Six months have passed since Zoe and Charles have gotten married. All has been quiet in the hunting world, and so they've been able to be around Rachael a lot. They've even got to celebrate Rachael turning a year old.
Babies grow up fast, and Rachael is developing at a normal pace according to all the books on babies Zoe has picked up in bookstores and online. Zoe and Charles had watched Rachael make her first baby step; they've even watched her saying her first word. Zoe caught it all on camera. She figures one day, Rachael would want to know about her life as a baby.
Who doesn't want to know about their life from when they were babies? It is an innocent time, and often when looking back at pictures, often most grow of awe when they see their baby selves. Zoe and Charles can only hope that Rachael keeps the same looks, but it is also known for babies to not look anything like their adult selves.
Sometimes a baby can already have a grown up face. And that's the face they live with for the rest of their lives. But Zoe kept an eye on Anthony's family, and would often notice some of the daughters' faces would often change every five years or so. This too does happen often, unless you're a Hollywood actress or something. But for some reason, Zoe feels Rachael's looks won't change much.
For the time being, Rachael has fair skin and pink, rouge-like cheeks. Her little full lips match the color of her cheeks as well. She has dark blue eyes--though that can change in about another year or so--and dark, straight hair. If Zoe didn't know any better, Rachael could actually pass for her biological daughter.
She shakes her head of these thoughts. She tries not to be an over-thinker, but sometimes she can't control herself. Charles tells her the same thing she remembers Anthony would tell her often.
"In time, your memories will come and when they do, you'll find you've been worried for nothing."
Zoe finds it amazing that after all these centuries--or in her case millenia--the speeches are still the same. Perhaps they are right, she sighs. She can't do anything more but to move on.
Moving on is a great idea. It's so great that when Zoe got an alert about five minutes ago of suspicious behavior arising, she called up Harper to see if she would babysit Rachael for a bit. Harper was delighted to help.
"I can't believe how big Rachael has gotten," Harper says. "It feels like it was only yesterday you brought this little girl home."
"Yes, it does seem that way," Zoe replies.
Charles shows up into the living room where everyone is at, and looks over at Zoe.
"Ready?"
She nods and looks over at Rachael. "I won't be long," she says as she kisses her head.
Zoe and Charles head out of the house. They had both decided to hold off on hunting until Rachael becomes of age, but they just had one more mission to take care of. They needed to find Rachael's biological parents, or better yet, they had to know more about her biological background.
When a human is born with a mutation, their blood type is different. Not that anything should happen, but something could. Those born of supernatural powers tend to be a bit stronger than the average human. They also tend to heal a bit faster than the average human. These are just excuses Zoe has come up with in her head to justify why she wants to find Rachael's biological parents.
The truth is--if Zoe allows herself to actually think about it--she wants to see if her birth parents are going to want to claim her, in which case they could. Her parents would be supernatural as well, and they would be able to take her with no problem what's or ever. Zoe is strong, but she often lacks confidence in herself.
There have been numerous times when she's been on a hunt, where she has been captured, and even left for dead. She knows she can't die, but her captors don't know this. The vampires smell her blood and have a taste, only to die hours later, writhing in pain. She doesn't know how to cure them, or at least, she doesn't know of any antidote to heal them from her poisonous blood.
Usually within an hour a vampire has been poisoned, they set her free and beg for her to kill them. She does what she only knows: Cut off their heads and burn the bodies. Because vampires heal within seconds, the head needs to keep separated from the body. Burning the body to ash is necessary to ensure the creature doesn't come back to life.
Every thing is a weird process. Zoe can kill just about any kind of creature but herself. She's tried a number of times to kill herself, but nothing has happened. She is definitely delusional to think she will ever die. Earth is her hell, for what ever reason; it's up to her to make the most of it.
******
When Zoe first met Charles on that very day they found Rachael at the beach, Zoe noticed Charles also had police scanners located in his Florida room.
"You're a police officer," it came out sounding more of a question than a statement.
"It is the best way to find out any kind of strange activity going around," he replied.
Zoe looked down at the pup and found her transformed into a human baby girl. "This must be her original form," said to herself mostly.
Charles turned around to look at her. "It looks like my blood did the trick. She's starting to heal."
Zoe looked down at the baby, and tried to concentrate on her. She often finds if she meditates enough, she can catch a glimpse of the past. She closed her eyes for a few moments, and then opened them to speak.
"Are you hungry, Rachael?" She asked the baby as if a baby under a year were going to answer.
"How do you know her name is Rachael?" Charles asked Zoe.
"Visions," she replied.
"Oh," was his only reply. "Do you get visions all the time?"
"No," she answered. "I have to meditate to get the visions. Sometimes I have to meditate a long time to get them. Other times, it just comes to me right away."
Forgotten Hope, Chapter Four
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Forgotten Hope: Three
To catch up:
FORGOTTEN HOPE CHAPTER INDEX:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Challenges can arise when you barely know someone, but are willing to marry them just so a baby can grow up in one home, and not get passed around like a dirty ball on the playground. Zoe knows exactly what the legal system requires in order to adopt a foster baby. She knew she didn't want to see her get passed around like that.
If she could, she would try to save all the orphans from being passed around from home to home, but she knew she couldn't do that. She made an exception for Rachael--that's what the shape-shifting baby was named--because she is a shape-shifter.
A shape-shifter in a human home would only result in the child being passed around. The human adoptive parents would sound crazy if they told the story of how the child morphed into another being or an object of molecular structure, and so they would keep quiet and try to ignore it never happened. By doing so, they would have to give the child to another adoptive family.
Zoe couldn't bear to see that happened. She decided to do the next best thing; she decided to marry Charles--a man she barely knows--just to keep Rachael in a one-family home. She has no idea how she gets herself into these things. One minute she's thinking about her past with Anthony, and the next it's a week later and she's married to a man that looks almost like Anthony.
So many changes and challenges can arise within two months. The pup that Zoe and Charles found on the beach two months prior, morphed into a six-month old baby girl. They both figured out this must be the baby's true form. After searching around, they found out where the baby belonged.
She belonged to no one. The mother abandoned her at birth, and the baby--Who's name is Rachael--has been bounced around from house to house. It is no wonder why the baby transformed into a baby coyote, Zoe had thought. The social worker had informed Charles and Zoe about Rachael.
Marjorie, the social worker, stopped by Charles' two-story house on the beach. She could tell that his house would be a steady environment for a growing child to live in. There was only one problem.
"The adoption shouldn't be a problem," Marjorie began. "But I will warn you that what orphanages look for are married couples. They prefer them over single people."
"I'm not single," Charles said. "My fiance and I were talking about having children one day, and when we found this sweet baby on the beach, we just knew that adoption was the way to go."
Zoe looked at Charles as if to question what he was doing. When he noticed, he gave a look that suggested for her to play along. He held out his hand, and Zoe grabbed it.
