A Tiny Bit Mortal

by Lindsay Bassett

  We entered a passage with Egyptian Hieroglyphs and art on the walls. I felt like I’d stepped into a passage in a pyramid. I watched Muriel's platinum hair bob as she sauntered down the passage with her heels clicking.

  “What is this place?” I asked, to the back of her head.

  “Power.” she said, stopping to face me. I looked at the wall next to us and saw an image of the falcon headed man with humans bowing to him at his feet.

  “Religion.” she said. “Old religion.”

  She turned and continued down the hall. I followed her into a room. The room was large, dark, and smokey. Some sort of herbs or plants had been burning. I could taste them in the air.

  There was a man, had to be in his early twenties, sitting on his knees on a small square platform on the floor. He was wearing a pair of jeans with no shirt. He saw Muriel, closed his eyes and bowed with a smile on his face.

  “How does he see you?” I whispered to her.

  “Shhh.” she replied. “He doesn’t see me, but he can hear me. To him, I am a Goddess.”

  We both stood before him, and with his head still bowed he lifted his arms up into the air. On the platform his wrists were at eye level.

  “You come to us willingly?” asked Muriel.

  “Yes.” replied the man, with reverence in his voice.

  Muriel guided me toward one of his raised arms and held up her hand. Her pointer finger wore a small thimble with a sharp point at the end.

  I breathed in hard, staring at her with wide eyes. I felt sick and looked down at the man. He was smiling. I looked back up and Muriel had pierced his wrist. A little trickle of blood fell from his wrist.

  “I know you want it.” she whispered into my ear.

  Licking my lips, I remembered the high from the day before. I remembered tasting the sunshine, sweet like honey. She grabbed me by the back of my head and pushed my mouth towards his wrist.

  “Obey.” she whispered, into my ear.

  At first I felt disgusted. The blood tasted savory, like the drippings from a steak. Then it bloomed in my mouth and down my throat, making me feel on fire inside with energy. I wrapped my arm around his wrist, closed my eyes and became lost in it.

  Muriel drank from his other arm. After a few minutes, she pulled me away, grabbing me violently by my hair when I resisted. I wanted more.

  She put her hand on the man’s forehead, concentrated, and then healed his wounds. “We thank you.” she said to the man.

  He smiled, brought down his arms and bowed. I followed Muriel out the door, feeling ecstasy shooting up my from my feet with each step against the floor.

  As we ascended the stairs to the foyer, I could smell Tim. He smelled earthy, and like sunshine. I ran up ahead of Muriel, wanting to be closer to the smell.

  Tim stood in the foyer, wearing a tight black t-shirt and some nice fitting jeans. I could see his abs through his shirt. After bounding towards him I ran my hands up his shirt and across his abs, nuzzling my face into his neck and inhaling his scent.

  “Em?” he asked, cautiously.

  “Let’s go.” I said, without explanation.

  I walked away from him and out the door.

  “Have fun!” shouted Muriel as Tim jogged to catch up to me. I dove into the backseat of the car where the driver stood with the door open. Tim climbed in beside me. I put my hands on him and kissed him deeply.

  “Wow.” he said, getting a taste of the blood in my mouth. “I guess we are going to have that kind of night.”

  I laughed, with my head back, feeling like I was flying inside of my body. My heart beat wildly in my chest as I felt the power flowing through me. Tim pulled a flask out from his pocket, removed the lid, and took a drink. He handed it to me.

  “This should calm you down a bit.” he said.

  I took it and poured some into my mouth. It burned and bloomed, warm in my stomach. My heart slowed down a bit.

  “Brilliant.” I said, looking out the window at the city lights in the dark. They looked like dancing fireflies, occasionally leaving a trail of light in the air as time slowed down and sped up.

  With the energy rushing through me I felt like I wanted to fly. “I need to get out of this car.” I said, feeling my heart race again.

