Vera's mother had stood firm with her husband—a fact that always dismayed Vera, although she wasn’t sure why this particular incident should be any different than before. Her mother had always sided with her father, and this time was no exception. While her mother attempted to calm her dad, Vera had found herself hoping, as she had on many occasions, that this time would be different. She hoped that her mother would give her love and compassion. She was disappointed in her hopes much as her mother had been disappointed in her, and Vera didn't know which hurt more: the fact that her mother didn't attempt to understand her daughter, or receiving the sad disapproving head shake that was her mother's trademark. The only bright side to the whole affair was her sister, who had snuck into her bedroom each night to snuggle up for warmth and comfort.
It began to rain lightly as she walked, and Vera moved along quickly. The rain didn't bother her much—it didn't bother any Seattleite, which is why they rarely sported umbrellas. Still, not wanting to get soaked, she quickly made her way to the waterfront and then checked the map on her phone. People milled about as they walked the piers, heading from one fancy shop to another in an attempt to either get something to eat or to purchase some odd souvenir. Vera looked to the address written on her hand and then to the phone. Turning around, she headed back up the hill and away from the piers. She had been so engrossed in thought that she had walked too far off track.
Soon, she was back on course. It didn't take long for her to reach her destination, but when she pulled on the large ornate glass door she found it to be locked. She looked at it in frustration and bewilderment, but a soft click could be heard, and the door suddenly pulled open for her. She entered the lobby, shaking the rain from her hair, and was greeted by an attendant who was watching her while maintaining a smile on his face.
"May I help you, Miss?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, maybe. I want to visit James Connor."
"Is he expecting you, Miss?"
"No, I just need to see him."
"Well, I can’t just let you up. I can call him and give him your name. If he will allow the visit, then he can either meet you in the lobby or activate the elevator to allow you to his floor."
Vera hadn’t expected this kind of resistance. She hadn’t really expected anything other than arriving at his home and knocking on the door. He would then answer the door of course, greet her warmly, and be as pleasing as she recalled from her memories. A childish notion, but that’s what she had expected.
"I won't worry about it," she said with some embarrassment. "I can see him some other time."
She turned to leave but was hesitant. She felt like an idiot and really didn't know what to do as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Screw it, she thought as she sent out a tendril to one of the lights in the corner of the lobby.
It flickered and went dark. The attendant glanced up at it, and Vera slid into the shadows. She was still perfectly visible—at least she thought she was—but somehow the shadows cast by the failing light enveloped her; she disappeared from the attendant's perception.
Vera marveled at the situation as the man returned his eyes to the main lobby. He blinked and cast about for her. He looked to his left, then his right, and couldn’t find her.
"Must have left," he said to himself before turning his gaze to a magazine.
This wasn’t the first time Vera had used this trick, but it was the first time that she fully believed it was real. The first night home from the hospital, while her father and mother argued, she had hid in the house. It was in the darkened rooms and amongst the shadows that she felt unusually safe. When her mother had searched for her, she had been unable to find her, even when Vera was certain that enough light existed to be perceived. However, the shadows had hidden her well.
For the past few days, she had tried this trick a few times. Her mind had told her that her mother was just being blind, but since Vera had wanted privacy, she didn't argue the reasoning for her mother's inability to locate her.
She didn't know how the light of the building's lobby had failed. She had just wanted shadow and could feel a part of her attack the bulbs. When the light had gone out, she had moved. Now, she was stuck and didn't know how to proceed. She also didn't know what would happen if she were to walk into the light. Would the attendant be able to see her again?
She stood in place for several minutes and thought about what she should do. She looked at the elevators; they were only a few feet away, and in a small alcove. They were also out of sight of the front desk, and she believed that once she was there she could use them, but she had no idea how to do that without having them activated, as the attendant had stated.
A man and woman entered the lobby, startling Vera. They didn't notice her as they made their way to the elevator. The attendant greeted them warmly, and they replied in kind before continuing their way towards the inner hall. Reaching the elevator, the man pushed the button and the doors opened, allowing them entry. He then presented a card to a reader just inside and the doors closed. Vera thought about running into the elevator, but decided that was crazy, so she stood her ground, still unsure what to do.
Several minutes later, she lost patience and decided to risk moving. She needed shadow and thought about the darkness, much as she had before. She could see little wisps leave her body and head to the soffits in the high ceiling. The tendrils played around the lights, like an octopus feeling around a bottle. Several bulbs flickered, and soon half the lobby was in shadow. Vera was stunned for a moment but recovered quickly and decided to move. She headed to the lobby desk, rather than the elevator. The attendant had just left it and was looking for a light switch; apparently, he had never seen the lights go out and didn't know what to do. He could only think to look for a switch, mumbling to himself as he searched.