"My apologies," said Marjorie. "I just assumed that you and Miss Smith barely knew each other."
Sally Smith, it is a name that Zoe uses when asked for a name. Why she doesn't use the name Zoe is beyond her. All of her identification reads Sally Smith on them. She couldn't explain why she told Charles the real name she goes by--well, the only name she knows to go by. She can't remember her life before being pulled out of the waters in Greece.
"On the contrary," Charles says, who broke Zoe out of her reverie. Zoe quickly smiles. "We have been engaged for a very long time. In fact, we've decided to get married next weekend."
Charles watched as Zoe was no longer smiling, but just stared at him in a state of shock.
"Well, congratulations," Marjorie said. She looked over at Zoe. "Miss Smith. Will you be keeping your last name?"
Zoe quickly turned her head and gave a fake smile. "I was thinking of hyphenating it. Smith-Azul sounds nice, don't you think?"
"Yes, it does have a nice ring to it," Marjorie admits. She cleared her throat. "Well then, the paperwork process takes about a few weeks, and showing proof of your marriage certificate will make the process easier."
She walked out, and two days later, Zoe and Charles are with the justice of the peace, and Charles' neighbor, Harper. Harper is a name Zoe can't seem to wrap her brain around. For one thing, Harper is an unusual name for someone who is blonde hair and has blue eyes.
Harper is also young--about twenty-three years of age--and so life is still new to her. But she seems like a nice person, and was really excited when she heard that Charles was going to get married. Though Zoe suspects Harper isn't happy about him marrying Zoe. Zoe herself wasn't too thrilled about the idea of marriage.
Even though all these years have passed, Zoe feels as though her heart is just frozen in time. She feels as though she had been reborn the day she lost her memory. Her heart feels broken even if she doesn't remember why.
The past is something Zoe can't allow herself to revisit. Besides, there's nothing to revisit. She brings her mind to the present, and notices they had already exchanged their "I do's".
It will just have to be something to manage, Zoe thinks. Just another challenge to add to the list. What will happen in eighteen years from now? Rachael will be all grown up. Would she still be with Charles? By then, she should have known him better. And what does Charles think about all of this?
He's happy about it for now. He didn't even know Zoe and already he thought they were destined to be together. How could he be so sure about that when Zoe didn't even feel that same connection? She sighs and decides to go with the flow.
Only time will tell. Only time will tell.
Forgotten Hope, Chapter Three
FORGOTTEN HOPE CHAPTER INDEX:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Challenges can arise when you barely know someone, but are willing to marry them just so a baby can grow up in one home, and not get passed around like a dirty ball on the playground. Zoe knows exactly what the legal system requires in order to adopt a foster baby. She knew she didn't want to see her get passed around like that.
If she could, she would try to save all the orphans from being passed around from home to home, but she knew she couldn't do that. She made an exception for Rachael--that's what the shape-shifting baby was named--because she is a shape-shifter.
A shape-shifter in a human home would only result in the child being passed around. The human adoptive parents would sound crazy if they told the story of how the child morphed into another being or an object of molecular structure, and so they would keep quiet and try to ignore it never happened. By doing so, they would have to give the child to another adoptive family.
Zoe couldn't bear to see that happened. She decided to do the next best thing; she decided to marry Charles--a man she barely knows--just to keep Rachael in a one-family home. She has no idea how she gets herself into these things. One minute she's thinking about her past with Anthony, and the next it's a week later and she's married to a man that looks almost like Anthony.
So many changes and challenges can arise within two months. The pup that Zoe and Charles found on the beach two months prior, morphed into a six-month old baby girl. They both figured out this must be the baby's true form. After searching around, they found out where the baby belonged.
She belonged to no one. The mother abandoned her at birth, and the baby--Who's name is Rachael--has been bounced around from house to house. It is no wonder why the baby transformed into a baby coyote, Zoe had thought. The social worker had informed Charles and Zoe about Rachael.
Marjorie, the social worker, stopped by Charles' two-story house on the beach. She could tell that his house would be a steady environment for a growing child to live in. There was only one problem.
"The adoption shouldn't be a problem," Marjorie began. "But I will warn you that what orphanages look for are married couples. They prefer them over single people."
"I'm not single," Charles said. "My fiance and I were talking about having children one day, and when we found this sweet baby on the beach, we just knew that adoption was the way to go."
Zoe looked at Charles as if to question what he was doing. When he noticed, he gave a look that suggested for her to play along. He held out his hand, and Zoe grabbed it.
"My apologies," said Marjorie. "I just assumed that you and Miss Smith barely knew each other."
Sally Smith, it is a name that Zoe uses when asked for a name. Why she doesn't use the name Zoe is beyond her. All of her identification reads Sally Smith on them. She couldn't explain why she told Charles the real name she goes by--well, the only name she knows to go by. She can't remember her life before being pulled out of the waters in Greece.
"On the contrary," Charles says, who broke Zoe out of her reverie. Zoe quickly smiles. "We have been engaged for a very long time. In fact, we've decided to get married next weekend."
Charles watched as Zoe was no longer smiling, but just stared at him in a state of shock.
"Well, congratulations," Marjorie said. She looked over at Zoe. "Miss Smith. Will you be keeping your last name?"
Zoe quickly turned her head and gave a fake smile. "I was thinking of hyphenating it. Smith-Azul sounds nice, don't you think?"
"Yes, it does have a nice ring to it," Marjorie admits. She cleared her throat. "Well then, the paperwork process takes about a few weeks, and showing proof of your marriage certificate will make the process easier."
She walked out, and two days later, Zoe and Charles are with the justice of the peace, and Charles' neighbor, Harper. Harper is a name Zoe can't seem to wrap her brain around. For one thing, Harper is an unusual name for someone who is blonde hair and has blue eyes.
Harper is also young--about twenty-three years of age--and so life is still new to her. But she seems like a nice person, and was really excited when she heard that Charles was going to get married. Though Zoe suspects Harper isn't happy about him marrying Zoe. Zoe herself wasn't too thrilled about the idea of marriage.
Even though all these years have passed, Zoe feels as though her heart is just frozen in time. She feels as though she had been reborn the day she lost her memory. Her heart feels broken even if she doesn't remember why.
The past is something Zoe can't allow herself to revisit. Besides, there's nothing to revisit. She brings her mind to the present, and notices they had already exchanged their "I do's".
It will just have to be something to manage, Zoe thinks. Just another challenge to add to the list. What will happen in eighteen years from now? Rachael will be all grown up. Would she still be with Charles? By then, she should have known him better. And what does Charles think about all of this?
He's happy about it for now. He didn't even know Zoe and already he thought they were destined to be together. How could he be so sure about that when Zoe didn't even feel that same connection? She sighs and decides to go with the flow.
Only time will tell. Only time will tell.
