by Rue Volley
Gracie slowly shook her head at him.
“I am not angry, I feel nothing.” She whispered.
Alex closed his eyes and stepped back from her. He reached behind him, under his coat and pulled out to glowing blades. It lit up Gracie’s face as he stood there, with them extended in front of him.
“Take them.” He said.
Gracie crossed her arms on her chest and stared him down.
“Why?” she said.
“Take them; perhaps it will remind you of what you are.” He said.
Gracie stepped towards the glowing blades and slowly took them from Alex’s hands. She held them out in front of her and she felt a vibration start to inch up her arms. She took a breath and the glow brightened on the metal, she let it out and the glow pulsated dimmer. She turned them in her hands, looking at the beautiful etchings on the metal. It lit up her eyes and she grinned. Alex leaned in and smiled.
“You feel that?” he asked her.
She looked at him and nodded.
“The blade is breathing with you; it is a part of what you are.” He said.
“It is so pretty.” She whispered as she continued to study it.
“You made them… for me.” Alex said.
Gracie looked at him and lowered the blades.
“I don’t remember that.” She said.
“Well you did my love, before we escaped memory… you made them and you handed them to me and said this is my love… my hope for cleansing.” He said.
Gracie held the blades out to him and he stared at them.
“You take them… I don’t want them.” She said.
Alex’s face became harder and he grabbed the blades from her hands and flashed to the boy. Gracie cried out as Alex slammed both blades into his back with such force they sliced through him and dug into the asphalt beneath him. The boy made a terrible sound and shook as Alex twisted the blades, cracking the asphalt under them both and jerked them out. He held his hand out and the light started to rise from the boy’s body and into his hand. Alex let his head fall back as he hissed, arching his back. He stumbled back as the boy let his last breath out, white and cold. Gracie held her hand up to her mouth and stared at Alex. He slowly turned and flicked the blades in his hands, blood flying from both of them and hitting the road. It looked black in the dim light.
Gracie looked at it and tried to calm herself down. Suddenly her heartbeat had started to pound in her chest and she felt anger, no peace as she had. She looked up at Alex and he stood there, breathing hard… gripping the blades in his hand.
“Why?... why would you do that, he was helpless… wounded.” She said.
“He was a stain and deserved far worse than what I gave him.” Alex said.
“I don’t want this.” She said as she took a step back.
Alex stepped towards her.
“What?” he asked her.
“I don’t want this!” she cried out as she folded her arms across her chest and rubbed them.
“Don’t.” Alex whispered to her.
Gracie looked at him and shook her head.
“I am not like you.” She said.
Alex dropped the blades and flashed to her, knocking her on her back, she struggled but he held her down. He stared into her face.
“You cannot abandon me.” He said.
Gracie bit her lip and struggled to pull her arms free.
“Get off of me.” She said as she hissed.
Alex tilted his head and then he pressed his lips against hers, hard and with more need than passion. Gracie mumbled as she pushed on him and then she bit him; bit his lip… as hard as she could. He hissed and pulled his mouth from hers and stared into her face.
“Do you not love me?” he said.
“You called me sister… get off of me!” she yelled.
Alex laughed. “We all call each other sister and brother… it is our way.” He said as he pressed against her. Gracie freed her leg and kicked him between the legs and he moaned and rolled off of her. She scrambled to her feet and stared at him then ran to the blades and snatched them up, holding them out in front of her, her hands shaking. Alex pushed himself up with some struggling. He swayed in front of her and she pointed the blades at him. The glow of the metal lit up both of their faces and he grinned as he licked the blood from his lip.
“You are confused, I should have given you memory love… perhaps I was egotistical to think that one kiss would bring back all that you know to be true.”
“Shut up.” Gracie said as she held the blades out and stared him down.
“This isn’t you Gracie, you are not unsure of what will be.” He said.
“And again… shut up Alex.” She said.
“What do you plan to do?” Alex asked as he took a step towards her.
Gracie lunged forward and the tip of one blade stuck into his shoulder, he cried out and dropped to one knee as she pulled it out quickly. Alex reached up and touched the small wound, hissing.
“You stabbed me!” he yelled out as he slumped lower.
“Oh god.” Gracie said as she dropped the blades and rubbed her neck and then ran her hand through her hair.
She started to pace in front of him. She stopped and looked up as one by one, shadows started to form on either side of the street. She looked at Alex and he looked back and then back to her.
“They can smell my blood.” He said as he held his hand over the wound that continued to bleed.
Gracie stopped and looked down the street as the shadows turned into figures as they entered the flickering streetlights.
“Shit.” She whispered under her breath.
“You have to kill them, or they will kill us.” Alex said.
“I don’t want to kill anyone.” Gracie said.
Alex slammed his hand into the ground and started to push himself up; he flung himself onto his side and gripped one of the blades in his hand.
“Help me up.” He said.
Gracie looked at him and then back at the rogues approaching them.
“Damn it.” She said as she flashed to him and threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled him up from the ground.
