Sharp Teeth - Sleep Token/Vessel FF

Chapter XII

Author's suggestion: listen to Euclid while reading.

My suite had everything I asked for - black satin sheets on the bed, a bathtub large enough for five people plus me, a fridge stocked with the best wine selection in town, a piano so I could play whenever I wanted, and the perfect view of London, my hometown. I enjoyed staying in this hotel every time we played in London, even though I had my penthouse waiting for me to return. The lights flickering through the window were mesmerising, and I enjoyed observing the people below, going about their lives and worrying about mundane things. If only they knew how fascinating their humanity was to me.

I poured Ava a glass of my finest red wine as she peeked through the suite. Her curiosity about everything new around her was charming, and she seemed impressed by the view. I didn't intend to keep anything from her any longer. She sat on my bed, waiting impatiently to hear the story of my life.

"Are you ready to hear about the last 200-some years of my life, Ava?" I smiled and joined her on the bed.

"That's how old you are?" She opened her mouth in shock but still reached for my hand, holding it close to her thigh.

"I never claimed to be a young soul, my dear. I do hope you listen to my story with an open heart. It is not a beautiful story, and I hope you can one day forgive me for the harm I've caused." I touched her face with my long, cold fingers.

"The year was 1783. I was a young physician who had spent the whole day performing a rather complicated birth. We didn't have the tools we have today so things could go south very quickly if we were not meticulous. Funny thing my former job was bringing new souls to the world. I bought a bottle of wine on the way home and drank half of it while walking to my apartment. I didn't have a wife waiting for me, but my faithful dog, Toby, was always happy to see me arrive."

She was paying so much attention she forgot to breathe. I touched her chest as a reminder that breathing was still vital for her.

"I was never a believer, in fact, I was so skeptical one could call me an atheist. That's why I tried to come up with a rational explanation when I sat on my couch and had a vision of me holding a woman in my arms, her head resting on my chest. She filled me with the best sensation I had ever experienced; it was like a drug - no, it was better than any drug. I felt euphoric, thrilled... loved. And when she looked up, I saw her face. I saw your face, Ava. You were the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on, and I knew immediately we were meant to be. Our connection was deeper than I could describe with the words I know. Suddenly the vision changed and you were ripped from my arms, the vision shifted to you living in a time when I didn't exist anymore. When the vision ended, I felt an immediate sorrow swallowing me whole. I felt I was denied a happy life by your side, and anger filled my chest to the point I blamed God even though I didn't believe in Him. But a God listened, and he believed in me. That same night, Sleep visited me in my dreams, offering me a way to meet you."

Ava was as silent as a tomb, her heart rate increasing. I could hear her breath becoming heavier. Should I keep going? Should I stop?

"Are you okay?" I insisted.

"Yes, absolutely, I'm just... Please, keep going," she said, trying to disguise the avalanche of feelings.

"Sleep, as I came to learn, is one of the most powerful Gods - yes, there is more than one God, despite modern society's tendency to believe in the opposite. But even powerful Gods need humans to help them thrive. He led me into his realm, the same one you visited tonight, and explained that my vision was the result of a rare occurrence. He called us 'Golden Souls' and explained that our souls were linked by accident when we were made, but he knew nothing about the God that made us. This was a unique event that never happened again. Because of that, you and I have been dying and coming back to Earth over and over again, living different lives at different times without ever meeting each other. Sleep offered me the option to break this vicious cycle, and I took it. I didn't understand how deeply our souls were bonded until the night we made love for the first time. Ava, our souls are meant to be."