Bound Angel Bound Demon

by Claire Spoors

  She went around the back of the cottage, wanting to explore the garden and see if she could shake the pain off before Gary saw her. Gary was out the back sitting on a garden chair reading, he looked up and smiled, his blue grey eyes twinkling in the sunshine, Alex smiled back and tried to walk over towards him without him noticing how much pain she was in.

  “Did you have a nice time, is Marie ok?” asked Gary.

  “She is now” answered Alex. She put her hand up to her head, and her legs went from under her. Gary ran over to her.

  “What happened, are you alright?” Gary helped Alex back to her feet and walked her over to the chair to sit down.

  Alex explained the protection spell, and the Planetary Alignment.

  “So, you could be in danger,” Gary said.

  “If something was to happen now I might be, but I think I will be fine if and when the time comes,” Alex tried to smile through the pain she was feeling, her head was still spinning.

  “When is this thing going to happen?” said Gary. He poured her a drink from the jug he had sitting on the little table next to the chair.

  “In a few weeks, but Gary, you should be away from me when it starts. I don’t want you getting hurt, or anything, I don’t know what to expect and Marie didn’t know either so I think it’s best you stay at the club, at least until it’s over, just to be safe.”

  “Look you said it wouldn’t have any effect on me so I would be safe,” answered Gary, he didn’t want to leave her, not now! Everything else could wait.

  “Gary, I don’t want to have fall out with you over this, I just want to have a bath and a rest, so I can get rid of this pain,” Alex stood up, still a bit shaky, and went towards the back door of the cottage.

  Gary followed her into the house and helped her upstairs and ran her a bath. They didn't speak while Gary helped her out of her clothes and into the bath. Gary undressed and climbed in with her; he held her in his arms and began to wash her gently. The touch seemed to soothe her pains slightly. But when he touched Alex’s shoulder she jumped.

  “That’s one nasty bruise you’re going to have there, I think you should get it looked at,” said Gary.

  “Stop worrying, I’m feeling better already, how can I get it looked at? I can’t go to a doctor now can I? I’m not even sure why I got a bruise anyway, I’m meant to be dead, remember!”

  Alex lay back and let Gary wash her, feeling the wet cloth in his warm hands touching every part of her body. Alex wanted Gary, but she knew she just didn’t have the energy to even try; she just lay there and closed her eyes. Gary didn’t want to upset her anymore, everything that was happening lately was strange, her sleeping, and now getting hurt, how could this be happening, was she going through some phase, or was she going to pass on to the afterlife after all?

  Too many questions building again, thought Gary. This week away is about spending some time with her, I owe her that at least.

  Gary now lifted her out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel, and carried her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Alex lay there never wanting Gary so much as she did now, Gary began to dry her, then he pulled the blankets back and helped her into the bed.

  “Rest for now and we’ll talk later,” Gary kissed Alex softly and left her to rest.

  Alex closed her eyes, sleep came, well least something did, she wasn’t sure if it was the pain from Marie’s spell that was dragging her to sleep or something else was dragging her into unconsciousness, but she just let it take her there. She had no fight left in her now.

  She opened her eyes. The room was dark; she was still in her bed. Alex tried to sit up but couldn’t, she felt heavy, unable to move any part of her body, and she turned her head to look around the room. She saw the fire had been lit sending shadows flickering across the walls. Alex watched the flames dance, it was hypnotising and relaxing. Then she noticed someone sitting in the corner of the room watching her. Alex couldn’t make out who it was, that spell had weakened all her strength and senses, her sight was much weaker than it had been.

  The person stood up and came closer, she made out that it was a man; he put out his cigar in the palm of his hand and threw it into the fire. It was the person from her dreams! Alex didn’t try to move, she had a feeling it wouldn’t help her even if she could. He came closer, she somehow felt safe, and her senses sharpened with every step the man took towards her.

  He helped her to sit up and then sat on the edge of the bed. Alex looked at him, waiting.

  “I have been waiting for you to come back since that night you came into my home. I watched you that first night walk up and enter my home. I wasn’t sure if you were a person to trust at first so I hid when you came into my bedroom. Then you came back again I could sense you walking up behind me, but you were gone just as quickly, there is something that draws me to you and I feel it is the same for you and I’m not sure what it is yet, so I waited for your return but you never came, I sensed you were near, something was wrong. Something was stopping us connecting,” he said, not looking at her; he seemed to be watching the fire, fearful of looking her in the eyes.

  Alex pulled the blankets up over her chest, remembering she was naked.

  “You’re the person from my dreams?” asked Alex.

  “Not dreams, it’s a connection, you just lose connection from one world to reach another.” The man turned, Alex stared at him, his eyes were like glowing amber. They seemed to draw her in. He had long flowing, dark, thick, beautiful hair, she wanted to touch it. Something was pulling them to each other, but what, did he have some sort of magical power over her, was he controlling her mind, her thoughts? Alex tried to clear her head, calm her feeling for this strange but sexy looking man.

  “Another world?” she questioned.

  “Well it’s more like a time, we are from different times but our paths are getting closer, and our times will catch up, we are meant to meet for some reason. That reason is not known yet,” said the man.

