Dark World

by Concerita Tortorici

  Joshua moved one of his arms and twisted around to turn the tap off, while his other arm stayed firm against her back. She didn't want him to let her go, no matter what. But, he was sitting fully clothed and now soaked because of her. Ruby kept her head lowered, ashamed of what she had made him do.

  «I'm sorry,» Ruby whispered.

  Joshua remained silent as he lifted her up to stand. Her heart quickened as she thought of how mad he must be with her. Feeling his gentle touch on her chin, she let him bring her eyes to his. His eyes were deep and full of worry. She felt her walls shatter once more as she tried to force the tears back.

  «Joshua,» she whispered.

  «It's okay,» he said softly, «you're safe. I'm here.»

  «I'm sorry,» she repeated, «you're soaking wet because of me.»

  «Not the first time,» Joshua said, «and it won't be the last either.»

  Hearing those words, hearing the softness of his voice, made Ruby smile.

  «Now,» he said, «let's dry off and order some take out. We can talk about what happened... Or we can just sit in silence.»

  She pondered for a moment. If she told him, Joshua might not understand. He might begin to fear and resent her. On the other hand, maybe, just maybe he might understand. She wasn't sure what to do. However, with what had happened hours ago, Ruby felt she had no other choice than to tell him a little bit of what she was going through.

  «All right,» Ruby said.

  16

  «Cat got your tongue?»

  They sat silently eating their meals. Ruby wasn't entirely sure where she should start. Should she start at the beginning? When she got her scar? Or should she just skip that and tell him about the nightmares she's been having? Her mind swarmed with thoughts of where she should begin that it started giving her a headache. Looking at him, she wondered if it would be okay for her to tell him.

  She picked at her food. With everything that had happened, her appetite was the last thing on her mind. She couldn't stand the silence any longer. And when she opened her mouth to speak, she was interrupted by Joshua's soft voice.

  «You don't need, or have to, tell me everything,» he said, «you can leave out anything that makes you uncomfortable.»

  She felt relieved when he said that. However, if she didn't tell him, she'd feel worse than she already was. Even though their meeting was only a short time ago, Ruby felt she could trust him. There was something that drew them together. Call it fate, if you want to. Whatever it was, Ruby was glad that they had met.

  «I've been having nightmares,» she began as she stared into her plate, «they're always the same.»

  She paused. Her mind screamed at her not to tell him. That he'd grow frightened of her. That he'd kick her out. Call her a freak. She took a few deep breaths and reminded herself that she needed to do this. If at least one person knew what was going on, then maybe she'd be able to piece together the puzzle.

  «I wake up in a dark room,» she continued, «I walk down a long hallway and start to see family portraits. There's this amber glow in the distance, and the smell of smoke fills the room. When I run toward it, I start to hear screams. I recognize them, but I can't place who they are.»

  Ruby could feel her body tremble as she spoke. She saw the images of her nightmares flash before her. The glowing light, the flames. The screams. She felt and heard everything. She felt sick, but she needed to continue.

  «When I get close enough to the light,» she said, «I can smell it. A strong metallic scent that masks the smell of the smoke. Then... I see it... blood. It covers everything... Some nights, I only see the flames and hear a voice calling. Other nights, it's like that. I've even seen Reid and...Nikky.»

  Ruby sat back in her chair with her hands hovering in front of her. There was no turning back for her now. She thought she'd feel relieved that she told someone. But now, as she sat there trembling, she wasn't sure.

  Silence filled the room around them once more, and Ruby's anxious feeling grew as she waited. Joshua had stopped eating when she started. He sat frozen in thought or fear; Ruby wasn't sure which one. The longer the silence lasted between them, the more she wanted to hide away and pretend she didn't just tell him about them.

  «Those nightmares,» Joshua began, «they're not nightmares.»

  Ruby looked at him, confused. How were they not nightmares? They were terrifying.

  «They're memories,» he said softly, «memories that have been twisted by your fear into those nightmares.»

