by B C Morgan
I wondered if my grave stone would have a similar message written upon it, when I finally left this sorry world, I was so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn’t even noticed that someone had approached me. It was that moment that a hand landed on my shoulder, so I spun around with my fist ready to knock whoever it was, flat on their arse.
I wasn’t expecting to come face to face with Mihaela, especially seeing as I was well and truly awake this time.
“Well done Nipotina, I had hoped that you would find me and you did.”
“You didn’t make it easy that’s for sure, but what I don’t understand is why the world thinks you are dead. I mean according to this you have been dead for the past fifty years.”
She bowed her head, before raising her eyes to meet mine.
“I promise to answer any questions that you may have, but for now please just follow me.”
She did not wait to see if I would, instead she just turned her back to me and took up a brisk pace as she began to walk away.
I weighed up my options but decided that if I really wanted to know the truth, then there really was only one true option for me. I had to follow her.
She was very fast for an old woman but luckily, I was faster and managed to keep pace with her relatively easy, I kept wondering where we were going especially after ten minutes had passed and we were still walking.
I just hoped that I could remember my way back so I could retrieve my car. I was debating whether or not to question her about our destination when she suddenly turned and walked down a narrow alley. I continued to follow after her as she passed through a gate and instructed me to close it once I was through, we then went inside a homey looking cottage.
It was beautiful, the ceiling was all wooden beams, the walls were white cobblestone with beams running up the centre as well. There was a log fire set in the wall with two arms chairs sat close by it, with a small round table in between the two.
She told me to take a seat, while she disappeared into what I guessed was the kitchen. She came back with a tray ladled with biscuits as well as two mugs and a pot.
I took the tea that was offered and then settled down, as I waited for her to become ready, to finally explain to me what the hell was going on.
“Do you have anywhere else that you need to be, as this is something that cannot be rushed.”
“No, I’m most certainly not in any rush, so just tell me why the whole world thinks you are dead.”
She inhaled rather loudly and took a long sip of her tea before she set her gaze on me.
“I was born a hundred years ago, by the time I hit fifty I stopped aging, there was no way that I could explain that rationally, so I made myself disappear. I know it sounds preposterous, but believe me, it gets a lot worse.”
She definitely had my undivided attention now and I did not dare utter a single word, in case she chose to not continue.
“I can guarantee that I am the only member of our family that you have met that shares your hair colour. The reason for that and the reason why I am legally dead is the same, for you see, me and you dear, are not entirely human. We are descendants of the Greek god Zeus and a very powerful sorceress, their distinct powers combined have made our blood line completely unique.”
Great, I was sitting in a crazy person’s house, obviously she faked her obituary as there is no way she is a hundred years old, as for what she told me. Well, I was not buying a single bit of it, it was to much. Did she really think that I was going to believe any of this bullshit?
“Listen here lady, I do not know where the hell you get off making up all that crazy arse shit, but I am definitely not buying any of what you are trying to sell.”
“Unya please, I need you to have an open mind, there is so much for me to explain and you really need to hear it.”
I stood up, pushing the chair back abruptly, as I repeatedly shook my head at her, I refused to listen to anymore of her lunacy as I high tailed it to her back door and ran down the garden.
She called after me, begging me to come back, but I refused to acknowledge her plea as I kept on running until I made it back to my car.
Z
Lawson
Three Days Later
It had been three days since I had last seen Unya and I knew it was time to put any personal feelings to bed and get on with my assignment because that was all she was. I just had to discover one way or another if she was ‘The One’ that he was seeking, and if she was I would simply deliver her to his feet. If she chose to not cooperate, then I would simply drag her there kicking and screaming.
Once that was done, I could go about my existence as though I had never lain eyes on her, Kat may find some issues with what I had to do, but she would move on. She always knew what was going to happen if Unya’s fate had already been sealed for her, all I had to do was keep an eye on her and make sure that she stayed alive long enough for me to know if her life really was worth anything to us.
I found myself scratching at the scars under my shirt, before cursing under my breath. I knew that Lilianna would not approve of my sudden change to Unya, but what did it matter. I decided to try and get a little shut eye before trying to locate her again, and once I drifted off, I found myself wishing that I just simply stayed awake.
I was back in our cottage, it had never been anything special, to be fair it was more run down then anything, but it meant everything to the two of us.
I kicked at the thick layer of dust that was covering the floor and wished that my subconscious would stop torturing me, by bringing me back to this place.
“Maybe I should just burn this whole place down to the ground,” I said out loud to myself, and then a floor board creaked, I spun around on the spot and was left staring in shock, with my mouth hanging wide.
“Don’t you dare Lawson; you know how much this place meant to me.”
Lilianna was standing right in front of me, with her hands firmly on her hips and at that moment I hoped I never awoke again.
I swooped her up into my arms and held her close, as she laughed softly into my chest, before slowly pushing me back and placing her feet back on the ground.
