Chapter 2: SAFETY NET
It was December 9th, I
remembered this day clearly, but the world didn’t seem as big as I remember, so this must have
been a dream. I looked around thinking that Zacharia might be here too, but
instead I saw the nightmare beginning. My brother Jason was just 6. He was so
small, and so full of energy. Grama told us to stay away from the creek,
because it could crack and we could fall in. Sarah and I were usually good
about listening to her. Jason on the other hand, he fought her tooth and nail
whenever she said not to do something. He was an angry child, and he had good
reason, he didn’t really remember mom and dad and he sometimes had nightmares,
even though he hadn’t been there or seen what happened. None of us had, but we
all had nightmares, about what we thought might have happened, because the
imagination of a child is stronger than most anything else.
Jason snuck out just after dinner.
It was starting to get dark, but he
wanted to play near the water. I was in my room, and not paying attention. I
was 10, and the world revolved around me. Sarah was more cautious and often saw
things others didn’t. She was the one who discovered he wasn’t in the house.
She came to me first, thinking I would be the more responsible, because she
didn’t want to get her brother into trouble. But I just got angry and told her
he deserved to get what ever happened to him and then I toned her out. I sat in
my room stewing and angry because I was tired of taking care of my little
brother and his trouble making games. But my conscience got the better of me
and I told Grama what Sarah had told me.
We all got our stuff on and went
out looking for him. I headed right to the creek, I was sure that was where he
would have gone. Grama went into the back yard and the shed. We had built a
sort of clubhouse in the rafters of the shed, and sometimes Jason would sneak
out, and we would find him there the next morning because he had fallen asleep.
Sarah went next door to tell the neighbors. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews and their son
Tommy, who was in the same grade as I, often had dinner with us. Tommy and I
were pretend dating by that time.
When I got to the bank of the creek
I saw Jason, he had thrown a rock onto the ice and I could see a dark hole in
it. I was about to holler to Grama and say I found him when he stepped out onto
the ice. I screamed at him to stop, but I don’t think he heard me. He took
another small step forward and I began running, and yelling. He finally heard
me and looked at me, he had a big grin of triumph on his face. He was so proud
of himself for making a hole in the ice. But my voice distracted him and then
he slipped. I've always blamed myself. Before I could get to him, before I
could call for help, he slid right into that damn hole. By the time I got
there, not more than a few seconds, he had been pulled under, and I couldn’t
see him.
I ran looking for rocks and sticks,
anything I could find to break the ice, and I started hitting the ice as hard
and as fast as I could. By that time Sarah had figured things out and had Mr.
Andrews with her. Grama was running towards me, and they hollered asking me
what had happened. I was so distraught I couldn’t answer. I had to get a new
hole, I had to catch up to him. I had to save my little brother or he was going
to die. Mrs. Andrews called the police and took them at least 20 minutes to get
there. By that time he had been in the icy water for almost a half hour. Grama
had to pull me away and hold me, I kept trying to break the ice. I was sobbing
by that time. It wasn’t fair that he was gone, he couldn’t be gone, not so soon
after losing my mom and dad.
The police cordoned off the area,
and the fire fighters cracked the ice with the big hammers and their muscles.
They found his body almost a mile down, and caught in some old branches from a
fallen tree, about three feet under the water. The creek wasn’t big, it was
maybe 6 feet wide. But it ran a long gambit through the city. I hated that
creek afterwards. I hated it so much. It took me months to get back a semblance
of normalcy, but Sarah and I were never the same. We became closer, and looked
out for each other in everything. No one picked on us at school, because we
beat the crap out of them. My sister wasn’t really a fighter, but she did hit a
guy once for standing me up over an ice cream date after school. The year she
found out she was gay, I got suspended for a week. A boy who thought it would
be funny had spray pained her locker and pushed her in the hallway. I broke his
jaw with my fist.
I stood there looking at the river
from my past. I remembered that night and I shivered. It was a dream so I
didn’t feel the cold, but the memory made me feel it. I turned and looked at
the house and I saw movement. At first I thought maybe it was a neighbor’s dog,
but this was my dream, shouldn’t I know. I watched closer and I saw a small
figure sneak out the gate from our side of the duplex. It was Jason, he was so
small. He hunched down so that Grama couldn’t see him under the livingroom
window and past the Andrews window and down to the creek behind us. How was
this possible, I had never seen it from this point of view. I followed him all
the same. Wishing in my heart that I could change things here in my dream and
then wake up and find him alive.
The night was twilight, just enough
light to see the ground under my feet, but not enough to tell how much snow I
would have to trump through 5 feet in front of me. I wondered how he could see
in this, his little eyes must have strained just to see and not trip and fall.Of course her tripped
then, and I wanted to run up to him and help him up. He stood up, brushed the
snow form his pants and I saw that he didn’t have snow pants on. He must have
been so cold already, he never would have had a chance falling in that water
wearing what he was in now. It hurt so much to see this. He kept going though,
he was so stubborn and head strong. He got to the edge where the land gradually
sloped instead of being a bank, and he looked around. I watched him stand on
tip toe and spy something further up the bank.
