In a lifetime

Chapter 28: Joseph Flores

As Veronica is catching her breath I help her into the new part of the cave in which she broke down.

Gotta say didn't know she had it in her. I think it's safe to say we are all full of surprises.

"Did you know this was here?" I ask Nessa but she doesn't respond, staring blankly at the walls with carvings on them, I assume she didn't know about this.

Veronica finally gets a hold of her breath and can stand on her own. We split to investigate this new area, leaving Nessa to comprehend what's in front of her.

The carvings show patterns of people and each leads to a conjoined spot which under it is a book, it isn't a grimoire, it looks more like a storybook?

I let the others know what I found and I read it out loud.

"This is the true story of the creation of the first supernaturals, whoever is reading this be warned, you may not like what the truth has to offer" shit, looks like this book is going to be hard on Nessa but she signals me to continue, I get comfy sitting in the ground and continue.

"I remember as a little girl I dreamt of being something great, something that would help my people, especially my parents so they could live out the rest of their lives in peace. There was commotion of our land dying, everyone had prayed to the gods for help but they did not give us their aid, we were left to fend for ourselves, as women and men grew sick as well as the children pleading for help. It was all too much to handle. Everyone outside of the gates were suffering while everyone inside was living a rich and blissful life."

Fuck these people didn't give a damn about anyone but themselves.

"I worked within the gates as a caretaker for Mr. Morcant who was a brilliant man but also arrogant. He spent a lot of his time racking his brain trying to help but he also never neglected his duty as a further to Laurel and Nessa Morcant, two lovely little girls, one born of blood while the other was accepted to the family with open arms. Laurel is older than Nessa, she has her father's arrogance but she cares deeply for Nessa never letting her get hurt. One day Mr. Morcant called for me to tell me that he was leaving to look for a solution for everyone in and outside of the gates and made me promise to look out for his girls, I did."

Looking up at Nessa I can see tears begin to form but this isn't the time to stop, I know it'll hurt her but she deserves to know the truth just as much as us.

"Days turn into months and months turn into years. The girls have turned fifteen and thirteen. They used to ask when their father was coming back but stopped two days after I gave them the same answer. More and more of the people grew sick and I had no way of helping them. At this time there wasn't much to work with."

Wait what? I stop for a brief moment to focus on the book, focusing I can see visions of the women writing and get a glimpse of the timeline, this was written when civilization was just starting, how would anyone know how to write?

"Mr. Morcant surprised everyone with his return but I was forever grateful just to see his face once again. He looked distraught when he came back, I had asked him what was wrong but all he did was apologize. At the time I didn't understand but later that night he called me and two others he trusted, I had never seen them around but if he trusts them then so do I."

"Mr. Morcant was speaking nonsense, drawing sigils around us, the air became magnified and light had shined through the cracks in the ground. I looked at the man I no longer could recognize, he said sorry one last time before hitting us with the magic inside his own body. I had woken up thinking it was all but a dream but there I was in the same spot I was the night he changed my life forever, I was only eighteen when all this happened and I believe the others were too. One of the people with me, a man, was getting closer to me, his eyes bloodshot and fangs piercing out of his mouth. As he leaped at me I sent him back not knowing how but thankful I wasn't hurt."

"I pulled the other woman near me away from the man. I tried waking her up but she was unconscious. I left her as she was and looked for Mr. Morcant for an explanation. When I found him he was with his daughter, Nessa, I tried to stop him from doing whatever he had done to me but I was too late. I asked him why he did what he did and all he said was he couldn't live in a world as he watches everyone grow old, that is when I realized he was cursed by the gods and placed it on us so he could die the way he wants. I banished him and was dubbed leader with the other two from that night. Years carried on, I learned what we had become and built a place for a safe transformation."

After I had finished reading I didn't know what to do. I closed the book which was a diary this entire time. Nessa didn't say anything and shed tears, I hug her and she says "this whole time I thought it was a gift but it was a curse because my father was a coward"

I get she has the right to be mad but at least she knows the truth. "Even a curse has an end, we'll stop this curse the way your father never could" I say to reassure her that we weren't given this for nothing.

We drive back to my house and Nessa says thank you before driving off.

Veronica decides to stay with me for a bit and waiting for us are Daniel and Eli in front of my house. Daniel gives me a kiss on my cheek and Eli tells us that he's now in a relationship with Tristan.

We also tell them what we discovered and their faces are priceless, to say the least. Looking past Daniel I see a car, the same car I saw at the restaurant when we got out of prison.

Daniel asks what's wrong and turns around to see a man walking towards us asking who is that. I don't know how to answer that and before I can answer he's already next to us.

"Hey Joseph, you look good," he says looking me up and down. "What do you want Elijah," I say trying to get him to knock it off.

He laughs and says "I was just in town and I wanted to see you that's all, and who are these guys especially this one" pointing at Daniel who seems a little offended.

"his boyfriend who are you?" Daniel says in a pissed off tone and again Elijah laughs "you haven't told them, that hurts, and the fact you moved on quick" he says trying to get a reaction but I simply reply back saying "it's been two years and I didn't even know you had a heart, but I think it's time you leave"

He nods backing up and before getting in his car he says "just know I'm around if you ever want to catch up" putting air quotes on "catch up"

I forgot how big of a dick he is, although he does have a big one, wait no I need to get my head out of the gutter.

He drives off and I get inside answering the question they haven't yet asked. "Yes he's my ex and no I don't have feelings for him," I say and Daniel walks in pissed off and now I gotta calm him down.

I wave them bye and head inside. "I- I don't even know what to do with that," he says and I pull him to the couch. "You don't have to worry about him,  he's no longer in my life and you are" I reassure him that I like him but my heart thumps harder like the first day we met.

"You know you're kinda hot when you're pissed," I say but I'm thinking, the fuck you just say. He raises his head and smiles almost seductively. I kinda like where this is going.

He grabs my hand leading me upstairs to my room and I sit on the bed. He kisses me passionately and I return the favor, our clothes slowly come off each other and well let's just say we enjoy each other's company tonight.