The Awakening

by Tony Mazzarella

  She thought about the implications of that planning and how time might be running short.

  “Okay. I’ll meet with him,” she said quickly.

  “Excellent! He’s asked me to pick you up at eight o’clock and bring you to dinner.”

  “And where might dinner be?”

  “I’ll see you at eight o’clock, Ms. Kirby,” said the man as he abruptly hung up the phone.

  “But wait! Where is…?”

  She stared at the phone with her mind racing, trying to figure out what to do. She thought for a few minutes and quickly dialed the phone.

  “Hello,” said Drew on the other end of the line.

  “Hey, listen. It’s me.”

  “How are you doing? I’ve been worried; you didn’t pick up when I called earlier.”

  “There’s no time for that, Drew. I’m fine. I need your help with something.”

  “Help with what?” he asked.

  “I made plans for dinner with Valente, but there’s a problem.”

  “Yeah, I can think of a few problems with that too.”

  “Seriously,” she said, sounding worried. “He didn’t answer; it was some associate—a really creepy-sounding guy. He said Valente wasn’t available, but Valente had asked him to come get me and bring me to dinner.”

  “That’s it. You can’t go!” said Drew. “You don’t even know who this other guy is. He could be worse than Valente!”

  “I have to go. You know it, and I know it. But I’m scared the closer we get to knowing the truth.”

  “I know. I’m scared for you. What can I do?” he asked.

  “You have to follow me. I have no idea where he’s taking me, and I’m really worried that no one will know where I am.”

  “Great. That makes it easy then,” said Drew nonchalantly.

  “Easy? Why is that?” asked Cait.

  “Because, I was going to follow you anyway. Now I can do it without you getting mad at me.”

  “I should be mad at you for even thinking of that. But I’m not. I miss you, Drew. That day in the river meant a lot to me. I just want to let you know that in case…” Cait’s voice became silent as she became choked up thinking of what could happen.

  “You’re going to be okay. I promise. I won’t let you out of my sight,” said Drew.

  “Thanks,” she said. “I’m counting on it. He’s coming here at eight o’clock.”

  “I’ll be there at seven o’clock outside. Look for me.”

  “Thanks. Hopefully I’ll see you later.”

  “You will. Be strong, and we’ll talk later tonight,” said Drew.

  She hung up the phone and smiled, feeling the energy of new love flowing through her body. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced for some time, and it energized her spirit. She was able to fight the fear that began to paralyze her and to face what might be her last days with the thought that she and Drew would be together. She thought about Tom and felt no guilt about finding love with Drew. She knew it was time to move on, and she would keep him in her heart always.

  Several hours passed as she looked out the window, awaiting Adrian Valente’s associate. She saw a large black car pull up in front of the apartment building and a man get out. No sooner did he walk through the front door three floors below than a knock came at her door. Chills ran up her spine as she knew he couldn’t be there already—but he was. As she swung the door open, he was there. It was the same man who had just walked through the lobby doors down below.

  “Hello, Ms. Kirby. I’m Corrado Valente.”

  “Valente, did you say?” she asked, surprised.

  “Yes. I’m Adrian’s brother, as you may have guessed. I’ll take you to meet him now.”

  She could now see some resemblance, but in a strange way. He had much rougher features and wasn’t as handsome or refined as Adrian. She also felt his aura matched her perception of him on the phone—creepy.

  They walked down through the lobby and out the large front doors of the apartment complex. Cait scanned the area for any sign of Drew but saw nothing. She watched as Corrado opened the back door of the car, taking one last look around, and still there was no sign that Drew was there. She felt panic begin to set in at the thought of being driven off to some unknown location with this man.

  “Mr. Valente, I forgot my wallet. I have to run back inside,” she lied, hoping to try Drew’s cell phone.

  “Your wallet, Ms. Kirby?” said Corrado, staring at her purse as if he could see through it and through her deception. “Please, my brother is waiting for you. We must get moving. The sun is setting, and it’s getting late. He insists we get there on time.”

  She could see Corrado staring directly at the setting sun with not even a blink of his eyes. A look of anger came over him as his eyes fixated on its intense radiance. Cait looked to see what he might be looking at, but she had to turn her eyes away quickly as its brilliance was too much to look at for more than a few seconds. As she blinked quickly to recover, she could see him still staring in almost a trancelike state. He glanced at her and realized he was being observed.

  “We must go now, Ms. Kirby. You won’t need your wallet. I assure you.”

  Even more panicked now, she knew she had no choice but to get in. She cursed Drew for not making his presence more obvious to her and, even worse, she thought, what if he really wasn’t there.

  “Where exactly are we going, Mr. Valente?” she asked.

  “To our family home in Monte La Poggia.”

  “That’s a bit far. I wasn’t expecting to…”

  “As I said, Ms. Kirby, my brother is expecting you. We should be there in no time at all.”

