The First Touch

by Alice Sweet

  Lyla hissed back, “He doesn’t even know I am here.”

  Autumn blinked, “What are you trying to get brownie points?”

  Autumn received another slice on her other cheek then, “Things are different now, he is different.”

  Autumn frowned her cheeks burning as she did, Lyla glared at her then and Autumn continued her questioning, coughing now, “Different like you, pulling me around the same few weeks and months over and over again?”

  Lyla looked at her surprised then. “You are the one with the power.”

  She hissed, “And the repeats?”

  Lyla sneered then, “You don’t know?”

  Autumn hissed back, “Know what?”

  Lyla savored the words, “You are the one who keeps moving us all around.”

  Autumn knitted her brows, “What?”

  Lyla smiled satisfied, and then as she spoke her words gained speed, “You keep changing the outcomes, chess pieces, like Mirth use to do. I thought that you were doing it on purpose, trying out your abilities, playing.”

  Autumn frowned then as silent tears slid down her cheeks, “I did this?” Autumn did not need Lyla to answer, then she said calmly her feeling of reassurance kicking in, “I did this.” She tried to push herself up to comfort Lyla then, “I can’t control it and...I thought I could keep the darkness back.”

  Lyla snapped, “You were trying different possibilities. The problem is that, the virus was released long before you or Mirth was ever born, no amount of changes in your time line will fix that.”

  Lyla continued still seeming distraught, “There was no reason for you to have hurt Mirth though, you could have left him, and you didn’t need to let him feel the bond break before you tried again. That was his undoing I think, yes, that was it. He won’t talk about that, so it must be it. I don’t understand why? Once you left that path and started another everything would have reset itself…unless another time keeper showed him…”

  Autumn wheezed, “I didn’t even know I was the one pushing the reset button….wait time keeper?”

  Lyla snapped ignoring her question, “But you knew that he would find out.”

  Autumn hissed, shaking her head, “It doesn’t matter now, I will be dead soon anyways. Besides I thought that it was Gregory who told him. Who else remembers?”

  Lyla winced, “Just time keepers would know but only, after we have had a taste of true power, like your blood. We are attracted to it, according to Mirth. Isisa kept hers hidden somewhere….”

  Autumn thought, Utvic, but asked confused, “And Gregory?”

  Lyla snapped back, “He found a way to steal a soul of one of us, that’s why others can see him, not that he matters anymore anyhow, Mirth killed him as soon as I told him what he did to you in the other time line.”

  Autumn huffed then trying to open up her ribcage, “Will It always end the same?”

  Lyla frowned and nodded, “You can’t control him or anyone else until you are born, or when you first see your eyes change, or some crap like that.”

  Autumn frowned, and asked, “When I first see my eyes change?”

  “Yeah he said you’d dream it, or some such nonsense,” Lyla continued, “Anyhow, it’s too late to stop it; we will just have to clean up the mess afterwards it seems.”

  Autumn frowned saying, “How many people are dead already?” Inside her brain was racing, my first eye change…

  Lyla answered, “The plague is spreading slowly through Europe right now, but it reached its first Vessel a month or so ago. The humans think it is contained for the moment, Mirth is working along side of them looking for a cure for it. It has become a super version of itself now; Mirth now believes that the mixture of the two has altered it so drastically that nothing can cure it but your blood.”

  Then she slowed her decent, “You bonded with Mirth though and now...” Her eyes teared then and her thoughts became erratic, “And then you cut him loose, what was the purpose of that? Why would you hurt him like that? That was merciless; he waited a decade for you. He...loved you….He still does.” Her voice broke then and she began to sob. “Now he won’t even look at me.” Then her eyes dilated and she turned a wicked smile towards her, “But you are right, you are close to death, I can hear it in you heart beat. After you’re gone, being killed as a human, before you ever even changed, he will look to me for comfort. Then I can have my Mirth back, not this twisted version of him, a life that you have not touched.”

