The Devil's Daughter

Chapter 4: The Woman in Black

I ran out of there as fast as I could. Turning corners in the halls and getting myself lost in the school I barely know my way around, I stop to catch my breath.

I have never had to do that before. It's like my throat craves more air just because I'm moving so fast. I guess getting use to my new human body is gonna take longer than I expected.

Letting out a big breath of air out of stress, I hit my head against the lockers and slide down to the floor because all the confusion is just too much. What was that?

That woman.

With long, wavy, pitch black hair.

With red eyes, the color of blood.

I know it's her.

I've seen her.

"Talia!" I turn around to face whoever just called my name. "Why did you run out like that?" Katie asks.

"The substitute teacher is my mother." I say before I get the chance to stop myself.

"The 60 year old woman with a cane? That's your mother?"

"What? No." I take another deep breath. "The lady with black hair." I say.

"What are you talking about?" She asks me with a small tone of laughter in her voice. "The lady that we were just talking to." I say as she looks at me with a blank stare of confusion.

That's been happening with a lot of people. Father was right. I really should've done more studying on the American culture. Or at least the basics of being a human. Not that anyone would ever guess who I am. But they would know something's up and that could get me in trouble in more ways than one.

"Talia, are you feeling okay?" Katie asks with a look of worry.

"I'm fi-"

"Maybe you should go home and get some sleep." She cuts me off.

"Katie, I already told you that I don't sleep!" I snap at her. She ignores my comment, walks up to me and puts her hands on my shoulders to get my attention. "Just relax. Okay?" She says. "Do you wanna go home?"

"I don't know." Is all I can say.

"Walk back with me and I'll show you there's nothing to worry about. Then you can decide. I know the first day of school can be hard, but clearly you just want to be alone right now."

She puts her arm around me as we walk back to the classroom and I just peak in the door.

Looking around, I see a bunch of students who look bored out of their minds. Their heads on their desks and eyes half closed. Then I see a woman by the chalkboard, speaking to the class as I notice she fits the same description that Katie said.

She's an old woman in her mid to late 60's and has a long wooden cane in her left hand and it looks like she's putting all of her weight on it. She looks absolutely nothing like the woman I saw when I first came in.

What the heaven is going on?

---------------------------------------

I decided to go home early after Katie brought me back to class. I really do think it's possible that I could easily be losing my mind. When I get inside my apartment, I run to my room, slam the door and lock it. I need to make sure that nobody disturbs me while I'm trying to figure this out.

I need to summon Father.

I look around the practically empty bedroom until I see my bag just sitting in a corner. I run over and grab it. I'm looking for candles, matches, and blood.

I know it's not very normal for a human to have blood in her backpack, but I stole a bag from the hospital on my way out. I thought it might come in handy one day and I only need a drop or two to make the connection between worlds.

I arrange the ten candles I have, to be in a circle around me. They're dark red and have no scent. As soon as I light the match, the light bulb in my bedroom bursts and makes me jump. I drop the match, but it doesn't set the carpet on fire. It goes out the second it hits the ground and when I open my eyes, all the candles are lit.

He knows I'm trying to speak to him. That was his sign to me that he's present. Now I ask a question.

"Father!" I yell so he can hear me. "I seek your wisdom in my moment of difficulty and confusion. I need to know something. Who is the woman in black?"

I look around at all the candles and every single flame is completely still. It means he can't answer me. I can only ask yes or no questions so he can give me a clear sign of what the answer is. Let's try again.

"Father! If the woman in black is my mother, give me a sign."

Nothing.

"Then what the hell is going on?" I yell in frustration.

All of the candles dim.

"Father, I am so confused. I need a sign from you that will tell me why I saw her. I know she was my mother. What are you not telling me?"

"Talia?" Katie knocks on the door and the candles go out.

I get up and open the door. "What Katie?" I snap.

"I knew you were upset. So I brought you some food." She says as she holds up the container of Chinese food.

"I don't eat food."

"You don't sleep and you don't eat food?" She gasps and almost drops the food. "Oh my God. Are you a vampire?" She asks with a little too much excitement in her voice.

I laugh a little at her question. "You wish."

Vampires don't exist. I would know because vampires are known as evil. All evil that dies, goes to hell. And I know at some point between Dracula being created, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer being filmed, one of them would've died. So they don't exist. No matter how much Twilight or True Blood stories are written, they just don't exist. It's a fact.

"How do you not eat and never sleep?"

I left out an annoyed sigh. "Like I said this morning, it's just something I was taught at a young age. It's nothing to worry about. It's just how I am."

"Fine. Whatever. Carter is in the living room. He wanted me to ask if you'd go out with him."

"I don't date."

"You don't do a lot of things, do you?"

"I concentrate on the things that matter to me. I'm freaking out about what happened in class earlier and I was talking to my father about it, but you interrupted. Now the connection is gone and I have no idea when I'll get the chance to speak with him again. So honestly, I couldn't care less about Carter's dick that he's having so much trouble keeping in his pants. I'm trying to figure this out!"

I slam the door in her face and sit back on the floor. When I find the matches, I try to light the candles again, but it's no use. He's gone.

Something is happening to me and it feels weird. I'm trying to light the candles, but I don't even have the energy in me anymore. My eyes feel heavier and heavier by the second.

I lay on the carpeted floor and close my eyes from exhaustion. Before I can open them and get back to business, I feel myself drift in a way that I haven't in a very long time.

Something is going on with me. I don't what it is. But I'm going to figure it out. No matter what it takes.