  “We’re almost there.” said Tim, running his fingers across my thigh. I put my hand on his, quick as lightening, and looked into his eyes. I felt lost in them.

  The car stopped on a sidewalk, and Tim got out. He opened my door and held out his hand. I grabbed it and looked around at the sidewalk. We were at a club with a long line full of people that went on down to the end of the block. Tim pulled me along, and we walked right past the bouncer as he looked me up and down and nodded. I looked back at the crowd to see everyone staring at me, many of them with their mouths hanging open.

  “They see your beauty, Em.” he said, talking into my ear over the roar of the club. “Told you. You are a fucking goddess.”

  I smiled and followed Tim into a dark club, with lights flashing to the music. There were go-go dancers up on platforms of various heights scattered throughout the room. We slipped into the crowd and began dancing with everyone else.

  I was surrounded by people dancing so close to me that I could feel their bodies brushing against me. Dancing with my arms up in the air, the music moved through my body.

  Suddenly there was a man dancing in front of me, and he faced me. He was sexy, for a mortal, and I smiled at him. He put his hands on my hips and began dancing with his body pressed up against mine.

  In my trance, I looked to my right and saw Tim dancing, just as dirty, with a busty little blond woman in a pink halter top. I met eyes with him, and he smiled at me.

  After disappearing into the crowd, I got up onto one of the platforms and began dancing. The crowd cheered me on and I saw the flash of a camera. Time momentarily stopped, and I was seeing myself in the image that the camera held.

  I eventually climbed down from the platform and made my way over to the bar where I could see Tim sitting. He handed me a drink, and I played footsie with him.

  By the third club and the sixth drink I was fading in and out of consciousness. I felt like I was in a room with a strobe light, and with each flash I was posed somewhere different - dancing with a different man or a different crowd.

  We ended up in a back room of a club, and the whole scene felt like a dream. While I was making out with a hunky blond guy, I looked over to see Tim with his body pressed into a woman. It gave me a pang of jealousy. I pushed her out of the way and heard a squeaky “hey!” come out of her mouth as she fell hard to the floor.

  “Mine.” I said, straddling him.

  “Yours.” he said, smiling at me.

  In another flash we were no longer at the club. I was in a bed, naked, with Tim. I was on top of him, running my hands across his chest, slowly and then as quick as lightening. I threw my head back in ecstasy.

  In the next flash, I was running through the garden, completely naked and holding Tim’s hand. It was exhilarating, with chilly air biting against my skin. As we ran the garden was a blur of darkness, moonlight and green.

  Waking up in my bed in my wing of the mansion, I looked around me, disoriented and confused. Putting my hand on my chest I felt the diamond with my fingers. Everything came back to me in a rush - the old Emily that knew nothing about the supernatural, then Peter and my dad, and then the memory of Tim walking up to me on the street at my Dad’s house.

  Watching Tim in slow motion in my memory, I remembered him kissing my hand while fear rushed through me. I wanted to go back in time and step out into the street with him. I wanted to run away with him in that moment. My mom would never have been kidnapped, and I would be right where I wanted to be.

  Remembering the Hall of Elders, I watched their expressionless faces again while my blood spilled out onto the floor. I remembered Peter and my dad leaving me alone in the hall before it happened and how pissed off I was on the ride home.

  My dad w
ould always be my dad, but Peter was only in my life for a few months. When I thought about my dad, I still felt myself caring. When I thought about Peter, I felt nothing.

  Flipping over to my side and slipping my hand under my pillow, I curled up in a little ball. My memories faded away, and though the morning light was seeping in through the cracks of the curtains, I fell right back to sleep.

  XII

  The Locket

  Walking down the stairs and into the foyer, I moved with grace, having perfected my ability to walk in heels and a tight dress. I met Muriel in the foyer and followed her into a room with couches that surrounded a movie theater sized screen. “I want to show you something.” she said.

  I watched the image of myself in the club flash across the screen. The narrating voice talked about me as the “mystery heiress that everyone is dying to know about.”

