Dark World

by Concerita Tortorici

  «No, Kai,» she barked, «I'm not okay. I haven't been okay for a while. But it doesn't concern you. I can take care of myself.»

  Pushing past him, she darted out the door. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she was sure it would be further away from Kai.

  «Ruby, wait!» Kai called as he ran after her. He stopped at the porch and looked out to the street. She was nowhere to be found.

  Ruby wandered the streets, gripping her injured hand tightly. She cursed at herself for darting off like that. It was her home. It should have been Kai leaving. She cursed again, this time at Kai. Why did he show up? Was it connected to the murders? Shaking her head, she tried to move past it. She took a moment to look around at where she was. Her feet had headed in the direction of the Diner. To Nikky.

  However, with it being close to lunchtime, Ruby was sure Nikky would be too busy with customers to help her out. Letting out a breath, Ruby crossed the street and headed for a nearby park. One she thought might be far enough away, that Kai wouldn't think to look for her. It was a short walk, but once she was there, she found an empty bench and sat down.

  Her body still shook with the anger she felt towards Kai. However, her mind had turned from that back to Myles, Cam, and the other victims of the killings. The two guys were sweet from what she remembered. Cam was constantly flirting with her, and Myles usually kept to himself. The two were just regular hard-working Joe, who didn't deserve what happened. Letting out a breath, Ruby tilted her head up and gazed at the gray sky.

  Funny, she thought for sure the weatherman had said it would be sunny for the next few days. Not that the rain bothered her much. It just meant, she'd have to fix her hair yet again. Making it the third time in one day. She sighed as her mind thought of going back home to find Kai still there.

  «The nerves of that bastard,» she said aloud, «who does he think he is visiting after all these years?»

  «Perhaps he just missed you.»

  Ruby jumped at the sound of another person's voice. She had thought she was the only one in the park. To her surprise, when she turned her gaze to where the voice came from, she let out a gasp. The man standing before her was a young man, no older than she was. He wore a black blazer over a black and silver striped shirt with a few of its buttons open, exposing his pale skin. Ruby tried her best not to stare, but couldn't help herself. His dark eyes held her attention, that was until she managed to catch a glimmer of his hair.

  His hair trapped her in a trance. His blonde locks held fiery tips, and as the wind picked up, it resembled that of fire. Flashes of her nightmare rushed before her, and in a panic, she rose to her feet. Her breaths shortened, and her heart raced against her chest. Its loud beats were drowning out the surrounding noise around her. She stood helplessly as her body trembled in place. Why now of all things?

  Clenching her eyes shut, she prayed the feeling would pass. When she felt her breathing and pulse return to normal, she let out a deep sigh. Lowering her gaze to the grass below, she felt embarrassed that he had seen that. Lifting her gaze to see him, she was shocked to see an empty place where he stood. Perhaps, her mind had played a trick on her. Maybe he was just a figment of her imagination.

  The moment Ruby walked into the bar, she was surprised to see it already half full and the other waitresses running around filling orders. She was more than happy to start a few hours early, anything to prevent her from going back home. The only thing she needed to take care of was her hand. The bleeding had slowed since she left her house. But that didn't mean it had stopped completely.

  Entering the employee break room, she rummaged through the cupboards and drawers until she found the first aid kit. As she fumbled with the cloth bandage, she let out a sigh. The actors in any movie made bandaging oneself easy. Just as she thought she had found the right way, she heard the door open. Looking behind her, she saw Reid, one of the bartenders. His eyes widened when he saw her bloodied hand.

  «What the hell happened to your hand?» he asked.

  «It's nothing. I just cut it by accident this morning,» Sshe replied.

  Out of all the bartenders that worked there, Reid was one of the nicest. Especially towards her. He, too, had moved to New York looking for a new start. When he first started working with her, He was shy around her, but as time worked its magic, Reid had become close to her.

  Ruby watched as Reid took the bandage from her and began to wrap it around her hand tightly. She could tell he was worried by the look in his eyes. Honestly, she was a little bit too. After all, she had just broken a full bottle of wine with her bare hand mere hours ago. She mainly blamed Kai for what happened, even though she knew he wasn't fully responsible.

