Vampire & Witch; The Shadows

20

Jason was talking about something, praising my mother the queen. He sounded elated with my presence, at least someone acknowledged my influence(or he was being nice to gain mother's favor). Whatever the case was, I had to make the most of it.

    "Mr Harlow!" I beamed cutting him short. "May I talk to you, alone... please?"

He gazed around at his sons who couldn't stop staring at me, which had made me so uncomfortable. His wife was busy adding more coffee to the empty cups while Lucian and Flo were standing outside at the back.

    I had almost missed how the house design was breathtaking, glass walls all around us. They allowed maximum light to flood every inch of the lounge, dining area and the open kitchen to my far right.

"Of course." He stood, pulling the petals of his shirt to do away with the creases. Wearing one sweet smile, he said, "Please follow me.

"Excuse me!" I breathed at the others while I rose to my feet...

Jason walked up the stairs, all maintaining a light conversation about how he had met my mother years ago. While he looked free and convincing, his voice kept slipping in my head, telling me things about Lucian and the blood race in general. There was one thing he mentioned that had me worried, about the murders back in Victoria.

    "So the blood race created those monsters?" I asked as we reached the second floor.

  "In here." He opened the door directly facing the stairs. "I'm not sure at the moment but I'm doing my research." Jason answered.

Telecommunication as the humans called it, the vampires wouldn't hear a word for Jason wanted to be as discreet as possible.

  The air changed, the vision changed as well. We were no longer in a house but what looked like a forest, green as the Amazon and calm as the deepest river in the world. The trees were tall, silently swaying to the light breeze blowing by. The ground was covered by a carpet of moss that stretched out far and wide, adding more flavor to its appearance.

The serenity made me want to stay there forever.

       "Where are we?"

"A place that has no name yet. I discovered it in my travels, there is not a single person or animal in here."

Our eyes met and he smiled.

  "I would have loved if you had been my guest when you crossed over to this side princess, but my situation couldn't allow it."

He genuinely looked sorry.

   "And here we are. It was meant to happen Mr Harlow." I wanted to take the guilt away from him. From what Lucian had said about him and his family, they weren't bad people, or witches. I just didn't like that they helped him prey on humans, like the illusion at that alley.

"But my daughter has been keeping an eye on you while at school. You may have met her maybe once. Her name is-"
 
        "Trix!" I grinned. "I remember her. I'm not sure she likes me that much."

Jason laughed heartily while we took a stroll through the pleasant forest. There were breezes blowing by from the west, almost like there was an ocean. They were fresh and cool, brushing my cheeks on their way.
    The sound of birds chirping had me stopping. "You said there are no animals here?"

  A few creases formed on his forehead.

"I haven't seen or heard any Princess. Why do you ask?"

Leaves rustled from the north, and a white deer appeared. Its antlers were wide and spread out majestically. We called it, Habin, Spirit king of the animals.

      My heartbeats grew to the excitement of seeing him.
I immediately fell on my knees and bowed flat till my forehead touched the mossy ground.

"Princess? What are you doing?"

  "Kneel!" I ordered, not moving an inch from my position.

Jason obeyed, but I could feel the hesitation and curiousness pulsing through his body like electricity.

   As I bowed there, my nose to the ground, something tapped my arm, beckoning me to lift my head.
My eyes were shaky and tainted with fear. This place that Jason Harlow had discovered wasn't supposed to be accessed by us or any other race of the living. This was the animal paradise, where animals proceeded after their death.

I looked into the his white eyes, felt him reaching out in my mind. Now suddenly, my vision was all black, before scenes exploded in my head. They looked like memories, or visions.

     I was inside Jason's house which looked old.  Someone was standing outside the white door, looking around as if he didn't want to be seen fumbling to open it. When the key didn't open, he stepped back, used the key in his hand to slice open his left wrist. Muttering something, he went closer, let the blood drip on the knob.
Little by little, the blood was consumed by the knob till it tilted on its own.

The boy, maybe seventeen or so, quickly pushed open the door and jumped in.

   My vision changed again, this time, I was with him to the other side where he had gone to. It wasn't the animal paradise, he had jumped into this realm that had a bloody red sky and there were screeches coming from the horrifying being flying in the air. The ground was hot, so hot that the heat penetrated the soles of his shoes till it scorched his feet.

I was feeling everything he was, from the uncomfortable hot air he was breathing, to the way his blood was rushing through his veins.

    Scared, he turned back and reached for the knob, but, the door vanished.

    "No! No! No!" The boy cried. "Jason? Mama?"

He was in tears, and in pain from all the heat around him.

  The ground beneath us shook, angry roars coming from under there. Then it stopped as if it was only playing with the boy.
Where was he?

This realm was different, cruel, and not inhabitable to human or witches.

     A flash of light from nearby caught my attention. It was shimmering, calling out to me... I couldn't think anything, I just answered its call.
But it wasn't me that was being called, no! It was the boy.

He treaded the burning cracked grounds that had no sign of life in it. Bore the dusty wind blowing against him till he reached the light.