Into the Ether - Complete

Spring, When New Things Grow: Part 13

It was 6 pm by the time I turned off the P-254 on to the road to Baia. I'd only stopped once; an hour or so after I started driving – to use the toilet and to make an anonymous call to the Guardian headquarters in Moscow to let them know they needed every available Guardian in the Novosibirsk area to head to the manor and destroy the place entirely before sundown. The sun had set an hour and a half ago, so I would be arriving home at night. When I'd escaped the mansion, Baia and home had seemed the obvious place to come; I missed my family dreadfully and hadn't seen them in three years. But now I was driving away from the highway down the road to the sleepy village of my childhood I wondered whether my arrival would frighten them too much? There were young children in the house, after all, and by now they would know I was missing presumed turned.

I came around the last corner and saw the outskirts of Baia ahead of me. My breath a ragged gasp, my hands were shaking on the steering wheel. Home. I was home! I drove down the road slowly, past buildings I'd known all my life and that were as familiar to me as the lines on the back of my hand. Yes, there were some changes – life stands still for no man – but overall it was still the town of my childhood and youth.

My hands were shaking so badly by the time I turned onto my street that I thought I really shouldn't be operating a motor vehicle. Had it been anywhere but sleepy backwoods Baia I probably wouldn't. My nervous energy was all but gone, and I was conscious it had been many hours since I'd eaten, even longer than that since I'd slept. I could almost taste Mama's cooking on my lips as I pulled up near the front of our house.

I switched off the engine and looked at the modest timber home for a moment. It had once been a single story four room cottage, but over the years had been extended and further extended until now it was one of the larger homes in the village. The lights were on inside - mostly in the kitchen and living areas. I could even see the flicker of the television through the net curtains down the side of the house. I made a mental note to discuss that with Mama – the curtain should be drawn for safety's sake as anyone could peer through that window and into the house had they a mind to. Drawing in my breath and letting it slowly out I climbed out of the car. I had no bags with me. Nothing but the knapsack which I left in the car. I walked to the door and knocked.

I could hear someone walking to the door. While Baia was a relatively safe town, and my family's home closer to the center where an attack was less likely, this was still an area inhabited primarily by Dhampir, so people knew to call before just dropping around at night.

"Who is it?" a female voice asked suspiciously. Karolina by the sounds of it.

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out, just a strangled little cry. I was so overcome I could barely speak.

"Karo?" I finally stammered out.

"Who is it?" Karolina demanded again. I could hear more footsteps approaching the front door.

"It's Dimka, Karolina. I've escaped. I've come home."

There was a squeal of fear from the other side of the door, and I heard the sound of the bolts being slid into place. That was another thing I'd have to speak to them about – those bolts should always be engaged at nighttime. Had I been Strigoi, I could easily have kicked the door in were they not in place.

I could hear footsteps running away from the door, my mother's voice calling out from the kitchen in alarm, then the heavy footsteps of my Babushka.

"Move out of my way, silly geese," she barked at my sisters. "Your brother is hungry and tired, and you leave him on the doorstep like a traveling salesman," she grumbled. "Set another place for dinner and light the fire in his bedroom. Dimka is tired and needs his family tonight!"