked.
“No, Rue... we are not going there,” Josh said, as he looked out the window.
“I didn't say that, I just wondered,” I said, as I shifted in my seat.
Sam started up the car and we headed out. I looked back at my house and then back to my hands.
Kai turned around in his seat, “Hey, where was that Motel that you two stayed in?”
Josh said, “Adda” the same time I said, “No.”
Theodore laughed. “We will drive straight to our destination, in fact, we will stop driving before we get there, and go on foot the rest of the way,” he said.
“Why are we going to go on foot?” I asked.
“Trust me Rue, once we get close you will understand, you will feel it. The energy is so strong, you will want to be on foot,” he said, as he stared out the window.
“Okay... I don't understand, but I guess I'll have to see,” I said.
We drove for two hours until we took a break, we stopped at a small gas station and everyone got out and stretched. I went into the small convenience store and grabbed some road snacks. We had exhausted our food supply already. I walked through the small aisles and grabbed anything that looked edible. I was re
ading the thousands of ingredients on the back of a bag of cheese puffs and I almost dropped the bag when Josh snuck up behind me.
“Don't worry about reading it... it's never going to be good for you to eat it,” he said, as he passed me by. I put the bag in my basket and kept looking at all the over processed junk on the shelves. I looked up when he had found his gold. “Now this,” he held up a bag of pigskin. “Is what I call fuel.”
“Gross,” I muttered.
He tossed it at me and it landed in the basket I was carrying. I picked up the bag and started to read the back of the bag.
“No need... it's pig,” Josh said, as he rummaged through the shelf.
I looked up at him. “I know it’s pig, I'm not stupid,” I said.
He laughed. “I can't believe…” He leaned over to me to whisper, “That you have a problem with pig skin, but you like blood.” I swung the pig bag at him, he tried to move out of my way, but I clipped him with it.
“Don't damage the goods.” he said as he laughed at me.
“Shut up,” I said.
“You know we are in Adda,” he said, without looking at me. “Should we stop in for a quickie with that woman at the motel?”
I sighed. “Yea, that sounds good, I love crabs,” I said, without looking up.
He laughed and took the basket out of my hand. “You are all sunshine today,” he said.
“Well, I am just worried about Johnathan. I am doing the right thing... right?” I asked him.
He stopped. “What…? Are you asking me for advice…? Listen, you do whatever you think is right, don't ask me. I'm just here to make sure you don't get yourself killed.”
“Killed?” I asked in a whisper.
“Yep, Elin is a bitch, and if she is hanging out with him, we will have to deal with her.”
“I'm going to kick her ass.” I said without wavering.
“Well… we may have to. Listen, you might as well prepare yourself for the possibility that Johnathan has been doing the nasty with her.” He started to walk away from me.
“What? No way, no... he would never,” I said.