  «Honestly,» Reid said, breaking Ruby out of her train of thought, «you should be more careful, Ruby.»

  «Sorry,» she said softly, «if it hadn't have been for my damn brother showing up out of the blue, this probably wouldn't have happened.»

  «You have a brother?» Reid asked as he stared blankly at her.

  Ruby hadn't told anyone much of her past. Not even Nikky knew she had a sibling. Well, until today, that is. She would have liked to keep it that way. But, since the cat was out of the bag now, she had no choice to tell him. She took a breath before briefly explaining her relationship with her brother to Reid, making sure to leave out every detail of their family history. When Reid agreed to keep it to himself, she smiled and told him she'd meet him out there.

  During one of their quiet moments, as Ruby cleared off some dirty tables, she couldn't help but think of the man she had seen. He was handsome and well-toned. She thought for sure he might have been a model, with the way he had stood with his head slightly tilted to the left. When he looked at her with his smoldering gaze, she couldn't help but blush. He seemed calm and reserved, unlike most men in the city. He exuded a mysterious aura, one that kept Ruby in a trance of. Blushing, she shook her head and continued clearing the tables.

  «Ruby, you've got a customer waiting for you!»

  Placing the rag in the bin beside her, Ruby quickly rushed to the front of the bar. Half expecting the man she had seen at the park, her excitement dimmed the moment she saw who was asking for her. It was bad enough that Kai had gone to her house. But to see him at work was another. She had thought for sure he might have taken the hint and left.

  «What do you want, Kai?» she said bluntly.

  «I wanted to see if you're alright,» he replied.

  «I'm fine. See,» she said as she lifted her bandaged hand to him, «now leave.»

  Grabbing his sister's hand, Kai began unraveling the bandage. Ruby's anger grew as she struggled to get her hand back. All of that work Reid had done to help her, was now being tossed to the floor. When the last bit of the cloth slithered to the floor, Ruby felt her blood boiling once again. Kai had no right to do that, and she was going to make sure he knew it.

  «You healed a lot quicker than I thought,» Kai whispered.

  Ruby paused for a second, hearing a slight hint of fear in his words. Tearing her hand from his, Ruby took a moment to examine it herself. Standing in shock, she noticed the scratch had disappeared. Tracing her fingers along where the cut should be, she felt no trace of it.

  «What the hell?» Ruby gasped.

  «Too quick,» Kai muttered to himself.

  «Kai, what the hell?» Ruby barked.

  «I have to go,» Kai said as he headed toward the door.

  Ruby watched as Kai walked away from her. Her heartbeat loudly in her ears. What did he mean? Why was he leaving? Nothing had been explained. Looking down to her hand, she traced a finger along where the scar should have been. And there was Kai, being his usual self and not caring about anyone. Her anger grew as Kai reached the exit. She couldn't let him leave without some sort of explanation.

  Without hesitation, she darted after him. Passing through the small crowd of people who attempted to walk in, Ruby kept Kai in her sights. Once she stepped out to the brightly lit sidewalk, she glanced right and then le
ft to see Kai slowly walking away. Taking a few steps, Ruby tried to shorten the distance between them.

  «Don't you walk away from me, Kai,» she called, «you haven't explained anything yet.»

  When she noticed Kai had stopped in his tracks, she felt a small glisten of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he had changed. Maybe, he would tell her. Taking a few breaths, she waited for him to answer. As the clouds over her passed by, she began to wonder if he really had changed.

  «Answer me, Kai,» she demanded, «what the hell did you mean?»

  «It was nothing. Forget it,» Kai said.

  His voice sounded shaken like he was afraid of what he knew. Standing there, staring at him, Ruby felt something change inside her. Her heartbeat had calmed, but her blood began to boil, making her body feel hot. She wanted to force the answers out of him. However, when she heard Reid calling for her to come back to work, the feeling passed quickly. And just as a crowd of people blocked her view of her brother, she hoped that he might have stayed. Unfortunately, that was not the case. When she looked back, he was gone.

  «That's just like you,» Ruby whispered to herself as she walked back into the bar.

