Believe in Me

23

Memories. The most important part of anyone's life. The thing we still have after the moment is over. The feelings we felt, the people we were with, everything involved with the moment we are no longer living in. We can constantly repeat those moments in our mind, even in our sleep.

Those memories Felix had wiped from me were now replaying in my mind, behind my eyelids. It filled the black void of silence and nothingness as my body refused to awaken. Julia's bar; the pint of blood mixed into the drink; Felix killing a man; him kissing me.

My mind played each kiss, including the one we had before that man arrived. He had kissed me at the bar. He had kissed me at the club. He had kissed me in my own living room, after telling me that the mythological creature "vampires" existed. There were regular vampires, like the ones we see in movies. There were demons who "fed" on other aspects of our human lives, like memories or sexual desire. They all lived amongst us. Hidden within our neighbors, coworkers and friends.

Casey, the barista, was not who I thought he was. He was one of those demons; an Incubus, Felix had called him. I had heard of them in fictional books and movies, but of course, I had been convinced of them not being real. That made me begin to wonder about the accuracy of those stories. 

A sound outside of my memories woke me, but I remained still, eyes closed. I could feel something around my wrists and ankles, and I was laying down on something soft. It felt like a bed. Was I in my room? No, it felt different. The blanket beneath me was not soft and fluffy. Instead, it felt like silk. Smooth beneath my skin. 

I slowly opened my eyes as the sound repeated itself. It sounded like a dripping faucet. It was slow and the only sound in the room. I tried to reach toward my eyes to rub the sleep from them, but whatever was wrapped around my wrist held me still. Through my slitted eyelids, I looked at my wrists and found that I was strapped down. In the brief glimpse I could get looking down, I noticed my feet were, too. I tried to get a good look at the room, but it was shrouded in darkness. 

"You're awake." A man's voice spoke from a corner, but when I turned to look at him, all I saw was shadows. "You slept a while. I was afraid I might have messed up."

Since I was unable to sit up completely, I decided to lay my head back down on the pillow. "Who are you? Where am I? What do you want with me?"

I could hear the annoyed release of air through his nose. "You ask too many questions." I could see him moving around, but it was as if he himself were a shadow, covered in black from head to toe. I couldn't get a look at his face, his skin color, nor his eyes. 

"Of course I have questions. I'm strapped to a bed by a man I don't know," I retorted, my own annoyance evident at the lack of replies I was getting.

A lamp turned on next to my face, and I squeezed my eyes at the sudden brightness. I could hear a low chuckle coming from him, and I knew he had done it on purpose. I squinted against the light, trying to get a look at him. However, in a flash, he was back to hiding. It seemed he didn't want me to see him, so I could only assume it was the same man in the suit and tie that arrived at my house. 

He stayed silent, and I decided to keep asking questions. "Where's Felix?" 

He seemed intrigued by my question as a low hum resonated around the room. "Probably still on your floor, if I had to guess. I don't know; I'm not his babysitter."

I heard the rustling of clothes, as if he were crossing his arms, but he wasn't in sight for me to see. Since he was hiding from my view, I decided to look around the room. The bed beneath me was larger than mine, covered with dark blue silk blankets. The pillows, from my peripheral, were black. The room looked like a hotel room, but more gothic style. There were black blackout curtains over the windows, and I could see where the room turned into a kitchenette. Beyond that, I couldn't see anything else. The TV was off at the foot of the bed, and I couldn't see the door to get in or out, so I assumed that was on the other side of the kitchenette.