Harrington's Journal

Chapter 15: May 16th - Choices

May 16th

Another dream, another nightmare.

It was different this time. The nightmare felt real, as if everything I had touched, smelt, and seen felt real.

I stood in front of the cell and waited for the creature to appear before me. Its eyes beamed alight when its eyelids flipped open. Its grey, scaly body turned around and began to prowl towards me. The creature's large feet thundered on every step, causing the ground to rumble. The creature stopped and snarled at me. However, it saw as no threat, more like it was trying to figure out what I was.

I took a step forward and raised my hand, a rusty key appeared between my fingers. Slowly, I unconsciously inserted it into the keyhole. Someone within my head was telling me to open it, wreak havoc, cause chaos, and yet know about the truth. The other was telling me to never open the door, keep peace but never find the truth. I twisted my hand and the cell door clicked open. The creature stepped out of its cell and I glared into its sharp evil eyes.

"Show me," I whispered. "What must I do?"

The winged beast quickly caught my neck, lifting me up from the ground. The creature's body began to shift. Its stone skin popped and shrank, until it changed into something different. After it turned, a terrifying face appeared before my eyes. The same who continues to haunt me till this very day.

The creature, whom I had met in the forest, was here. He gave a menacing grin.

I cannot speak, my words clustered into small yelps as I felt his fingers tightened around my neck. After a few seconds, my voice died down to a quiet sob.

"You're looking in the wrong place," he said. "Find me, find me so that I could eat you alive!" His voice twisted into a low demonic voice and the world around me crumbled to dust.

I woke up, uncomfortably hot all over my body. I hate it, I hate him. It was the same man. He was the reason why I had come here. It is as if I am but a child. When your mother tells you the existence of a tooth fairy, you resist to sleep so that you could see the tooth fairy for yourself. I am that child. I saw something and it was him – but he was not the tooth fairy. 

If I hadn't known about his existence, then I shouldn't be doing this. Although, I was the one who only knew about his existence, no one else. It was hard for me to live in a life where people do not believe me. All think that I am a madman. Is it true? Am I going insane?

No. I am a fool. Worse than a fool. I had risked my life to find beasts and yet here they are, all wanting to kill me, all wanting to feast upon me. Will the others believe me now that I have found them? I think not. A journal will not be enough to show them.

A love between human and not human was something I had never imagined. Although, the moment between Roseangela and I had ended, and what became of us is like oil and water.

When Roseangela was out in the gardens, I however, sat in front of the fireplace, lost in my thoughts. Then I heard someone cleared his throat behind me and I turned to see Dravis. He did not look angry this time, but I was sure that he was angry. I stood up and turned to face him.

He sighed exasperatingly before he said, "Harrington, I need you to stay away from Roseangela." He began walking around the couch, slowly easing his way closer to me. "I know Harrington, your love for Rose. But," He stopped just a metre away from me. "Are your feelings for her real?"

I hesitated. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He shook his head, a low chuckle escaped from his lips. "I've known about your little love affairs with Rose. I have eyes and ears. Did you not know that my servants were watching? I've been living with Roseangela for quite a long time, and yet she still does not understand me. But, I've noticed something different. She has never expressed herself like this before, until she met you. Do you know why she is doing this?"

"Because she is my friend," I replied with a bit of uncertainty clenching onto my throat.

Dravis tilted his head, amused at my answer. "Of course. But did you ever wondered why you desire Rose so much?"

I shook my head. Unsure where he was heading.

"It's because she is using her powers to keep you here," he whispered.

I raised my head up, this time I was listening. But I was unsure.

"You're lying."

Dravis chuckled, "Now, why would I be lying? Do you not trust me? You do not know the full potential of our inhuman abilities nor have seen what we are capable of. But, it is your choice to believe in what I have to say, Harrington."

If it is true that Rose was using some sort of ability on me, then why? Why is she devoted to keep me here?

Dravis continued, "She has the power to seduce any man, and if you continue to stay, you will regret it."

"Then what about you? You were planning to drink my blood after all," I said.

"Your blood no longer matters. When I realised what Roseangela was doing to you, intimidation was one of my options. But that seem to no longer work. Her powers are growing stronger, and soon you will be turned into a corpse. Look at you, pale already." Dravis stepped forward and said quietly in my ear, "In three days' time, meet me near the gates at the end of the gardens. From there, you will make your leave." He took a step back.

I noticed that his expression turned sombre.

"I'm not doing this for you," he said. "I'm doing this because I too love Andrea. She is trying to escape humanity and I do not need you to bring it back." And with that, he disappeared.

Dravis trying to convince me like that? Maybe I should believe in him. He was trying to warn me of what's to come. But, how am I to confront Roseangela? I've been silent after what Dravis had told me. Should I tell her that I know about her trying to alter my mind in order to keep me here? If she is the reason that I am still here, then I can't look at her, I must block her out. By doing this could make my feelings for her disappear. After all, I did come here to find beasts. But it was nice, having to love again. Since I have realised that my feelings were being tampered with, does that mean that I was living in a lie? More importantly, should I stop loving? I don't know what to believe anymore.

Tomorrow will be my only chance to decide.

Harrington. H