I got closer, trying not to make
too much noise. I didn’t know if he
could hear me here or not. I was afraid if he heard me then I might want to
change things, and then know how much it would hurt when I woke up and found it
was just all a dream. I wasn’t sure I could watch it all, this was already
hurting so much. He found a rock, as big as his little head and I saw him
struggle with it. He pulled and pushed and kicked at it, and finally it budged.
I wondered what must be in his mind to work so hard for such a big rock. He
pushed it about and finally got it to roll down to the creekside. He finally
realized it was too big for him to lift and throw, and I almost giggled with
relief.
But it didn’t stop him. He had been
out here for a good 5 minutes now. Sarah was telling me about him missing right
about now. He walked back up the little hill and searched again and starts
putting rocks into the pockets of his house coat. He was in his pajama’s, I
didn’t remember that part. Goddess, had to be cold. I groaned a little in worry,
and fear. He didn’t react to the sound, and I figured maybe I wasn’t there for
him, and it really was a vision. He found another rock, about half the size as
the other and he managed to lift it. He strained as he carried it and almost
fell backwards a couple of times. He got to the edge and looked around as if
worried that someone might have heard him. He put the big rock down and I could
tell he was tired, and I saw him shiver then.
He pulled all the littler rocks out
of his pockets and began to throw them into the creek. Most of them bounced off
the ice and barely chipped it. He got mad and threw one as hard as his little
arm could, and it cracked the ice. The crack made such a noise that he jumped,
startled by the noise. The night was dark now, and the snow made the area seem
ethereal from the reflection of the moonlight. He mustered his courage and
picked up the big rock, he tottered to the edge and swung a few times before
letting go. He must have been lucky because it hit with a thud, and then there
was a crackling sound and the rock slid a few feet and suddenly the ice below
it opened up and the rock plopped it. He had to walk at least 3 feet onto the
ice just to look into the hole.
He began collecting the little
rocks and this was when I remembered him, he heard my voice and was so pleased
that someone would see his handiwork, not caring he would get into trouble for
it. He turned towards me and his face got startled. He looked right at me, not
the little me, the me now. I was startled too and suddenly looked around and
was confused for a moment. “Can you see me?” I asked. He jumped form the sound
of my voice, and then he slipped. For a moment I was living that nightmare
again, but then there was a strong wind from behind me and Zacharia grabbed Jason
before he fell into the water. My eyes were full of tears, my heart was in my
throat and then I realized what was happening. I ran forward and grabbed Jason,
sobbing and breathing heavy I hugged him close and could feel him stiffen in
fear.
“This is a dream, I know it is,
because in the real story, you fall into the water, and I lose you. I can’t
keep losing you, I miss you so much!” I was crying on his hair, and then he
pulled away and looked at myface.
“Becca? How did you get so old?” he
asked in that voice that all children have. So quiet and innocent and pure. I
laughed, and wiped my face and looked back at him. I didn’t really know what to
say and I looked up at Zacharia and I wasn’t sure what to say to him either.
In a softer voice, and dryer eyes I
told him “I’m in my mid 20s now, and you’ve been dead over 10 years. I don’t
know what to say, I don’t know what you’re thinking right now, and I don’t want
to scare you.” I was prattling, a sign I was getting nervous and scared. He
looked at me with his big brown eyes, eyes like moms.
“Becca, how can I be dead, you’re
right here. Did you see the hole I made! The rock was big, but not as big as
the other one, it was even bigger and I rolled it all the way here…Becca, how
did you know I was here?” He was so innocent. The tears began again, I stood
and I looked at Zacharia.
“What do I do? This is a dream.
When I wake up he won’t be there, and this will all be a fantasy. I’m not sure
I can handle this. Why did you save him? How could you do this to me?” I was
getting angry, and this whole thing wasn’t fair. I looked down at Jason and I
told him not to be scared. “I’m sorry sweetheart, I can’t help you anymore, you
have to go home now. And I’m going to go to. Please don’t go back to the creek.
I don’t want to see you die again.” I closed my eyes and willed my dream to
end, and for me to wake up. It had worked before, but when I opened my eyes, I
was still there. Jason stood looking at me. His little face was perplexed and
he lifted his eyebrow, like Sarah did and Zacharia too.
He turned around and then he saw
Zacharia, “Hi, I’m Jason. Do you know my big sister?” I smiled, he was so cute.
What kind of person would he have grown up to be? I looked at Zacharia and
waited to hear his answer.