  Cait knew it was at least an hour ride and was wondering what she’d gotten herself into. As they drove, she scanned the roads for any sign of Drew and could see Corrado looking suspiciously into the rearview mirror at her. They began to veer off into the countryside and up the mountainous winding roads that led to Monte la Poggia. She’d only been to this area once and remembered it to be covered in deep forest with not much else in between. She found it similar to the area around her childhood home in Colorado, and it made her long for that peace she’d known growing up. She could see Corrado scanning his surroundings as well, as if waiting for something. There’d been cars around up until the last few miles, and at that point they were the only ones heading into the dark winding roads.

  She felt an intrusion into her thoughts, but this time it was different. This presence wasn’t gentle or passionate. It was angry and bitter and forced its way into her mind. She knew instantly it had to be him. It had to be Corrado. She heard his voice in her thoughts and could see him beckoning her to him.

  “I need to know what my brother sees in your spirit. Why he would even consider putting it off again like before. And why he would even consider going back. I have to know what is so special about you. Show yourself to me. Show me your soul.”

  She fought hard against the force that pulled at her very essence. She was naked and fought to cover herself as he pulled at her. Even in her state, she knew this was the equivalent of rape. He was forcefully taking what he wanted from her, and her mind saw it in the only way it could translate the sensation. She felt the violence of the attack as he relentlessly drew the thoughts from her mind and the essence from her very soul. In her mind she screamed.

  “What do you want from me! Leave me alone!”

  “I will not go back. I will not serve again,” he said. “Your kind will die like they all have before. Why does he think you’re different? We’ve destroyed many species mightier than you. You will die whether at his hand or mine.”

  She began to realize what he was saying even in her savaged condition and realized it might be her only chance to resist his power. She could feel his feelings much like she was able to pick up on Adrian’s before.

 
“We will survive because Adrian knows better than you. You’re nothing and have always been nothing. I see your thoughts as clearly as you see mine. Your brother is the smart one, and you are his servant, you impotent bastard!” her thoughts screamed out.

  In her mind she could feel him strike her across the face and put his hands all over her body. He stared into her eyes, and his transformation began. He began to morph into a creature that was similar to the one in her dreams, but much more horrific. His skin turned to red flame, and horns emerged from his head as he raised his clawed hand to strike her again. She screamed as she covered herself from his blow, but it never came. She began to feel the warmth of another presence as she opened her eyes and could see Corrado in the rearview mirror staring at her while still navigating the winding roads without looking ahead. She knew they must be close to Adrian, and Corrado had no choice but to break the mental connection.

  “We are here, Ms. Kirby.”

  She could feel the hate in his voice as he turned the car up the long winding driveway that led through two large wrought-iron gates that closed behind them. The old stone mansion stood on the top of the mountain. As she pulled herself together, she looked down, still feeling the shame of being naked and attacked and was relieved to see it was only in her mind. As the car came to a stop, a man came out and opened the door. As Cait began to step out of the car, Corrado glared back at her.

  “I’ll be waiting anxiously for the trip back, Ms. Kirby,” he said, smiling.

  “I’m sure you will be,” said Cait defiantly as she exited the car. As she looked up at the house, she laughed to herself that it was as scary as any house she’d ever seen in a horror movie.

  “I suppose I’d have been disappointed if it was a condo in the city. All we need now is a thunderstorm,” she whispered to herself, not escaping the cliché of the images of a monster in a haunted mansion that went through her mind. She walked up the old marble steps and through the large black front doors. She couldn’t help but notice that the foyer was spectacular. Large sculptures stood on either side of a large staircase, and a large chandelier hung high above them, illuminating the entrance. Strange abstract paintings lined the hallway as far as she could see.

  “Please, Ms. Kirby. Come this way. Mr. Valente awaits you in his study,” said an older woman who was dressed as a maid would be.

  Cait followed her up a long hallway and through another set of tall, oak doors. She could see Adrian sitting behind a desk, looking out a large window over the mountainside, which was visible in the moonlight.

  “Ah, Cait. You’re finally here. I’m so happy that you’ve agreed to meet me for dinner tonight. I trust your ride in wasn’t too uncomfortable?”

  “No, it was fine. Your brother lacks the same conversational skills that you have, but it was fine.”

  “Yes, my brother can be a bit…intense at times. I hope he didn’t bore you too much?”

  “No, not at all,” she said, thinking that a boring ride would have been a much better alternative to what she just went through.

  “I was hoping we could talk for a while. Dinner is being prepared now, so we have some time. Please sit down, and I’ll have Angelina get you a drink. As Cait thought about the words “red wine,” Adrian’s lips were already moving.

  “Please, Angelina, bring our guest some red wine, the best we have.”

  His servant nodded and quickly left the room. As Adrian sat again in his chair, she could see the first flash of lightning from the approaching storm.

  “Figures,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Excuse me?” asked Adrian.

  “I was just commenting on this house. Seems like quite an estate for someone working in the government. They must pay you quite a salary.”

  “My salary could hardly pay the light bill for this place,” he laughed. “This estate has been passed down for many hundreds of years in my family. It serves as my sanctuary, if you will, to help me think clearly about things. I haven’t had a chance to do that in such a long time.”