“I am going to need you to fight.” Alex said to her.
Gracie gritted her teeth as she held Alex up and then the first of the rogues stepped up to the both of them and tilted his head.
“Rue?” he asked.
Gracie looked at him and then at Alex.
“My name is Gracie and this is Alex.” She said.
The rogue laughed and looked back as others stepped up behind him.
“Forgive me; you look so much like your Mother.” He said.
“My what?” Gracie asked as Alex tried to stand on his own. He held the blade out in front of him and gritted his teeth.
“Parasite.” He said.
The boy looked at him and smiled.
“Now Alex… you know we are civil.” He said.
Gracie stepped out beside Alex and stared the boy down.
“You know him.” She said, suddenly realizing that Alex may have left out some details.
“Well of course… Alex and I go way back… what was it Alex, 1820…1821? Oh I cannot be sure.” He said.
Gracie looked at Alex and shook her head.
“What the hell is he talking about?” she asked.
Alex sighed and glanced at her.
“Do not listen, they are masters of deceit.” He said.
“Oh come now… still preaching rhetoric are we?” The boy asked him.
Alex pointed the blade at him and two rogues stepped up beside him. The boy held his hand up and looked at Alex.
“You should not be ashamed of what you are Alex, I still care for you.”
Alex shook his head.
“Gracie… I need you to focus, draw all energy into yourself now.” He said.
“No.” Gracie said and the boy laughed as he stared at her and turned his gaze back to Alex.
“Your pet not agreeing with you?” he asked.
“Shut up Erik.” Alex said.
Gracie looked at Alex and shook her head.
“How do you know his name?”
Erik looked at Gracie and grinned.
“Because, Alex is rogue love.”
Gracie sucked in her breath and stepped back shaking her head.
“What?” she asked.
Alex looked at her and lowered the blade.
“He lies, they all do Gracie… do not listen.”
Erik stepped up in a flash and bent Alex’s hand back, a crack rang out and Alex cried out as the blade fell from his hand. The two rogues next to Erik flashed up and grabbed Alex by either arm and held him still as he yelled out in pain. Erik grinned and looked at Gracie.
“But you… you are not rogue are you?” he asked her.
Gracie shook her head and looked for an exit.
“You do not need to fear… we will not harm you. It seems that we are on the same team.” He said.
Gracie wanted to run, wanted to flash into the forest and escape all this confusion, but she found herself surrounded. She wanted to fight, but something deep inside of her would not allow her too. She looked down at her hands and started to fidget with them. Erik looked at her hands and smiled.
“Bring her.” He said.
Gracie cried out as multiple rogues descended on her and raised her up, all holding onto her tightly. She struggled but could not break free.
***
The sun cracked the horizon, sending all colors across the sky. Winter in Minnesota was beautiful, especially when the sun was bright and willing. All seasons were beautiful there, just as itself the land was. It froze and thawed, in a continuous cycle. Almost as if there were only two seasons really. The snow had stopped falling, but the sun had caused the steam to rise. It floated in the forest, out across the land and reached all the way to the shoreline. Breath-taking.
The water was also calm, as if a storm had passed and would never again return… but everyone there knew that not to be true, it never was. It was when things looked so beautiful that you tended to look away, to try to remember that image, that one moment… frozen in memory and time.
Theodore stirred and pushed himself up, realizing that he was in fact in his bed. For a split second… and you know the one, he remembered and then it was gone, as quickly as a heart takes one beat. The memory of what he would shrug off as a dream, not a good one either… the kind of nightmare that you can only beg to escape. He rubbed his head, and wiped sweat from his forehead. He cleared his throat and placed his feet to the cold wood floor and hissed as he raised them both up. He rubbed them and then decided to run across the floor, not that the wood would be any warmer in the bathroom. He stopped and turned on the water, rinsing his face off and stopped to stare at himself. He leaned in, looking at his face and grinned. “Work.” He whispered and ran out of the bathroom and to his dresser. He pulled out a shirt and pants, dropped them on the bed and then returned to the bathroom to take a shower… excited that today would be his first day, in his new library…
Samantha rolled over and looked at Kai, who was all sprawled out and snoring. For a split second she was in a total panic and then it was gone for her too. Whatever had upset her was gone, in fact all memory of what she was had left her… in fact she knew nothing, other than she was more than likely late to the coffee shop and she rolled out, tapping Kai on the head as she stood up and stretched her arms out. Kai yawned and looked at her, her stomach exposed, all flat and inviting and sat up quickly, reaching over and touching her low, right above her pajama pants.
“Hey.” Samantha said as she laughed.
Kai rubbed his head, he didn’t have the same split second of panic that Samantha and Theodore had, had as they woke. He kicked the blankets off and stood up, tippy toeing to the shower as Samantha called out behind him.
“I need to shower!” she said.
Kai shut the door behind him laughing and Samantha sighed and walked to the window.
The sun glinted off of the snow so brightly that she had to narrow her eyes from the glare. She pulled her hair back and looked back at the bathroom, grinning.