“I’m Zacharia, and yes, I know your
sister, she is a very good friend of mine. I know you don’t really understand,
but you can remember this day, and maybe help her get through this.” He had
knelt down to Jason’s level to talk to him. I didn’t understand what he meant,
but then Jason turned his bright smiling face to me and I wanted to hold him
again. I knelt down and opened my arms and he came to me. I put my arms around
him and held him for a moment and then he pushed away, his face was very
determined, and then it got sad.
“I remember, I do, but I was trying
not to. I thought this was real for a minute, I hoped it was. Becca, you almost
saved me. I stepped on one of my rocks, that’s what made me slip. It wasn’t
your fault. And I don’t hate you. I love you very much and I watch you and
Sarah sometimes. I know you miss me” I was crying now. I had no idea, I had
always thought that I had distracted him and made him slip. I hadn’t cared at
first that he was missing in the first place. I had hated a part of myself.
“Becca, please tell Sarah I miss her too. And tell Grama, that even though I
wasn’t here long, she taught me so much, and I knew I was loved. Please Becca,
don’t cry. It wasn’t your fault. I’m happy where I am. And I’ll be happier now,
because I got to say I love you, and say good bye. Good bye big sister. And
thank you.”
He turned away and walked to the
hole in the ice. I rushed forward, I couldn’t let him go, I couldn’t let him
fall in again. But just as I reached him, he vanished. He didn’t fall in, he
was just gone. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see Zacharia. I
fell into his arms and I cried. I cried so hard and for so long. When I finally
stopped and went to wipe my eyes, I found myself curled up on the bed on his arms.
I curled in tighter and let myself sleep. Zacharia never left, he held me the
entire night and let me feel his arms around me, a safety net from memories.
When I came to later the next day,
Zacharia had gotten up and was cooking again. I smelled eggs and bacon and
possibly fresh bread. I marveled at my luck in finding a man with such a
talent. I rolled over and he was right there knelling down to my face. I
startled because I could have sworn I heard him in the kitchen just a minute
ago. He smiled gently at me, and brushed my hair back behind my ear. “How are
you feeling love?” he asked in a soft voice, which only made my body tighten
and remember what he had done with me earlier the night before. I smiled back
at him, a little smile to say I was better. He took my hand as I sat up and
then he sat beside me and put his arm around me. I leaned on him and placed my
head on his shoulder.
“Did you know? Did you know he
would remember I mean?” I asked it out to the room, staying against him with my
hair hanging a little over my face. I waited for a response and I knew the
answer, but I felt I needed to hear it from him.
“Yes. It’s a talent of
Dreamwalking. You can sometimes talk to a memory in a dream, and pull their
spirit into the form in the memory. You can talk to them, and it often helps.
I’ve done it a few times, usually to help someone, like with you. I didn’t know
what he would say, but I hoped it would be something that would help you. I am
sorry that it hurt you.” He was looking down at me, and so I looked up. His
eyes were full of compassion and love. It was so strange to see those in his
eyes. It wasn’t something I thought I would ever really see aimed at me. A tear
fell from my eye and he pulled me in tighter and let me cry again.
I stayed in and rested the
remainder of the day. He called Michael and had him bring some more groceries
and a clean change of clothes for himself, and he just stayed with me, a
presence of peace and strength. Every time the memories would surface he would
hold me again. I finally got up the courage to call Sarah and I asked her if
she remembered that I was Wiccan. And then I asked her to keep an open mind and
just hear me out. I told her the whole thing, except that Zacharia had saved
him from falling in the hole, and that it was Zacharia’s talent that had pulled
Jason’s spirit there to talk to me. She heard me out and I could tell she was
crying. She asked me if I was sure, for sure that I had really talked to him. I
confirmed that I felt it in my whole heart and soul, and she accepted it. She
told me to meet her at Grama’s, because she felt we needed to tell Grama
together. Zacharia drove me over himself.
It was kind of strange being in the
front seat of that sedan and having Zacharia driving. It was a new experience
for us, and another show of his down to earth-ness. We pulled up and Sarah came
out of the door, she smiled nicely to Zacharia and pulled me into a hug. I
started crying again. Sheila was there too, and I guess Sarah had told her some
of it, because she went up to Zacharia and pulled him into the house. She must
have introduced him to Grama because when Sarah and I came in, both of us
wiping tears, Grama stood up and looked right at Zacharia and I could see she
was about to lay into him. I had to act fast before she got started, or we
might not be able to do what I needed to do.
“Grama, please this isn’t his
fault. In fact it his help that has made it possible for me to even be here
right now. Please, I need to talk to you, we, me and Sarah need to talk to you.
