Page 5 of Resurrection
The crunching of gravel and scrape of boots on concrete paralyzes me on the spot. The mutt next to me perks up, his lips pulling back over sharp teeth and his ears standing straight, butall of that without making a sound. In the middle of my terrified state, that little thing seems like it’s most important. Then, the sound comes again, and I forget everything. Without thinking, I bolt out of my hiding spot, heading right for the pharmacy doors. The fact that they are locked at this hour doesn’t register until I’m yanking on it with all my might. The metal bar on the glass rattles, but it doesn’t budge. A sharp jerk on my pants makes me stumble, and I stare wide-eyed at the mutt. He has his jaws clamped on my pant leg, pulling me away from the doors. I follow his lead since my brain is useless, the terror making me irrational.
The mutt runs to the opposite side of the pharmacy with me on his heels, my feet thumping on the ground too loud for my liking. Turning the corner of the building a little too fast, I stumble and fall, rolling for a second before I scramble on my hands and knees in the shadows. Leaning on the wall, rivulets of sweat running down the side of my face, I hold my breath. No sound can be heard. No footsteps chasing after me. The sound of my heart jackhammering behind my ribcage pounds in my ears, so I don’t trust my hearing. The only thing stopping me from having a heart attack is the mutt that is sitting calmly next to me.
The groaning of metal and glass shattering almost stops my heart. When the noise settles, silence falls around me like a blanket. It scares me to the point that acceptance washes over me, and the fear disappears. Like the conclusion I came to not long ago, it’s useless. Scared or not, if they find me, I will die. My heartbeat slows down, and my breathing stops sounding like a freight train. Sagging against the wall, I welcome the reprieve from the terror, calmly watching the side of the building for whoever it is to come and finally end my miserable existence. Sadness that I will not keep my promise to Sara and Eddie tries to push through, but I don’t let it. Maybe this is the reason myparents didn’t return. I never found forgiveness for them leaving me, but I hope my friends will find it for me.
Long moments pass while I’m staring at nothing, unblinking, waiting for fate to come and end my life. When no sound comes, and no one rounds the corner with fangs bared and eyes glowing, I frown. Is my scared brain making up things? Glancing at the mutt, I realize he is sitting next to me, as calm as if we are having a picnic at a park. There is no sign of disturbance exuding from him at all.
Hands and legs trembling, I crawl on all fours to the corner. Peeking around it with one eye, I freeze. There is glass all over the ground, and the door of the pharmacy is hanging sideways, holding on by only the bottom hinges. So, I didn’t imagine it. For a moment, I thought I must’ve gone insane after years of being alone and hiding. Pulling back, I sit with my knees to my chest, leaning the back of my head on the wall. There is nothing I can do but stay here. When a long time passes, and still, no one comes to find me, I decide to go look for them. If I stay here until morning, someone will see me for sure.
Determined to meet my fate standing, I lift up, and steeling my spine, head straight for the open door. The mutt trots next to me on my right. Stepping over the more significant pieces of glass, I enter the pharmacy, and still, no one notices my presence. Bewildered, I walk around, grabbing things that look like they can be useful. Finding a bag, I start filling it up. My hands still have tremors, and my legs feel like they’ll give out at any moment, but in a dreamlike state, I collect things methodically. Finding bandages and pads is a blessing I never expected or have ever thought of, so I stuff as many as I can in the puffed-up bag.
“I think this is what shopping felt like, mutt.” Snorting, I whisper to my loyal friend that hasn’t left my side. “Next thing you know, we’ll be getting manicures together.”
Still shocked that I’m not dead, I finish grabbing everything I can and walk out of the door. The burning between my shoulder blades never stops. I feel the eyes follow me almost to the alley where my dumpster is. Not a soul crosses our paths. Without warning, the feeling disappears, and I almost feel the weight of it lift like a physical presence. With one last look around, I slink back inside the dark alley and hurry to find my friends.
Chapter Four
SEBASTIAN
The quiet I instill tonight in the big city feels like a balm. A light breeze tickles my skin, moving strands of my hair like a lover’s fingers. Gazing over the balcony, my mind travels to memories best forgotten. Some might say I have lost my mind after so many centuries. I cannot say they are wrong. If what I am trying to awaken turns out to be what the Council says, nothing will save our pathetic, endless lives. Alongside the humans, we will perish or grovel, begging for death to claim us. But! If my research is correct, contrary to popular belief, I will end the monstrous way of the Council’s rule.
My left fist clenches on the hand rest of my chair, the only show of emotion I’m willing to express. The rest of my body is relaxed, my right hand moving gently, swirling the ice cubes in the glass of whiskey I’m holding. Lifting it under my nose, I sniff, inhaling the smoky scent. I will not drink it; it tastes like nothing to me. It doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy its smell. The last few centuries, my life has been all about the little pleasures. Those are the ones making the endless days bearable.
