by Rue Volley
“Johnathan Graph, what are you doing now?” she asked him.
Johnathan cleared his throat and looked at her as I looked back at him.
“You know her? You acted like you didn’t before.” I said.
Johnathan sighed and looked at the girl and all the blood on the front of her nightgown.
“I am travelling with friends.” He said as he stared her down.
The girl looked at me and grinned.
“Not just any friend’s, the world is a buzz with the knowledge of the sword and the shield travelling.” She said.
I narrowed my eyes and looked at her.
“Have I met you before?” I asked her.
“Mmmm, everyone knows who you are.” She said.
We all heard a moan come from the room behind her and she dropped the cigarette and crushed it with her bare foot.
“Humans, they just love to be sucked on.” She said as she turned and walked back into the cabin and shut the door behind her.
I looked at Johnathan and hit him in the head. He ‘ow’d’ and rubbed the side of his head.
“Who the hell was that?” I asked him.
“Settle down, she is just a sexual deviant. Humans pay good money to have that kind of company.” He said.
“WTF?” I said as I turned and started to walk back towards the cabin. Johnathan caught up to me and stumbled, knocking us both down and I rolled on top of him as he grabbed my waist.
“I don’t even feel like I know you.” I said as I pushed myself up and off of him.
“No… no, it isn’t like that. You don’t understand Rue… you haven’t been in the world for a while, it has changed.” He said.
“Uh huh… looks like you have changed.” I said.
Johnathan flashed in front of me and tried to touch my face. I moved back from him and felt the wall behind me.
“Rue… listen to me, that girl back there… I am sorry, I did know her… or do know her, she is a rogue who gets paid to be with humans… they pay her to bite them and share the feeling of her energy bursts, it’s a whole business now. Humans are addicted to the feeling it gives them.”
“Nice, so how long have you been involved with prostitution?” I asked him.
“I’m not.” He said.
“Uh huh.” I said.
“Stop acting like I am a stranger.” He said. “I am Johnathan Graph, the same Johnathan Graph that you know.” He said.
I looked at him and wanted to believe him, I really did. I shook my head.
“I don’t know, I mean you drop the bomb on me in the bar and now that girl back there… I just don’t know what the hell is going on.” I said.
Johnathan stepped towards me and sighed.
“You have been in a bubble, one you created Rue… the world changes all around you and you don’t even notice because you are busy playing house.” He said, kind of venomous in my opinion, I mean I don’t ‘play’ house, I have a family… one that I fiercely love and how dare he make it sound like it’s just something that I was into right now. Almost like the fact that Josh and I are together was just a thing, that Gracie was just a thing… something that would change over time. I felt my hands vibrating and the anger rising in my chest when Josh popped the door open and peeked out grinning.
“Get more?” he asked.
I looked at him and wanted to blurt out all the crap that was swirling in my head.
“The bar was closed… bummer.” Johnathan said as he looked at him and then glanced back at me and shook his head slightly. I tilted my head and pushed past him towards Josh. I turned and looked at Johnathan.
“Johnathan is staying with some girl, we ran into her at the bar earlier.” I said as I narrowed my eyes and stared him down.
Johnathan looked at me and I guess he decided that he could agree to my lie or face a fight, so he nodded and started to walk down the hallway. For a split second I felt bad and then quickly swallowed it after his words echoed in my head again.
“Sweet dude.” Josh said as I pulled him into the room and pushed the door closed behind us.
Johnathan stood there for a moment and rubbed his hair. I guess he thought that maybe I would be just a little more accepting of all this, but he was wrong and I was wrong. I should not have come with him… I should have said no.
***
The house was quiet. It was the middle of the night. Gracie had not inherited her mom’s gift for sleepwalking. Rue’s heart would have stopped if she had ever heard her fall down the stairs as she herself had done so many times before. What did happen though was Gracie slept in increments, small ones… two and three hours at a time and then she would wander around, usually just in her room but sometimes she ventured into the rest of the house. She never does anything crazy, which is a plus for all of everyone really. God forbid she goes walking around town. Her Parents would if they woke to find her gone.