  Alex was beginning to feel stronger, “Who are you?”

  “That isn’t important now.”

  Alex felt comfortable around him for some reason. There was more than a connection, and she sat watching him waiting for something to happen between them, or was it more wanting something to happen?

  “I know a lot about you Alex, ever since that first night I saw you; I have watched you and found out things about you. I know you believe you are a spirit, bound to walk this earth forever.”

  Alex let the words run over her, his voice was like smooth honey, running sweet all over her body. She then noticed his body, the shirt he wore was an old style, but it was tight across his chest, the muscular physique showing through, she knew Gary and Ray were fit. But this man was both of them rolled into one. Alex suddenly remembered Gary. Where was Gary?

  “Where’s my husband?” she asked.

  “Don’t worry he is asleep downstairs, I made sure he was asleep. With a little help of course! So I could come to you without waking him.”

  “What do you mean with a little help, you made sure he was asleep, what did you do? How could you do this? I thought we were from different times.”

  “I added a little something to his drink, so he would sleep like a baby and not interrupt us, we are from different times, like I said, I know something about you and knew he would be here. As for the word husband, that is not a word I would use,” said the man more sternly.

  “He is my husband, why wouldn’t I use that word?” said Alex, shocked at his rudeness.

  “Well, with you officially passed on, he’s a widower, so therefore you’re not married, that is if that was what you called a marriage when you were alive! I think a more accurate description would be sex slave, but each to their own.”

  Was this man jealous of her former life? He seemed to know a lot about her, a bit too much for her liking.

  “I’m not a sex slave as you put it, I’m his wife, I choose that life, Gary didn’t want me to part of it at first,” she snap
ped back at the peculiar man.

  “He wanted to keep that part away from you, he was happy to sleep with others, that is not what I call love.”

  “Look, whoever you are, Gary and I love each other, I wanted to be in his world and I still am part of his life, we will be with each other forever!”

  “I’m sorry, I have overstepped the mark, but I see things differently from you. I see a beautiful girl, killed at such a young age, intelligent, a master in all things technical, and reduced to being used for sex, and now despite all you have done to protect Gary, he has sent you away, he is slipping away from you and you can’t even see it . . . I didn’t come here to argue with you, I needed to tell you who you really are, why we are connected but I have let my feelings get in the way, I will leave it for tonight my dear Alex, until the next time we meet,” he reached out and took her hand and kissed it gently, he stood and bowed his head and with the blink of an eye he was gone.

  Alex sat, this man, acted so differently, like someone out of a Bronte novel, yet was he real, or was she dreaming? This Alignment thing had a lot to answer for. She didn’t know what was going on or was it her mind playing tricks. She felt like she was losing Gary and maybe dreaming up this man was a way to hide her feelings about Gary; she needed to talk to a friend, but her one and only best friend was out of bounds to visit.

  Was he right about Gary? Was he slipping away from her? He wouldn’t do that to her, or was it her pushing him away? She was making him leave now because of this Alignment but he wanted to stay. Or was he just playing along? She didn't understand this man in her dreams, yet she couldn’t get him out of her mind, was she the one who was cheating? How could she, it’s not like she had slept with anyone or anything? He must be just a dream and she was playing out her confusion in her dreams, trying to make sense of it all.

  Alex got out of bed, not bothering to dress, and went to find Gary. She noticed how all the pain from before seemed to have gone, she looked in the mirror at her shoulder, there was no bruise, but why would she have had a bruise anyway she was a ghost after all? She found Gary asleep in the chair with a glass in his hand. She tried to wake him, but he was in a deep sleep. Alex took the glass and placed it on the side table, she fetched Gary a blanket and a pillow and made him comfortable.

  She took the glass into the kitchen and began to wash it out and placed it on the drainer. Why was she doing this, was she covering up any evidence of the visitor earlier on tonight? How could he have visited if it was a dream? This was all too much!

  With her mind still racing, she went back to bed, waiting for something, anything, but nothing came. This was so strange, she needed her questions answered, and tonight she wasn’t getting any answers. Was it real or was it a dream?

  Chapter Seven

  Alex had finally stopped thinking about the man from last night. She was up and dressed and sitting in the garden waiting for Gary to wake up. She loved this garden, there were flowers everywhere, and as she went around the garden looking at all the blooms she found a little hidden place, which was just out of view from the house. There was a little, white wooden bench placed in between a white frame with pink and white roses growing over the top. Alex sat down, she traced her finger along the bench then she looked up and noticed a plaque hidden under some of the roses, she stood up and moved them aside so she could read the plaque.

  For my beloved wife and daughter. May you enjoy the freedom and sunshine together, let us sit together as a family and grow as the roses climb. Love from Daddy and Husband James

  It was lovely, the person who owned the house before must have made it for his family. Alex sat down again and looked out, this place was perfectly located for the morning sun. Alex had loved the sun when she was alive; she loved soaking up the sun which seemed to make all her troubles disappear.

  It wasn’t the same now, but at least there was no risk of sunburn. She looked at her arms as they glistened like stars. Her skin was pale, but not deathly pale as you might have thought. She didn’t look like a ghost, she hoped.

