“Well?” she said in a cold tone, which could turn anyone into an ice.
I shivered. She seemed really ready for a fight and I didn't know if I should accept her challenge. After all, I wasn't that stupid. She and Christopher weren't humans. They were something more, stronger, smarter. Even if tried to win, I will never be even close to see that golden medal saying that I beat them.
I stole a glance at Christopher. He was standing so close to me that I found myself wanting to lean closer to him.
“Well what?” I dared to say, pointing my eyes to the ground, but I saw that light wood not long, because Avery came closer to me, lifted my head up only that she could give me a slap in the face.
“Are you out of your mind, little one?” she said in angry voice now.
I sprung back, hitting Christopher's chest. No one had ever slapped my face. I was in shock. My lounges started crying for air which was everywhere except in my body.
“Great, Avery,” Christopher was unsatisfied by her behavior. He quickly hugged me and started whispering soothing words into my ear. It helped a little.
“She needs to know, who is the boss here, Christopher,” Avery snapped and turned her back to me and him, “or else not only will she go into the other world.”
The Other world, those words echoed in my mind like a curse. I didn't need to ask them about what world she was talking.
I started to gasp for air more.
“Hush, little one,” it almost reminded me a day in the graveyard. “Everything is okay. You were a bad girl, but you had learned from you mistake and that is a good thing,” he said, hugging me tighter and that actually helped me to take control of my body again. And when I was breathing normally again, he released me. “Come, you need to eat something,” he took my had and leaded me to the table. He settled me next to him. A few minutes later, Anna came, carrying our food.
I glanced at my salad, not sure if I really wanted to eat.
“My wife also didn't eat meat and because of that, everyone thought that she lived only on vegetables. How I see, Anna have the same brain in her head.”
“You had a wife?” I asked stunned. After all, they said to me that the protectors and tutors didn't have soulmates. So, how was that he had a wife? And why did that fact make me sad?
“Yes. She was a special person. You know, I could say that your behavior is similar to hers.”
“She was a pain in the ass?” I lifted my eyebrows up.
He shook his head.
“A truth finder. She tried to show the world, how wrong it was doing one or another thing. I think that is the main reason why her soul couldn't come back,” sadness touched his cute face. “Her declared ideas started a war between two villages.”
I turned my face that I couldn't see how pain and sadness grew in his face. I knew that I should stop him and change the topic of our little conversation, but I couldn't find enough courage or maybe desire to end this discussion about his wife. So, the only thing which left for me, was to ask questions.
“How did she die?”
“One man from other village killed her in front of my eyes. I was bound to a tree like some kind of animal. They brought her in front of me. She was brave even in the sight of dead. She didn't even scream when the knife dived in her body.”
I hugged myself. My wild imagination showed me too realistic images of his told story.
“I am sorry,” I said.
He glanced at me and took a deep breath. A weak smile appeared on his face, like telling that this happened very long time ago and he had recovered.
“Her name was Vanessa,” he said. “When I saw you in the grave, I remembered her and decided that this name will suit you the best for your new life.”
He chose me his dead wife's name. That fact really hit below the belt. At the same time I was both happy to have something, what mean a lot for him, and furious. After all, he was married and my new name belonged to his life's love.
“Is there a bar of chocolate? I would rater eat it than this,” I made a decision that I should change the subject, before my anger could start shining on my face like the sun in the sky.
“Ask Ann,” he suggested. I nodded and left him alone in the dining room. For my luck, Ann had bought many bars of chocolate only for me. So, I took one of them and strode to my room to do some writing.
<<>>
“How do you think, will we be able to do our job this time?” Avery asked, taking a seat next to him. Her face shone from concern.
Christopher shrugged. He didn't have the answer to that. This mission was so different from those which they had had. Trinity knew who she was and that she had been dead. It wasn't just a mission to find for guy his girlfriend, his soulmate, which he would love all his lives.
“She just needs time,” he said.
“We don't have it, Christopher,” Avery reminded him. He hated that fact. They had never had time. The bodiless required doing the job as quickly as possible. Christopher understood perfectly why they had a time limit; the number of people grew, while theirs almost remained the same.
“I know,” he admitted.
“And hunters... They are searching for souls like hers. I could only imagine how happy they would be when they find out that she reminds her previous life.”
“You think I don't understand that she is in danger?” Christopher turned his eyes at his friend. He knew Avery so long that he could give his life to her. But right now she was crossing a boundary of his patience. “The fact that she reminds, who she is, makes her special, Avery. We just need to find out why the bodiless let her know, who she is.”
“So what? Now we will play detectives?”
“No, we will just try to watch her, read her stories. After all, they are the things which could tell us more about her.”
She sighed and nodded in the end.
“You are right, I guess,” she said and rolled her eyes.
“Thank you.”
“But why didn't you mention to her that your wife also was a writer?” Avery was curious. Christopher frowned and shot an angry look at his friend. Yea, Trinity was similar to his wife, which will never be with him again. The start told him that.