“My sweet Lawson, what has happened to you, you are filled with such darkness and anger?”
“Are you really surprised, they stole you from me, they snatched away all my hopes for the future when you went away, how can you not be angry?” I fired back at her, feeling the rage building up inside me, just searching for a release.
“My Sweet, of course I was angry at first, we had the entirety of our lives to enjoy with one another, but obviously that was not meant to be. As for being angry now, how could I be, it has been over three hundred years since that event happened. You need to put the past behind you and create a new future for yourself, find someone that could make you happy, that will make you want to smile at least once every day.”
“How could you ask that of me, my happiness died, the day you vanished from my life, forget a three hundred years, it feels like yesterday to me. You were everything to me, you kept me from turning dark, what a lot of good that did in the long run hey.”
I felt the palm of her hand connect with my cheek, and stared at her in shock. My Lilianna would have never raised a hand to me, but of course she wasn’t really mine at all, this was just a figment of my imagination, nothing more and nothing less.
“It is not my fault that you went there, I begged you to not let what happened change you, you could have found someone else and been happy, but instead you sold your soul to the figurative devil. You are filled with nothing but darkness and anger or so you believe. But I can see the truth of what really lies beneath your skin Lawson,” her fingers splayed out across my chest, as her eyes darkened and her voice took on an eerie and creepy quality.
“I couldn’t help it, all I could see was red and I couldn’t wash the blood off of me, it tainted me and changed me. I tried to hold on to whom I was when I was with you, but that Lawson is long gone.”
She pushed me up against the door and pushed her face closer to mine, with the tips of our noses touching and her breath dancing across my lips.
“You cannot sentence that girl to a fate worse than death, if you do then you are right, the man I gave my heart too really is gone. I’m just glad I didn’t live long enough to meet this version of you, so goodbye Lawson, keep telling yourself this was just dream if it makes it easier. This will be the last one I ever visit you in.”
She crushed her lips against mine, it was so intense that the air in my lungs blew out of me. I opened my eyes as she disconnected her lips from mine and I couldn’t help the scream that lodged itself within my throat. The vision that was my Lilianna had been warped and ruined by the blood that was now covering her, her dress was soaked in the sticky substance and her mouth was wide open in a silent scream. Her glorious blue eyes, now nothing more than black cavernous pits. I stepped back, but she kept on pursuing me, reaching out, silently begging me to save her this time, when I had failed so pitifully when it truly mattered.
I woke up screaming, with Kat sitting at my side shaking me frantically. I stared up into her eyes and a dam broke from within me as the tears streamed down my face. She pulled me into her arms and just listened as I recalled every detail of the dream that would forever be imprinted in my mind. It was the first dream I’d had of Lilianna where she had spoken to me coherently before the inevitable scene of bloodshed.
Chapter Eleven
Unya
A week passed since my strange encounter with Mihaela, I knew that she was crazy, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about what she said. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she believed every word that she said to me, even if it was impossible.
I managed to find a cheap little bed and breakfast, that thanks to my authentic looking fake ID, I was able to stay in. But since a week had now passed, I knew that I had to go back to Jackie’s, my lack of bruises would no longer be held under suspicion, but I knew that I wasn’t going to get away with my little disappearing act.
I decided to go back right there and then before I could talk myself out of it but was surprised when Jackie marched over to me once I walked through the door and pulled me in for a cuddle. She smoothed down the back of my hair in a soothing manner, and she most certainly confused the hell out of me. I stared up at her in utter shock, that was until I laid eyes upon Mrs. Wright, then everything started to make a lot more sense.
Mrs. Wright came strolling over to me with puffy, bloodshot eyes and snatched hold of my hand.
“Oh Unya, I’ve been going out of my mind with worry, where have you been?” Asked Jackie, who definitely should have been up for an award with that little performance. Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I may have actually believed that she cared about me.
“I’m sorry Aunt Jackie, I know I should have called, but I just couldn’t bear to be around anyone after what happened,” I stated, staring down at the ground, trying to sound stricken with grief.
“Anna just wanted to know if you had spoken to him at all before the accident?” Jackie asked it in such a way, that it told me I should not correct her on the use of the word ‘Accident.’
I mean come on, even the news was saying that it was suicide, how the hell could that be construed as accidental, but I bit my tongue to prevent myself from pointing that out.
“I’m sorry Mrs. Wright, I did see him about a week ago but he seemed happy. I heard he got into a fight, but I just put it down to gossip. I know Darren would have never lowered himself to fighting some low life in public.” I tried to sound all meek and demure and I knew that Jackie wouldn’t buy a second of it.
“Oh my, of course he wouldn’t have, Darren was such a sweet boy.” Said Anna as she clutched her hand to her chest, Jackie steered her back towards the living room as she began to sob. Before Jackie followed her in, she came back over to me and spoke very quietly to ensure that she would not be overheard.