Forgotten Hope, Chapter Three
Forgotten Hope: Two
To catch up:
Chapter 1
FORGOTTEN HOPE: TWO
She sighs as she puts her thoughts away and gets on up out of bed. Perhaps it was her dream that caused her to flashback to a part of her life where she actually had a partner in crime, or so to speak. Whatever it was or is, Zoe misses those days where she had a companion.
A thousand years may be distant for someone with a short life-span as a human, but Zoe has never been human. In fact, she still doesn't know what she is. What she does know is three thousand years only seems like maybe ten years had passed since she last saw Anthony.
Anthony, has been long gone since those days. She knows this because she's kept an eye on him, his family, his legacy, even though they are unaware of it. She even knows that one of his descendants are residing where she is in Florida, which is also why she's here; to protect them from any possible monsters trying to get revenge for those she and Anthony killed along the way.
Monsters are monsters, she thinks to herself. For all she knows, all monsters are bad. Every innocent killing she has ever found along the years were all done by monsters, and they were all evil. We did what was right, she justifies her actions even though she really doesn't need to. Zoe is saving humanity even if these humans don't realize this at all. She shrugs it off and heads towards the bathroom.
Looking at her own reflection, she wonders if she's a monster herself. A monster that hunts monsters. After all, what kind of an immortal--apparently--hunts after monsters? If memories of her past haven't come flooding by now after a thousand years, she seriously doubts her memories will come back at all. She stares deeper at herself, wondering how her olive complexion has grown pallid.
Is this the beginning of her ageing process? Will she finally be able to die one day? She knows nothing seems to kill her. Not even when she's on a hunt and sometimes the monsters torture her, leaving her to die. They only think she's dead, but somehow, she has the ability of self-healing.
She's watched vampires die because her blood smells sweet to them. What her blood really is--is something that poisons and kills them. And, as far as she knows, her blood can heal the wounds of innocents. She has a sneaking feeling her blood can heal monsters who feed on her blood as well, but she has yet to test that theory, and she's not exactly in a mood to aide in healing evil. Maybe dying is out of the question.
Maybe she's like the alien she sees on television where they regenerate at some point. But that is preposterous because while the universe is a very spacious atmosphere, why would any alien life form want to visit earth at all? And besides, she can only imagine regenerating will just lead to her younger self again.
Zoe just laughs at these thoughts, and decides to put on some makeup to hide her paleness. She heads out of the bathroom and into the kitchen to turn on the T.V. to see if there is any news that might seem like a job for her. After hearing nothing on the television, and reading nothing in the newspapers, she decides to listen in on her police scanner to see if anything unusual is being called in.
Out of nowhere, she gets a weird humming noise coming from the scanner. She tries to tune it in and finds someone is calling up about some wild dogs out on the beach. She wonders how she picked up information on the beach, considering where she's at is inland, and the beach is about a good forty minutes from where she's at. She shrugs it off, and decides to check it out.
The drive will be good for her. It will clear her mind from this morning's thoughts. After all, this is supposed to be a new beginning for her. And she also figures that by the time she arrives there, the police will probably already be gone--that is--if they had already shown up, which she really doubts.
It's not that the police won't show, it's more of a case they will send animal control out for. They will most likely cruise on by and see if there is any strange activity going on. By the time she arrives, everyone is gone. In fact, there is a storm heading towards the beach.
The wind is blowing, and the clouds are menacing. She decides to turn and go home when she hears some whimpering. She looks over to see something gray buried in the sand, by the shore. She bends down to dig the sand away and discovers a baby wild dog of some sort. It looks like a baby coyote to her.
"Ma'am," she hears in the distance. She looks up to see someone calling out to her. It's a man, with weapons in his hand. She knows from his look that he's obviously a hunter. The giveaway is the fact he's wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt out in this Florida heat. The breeze in the summertime just before the storm is not a cool breeze like most people would think. It's a hot breeze with lots of humidity.
"Yes," Zoe finally answers the man. "How can I help you?"
She gets up to meet his gaze, and he stares in her eyes like he's staring into her soul. She notices he has very light blue eyes.
Crap, she thinks to herself.
The man doesn't notice Zoe's reaction. He stares at her and says, "Go home. There was a storm coming and you had decided to leave the beach. You didn't see anything else."
She stares at him for a moment, blinking, followed by a smile, and a loud laugh. The man stares at her in shock.
"You're a vampire!" She exclaims, but not so loudly for people around to hear, pending if they were around. "Vampires don't hunt."
"What are you?" He asks.
Her smile disappears. "Don't you mean to ask, 'Who am I?'"
"Um," he swallows. "Yes Ma'am. Sorry."
"I know it's customary to call me Ma'am, seeing as how we is in the south and all," she says in a southern accent. She tends to do that from time to time. She clears her throat and speaks in a normal, all-American accent. "But I would appreciate it if you didn't. I mean, I know I'm old, but I don't need a reminder."
"You're not old," he says. "Or at least, you don't look it."
"My name is Zoe."
"Nice to meet you," he extends a free hand. "My name is Charles." He pauses for a moment. Zoe can tell he wants to ask her something. A few moments pass, and he speaks. "How do you know about what I am, or what this pup is?"
She gives a small smile at him. "I am a hunter," she replies.
"You don't seem like a traditional hunter," he says.
"In most cases," she begins. "I don't need to carry weapons of any sort."
"Why is that?" He looks at her, confused.
"Isn't it obvious?"
He gives her an even more confusing look. "I'm not following."
"Don't you smell anything different?"
He gives it a thought for a moment and then says, "No."
"That is strange," she speaks.
"Vampires are attracted to my scent. They crave my blood even though my blood is toxic to them. Although," she starts tailing off to speak more to herself. "Maybe it only works on evil vampires. Then again, a thousand years or longer, and I've yet to meet a good vampire until today."
Charles, being the vampire that he is, hears every small word she's speaking. He clears his throat to speak.
"No offense, Ma--," she gives him a look on what he's about to say. "Um, Miss," he quickly corrects himself. "But how do you know I'm not evil?"
How does she know? She sometimes wonders these things sometimes herself. Every so often she seems to learn something new about herself. "I can just feel it, and besides," she takes a breath. "Aren't you a hunter? The last I checked, vampires don't need weapons to hunt humans. They have super-human strength and teeth so they can feed."
"This is true," he replies.
"So what do you eat to survive?" She asks bluntly.
"Blood bags," he replies.
"Huh," she is a bit surprised by his answer. "Good to know. So tell me," she begins a new subject. "Why did you want me to leave."
He looks down at the injured pup. "That's a shifter."
She looks down as well. "Yes, I am well aware of that."
"Shifters are evil," he continues.
"And so are vampires," she concludes. "But you don't seem to be evil now, do you?"
"I was born a hunter," he answers. "I was turned into a vampire."