You taught me that religion was in ones heart, and no matter what anyone else
believed, if it was in your heart, then it was right for you. I’ve been
practicing Wicca for a few years. You knew that. I believe in spirits and
supernatural beings and maybe even a little in magic itself.” I looked at
Zacharia when I said that, and Grama was smart enough to catch the look. She
looked at me and said she was listening. So I told her about Dreamwalking, and
the possibility of talking to a spirit, and I told her the same story I had
told Sarah. Then I told them both that it had been Zacahria who had help me
while I cried and who had been my safety net while I grieved.
Grama surprised me, but by now I
should have known she would. “Rebecca girl, you knows I have faith in the Lord,
but I wasn’t raised to believe just in him. I knows abouts Spirits and fairies.
And I think I knows who your new beaux is. I havn’t decided yet if I trusts him
though. But I’s believes you. I knowd Jason didn’t die from you’re callin to him.
He was a good boy, and I knows he watches us. I feels him somatime. Yous gotta
let go your hurt girl, and move on wch your life. And so longs as your man
treats you good, I won’t hex him.” She added a smile at Zacharia with the end
of that. I was speechless. I looked at Sarah and realized she had caught what
Grama had said. I knew she didn’t know, but now her curiosity was peaked. I wondered what Grama knew and I knew that I
would have to have a talk with her and find out just what she knew or thought
she knew. Zacharia didn’t seem perturbed so I didn’t raise the issue then. That
was a can of worms I really didn’t want to get into with Sarah and Sheila in
the room.
We had tea and talked about Jason,
Grama brought out the scrapbooks again and Zacharia got to hear about more of
my life. Sheila sat back and listened. She had heard much of this before,
because she and Sarah had been dating for nearly 2 years now. She laughed when
we pulled Zacharia into some of our memory games. It was the who could shock
him more by the stories we told of each other. Grama would sometimes interject
when we got a detail wrong, but spending time there, and reliving some of the
more fun times, it helped a lot. Grama got up and went to make dinner, when
Zacharia got up and followed her. Sarah cocked her eyebrow after him and then
turned on me.
“What’s he doing? Grama’s will have
a cow if he tried to tell her how to cook or something.” I knew that, but she
didn’t know he COULD cook, well not the way he could anyways. I told her I
wasn’t worried, and that caused her to start to the what do I really know about
my boyfriend speech. Sheila got in on this one, she was concerned too. After
all the last time they had seen me I had been all teary eyes and confused about
him. I hedge around some of the more pointed parts, and I hinted at the
exquisite night of sex. That was the turning point, I actually managed to get
them off topic and then they wanted to know all the juicy details. I of course
didn’t get detailed, but I made some remarks, and got some giggles and oohs
from them. By the time we were all laughing we heard Grama holler.
All three of us jumped up and ran
to the kitchen. I was worried she was going to pull a knife on Zacharia, and I
am sure Sarah and Sheila thought he was trying to kill her, but when we all
fell through the swinging door we found her laughing and patting his shoulder
while he was bent over the cutting board. We all looked rather silly, Sheila
had grabbed Sarah before she fell to the floor, so they were on their knees and
I was hanging on the door and we all looked ridiculous. Grama hollered again
and we realized she was laughing so hard she almost hyperventilating. It started
a new host of giggles and Zacharia came to my rescue at the door way and was
laughing too.
His deep gravelly laugh made my
skin crawl and tingle, he lifted me up and over my sisters head and both she
and Sheila were astounded by the shear strength of him picking me up and
setting me on my feet. He turned around and offered his hands to the girls and
found them both with their jaws on the floor.
“My GAWD! How did you do that!
You’re like the hulk or something!” That was Sheila. She was pulling Sarah to
her feet, and was too stunned to accept Zacharia’s hand of help. Grama came
around and tisked at us. She ushered us back out of the kitchen saying that she
and the young man were busy and not to worry about her. I was so relieved to
see them getting along so well. It made me wonder again at what Grama knew, but
if she was this cool about it, maybe I didn’t have much to worry about.
Sobered up a little, the 3 of us
went back into the living room and sat around the coffee table once more. Sarah
snuggled up to Sheila and they kissed. I thought it was so sweet, and I had
never been anything but happy for my sister. Sheila whispered in Sarahs ear and
I saw Sarah blush. At first I thought they might be being naughty, and I wanted
to get u p and leave. It’s one thing to be happy to see them kiss, but if they
started making out and whispering sweet nothings, I really didn’t need to watch
that. I wasn’t much of a voyeur. Sarah turned to face me and got a little
serious.
“Becca, you remember that I had 3
offers for internship that start in the fall?” I nodded yes, she looked at
Sheila and they both took a deep breath. I knew she had decided to take one of
the ones that would make her leave state. I could tell by the way she was being
so cautious about it. I think she may have been excited to tell me, but after
this revalation about Jason, she wasn’t sure how I would take it. “We decided
the one in New Jersey is the best course for me. They are offering me a
slightly higher rate, and they offered me a 3 year contract, and they promised
it was unbreakable. I read the paperwork, and had Sheila’s dad look at it. You
know, because he’s lawyer and all. Sheila already talked to her boss and they
think they have an opening they can transfer her to. We leave on the 28th,
so basically, in a bout a week. I was going to take you out and tell you, but
now seems as good a time as any. Well, what do you think?”
