Women And the Demons Who Love Them

Where The River Runs Red-4

Adam Lambert- Ghost Town

    I can't sleep so here I am. Music playing softly from the small speaker on the other side of my room with my bed covered in homework sheets. I have never been up this late. Not even when I first moved here. After singing along to a few songs I got up and opened my door to see if anyone was out here. When I cleared the hall I slipped my bunny slippers on and decided that I desperately need water. The house is dimly lit. Surprisingly I'm not afraid to be out here this late. I always expected myself to be afraid to come out here without Silas. 

    "Miss Tobania? What are you doing up so late?" Ivanka asked when I walked into the kitchen. 

    "I was doing homework and decided on something to drink and maybe a snack?" I smiled pleadingly. She smiled. 

    "Apple juice and a pop tart?" she suggested. I nodded. She padded the high chair next to her and went over to the fridge. 

    "Do you ever sleep?" 

    "It's odd for me to be up this late. I just... I was worried about you. I knew you were awake. I just didn't think you'd come down here," 

    "They scared you too?" I asked referring to the Collin Twins. She nodded. "Mom told me this weird story. I kind of knew the answer to this was going to be bullshit," 

    "I want you to listen to me, Tobi. Her story holds some truth in it, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. It's never okay to ignore things no matter how preposterous they sound," 

    "Vampires, Vanka?" I chastised. She sighed placing the glass of apple juice in front of me.

    "The truth may surprise you, my lady. You were adopted into a family with a horrid past. I think they wanted to start over with you. A clean slate. Fate has a way of interfering when we try to change what we really are. I'll advise you to keep your mind open. Not everything is what it seems," she wrapped two warm pop tarts in a couple of napkins and handed them to me. "Now run back up. You may not have class until noon, but I will be damned if I allow you to wake up at such an hour," 

    "Thank you," I smiled, getting off the chair. 

    "You're very welcome, my love. Sweet dreams," 

    "You too," 

    I walked up to my room and stopped when I saw that the light to the library was on. I walked over to see Silas flipping through some old books. I smiled pushing the door all the way open. He didn't notice as I walked in. It wasn't until I placed the glass of apple juice on the table that he jumped up startled. 

    "You scared the hell out of me, Tobi," he screeched. I laughed.

    "I see that. I never thought I'd see the day where you would be in here reading alone," I motioned the books in front of him. He rolled his eyes. His usual playful smirk back in place. 

    "I thought you were asleep," 

    "I finished my physics homework and started on my Sociology worksheets," 

    "Nice, I'm going to need help with physics. I feel like what we learned before is nowhere near the same as what we're doing now," 

    "Same thing bigger words," I shrugged, looking down at what he was reading. "Compulsion. The science of hypnosis?" 

    "Yeah, I was reading about people who were hypnotized to forget certain memories and it reminded me of you," 

    "Of me? Why me?" I asked offering him the glass of apple juice. I went over some of the notes he had taken. He is very serious about this. 

    "You don't remember anything prior to the day of your arrival at the convent," 

    "I was three," I reminded him.

    "Yeah, but you remember the man vividly and everything after that. Why not before him?" 

    "So, what are your theories?" 

    "It says here you can only be hypnotized once or until whatever hypnosis was done is undone or finished," 

    "And you think I was hypnotized to forget?" 

    "There's nothing Tob. There is nothing in any book that gives us any clue of who you are. Except for the paperwork that was brought with you when you were taken to the convent. The man who left you there doesn't exist,"

    "So some weird religious nut jobs set you off on a quest to figure out my past?" I asked playfully glaring at him. 

    "I've wanted to help you do this since we've met. I want you to feel whole. I can't imagine what it would be like to not remember everything. To not know," he whispered into the glass of apple juice. I nudged him with my shoulder. 