"And I've known many hunters back in my day who were turned," she pauses. "And gave into their blood-lust side, and ultimately, I had to kill them." She can tell he's thinking about what she is telling him. "Tell me, where and when were you born?"
"I was born down here, roughly about five-hundred years ago."
"Were your parents not from here?" She has a questioning tone. She only asks this because of his light blue eyes and his dark blonde hair. He looks like he has a dark complexion under his pallid face.
"My mother was from England, and my father was from Spain. Time was really irrelevant back in those days."
"Tell me about it," she finds herself saying. After realizing what she said, Zoe quickly gets back on topic. "So they decided to come to America?"
He nods. "Yes. My mother didn't know she was pregnant with me."
She knew this statement was true back in those days. There was no need for him to go further.
Zoe starts hearing some noises and says, "It looks like we're not alone." She makes some suggestions that there are people nearby. Charles listens in, and hears them as well.
"Idiots," he says under his breath.
"I take it you've had run ins with these people before?"
"Every time the weather gets bad," he answers in a slow tone. "They think they're going to catch some waves, but I've told them a million times they need to be on the Atlantic side, not the Gulf."
"Ah, say no more," she says. She has been around long enough to know that each generation has it easier than the last. Everything is so simplistic now.
"Why don't we take the pup and head back to my place. It's right over there." He points to a house that is quite a walking distance.
"That's about two miles," she says.
"You can see that good?" Charles asks in wonder.
She shrugs, "I guess so." She never really gave it much thought until he asked her.
"If your house is close by," she begins. "Why weren't you here sooner?"
"I was here," Charles answers. "I was chasing a gang of shifters all the way to the beach here because they robbed a store, and killed four innocents in the process. I heard that one got shot, but I had no idea these shifters would have been so careless as to let their baby take a bullet."
Zoe closes her eyes. She is trying to sense why they would just abandon a baby here on the beach. "This baby wasn't theirs to begin with," she says in a robotic kind of tone.
"How do you know this?"
"I can hear them," she answers. "She, the baby, wound up with them by accident."
"Where are her parents?"
"I," she pauses and opens her eyes. "I don't know."
The noises get closer. She can tell those teenagers are nearby even though they should be in school. "Let's get going," she says as she picks up the pup. "Lead the way."
Charles doesn't say anything as they head to his house, walking in a very fast manner, but not fast enough for him to hear one of the kids call his name out. He chooses to ignore them.
"They sound friendly," Zoe says.
"Yeah," he answers. The truth is those kids aren't so bad, they just need some guidance."
They start walking very fast to his house. When they get inside, she asks, "Were you really going to hurt this pup?"
"No," he admits. "It's just a baby. They can't help how they're being raised."
"What were you going to do with him or her?"
He shrugs. "It is only a baby or a young child. They are still innocent after all. I was going to fix him or her up and set it loose."
"She's just a baby. You can't set her loose."
"What do you suppose I do?"
She shrugs. "We need to do some research on her."
She looks at Charles and can tell that he doesn't know what to do with a baby.
"You know what?" She begins. "I can take her home and find out her information, and you can go out and do whatever hunting it is that you do."
He says nothing. Zoe takes the silence as an agreement. She takes the baby and heads out.
"Wait," Charles says. Zoe stops dead in her tracks. She turns around to look at him.
"Yes."
He doesn't want to tell Zoe not to leave. But for some reason, he's afraid he'll never see her again. He doesn't know why, but he feels a strong connection to her. Of course, he doesn't want her to know this. He thinks of something to say.
"I'll help you find whatever information you're looking for. I'm pretty good on a computer."
"I'm pretty good as well," Zoe finds herself saying.
"Please let me help."
"Help?"
"Yes," he responds. "You know. Having a partner in crime or so to speak. When was the last time you had someone to help you out?"
It was about a thousand years ago with Anthony, Zoe thought. She doesn't want to let Charles know this. She doesn't even really know if she can truly trust a hunter who happens to be a vampire. She inspires breath and finally replies, "It's been a long time."
"Well, now you can have a new partner. Think of it as a new beginning for you."
New beginnings, she thought. That's what she was thinking to herself earlier today. Well, she can't argue with the very thing she told herself she would do today.
"To new beginnings," she says.
Written by ©Diana Jillian 2015
Forgotten Hope, Chapter Two
Chapter 1
FORGOTTEN HOPE: TWO
She sighs as she puts her thoughts away and gets on up out of bed. Perhaps it was her dream that caused her to flashback to a part of her life where she actually had a partner in crime, or so to speak. Whatever it was or is, Zoe misses those days where she had a companion.
A thousand years may be distant for someone with a short life-span as a human, but Zoe has never been human. In fact, she still doesn't know what she is. What she does know is three thousand years only seems like maybe ten years had passed since she last saw Anthony.
Anthony, has been long gone since those days. She knows this because she's kept an eye on him, his family, his legacy, even though they are unaware of it. She even knows that one of his descendants are residing where she is in Florida, which is also why she's here; to protect them from any possible monsters trying to get revenge for those she and Anthony killed along the way.
Monsters are monsters, she thinks to herself. For all she knows, all monsters are bad. Every innocent killing she has ever found along the years were all done by monsters, and they were all evil. We did what was right, she justifies her actions even though she really doesn't need to. Zoe is saving humanity even if these humans don't realize this at all. She shrugs it off and heads towards the bathroom.
Looking at her own reflection, she wonders if she's a monster herself. A monster that hunts monsters. After all, what kind of an immortal--apparently--hunts after monsters? If memories of her past haven't come flooding by now after a thousand years, she seriously doubts her memories will come back at all. She stares deeper at herself, wondering how her olive complexion has grown pallid.
Is this the beginning of her ageing process? Will she finally be able to die one day? She knows nothing seems to kill her. Not even when she's on a hunt and sometimes the monsters torture her, leaving her to die. They only think she's dead, but somehow, she has the ability of self-healing.
She's watched vampires die because her blood smells sweet to them. What her blood really is--is something that poisons and kills them. And, as far as she knows, her blood can heal the wounds of innocents. She has a sneaking feeling her blood can heal monsters who feed on her blood as well, but she has yet to test that theory, and she's not exactly in a mood to aide in healing evil. Maybe dying is out of the question.
Maybe she's like the alien she sees on television where they regenerate at some point. But that is preposterous because while the universe is a very spacious atmosphere, why would any alien life form want to visit earth at all? And besides, she can only imagine regenerating will just lead to her younger self again.
Zoe just laughs at these thoughts, and decides to put on some makeup to hide her paleness. She heads out of the bathroom and into the kitchen to turn on the T.V. to see if there is any news that might seem like a job for her. After hearing nothing on the television, and reading nothing in the newspapers, she decides to listen in on her police scanner to see if anything unusual is being called in.