Gracie sat up in the bed and grinned as she rubbed her eyes. She looked at Theo who mumbled something inaudible as he dreamed of who knows, probably memories of the past since he has so much to draw from. Alex was curled up, all snuggled down in the comforter next to Theo and Gracie pushed herself onto her belly and lowered herself down to the cold floor, being careful to find the floor and not just drop down making noise. She crept around the other side of the bed and leaned up, staring into Alex’s face. She grinned and touched his nose, tickling him trying to wake him up. Alex crinkled his nose and then swiped at his face like he was swatting a fly that was annoying him. Gracie bit her lip and tapped him on the head and he fluttered his eyes and tried to focus on her as she was only an inch away from his face. He backed up a little at the shock of her staring him down and she placed her finger to her lips and gave him the ‘be quiet stupid’ signal. Alex sat up slowly and Theo moved behind him and rolled over. Alex glanced at him and Gracie grinned and waved him on. Alex rolled out of the bed and shivered as his feet hit the cold floor under him. Gracie took his hand and pulled him along with her. She slowly opened the door up and they stepped out into the hallway. She pulled it closed and then sighed as she realized that Theo was indeed asleep and would not find her wandering around. Gracie pulled Alex along with her to the front door and jumped and pulled her black coat, with the ever-present ears on the hood down and held it out to him. He took it, knowing that arguing with her would not work anyway. She flashed from him, up the stairs and was back with a small covered bowl before he could even get the coat on all the way. She grinned and placed the bowl on the floor and then grabbed her own coat… red, her favorite color and pulled it on. Alex zipped up his coat and then watched her struggle with her zipper as usual. He reached out and touched her hands, she lowered them and he zipped her up and she grinned at him.
“Thanks.” She whispered.
He grinned and she grabbed his hand and waved her free hand at the door, it opened up to them and she pulled him out side with her. They stood on the porch for a moment and Gracie turned to him and pulled up his hood, the ears on it making her smile as she stared at him. Alex pulled up her hood and they stood there, looking like two cute little animals… really that’s what they truly were… Gracie being the child of the two most powerful protectors to ever exist and Alex, a creature that was as of yet unidentifiable. She pulled him along with her and they ran into the woods. Gracie ran along, Alex being her willing accomplice until they came to a clearing and Gracie let his hand go and stood there, with her eyes closed… smelling the air. She popped the lid on the bowl and pulled out a cookie. For a moment I think that she considered eating it, but knew that she needed it. She looked back at Alex and grinned.
“What are you doing?” Alex asked her.
Gracie flashed from him and then he watched her start to place cookies around them both, in a starburst pattern. She slowed down and placed another cookie into the mossy undergrowth and stood up, holding the bowl in her hand. She placed it on the ground and then sat down, glancing back at Alex. He walked to her and she smiled.
“Sit down.” She said as she tapped the ground next to her.
Alex sighed and then sat next to her, just going along for the ride she had him on. If one thing was certain Gracie did as she wished and even if anyone said ‘no’ to her, she found an alternative route to get to what she wanted to do in the first place. Gracie sat there and placed her hand on the ground. A light started to glow under her hand and a pattern lit up out from the two of them, glowing into a starburst pattern radiating out from the two of them, as they sat there in the middle of a cookie patterned sun she had surrounded them with. She looked up when she heard a twig snap in the forest in front of them and grinned.
“They are coming.” She said.
Alex grabbed her hand and sat there, controlling his breathing. He didn’t know what she meant by ‘they’ and didn’t really know if he wanted to. I mean ‘they’ could mean a lot of stuff. Who knows?
The cracking happened behind them too and Alex squeezed her hand. Gracie looked at him and smiled.
