The Grasp of Nighttide

by Sadaf Zulfikar

  “How could you?” Alice held his collar.

  “For God’s sake... I couldn’t say you were a demon. By the way you were attempting a suicide that night.” He said a matter-of-factly.

  Alice sat exhausted, picking up a balloon and looking around the room's setup once more. “Why did you pull back when I kissed you that day?”

  “I didn’t want to, believe me I wanted to kiss you more than you did. But it wasn’t confirmed that the demon was back for good. I mean, it happened once and then again only on the night of the party. After that, Veronica said that once she met you and told you everything, you and I could get back together with you. I was so scared for your life; I didn’t want to lose you, like I did the night you tried to kill yourself. So I was scared to let you know everything before Veronica did.”

  “I was so alone,” she started crying. “So alone. I didn’t know where I belonged; you do not know how troubled I was all these months. You don’t know.”

  “I would’ve come earlier to check on you,” he said, instantly wiping her tears. “But I wouldn’t be let go from the hospital and then I was on meds.”

  "Mom told me that." Alice nodded, still teary. Then her expression changed, trying to figure out something. “Why didn’t you tell me this morning?”

  “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

  “Well, it was a horrible idea,” Alice sat, exhausted.

  “Then..." he paused to but time for getting down on one knee. He pulled out the ring from his pocket, being extra careful to not drop it. He wasn't a bit nervous, he couldn't be surer that he wanted Alice in his life. "How about this one?”

  Alice looked at him and then at the ring, speechless."Wh-what... I… I" she fumbled with words.

  Derek smirked taking in her expression. She was surprised and excited with his proposal.

  "Will you marry me?" Derek's voice was filled with hope.

  Instead of a nod, Derek could see Alice's expression hardening, before she said. "No."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Do you even realize what you are doing Derek? Do you think this is a joke?" Alice said, walking over to the window.

  "This is not a joke."

  "Do you realize that you are asking an evil person to marry you?" Alice said in a cold tone, trying hard to not break down. "I have killed many people Derek. I've even killed Stephanie."

  At the mention of Steph, Derek's heart hurt. Alice was also responsible for Rosalie's death though she was unaware of that. But it wasn't her fault. It was the Grasp who did this to her, who were the masterminds behind all this. He clenched his fist, vowing he'd not let them succeed in controlling his love anymore. This was where it had to end.

  "All I know is that I would be in my grave if not for you." Derek approached her and looked her in the eye. "You made my life what it never was- beautiful." Looking at Alice wince, he realized that she was snapping her fingers. He held her right hand, gently rubbing it. “Trust me Alice. We have gone through worse on our own. We can get through this... together."

  "Promise?"

  He placed his hand on his chest and smiled. "Promise, my love."

  “You have to clear a lot of things with me mister,” she taunted, tousling his hair.

  “Please, I want the answer first." He shifted back to the kneeling position. "I’ve been waiting for a long time.”

  “I will answer if you ask with an instant rap.”

  “What?” he laughed in disbelief.

  “Serves you right for giving me a hard time today,” Alice pouted. “You don’t know how much of trouble you caused me. Go on now.”

  The words came to him much sooner than he had expected. An instant rap at the least took a minute of preparation but now it was like the words had been stored in his mind all this time. He grinned, holding the ring up to her once again.

  “You make each moment everyday

  To me you are a lot more than life

  Let heaven record my words as I ask

  Rave, will you be my wife?”

  She nodded in silent tears of joy and hugged him. “I will, Derek. I will.”

  “Shhh…” he said as he slipped the ring on her finger. “You said we must return to our lives remember. From now on I’m Lance and you are my Rave.”

  “So you might want to start with how our love story came into existence Lance.”

  *****

  On the bed, Lance’ arm was wrapped around Rave, closing the distance between him and her. Meanwhile Rave’s hands were both placed on Lance chest, her head was right below Lance’s chin. He was done telling her how they had met after he tried to suicide, then told her all the things they had done, and how she had worked to make his life better- starting with actually having some talk with his mom. She’d got him to give his parents one last chance that time.