  Again she sat stunned with his words. She didn't understand how could memories be twisted into nightmares. Unless she had witnessed something horrible as a child, and her mind was trying to tell her something.

  «I'm sorry,» he said, «It's all my fault that you're going through this...»

  «What do you mean?» Ruby asked, «you haven't done anything to warrant saying that.»

  «That's a lie,» Joshua replied, «I have...»

  «You're not the cause of my nightmares,» Ruby argued, «you couldn't be. We only just met a few days ago.»

  «That's a lie, too,» he said.

  Ruby's eyes grew wide. She had only met him the other day when she ran into him on a morning run. Before she met him, she had had those nightmares. He wasn't the cause of them; she was sure of it.

  «Tell me again,» he asked, «how did you say you got that scar on your stomach?»

  Placing her hand over her stomach, she traced her finger along part of the scar. She looked to him with a gaze filled with fear.

  «My aunt Naomi,» she started, «she... she said I was in a car accident… that the windshield broke and sliced my stomach... that the crash killed my parents...»

  She couldn't mask the fear in her words. Was what her aunt told her a lie? Had something else given her that scar and killed her parents? Her heart began to race and her breathing grew short. Had everything she'd been told a lie...And worse, was Kai told to keep it from her?

  «I don't blame you for believing her,» Joshua said, breaking her out of her thoughts, «you were so young when it happened... I... I wish I could take it back.»

  «Take what back,» Ruby asked, «what are you talking about?»

  «You weren't in a car accident,» Joshua said, «and your parents weren't killed because of it. Your aunt and your brother have been deceiving you.»

  Ruby looked down to her hands that shook violently. She had always thought something about what Naomi had told her was off. There was no way a cut like that would heal that quickly. Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle were slowly fitting into their rightful place. The question now was, could she handle what else he had to say.

  «I'm so sorry, Ruby,» Joshua said as his eyes met hers, «I know this hurts. I know this is confusing. And believe me, I don't mean to make you feel scared. I... You need to know the truth.»

  The truth. She had been seeking it for so long and now she was going to hear it. She found it hard to believe that Joshua knew what the truth was. And that he had met her long ago. But, stranger things could happen. She wanted to know more. He wanted to know what he knew. As she opened her mouth to ask him to continue, she felt her breath shorten, her heart race and her vision blur. She felt her body lean to the right, and the table moved from below her vision to in front and finally above before growing dark.

  (Hours Earlier at a bar across town)

  Chugging the last little bit of his drink, Kai slammed his glass on the counter and ordered another drink. He couldn't let go of his conversation with Ruby. How hard was it to understand that he was only trying to protect her? All those years ago, he had kept her hidden from the eyes of the other hunters. He had done so to protect her. And yet, she simply pushed him aside.

  She walked out on him. She left herself wide open for an attack. She had no idea what dangers lurked in the shadows. She couldn't even see what Joshua was. Kai slammed his fist on the counter again and cursed under his breath. Ruby made herself vulnerable around that monster. And now, it was only a matter of time
before that beast would strike.

  The more Kai thought about how Joshua could be using her, the angrier he grew. No matter how much he wanted to take out that creature. Kai was bound from a promise made long ago. In exchange for saving his sister, the Blackwells were sworn not to hunt him. To let him live and hunt as he pleased. For all Kai knew, Joshua was the one behind all of these attacks and was using Ruby to get back at him.

  «Damn it,» Kai shouted.

  «Is this really how you spend your nights?»

  Kai froze when he heard the all too familiar voice. The icy undertones. The demanding tone. Kai knew all too well whose voice it belonged to. His mind urged him to get up and leave. However, his body remained glued to the barstool. He wasn't expecting to see her here. And of all the times for her to show up, it had to be now when everything was falling apart. Kai needed to keep his cool around her. There was no telling what she was capable of now.

  «Cat got your tongue? Answer me, Kai.»

  Her voice broke through his mind and caused him to sit straight in his seat. He turned slowly to see a person standing a few feet away from him. She wore black leather clothes and a black hooded robe that concealed weapons from his view. With him being unarmed put him at a huge disadvantage to her. Not that he really expected her to fight him.