“Don’t be scared… they are like you.” She said.
Alex looked up as a shadow came from the forest and he heard a crunching. Something was eating a cookie that Gracie had placed on the forest floor.
“Oh.” He said as he narrowed his eyes and a small girl came into focus under the veil of darkness the forest produces naturally.
The girl stepped forward and the clearing allowed the moonlight to unveil her to the both of them. Alex started to stand up and Gracie held his hand and tugged at him. He sat still and the girl picked up another cookie and placed it to her mouth, eating it like she was starving. Another snapping happened to the left of them and Gracie watched as another small figure exposed itself, moonlight revealing a boy, a little bigger than Alex, also eating a cookie and Gracie grinned. Two more shadows popped out, two more girls… one tall and one about Gracie’s height. Each one eating as she had obviously hoped for. Gracie stood up slowly and pulled Alex with her.
“Hello.” Gracie said as she slowly looked around at the circle of children, four in all… three girls and another boy added to Gracie’s collection of new playmates.
“I am Gracie Barrington and this is Alex.” She said, like a grown up and not so much a five year old.
The taller boy stepped forward and looked at the two of them.
“What are you?” he asked.
Gracie smiled.
“I am a protector.” She said.
“Uh uh.” The small girl said as she walked towards the two of them and Alex squeezed Gracie’s hand and she grinned.
Gracie held her free hand up and color started to seep from her, black and blue twisting out and onto the ground. All the children watched in wonder as she stood there and let it snake on the ground towards them all. They all took a step back and stared the two of them down.
“Protectors all died, in Valon.” The boy said.
“I don’t know them.” Gracie said as she smiled and let the color continue to flow from her.
“Everyone died, except for us.” The small girl said to the right of them.
Gracie looked at her and grinned.
“I have more cookies.” She said as the color started to creep back towards her.
“I don’t trust her, let’s go.” The tall girl said as she shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth and turned.
“Wait.” The boy said.
“No, we should keep moving.” The girl said.
“Where?… we have walked for months.” The boy said.
“I’m cold.” The small girl said and the other girl with her placed her arm around her and rubbed her arms.
“Do you have a dwelling?” The boy asked Gracie.
Gracie smiled and started to walk. The boy looked at the rest of the children and then started to follow Gracie and Alex as they walked. The tall girl rolled her eyes and waved at the other two girls and they ran to her and caught up with the boy who had decided to trust Gracie.
“What are you doing?” the girl whispered to the boy.
“Saving us.” The boy said as he stared at Alex and Gracie as they walked ahead of them, looking like two fluffy teddy bears with their hooded ears.
“I don’t like it, not one bit.” The girl said.
The boy took her hand and grinned.
“You should trust me.” He said.
“Uh huh.” The girl replied as they walked out of the woods and stared at the house in front of them. Gracie stood there with Alex by her side and waved them on. They all hesitated and then the boy started to follow and the rest did too, feeling like they had no choice anyway. Gracie stepped up to the front door and waved her hand.
The protection spells woven around the house glowed brightly in the dark and then faded as she opened the door and waited. They all looked at her and Alex stepped in and then they followed. Maybe it was Gracie’s charm, or perhaps starvation or the want for shelter someplace warm. Who knows for sure? Gracie held the door open until the last one stepped in and then she closed it quietly and stood there, holding her finger to her mouth, prompting them all to be quiet.
Gracie pointed to the kitchen and they all ran into it and started to rummage through the fridge. They pulled out everything and started to eat it where they stood, filling their stomachs more than they had in months. Alex stood there and sighed, knowing that everything had just changed and maybe a little jealous that Gracie had reached out to save more children instead of just him. Gracie looked at him and grinned, showing her crooked little canines and it made Alex smile too. How could you not when looking at her truly happy.
“Sleep.” Gracie said as she looked at all of them. They stopped eating and stared her down.
“Here?” The tall girl asked.