  She pointed a remote towards the screen and shut it off. She stepped towards me and put her hands around my waist. She was smiling and looking the picture of a proud mother. “You.” she said. “Are getting an interview and a photo shoot tomorrow.”

  I smiled back at her, revelling in her pride towards me, when I saw Tim enter the room. Muriel nodded, acknowledging his presence, and then waved me off.

  Following Tim outside into the early afternoon sun, we went past the big pool and climbed up to the smaller pool where the waterfall flowed from. It overlooked the valley with the same view as the one out of my bathroom window.

  We immersed ourselves in the water, next to each other, resting our arms and chins on the edge with the view. It was quiet in the garden, with the sounds of the busy afternoon of cars and people amounting to a dull roar.

  “It seems like it’s just you and me in this world.” I said.

  “That’s how I see it.” he said. “Wherever we go. Just us. The world is ours.”

  “We are like Gods.” I said. “Except…”

  I could hear and feel the beating of my heart.

  “Except what?” he asked. “We are Gods.”

  Grabbing his hand from the ledge, I placed it over my heart. “How long will I live?” I asked him. “How long until this stops beating?”

  “It won’t.” he said, confidently. “Someone might try to kill you at some point. But you won’t let them. I won’t let them. You will never grow old. We will walk the earth together. Forever.”

  “Might.” I said. “Someone will. You know someone will while my heart still beats.” He looked out over the valley as if he was searching for something. I looked out into the valley, searching for what he could be searching for. “We will find it, Em.” he said.

  “Find what?” I asked.

  “The pool.” he said. “Of immortality. I know it exists, hidden somewhere. We will find it, and bathe you in it.”

  “I thought you didn’t love.” I said, moved by the passion in his words. I looked over to his face, and he looked wounded, with watery eyes.

  “Don’t speak of love, Em.” he said, pushing himself away from the ledge and swimming towards the waterfall. I watched as he rose up out of the water and dove off the waterfall, disappearing.

  I turned and looked back over the ledge, staring off into the valley. The feeling that Tim gave me when I saw that look on his face reverberated through me. Hearing the sound of him getting out of the water and leaving, I stayed where I was and let him go.

  Stepping out of the water, I climbed down from the high pool and stepped down the path below. I looked behind me and saw a trail of my wet footprints. Feeling the pathway beneath my feet, I stopped.

  I felt alone, and thought “this his how it’s always been, my whole life.” Every one that had been in my life, aside from my mom, felt fleeting. My only constant was feeling alone in the universe.

  I walked around the front of the mansion, and into the front door. Stepping into the foyer, I stopped at the edge of the stairs. Admitting to myself that I came in that way for a reason, I turned and made my way to the stairwell that led below the house.

  Walking down the dim hallway, I ran my fingers over the hieroglyphs and the images of Pharaohs and Gods. I stopped where I saw an Egyptian man and woman sitting side by side on their thrones. I saw myself and Tim sitting there, tracing the image with my fingers.

  Exploring the hall I found the same room that Muriel had led me to before. It was empty, with no one on the little raised platform offering their blood.

  I went back into the hallway and walked to the very end. After finding a dark doorway, I peered down a stairwell. Descending the winding stairwell, it seemed to go on forever. I considered turning back several times, but my curiosity kept me moving.

  Finally reaching the bottom I emerged into a large hall with tall ceilings. A wide, red carpet ran down the middle of it. I followed the carpet with my eyes, and looked up to see Muriel at the end of it, sitting high upon a throne made of gold.

  Muriel looked up at me and beckoned me with her hand. I walked down the hall, watching Muriel. As I approached the throne, she held up her hand for me to stop.

  “In here, daughter, you kneel to me.” she said quietly.

  I looked around to see that in the darkness at the edges of the hall stood men and women. They were in groups and holding wine glasses as if they were in the middle of socializing at a party. They were all frozen and silent, looking at me.

