GHOSTS: Part 2....

GHOSTS...PART 2
June 19th, 2011
"I'm here."
Demtri rattled off an address and I hung up the phone. I left the pay phone in the empty town and headed east, towards the country. The house was located just outside of the bustling streets and bright lights of the city. Approaching the house, I smelt not only Demetri's and Valentina's scents but others as well. So I put myself on guard for any threat and approached the large house. Valentina had the door open and a hug for me as she invited me inside. Demetri was in the kitchen with another vampire.
"Gabriel, this is Max. Max, Gabriel." He said nicely.
I had a stare down with this Max as he looked quizzical at me.
"He's the one we told you about." Valentina said to break the silence.
Max looked like he finally understood.
"You better not be telling anybody about me, Valentina." I warned.
Demetri offered me some blood.
"I'd rather die than drink that stuff. Let's go into London tonight, we can party and, uh, feast."
"We'll see," which sounded more like a no, "so what have you been doing?"
I proceeded to tell them about Rodrick and the bar and of Brielle, and of their strange ways. I hadn't mentioned the part about Rodrick being the oldest vampire still out there, they didn't need to know that.
"So you've had quite an adventure." Max said.
"That's no adventure, that's my life everyday. I was rather bored actually." Just like Jordan was, he was shocked at my boredom of it all.
"How was the flight?" Demetri asked.
I looked at him for a minute. Such human questions they were asking, questions that had no purpose. I finally answered him though, "As horrific as could be. Humans are just horrible company."
I heard this banging coming from upstairs. No one else moved so I thought I was imagining one of my ghosts again. But I heard it again. "You heard that to...right?" I asked. They would either think I was crazy, or I wouldn't actually be crazy. Thank God, they all nodded!
"What do you have up there?" I questioned.
Nobody answered.
"Listen, either you answer me or I go up and find out for myself!" I moved towards the stairs.
"Gabriel! Wait!" Valentina caught my arm and I growled at her, "Its Tristan."
I laughed outright in her face, it was the greatest joke ever! As if Tristan could be alive! I sent him to Hell for gods sake!
Valentina proceeded to tell me about Tristan and Max being angels.
"I figured." I scoff.
"You know of us?" Max asks, still disapproving of my earlier laughter.
"Bits and pieces. Correct me if I'm wrong, which I never am, you two were supposed to be angels when you died but instead got turned into big bad vampires and will rot in Hell for eternity when you eventually die. Correct?"
Max nodded.
The screaming gets louder and louder. I push away from the wall and towards the stairs, but Max blocks my path.
"Move." I demand.
He stares at me. What the hell is his problem?! I haven't even done anything......yet!
"Manners!" Valentina shrieks.
"Of course, Move now or I will rip your body apart, watch it heal itself and then rip it apart again until I get bored! Do NOT think you are superior to me just because you are a freakin angel! You can move yourself or I can throw you across the room!" I shouted.
This guy really pissed me off.
"No, no! I meant 'please'!"
The word felt like acid on my tongue, "Please," I spat.
Max stepped back a little so I shoved his shoulder as I walked past. The noise got louder and louder as we came closer to the room. Finally, I was staring at him.
At Tristan.
First I bared my teeth and let out a growl. Slowly, I backed away.
It was Tristan alright, no mistaking that. But was I imagining him too? I killed him, so I should be. But he seems so real, and so...nervous.
"Gabriel, you remember Tristan."
"Oh my god! He's a zombie! Stand back, I'll kill him." Fire came into my palm and I aimed at his chest.
Tristan started screaming, Valentina jumped in front of him, and this girl appeared out of nowhere.
"Oh my god! You can do it too!" She shrieked. She held up her hand and made a small flame.
I kind of ignored her for a second, my attention was on zombie-Tristan.
"Valentina, move. I'll be done in a second." The fire was getting hotter, as was the need to cleanse this world of Tristan.
Valentina turned to calm Tristan down and Demitri tried to talk sense to me.
"Hi! I'm Anastacia, Demetri's sister. And you are?"
I just couldn't stop thinking of how and why Tristan was back. Demetri thought it made sense but it doesn't. It can't! I killed him, twisted his neck off! Dead people don't just die and then start walking around again four months later! They just don't do that!
"I thought I killed you." I said as a statement rather than a question.
Tristan was shaking.
"Its okay, Tristan, Gabriel isn't going to hurt you." Valentina soothed.
"Not unless I need to." I muttered.
Tristan heard it though.
