"The Sacrifice:;The Sacrifice Trilogy"[Book 1.]

3.Unexpected Company

When we got to my new house, my instant reaction was pure shock. The house is an exact replica of my old house: up to the beautiful chandeliers in the kitchen and living room, down to the wooden- infested kitchen, and built-in movie theater next to it. "Oh, my God, this is beautiful," I said in awe. Jake smiles up at me. "You like?" He inquires. Absently, I run my hands through his straight blond hair, neither of us aware that I'm doing it. "I love it," I correct him and his smile brightens. "Good. Now, I'm across the hall if you need me. The others are, too." He reminds me and I smile at him as I reply: "I know. Goodnight, Jake." As I'm  just about to close the red door, Jake's hand stops me. "I don't suppose I could come in, and-"

I stop him right there. "Night, Jake," I say as a cheeky smile dares to touch my lips. He smiles back and replies, "I thought not. Okay, night sweetheart," his smile never wavered as I shut the door. That boy's a mess, but he's my mess!

Woah, where did that come from?!

  *** 

I get to my room and find everything in place. As usual, there's purple everywhere, even my Alex Pettyfer poster lay atop my wall. I start to undress and then hop in the shower, but then I see something red on the shower floor. Is that blood? Okay, there's no way in hell I'm taking a shower in there!  Trembling,  I walk out of the white-walled bathroom but not without my silver toothbrush. Grabbing blue pajama bottoms from my dresser and a matching shirt,  I plop on the bed.  Tears came in an instant as I mourned the loss of my sister, sadness gripping me like a vice. I never said goodbye: I never say goodbye because I always come back, but now I'll never get to say my goodbyes, nor will I ever see her again.

    At that thought, loud and agonizing sobs rocked my body like a dam breaking. Just then, someone entered my room; I didn't even have to look up to see who it was, I knew just by the tingles down my spine. "What are you doing here, Jake?" I asked. He only smiles and says, "I thought you could use some company, you know? Since Hayden's not here and all," he offers, but I just stiffen. "H- how do you know Hayden?!" I inquire, fearful of his answer. All he does is point to his head, though, and I have my answer. "Oh my God, you can read my mind?!" I ask in horror, my mind reeling. This next question I'm about to ask is one I'd rather not ask, but I know I have to have it answered. "Did you um, hear anything you weren't supposed to?" Jake, in beautiful yet stylish red pajamas, just smirks. "No," he says, though his smirk says otherwise; I cringe, just thinking about it. "Go to sleep now, love. We have a big day tomorrow," he says in the soothing voice he used on the field. I questioned him with my mind: "Why? What are we doing?" Imagine my surprise when he actually answered me back. He said: "Demon hunting," the way he said it- with a smile- sent shivers down my back. "Hey, Jake?" I turn to face him.

"What is it, love?" He asked with a note of alarm in his voice. However, that note of alarm quickly dies as I put my hand in his, that familiar zing accompanies his touch. "Thank you for being here." He smiles and replies, "Anytime, love, anytime." Soon after, we drifted off to sleep with our hands entwined.

  *** 

I'm in a room with stained-glass windows, a beautiful golden chandelier on the ceiling, and a pink bed in the corner. A stunningly beautiful blond-haired woman sits on the window ledge. It's only when I really look at her, do I realize that she's my mother. She has the same pale skin, same brown eyes, and hell; we're even the same height. "Oh my God, mom? Is that really you?" She smiles and motions for me to come to her side, so I obey. Once I get there, she touches my cheek tenderly, and crushes me in a bear hug. "Yes, my baby, it's me." A single tear fell from our eyes, and I pulled back hesitantly. "Hey, mom, where are we?" I inquire, but she just shakes her head. "Not now, love. Right now, I need to ask a favor of you; protect Hayden at all costs. Don't let them get her," she says with an urgency I've never heard in her voice. Stiffening, I ask, "When you say, "them" do you mean the Souls?"

She nods, while this crazed look comes over her. "They cannot be trusted; all they do is lie and betray." That last statement seemed personal, sending warning bells in my head to tread lightly. "What if I was one of them?" I ask her, but obviously that was the wrong thing to say, as her face contorts into a grimace. She suddenly screams, "Get the hell away from me!" Her obnoxious words were like a knife to my heart, causing me to gape at her in shock and hurt. "Mom, I-"

"You're not my daughter!" She seethed, cutting me off. Those four words makes bile rise up in my throat and her cold, dead-set gaze grates on me. "Did you not hear me? I said. Get. Out," no sooner is she waving her hands in the air that I'm being sucked into a white vortex that envelopes me before I can even scream...

The doorbell wakes me from my horrific nightmare- because that's all it can be, right?- I nudge Jake with my elbow, alerting him that someone's at the door, but all I get is a groan. "Damn heavy sleepers," I mutter, but judging by his smile, he probably heard me. I slip out of my blue pajamas and blue shirt, opting them out for a red V-neck t-shirt and jeans, and find my mother's necklace sitting atop my nightstand, where I always leave it. Only this time, I don't put it on. The doorbell keeps ringing until I shout, "Coming," and somehow, I make it downstairs in a matter of seconds. Holy hell! I think, but then my composure slips back into place... until I open the door.

"Yes, can I help-oh my God," I stutter when the most beautifully tan-skinned, 6'3" model-like man stands before me. "Not quite," he says with a smile, "but I am Alexander."

My breath hitches.