Hybrid Trilogy

Chapter 26 Revelation

"OH" replied Katy softly "I see" she was completely thrown by Charlotte's revelation, a statement that was totally left of field she slowly withdrew her hands and looked at Charlotte trying not to laugh, I mean she had always suspected that her friend was gay, but she really didn't see this coming "the thing is, you are lovely, and I don't want our relationship to change or to suffer" Katy began almost apologetically. "But I'm not gay nor do I have any feelings that way" she continued looking sadly at her obviously crest fallen friend, "oh don't get me wrong I do love you" she added brightly "just not in the way you want me to, I just don't fancy you" she concluded softly, then almost as an afterthought she added "but please don't be upset, I don't fancy any woman period, I am in love with Tony" she looked at Charlotte almost praying that the last few minutes just hadn't happened. "But you will always be my best friend" she concluded trying to sound upbeat, as she said this she leant forward giving Charlotte a consoling hug.

Charlotte just looked at Katy crushed and dejected, but she had dealt with this rejection in the past, when as Jasmine she had offered herself to Ruby and had received a similarly gentle rebuke, so she, being resilient coped well. That night Katy arrived home and a feeling of sadness enveloped her when she realised Anthony had left, but he had tidied up, leaving her a bucket of fresh flowers and a note saying he would be back tomorrow evening, as his deli would be closed on Sunday. So they could spend some time together then. Katy made herself some supper, enjoyed a long hot soak in the tub and went to bed & dreamt . ("You're.... You're... a.... a w... Witch, aren't you" Ruby stuttered. "Oh my, you're quite the perceptive clever girl aren't you," the woman began" you needn't be frightened my name is Cassandra and my master can, and will offer you eternal life, now isn't that worth any sacrifice you will make?", a dark and broody looking man about 6ft 8 tall in fine wealthy looking clothes all in black, he had shoulder length black wavy hair, a pale complexion and dark rings around his violent looking red eyes, and one could say he was handsome, but it was in a demonic way. "Do not worry" he said in a well-spoken almost Germanic voice, "she won't kill you............ But I will.") Katy woke with a start breathing heavily and in a cold sweat she glanced at the clock on the bedside table "4:am OH CRAP" she huffed banging her pillow, throwing her head down on it, and fell back into a fitful sleep (Ruby fought her way through the soil, and rose up from her final resting place to be met by a young woman of around 25 years old she wore a black floor length cotton dress, had auburn hair and the most amazingly green eyes Ruby had ever seen, she looked down at her hand and saw that no longer was it tainted by the weather, but was now a milky powdery white and she later found out as cold as stone, "hello my mistress.") this time Katy's eyes just opened, she turned again to glance at the clock it read 7:am and it was a Saturday "stuff this" she griped, throwing back the covers and stomping off towards the kitchen. This was the only room in the flat that didn't suffer from minimalism, there were all sorts of gadgets adorning the room, a mixer, juicer, coffee machine and a blender all on display, an array of drying herbs hanging from hooks, and in every available space stood many types of plant, it was a complete clutter fest and most definitely looked lived in, she switched on the bean to cup coffee machine, and took the freshly brewed cup into the living room she sat down and stared wide eyed at the cold wood stove. "That was just too spooky" she whispered out loud to the empty room.

She washed and threw on some sweats, suddenly there was a knock at the door. Katy opened it to find a very embarrassed looking Charlotte "erm" she started looking down at her feet, "I wanted to apologise for coming on to you like that" she said sheepishly. "No need to apologise my friend, come in for a bit I'll make us some coffee" Katy replied as she walked off to the kitchen, leaving Charlotte to close the door and make her way into the living room. They sat down as Katy handed her a coffee, and they drank, in an uncomfortable awkward silence, Katy said suddenly perked up excitedly Anthony's coming over tonight and I think tonight's the night." "Oh" replied Charlotte looking downcast and miserable "what do you mean 'OH'" snapped Katy looking not altogether surprised at Charlottes reaction, given her declaration the day before. "Nothing really, I was just kinda hoping" Charlotte answered again sounding miserable and forlorn like a lost little girl, Katy stood up an angry expression on her face "YOU WERE HOPING AND WISHING IT WAS YOU!!" She barked " WHAT WAS THE POINT OF YOUR APOLOGY, OH NO WAIT, DID YOU THINK THAT IF YOU CAME AND OFFERED A FEEBLE APOLOGY I WOULD SAY 'OH DON'T WORRY IVE CHANGED MY MIND'?" And then added angrily "I WONT TELL YOU AGAIN FRIEND OR NO FRIEND, I AM JUST NOT INTERESTED" as she marched across the room, snapping open the door "NOW GET OUT!" She shouted Charlotte sat for a moment open mouthed but knew that nothing she could do or say would prevent the inevitable, so dejected and resigned to her fate she stood up and slumped out of the room, as she left she turned to a stern faced Katy "sorry" she mouthed looking regretfully at her friend as she left the flat, Katy for her part slammed the door once Charlotte was past the threshold.