  Autumn smiled and looked over at Sophia who sat up rubbing her head. Lyla cut her eyes over her shoulder and saw Sophia sitting up wide eyed. She stood up slowly watching Sophia’s face turn to horror as she realized her predicament. To Autumn’s surprise Sophia picked up a shard of glass and held it out protectively in front of her slashing wildly at Lyla’s ghostly figure. While Lyla was distracted Autumn began prying at the book that had remained closed for nearly three years now with her bloodied fingers. Sophia’s noble effort was quickly extinguished and she lay motionless once more, Autumn was finally able to rip the first section open as she wiped her bloodied face, smearing it onto the page.

  Eventually she just stuck the book to her face and then reached for the half empty kettle and drank the rest of its contents. Then she sniffed the pages searching for any sign of change in scent from her own blood. Lyla’s face appeared in front of her, but luckily, the doorbell rang, and Lyla called out angrily, “The party has been canceled.” Silence followed and Lyla finally said, “So what is the story behind this book?” She snatched it from Autumn’s weak grip, and inspected it, “It’s not religious, and it reeks, so sentimental?” Then another knock at the door, and Lyla jumped up dropping the book yelling, “I said the party has been canceled, go away before I call the coppers.”

  Lyla disappeared down the hallway to see who it was, as Autumn threw herself at the book again. As soon as she had it, she opened it again and found the smell that she was looking for, and began licking the page as quickly as she could. Seconds later, it went flying as Lyla kicked it out from under her bent face. It hit the wall and slid down it leaving a blood trail similar to the ones that she had made herself along the carpet earlier. Lyla spat, “Your own blood won’t do it I am afraid, but nice try.”

  The knock at the door came again and this time it seemed urgent and authoritative, Lyla turned and looked at Autumn for an explanation. She wheezed dropping her head before gasping for air, “It’s probably my boss. You can kill him, he’s a jerk.”

  Lyla smiled, “Funny, you know, I think I will.” Autumn smiled bitterly to herself and closed her eyes unable to hold them open any longer. Then she heard Lyla open the door and felt the heat from the flames followed by crashing in her kitchen. She tried to stay awake, but she slipped away for a while and awoke to a thud next to her head and smelt a familiar scent of blood that filled her nostrils. Lyla was cursing and dropping pieces of Drake’s body into a pile next to hers. Autumn blinked as Lyla turned her back and then faked unconsciousness as Lyla disappeared around the corner into the kitchen again.

  Autumn sat up slowly blinking fast trying desperately to change her vision to match her predecessors testing her hands which shook slightly. Then cautiously rose to her feet, and bent down to grab the book off of the floor next to her tipped over desk. As she crouched down Lyla returned and dropped more pieces of Drake into the pile and realized then that Autumn was missing. She gasped and Autumn froze momentarily then, still uncertain if she had made the change completely yet, as Lyla disappeared into the bed room calling for her. Autumn could feel her skin growing cold, and her vision finally changed, then she smiled darkly and blinked. Magically she disappeared and reappeared in the kitchen, and then blinked again and she was back in the bedroom as Lyla searched in vain for the woman that she would never catch now.

  Autumn smiled as she tapped Lyla’s shoulder and then blinked and then tapped her other shoulder and then blinked, toying with her. Lyla began hissing and Autumn smiled taking chunks from the woman now slowly
cutting the flesh from her body one slice at a time fully exposing her. Then once Lyla was fully covered from head to toe in blood Autumn sliced her head off and burnt the body.

  She looked down at Drake’s body in a pile and Sophia’s corpse and she frowned, “When I first saw my eyes change huh…This time it will be different,” then she blinked and disappeared, as the room’s contents instantly vanished as well.

  No Worries

  The sun began to set as Ivan walked down the street with a look of excitement as he made his way down the crowded side walk. Suddenly he stopped his eyes darting around the streets looking slightly alarmed. Huffing at his foolishness he turned around and bumped into a female who was attempting to pass him. He had barely noticed her moments before. She had rounded the corner just as a large group of people crossed at the corner, flooding in around her, and passing her much slower steps. She had a note pad in hand steady scribbling; hair hanging loosely which obscured her face from onlookers, and her from her surroundings.

