Thirty One Days

Visit

Before I even opened my eyes the smell of incense burned my nose, the sound of faint voices drifted into the room I was in. Upon opening my eyes I realized I was in a bedroom. From what I could see the room was pretty plain, save for a few pictures of the walls.
As I sat up I realized that crystals and rune like objects decorated majority of the room. To the left was a vanity and dresser, to the right was a wall of book shelves.
Getting out of bed, I realized that I still had my dress on but didn't bother to look at myself before stumbling out into, what I realized, is Madam Luna's living room.
The grey love seats held two individuals, one being Istvan and the other I didn't recognize. Madam Luna stood in the kitchen door way, arms crossed as she watched them closely.
Silence filled the room with only the sound of a few clanks and papers. The smell of incense was thick and heavy in the air, making it hard to breath. The features of the room were hidden in the shadows as the only light in the room was a dozen candles on the table and some moon light.
From my position in the doorway of the bedroom, I couldn't see what was going on. Or who the mystery person was. Moving along the shadows I attempt to get closer but was spotted.
"Stevie," Madam Luna seemed to brighten us as she made her way towards me, her skirt flowing behind her. However, before she reached me a blinding light flashed in my eyes causing an explosion in my head and my eyes to burn.
A scream escaped my lips and before I realized I had fallen to the ground and someone was holding onto me.
"That is uncalled for, Doctor Williamson." Madam Luna snapped, she was the one that had wrapped her arms around me. The feeling of safety that I received from Madam Luna couldn't overcome the amount of pain that was bouncing around inside of my skull. My eyes began to water as my nose burned.
"Let me see the girls eyes," I felt a cold hand grip my shoulder, yanking me from the protection of Madam Luna. "Open your eyes child," The grip this man had on my shoulder was painful enough for me to let of a whimper of pain as I pride my eyes open.
What I saw looking back at me was a old man that smelt of tobacco and alcohol, both kinds. Wrinkles covered his face and made his deep brown eyes look sad and tired, while his lips and eyes seemed to be deeply carved into his face. His mustache was wiry and the color of soot, while his head held only a few strands of black hair.
"Hmm," His gruff voice echoed in his throat, I was still fighting to overcome the blindness and the nausea that followed it. "Madam Luna, I congratulate you."
"On?" She snapped as she pulled me back into her arms, unlike the rest of her home she smelt of roses, very soft.
"Finding two Viven Mortua that are alive and decent condition," Doctor Williamson took a seat next to Istvan once again who, I came to realize, was in the middle of an exam.
Different devices were lad out in front of him while a few were attached to him, he didn't seem to be in any pain though. Instead, he looked tired. There was no puncture wounds, no blood, no mark to indicate that something had been done to him.
"I'll cancel my seminar at the university, prepare transportations for these two, and soon enough I'll have them in my work shop for proper evaluation." Doctor Williamson seemed very excited as he began unhooking things from Istvan and cleaning all his tools up, as I stood again I realized that this man was shorter than me.
"Excuse me?" Madam Luna took a decisive step towards him with her shoulders squared, "You're not taking these children anywhere. They have a family, a life,"
"They'll understand, its for the good of their own people." The Doctor shot back, his figure tried to shift, I could feel my eye straining, but he stayed the same.
"And you forget, they're also humans." Madam Luna spit venom back at him.
My eyes fell on Istvan who was watching me, he smiled faintly at me before looking away. Something was wrong with him.
"They have a duty," The Doctor said as he shoved random papers into a folder.
"It's their choice," Madama Luna snapped again, she was not showing any signs of back down.
The doctors forehead wrinkled with irritation. "They must do it, if there is to be a future, and not all is lost."
"This way is not fate,"
"Fate is not real. It is something that ignorant people hold on to,"
"You better bite your tongue, you over grown potato."
There was something that someone wasn't telling me. Our duty? What was being expected of us? As the two continued to bicker, I made my way around to Istvan, who was still staring off into the distance.
When I bent down in front of him he wouldn't meet my eyes, his dark brown hair was damp with sweat and his side burns were also. His eye lips hung low and as I pulled his face towards mine my heart sank. Istvans normally vibrant eyes were dark, also black, with dark circles under them.
I could feel my heart drop into my stomach, "Istvan?" I whispered, his head twitched to the side before he could fully look at me straight on.
"How was homecoming?" A hint of humor clung to his voice as he attempted another smile.
"The children will decide, and that's final." Madam Luna yelled, causing Istvan and I to look towards her. She was never one to raise her voice in a situation so hearing her do so meant something.
The room seemed to come to life with energy as goosebumps crossed my arms due to a strange wind that had picked up. Madam Luna seemed to glow warmly against the harsh tones of Doctor Williamson.
He stood, bags in hands and glanced at Istvan and I. He seemed disappointed as he cocked his upper lip. "Remember where your duty lies children."
"I will see you out, Doc." Madam Luna grumbled as she waved a hand for him to follow her.
Before they were completely outside I could hear Doctor Williamson grumble, "You pure bloods," That was followed by the slamming of the front door.
After they left the room, I turned my attention back to Istvan who seemed to still be out of it. Moon light dripped on him from the closet window, enlightening his strong features and bringing some color back to his eyes.
"What happened?" I asked after a moment of rubbing his hand between mine, he was so cold.
It seems to take him a moment to regain strength to talk, "He needed proof," His voice was raspy and thick, his words seemed to fall off his tongue. "So I had to give him some."
Shaking my head, I whispered, "What?"
Taking a labored breath, he began again. "First he started with simple stuff. Steel and iron, then blood," Istvan stopped for a breath before being again. "Then he moved on to other stuff, spices, religious stuff, runes."
My hand had covered my mouth, The Doctor had all but tortured him.
"He stuck iron into my mouth," Istvan's eyes teared and as I looked closer to his mouth, I could make out a rawness in his lips. Taking his hands in mine I noticed how the edges of his sleeves were stained with blood. Tears began to pool into my eyes as I rolled his sleeves up and found marks, burns, and a couple slits.
Covering my mouth again to attempt to hide a gasp I began to shake my head, and peered at Istvan through teary eyes.
"Madam Luna let this happen to you?" I asked in disbelief. She had always been so worried about our safety, at all times.
However, Istvan shook his head. "He sent her away to find something," His words were muddy as the spilled from him.
Unsure of what to do, or how to feel, I pulled Istvan close to me. He collapsed into my lap of the floor as a fit of sobbing and tremors too over, the damage done to his body would take a while to heal. The damage to his mind might take forever.
My heart ached for him as I held him close, resting my chin on his head and was surprised when his arms wrapped around me. Instead of warmth overcoming me, a sense of chill did. Goosebumps brushed across my body as I looked around the room.    
Madam Luna was still outside and as far as I could see there was nothing here, in the house, or-
My breathe caught in my throat. The window directly to the right of me had sheer curtains that were slightly open.
Within that slit I could see the Cloaked Skelton, staring at me with one boney hand pressed against the side of his face.
His bottomless eyes stared straight through me and I knew, it would all be over soon.