  It’s not that anyone would see her out here. They were miles from the nearest village. Why had he chosen this place? She thought she was moving to a place where she could mix with others and not have to worry about being recognised. That was his reason for bringing her here, that’s what he’d told her, or was it for some other reason?

  Alex heard Gary calling her name; she stood up and came out from her hiding place to see him walking into the garden.

  “There you are! I was scared for a second with the way you were yesterday.”

  Alex went over to Gary and held his hand and looked at him trying to read his thoughts. “I’m fine, but I won’t be visiting Marie for a while, I don’t ever want to feel that pain again.”

  Gary looked at her with concern for a moment, and Alex wondered about last night.

  “Why didn’t you come to bed?” she asked, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.

  “I had every intention of joining you once I knew you were resting, but the last thing I remember was that I was sitting in the chair having a drink, then I woke up in the chair this morning. I must have been tired myself, thank you for making me comfortable by the way.” Gary reached over and gave her a kiss.

  The man from last night must have drugged him, it was real.

  “Alex, are you ok? You seem distant, is something bothering you?” said Gary.

  “I’m fine, it’s just these dreams, they're messing with my head that’s all, and I’ll be fine once this Alignment thing is over.”

  “Didn’t you ask Marie about them?” Gary asked.

  “No, she was too messed up herself, I will give it a few days and I will call her if they haven’t settled down by then, don’t worry I will be fine.”

  Gary looked at her and smiled again, “How about I take you for a walk, and take you up to the other house, and show you the one I want to make into the new club.”

  “Why not!”

  “Great, let's go,” Gary took Alex’s hand and led her to the front of the house, and they went towards the woods. As Alex got nearer she could make out a pathway that led up to the house.

  “I know, it’s overgrown, but this will all be cleared out so the cars and guests can drive up, it used to be the driveway and the basics are still there,” said Gary as he led her deeper down the path. They had walked for about five minutes, the woods had gotten denser, the sunlight blocked out, Gary held Alex closer so she would not fall, forgetting she could see in the dark. Alex didn’t remind him, she liked the feeling he was protecting her. He does love me, thought Alex, that man knows nothing.

  The pathway started to open out soon they came into the sunshine again and into the clearing, Alex stopped dead at what she saw next.

  “Alex, what is it? Do you like it?” asked Gary. Alex stood still frozen to the spot, it was the house, the house in her dreams, and it had the fountain outside covered in ivy, the window shutters hanging off, dead leaves everywhere, everything exactly the same as her dream.

  Alex looked at Gary, trying to smile, so not to worry him, “This will sound weird, but I have been here Gary, this is the house in my dreams.”

  “Really, wow, well maybe it was showing you the future, telling you we were supposed to have this house,” said Gary.

  Alex looked back at the house and then at Gary.

  “Maybe you're right, come on we’ve come this far, let's go in and have a look round,” said Alex, she didn’t want to mention she had also been in the house, that would lead to having to tell him about the man in her dreams as well.

  They went up towards the front door. Gary pushed the ivy aside to let Alex step inside. The main hall was just like her dream but she didn’t let on. They went into the living room with the furniture covered in dust sheets. Gary lifted some of them off the chairs and tables. Everything was in brilliant condition; it was like they had been frozen in time. Alex went over to the wingback chairs facing the fireplace; she went round in fro
nt of them and pulled off their dust sheets. Nothing! What did she expect? For the man to be hiding underneath the sheets? She shook the thought off and turned back to Gary who was still looking around.

  “This is great we can keep some of this furniture, it will save us buying everything new,” said Gary.

  Alex looked around the room it seemed so different in the daylight.

  “I think we need to restore it back to its original state, Gary, we owe it that, and then add up-to-date items to suit the clients, don’t you think?”

  “That would work, a different twist to the original Gothic style we have in the other house.”

  Alex went around pulling sheets off the other pieces of furniture. Leaving the paintings on the walls covered.

  They went into all the downstairs rooms which were all in great condition.

  “This only needs updating with the electrics and we will have it up and running, plus adding the toys and games we know they will love.”

  “How do you know, we haven’t seen upstairs yet?” said Gary happy that she was interested in the house and what it had to offer.

  “I have seen enough to know we have a great house here, all we need to do is clear the path and then some of the trees so we can let some light into the windows.”

  Gary turned and gave Alex a big hug, “You seem happier, you're going to enjoy this project aren’t you?”

  “What do you mean?” asked Alex.

  “I’m putting you in charge of everything, that way I know it will be in safe hands while I’m going back and forth,” said Gary.

  Alex's mood changed, he’s leaving me again she thought, has he found someone new? Why do I keep having these thoughts? If it weren’t for that stupid man putting them in my mind in the first place, I wouldn’t even be questioning Gary.

  Alex held Gary and kissed him, she began to run her fingers through his hair, she wanted to prove that man wrong. She began to undress Gary, tasting his exposed skin. Gary responded avidly, they were soon up in each other’s grasp, feeling their naked silky flesh like nothing else mattered, they had all the time in the world and nothing was going to ruin this moment.