Author’s Note: Originally, chapter 14 was like 20 pages so I decided to break it in half. When writing this chapter, I was listening to the song ‘This is Halloween’ by Marilyn Manson. Than it occurred to me that I HAD to put some horror in this chapter because I’ve been too nice with the other chapters. Here’s chapter 14. Enjoy.

Chapter 14

When I woke up to the bright light coming from the window across from the bed I was lying in, everything prior to two weeks ago had seemed to be erased from my mind. I was somehow convinced I was in my own room, waiting for the smell of my mom’s breakfast or the voice of my dad cracking morning jokes. Never mind the fact that this room looked nothing like my own.

To the right of the large window was a small television; the volume was low, but it was clear I was watching the news. I sat up abruptly once the news lady announced it was 9:15 A.M. ‘I’m late again. If I don’t hurry up and get back to my original classes, I’m sure to fail.’

Just as I flipped the sheets off of me and kicked my legs over the side of the bed, two pictures were shown on the screen. One was of a beautiful woman with long black hair and a smile that seemed as though it were meant just for me. The other picture was of a man with red hair and a playful smirk.

They were talking about my mom and dad.

All of a sudden, I was frozen in that one position. Nothing was more interesting than the television. I unconsciously reached for the remote control on the dresser next to the bed and turned the TV up a bit.

With the pictures still on the screen, a voice said, “Yesterday evening two bodies were found in the ‘Vivierto River.’ The victims were identified as Alicia Crawford and Michael Crawford. So far the police have no idea who the criminal is, but they think the criminal may have taken Alecia Crawford, their daughter.”

The picture of my parents was replaced by a recent picture of me. Looking at the picture caused me to cringe. This picture showed just how horrible I felt on the inside, and now it was being shown on TV for all of the north side to see. I was wearing a large, over sized hoodie and my hair was pulled back in a weak ponytail. Under my eyes were black bags, and I had on no make-up or jewelry. My mouth seemed to be in a tight line, my expression reflecting hatred of the world and everyone in it. If I had really been kidnapped, no one would go looking for me.

They left my repulsive image on the screen for a minute or two; finally they switched over to a lady standing outside of my house. There were police lines all around the house and a small crowd of people that were being told to go away by a group of police men.

Standing next to the lady, with tears on his face and icy blue eyes, was Samuel.

My heart started beating out of control, and I found myself gripping the sheets. I leaned closer to the TV, ready to soak up everything on the screen.

“I’m Shanda Beatrice and I’m at the victims who were found in the river yesterday. So far, the police haven’t found any witnesses or evidence that point to the murders. At the most, the only person they can talk to for answers is Samuel Crawford, the only person in this house to not have disappear or come up dead.”

The lady paused for a moment and moved the microphone to Samuel’s mouth. Than she asked, “Is there anything you want to say on behalf of what has happened? Do you know anything?”

Samuel took the microphone from her, looking as though he were so overcome with grief that he was starting to go insane. This was nothing more than an act, a re-enactment of the time he was sent to the asylum. What made me so outraged was the fact that he had the nerve to go on TV and pretend he was innocent, pretend he hadn’t just literally ripped their hearts out a week ago. Even more, he was so convincing. He’d have everybody eating out of his hand. I’m sure that’s exactly what he wanted.

“I don’t care what I have to do; I’ll find the murderer no matter what it takes! There’s no way in hell he’s getting away with this.”

The lady tried to take the microphone away, but Samuel dodged her in a very comical fashion. I imagine I would’ve laughed if I had no idea who he was. There were now more fake tears falling down his eyes. His voice was getting louder, angrier.

“Do you hear me bastard? I’ll make you wish you kept your sick hands to yourself! I’m coming for your life. Don’t worry Alecia; I’ll save you. I’ll find you. No matter what it takes, we won’t be separated for long. I Promise.”

Before giving the microphone back to the lady, Samuel stared forward for quite some time. It was as though he was staring at me through the television screen, saying, “I found you. You should’ve known you couldn’t hide forever heathen.”

Despite the fact that he wasn’t in the room for real, I screamed, “Shut up you liar! You’ll never find me. I’ll take your life, and that’s a promise!”

All of a sudden, a voice behind me said, “Alecia.”

I was sure my heart had stopped then and there, but I found myself slowly turning around, gripping the sheets so tightly that my hands were hurting.

My eyes grew wide, and I had no idea what to say or do. There he was, standing in front of the dresser. His eyes were crimson red; there was blood on his mouth. He licked it off, his tongue unnaturally long, and smiled at me.