"Valentina, what is this? Is this why you brought me here?" I really was fed up with it all, especially Tristan screaming like a child.
She sighed, "Yes. Tristan was having trouble adjusting-"
"Goodbye. Goodbye all. Val, send me a post card. Max, I don't know if it was a pleasure meeting you. Anastacia, keep lighting fires." I walked out of the house. Valentina was yelling after me and finally she caught up.
"All he wants is closure. To know not everybody is going to cheat on him and kill him. He wants to forgive you so you both can move on." She pleaded.
"Oh, I've already moved on. I've moved on from him, from Jane. I don't care about any of that anymore, I killed him, end of story."
Before I could listen to any more of Valentina's ramblings, I lit a ring of fire and closed myself in the middle. Valentina hopped away from the rising flames and stared in defeat.
I knew better, as she sulked off, she would try something else.
I sat on the grass and eventually, that something happened. Through the tall flames I could see a figure sauntering my way. When it reached my wall of flames, she walked through, the flames not even touching her. It was Anastacia.
"We all have the ability to do it, only a few of us actually know that though." She says sitting next to me.
"Look, nothing you say is going to get me back into that house with that cry baby. I knew Valentina wouldn't give up, but sending you? No. You can march your fiery little self out of this fire and back into the house."
"Valentina didn't send me. I came out here because I thought it would be cool to talk with someone who actually has the fire ability."
I kind of ignored her and continued my rant, "What does she want me to do? Sit there and hold his hand?! If I got back from Hell on my own then so can he. I didn't get help from anybody and look, I turned out just fine!"
"Gabriel-"
"And that's another thing! People are always-"
"GABRIEL!" She shouted.
I stopped, and stared, I didn't think such a loud voice could come from something so small and cute.
"You need to let it go. People make mistakes all the time, just let it go. How come you ignore the one person here who wants to talk to you about something besides Hell?"
I think about it. She's right. I wouldn't talk to any of them about Tristan and now that there is somebody who wants to talk about anything else, all I say is about Tristan.
"Your right. Fine. Is fire your power?"
"Nope but Max told me that everyone has the ability to use it."
"Ugh, Max!" I said in a disgusted tone, "What a stuffed shirt." Anastacia giggled a little, "He needs to loosen up and take a break from his books."
"Well, he means well in doing what he does. And Tristan being like him-"
"Oh yeah, he is." Tristan is an angel too. That's something I didn't really expect. Its something that never even crossed my mind. Not like an angelic vampire was something you saw everyday, but-
"How about you?" Anastacia interrupts, "Is fire your power?"
"Shape shifting. I uh, acquired, some ancient vampire blood and this is what I got from it."
She seemed very intrigued by it and at this point, I was calming down talking to her. My barrier disappeared and I followed her back to the house. She led me to a living room and we sat down. I showed her my flame and she showed me hers. She explained some tricks she knew and even told me that she would teach me how to not be affected by fire before I left for home. We laughed some, and a couple of times, our hands touched.
When that happened, I heard a low growl from the other room. It was Max, of course, so I had to play it up. Saying sweet things to her and moving closer, small stuff like that really irked him.
I really enjoyed Anastacia's company, we talked about everything except Tristan, she even told me more about ancient vampires and their legends.
"So you can do that whenever you want? Mine sort of just happens when I get really angry."
"Well, that's, oh let's see...ALL THE TIME!" She joked. We laughed at it.
I picked up her hand and kissed it.
"What's that for?"
"Well, I realized that I never properly greeted you. I ignored you at first and then you just dove right into a conversation. So, its nice to meet you, Anastacia."
She gave a bright smile then.
It felt like that moment was going to last, but no nice moments do. Tristan started screaming again and I got really annoyed. Before I had time to think I was out of my seat, running up the stairs and barging into his room. What a sight I must have been! He started screaming more. I crossed the room in 2 steps and clamped my hand over his mouth.
"There is a nicer, more quiet, way to get attention! If you need something then get your ass up off the floor and go get it! These people don't serve you!" I yelled.
It felt great yelling at Tristan, especially since he stopped screaming.
"Speak. What do you want?" I ask him.
"Blood?" He replied.
There. Progress.
"Okay, there is a kitchen downstairs with blood and a microwave. Unfortunately, they only have the crappy kind but you don't care anyway."
I go to leave the room but the door is locked and I can't get it open.
"Dammit, Valentina! Open this door NOW!" I warn.