“She is out from this world, Christopher. She won't come back to life. I am sorry. But you have two choices. The first one would be for you to become a protector and help people to find their happiness. Another one, you come back to this world over and over without a chance to find your happiness.”
“Because she doesn't need to know anything about us, Avery. After month or two, we will leave her alone. She doesn't need to tie up to us too much.”
“So, why then did give her your wife's name?” a smug smile kissed her face. “You know that she is not yours and she could never be. Tobias soon will appear in her life and...Then our mission will end.”
“Don't put your rest in that,” he said. “When she finds out that nice fact about him, I really doubt that her feelings will overthrow her sanity.”
“We will see,” Avery said simply. “Maybe this mission will be the most interesting mission of all we had ever had. I bet That Tobias will win,” and she walked away, leaving Christopher alone with his own emotions, which boiled in him.
He didn't want to mention Avery that Trinity had magically found a way to meet her soulmate and how the jealously to see him in front of her, offering his number that she could call him later, conquered his sanity. He should have acted coldly, like he didn't care that some kind of guy tried to make some new friends. Also, he had to give Trinity a boost to meet that guy again, let that sparkle of love to become a fire.
He shook his head, letting in his mind the memory of seeing her scared and telling that Tobias had followed her to that ice-cream coffee. She didn't understand who he was, although she had been told about her soulmate and their mission. And still, the fact that Trinity didn't seem to be in that dreamy land seeing him, was really shocking. She should have tried to flirt, win more time to be with him and h
er eyes should have never left his. But she avoided his eyes and was dieing to get away from him. Was she acting like that because he came? Maybe. He shouldn't have hastened to bring her back home.
“I am such an idiot,” he criticized himself. “It is just a mission,” nothing more, he ended his sentence in his mind.
But is it? he asked himself a few minutes later.
All this situation wasn't so bad if not that fact that this girl's souls somehow managed to touch his soul, when none of others weren't even close to find the right path to his feelings.
He ran his hand through his hair. He needed some time and to be away from her until the job will be done.
Christopher stood up and walked out from the flat.
Chapter eight
Next day started with hearing the water drops on the roof, creating a symphony of nature's sounds. I opened my eyes and saw grey clouds through the window. Many people frowned, seeing so nasty sky, but not me. I liked rainy days. Especially, when the lightings were playing above everyone's head. Those moments seemed to me so magical, so mysterious. Sometimes I even wondered what could happen to me if one of those magical lightings would touch me.
Stupid, I knew that, but my brain only in rare times understood that in reality nothing special could ever happen.
I lifted my head up and glanced around. I noticed a tray with food and a note on the table, just waiting for me to be read.
I stood up and walked closer to the table. I took the note in my hands and started reading it. It was from Avery, warning me not to leave home today. Also, there was written that she will take me to the city tomorrow.
I sighed. It was a good tactic; steal hope that you could give it back later. Also, there was an postscript. Write your stories.
I rolled my eyes as I read that. Why were my stories so freaking important to them? There were so many books in this world. Why did it need some more? From me, a person who had many query rejections already?
I crushed that note and kicked it like it was a ball. I didn't care where it landed. I wormed back to my bed, but I couldn't fall asleep. So, I took my computer and started writing my stories. I spent twenty minutes pressing various buttons until I decided to stop and take a pause to eat. After I finished my food, I decided to bring the tray and dirty plates back to the kitchen where Anna, the housekeeper, could wash them up.
But soon I had to face the truth; I was left alone. There weren't neither Anna nor Avery with Christopher. In that note I hadn't read anything about me being alone in the flat.
I put the tray with plates on the table and took a better look around the flat. Yea, no one was with me. Was it good or bad that I was left alone after my yesterday's escapade?
I grinned.
But before I could do my cunning deeds, I heard a door bell ringing. I frowned and slowly started walking. But here, when a few steps separated me from the door and that person, who was behind them, I stopped like I had hit the invisible wall.
I hadn't gotten permission to open the door to strangers. Behind those doors could be one of those bad people which Christopher and Avery were so afraid of.
I hugged myself when the door bell rang one more time. I didn't know what to do. In the end I decided that nothing really bad could happen to me and I opened the door widely, meeting that stranger with a big and friendly smile on my face. Not to mention that I was wearing my pyjamas. Yea, I knew how to make fun of myself.
“Hello,” I said and looked straight at the girl in front of me. She was somewhere around my age if not younger. After all, girls matured quicker than the boys and sixteen years girl could look like she was twenty. She had short, black hair in which I could see a white lock. Her eyes were slate blue color. Her face was nice to look at.
“Hi,” she said in playful voice. “I am Agnes. I live next door. My father told me that this flat finally has some living beings, who are actually my age. So, I decided to come here and introduce myself,” she lifted her hand for me to press it. I hesitated, but in the end pressed her hand.