“Yes.” Gracie said as she pulled Alex along with her back towards Theo’s bedroom.
“Be quiet.” Gracie said as she looked back at all of them and they looked surprised that she had offered them shelter.
The little girl ran to Gracie and took her other hand and Gracie grinned and took her into the bedroom with her. They all three crawled back into the bed and Gracie looked up as the rest of them stood at the door. She grinned and waved them in. They all stepped into the room and one by one they all crawled into the oversized bed and closed their eyes. Theo muttered something and Gracie looked at him and grinned, thinking about the surprise that awaited him… along with the sunrise.
Chapter 4
New Blood
We all have our moments of nice. What I mean by that is the nice seems to come out with the ones you love. There are certain times that the ones you love in your life do things, terrible things that make you angry, but they are the ones you love. The love thing being the keyword. I am not saying that everything is forgivable, but when you live forever and everyone you love lives forever… you either harbor those feelings or you try your best to move on. I mean, I couldn’t imagine being mad at any of my family members forever. That would suck. So it goes then… you take a breath and realize that shit happens, sometimes by accident and I had to believe that Johnathan meant no harm really. I bet if Brooke was alive she would disagree, but she is not… she was dead as all humans eventually become and now I had a crossroad I was standing at. I could either tell Johnathan to ‘f’ off and good luck with the whole eternity thingy, or I can power through the uneasy feeling and welcome him back into my bubble. I chose number 2. I mean how could I not?
I sat up in the bed and looked over at Josh, who was well into his dreaming. He mumbled something and I grinned at him. He had no idea how cute he was when he was sleeping, I would never tell him because his ego was already big enough, but he was adorable to put it mildly. I sat there, looking down at my hands and decided at that moment that the idea of Johnathan not existing in our lives was not an option. I did love him, in a totally brother like way, and I didn’t want to live without knowing him and where he is. I don’t think that I could. I pulled the covers off and placed my feet on the floor and knew that I needed to let him kno
w now, before the night escaped us and he could come to the conclusion that we would never be the same. I didn’t want that, not really. I just wanted him to understand that he needed to move out of the whole ‘me’ thingy before he could settle on another girl, hopefully another immortal and not human this time. Nothing against Brooke, because in my opinion, she was perfect for him… minus the fact that she would age and he wouldn’t.
Forgiveness… what a bitch.
I stood up and walked to the fisheye window and stared out as I pulled my robe tightly around me and stared at the clouds under us. We truly were above them and I can feel the effects of it on my head and heart. I guess it is good to be reminded that we are small, that there is more…I so need to remember that. I really do. Maybe he is right, maybe I do like the bubble I created, crazy for someone who always dreamed of travelling and meeting everyone that I could, even though I spent years at the library. Guess I am a closet extrovert, well… not so much in the closet now.
I turned to the door and sighed. I knew I had to go find him, wherever he ended up on this airship… even if it’s in some other girl’s room. I needed to resolve this right away, which was so like me to do. I couldn’t stand things all muddled and unfinished. We needed to talk anyway, talk out this whole ‘calling my name out’ thingy. I mean, for crap sake. I shook my head when I had a flash of what Brooke’s face must have looked like when he pulled that rabbit out of the hat. Geezus. I walked to the door and took one last look at my Josh, lying in the bed looking all Josh and stuff, and I smiled. I pulled on the door and popped it open, being careful not to cause Josh to wake up. I needed this quiet moment to talk out the crazy with Johnathan, without Josh jumping all over him for being an ass. I peeked out and the hallway was empty. I didn’t know what I expected; Johnathan would not be lying on the floor outside the door, but if he had it would have made it easier. I could have immediately felt bad for him and that would work to his favor. I looked to the left and to the right, and then decided to step out, ready to find him and tell him to come home. Even if it meant that we would all wake up in the same bed. Josh wouldn’t care anyway; he would just enjoy the fact that he would have more to joke about.