  4

  «Are you just going to stand there and ignore your best friend?»

  The night seemed to drag on for her. She had wrapped her hand back up, hoping to keep up the charade of being injured. Reid had kept quiet after Kai's visit and kept his distance from her. Which, was kind of a relief for her. She was still pissed with what Kai had done and didn't feel like dealing with anyone. But, there was still work to be done. Work that wouldn't get done if she kept thinking of him. Letting out a breath, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind.

  She pretended to be happy so her customers would feel welcomed and happy as they ate and drank. Deep down, however, that's what she wanted. She wanted, no needed a drink. And a strong one at that. Once her customers were dealt with, she leaned against the back counter behind the bar. With everyone happy, she was now left with the one thing she couldn't and shouldn't be dealing with.

  The thoughts of the morning and afternoon events played over and over in her mind. She tried to piece what little information she had together. She only knew two things, she had broken an entirely full bottle of wine, wound up with a cut on her hand because of it, and had been miraculously healed all within a few hours. It wasn't physically possible for that to happen. And yet it had. Just what was going on?

  «Ruby?»

  And why did Kai seem so afraid to tell her? Did he think something would happen? It didn't make sense. Nothing seemed to add up. The more she thought of it, the more it drove her nuts.

  «Are you just going to stand there and ignore your best friend?»

  Snapping out of her thoughts, Ruby looked up to see Nikky sitting at the bar, with a smile on her face. Ruby couldn't help but smile back. Nikky was a much-needed break from everything.

  «Can she drink with me?» Nikky asked, looking at Reid with pleading eyes.

  «You might as well,» Reid replied as he looked at Ruby, «you've been through a lot today. And it's only fair since you did start early.»

  «Aw thanks, Reid,» Nikky said before Ruby could reply.

  Smiling, Ruby thanked Reid for understanding and told him she'd help out if it got too busy. Not that it seemed to be. But still, Ruby felt she owed him, not only for helping bandage her hand but for leaving her be. Walking around the counter, she sat next to Nikky and ordered a glass of whiskey. Whiskey wasn't her favorite drink, to be truthful, she really enjoyed the colorful fruity drinks. However, with how she was feeling at that moment, she called for something with a bit more kick.

  The two sat in silence for a while. Nikky sipped slowly on her cocktail while gazing admiringly at Reid. Ruby knew that Nikky had a soft spot for him; it was the one thing she wasn't good at hiding. Ruby smiled as she took a small sip of her whiskey. Her mind still whirling with her thoughts about the day's events. There had to be some explanation for Kai's behavior. She just didn't know what.

  As their night wore on, Ruby had moved onto her favorite drink, 'The Hurricane', a combination of rum, lemon juice, and passion fruit syrup served in a tall hurricane lamp shaped glass. She stared deep into the red drink before her, as the ice slipped as it melted, she couldn't help but feel entranced by it. Taking a sip, she let out a breath. Its fruity sensation left her mouth tingling for more.

  «That's the spirit girl,» Nikky slurred.

  By now, Nikky had had a few drinks more than Ruby had. There were a few empty upturned glasses in front of her, and they just kept coming. Ruby wasn't the one to get wasted drunk, but lightly buzzed. As she watched her friend down another drink, she looked to her half-empty glass. Maybe, just this once she would let go and get drunk. After all, she needed to feel something other than the mystery that surrounded her and her brother.

  Ruby tossed the plastic straw out of her glass and took a long swig of her drink while Nikky cheered her on. The alcohol hit her fast, and her body begged for more. Ordering another alongside Nikky, the two girls drank in unison.

  Hours passed by quickly as the girls had rows of empty glasses in front of them. They laughed and smiled, talking about the stupid things that happened to them. Nikky had mentioned meeting a strange and yet handsome man that day. She sounded like a schoolgirl with an innocent crush. And as she began to describe him, Ruby froze as she remembered what Kai had said.

  «He was really sweet, though,» Nikky slurred, «for a rugged-looking guy.»

  «Don't get close to him,» Ruby urged, «he's nothing but trouble.»

  «What makes you say that?» Nikky asked.