“You better hurry up! I have to go to work!” she said.
All she heard was the awful singing coming from the bathroom and she decided to go to the kitchen. Theo was probably up and cooking and she touched her stomach as it growled under her fingertips.
She headed out of the bedroom and towards the smell that suddenly filled the hallway. She smiled and sighed, realizing that Theo had more than likely decided to make his world famous cinnamon rolls. She stepped into the kitchen and Theo stood there, all decked out in his button down, a vest… tie and dress pants. Sam placed her hand on her hip and grinned.
“You have to be so excited.” She said as she took a chair and sat down.
Theo turned and smiled at her.
“I would be lying if I said no.,” he said.
“Well… I know that the wait has been killing you, so it makes me so happy that today you get to go there and do what you love.” Sam said as she smiled.
Theo grinned and placed a cinnamon roll on her plate. He touched her face and Kai walked in, hair still wet. He shook his head and water splattered on the wood floor. Sam jumped up and grabbed a towel as he sat down and wiped up the water. Theo looked at Kai as he sat down and glanced at Sam.
“Honestly, let him clean up his own messes, if he insists on being a pig.” Theo said.
Sam finished cleaning up the water and sat back down in her chair, she smiled at Kai who took her plate and started to eat her roll. Theo shook his head and made another plate for her.
“I love you.” Sam said as she watched Kai eat. He grinned at her as he chewed and Theo shook his head and sat down to his own plate.
Kai took a huge swig of his milk and Sam grabbed his glass and ran to the fridge with it. She filled it up and brought it back to him as Kai belched.
“Well then.” Theo said as he lowered his fork and stood up, taking his plate to the sink.
“I believe I will be off.” He said as he looked out the window.
“I will have lunch to you by noon.” Sam said.
Theo turned and looked at her.
“I am able to feed myself, thank you though.” He said as he grinned.
“I want mine by 11:30.” Kai said as he stood up and bumped the table, spilling the glass. It rolled and Sam caught it quickly and grabbed the towel.
Theo looked at her and shook his head.
“Seriously Samantha, you treat him like a spoiled child. He will never be useful if you insist on doing everything for him.”
“He is use full, he is amazing.” Sam said as she grinned.
“Mmmm.” Theo said as he walked towards the coatrack and pulled his coat off. He put it on and looked back at Sam.
She hummed while she wiped the table and cleared Kai’s plate.
“I will never understand women.” Theo said as he walked out the door and towards the library.
Kai came running out and grabbed his coat. Sam dropped the towel and ran to him as he started to put it on. She grabbed his coat sleeve and held it as he pushed his arm into it and then he looked at her and smiled.
“You rock.” He said.
“I love you.” Sam said with puppy dog eyes as he walked out, leaving the door wide open. She closed it and grinned, peeking out the window to watch him jump in the car and head to school.
***
Josh rolled over and his eyes fluttered. Everything started to come into focus. There in his face was a face that he did not expect to see. It was Lily’s. She moved a little and Josh scooted backward, falling off the bed and slamming his knees into the floor. He peeked up and she had not woken up, thank god… he thought. He proceeded to crawl, on his knees towards the door, opening it up and crawling out, pulling it closed behind him. He stared at the floor on his hands and knees and then looked up when Jonah came walking down the hallway. Josh stood up quickly, realizing tha
t he was in his underwear. He stood there trying to look normal, but so wasn’t in anyway. Jonah stopped and looked at him and at the door behind him. He stepped up and narrowed his eyes.
“Did you just crawl out of my sister’s bedroom?” Jonah asked him.
Josh peeked behind him and shook his head no.
“So why are you here, in your underwear?” Jonah asked him.
“I really… I ah.” Josh started to say.
Jonah started to laugh and slapped him on the arm.
“It is about time!” Jonah said as he smiled from ear to ear.
“What?” Josh said.
“You and Lily…it is about time. She has wanted you for so long, I am just glad that you finally gave in.” Jonah said.
“Gave in?” Josh asked him.
“Oh! Are we being civil now Joshua?” Jonah said as he continued to laugh.
Josh pointed at the door and looked back at Jonah.
“I have no memory of anything, I mean of being in that room.” Josh said.
“I would say that wine is not your friend then.” Jonah said.
“Wine? Oh… I guess I had been drinking.” Josh said as he rubbed his neck.
Jonah smiled and looked him over.
“Well, if I would have known that you were so intoxicated, I would have joined you.”
Josh looked at him and shook his head.
“No… no.” Josh said as he waved his hand.
Jonah laughed again.
“I would never, although I would have just ten years ago… but you dear Joshua are a friend to us, and I would never take advantage of you.”
“Oh… okay, good.” Josh said as he leaned against the door behind him.
The door opened and Josh almost fell backward. Jonah caught his arm and Lily grinned, looking at the two of them.
“Hello.” She said as she slapped Josh on the butt and he jumped as she passed him by.
She looked back and winked and continued down the hallway. Josh rubbed his hair into a messier pile on his head. Jonah laughed again.