  The servant brought Cait’s wine on a silver tray and placed it down on the table in front of her. She took it and leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. She could see Adrian watching as she adjusted her short black dress. Oddly, she didn’t feel uncomfortable at his gaze; she’d known an intimacy with him in her thoughts that far exceeded a fleeting look.

  “What things?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry?” said Adrian lost in thought.

  “What things do you need to think more clearly about?”

  “Many things, as of late, it would seem.” He walked over to the large window that overlooked the front of the house. “I’ve come to realize I’m not the man I thought I was. Have you ever done something to someone you care dearly about and thought it was the right thing at the time? Only many years later you come to understand, it might have been you that was the fool?”

  Cait thought about the way she’d overlooked Drew for all of these years.

  “Yes, I have,” she answered confidently. “I think it’s just a part of life we have to accept, I suppose.”

  “You’re very wise,” said Adrian. “I knew it the first time I felt your presence. I haven’t known anyone like you for some time. There are so many complex emotions lying just under the surface. The face you show the world is a mask, isn’t it? Hiding your sorrow, protecting you from hurt, keeping all but a select few from knowing your true self.”

  Cait felt her anger swell, and she knew it was because he was right.

  “I suspect we aren’t that different, you and I,” she said. “Sometimes our true form is vastly different than the one we allow others to see, isn’t it?”

  Adrian laughed, ignoring her obvious inquiry.

  “Enough about me. Please tell me all about your trip to the States.”

  She could feel him gently enter her mind as she closed her eyes. His thoughts began to intermingle with hers as she opened herself to him. She could feel him with her, two entities joined together. For a moment she thought back to the experience with Corrado and how forced and violent it was. Adrian instantly relived the experience as well, as it played back in her mind. The connection was immediately broken, and she sensed Adrian’s anger over his realization of Corrado’s brutal invasion into her mind.

  “Please excuse me for a moment. I have something I have to deal with, and it can’t wait. Please, finish your drink, and I’ll be right back.”

  As he slammed the door, thunder echoed off of the mountainside as the rain fell harder. She quickly jumped up and tried to call Drew, but the phone just rang.

  “Damn you, Drew,” she whispered as she slammed the phone down angrily. She stood and walked over to what appeared to be a closed curtain that separated a portion of the room. She looked back at the door and could hear no sign of Adrian returning. She slowly slid the curtain to the side and saw a painter’s easel covered with a white sheet. Paintings hung all around this part of the room. One looked like a representation of a large red face in agony staring at the sun. Another was of the earth and sun together with rays of light flowing outward. She pulled the sheet off of the covered painting and saw a beautiful woman adorned in a golden headdress, wearing little else. She had long black hair and sat on what looked like a gem-laden throne. She was amazed at the detail, and it was as if she was staring into eyes of a living person.

  “Oh my God. It’s her. It’s Khaheet,” she whispered softly.

  She was startled by the sudden touch of a hand on her shoulder.

  “You’ve discovered my secret, Cait,” said Adrian. “You know I can’t let you leave here—not now—not until it’s done.”

  Chapter 11

  Drew looked through the metal gate as the rain poured over him. He pulled his coat tighter, but it was no use. The cold, driving rain had already permeated his clothes and shoes. He could see lights from the mans
ion but had no way to scale the large wall and gate that stood before him. As the lightning flashed, he saw a small path that led around the wall and toward the backside of the mansion. As he followed it, he could see that it ended at a sheer rock cliff that bordered the back of the house. He reached for his phone and saw “missed call” on the screen. As he scrolled through to see who it was, Cait’s name appeared.

  “Oh, damn. I couldn’t hear it! I’m sorry, Cait,” he said aloud.

  He tried several times to call her, but she didn’t answer. As he weighed his options, he knew what he had to do. The only way onto the grounds was to scale the steep cliff.

  “What the hell am I doing?” he said aloud as he gained a foothold on a small outcropping of rocks. After twenty minutes of gruelingly slow progress, he reached a small plateau and tried to gauge his next move. His eyes searched the darkness to try to find the best route up the jagged wall to the back side of the mansion. A light steam rose from the rocks as the cold rain poured over them, making it hard to see anything above him. He made the mistake of looking down and could see the thick pine forest below.

  He reached up to grab ahold of a small ledge and continued pulling himself up the wall for what felt like hours until he reached the top. The cliff served as the boundary for the back of the estate, so there was no wall to scale when he reached the top. His next thought was that someone would be crazy to even try to gain access from the back of the house as he had, so he could understand why, thankfully, there was no additional security when he reached the top. He lay on the flat rocks for a few minutes trying to catch his breath as he once again looked over at sprawling mountains below him.

  The rain continued to pour over him as he made his way across the lawn to the large windows at the back of the house. He reached for his phone and tried to call Cait, but he got the same result as before. This time he left a message and hoped she’d be checking. He glanced at the time and was surprised that only forty minutes had passed during his climb. It had felt like an eternity.

  “Cait, it’s Drew. I’m here—at the back side of the house. I’ll be close by if you need me. I hope you’re okay.”