  «He's my brother,» Ruby replied as she stared into the last sip of her drink, «he's nothing but trouble. It's best you stay away from him.»

  «Now that you mention it,» Nikky recalled, «he did show me a picture... Oh, that means he found you?»

  «Oh, he found me all right,» Ruby said sarcastically.

  She really didn't want to talk about him. She could feel her anger burning inside, waiting to burst out. However, as she tried to keep her anger in check, she looked over at Reid. His eyes were wide, maybe from how much they drank. The truth was, Ruby was a little shocked as well. She had two small glasses of whiskey to start, three hurricanes, and a few other cocktails. She should be as drunk as Nikky was, yet she only felt slightly buzzed. She watched as Nikky stumbled out of the barstool and staggered her way to the bathroom.

  «Had enough?» Reid asked as he collected their glasses.

  «Honestly, I think Nikky has,» Ruby chuckled.

  «What about you?» Reid asked, «you feeling okay?»

  «I'm fine,» Ruby said, «a little buzzed but otherwise fine.»

  «A little buzzed!» Reid gasped, «you had some strong drinks there Ruby, are you sure that's all you feel. Get up and walk in a straight line.»

  Rolling her eyes, she did what he asked. Placing one foot in front of the other, she walked in a perfectly straight line. Unconvinced, Reid asked her to say the alphabet backward. Again, Ruby did what she was asked. She had told him that she really felt fine. She would be fine, walking home. She would be fine in the morning. Nikky, however, would most likely wake up with a killer hangover. Good thing for her, Ruby's home wasn't far.

  When Nikky emerged from the bathroom, Ruby let out a sigh. Nikky's once long and straight hair, now looked like she had just gotten out of bed. Her jacket was only on one arm and the other dangled behind her. She looked like the living dead, with dark rings under her eyes. Ruby walked to her side and placed her arm around her.

  «Let's go home, Nik,» Ruby said softly.

  «No way,» Nikky shouted, «I've still got plenty of partying left in me. I can... go... all night.»

  Hearing Nikky's slurred voice only confirmed Ruby's motive. It was time for them to part ways with Ried and the bar. Ruby took one last look at Reid and thanked him for letting her take the rest of the evening off. Leading Nikky toward the exit, Ruby adjusted her frien
d's arm before they made the track back to her place.

  Under the light of the crescent moon, Joshua wandered the silent streets. It had been ages since he last stepped out from his castle hidden in the forest and took a stroll in the city. In fact, the last time he had, he was immediately hunted by the Blackwell's. Liam's grandfather was the first to try and subdue him. However, Joshua was cunning, and luckily for him, they didn't have nearly enough weaponry as they do now. What with their silver bullets. As he walked by a familiar street, he paused to reminisce of a time when his life was a little less complicated.

  He was young and foolish. Always picking fights with every hunter that crossed his path. Most had barely escaped with their lives intact. Those that didn't, Joshua would take them back to his castle and drain the rest of their blood. Back then, blood wasn't tainted as much as it is now. They would drink on rare occasions back then. Now, they get drunk for the thrill of it. To feel something they had lost. Even though Joshua craved it, he made a promise to himself to never partake of the blood of an intoxicated person.

  One, their blood left a foul taste in his mouth, that lasted for days. Two, the blood was thicker and harder to drink than a non-intoxicated person. And three, rather than it being a bright red color, it was darker and almost black. However, on nights like this, when the sky had a few clouds lingering overhead, and the moon was only a sliver in the vast blackness of the night, the only people who were out, were those who had gone out partying.

  Letting out a sigh, Joshua walked past bar after bar. His senses tingled with the smell of blood. Blood that had been unfortunately tainted. It appeared to him, that this night would end up like most nights. He'd have to make his way into the hospital and steal one, or a few, blood packs. At least until something would come up.

  With his destination in mind, he made his way through the streets until he came across a house with a strange and yet familiar fragrance. A breeze filled with a rosy and citrus smell drifted through the air, causing him to stop for a moment. The air danced around him filling his senses, making him wondering why it smelt so familiar to him. Glancing at the building, he noticed a silhouette in the window. A slender feminine figure stood with her back to him. Something about the way she stood there casually drew his mind in.