  Now Lance kissed her forehead and pulled her closer, making sure Rave could hear his heart beating. They remained in that position until Lance suddenly broke the silence.

  “Rave” he said. Rave looked at him, puzzled. Lance caressed her face, admiring the perfectly sculptured features. “Don’t you remember the day we had planted the seed of a blue rose? It never grew. God must’ve punished the person who sold it to me. We had so much hope.”

  “No,” she laughed. “But I’d like to have that memory back too.” She smiled at Lance.

  “So…shall we retire for the night?"

  Her eyes grew wide as she looked out the window. “It’s night already. How fast time flies.”

  “Go to sleep. I’m right here. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

  “I can always count on you. Can you do me one favor?” Rave asked.

  “Don’t ask for anything intimate,” Lance teased.

  “Tie me up real tight.”

  That answer startled Lance. He raised his eyebrow, not getting what she was trying to say. “What?” he blurted out.

  “There is some rope in your closet. Tie me up, my hands and my legs. I don’t want to kill anyone anymore.” she held both of her hands towards him in a handcuffed position.

  “No,” Lance threw up his hands. “I can’t tie you. I can never do this to you.”

  Rave sat up and went to the closet. She grabbed the rope and tossed it right in front of Lance. She quickly kneeled and begged him. “Please. It’s all I want. It’s for me. For us. If you want me to be safe and with you.”

  Reluctantly, Lance started making loose loops around her wrists. At every loop, Lance sighed loudly.

  “Come on your better than that,” Rave ordered.

  Lance dropped the rope. “I can’t,” he looked up as her face deviated from the normal. “Rave?”

  Rave was silent. She eyed horrified Lance and the next moment her eyes were all black. She immediately dashed out from the room.

  “Rave!” Lance tried to scramble out of the flat but suddenly the door shut by itself. Lance charged at it, pushing it with all his might, but it didn’t budge.

  “You are making a mistake,” a female voice came from the other side.

  Lance’s brows furrowed. “Mrs. Paul or shall I say Diane. It is you. Isn’t it?”

  “Good guess.”

  “Let me go. I need to get to Rave.”

  “It’s time the demon takes over her. If she finds her memory now it will just hinder everything.”

  “Leave her alone.”

  “If it was only that simple.” Diane laughed.

  “Let me go.”

  “I’m doing you a favor. It is dangerous for you to be with her.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “You ungrateful fool.” Diane said. “But still, I will be doing another favor for you. After tonight I will take her somewhere where you will never find her.”

  “You will never succeed. Do you get that? Never!"

  Lance felt desperate. He had to escape somehow. But how, that was the question. He remembered the rope fallen in the room. The moment Lance had the idea, a shiver ran down his spine. He could escape.r />
  Lance got back to the room and picked up the rope from the floor. He got to the balcony and could see Rave standing with her back to him.

  "Alice!!" he called at first, and then shaking his head he corrected the name. "Rave!" But the distance wouldn't let his voice reach her. He quickly tied the rope to the rail, hoping it would hold. He pulled at it a couple of times to see if it was strong enough. It was long a shot. He had always been afraid of heights-particularly when it came to conquering heights in a daredevil attempt like this- and his hands and legs were shaky even by looking at the distance he had to go down.

  The rope was strong but it was only long enough to get a floor below, and his was the second floor. He would have to take a chance and jump where the rope ended. Lance shuddered at the thought, I can never make it, he thought but then Rave’s face came before his eyes, I have to try and I must. He balanced his feet on the balcony wall and held the rope tightly. He closed his eyes for a moment before descent; now do not look down, he told himself. He made his way down slowly until his legs dangled in air and hands reached the end of the rope. Then he made the fatal mistake. He glanced downwards. His heart leapt to his throat. This is impossible; I am going to die he thought. His palms were sweaty and the rope was slipping through his fingers. It was the thought of Rave that brought him back to his senses.