I was a little saddened, but I also
had expected that this might happen. Indianapolis is a great city, but there
are more options the futher east you go. I was happy for her too, because it
would be a wonderful boost for her career. “Of course I’m happy for you, crazy
lady! Wow, New Jersey! Goddess, I don’t know anything about what’s over there.
We will have to try to work Christmases so that you come home at least every
other year. And it may be a 3 years contract now, but they are going to love
you and you’ll be editor before your tenure is finished.” We laughed over that,
and she seemed happy to know I was happy for her. She and Sheila seemed very
excited about it, and I didn’t want to spoil the mood.
Grama and Zacharia came out of the
kitchen soon after announcing dinner would be done in about 30 minutes, and we
all sat down again. Sarah broke the news to Grama and she was so happy she
cried. We all got to talking about holidays, if the girls might drive over to Washinton
DC and get legally married. Sarah shrugged, she hadn’t really gotten that
far on that thought. Sheila winked at me
and I tried to hide my smile. Sheila had come to me a month or so ago, she had
bought a ring and was going to ask Sarah the big question. But she didn’t know
how. I told her to do it at a family dinner, and to invite some friends. Now
that they had a date for when they planned to leave, I knew Sheila would be
making phone calls to arrange a small party of friends and family for the
event.
We ate and then we said our
goodbyes and promised to get together at least once more before the girls left.
Grama pulls Zacharia aside and when he came out to me, he was smiling. We got
into his car and he drove us back to my place. Once again it was a Sunday night
and we both had to be at work in the morning. Before we got to my place he
pulled off into a small parking lot and told me to get out with him. I got out and
he reached out his hand and we walked down the street to a small store in the
Chinatown district. I wasn’t sure what we were doing, but he seemed to know and
I trusted him. I looked around, it was fascinating, I had never been in this
part of town. The authentic shops were very bright and everyone was small and
spoke so fast I couldn’t have understood them even if I did know some Chinese
or Japanese.
Zacharia pulled me into the little
shop whose window had characters of some Asian language and there was a little
bell that chimed as the door opened. The small man behind the counter looked up
and at first seemed like he didn’t care, another customer, woohoo, then he
noticed Zacharia and he stood up. “Ah, Meester Foldwere, eet ees good to see
you again. How can I help you?” The little man had a very distinct Japanese
accent, and it was a little hard to understand his English. Zacharia spoke to
the man in what I assume is Japanese and I shook my head at myself. He spoke
Greek that first night we met, how could have not know he probably spoke
Japanese, and Chinese and Mexican and every other language in the world. I
would have to ask him how many languages he really could speak.
The man went behind a beaded
curtain and I could hear him going through some stuff, I looked around the
store and saw that it was kind of an antique store, but for Asian collectors.
Fans, dolls, statues of Buddha like things and bells, there a lot of different
sizes of bells. When he came out he has a little box, and he handed it to Zacharia.
I went over and look around his shoulder to see. He was too fast for me of
course and I didn’t see what was in it. Zacharia paid the man and we went out.
He bought me an interesting pastry from a street vendor that was sweet and
sticky, and we went back to the car. He kept the box in sight, but out of
reach. And he wouldn’t stop smiling.
We got back to my place and we
walked in and took the elevator. It was a slow ride and I was preoccupied with
guessing what was in the box. So far he had bought me roses and chocolates, and
dinners. He hasn’t given me anything else. I thought it might be a necklace or
a bracelet, or some other piece of jewelry. I prepared myself to be surprised
and pleased. We got into my room and I was shocked still at the state of the
room. The feeling of hope and happy thoughts flew out the window. My room had
been tossed, someone had been in there and tore it apart. What ever they were
looking for I wondered if they found it, because I had no idea what anyone
could possibly want from me. Zacharia helped me pick things us and assess the
damage.
“Sweety, come stay with me for a
few days. Get away from this, this mess. I have an extra room if you want it. I
don’t sleep in a coffin. We can come deal with this later, when we are both not
tired and stressed.” His choice of words made me think, he had been with me now
for 2 whole days and 2 nights, he must be hungry. And he right, I really didn’t
want to stay here now, not after finding it all rifled through. The big shelf
that I had turned into a closet was even turned over and all my clothes were
strewn about. I grabbed a big bag and began to throw some stuff into it. I went
into my chest and took out the special blanket my dad had given me before he
died, it went with me if I travelled. I got things from my bathroom and then
looked around.
“You know, there isn’t anything
here that’s really personal. I never really left Grama’s. All my important
things are there, in boxes. I never got around to bringing them here. I have a
mug I like and the few things in the chest. But I don’t even have pictures up.