“Listen to me you heartless little bitch, you will go straight to your room and you will stay there until I deem fit to let you out again.”
I wanted to say something back in response but decided to bide my time as I took to the stairs and retreated to my room, where I discovered a brand new door, this one with a lock on the outside instead. Alarm bells went off in my head but I shook them off as I closed the door behind me and marched over to my window, which had now been nailed shut. She was locking me away, and I was powerless to stop her as I heard the lock slam home and I officially became a prisoner.
It was later that night when I rang Addy and told her what Jackie had done, she instantly started to freak out and I was powerless to help calm her down.
“She can’t do that to you, it’s barbaric,” She stated, utterly shocked by the level that Jackie had stooped to.
“Whether she can or can’t is irrelevant, seeing as she has. I am a prisoner in my own room, how messed up is that?”
“Unya you have to get away from there and for good this time, you can’t keep going back to her as she’s getting worse as the time goes on.”
“Look, the minute I turn Eighteen, I will be free to go wherever I want and she won’t be able to stop me,” I stated, hoping that it wasn’t just wishful thinking on my behalf.
“Don’t be so naïve, Katie left you a lot of money in her will, when you hit Eighteen Jackie won’t be able to lay a finger on it anymore, do you really believe she is just going to let you go, knowing that.”
I hated to admit it, but Addy was right. Thanks to my mum, Jackie was sitting pretty, with no need to work and never having to worry about mundane problems, such as bills and food. Once I left that would all change, but what lengths would she actually go too, to ensure that none of that would change.
A week trailed by slowly, as I remained locked in my room. The only time it was opened was to provide me with the barest amount of food, just enough to prevent me from starving. I almost didn’t eat it, out of spite, but in the end I relented. Knowing that I would need whatever strength I could gather to finally be rid of Jackie.
She had just passed me my dinner when the front door went, she scurried away so fast that I couldn’t resist pressing my ear against the door to try and eavesdrop. I couldn’t hear what was being said word for word, but I distinctly heard a male voice and Jackie’s tone definitely increased in pitch. God was there actually a man out there who could be attracted to that wretch of a woman.
I heard their footsteps as they ascended the stairs and their words grew more and more clear.
“I thought you wanted rid of her baby,” Stated the guy, followed by wet slopping sounds, which were obviously the noises he made when he kissed, I mean gross.
“I do Martin, but I don’t know if I can go through with that, it just sounds so messy,” She replied, her voice gushing at the attention that she was receiving.
“It doesn’t have to be, just get her to the edge I mean accidents do happen, obviously she just couldn’t go on anymore after the tragic loss of her boyfriend. And then we will be free to spend our lives together in the luxury that you clearly deserve.”
I stopped listening after that, I mean I had always known that she hated me, but could she actually talk about killing me so easily. That was the final straw, I refused to wait around to become another statistic in teenage deaths. I had to get away from her once and for all, and no way in hell was I going to leave her with a single penny of my mother’s money.
Chapter Twelve
Lawson
I hated having to call on Kat for any kind of favour, but it had become apparent that I could no longer avoid it. I just knew that the request could be the final nail in our friendship.
“Lawson you have got to be kidding me, how dare you ask me to get Marcus involved in your drama. You have been on at me for months to finish with him, and now that I finally have, you want me to call in a favour on your behalf. I can’t do it, I haven’t spoken to him since that night you went to Venom, I just can’t
face it.”
“Look Kat I am sorry to bring you in on this, but I have no idea where Unya is, I can’t finish my job unless I know where she is and if she’s the one that the Fates spoke of.”
Kat whirled on me, the whites of her eyes glowing red.
“You lost her, it’s your fault that you are in this mess, so no I will not help you. I have had enough of your woe with me attitude and blatant disregard of the consequences that your actions bring or the predicament that you place me in. Besides you know where she ;lives, maybe you should check there.”
I took a step back, knowing that I had caused this anger to flare up within her, I hadn’t seen this side of her in well over a year, ever since she met Marcus to be precise, but I couldn’t shy away completely. I knew that I had to make her see it from my point of view before it was too late.
“If he finds out that I have made a mess of this precarious situation, he will drag me straight back down to him. I might never see the light of day again, please Kat, I am begging you. Besides, I haven’t seen her in over a week, how could she have stayed in there for that long?”
“Fine, I will do as you ask, but know this Lawson, I will never help you again, as far as I am concerned our friendship is dead.”
Her words drove home like a knife to the heart, I knew what I had been risking by bringing my problems to her, but I never thought she would actually turn her back on me. I didn’t blame her for it in the least, to be quite frank, I had been a lousy friend to her. But I always believed that I would have time to make it up to her and fix all of my mistakes. This time I had obviously gone too far and I lost the one person who had always been there for me, even through my darkest days.
Kat had retreated into her room, to make contact with Marcus, I had no idea how long it would take and was quite surprised when there was a knock on the door within ten minutes of watching her back as she walked away from me.