  Who will save Rave, if I die? He thought. I have to save her but I have to save myself first.

  He mustered up all his courage and shifted his focus on his feet. He landed on his hands and feet. He slowly opened his eyes when he felt the ground beneath himself. It took him just a second to recover and then he was running across the yard to Rave.

  Standing a few feet short to catch his breath, he called to her again. She turned around.

  Her face was scary, as he had seen her the previous day- but her eyes were shot black and her face was totally blank with no expression whatsoever.

  "It is okay." he held up his hands. "I'm here."

  She blinked and that was the only reaction.

  "Despite my warnings you got to her," he heard Diane's voice from behind.

  He hadn't known exactly how the Grasp controlled the demons. But Diane was surely doing it now. She had Rave stationed there, waiting, until she wanted to. Rave would run wild if she triggered the demon again, and continue with the killings. And before that could happen Lance had to get Rave back.

  "Rave," he said ignoring Diane. "Please. This is not you. Snap out of it."

  "Good to know you got to see her off after all," Diane said.

  Lance turned around to see Diane but instead all he could see were huge crimson flames, which erupted around him forming a huge circle.

  "And I could've burnt you alive you know." He could hear Diane moving, on the other side of the wall of flame.

  "Try," Lance challenged.

  "Stephanie wouldn't want that."

  "Steph? You..." he coughed before continuing. "You knew her?"

  Of course Steph was Grasp and the other Grasp would know about her, but Diane spoke like she knew her well.

  "My granddaughter? Yes."

  Lance clenched his fists on either side. If only he could see her, he'd land a hard punch across her face for being the person responsible behind Steph's death- he knew she was there when Steph died- because she was certainly appointed to look after Rave, to shield Rave’s demonic side from the world. If Diane was really Steph's grandma, she didn't even spare Steph’s life. And that made Diane more of a jerk.

  "Now if you excuse us. Your girl here and I, have work to do."

  "Leave. Her. Alone." Lance growled through gritted teeth.

  There was no answer to that except for receding laughter. She was taking Rave.

  With that the lady was gone, leaving Lance in the circle of fire. There was nothing to think for him through, he had to get to Rave. The circle of flame was closing in on him. Diane was gone and he knew she would be taking Rave away soon. Once she disappeared with Rave who knew in which part of world she would hide her. Lance needed to get out of there as fast as he could.

  “I am stronger than Diane and her magic tricks,” Lance instructed himself. He knew there was no other way except to charge through the flames to escape. He was putting himself at a great risk. He covered his head and face with his jacket so only his eyes were visible. He took a deep breath and stepped in the fire.

  He ran faster than he had ever run before. He felt angry flames lapping against his body. His clothes were on fire. In seconds he was out of the magical circle. He threw away his jacket and did a quick roll on the muddy ground- thanks to the rain earlier. The flames disappeared like there weren’t there in the first place. Lance quickly dusted himself off. It was a miracle to have escaped with minor burns. Then he got up and ran to Cloud.

  “Rave, I am coming,” he said as he drove at full speed.

  He drove for five minutes with no sign of her. With no way of knowing which direction she’d gone, he got out of Cloud to try and think of a plan. It was then that he caught a glimpse of her. He would lose her if tried to go ahead and find a way to turn Cloud around. Instead, he hunkered down and jumped over the divider on the road.

  Rave appeared in view again. She looked in no way like Rave, but still Lance had to get to her. The figure smiled and receded back slowly in the darkness. Lance had to make a move now. He had to cross the road. He looked around, not a single person or vehicle in sight.

  “For Rave,” he said, taking a step forward. Nothing happened.

  When he took another step, again, nothing happened.