Why would someone trash my place? I don’t have anything valuable, and I
certainly don’t know anyone whose…dangerous…Oh…” I look at him, and remembered
when he told me that being with him might get dangerous. I had forgotten that
it might happen. I didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Zacharia put his arm
around me and kissed the top of my head. I was a healthy 5’7” and he was at
least 6’1”, but I felt safer there in his arms. We made sure that the fridge
had nothing that might go bad and locked up behind us and left it all behind.
When we got to the house Zacharia
took me upstairs and showed me his room and a guest room. I opted to use the
guest room for now, just because it was still fairly new in our relationship to
be living together. He left me alone and went down to talk to Micheal and Adam.
I assumed they would discuss my apartment and what to do about it. Part of me
didn’t want to know any of it, maybe if I just ignored it, it would go away. I
put away the clothes in the lovely dresser and put a few things into the
bathroom next to it. It seemed that each of the bathrooms had their own
bathroom. That was convenient. I decided I should go talk to Zacharia and find
out what he planned to do about my apartment, and if he had nay idea of what it
might be about.
As I walked down the stairs I could
hear them talking near the door. Zacharia was asking Micheal to make a few
calls about something. I stopped when I came down from the landing and looked
at the three of them. Zacharia looked up me and grinned. Then he told the boys
that I would be spending a few days with them. Adam looked at me and I’m sure
he wasn’t happy about this, but micheal said welcome to me and smiled. He told
me that there was some left overs if I was hungry, or they could order
something. I told him I was fine, we had eaten at my grandmothers. He was
gracious and kind. Adam walked away down to the kitchen and out of sight. I
looked at Zacharia and tilted my head.
“Its all right Sweety, Adam takes
time to trust people. He worries about exposing me and calling attention to my
enemies, although it looks like we may have done so intentionally. Come down
and sit with me, I want to tell you what your Grama told me, and give you
something.” That perked me up. I came the rest of the way down and we sat on
the big comfy couch with its peach, burgundy and green floral pattern. I
realized the furniture was exactely like the ones in the dream room where
Zacharia had kissed me the first time. I sat turned towards him our knees
touching. He leaned back and handed me the box, but said to wait before opening
it.
“You’re Grama is a smart woman. She
knew the difference between vampire and Vampyre. I was pleased. I was worried
at first, but she told me something that only a few are told. Something I
haven’t told you yet, and I can’t, not yet. But if we stay close and I hope we
do, I will tell you someday. For now though, she did remind me of an item that
can create a stronger bond, stronger with the blood bond than without. Open
it.” He sat back and leaned on the back of the couch. He looked a little smug
and I wasn considering pretending to be surprised by the pretty trinket he was
about to give me. I open the box, and my mouth dropped open. I had thought it
might be a necklace, or earrings but I hadn’t expected…a rock. It was a small stone,
it fit nicely in my palm, and it was a rich blue. I’ve seen pictures of lakes
that were so cold they glowed a brilliant blue. This rock was that color, and
the colors inside it moved with life, as if it were breathing.
I could see some greens and more shades
of blue swirling in its center, and it did glow. The room had gotten darker as
the night decended further and I realized I could see the rock clearly, while
it was still in the box. I pulled it out and held it, and I gasped. It was
warm, and it pulsed. I could feel 2 beats in it and I looked at Zacharia,
wonderingly. He smiled, and reached out his hand and placed it over the rock on
top of my hand. That was when I realized the 2 beats, were his heart and mine.
“You’re heart beats…isn’t being a Vampyre mean your dead, kind of?” He shook
his head almost like one might to a young child with foolish questions.
“No, I’m a living vampire, that is
another difference. We are made without draining the life from the body. I have
never died. This stone detects our beats, but with a small ritual it will beat
with only our hearts beats for as long as you will it. And if you carry it with
you at all times, I will always be able to find you, no matter how you might be
concealed.” That comment made me a little nervous. I asked if he thought I
might need it for that, but he shrugged the question off. I think hehoped it
wouldn’t come to that. So did I, and I looked more closly to the stone, I
wondered how I would conceal this while I’m at work and such. Leaving it in my purse
would possibly be too far away, what if I was separated from it. Zacharia,
always seeming to know what I want thinking, pulled out a small bag on a
leather necklace. Well, it was a necklace after all. The pouch was beautifully
embroidered and seemed very old. He placed the stone into it and then stood up.
He offered his hand and he led upstairs, to his room.
I sat on his bed as he grabbed
something from one of the many armoirs. His room was the largest, and it could
have had 5 king sized beds and still had room to have a large party of people
hanging out. He unfolded a cloth and put a small vial in the center of the
unfolded cloth. I recognized the pattern from the pouch. It was almost pagan.