“Sire, I have news.”
Anyone else would’ve been surprised by the voice behind them, not hearing the soundless feet approach. I heard Marcus from the moment he entered the hotel. Felt his boots on the stairway he used since he was too impatient to wait for the elevator. The stairs got him here faster, all eleven floors of them, which told me he had either good news or we were going to war. One side of my mouth lifts slightly at that thought. War might help cure the boredom of immortality, that is a fact. Enjoying the view of the city, I don’t acknowledge his presence. The shuffling of his feet, as slight as it is, freezes my hand with the glass halfway towards my face.
“Sarà meglio che tu abbia grandiose notizie, amico. Stai disturbando il mio drink, e questo potrebbe costarti la vita.”“You better have some great news, buddy. You're disturbing my drink, and it could cost you your life.”
“I apologize for disturbing your drink, Sire. As you said, I did so with the knowledge that it could cost me my life. The news is, indeed, monumental.” Ever the loyalist to formalities, Marcus doesn’t let the excitement that can be heard in his voice betray his etiquette. He also remembers to speak the language of the Americans. That in itself sends a jolt through me. It’s such a foreign sensation that it takes me a moment to see it for what it is.
Excitement.
“Go on, then.” Murmuring quietly in English, I bring the glass the rest of the way up. The Council was very clear that we are to use that language while on their soil. Moving the whiskey gently under my nose, I hope it’ll stop any further emotions perking up when they have been gone for so long. “Let us hear this grandiose notizie.”
“You were correct, Sire. We have indeed found the girl.”
“A bold statement.” Placing the whiskey gently on top of the table, I stand up, facing him. “Hope should never cloud yourjudgment, Marcus. It has lured many great men into eternal sleep. She is a seductive siren, but a cruel mistress if you allow her too much freedom.”
“It is as you suspected, Sire. When close enough, it’s impossible not to feel the call of her blood if you know what you are looking for.” The twitch of his fingers betrays his nervousness. When I make no further comment, he shifts slightly, realizing that I have noticed it. “She has an animal with her. It saved her life tonight, and there was no need for me to interfere when she was almost seen by two of our kind. I think it’s a dog, but they are both so dirty. I don’t think anyone can tell what they are.” A little smile plays on Marcus’s lips. “The stench will hide her. She is a smart little thing.”
“We cannot leave anything to chance.” Making sure he understands the gravity of the situation; I watch him until he finally meets my gaze. “If anyone even breathes the same air within her vicinity, they will be removed immediately. I will need you to stay close to her until we are certain.” Turning away from him, I look over the city. Somewhere between all that concrete and filth, our only salvation lives. Alone, frightened, maybe even hurt, not realizing how powerful she is. My fist clenches again, and the slight disturbance of air tells me Marcus has seen the slip-up. “Do we have a human to watch over her during the daylight hours?”
“I found one…” His words trail off, making me glance over my shoulder at him. “He is too eager to please. My guess is he is hoping to be turned if he gets your notice.”
“Ah, yes.” Scanning the horizon again, my thoughts try to pull me back into a past best left untouched. Pushing the melancholy trying to grab me in its clutches, I focus on Marcus. “The promise of immortality makes humans do horrible things, does it not? It turns a saint into a sinner and a sinner into a saint. We can work with that. Are we done with the formalities now?”
“It was all I had to inform you, Sire.” Humor creeps up in his voice a moment before Marcus stops shoulder to shoulder with me.
“It’s clear.” Andrei walks out through the glass sliding doors of the balcony. “There were seven bugs around the room. Little paranoid if you ask me.”
“Can you blame them?” Marcus snickers, walking away and throwing himself on one of the lounge chairs.
“I still don’t think it’s smart poking them.” Andrei does the same, snatching the whiskey bottle in the process. “I understand your reasoning. If we make the girl desperate enough to accept our help, she will come willingly. But this is the Council we are talking about. We better have her within our sight both day and night. If anyone else gets to her before we do, she’ll be dead before we blink.”
“The old fools think they are gods. When I mentioned the prophecy, they almost laughed in my face. The Council thinks they are invincible. Their arrogance and cruelty has helped greatly in our cause, has it not?” Joining them, I loosen up my tie, unbuttoning a few buttons of my shirt. “Let us just remember to keep up the charade. They’ll bite. I feel it in my bones. At the moment, I’m assuming they think we are bluffing. They are confident that all O negatives have been killed. They were quite thorough in the extermination. She is almost like a unicorn.”
“I still think we gave them too much tonight.” Ever the protector, Andrei watches me with worry. “If they work together, it’ll all be for nothing. We might end up dead before someone else can take up the reins.”