Out of nowhere, she gets a weird humming noise coming from the scanner. She tries to tune it in and finds someone is calling up about some wild dogs out on the beach. She wonders how she picked up information on the beach, considering where she's at is inland, and the beach is about a good forty minutes from where she's at. She shrugs it off, and decides to check it out.
The drive will be good for her. It will clear her mind from this morning's thoughts. After all, this is supposed to be a new beginning for her. And she also figures that by the time she arrives there, the police will probably already be gone--that is--if they had already shown up, which she really doubts.
It's not that the police won't show, it's more of a case they will send animal control out for. They will most likely cruise on by and see if there is any strange activity going on. By the time she arrives, everyone is gone. In fact, there is a storm heading towards the beach.
The wind is blowing, and the clouds are menacing. She decides to turn and go home when she hears some whimpering. She looks over to see something gray buried in the sand, by the shore. She bends down to dig the sand away and discovers a baby wild dog of some sort. It looks like a baby coyote to her.
"Ma'am," she hears in the distance. She looks up to see someone calling out to her. It's a man, with weapons in his hand. She knows from his look that he's obviously a hunter. The giveaway is the fact he's wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt out in this Florida heat. The breeze in the summertime just before the storm is not a cool breeze like most people would think. It's a hot breeze with lots of humidity.
"Yes," Zoe finally answers the man. "How can I help you?"
She gets up to meet his gaze, and he stares in her eyes like he's staring into her soul. She notices he has very light blue eyes.
Crap, she thinks to herself.
The man doesn't notice Zoe's reaction. He stares at her and says, "Go home. There was a storm coming and you had decided to leave the beach. You didn't see anything else."
She stares at him for a moment, blinking, followed by a smile, and a loud laugh. The man stares at her in shock.
"You're a vampire!" She exclaims, but not so loudly for people around to hear, pending if they were around. "Vampires don't hunt."
"What are you?" He asks.
Her smile disappears. "Don't you mean to ask, 'Who am I?'"
"Um," he swallows. "Yes Ma'am. Sorry."
"I know it's customary to call me Ma'am, seeing as how we is in the south and all," she says in a southern accent. She tends to do that from time to time. She clears her throat and speaks in a normal, all-American accent. "But I would appreciate it if you didn't. I mean, I know I'm old, but I don't need a reminder."
"You're not old," he says. "Or at least, you don't look it."
"My name is Zoe."
"Nice to meet you," he extends a free hand. "My name is Charles." He pauses for a moment. Zoe can tell he wants to ask her something. A few moments pass, and he speaks. "How do you know about what I am, or what this pup is?"
She gives a small smile at him. "I am a hunter," she replies.
"You don't seem like a traditional hunter," he says.
"In most cases," she begins. "I don't need to carry weapons of any sort."
"Why is that?" He looks at her, confused.
"Isn't it obvious?"
He gives her an even more confusing look. "I'm not following."
"Don't you smell anything different?"
He gives it a thought for a moment and then says, "No."
"That is strange," she speaks.
"Vampires are attracted to my scent. They crave my blood even though my blood is toxic to them. Although," she starts tailing off to speak more to herself. "Maybe it only works on evil vampires. Then again, a thousand years or longer, and I've yet to meet a good vampire until today."
Charles, being the vampire that he is, hears every small word she's speaking. He clears his throat to speak.
"No offense, Ma--," she gives him a look on what he's about to say. "Um, Miss," he quickly corrects himself. "But how do you know I'm not evil?"
How does she know? She sometimes wonders these things sometimes herself. Every so often she seems to learn something new about herself. "I can just feel it, and besides," she takes a breath. "Aren't you a hunter? The last I checked, vampires don't need weapons to hunt humans. They have super-human strength and teeth so they can feed."
"This is true," he replies.
"So what do you eat to survive?" She asks bluntly.
"Blood bags," he replies.
"Huh," she is a bit surprised by his answer. "Good to know. So tell me," she begins a new subject. "Why did you want me to leave."
He looks down at the injured pup. "That's a shifter."
She looks down as well. "Yes, I am well aware of that."
"Shifters are evil," he continues.
"And so are vampires," she concludes. "But you don't seem to be evil now, do you?"
"I was born a hunter," he answers. "I was turned into a vampire."
"And I've known many hunters back in my day who were turned," she pauses. "And gave into their blood-lust side, and ultimately, I had to kill them." She can tell he's thinking about what she is telling him. "Tell me, where and when were you born?"
"I was born down here, roughly about five-hundred years ago."
"Were your parents not from here?" She has a questioning tone. She only asks this because of his light blue eyes and his dark blonde hair. He looks like he has a dark complexion under his pallid face.
"My mother was from England, and my father was from Spain. Time was really irrelevant back in those days."
"Tell me about it," she finds herself saying. After realizing what she said, Zoe quickly gets back on topic. "So they decided to come to America?"
He nods. "Yes. My mother didn't know she was pregnant with me."
She knew this statement was true back in those days. There was no need for him to go further.
Zoe starts hearing some noises and says, "It looks like we're not alone." She makes some suggestions that there are people nearby. Charles listens in, and hears them as well.
"Idiots," he says under his breath.
"I take it you've had run ins with these people before?"
"Every time the weather gets bad," he answers in a slow tone. "They think they're going to catch some waves, but I've told them a million times they need to be on the Atlantic side, not the Gulf."
"Ah, say no more," she says. She has been around long enough to know that each generation has it easier than the last. Everything is so simplistic now.
"Why don't we take the pup and head back to my place. It's right over there." He points to a house that is quite a walking distance.
"That's about two miles," she says.
"You can see that good?" Charles asks in wonder.
She shrugs, "I guess so." She never really gave it much thought until he asked her.
"If your house is close by," she begins. "Why weren't you here sooner?"
"I was here," Charles answers. "I was chasing a gang of shifters all the way to the beach here because they robbed a store, and killed four innocents in the process. I heard that one got shot, but I had no idea these shifters would have been so careless as to let their baby take a bullet."
Zoe closes her eyes. She is trying to sense why they would just abandon a baby here on the beach. "This baby wasn't theirs to begin with," she says in a robotic kind of tone.
"How do you know this?"
"I can hear them," she answers. "She, the baby, wound up with them by accident."
"Where are her parents?"
"I," she pauses and opens her eyes. "I don't know."
The noises get closer. She can tell those teenagers are nearby even though they should be in school. "Let's get going," she says as she picks up the pup. "Lead the way."
Charles doesn't say anything as they head to his house, walking in a very fast manner, but not fast enough for him to hear one of the kids call his name out. He chooses to ignore them.
"They sound friendly," Zoe says.
"Yeah," he answers. The truth is those kids aren't so bad, they just need some guidance."
They start walking very fast to his house. When they get inside, she asks, "Were you really going to hurt this pup?"
"No," he admits. "It's just a baby. They can't help how they're being raised."
"What were you going to do with him or her?"