  Looking up at Muriel, her eyes were intense. Feeling a chill up my spine, I stepped toward her. After I got down to my knees and bowed, I felt her place her hand upon my bowed head. “Rise.” she said. “And stand next to me.”

  The crowd began moving again and returned to their hushed conversations. Moving to stand next to her, I stepped down to the side of her raised throne. The platform of her throne kept her face about a foot above where I stood. Muriel looked down onto my face. “You seek power.” she said.

  “I…” I said, not knowing what to say.

  “That’s why you came down here.” she said.

  I felt a wave of guilt and shame, knowing she was right.

  “Don’t.” she said. “It’s your destiny, Emily.”

  I looked around at all the people. Some I could tell were immortals. Some were mortals.

  Staring at a group of mortals, I wondered what it was like for them. The immortals must have seemed like ghosts with their disembodied voices. It must have seemed like magic to them.

  “You will sit on this throne, soon.” she said. “When you are ready, and only when you are ready. I will leave this place and it all will be yours. I think you already know this.”

  “Where will you go?” I asked.

  “I will retire.” she said. “I will have everything I worked for.” She looked down at me and smiled. “From this throne you will rise to even higher thrones. You will bring our people out of darkness and into the daylight. They will worship us under the sun. You will bridge our worlds, mortal and immortal, and make them one.”

  Imagining myself sitting in a high throne, I could feel the sun against my skin. I remembered the power I felt, high on the blood, tasting the sunlight in my open mouth. I wanted it.

  She leaned towards me and grabbed me under my chin. “But first,” she said. “you must build your kingdom under the sun. Show yourself to them.”

  “I will.” I said.

  “Good.” she said, letting go of me. “Now kneel at my feet once more and the leave my hall. It’s not yours yet.”

  After kneeling, I felt her hand upon my bowing head again. Leaving the hall, I climbed back up the stairs. As I entered the foyer I spotted one of the servants, in her black clothing. She skittered around close to the wall, like a mouse. That was how they moved through the house, skittering on the edges and never making eye contact.

  Quick as lightening I rushed across the foyer, my feet barely touching the ground. I stopped in front of her, startling her. Her chest heaved as she looked at me, wide eyed.

  “Have a car brought around the front.” I said. “I’m going out.”


  She nodded and rushed away. After walking across the foyer I opened the front door. Standing in the driveway, I watched as a car approached. He stopped in front of me, got out, and opened the door.

  As I watched the world go by through the passenger window, I felt free. No one had stopped me. There was no immortal escorting me, or lurking around. Just a mortal driver, in the front seat. I could hear his heart beating.

  Pulling the wallet out of a purse that Muriel had given me, I stared down at the multitude of credit cards that lined the little pockets. “I want you to take me to a restaurant.” I said. “The best one you know of.”

  “Yes, Miss.” he said.

  We pulled up in front of a sidewalk and the driver let me out. I looked up at the restaurant and then looked back and nodded to him. He left with the car, and I stepped towards the door.

  Hearing a rush of footsteps I stopped to observe the commotion. There was a group approaching, holding cameras and recording tapes. I turned and faced them. A woman shoved her way to the front while cameras flashed.

  “Tell us who you are!” she said.

  “The name’s Em.” I said, with a wink. Turning my back to the crowd, I flipped my hair behind me. I walked slowly into the restaurant, giving them some time to see me walk away.

  After I ate the most articulately arranged plate of food I’d ever seen, I pulled out one of the credit cards and watched nervously as the waitress walked away with it. She returned and handed me the receipt.

  Elated at my success with the credit card, I had the driver drop me off at a row of boutique shops. Not paying attention to any of the price tags, I picked out over a dozen outfits that were way outside my normal conservative Emily boundaries.

  Exhausted, I stopped off at the day spa that Tim had taken me too where I got a massage and full body wrap. While immobilized in the body wrap, I took a little nap, exhausted from the exercise of walking around in heels all day.