It was a circle, split in four, with black, red, white and yellow sections. In
the center was 3 overlapping cirlces of blue, green and purple. Around the
outside was a celtic type braided vine with pink flowers which had orange
centers. The embroidery on the pouch was much smaller and not quite so
detailed.
He put an unlit candle on the
right, a dagger on the bottom and an empty bowl to the left. I was reminded
more of a Wiccan ritual and I asked if I could help. He declined and opened the
little vial. He poured some dirt onto the first square, he lit the candle and
then blew it out while the smoke fell onto the right side of the circle, then
he pricked his finger and dropped 3 drops of blood to the bottom, and lastly
from another vial, put water into the bowl, and sprinkled some water onto the
left side. He then looked at me, “I need you to repeat what I just did. Can you
remember, I can help it you need.” I shook my head, I had this.
“Earth, the dirt, the one thing
that makes us and then receives us back when we leave the mortal world. It is
knowledge incarnate. Air, the giver of life and the teacher, the one who shares
and spreads the knowledge. Fire, our blood, because it is the fire that stokes
our spirit and gives us the motivation to live. And lastly, water, the one who
washes our sins and helps us leave no regrets by recycling all that we
learned.” I then took my blooded finger and placed it in the center, he smiled,
and placed his finger next to mine where our blood would then mix. I had done
similar rituals in my studies. But I had never seen the alter or alter cloth
begin to glow. It was a shallow white, it didn’t hurt my eyes, but it was
beautiful to see. He removed his finger and so did I, then he placed the stone
in the center of the light, which entered the stone and suddenly fractured into
a million little rainbows all over the walls and ceiling.
He then grabbed me so fast I
squealed, and then he started to kiss me. I didn’t really understand, but I was
so distracted by the feel of his lips on mine and the memories of the night
before that I forgot about the circle and the stone. He was caressing me and
then he was kissing my neck and playing with my bottons. I was on his lap and
he growled when he realized that my shirt had tiny little buttons up the back
and not the front. His growl deepened and suddenly he tore the shirt. I knew I
would be upset later, when I wasn’t melting into his hands. He lay me under him
on the bed and began to pay attention to my breasts while he kissed me from
shoulder to shoulder. His hands cupped first one breast then the other, and
then he whipped us around and I was above him.
He had better access to my breasts
now and he pulled my bra off. He sat and looked for a minute at me, making me
blush then his hands slowly caresses up from my hips, and then cupped my
breasts again, and then his fingers brushed the nipples. The reaction was my
body twitching and my hips rocking. His reaction was to grow harder beneath me
and growl again. He took both nipples between his fingers and squeezed just
hard enough to make me rock again, then he pulled on them. I gasped and
twitched and rocked again. He moaned then and pulled himself up grabbing ahold
of my right breast with his mouth.
He suckled the nipple, tickling it
with his tongue, brushing it with his thumb between his lips, then using his
teeth to gently nip it. I gasped a little louder, and rocked more, I was
beginning to rock in a rhythm, and he wasn’t stopping me. My hands were on his
back as his mouth continued to tease at my nipple and I untied his hair. I
wrapped one hand into it and pulled it back, he came up from my breast with a
growl and his eyes were beginning to tinge red, but I made him kiss me, which
caused a wonderful reaction. His hardness throbbed between my legs and the
other hand pinched the nipple harder as he kissed me back, and then he rolled
us up and I was under him again.
He pulled at my slacks and had them
off faster than before, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t rip them. His fingers
found my nether parts and parted my lips, slowly pushing around, soaking up my
wetness. I moaned into his shoulder as he was watching his hand. He turned his
head and kissed me, and then pulled up on my nipple rolling it between his
fingers, and the he pushed his fingers up inside me, stroking me in strong full
motions, back and forth. I was already climbing the hill, when he bit my
nipple. The slight pain pushed me over the edge, I called out his name. His
fingers moved a little deeper and faster, and his thumb began to rub the little
nub that creates so strong a reaction that I began to gasp. All the while he is
sucking and pulling up on my nipples, back and forth and pulling my hair causing
me to arch back onto the bed under him.
He let go of my hair and moved
down, grabbed my hips and pulled my body up to his mouth and attacked my wet lips.
He sucked on the nub and used his tongue to help drive his fingers deeper and
stronger. I was writhing and he grabbed my hips harder to keep me from sliding
away. He got me so high I felt I might never come down, my voice began to beg
him not to stop. He rocked his fingers and used his tongue to push me over the
brink. Then he pulled me up and rolled us back so that I was straddling him. I was over him and on him and
then he was inside me. He looked me in the eyes and I felt the spark, suddenly
I was drowning in the sensation.