Vera reached the desk, expecting to be seen at any moment, but the man remained oblivious to her. She stared at him for a second and then let out a small chuckle. His head whipped up suddenly and he looked about carefully. Vera held her breath. He peered through the lobby, even looking directly at her, but his gaze continued onward.
Okay, invisible but not silent, she thought to herself.
She looked down at the desk and searched for a button or anything that would turn on the elevators. A big sign that said To turn on Elevators, push this button, would have been helpful, but it wasn’t to be seen. Instead, she found a small keychain with an access card attached. She took the card, being certain to lift it quietly, and headed to the elevators. She made it unseen, pushed the button, and had to wait.
Damn, she thought.
The previous couple had an elevator open immediately for them, and she had to wait—just her luck. She watched the numbers on the digital display count down as more than one elevator headed to the lobby. She wasn’t in shadow at the moment and considered sending her tendrils out to the lights above her, but hesitated as the elevators continued to descend. Turning off these lights might just bring the man to her position, and she didn't want that. Carefully, she peered in the direction of the lobby but couldn’t see the attendant.
The elevator to her left arrived and the doors opened. She entered quickly and swiped the card, which turned the reader light green, then she pushed her floor button. It felt like it took an eternity for the doors to close, but they did, and she began to move upward. Sighing loudly, she put her hand to her chest. Her heart was beating rapidly. It was a foolish thing that she had just done, and one that would have only resulted in her being escorted from the building; but for as simple a punishment as it could have been, she felt as if she had just robbed a bank.
Chapter 7
James picked up his notes from the couch and walked to the large screen TV mounted in the corner of his living room. He had Google Scholar running and was also logged into more than one research site. Not for the first time in his life did he curse as he attempted to find raw data. This was an annoying habit of research professionals: they provided the b
asics of their research but never the details. Perhaps they were afraid that someone would look at the material and draw a different conclusion.
James typed on his keyboard, and another screen came up. Odd medical cases were offered to him, and the more he looked, the more he realized just how unusual the human species was. Progeria, stone man syndrome, and even vampire syndrome were some of the many cases that were all well documented. James had of course heard of many of these, but like many people, he attributed them to medical anomalies.
He sighed as he continued to read while attempting to make sense of his situation. Charles Bonnet Syndrome showed promise, but that was a macular degeneration that allowed sufferers to see hallucinations due to retinal damage. It fit his situation slightly but not fully.
A single knock on his door permeated the room and his head came up. He was unsure whether he had heard it; he had been too focused on his work. A moment later, a second knock came from the door. James smiled as he set his papers down and walked to the entrance. There had been no call from the lobby, and once again he wasn’t expecting anyone. Therefore, he expected his goddess was up to her tricks again. He didn't mind, though. Arinai had left more questions than answers when she had departed, and he found that he looked forward to hearing her offer further explanations, even if those explanations bordered on the insane.
Opening the door provided him with another surprise, and he couldn’t disguise that from his face. Vera took the surprise as a compliment and smiled.
"Hi, Mr. Connor. Do you remember me?"
"Of course, Vera," he responded, and then becoming confused he asked, "How did you get up here?"
Vera squirmed a little bit and became discernibly uncomfortable.
"I rode the elevator. It just took me to your floor."
It was an obvious lie, but James didn't see a need to confront her at the moment. He was too busy watching those eyes and the odd internal aura that moved about her body. He was still able to see her outer physical appearance and noticed that tonight she had arrived as a woman. Her hair was curled, her makeup subtle, and he could smell a light and pleasant scent. She reminded him of her mother, who must have taught the young woman about style and elegance. Her clothes were worn well and accented her form without being overtly sexual, while her stance was poised, adding a level of maturity that confronted the youth of her face. The overall effect added several years to her appearance without making her look old. Abruptly, James realized that he had forgotten himself, and when he came to his senses, he stepped aside and ushered her in.
"Wow, this place is super nice! You must be very rich," she said as she looked around the apartment.
She went to the windows, stopping a few feet short of the edge. James smiled and laughed to himself; many people stopped short the first time. It was an unusual experience to be so close to the edge of floor to ceiling windows. It gave one the feeling that they might fall off the building.
"I imagine that you live in a house somewhere, rather than an apartment."
"Uh huh, over in Madison Park."
James perked up. "Your father must be as good an attorney as he claims."
"Why do you say that?" she asked.
"I know Madison Park well enough to know that a small hundred year old Craftsman house could cost nearly a million dollars."
"Oh, well we don't live in a small house," she said plainly. She wasn't saying it to brag, just to point out a fact. James nodded his understanding of Vera's response.
"Shouldn't you be at home?" he asked.
"I can't go home," she replied casually.
James found her short answers to be annoying but chalked them up to immaturity and inexperience with social interactions. Mentally sighing, he questioned her further.