He shrugs. "It is only a baby or a young child. They are still innocent after all. I was going to fix him or her up and set it loose."
"She's just a baby. You can't set her loose."
"What do you suppose I do?"
She shrugs. "We need to do some research on her."
She looks at Charles and can tell that he doesn't know what to do with a baby.
"You know what?" She begins. "I can take her home and find out her information, and you can go out and do whatever hunting it is that you do."
He says nothing. Zoe takes the silence as an agreement. She takes the baby and heads out.
"Wait," Charles says. Zoe stops dead in her tracks. She turns around to look at him.
"Yes."
He doesn't want to tell Zoe not to leave. But for some reason, he's afraid he'll never see her again. He doesn't know why, but he feels a strong connection to her. Of course, he doesn't want her to know this. He thinks of something to say.
"I'll help you find whatever information you're looking for. I'm pretty good on a computer."
"I'm pretty good as well," Zoe finds herself saying.
"Please let me help."
"Help?"
"Yes," he responds. "You know. Having a partner in crime or so to speak. When was the last time you had someone to help you out?"
It was about a thousand years ago with Anthony, Zoe thought. She doesn't want to let Charles know this. She doesn't even really know if she can truly trust a hunter who happens to be a vampire. She inspires breath and finally replies, "It's been a long time."
"Well, now you can have a new partner. Think of it as a new beginning for you."
New beginnings, she thought. That's what she was thinking to herself earlier today. Well, she can't argue with the very thing she told herself she would do today.
"To new beginnings," she says.
Written by ©Diana Jillian 2015
Forgotten Hope, Chapter Two
Forgotten Hope: One
Forgotten Hope: ONE
Having amnesia, she couldn't recall her ancestry, let alone what her original name was. Did she have a last name? Were people out there looking for her? These are the questions that often burn through her mind from time to time when she's alone to herself, which is never too often.
She likes to keep herself busy by helping others out. For some reason, she often knows when people are in dire need of help. She doesn't know how she has this ability, or why she has it; she just knows that her abilities must be there for a specific reason. In her heart, she feels she must help others out, and save lives when she can. Today is a quiet day, and she's left alone to her thoughts, however.
She recalls the day her life started over. She was somewhere in Greece, being pulled out of the water by some kind gentleman. Anthony was his name; she remembered him well. He was young at the time, and while most villagers had dark hair and dark eyes, his hair was of a dirty blonde color, and his eyes were of the lightest blue that she had ever seen. She thought it was rather strange, but she couldn't be rude and ask him right off about his heritage. When she awoke after being pulled from the water, he asked her some questions.
"Are you OK?" He asked in Greek.
"I think so," she responded in the same language. Wait, she thought, I don't speak Greek. How do I know this? She sat herself up and that's when she noticed she was in a small villa of some sort, sitting on top of a table.
"How is it that you are still alive?" He asked her. She could tell Anthony was looking at her in wonder.
"I do not know," was her only reply.
"I-I must have been fishing out there for hours and I did not notice you," he paused. "I thought for sure you were dead, but instead, you are alive. You seem full of life. You seem to be unharmed. What is your name?"
She really didn't know her name, but the word "life" struck a chord with her. The only name she spat out was, "Zoe," which means "life" in Greek.
"I am very pleased to meet you," he replied. "My name is Anthony. If I can help you in any way, let me know."
The word "help" triggered a vague memory. She wasn't certain, but she believed she was on a mission of some sort. She had arrived in Greece to help out, although she can't recall why or to whom she was supposed to help.
"I have to go," she said suddenly and hopped off the table. "Thank you for all your help."
"Do you mind if I ask where you are going?"
"I have to help others," she replied. "It is my mission."
"Can I join you?"
"It would be too dangerous."
"I'm willing to risk it."
"Don't you have someone to go home to?"
"I did," he gave a far away look. "But she refused my proposal."
"Sorry to hear that."
Upon hearing those words spoken, Zoe spent a few minutes thinking about it. She could probably use an ally, but she would feel awful if something bad were to happen to him. He did rescue her from the waters. She turned to face him. That was when she noticed she had black hair. She then wondered if it was possible she was from Greece.
It can't be, she thought. I detest this place for some reason. All of their Gods, and their made-up Gods.
She brought her mind back and asked, "How knowledgeable are you?"
"Well," he began. "I am a traveler. I know my geography and history, and I can adapt to any language."
She didn't need to ask him anymore. For some reason, she felt he was honest and sincere.
"Alright," she replied after a few moments. "I could use someone like you."
They headed off to destinations unknown, and slowly discovered what Zoe's mission in life was: She was a monster hunter, but she mostly hunted vampires.
Anthony seemed alright living the hunter's kind of life until he got too old to hunt anymore. Zoe brought him back to the place where they had first met; the place where he pulled her out of the Grecian waters. She suggested for him to find his one true love and try again. She explained it's never too late for true love.
For just a brief moment, Zoe felt like she lost her true love the day she lost her memory. She couldn't explain it, but she felt completely heart-broken. Of course, she kept those feelings to herself. She wanted Anthony, who turned into a very dear friend, to have the life she was never destined to have.
He decided to follow her advice, and asked her to come with. For an old friend, she happily obliged. He found his fair maiden, still alone, and waiting for him. She had never gotten the chance to explain to him what had happened that day.
"I didn't give you an answer that day because," his fair maiden, Vanessa paused. "I needed to go home to my parents and tell them of my plans, but I never got the chance. My father fell ill, and I was forced to go out and help make a living. I tried to find you the next day to tell you, but you were already gone."
That threw Zoe for a loop. Anthony and Zoe never discussed relationships of the past; with Zoe having no memory, Anthony felt he didn't want to burden his friend with his relationship problems. Sometimes, things like this are meant to happen, Zoe told herself. Everything happens for a reason, I suppose.
"Oh," he replied, and looked down. "I wished I had known."
"I've never married," she replied.
He lifted his head to meet her gaze. "Never?"
"No," she said. "But I had to lie as well. I had to say I was married and still waiting for my husband to get back."
"Why is that?"
"Demetrius, Daria! Come on out here, please!" She shouts out. Two grown kids come out from the house.
The two children looked like Vanessa. They had her dark hair and her dark skin. Their eyes were different, however. They were a very light blue--much like Anthony's eyes.
"These are the twins," Vanessa replied. "Our twins."
"Twins? Ours?"
Vanessa nodded.
Before Anthony embraced his new life, with what little or not so little time he had left in life, he turned to face Zoe.
"You have been a great friend," he said. "Thank you for taking me with you, and all the adventures we went on. I'll never forget it."
Zoe smiled. "Thank you for rescuing me, even though I still don't remember my life before this."
"In time," he replied. "You will get it back. Something eventually will trigger your memory back. Maybe some day when you're old like me." He smiled even though deep inside, Zoe suspected that Anthony might have known at this point she hadn't aged at the same way he had. She could be easily mistaken for someone in her early to mid-twenties.