I could see myself above him,
rocking, I could feel the heat around him and the friction as my body moved in
the rhythm that he had us at. The sight of my breasts bouncing as I moved and
my hair loose and plastering against my breast and back made him harder and
then he growled. He put a finger down on the nub and began to rub it while I
rocked above him. I could feel him throbbing inside me, it was like being
rubbed and sucked at once, and his other hand began to tease a nipple. I was
beginning to climb, feeling his sensations, and feeling my own tinglings, I
couldn’t control the climb, I was there and then he raised his head to grab a
breast in his mouth which pushed himself deeper, hitting that spot…I climaxed
so hard I nearly fell off him. He drug the climax out by suckling the nipple
and pulling on it, his other finger still tickling my nub. I shuddered, unable
to completely finish with him teasing me still. I knew that this wasn’t the
end, and I smiled down at him.
This time I growled.
I slept soundly that night in his
bed. It was a very large 4 poster bed with black gauze drapes. The windows had
heavy velvet curtains in a deep blood red that kept a majority of the daylight
out. Zacharia held me through out the night. I had a few dreams that left me
crying a little, but I didn’t wake fully. He told me about it later. We woke
early, and used our separate showers to get ready. He drove me into the city
and dropped me at work. My day was bright and I was happy. I was worried about
what happened with my apartments, but knowing Zacharia was there to watch over
me made me feel safe.
I had woke up to find the roll
cloth and the stone had been under us the whole night, somehow he had removed
the dagger and vials from the bed before he jumped me. I still felt amazed at
some of his powers. How did he hide them out here in the world that didn’t know
the real him? I filed and answered phones and was smiling most of the day. I
felt a twinge a couple of times, and when I concentrated I realized I was
feeling Zacharia’s emotions. It was amazing. I thought about my sister a couple
of times, but that just made me smile because I knew she wasn’t going to be
alone. Sheila really loved her. The end of the day couldn’t come any faster. I
practically raced down the hallway and out the building to him. He was waiting
for me and I threw myself into his arms. I kissed him deeply, not caring that
the whole world of lawyers and tight ass idiots saw the whole thing.
We stayed in and had a nice meal,
he ordered in for change and had some work to do. I sat and read while he
worked on some things in his office upstairs. Adam came in at some point and
pointedly looked at me. I looked back and was tempted to stand up and follow
him to ask him what his problem was. But Zacharia had asked me to give him time
to adjust to our relationship. So I sat where I was and tried to go back to my
book. The house phone rang and I got distracted and tried to hear Adam from in
the kitchen. I heard him slam the phone down and then he came running back and
up the stairs. That worried me so I dropped the book and ran up the stairs
behind him. When I entered the room he stopped talking, but Zacharia told him
to continue.
“Mr. Wayling sold you a box
yesterday, you were seen entering the leaving the shop. Somehow someone knew
you were heading that way. They found out Rebecca’s name and it was easy to
find where she lived. I’ve sent a man to watch her Sister and her Grandmother
just in case. They think it might be Heldren. If it is, the last time you two
fought, we had to move out of the country for almost 20 years. Sir, this could
be a very bad time to be…thinking about other things.” He looked right at me
when he said that last part. I moved in close to Zacharia and just looked back
at Adam.
“Who is Heldren? Adam, I know you
are worried for Zach, but please, I want to help if I can.” I tried to assuage
his fears, knowing he wouldn’t listen, but I wanted to try for Zacharia’s sake.
I could almost see the vien in his neck jumping with annoyance. I squeezed
Zacharia’s arm and left. I could tell that Adam didn’t want to talk about it in
front of me. I went downstairs and decided to call my sister. It might be good
to give her a little bit of a heads up.
“Hi Sarah, have you guys decided
when and where to have our last get together before you leave?”
“Oh, My God Rebecca, Yes! Sheila is
Amazing, she rented ‘The Spot’ for us. Isn’t she fabulous?”
“Yeah, wow, that’s awesome! Listen
I have to tell you something. Some guy who Zach put away got out, and he
trashed my place, the cops have been called and are checking into it, but Zach
has a couple of buddies on the force and so someone will be by your place a
couple of times to just make sure nothing happens, okay?”
She was quiet a moment, “Bec, is it
safe to be at your place…wait, this is your phone number, Oh my God, are you at
‘HIS’ house?? Ooooh, Girl, you making naughty with the law boy? Haha, its okay,
no one has bothered us, but I’ll let Sheila know. Wednesday at ‘The Spot’,
6pm..okay, don’t forget! I love you” Then she hung up. I called Grama and left
a similar message. I felt a little better, but I was worried now too. Was this
guy going to hurt my family? I went up stairs again to talk to Zacharia, and
found he was gone. I sat at his desk for a minute thinking about things when I
noticed a paper on his desk.
1450 Parkland Dr. 3pm Heldren
Estates Mngr
Was Zacharia going to meet this
guy? Why didn’t He tell me? I got up and went to find Micheal, I wondered if he
has an extra car. I couldn’t let Zach do this alone.