“Nice to meet you. I am Vanessa,” I said, still smiling widely.
“Nice to meet you, too,” and she tipped a bit on her fingers to see over my shoulder, deeper into the flat. I laugh in my mind. That really wasn't a clear sign that she wanted to walk into my home.
“Would you like to come inside?” I asked, moving away to make her space to walk in.
She nodded.
“Yes, sure,” she stepped forward. “I am sorry if I have woken you up.”
I closed the door behind her and shook my head.
“No, I was awake,” I said, following her forward. We soon were in the spacious living room. Agnes seemed astonished to see so splendidly equipped living room. I wasn't so amazed by this room. Yea, it was really something, but I wasn't from those people to whom money was the most important thing in a life.
“Your parents are rich,” she stated the fact.
I shook my head as she took a seat on one of the sofas in the living room.
“No. My parents are...dead. I am living with my... friends,” I ended. In my mind a made a mental note to ask Avery and Christopher, how should I call them in front of other people. I could guarantee that they wouldn't like to be called protector and tutor in front of the strangers.
“How old are you?” she seemed curious to find out more details about me.
“Eighteen,” I said reluctantly. “Would you like a tea or something?” I asked only to be polite, not because I wanted that she could stay here longer.
“Yes, please,” she nodded.
“Okay. I will go the kitchen. Make yourself at home,” I said and left her alone in the living room. I knew that I should go and change my clothes first, but I didn't want to waste my time with her. The sooner I will give her the tea, the sooner she will leave me alone. But did I want to be left alone. Even if I was a loner, I needed to have some friends. Maybe I could really make her my friend. It would be easier later to adapt to this entire new world.
I didn't need hours to find the tea, two cups, sugar and some sweets in the kitchen. So, soon I was back in the living room with my new friend Agnes. She was comfortably sitting on the sofa now. She seemed relaxed.
“So, how long are you planning to live here?” she asked, taking a cookie in her hand.
“I can't answer to that question, because I don't know,” I said openly. I didn't even have a clue how long this flat could me my home. Neither Avery nor Christopher was a talkative person. They only answered to my questions if they seemed proper enough for them to answer. In other words, if I didn't asked them something, they wouldn't tell me that thing.
“Oh,” she seemed sincerely chagrined.
I took a seat on the other sofa, trying to find the topic about which we could start talking, but I didn't know anything about this period. I felt right now like a stranded fish on the shore.
“So, do you have brothers or sisters?” I decided to ask about her family. It was the safest topic, which I could start at that moment.
“Yea...no. I had a sister, but she die during the birth. Something with week lungs or heart. I don't really want to know,” she turned her face away from me, like she didn't want to show me that her words were telling lies. She wanted to know the truth, but maybe no one told her.
“I am sorry,” I said quickly. Maybe the topic Family wasn't such a good idea after all.
“And you?” she asked when she gripped herself.
“Me? My parents are dead. I don't have neither brothers nor sisters. Only... Christopher and Avery are ... the most nearest people to be my family,” I said with a smile on my face, although... what did I try to fool here? Smile? Really? I was talking about death.
“Sorry,” Agnes said. “When did...they...you know?”
What should I say now? I asked myself. That my parents were dead, was the only logical explanation why I lived without them. But what should I tell if someone asks me something like Agnes was doing now?
“Two ye
ars ago,” I told her what Christopher had said to me when I woken up the first time after the graveyard accident. “But I really don't want to talk about that,” I quickly added to save myself from other questions related to my family.
“Okay,” she nodded. “So, Christopher? Right?” I nodded. “Is he that guy with the British accent?” I nodded again, already knowing what could happen next. Surprisingly, not much had changed during these years when the subject came to boys. “He is only your friend?”
“Yes. He is twenty one years old,” I said, adding and some extra information which she was dieing to find out.
“He...is hot, if you don't mind me saying that.”
I shook my head. Christopher was really a nice person to stare at. I had admitted that almost the same minute as I saw him in front of me for the first tie.
“I don't. He is really handsome. It is strange that he doesn't have a girlfriend.”
I knew why he didn't have. After all, those two were kindly enough to tell me more about themselves and the situation in which I was.
“Really? I would have never thought that,” she grinned.
I rolled my eyes in my mind. Yea, definitely nothing had changed. Girls were girls when they saw a handsome guy.
“So, you are still at school or...”
“School,” she cut me off. “Last year and then I will enroll into university. You?”
“University. The English language and literature.”
“Oh. Interesting subject. I like to read, but I wouldn't want to study that. And English... I am not good at foreign languages. It isn't my thing, you know,” she took another cookie and slowly ate it.
“What are you planning to study?” I didn't care, but I needed to keep our conversation alive.
“Maybe management,” she shrugged. “I don't really know. I have one year to make up my mind.”
One year, I though bitterly. The same thing I had thought too. But surprisingly, that one year managed to slip through my fingers like sand.
Languish for you (My soulmate) Page 6