She gave a curt laugh. "Go, and enjoy your family."
She took off, never to see him again, well, with never the intention for Anthony and his family to see her. She stops by on occasion to see how his family is doing without their knowledge. She was happier knowing that Anthony and his family were safe, rather than to see her face again; a youthful memory.
Zoe brings her mind to the present. She wonders why on a day like today, she would be thinking about Anthony. It wasn't the day they met. So many centuries had passed since that day--So many centuries that she lost count--and she still doesn't remember anything before then. The only thing she knows is to keep on moving.
She heaves a sigh. Now living in America, she has new battles to take on.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
The Empath: 11
To catch up on the EMPATH writes, CLICK HERE!!!
SORRY IN ADVANCE!!! I have no guesses....I had very little time to do anything this week. I'm hoping next week will be better!!!! :)
Sunday June 21st, 1987
**Six Feet of Earth Makes Us All Equal, is an Italian proverb.
Charlene didn't just write coordinates to get to where she's at, she also left a cryptic clue. One that's of an Italian proverb. On the piece of paper read: **Six feet of earth makes us all equal.
Mary somehow had a feeling Charlene would write something like that, considering the coordinates leads to an empty area. The quote is proof that today will be equivalent to being six feet under.
"Unmarked territory," Mary mumbles under her breath.
Mallory and Jeremiah hadn't even bothered to ask Mary what's going on. Jeremy can already read Mary's mind. He knows the conversation between Mary and Charlene, and when getting the map for Mary, he explained as much of the situation to Mallory without giving anything away. They both knew better not to ask any further questions that could possibly do damage to the timeline.
"Well," Mary looks up at her two companions. "Let's go!"
"Um," Mallory begins. "You may want to change your clothes first."
Mary looks down and notices her pretty dress is all dirty. She realizes her hair must be a mess. She runs her fingers through her hair and feels something stuck inside her index finger. She needs a pair of forceps of some sort. She tries to use her teeth like a pair of tweezers.
"Mary. Why don't you go and get dressed? We will have plenty of time to get to this place on the map."
Mary looks up from her finger at the two of them. "Yeah," she says. "I guess you're right. I'll need to wear something black."
Jeremiah and Mallory look at each other in confusion.
The map points towards the bay area. While there's a little sand, Mary knows better than to expect a beach wedding there anytime soon. She knows it's something more sinister. She can feel it. That is why she chose to wear black clothing.
It wasn't her ideal kind of clothing. She's wearing a layered black dress with something they call bicycle pants, slouch socks, and Converse sneakers. She drew the line on styling her hair. She took one of Mallory's scrunchies, and threw her long blonde hair back into a low ponytail. Getting dolled up was only delaying the inevitable.
"It's a dead end," Jeremiah says.
Mary looks out at the bay. "There has to be something more. Charlene wouldn't have given me this message unless," she trails off. She notices something a few miles down the shoreline.
"Unless what?" He asks.
Mary takes out the map. "We're standing in the wrong location," she goes on as if Jeremiah said nothing. "We need to be at that island over there."
"There's nothing there but unmarked tombstones," Mallory speaks.
"But that's where we need to be."
"How do you know?" Jeremiah asks.
"Because I can feel it," Mary answers.
She turns to see their faces. She doesn't have to use her empathy to see what they're feeling. The look on their faces was telling enough. They were both worried.
She sucks in her breath and speaks. "*'Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company', right?"
Jeremiah agrees to go only to protect Mary if he can.
Mallory isn't so sure either, though she feels if her daughter is brave enough to go, she will go too.
Mallory takes in a deep breath and says, "I think I may know a spell to get us there."
Written by ©Diana Jillian
The Empath, Chapter 11
THE EMPATH: Chapter Eleven
SORRY IN ADVANCE!!! I have no guesses....I had very little time to do anything this week. I'm hoping next week will be better!!!! :)
Sunday June 21st, 1987
**Six Feet of Earth Makes Us All Equal, is an Italian proverb.
Charlene didn't just write coordinates to get to where she's at, she also left a cryptic clue. One that's of an Italian proverb. On the piece of paper read: **Six feet of earth makes us all equal.
Mary somehow had a feeling Charlene would write something like that, considering the coordinates leads to an empty area. The quote is proof that today will be equivalent to being six feet under.
"Unmarked territory," Mary mumbles under her breath.
Mallory and Jeremiah hadn't even bothered to ask Mary what's going on. Jeremy can already read Mary's mind. He knows the conversation between Mary and Charlene, and when getting the map for Mary, he explained as much of the situation to Mallory without giving anything away. They both knew better not to ask any further questions that could possibly do damage to the timeline.
"Well," Mary looks up at her two companions. "Let's go!"
"Um," Mallory begins. "You may want to change your clothes first."
Mary looks down and notices her pretty dress is all dirty. She realizes her hair must be a mess. She runs her fingers through her hair and feels something stuck inside her index finger. She needs a pair of forceps of some sort. She tries to use her teeth like a pair of tweezers.
"Mary. Why don't you go and get dressed? We will have plenty of time to get to this place on the map."
Mary looks up from her finger at the two of them. "Yeah," she says. "I guess you're right. I'll need to wear something black."
Jeremiah and Mallory look at each other in confusion.
****
The map points towards the bay area. While there's a little sand, Mary knows better than to expect a beach wedding there anytime soon. She knows it's something more sinister. She can feel it. That is why she chose to wear black clothing.
It wasn't her ideal kind of clothing. She's wearing a layered black dress with something they call bicycle pants, slouch socks, and Converse sneakers. She drew the line on styling her hair. She took one of Mallory's scrunchies, and threw her long blonde hair back into a low ponytail. Getting dolled up was only delaying the inevitable.
"It's a dead end," Jeremiah says.
Mary looks out at the bay. "There has to be something more. Charlene wouldn't have given me this message unless," she trails off. She notices something a few miles down the shoreline.
"Unless what?" He asks.
Mary takes out the map. "We're standing in the wrong location," she goes on as if Jeremiah said nothing. "We need to be at that island over there."
"There's nothing there but unmarked tombstones," Mallory speaks.
"But that's where we need to be."
"How do you know?" Jeremiah asks.
"Because I can feel it," Mary answers.
She turns to see their faces. She doesn't have to use her empathy to see what they're feeling. The look on their faces was telling enough. They were both worried.
She sucks in her breath and speaks. "*'Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company', right?"
Jeremiah agrees to go only to protect Mary if he can.
Mallory isn't so sure either, though she feels if her daughter is brave enough to go, she will go too.
Mallory takes in a deep breath and says, "I think I may know a spell to get us there."
****
Written by ©Diana Jillian
The Empath, Chapter 11
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
The Empath: 10
To catch up....Click on the links below....