‘I found you sister,’ he mouthed.

As if I hadn’t been scared enough, he reached his hand out to me, cocking his head to the side like a confused child.

“What’s wrong Alecia?”

I shook my head frantically, hoping he would just leave. Instead he slowly walked forward. At that point I had completely lost it. I grabbed a pillow, screaming incomprehensive pleas, as I tried to back off the bed. Even if I was to get off the bed, there’d be no way I could escape. Samuel was blocking the doorway, and I would still have to get past him to reach the window. I was dead either way, yet I continued to fight for my life.

“Alecia!” the voice screamed. “I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m Isaiah. I’m Isaiah, do you hear me?!”

The voice was no longer Samuel’s. I hesitatingly lowered the pillow, ceasing my screaming. Fortunately, it really was Isaiah standing there. I was so happy that it was him and not Samuel that I grabbed him in a tight hug, laughing out of stress and happiness. Isaiah’s grip on me was much tighter than my grip on him. I thought he’d never let me go, but he pulled away in a matter of seconds.

“I just came up here to bring you breakfast. When you’re done eating, you’ll find me downstairs. Take your time okay.”

On the dresser was a plate of pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage with a glass of water. Isaiah went to the closet and took out a brown board and four metal poles not much taller than the bed. I watched, in silence, as he connected the legs to the board and placed the plate and glass of water on the makeshift table. He took a napkin wrapped set of utensils out of his shirt pocket and placed it on the table beside the plate.

“Darn,” he said. “I forgot the syrup. You don’t want any bread do you?”

“Don’t worry about it. Hey, there’s no one else here is it?” I couldn’t help asking. If I said I was no longer afraid, I’d be lying.

He shook his head. “No; I’m sure of it. I closed my shop for the day, and I hardly invite anyone in my house. Plus, I don’t feel anyone else’s presence. You’re safe. Also, try not to get too excited. No more fainting okay.”

He turned the TV off, smiled gently, and left the room, leaving the door halfway open. Silently, I begged for him not to leave. Isaiah didn’t hear a word.

I tried my hardest to ignore my fear and overwhelming sadness, but it seemed harder now. I picked up my fork and stabbed it into one of the sausage links, my hand shaking as I tried to bring it into my mouth. However, I found that I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t sit here and pretend everything was fine. I dropped my fork and sat there gripping the sheets, letting the tears fall from my eyes.

Steadily, the tears got worse and worse. My stomach and my head was hurting from the crazy tears, yet I could not stop. I had wanted to do this for too long. I cried for my dead parents, for Samuel’s sick mind, for my life that I voluntarily ruined.

I cried so very hard because I knew that I’d go right back to pretending once I was done.

XxXxXx

After spending at least ten minutes crying, I attempted to regain my composure and eat the breakfast; neither worked very well. I didn’t want to eat the breakfast because I had flooded it in my tears. And, because I was feeling like someone broke my heavy weight of life in half, I couldn’t regain my composure. In a matter of minutes I had gone from terrified, to sad, and now to happy. However, I felt really bad for not eating his food.

When I moved the table aside and stood up I realized that I was wearing a short, white gown and that all of the jewelry I had on was gone. That meant that someone changed my clothes for me. I felt for a bra strap and remembered that I hadn’t worn a bra because of the way the dress was made. I could feel my face turning hot, but this time it was out of embarrassment. I couldn’t help wondering who got to see me naked yesterday – Isaiah or Alexander? It wasn’t a comforting thought. I liked them both for various reasons, but I didn’t like them enough to feel okay with one (or both) of them seeing me naked while I was unconscious.

I put the thought aside for a moment and grabbed the plate and water, remembering him saying he’d be downstairs.

I quickly learned that this floor of his apartment was where he slept and lived at. It was small and simple, making it easy for me to remember where everything was. The kitchen could not be missed. It was the largest section of the apartment and the first room one saw when entering. The hallway where the room I slept in was at had a small bathroom to the right. There was another hallway directly across the one I arose in, but I did not go past the kitchen. The door at the end of the hall appeared to be locked, and I had no intentions to invade his privacy (although there was the possibility he had already invaded mine).

I was glad the apartment was empty. That meant I could dispose of the food and water without having to feel too guilty about doing so.