Katy then turned to the red wine for comfort, she was really quite upset with Charlotte, not for coming out as it were, but for behaving in such a selfish manor, so she figured that a 9:am glass of merlot was called for. (Charlotte knows how I feel about Anthony, and the fact that to give myself to someone, is such a huge deal and she knows that's not given lightly) she thought as she drank her wine, she was about to get herself a refill when the door bell sounded again and reluctantly Katy went to the door, expecting to see Charlotte back once again to try and apologise for her behaviour, and to her surprise and delight it was Anthony "hello there my darling" Katy said happily as she opened the door, leaning in and kissing him on the lips. "I thought you had to open the deli?" she asked as they walked through to the Living room, and then before he had a chance to answer, "how are you fairing?" she enquired looking concerned at him. "Fairing?" he replied quizzically. "You know after Tommy and all?" Katy asked, he stopped as they entered the living room giving her another kiss and a hug "oh yeh the deli, I just didn't feel up for it, but I'm ok really, considering that he was my best friend and I saw him die" he started, but I'm not going to lie I am a little distraught, I mean apart from me, he had no real family to speak of" Anthony finished speaking almost in a whisper. "We are just the same my love if we die there would be no one to see to us" Katy responded trying to make him feel a little less gloomy, it failed. "Eye well true enough, but you have Charlotte, and we have each other Anthony concluded. But when he mentioned Charlotte's name, he remembered what Thomas had said in the Star, and what he had seen having found some photos in an old album that he had liberated from a cupboard in Katy's flat the day before. Written on the back of each of the pictures (me and Sage, me and Rosemary, me and Lavender and lastly me and Charlotte) different names, but there was no doubt they were the same person, how no one had noticed was beyond him. "Very true" Katy agreed although recalling that mornings events, she wasn't entirely sure if Charlotte would ever talk to her again. "I'm really sorry about Thursday night though, the dream and everything, you must be knackered" said Anthony sounding very contrite "do you know" Katy began as if she had just remembered, "you're not alone, I had a similar dream myself and Charlotte was in it" she began all wide eyed.

"OH, I see, why don't you tell me all my love, over some breakfast of course" Anthony said smiling and going through into Kate's kitchen to make her favourite 'eggs benedict'. As they sat and ate Katy told him how in her dream she, had been a milk made and how she had been attacked and killed by a Vampire, "I mean a Vampire, I don't even like horror movies & mythical creepy Vampire" she laughed. And of how she had been reborn as a Vampire herself, and that as she had stared up after climbing out of her own grave someone had appeared before her saying that, she was her Witch and her daylight protector, and more importantly that someone had been Charlotte, even though her name was Jasmine, "oh, I mean for 5 minutes what the heck is it all about" she ended. Confusion all over her face, at the mention of the name Jasmine, Anthony started to think on all that Katy had told him but chose to put a humorous spin on her dream "wow, that all sounds a bit fantastical and a little stressful, are you ok?" He asked as he put the back of his hand to her forehead as if seeing if she had a fever. "Yes thanks, after all it was only a dream" she replied offering a weak smile "well it sounds like you had a nightmare of your own" he joked, they both laughed nervously, neither one convinced that their dreams could be quite easily dismissed.

They spent the rest of the day enjoying each other's company watching pish on TV and just resting, in the evening Katy said "oh, I almost forgot, yesterday Charlotte made a pass at me" she half expected Anthony to show little or no concern at this revelation, but instead he was grossed out by the idea, "WHAT THE..., Are you ok?" He asked showing genuine concern for her, he knew how much Charlotte's friendship meant, and thought that this would almost feel like a betrayal. "Well I told her that she is my friend and that was that, nothing more ever" Katy stated firmly. "Well never the less it's not a good thing, she is supposed to be your best friend" he replied anyway I should be off, I've got to make up for today and catch up on some paperwork" he added "ooh you don't want to stay, and have me prove I'm a one man woman" she chuckled getting all frisky with Anthony "mmm, I'd love to get it on with you" he said joining in and returning her affections "but I really have to work, VAT" he conceded sadly "oh" she replied looking crest fallen "ok" she said softly, he took her head into his huge hands, kissing her full on the lips.