"Its not Valentina," came Demetri's and Max's voice.
"I will kill you if you don't open this door!"
I could tell by the dramatic pause that Max knew I was being serious, Demetri just gave a nervous laugh.
"Well, Tristan, it looks we're stuck in here together." I said turning towards him.
It was obvious that he didn't very much like the idea of that.
"Oh come on! I'm not going to kill you again...right now." I was tired of him, I really was.
"Look, what do you want from me?" I ask sitting across from him, "Do you want me to say that I'm sorry for killing you?! Well I can't. I'm not. I did what I had to do to protect my family. And at that time, you just happened to be on the wrong side, and you- well- you just needed to die."
He stared at me with a grand realization and I stared back with boredom.
"Thank you," he says finally.
"What for? I didn't apologize!"
He reaches for my hand, what is with everyone trying to grab my hand?!? Its weird!
"I understand why you did it. Honestly, I would have done the same to you."
"Well, you could try. But I don't go down easily, its actually really hard to kill me." We both laughed a little.
"So, uh, since none of them would understand, do you want to talk about Hell?"
It took a little more coaxing, but eventually we did end up discussing our adventures there. I call it an adventure, he calls it a nightmare, I have no problem discussing it, he gets freaked out again.
After all the tears, and all the questions, I think my therapy really helped him. My focus was broken when I heard the door being unlocked. I was up and out the door before they would have time to close it again. I found Valentina in the kitchen.
"That was very nice, Gabriel." And she meant it, I could tell. I know that I'm not the nicest person to talk to, but I really do understand things.
"Yeah, well, he needed to shut up. I'm going out."
"Why don't you take him with you?" She asks.
"You're pushing your luck, Val." I wink and leave the house.
They probably thought I was going hunting, that isn't all true. I really wanted to check out the library. They have this really big one there, and I'm hoping it has a good mythology section. I need to learn more about my niece.
I get there and its locked, I forgot how late it was. That lock doesn't last a second longer, I break it and am inside. The air is musty and dry from all the millions of books being kept safe there. A library. I haven't seen one of these since...since...no I guess I never saw one. I start looking around and realize that I have absolutely no idea where to go or what exactly I am looking for. I start walking up and down all the aisles when I notice an eery blue gaze in the otherwise dark building and hear someone close by. Me being a creature of the night, well, I don't need to be afraid of anything, so I edged towards the sound.
It all the sudden stopped, I didn't hear it any longer and wondered if it knew of my presence as I knew of its. I rounded a stack of books, my palm up ready to set fires, and came face to face with the guy from the plane. Quickly, I dropped my hand and he shoved something into his pocket. We both breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh, Rhoan. What are you doing here?" I ask, hoping he's stupid enough to not ask me the same.
"Well, I'm an archaeologist, I'm doing some research. And you? I have a key, but how did you get in here?"
Damn. "You left the door open and I need to do some research too."
He accepted my answer, "On what? Perhaps I could help."
I described to him what I was looking for; mythology and mind reading.
"Ah, I'm looking at mythology too. I was heading upstairs to look at some slides, care to join?"
I nodded and followed him up the stairs.
He set up a projector and started flipping through old articles and witnesses of such things. When that left us just as empty handed, we resorted to books. The big, heavy kind.
"I'm going in to get a book on fantasy creatures." I announced.
Rhoan hardly looked up from his book, poor kid, he must be exhausted. Into the shelves I went, looking all over for my book. And I found what was left of it, an empty spot on an otherwise dusty shelf. Someone had taken it recently. I searched again, but it wasn't even misplaced! It was simply gone. Damn, that was probably the book I needed, too.
I left and went back to where Rhoan was still studying.
"The book I need is missing."
"Well, here," he throws one at me, "Take another. There are a thousand others."
I accept this new book but still can't shake the feeling that what I needed to know is in the missing one.
Its after 3AM now. The library is just as creepy as it was when I entered, if not creepier.
"Want to call it a night?" I ask.
"No. Are you kidding me? Its still young!" He pauses, "Did you want to retire for the evening?"
I was about to answer when this howl echoed from somewhere in the city. Rhoan heard it to. It could have easily been a dog, but something in me said it was a werewolf or shape shifter.
"I told you the werewolves like to roam the streets of london." Rhoan warns.
I nod my head, "You are absolutely right, we should go home then."
He laughed a bit, "Don't tell me you actually believe that stuff?"
There is a long pause between us, and then the creature howls again, "With all my heart."
-Gabriel