The Night Falls

Prologue: Dreamer

  The silver cadillac sped down the back road as the water splashed beneath the tires. On a rainy night in May of 2066. Within sat a beautiful blonde mother and her nine year old son. The mother drove carefully, knowing the back roads of louisiana like the back of her hand.

“Momma, what was daddy like?” The boy asked, having never known his father who had disappeared without a trace less than a month after his conception.

“He was…” The woman began, a sad smile on her face, thinking about her highschool sweetheart long since gone. “Your father was tall, he had eyes like raindrops, and he had a very kind smile.”

“Why did he leave?” The boy asked, his eyes looked like raindrops against a glass in a storm.

“I will tell you when you’re older Conner.” His mother sighed, turning to look into her son’s eyes. Her own amber eyes staring into his. “Just know that your momma loves you, with all of her-”

Suddenly a truck slid ahead, it’s tires were worn and slid in the puddles on the road. The woman in the cadillac looked up and threw her arm in front of her son, holding him in his seat as the truck rolled into the silver cadillac. The boy saw the lights before his vision went dark.

He woke up almost an hour later, hanging in his seat by the seat belt. He looked next to him and screamed, his mother’s torso had been crushed by the impact when the engine had pushed through the front seat embedding itself in the woman’s flesh. Her amber eyes had faded and blood dripped still from her open mouth.

The man’s eyes flew open as he clenched his teeth in his sleep, his mouth tasted of blood. He sat up in his bed, and tried shaking the images from his head. He looked up into the mirror across from his bed. Even in the faint starlight, his pale blue eyes lit up his face. His short blond hair was drenched in sweat. He turned around to see that his headboard was burned badly in the shape of his hand. The man shook his head and sighed, he stood and walked to the glass door to his balcony. He pushed it open and stepped into the muggy air of the bayou. He looked out down the river and spat over his balcony. It was then that he realized he had bit his cheek raw in his restless sleep.

Behind him his mentor walked into the room, crossing to the balcony as he looked about the room. “Couldn’t sleep, huh?”
The blond shook his head silently. He didn’t turn as he was lost again in thought.

“Was it the dream again?” His mentor asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned on the doorframe. He waited a moment, but the blond didn’t answer. “Connor? Do you want to talk about it?”

“It isn’t a dream Damon.” The blond said, finally turning, his cheeks glistening from the sweat and tears. “It’s a fucked up memory, okay?”

“You know I can help you with those. If you want to forget.” His mentor said, smiling softly as he pushed off of the doorframe to stand next to his apprentice. His raindrop blue eyes were kind, he lightly placed a hand on Connor’s shoulder. “I am here for you, Connor.”

“I know Damon.” Connor said, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “But it is the last memory of my mother. I can’t let myself forget her.”

“That doesn’t mean it need’s to torture you every night.” Damon said softly. “I doubt your mother would have wanted you to remember her like that.”

“Damon.” Connor said, shrugging off Damon’s hand from his shoulder, he walked back into his room before turning around slowly. “It’s been ten years since she’s been gone. Ten years, and that’s all I can remember about her. Her bloody mouth and blank, dead stare!” Tears welled again in his eyes but he forced them back. Shaking his head he gripped the footboard of his bed and looked down.

“And it has been how long since we took each other in?” Damon said, sitting in a chair near the bed. “Since we swore to protect each other and this city.”

“Four years.” Connor sighed, sitting down on the bed.

“Do you trust me Connor?” Damon asked, looking his apprentice in the eye. “Have you not learned that you can in these last four years?”

“With my life, Damon. You know that.” Connor said with a sigh again. “I don’t want to talk about my nightmares anymore Damon.”

“Your fear of the past is your only weakness my friend.” Damon said shaking his head slowly. “Once you let go, then you will be more powerful than you could have imagined. Maybe stronger than myself.”

“I don’t need to be stronger.” Connor sighed. “I need control. That is what I struggle with.”

“You need sleep, Connor.” Damon said, standing slowly. “We will go to town in the morning.” He walked to the door and turned to his apprentice. “If you cannot sleep, at least make a pot of coffee for yourself, tomorrow we meet with the coven.”

Connor nodded. He knew he would not sleep that night. He turned his head to regard his friend. “Good night Damon.”

“Good night.” Damon said as he left the room, walking down the hall to his room.

Connor listened until he heard Damon’s door close. When he was sure his mentor had gone to bed, he walked out of his room, wrapping tape around his hands as he walked quietly down the stairs and down to the courtyard of the compound.