    "Silas, I was three. I remember the two years in the convent and my life here with you, mom, and dad. If it's true about my parents dying then I hope they're in a better place. If they just sent me away then, then I don't want to find out. They didn't want me. I'm okay with believing they're in a better place," why stir something that just sits there. I don't want to dig into something only to find out my real family is something I'm never going to get over.

    "We should go to bed. These books aren't going anywhere," he sighed.

    He walked me to my room I waited for him to go to his and shut the door before I shut my own. I finished eating my pop tart since I gave him the other and lied back after putting all my homework away. 

    I got up and went back to see the books he had been reading. They're journals hand scripted by a man named Silas Bourne in seventeen sixty-four. This is who he was named after. It's a journal as well as a guide. Most of these books were written by Silas all dating back to the seventeen hundreds. They stop in seventeen ninety-three and they're continued by a woman named Cita Bourne. 

    I looked around. I had never seen these books before. I had skimmed through these books since I was five years old and not once had I seen something that remotely resembled these journals. The itch to look around to try and find where these were hidden started, but the urge to go to bed was greater. I'd have to ask Silas tomorrow. 

    It felt like I had just closed my eyes when I sat up. There is something weird about my room. I looked around to see someone standing the balcony. I got up thinking it was probably my brother but he wouldn't do that unless he had woken me up and he wouldn't just come in my room unless I'm having a nightmare. He'd knock. 

    "Who are you?" I asked. He turned to face me and I jumped back. "Elijah?" 

    "I didn't think this would work. I guess you're a bit of night owl," he said. I looked around. 

    "Am I dreaming?" I asked and he smiled. 

    "Yeah, you're dreaming," he laughed. I walked back inside and sat on my bed. 

    "Why would I be dreaming of you? We're not exactly on good terms," 

    He smirked sitting on the wooden desk chair in my room. The way he sits, his demeanor, it all has a certain way of alarming me. I had never been intimidated by anyone until now. He sets off all these little red alarms in my head. Like something is telling me he's dangerous, but the bigger part leaves me rooted before him. I want to know more. See more. 

    "I'm truly sorry about what happened. It's just. You're so familiar. I had never met a female slayer your age before," 

    "A slayer? I don't know what that means," 

    "You do or we wouldn't be talking about it," I looked down at my hands and then back up at him. He seemed to be getting closer. "But you aren't like them, are you? You are much too innocent to be a..." 

    "A what?" he smiled. 

    "You don't know yet," he said looking away. "I can only access your mind through what you already know," 

    "Are you going to hurt me?" I asked. 

    "I would never hurt you," he smiled. "You're too beautiful for that. Zach doesn't know his strength around your kind yet. Nightstalkers are brutes like that," 

    "So you two aren't from the same Clan, but you're twins,"

    "Yes we are, but we believe in different things. I cherish the sun and the creatures of the day. He believes in the moon. Shadows are his calling,"

    "I want to know more," I demanded. He stood up and knelt down in front of me. 

    "No, you don't. If your family is keeping you away from this life then maybe it's best for you to stay away. Don't go digging for something that can ruin who you are. You're a beautiful creature Tobania and I wish for you to remain this way. Untainted, innocent, so that you can live the long happy life of a mortal," 

    "The girl in class called me that. A mortal. Aren't we all mortals?" I asked. He smiled. 

    "She whispered that. Just as I whispered to you in Gallahad's classroom. You shouldn't be able to hear these things. I've never heard of a mortal who can," 

    "So, what does that mean?"  

He sighed looking me over. "I don't know, but I am becoming more intrigued with you," 

    "You're very intriguing yourself," 

    "I am a bit upset with you, Tobania," he admitted. I laughed.

    "Because of your brother?" he smiled and nodded. "I knew," 

    "What?" he asked. 

    "There was something about him that was off. This morning when I saw you, you held my complete attention. I couldn't ignore you no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't take my eyes away. It was easy to distract myself from him. I obviously wouldn't have guessed that there were two of you. I thought maybe because you had scared me," 

    "I scared you?" he asked. 