  Certain that Rave wasn’t nearby, he quickly thought to run across the street. Even if she wasn’t human anymore, he didn’t care. For he loved Rave deeply, he was willing to accept who she was.

  But he felt it right that instant. He was stuck. Rave again came into view, red inhuman eyes, with a demonic laugh.

  CHAPTER 37

  Rave’s sight zoomed in and out involuntarily. It was like someone was toying around with her eyes. For a moment, the tree in front of her looked like tiny broccoli and next it became huge, hovering over her. With that vision, Rave could hardly move. She couldn’t judge the distance between the objects and her body. Everything looked as if they were expanding and contracting at the same time. Her body felt like a feather that she was sure that she was defying gravity and she could hear something- laughter- but she couldn't be sure whether it was her.

  Her vision got better and she could see a man, standing on the road. She had no idea what he was doing there or why he was there.

  She could hear words like- ‘I will always be with you no matter what.’ ‘Even death can’t separate us.’ ‘I love you.’

  I love you? Lance?

  Her thoughts broke, not letting her be sure of what to do. She couldn’t move, think or even blink. What she could only do was stare at Lance. The scene in front of her was like a half remembered dream. Rave’s vision grew dark and a flashback surfaced from a forgotten memory. There had been a night as dark as this before……

  Rave had been standing on the road one night, with her arms wide- ready for death to knock her life out and Grim Reaper to take her away. As she was waiting for the very moment, Veronica’s words echoed in her mind. She was incapable of love; she could never be with Lance. She was destined to be alone. Loving Lance also meant risking his life. In life, she had accepted everything as her fate, and yet staying away from Lance wasn’t possible for her now. All Rave had ever wished for was to be free. Free from her past, free to experience the world as a normal human and most important, free to be loved- but that was just impossible.

  A bright light beamed at her eyes. Finally, the call to afterlife had arrived.

  It’s time to be free. Rave had thought.

  She wanted to just die. Her legs were getting clammy and her body was showing signs that she wasn’t ready for the impact. However, her heart remained strong. She deserved it for all murders she was responsible for. Rave needed to be rammed
to death.

  I am a killing machine who serves no purpose to this world. I should just die and let everyone be safe and happy. Even Lance will be saved from the fate of marrying a beast! Trying to make herself more determined to die, she had filled her mind with more negative thoughts.

  Although Rave thought she was ready to die then, she found herself shivering and crying. Her cheeks were wet and her hands were cold. Deep inside, she still had the feeling of fear. What was she afraid of? A demon like her shouldn’t be scared of anything!

  She tightened her fists and shut her eyes. She had involuntarily braced herself for the impact that would end it all, but a person came from the side and pushed her, and she went sprawling to the side of the road.

  As she had hit her head, she saw Lance fallen and bleeding profusely. His was a desperate look given by people who were about to face their death and it took her breath away. She tried to reach him but her head hurt bad, letting her lose balance and fall off the slope. The last thing she had seen was Lance looking at her, trying to reach out before closing his eyes. Please save Lance. Let this wish come true, Rave had prayed. This once, please…..

  “Lance!” a shout boomed in her head, dragging her back into the present. She was back in the present, but the memory had taken her breath away.

  A new voice began to close in on her. That’s it Rave. Make the stitch in time. Make the stitch in time.

  Rave? Stitch? Lance!

  “No!” Rave eye’s widened in recognition of what was about to happen and she reached out her hand.

  A moment before he could be killed by the impact of the car, Lance was pushed away backwards with an invisible wave. He was thrown in the air before finally smashing onto a tree. The car screeched to a halt, its tires squealing on the asphalt, headlights pointing to nowhere.

  “Oh my God!” Rave gasped and dashed towards Lance. Her heart pounded as she approached Lance. Pictures of Lance being covered in blood and being broken into half were in her mind. However, Lance looked fine except with a few bruises and burns. Rave moved closer to him, looking for signs of life. He was definitely breathing but just unconscious. She heaved a sigh of relief.