"Why can't you go home? Did your father kick you out?"
"No, nothing like that, but he's threatened to. It's just that he has a firm rule. If I'm not home by 10 PM the doors are locked and I can’t get in."
"That seems a little harsh," James replied.
Vera shrugged her shoulders, "Eh, what can I do? I've tried to get in, but he won't open the door. Once I was two minutes late, and he wouldn't allow it. He even threatened to call the police on me if I didn't leave."
James was incredulous and couldn’t understand such behavior. He could see where such a rule might work to aid in discipline, but why would a father want his daughter to roam the streets at night rather than being safe at home, especially if that daughter was a mere two minutes late?
"So, why are you here? And how did you find me?"
"I'm here to find out what you did to me," she said seriously. As to how she found him, she didn't say.
James stared at the woman but didn't reply.
"I can see you, you know," she said plainly. "You can’t hide from me."
"What do you mean?" he asked curiously.
"You look odd. Different. Not like everyone else. When I look at you, I see these little wisps of string coming and going, kinda like electricity but not. I see something similar in me when I look in a mirror or down at my body. Similar but different. I can't explain it, and I probably just sound stupid."
"Not at all," he said to reassure her. "Please, tell me more." James motioned to the couch and moved to a nearby chair.
Vera opened her mouth to speak then paused. She closed it again as she looked at James. He was sincere in his request, but she appeared to be judging that sincerity, perhaps wondering if he was joking. She shrugged her shoulders in a manner that said what the hell, and began to tell him about the previous few days, including how she got to his apartment from the lobby. The key ring with the access card was offered as evidence of the latter activity.
James listened intently and didn't judge. As she spoke, he attempted to probe her thoughts as he had with the shade and the succubus. He caught glimpses of her life, and as he held the key chain she offered him, she spoke directly.
"Are you doing that, making my mind remember my life?"
James startled for a moment.
"What is it you see?" he asked.
"I see my life as if I'm remembering it, but I'm not trying to remember anything. It’s like you’re searching through my mind. I felt it the other day at the hospital as well."
James remembered the incident and immediately recalled his embarrassment at his thoughts. Vera perked up for a second as he remembered his reaction. He had thought her to be a very pretty woman, and even now that thought came to him.
Vera smiled coyly, stood up from the couch, and walked to the kitchen island, moving a bit too sultry as she did.
"So, do you have anything to drink in this place?"
James was pleased for the change of subject, but not the immature sexual overtones that accompanied it. It made him a bit uncomfortable.
"That depends, are you old enough to drink?"
"I'm 22," she responded. "Would you like to see my ID?"
James declined the offer and went to the small wine refrigerator on the end of the island. He opened it and peered inside. He didn't notice Vera approach, and had to hide his surprise when her arm reached over his shoulder and grabbed a bottle.
"This looks nice. What is it?"
"It’s an ice wine, very sweet."
"Let's have this," she said as she took the bottle to the countertop.
James nodded, "All right, but let me get some sugarless cake."
"Sugarless cake? That sounds sick."
"Not at all," he said. "Let me show you."
James got a piece of cake, opened the bottle, and poured two glasses. He gave Vera a bite of the cake, which was bland chocolate, and then had her take a drink of the ice wine. She smiled as the sweet wine accentuated the flavor of the cake, and her eyes lit up like someone excited for Christmas.
"That's really good," she said.
"Yes," James said, chuckling. "I know."
Vera began to take another bite, twirling the spoon around the plate as she played with the food. Her eyes b
ecame sensual as she placed the food in her mouth and then took a drink of the wine.
"So, is there a Mrs. James Connor?" she asked as she set the wind glass down.
Her actions weren’t as subtle as she might think they were, and warning bells went off in James' head. He thought for a moment before answering. Those thoughts led to the bare facts: she was a woman, 22 years old, legal to drink, and he had to admit that he found the attention flattering. He smiled and shook his head.
"No, I'm too busy to have someone else in my life."
"So, what exactly do you do?" she asked as she continued to tease him by playing wistfully with her fork and the cake.
"I'm a corporate consultant and diagnostician," he replied.
"What is that?"
"I take a look at problems within companies and come up with solutions. I do a lot of research, look for clues, run tests, and attempt to formulate a course of action. It’s similar to being a detective."
"Is that why you have all of this stuff out?" she asked as she put her elbows on the island, leaning into him.
James looked at his messy living room. He had research scattered about in piles and more than one computer running.
"Partly," he said, "the other reason is that it's the maid's day off."
Vera laughed slightly then reached in and tickled his side.
"That was funny," she said.
James flinched with the motion and then had to rearrange his pants subtly. He was getting aroused.
Celtics Rising: Birth of an Oracle Page 8