    "Well, I scared myself. I didn't hear you and Professor Gallahad leave the room," 

His eyes are looking directly into mine. 

    "You've met my kind before," he said. 

    "I'm sorry. Your kind?" 

    "Someone from the Clans," 

    "Yeah, my family," I chuckled. Se smiled and shook his head. 

    "No, they aren't part of my Clans. They're different from ours. We all have a place in this world, your family simply adapted to ours. We're born in this," 

    "What is this?" 

    "It doesn't matter. I hope you don't take it personally, Tobania. I was asked to stay away from you. I think that's what's best for both of us. I don't want you to get hurt because of me again," 

    "Will I still see you in class?" I asked disappointed. 

    "Of course and I will see you. We must keep our distance. This is for our families. Agreed?" I nodded. "Goodnight, Tobania Bourne," 

    "My real name is Tobania Lockwood. I'm a Bourne now because of my adopted parents," 

    "Lockwood?" he asked. When I looked up at him he was gone. The room began to fade and sleep is all that mattered. 

    I sat up. The clock read eight twenty-six. There was this ache in my chest like I had lost something important. I got up and began to get ready to go to school later. What an oddly vivid dream. I feel like he had been here. Like I had actually spoken to him. Like he had said goodbye and for some reason that made me feel worse. It was only a dream but I wish I could back and say it back. Closure perhaps? 

    "Tobi, are you up sweetheart?" I heard the knock on the door outside the bathroom. 

    "Yeah, dad. In the bathroom," 

    "Okay, I'm going to have a late breakfast. Care to join me?" 

    "Yeah, I'll be right out," 

    "Excellent," I heard him walk away.

    I finished getting ready and rushed down. He was sitting in the dining room his face buried in a newspaper as it usually is. I sat close to him. Matilda greeted us and began to set up our breakfast. Dad has always intimidated me. It's a lot easier to talk to my mom because... well, I guess it's because she's a woman. Silas reminds me so much of him except, Silas doesn't have a businessman demeanor. His demeanor comes from mom. He wants to be a doctor. He wants to save the world just like she does and for that, he has to be welcoming. People who don't know I'm adopted say I look like dad. That we're basically the same person. 

    "You didn't sleep well, did you?" he asked once he put the paper down. 

    "No, it was. I had a rough first day," I shrugged.

    "Aside from the incident how did it go?" I smiled at him. 

    "I loved it," I beamed. No one had asked me yet. He nodded knowingly.

    "Mom asked me to talk to you about dropping the Literature class. I told her you wouldn't, but I'd like to ask you myself. I'd also like to offer you an internship," my heart skipped.

    "An internship? In what department?" I asked.

    "There is an opening in robotic advancements. There are two actually. I think you and Silas would benefit from this," 

    "Silas is in medical," he nodded. "Dad. Are you talking about the artificial replacements?" he nodded again with a smirk this time. "Oh, my god. I've been applying for that since forever," 

    "I know. You and Silas were picked by the head of the department. I wanted to tell you yesterday, but you seemed upset. Show me your arm," I lifted my arm to show him and he sighed. "Filthy leeches. I hate that they addressed you as such. Had Silas been there this wouldn't have happened," 

    "It's okay, dad. I told him I'd be fine. He insisted to stay and I told him to go," 

    "If you like, I can speak with the dean and ask him to transfer you to the morning class," he suggested.

    "Yeah, okay. I just don't want to fall behind," 

    "I love that you are sticking to your schedule. I'll see what I can do," he agreed.

    "Thanks, dad," 

    "Here is your internship schedule. Report to Doctor Cromwell. Make sure Silas isn't late," 

    "I promise," 

    "One last thing," 

    "Stay away from the Collins,"

    "Way ahead of you," I playfully saluted him.

    "Good. Have a great day, Sweetheart," he said kissing the top of my head.