  «Well?» she barked.

  «What are you doing here, Naomi?» Kai asked.

  He tried to mask his fear behind a strong tone. However, as Naomi lifted her hood up and exposed her gray pixie cut hair and ivory skin, Kai took quick notice to the smile on her face.

  «Relax,» she said, «I'm not here for you. I'm here for the Vampire you can't seem to kill.»

  Kai's eyes widened. She couldn't mean Ruby. Naomi couldn't possibly know what Ruby was going through. Could she? Maybe she was here to catch Joshua? Kai kept his guard up. There was no need to tell her about Ruby's sudden shift in character.

  «What vampire?» Kai asked.

  «Obviously, the one that's on a rampage,» Naomi said, «even though it's been quiet these past few days, it's still out there. It's still lurking in the shadows waiting for the right time to strike.»

  «I can handle one vampire, aunt, Naomi,» Kai replied.

  «Sure you can,» Naomi sneered, «if you can, why haven't you? This doesn't have anything to do with Ruby, does it?»

  Kai held his breath. Naomi was smart, and she could pick up on anything. Maybe Kai was giving too much away with his expressions. Either way, Kai needed to leave before she asked any more questions about Ruby and used her authority to get the answers out of him.

  «Of course not,» Kai scoffed. It did.

  It was part of the reason he hadn't caught that vampire. He cursed at himself. He had gotten so caught up with seeing his sister, that he let his guard down and forgot for a moment why he was really there. That vamp had been terrorizing the city for a while, and Kai let him. All because he was more concerned with Ruby and her sudden shift.

  «It's happening, isn't it?» Naomi asked as she took a step toward Kai, «she's changing. Isn't she?»

  «Like hell, she is,» Kai barked and threw his half-full glass toward his aunt.

  Naomi always seemed to know the right words to say to trigger his anger. Kai wasn't one to show much emotion. Naomi taught him that. However, if anyone said anything bad about Ruby, Kai changed. It was like someone flipped a switch in his mind. All other senses paused and his anger pushed through until it reached its breaking point.

  Darting off his seat, Kai lunged toward his aunt. He was going to make sure she would regret saying that. Flinging his fist her way, Kai assumed he would be the victor. However, that wasn't the case. Naomi had caught his fist, and with her other hand placed on his belt, she tossed him to the side. Landing hard on a table, Kai let out a shout of pain as he fell through the crack he had made. Small pieces of the table clung to his shirt and jeans, but it didn't stop him from trying to get back to his feet.

  «You never learn, do you?» Naomi said as she approached him slowly, «you'll lose if you keep this up.»

  She was right. Kai was going to lose. He knew that just as much as she did. As he stood facing his aunt, he let out a few breaths. He wasn't as fit as he used to be. And he blamed himself for slacking. There was silence for a few moments between them. Kai tried to wrap his mind around what other reasons she could be here for but turned up with nothing except for Ruby and that rouge vamp.

  17

  «It's hard to understand»

  Kai couldn't help but feel his Aunt's icy glare from beside him. He wasn't even sure how they went from fighting to sharing a drink. And yet, there they were with two whiskey glasses filled halfway with the amber liquid. Kai felt defeated in more ways than one. Not only had Naomi bested him in a hand to hand combat, but She also knew exactly what was happening with Ruby. Which he didn't understand. Naomi hadn't seen Ruby in 10 years, and there was no way she should have known what Ruby was going through. Was there?

  Taking a sip of his drink, Kai let out a short breath. Whiskey always burned down his throat. This stuff seemed worse than the other brands he had in the past. Still, it took the edge off, even if it was for a brief moment. He tried to think of a way to get out of this situation with Naomi and get to Ruby's side to warn her. Not that Ruby would listen anyway. He just wanted to get to her before Naomi did. There was no telling what Naomi would do when she sees Ruby and what's going on with her.

  «Why are you really here, Naomi?» Kai asked.

  «I told you,» she began, «I'm here to handle that rouge Vampire you can't seem to kill.»