Chapter 1 Chapter 5 Chapter 9
Chapter 2 Chapter 6
Chapter 3 Chapter 7
Chapter 4 Chapter 8
And now....Chapter 10
Let us do some shadow dancing
Underneath a celestial sky tonight
Through shadows, we'll be invisible
Forget it all until the morning light
Sunday, June 21st, 1987
Mary wakes up to find herself in a strange bed. She looks around and notices she's surrounded by pearls and moonstones. The pearl and the moonstone are said to be birthstones for those born in June.
"Ah! You're finally awake!"
Mary tries to adjust her eyes so she can get a better look at who is speaking to her. She realizes who it is, and quickly tries to look for an escape.
"You're safe here," she says. "I promise you."
"But I was able to feel your anger and jealousy," Mary replies.
"Ah," Charlene begins. Charlene is going by Chartreuse in Mary's world. "This room is protected. I don't have to fake my feelings here."
Mary senses sincerity in Charlene. She shakes her head. "But I don't understand."
"Oh no!" Charlene exclaims. She quickly writes something down on paper and hands it to Mary. "When you get to your destination, please come back. I really need your help!"
Mary looks at her in confusion, only to not see her anymore. Now she is looking at Mallory and Jeremiah.
Mary remembers Tomoko appearing in her dreams, thinking Mary was in trouble. She must have alerted Mallory immediately. Mary will go back to speak with her soon. She opens up the paper in her hand and notices they're coordinates.
"I need a map," Mary says.
Chapter 1 Chapter 5 Chapter 9
Chapter 2 Chapter 6
Chapter 3 Chapter 7
Chapter 4 Chapter 8
And now....Chapter 10
Let us do some shadow dancing
Underneath a celestial sky tonight
Through shadows, we'll be invisible
Forget it all until the morning light
Sunday, June 21st, 1987
Mary wakes up to find herself in a strange bed. She looks around and notices she's surrounded by pearls and moonstones. The pearl and the moonstone are said to be birthstones for those born in June.
"Ah! You're finally awake!"
Mary tries to adjust her eyes so she can get a better look at who is speaking to her. She realizes who it is, and quickly tries to look for an escape.
"You're safe here," she says. "I promise you."
"But I was able to feel your anger and jealousy," Mary replies.
"Ah," Charlene begins. Charlene is going by Chartreuse in Mary's world. "This room is protected. I don't have to fake my feelings here."
Mary senses sincerity in Charlene. She shakes her head. "But I don't understand."
"Oh no!" Charlene exclaims. She quickly writes something down on paper and hands it to Mary. "When you get to your destination, please come back. I really need your help!"
Mary looks at her in confusion, only to not see her anymore. Now she is looking at Mallory and Jeremiah.
Mary remembers Tomoko appearing in her dreams, thinking Mary was in trouble. She must have alerted Mallory immediately. Mary will go back to speak with her soon. She opens up the paper in her hand and notices they're coordinates.
"I need a map," Mary says.
***
~~DJ
The Empath, Chapter 10
Thursday, October 1, 2015
The Empath: 9
To catch up, here are the links:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8
Far and wide across the universe
And in the land of infinite miles
You'll find there's a lot of gray
In between black and white tiles
Looking in a world beyond the stars
In through a world of crooked styles
You'll find between black and white
There lies a lot of gray-shaded smiles
©Diana Jillian
Mary always admired Tomoko's spirit. Tomoko is always able to see through people. She forewarned Mary that Brave and Chartreuse would be nothing but trouble. Mary sensed it, but deep down inside, she always felt she could help out the pair and become friends.
Well, she was able to become Brave's friend. Not so much of a friend with Chartreuse. For a moment, Mary thought she was handling a situation with Char, but seeing her best friend next to her is proof none of that is happening right now.
Mary and Tomoko are in Tomoko's house, in her bedroom, watching a movie. Mary looks up and notices an abstract painting of some sort.
"Huh," Mary says. "Where did you get that painting?" She looks over at Tomoko.
Tomoko looks up and notices the painting. "I have no idea." She looks at Mary. "Do you know why you're here?"
Mary gives her friend a strange look and laughs a bit. Mary tends to let out a laugh when she feels she's being put in an awkward position.
"You asked me to come over," Mary answers.
"I brought you here."
"Um, yeah," Mary says with confusion. "You invited me over."
She shakes her head. "No. Mary. You're not listening to me."
Tomoko's dark brown eyes are practically piercing into Mary's light brown eyes.
"Toko," Mary begins. "You're starting to scare me. What's going on?"
"I'm inside your mind," Tomoko replies.
Mary looks away and laughs. "You expect me to believe you're inside my mind?"
"Look around you," she says. "You know that painting is not in my room. You must be half-conscious somewhere. What's the last thing you remember?"
Mary looks away. She hops off the bed and starts pacing on the floor. Mary inhales to speak.
"I was at prom when I," she trails off. She's never told her friend about her powers of empathy.
"Mary," she turns to face her friend. "It's okay. I know about your empathy."
Mary looks at her in shock. "You do?"
"Yes."
"But how?"
"The same way we're talking now," she replies. "I can get inside people's heads to see what's going on."
"Oh," Mary answers. She didn't need to know more. She remembers the time her and Tomoko talked about having secrets and still being friends.
"I only enter people's heads when I sense they're in danger," Tomoko continues.
"You think I'm in trouble?"
"Think of your mind as a hidden fortress," Tomoko says. "You're safe here. Char can't read minds. I'll try to help you as much as I can from my time, but the rest is up to you. I will try to send Jeremiah your way."
"Jeremiah?" Mary questions. She starts to remember more. She remembers prom, and she remembers being alone when she went chasing after Chartreuse, who is going by the name Charlene.
"Yes," Tomoko answers. "Char is very good at blocking others. She's got a shield on. Even I can't see where you're at." She stops talking to think a bit. "But of course she can't be that good because I was able to get inside your head."
Mary stares at her friend, while doing some thinking herself. When she gets back to her time, she will have a long talk with Toko, and tell her everything.
"I'm going to work on a spell," Tomoko speaks.
Mary snaps out of her reverie. "A spell for what?"
"To go back to where ever you are. I have to warn the others. Where are you anyway?"
"Nineteen eighty-seven," Mary gives a puzzling look.
"And you just mentioned prom," she says with a smile. "Hang in there. I'll get help."
"Wait! Don't leave."
"I have to," she replies. "Besides, right now is probably not the best time to have a life crisis. There will be plenty of time later. You need to be brave. Wake up, and face this. Patronize her if you have to."
Mary nods. "I'll see you soon," her tone is questioning.
"Yes you will," Tomoko replies with a smile.
And just like that, her best friend was gone.
Mary hears a song with some background singers. She turns to see where the sound is coming from, but it's not from anywhere in the room she is in. She knows it's time for her to wake up.
***
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