Echo in Her Mind

Thirty-Six.

No words were spoken between Ruben or Bethany as they rushed through the dark streets of Pittsburgh to get back to the hotel. She hadn't realized how late it was, but she was thankful that she was sober now from the confrontation between Ruben and Aaron. She didn't think The Watcher would appreciate her not being prepared for the next vessel.

It was hard to keep up with Ruben, who seemed to care less if Bethany was following him or not, just as long as he got to the hotel before The Watcher showed up. She did the best that she could, however, to match his speed, and managed to catch up to him as soon as he reached the front doors of the hotel. They raced up the stairs, unwilling to wait for the elevator to arrive on the first floor. The seconds felt like minutes as they ran, and Bethany didn't want to think about what would happen if they weren't in the room when The Watcher popped in.

She watched as Ruben breathed a sigh of relief as they returned to the room to find it empty. He attempted to catch his breath, and sat down on the bed. The way his chest moved rapidly up and down, caught her attention, and she had to force herself to look away, so she walked past him and sat down on the other bed. The tension was awkward, and thick, as they awaited The Watcher's arrival.

She was glad that they didn't have to wait long. In minutes the usual popping sound, signaling The Watcher's arrival, could be heard, and he then appeared in front of them.

Bethany let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She had never been so happy to see The Watcher, and she couldn't wait to get the hell out of this city. It had brought nothing but confusion to Bethany's already messed up life.

"Glad to see you are both doing well. I hope you are rested by now, and ready to take on the next vessel."

Neither Ruben nor Bethany responded to The Watcher's statement, but Bethany at least decide to nod her head. She didn't want The Watcher to think anything was up. If he was aware of her and Ruben's actions in the last 24 hours, she was sure he would've made his anger known to them without hesitation.

"The next destination is not far from here; just head north, and you'll be in New York. There you'll find miss Darla Shimmers, Broadway sensation. I'm sure you'll fall in love with her." The Watcher grinned, in a way that Bethany had never seen him do so before. It was almost creepy, and as if he were anticipating whatever it was that was coming.

Whatever that something was, she doubted it could be as bad as what she had come across in the past. It appeared that The Watcher's reference had completely gone over Bethany's head, and it took her a moment to realize it.

"So, love, is what we're after next?" She questioned, her voice cracking slightly without her control.

"Yes, miss Bethany. You are over halfway through this conquest," The Watcher said.

Bethany found her eyes traveling to Ruben's, whose were already focused on her entirely. Something about this gaze he had on her seemed different, more demeaning, and guarded than it usually was.

He had been quiet throughout this whole meeting, and she found it odd the The Watcher seemed to acknowledge his presence less and less with each vessel she killed off. It was almost as if he didn't exist, but he did to Bethany, more than ever. She couldn't shake the memory of his eyes as he watched Aaron kiss her. He seemed so lost.

Aaron's words seemed to travel their way into her thoughts as she kept her eyes on Ruben: "You don't have to do anything; you're not bound to him any longer."

What did he mean by that? Bethany honestly would never know, unless she saw him again to ask him. Which was unlikely. She didn't imagine Pittsburgh being the place she settled down in after all this was over.