Hybrid

Chapter 2

PRESENT DAY

It has been 57 years since the night of my awakening. And I have grown wiser, stronger, and stealthier. My kingdom has prospered and is well known throughout the world. I have learned several new languages from ASL, to the Samoan language. And I feel young as ever since I have been feeding. Now I feel, and look like my old self. I tend to get tourists who come to visit my castle, unaware of who or what we are, and look around with amazement.

America, the place where I feel at home. It's amazing how much I've missed. The declaration of independance, civil war, World War I and World War II, etc. but with the help of my beloved, and her blood, I could see the images and memories of the wars through her eyes. It is a gift only an ancient could do. But now since I know almost everything, I feel empty. I don't know what's causing it, but I need to find out. Maybe a stroll around the town might clear things up.

"Guards" I commanded. They stand themselves up from playing a little game of poker. "I'm going out, please come with me." They stop playing and immediately walk outside.

They are in their street clothes when they came out. It would seem weird for my guards to wear their armor. They were waiting for me, but I want them to. Most of the time I feel like a child, playing these new technologies called video games, pulling pranks on the guards, and making them cleaning up messes. I remember this one prank I pulled on the guards. When they were on patrol, I put a dummy spell on a fluffy toy making it seem like a little girl. And instead of cotton, I filled it up with ghost peppers (the hottest known pepper). I pushed the toy in a direction where I want her to go, and it walked to where the guards were. I quickly rushed behind them without them suspecting a thing. I told them to feed on her, and so they did. When they were feeding on her, they were sucking up the peppers' juices, and they were in pain for days. I never laughed so hard in my life.

I guess they have waited long enough. So, walking out of the castle with my guards, I'm starting to feel a strange presence. A presence that I haven't felt in over 2,000 years, a sense of suspicion. But I'll ignore it, since I have some other business to take care of.

I go to this house that's black as the night sky. 2 stories high, around 3 windows on each floor. But the door was white. I have heard some rumors around town saying that it is haunted, and that a witch lives here. I hope the rumors are true. There's that feeling again. I can't seem to shake it. Does have to do with this house? Is this place the source of all my suspicions? Looks like I have to find out.

I walk up to the porch and there is a force field that wouldn't want me to go further, but I did. I open the door, it starts to creek, judging how old this house really is. I'm walking into the house and I sense this flow of entity going through the house. Suddenly a ghost appears to me. She was a young lady, probably no older than 13, her pale face and her white party dress is covered in blood. This girl has been dead for 200 years.

"Why have you appeared to me my dear?" I asked. The guards have never seen a ghost before, so they're both curious and frightened at the sight of her.

"I am trapped" she says in a sorrowful voice. "The witch has trapped me here for a long time."

"Why has she trapped you here?

"I think it had to do with the murder of a man I was convicted of doing."

"Why did they convict you?"

"Because I was covered in his blood. He shot himself right in front of me." She starts to cry. "I didn't even know who he was, nor did I know what he was going to do. *sniff* He just took me in the ally and said he cannot live on this world anymore. Then he pulled out his pistol and gave it to me. *sob* Then he told me to end his life so he could go with God and never come back. I refused, so he grabbed my arm that was holding the gun and he shot himself with my own hand."

I quietly cast a spell on her to make her solid to gently hug her. She cries into my arms, aware that I was not human. It doesn't matter to her, as long as she can get all her pain out.

"I have come to free you my dear."

"How?"

"With magic of course. My magic is more powerful than this stubborn old hag's."

She was joyful, for the moment, then she frowned once more.

"If you wish to free me, then you must slay the witch. But it is not that easy."

"Tell me more about this witch."

"She uses spells to bring about demons and feeds them the loose souls that are trapped here."

"There are others?"

"Yes, a lot more. Some of them try to run, but the witch just pulls them back with this whip she uses."