  When she knocked into his solid frame, without thinking, he reached out and caught her in the nook of his arm. Instantly, her head flew backwards, parting her mop of dark hair, revealing her heart shaped face. His eyes transfixed upon this unexpected delight. Her lips were full and deep much as her olive eyes were… dazzling. He tightened his grip without realizing it. She was not surprised or alarmed by his act of kindness, flashing him a breath-taking smile. Suddenly he felt an overwhelming urge building up; a burst of energy that caught his breath. She was lovely, and at once, feeling foolish for lingering, he released her.

  At the same time, the crosswalk behind them started its countdown, and a man behind them shoved the young woman into Ivan’s arms for a second time. The look on her face did not change though; she seemed un-phased by the man’s apparent rudeness. Instead she remained mesmerized by Ivan, transfixed much as he felt, unable, no, unwilling to release the stolen moment, with her, as her second hand abruptly landed on his wrist. She squeezed it as she attempted not to loose her balance again, pleased that she had succeeded in staying on her feet for a second time.

  Ivan on the other hand felt something else entirely. Warm thumping fingers, which his own beating heart synced to at once. A drumming which pulled him forward, caressing his soul with an intoxicating need, a need he never could have imagined existed. It was entirely unexpected and completely perfect, they were one at that instant intertwined, and then she pulled her hand away breaking the connection.

  She watched as her companion toppled over as if he had just been shot. He cursed as he fell backwards holding on to his wrist.

  “Are you alright?” He looked at his arm and with eyes still wide he stared at her. He was trying to hold back the feeling of power that now stirred inside of him. She stepped closer and knelt down to inspect his wrist, carefully probing it with her warm fingers, sending chills and sparks through him as she did, while he stared at her unblinking. She repeated her question with a little more gentleness to her voice, “Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you did I?”

  After a few seconds hesitation, he flashed a brilliant smile and replied finally flickering back to life, “I am fine. Are you alright?”

  She smiled relived, “Yes I am fine.”

  Then she slid her hand out and gestured for him to take it. He smiled up at her completely smitten and took her hand. As she pulled him to his feet, introducing herself, “My name is Autumn. What’s yours?”

  Ivan replied, dumfounded, and tingling, “Ivan,” suddenly trying very hard not to look as anxious as he felt, unable to relinquish his grip on her.

  Autumn smiled sweetly at him again, seeming charmed by his reaction, as she took her hand back, offering, “I have always liked that name.” Ivan grinned, still unable to process.

  After another long silence she ventured to ask, much to his amazement, “Well since you saved me twice from falling on my backside, let me thank you. Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me?”

  “Yes, I would love to.” He replied, pleased that this was going so smoothly, as he could not seem to get himself together.

  Autumn smiled even wider, “I know this really great place that makes a pretty good cup. It’s not too far from here.”

  He nodded eagerly, “Sounds good.”

  Autumn hailed a taxi cab saying to Ivan over her shoulder “You know I knew today was going to be a good day, I was just telling my daughter that this morning. I just had a feeling you know.”

  Ivan paused asking surprised, “Oh, you have a daughter?”

  She asked suddenly worried, “That’s not a problem is it?

  He shook his head beaming at her affectionately, “No worries, I love children.”

  She smiled a small smile muttering, “No worries,” before loading into the back of a taxi, luring her mate into the backseat with her as she wetted her lips. Once inside, she smiled at him grabbing the front of his shirt and planted a deep kiss on his lips, melting the world away with it.

  When she pulled away, she tapped the driver’s shoulder and said, “Travis, let’s get going.”

  He nodded and replied, “Yes, Mistress.” Then he put it in drive, as Autumn put her head on Ivan’s shoulder lovingly saying, “Yes today is going to be a good day.”

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