Seeing a garbage can, I scraped the food off the plate. I contemplated emptying the water out as well, but I decided to gulp that down instead. As I washed the dishes and put them in the rack, I couldn’t help thinking how far I’d gotten and how many new people I met within one day. Not only was I miles away from the hole, but I had associated with four new people – Leonardo, Caitlyn, Alexander and Isaiah. Everything was happening so fast I could barely grasp it all.

Walking down the stairs to meet up with Isaiah on the first floor almost gave me that same feeling I had yesterday when walking up the stairs at Le Vichyssois to meet Alexander. I wasn’t afraid that Isaiah was the enemy or nervous that I did not belong. I just had that unsettling feeling of anxiety setting in. I could tell, just by looking at Isaiah, that he had the answers.

If I hadn’t seen Isaiah walk past with a stack of books in his hands, I would’ve thought I had gotten lost somehow. Protruding from all four walls were rows and rows of empty shelves, and there were many open and closed boxes scattered all throughout the floor. From what I could see, they were all stacked to the top with books. It wouldn’t make sense to inquire he was moving out because he was putting the books on the shelves, not taking them off.

In the middle of the room was a large wooden table and various chairs surrounding it. Because I didn’t want to get in the way, I sat at the table without saying a word.

When Isaiah was done organizing the books on one of the shelves, he hummed his way to the radio in the corner of the room and turned the volume down. Afterward, he sat in the chair directly across from me.

“How are you?” he asked.

“I feel...pretty good,” I answered, happy that I was not lying. I didn’t want him to pursue the topic, so I quickly asked a question.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m setting up a study hall. I’ve decided that I’d like to seriously tutor supernatural creatures. I’ve tutored five people in the past, including Levi, and I’ve learned that it’s a fulfilling job.”

Now I somewhat understand why I had never seen Silver at school. However, that still didn’t explain why Augustine wasn’t home schooled as well.

“Who’s going to watch your store?”

“I could easily hire someone else to watch ‘Antiques.’ It’s a fairly easy job. But that’s not important. I want to know how much you know about supernatural creatures, starting with vampires. If it’s not too much to ask, could you please compose a list of the things you know about vampires?”

I nodded my head. It seemed like an easy request, and it would help me to pass the time.

Isaiah fumbled through one of the boxes until he found a blue composition book with a matching pen taped to it. He handed it to me, informed me that I could take my time, and went right back to work placing the books on the shelves, humming along with the music as though he had never stopped.

Interestingly enough, I had never shown a strong interest in any type of supernatural creatures. I would watch all type of movies about vampires and werewolves when my grandma was alive, but that was 4 years ago. When she died, I forced myself to lose all interest in supernatural creatures so that I wouldn’t be reminded of her.

I didn’t know any complex information about vampires, but I did know the facts overly repeated in movies and novels: they are killed by the sunlight; affected by holy water, churches, and garlic; extremely erotic; not able to live without sucking blood; invincible unless stabbed in the heart; and coffin sleepers.

Even before handing the list to Isaiah I knew that some of what I wrote couldn’t be true. Alexander was not affected by sunlight yet he was a vampire. That explains why I wasn’t the least surprised when Isaiah began laughing once he read the paper.

“Everything on this paper, except the sentence about blood, is human misconceptions,” he said, laughter still in his voice. “Surely, this list is not serious.”

I wanted to laugh with him, but I was much too embarrassed to do so. When I didn’t say anything in return, Isaiah’s laughter quickly subsided.

He put the paper on the table and leaned closer to me. “You’re serious. This is really all you know. Levi didn’t leave you anything to study about supernatural creatures or the catacombs?”

I shook my head.

Isaiah’s reaction surprised me. He stood up abruptly and said, “That’s preposterous! The catacombs is too much of a dangerous place for someone with no knowledge about it to be living there alone.”

I watched him pace back and forth and mutter something under his breath. When he stopped walking and tuned back to me, there was determination in his eyes.

“I’ve made up my mind,” he declared. “You will be my first student, but for that you will have to live with me. I’m going to speak with Levi about it today. I plan on going in the next hour Alecia. I’m not trying to rush you, but if you plan on going you have to be ready by then. Alexander left you some clothes and a towel last night. You’ll find it in the closet in the room you slept in.”

I didn’t understand why he had to go immediately, but it would be rude of me to question him. In the letter Silver left me, he said he was staying in a corpse eater shack. I was so very excited to see what a corpse eater shack was that I really didn’t mind having to get ready at this moment.

