Secrets And Tea

Chapter 2

The sound of the waves crashing along the shore was a welcoming sound, Damien stood facing the ocean.

"Damien," Thomas's familiar voice shouted.

Confused Damien turned to his left to see Thomas standing on the beach waving at him. There was a picnic blanket on the ground at the man's feet. Damien looked around, everything looked surreal. How could Thomas still be alive? He was dead, wasn't he?

"Get your butt over here, and stop looking around like you expect a ghost to pop out at you," Thomas shouted.

Cautiously Damien made his way over to his former friend. He couldn't help but continue to look around. This couldn't be real could it? Maybe the death of his friend had all been a dream and they were still back at the camp.

"Thomas? How are you still alive?" Damien asked his friend.

Thomas's face dropped its happy smile, "I'm not," the man said, "I am dead. This is a dream for you. I wanted to talk to you and this was the only way I could."

Stunned, Damien stared at his friend's sad face.

"Sit, let's talk okay," Thomas suggested as he sank down onto the blanket at his feet.

Damien looked around once more then joined his friend on the blanket. He had never in his life had a dream so vividly real.

"What do you think of Witch's Cove?" asked Thomas, as he drew his knees up and wrapped his arms around them.

"It's different," Damien commented, "The town is nice. The moment I saw it I felt a pull of some kind."

Thomas nodded, "It has that effect on many people, especially those gifted. Do you think you could live here?"

Damien mulled over that question, could he live on this island forever? He couldn't answer that fully and told his friend that.

Thomas looked at him with sad eyes.

"I know you have been nomadic all your life Damien. Never settling in one city or town long. I know you don't really have a place to call home. You never had one. I want you to stay on the island," Thomas said, "I want you to help Rionna."

"Help her? How?" Damien asked his heart picking up pace. He was not good with people. Never had been. Thomas had been the first and only friend he had made in his lifetime.

Thomas looked up to the left and Damien followed his gaze to a bluff where you could just barely see the turret of a house set back from the cliffside. The lights were on in the window of that turret.

"She's so sad," Thomas said softly, "I never thought I would ever hurt her. I couldn't hurt her while I was living. She was my everything."

Damien made a face, he wasn't into mushy romances but his friend was there and he would quietly listen.

"Rionna knew I wasn't going to come back," declared Thomas, "She has the gift of foresight, she can see things before they happen. We argued two days before I left to join the army. I was so mad she couldn't understand why I needed to leave. Why I wanted to leave. I was so sure that I would come home."

"Now to see her, hear her cries," Thomas whispered, "I can't console her, I can't hold her. I can't make her happy again."

Damien shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't into sharing emotions, especially his own. He hated them and would rather bury any feelings he had in a deep well topped over by a brick wall.

"I don't want her to be sad anymore," Thomas said, "I want her to be happy again. I think, no, I know you can make her happy again."

"Whooooa man, hold the brakes," Damien said holding up both palms towards his friend, "I am not, I repeat I am not going to be babysitting some woman while she wails for you. Nope, nope, nope. Uh ugh. Forget it, man."

Thomas sighed, "Think it over will you?" he asked, "Stay. For me, for her..."

Damien ran both hands through his hair as the man faded into nothing and slowly the sound of the waves and the whole beach dissolved.

Damien woke up with a start in his hotel bed. His heart still racing. He looked around his room with wide eyes.

"It was only a dream," he sighed. Sinking back against the pillows of the bed, "It felt so real."

Knowing he wasn't going to get any more sleep he got up and showered. It was still early for anyone to be up and about in the hotel. Grabbing his key he headed outside of the hotel and walked down the empty streets.

The sound of waves breaking along the shore was soothing, and soon he began to relax. The fog horn blowing added to the atmosphere. He breathed in the salty fresh scent of the ocean into his lungs.

As he walked along he spotted a yard that was completely overgrown by weeds and ivy. Stopping he stared at the building. He wondered why anyone would let a yard get that bad. Walking up to the gate he pushed open the steel gate and entered the yard.

He felt something stir. He felt like he had just gotten... home...

He felt tears fill his eyes. He fell to his knees and sobbed. Something he rarely did. Yet, something had him sobbing hard as he looked at the yard that appeared abandoned.

"You are home" a voice inside him seemed to say, "Welcome home... you are here."

Damien wiped the tears off his cheeks and stood. Noticing the 'For Sale' sign just to his right. He blinked. He didn't recall the sign being there before.

Seeing the number he memorized it and then continued to look around the yard. The house was fairly small but it was covered in ivy making it look like a hollow shell.

He tried the door and it clicked open. He stuck his head inside to see that though the outside looked shabby the inside looked to be in good shape. He stepped inside and he felt the strange sense of belonging fill him.

The sun slowly crept up over the horizon and filtered through the cracked panes of glass. The house's interior was bare but it showed off the beauty of the redwood that made up the house. It needed some love and fixing in some places and appliances but it held appeal to Damien as he stood in it's threshold.

"Buy me. I am yours to keep. Stay," came the whispers again and Damien made up his mind. Turning he headed outside.

The golden arc of the sun appeared and the sound of the ferry departing for the mainland could be heard.