  Kai stayed silent, trying to find the truth within her words. Namoi couldn't be suspecting Ruby for the murders. However, Kai couldn't say for sure if Ruby wasn't the one behind it.

  «If I find out that she's behind it,» Naomi continued as she took out a small knife and twirled in on the counter, «I will kill her. You know that.»

  Kai flinched as Namoi slammed the knife into the table. There was one thing Naomi was good at and that was keeping a promise. With Naomi's declaration to kill Ruby if she was the one behind everything, Kai felt his worst fears creeping up to him. Kai rose to his feet and slammed his hands down on the counter.

  «I swear to you,» he declared, «I'll find that vamp and kill it myself before you can get to it. Or Ruby.»

  «All right,» Naomi said, «it's a challenge then. I'll give you...Five days. If you haven't killed the beast, or I find out it really is her, I'll kill her right in front of you. So you can see what happens when you make a mistake.»

  Kai turned and darted out the bar. He ran as fast as he could, making sure to dodge the people as he passed them. He needed to get to Ruby before anything happened. He needed to tell her about her past, about Naomi's plan, and get the truth from her. Even though Kai was certain his sister wasn't the true cause of the murders, there was a sliver of doubt in his mind. He wasn't with her the night of the first murder. There was a slight chance it might have been her without her realizing it.

  «Damn it,» Kai shouted.

  There was no time for him to doubt himself. He told himself constantly that she wasn't the one behind it. That it was some other vampire. His feet came to a sudden halt with the passing of that thought. Another vampire. Joshua. He was the only other vampire that he knew of that was in New York with his sister. His mind dove quickly into the darkness of his thought. Joshua was getting close to Ruby to teach her how to kill. He was using her.

  Kai's heartbeat quickly in his chest as he searched his mind of anything that might dissolve his thought. When nothing came, Kai quickly darted back down the street and made his way to Ruby's home.

  The buildings blurred passed him as he made his way down the winding streets. Kai dodged as many people as he could, hoping that he would make it to Ruby's before anything happened. Knowing Naomi, she would already be on Ruby's tail. That is if she could find her. Ruby's ability to disappear was one of the things Kai was grateful for, at least, in this scenario.


  Turning a corner, Kai paused to get a good look at his surroundings. His heart pounded in his chest as he desperately tried to read the street sign. Fifth Avenue. He was close. Only a few more blocks and he'd be standing on Ruby's doorsteps. Catching his breath, Kai drew in one large breath, before darting off again.

  Upon climbing up the stairs to Ruby's quiet little home, Kai noticed the lights out. Ruby wasn't one to have lights on if she wasn't in the room, so Kai assumed she must be in her room fast asleep. He knocked lightly at first and waited. Minutes passed and his impatience started to wear thin. He knocked once more a little harder than before and waited.

  «Ruby,» Kai called as he knocked once more, «damn it, Ruby, open the door!»

  His knocks became louder and louder the more impatient he became. She had to be home. As his fist slammed on the door one last time, Kai felt defeated. She wasn't there. Which meant one of two things. 1. She was at work and safe, 2. Naomi had gotten to her first and was interrogating her. Kai shook his head, Naomi wasn't that quick. He rushed back down the stairs and hurried to the pub.

  He wandered into the bar, half expecting to see Ruby's glaring expression. However, he was greeted with a silence that clung to the air like gum to a shoe. He stood for a moment, wondering if he had taken a wrong turn somewhere. The bar was normally packed on Friday nights. This was something odd about the silence, one he couldn't quite place. Although, with the quietness of the room, it gave him ample opportunity to talk to Ruby one on one. The only thing he needed to do now was to find her.

  Kai searched the room for any sign of anyone else. Anyone that could lead him to her. His eyes fell on the bartender at the counter. He held a small glass, three-quarters full of some sort of liquid. Kai studied him for a moment. It took him a moment to realize that the blonde-haired bartender was Reid. Kai approached him slowly until he saw Reid slammed his fist into the counter.