XxXxXx

As it turned out, there was nothing in the closet but dresses, skirts, and fancy blouses; the only thing that I found even a bit interesting was a blue and green skirt suit, but I had to settle for a red dress replicating a kimono because it was the only thing that matched the heels I had on yesterday. If it wasn’t for the big red bow on the back of the dress, I’d be more comfortable with my attire.

Walking around with heels on proved to be a lot harder today than yesterday. Now my feet were numb, making it hard for me to walk in general. I had to grip the stairwell and take careful steps when going down the stairs.

Isaiah gave me a look of disbelief, as if silently asking ‘what the hell are you wearing?’ I felt the need to explain myself.

“I couldn’t find any casual clothing or shoes in the closet, and this was the only dress that matched with these shoes.”

“Alexander is such an idiot!” Isaiah said, exasperated. “You should be able to take the bow off with ease. Otherwise, it’ll just get messed up in the car. Wait here for a couple of minutes.”

Isaiah disappeared through the door leading to his antique shop. The very moment I unclipped the bow and placed it one the table, Isaiah arrived back in the room with a pair of colorful flat sole flip flops. Judging by the rainbows and smiley faces they were made in the ‘70’s, during the hippie hype. I didn’t really mind though. As long as I didn’t have to wear those uncomfortable heels I was satisfied.

There was a door in the right corner of the room that I had not noticed earlier. Isaiah went through that door, and I followed. We ended up in a small backyard of some sort. There was only one tree and a swing was hanging off of the outstretched branch, being pushed by the light wind. Surrounding the small, square-shaped yard was a large brown gate. The grass was green enough to show that it was being well taken care of. And, in the middle of the yard, parked on a large sidewalk, was a beat-up Ford Ranger. I was relieved to see this. I’d feel a lot safer in a pickup truck than I would in a sports car or motorcycle.

I was even more relieved when he didn’t assist me to the door. I could tell he wasn’t going to be treating me like royalty, and that made him so much more wonderful to me.

The inside of the car had a comfortable feel to it that I could not explain. He put the key in the ignition. There was the loud sound of the car revving up, and than silence.

He turned to me. “Sorry for my impatience. It’s just that I’m so excited...I bet you have many questions.”

I nodded my head; it was true. There were way too many questions floating around my mind just waiting to be answered. He seemed so upset, though, that I didn’t want to dwell on it. I barely knew this guy, yet I could not bear seeing him unhappy. I said the first thing that came to my mind in hopes that it would break the ice.

“I’ve never actually heard of a corpse eater before. When I think of a corpse eater I think of a cannibal...and that disgusts me altogether.” I paused. “Corpse Eaters don’t literally eat corpses do they?”

Isaiah burst out in laughter, and I smiled like a kid who had accomplished something great. Afterward, I felt really stupid for trusting him so much. I knew very little about Isaiah; in reality, he was more of a stranger to me than a friend. I was supposed to be suspicious of him. Where was the fear that naturally comes to seventeen year old females when in the car with a grown man she barely knows?

I looked at him again, paying close attention to his happy, green eyes and long, black hair. His laughter seemed to make his pale skin glow. I realized that I wouldn’t be able to fear him unless I forced myself to.

Life is really hard when you don’t trust anyone, and I felt that Isaiah was the person I could trust (even though I barely knew him). I needed him the way a homeless kid needs a home; I figured that out this morning, after he hugged me the way my parents had when my grandmother died.

“I’m afraid so,” he answered. “But they only eat people after they have died, unlike unpredictable cannibalistic humans. On the bright side, they’re the nicest group of supernatural creatures. I’ll explain it to you on the way there. Also, I want you to promise me something...”

He stopped talking and looked at me intently. I was afraid he’d ask me to make a promise that I could not keep.

“When we get home, I want you to ask me every single question you can think of. As your teacher, it would greatly insult me if you hold back or go to someone else for answers. Even if you think the question is stupid, too personal, too complicated, or even irrelevant I want to hear it. Promise?”

Relieved, I nodded my head. “It’s definitely a promise.”

He took his right hand off the wheel and put his pinky in the air. I stared at his finger, completely perplexed. What was he trying to do?

“I just wanted to seal the promise with my pinky, but if that’s too much...”

He slowly moved his pinky away, but I quickly linked my pinky in his before he brought his right hand back to the wheel. The promise was now official.

We stared at each other for no more than ten seconds, but in that ten seconds time seemed to stop just for us. We sealed much more with that pinky promise than permission for never-ending questions; we sealed a friendship.

After we separated our pinkies, Isaiah backed out of his backyard and I stared at the window, half-seeing the world outside of Isaiah’s car. Everything, as usual, seemed so distant. Even more, I couldn’t get the word ‘home’ out of my head. It greatly aggravated me. It was the only upsetting thing that came out of Isaiah’s mouth so far.

Was I supposed to feel happy because I was being offered a new home or afraid that it would somehow be taken away from me again?

XxXxXx

The whole ride there, I let Isaiah do all the talking, only saying “mmhmm” to assure him I was listening. We had already been driving for twenty minutes. I learned a lot about the corpse caters during that time. As it turns out, corpse eaters are actually really afraid of living humans. They find them too hectic, and they hate too much danger (although I’m sure there’s more to the story). Sometimes they watch humans until they die because they desire to eat certain people ...which isn’t a very comforting thought at all. They only need one body a month. Corpse eaters never live in neighborhoods full of people, they never take their kids to school, and they never work for fear of being around too many living beings. Corpse eaters only kill humans in fatal situations. Isaiah made sure to put emphasis on the fact that they would instantly kill humans if they felt as though they, or their family, were being put in danger by one.

I knew we had to be near the corpse eater shack when we started to drive along a deserted road with hardly any houses. Isaiah stopped talking. Evidently, he was done with his explanation, which left one large question on the subject. I wanted to wait until we got back to his apartment to ask, but the question was dominating my mind. I had to know now.

“Silver, I mean Levi, is a vampire. Why does he stay with corpse eaters?”

He sat there in silence, but I knew it was because he was contemplating the question. Finally, after a minute or so, he cleared his throat.

“That’s a really complicated question to answer. Trust me, there’s a lot about Levi that you haven’t been told. Let’s just say that he finds comfort in them because the one thing about him that scared everyone away made the corpse eaters respect him greatly. It’s a long story.”

That made me even more confused, and I wish I hadn’t asked the question. Now his statement about ‘the one thing about him that scared everyone away...’ would be stuck in my head forever. What was the ‘one thing’?

“Will you tell me about Levi when we get back to the apartment?”

He didn’t have to think about the answer to that question. “Sorry, but most definitely not. He’d hate me forever if I told anyone who doesn’t already know about it, let alone you. Don’t worry; he’ll come around. In due time, you’ll know it all Alecia, whether you want to or not. Revel in your ignorance of the supernatural world while you still can.”

Isaiah parked the car on the side of the road, but I hardly noticed that we stopped. I don’t know if it was the way he said it, or the words he chose to use, but I was completely taken aback by his small speech.

I realized that this really wasn’t a game. I was slowly sinking in an encompassing, deep ocean; if I didn’t start swimming I would drown.

With the engine silently humming in the background, Isaiah said to me, “A few tips about visiting their shack for the first time. Although you are the Savior, you’re technically still a human until you get your glow. That means they will be terrified of you, so don’t be surprised. Don’t look at them in the eye for too long, do not raise your voice, and step silently. Fortunately for you, they practically worship Levi. When they see how familiar he is with you, they’ll accept you more quickly. Now” – he took the keys out of the ignition and dropped it in his pockets – “let’s go see Levi and his makeshift family.”

Wow! This story has accumulated to over 30,000 words! I’ve come a long way with this story and, evidently, I’ve still got a long way to go. In the next chapter, Levi makes an appearance...among other major things happening. Pay attention to EVERYTHING my character’s say because it always comes back somehow. I tend to foreshadow without realizing it myself.

Here are some questions:

Where do you think Alexander went? What do you think caused him to leave?

How do you think the corpse eater’s shack will be?

Once again, do you think Isaiah can be trusted? Do you think he’s all innocent?

Do you think Samuel really knows where Alecia is at?

How do you feel about Isaiah saying everything Alecia mentioned in her list was ‘human misconceptions?’ (That means I’m going to change just about everything around about the ‘rules’ of supernatural creatures. Can you handle that?)

What do you think is Levi’s mysterious secret?

I changed the title of the story to ‘The Awakening.’ Can you think of a better title, or are you okay with this change. (I’d be thankful if you could help me with a title. This is the first story I’ve ever written where I couldn’t think of a title.)

READ AND REVIEW! Either that or I’ll send Samuel out to hunt you tonight...

Ha-ha; I bet you thought I was serious. It's not like he'd listen to me anyway. He'd behead me within a few seconds for not giving him enough attention. In due time... ; )

WriterGurlLW, Admin of