Lament

Chapter Nine

Daniel took me to a safehouse, and it had an eerie feeling to it- almost like it was haunted. Not literally, of course, but that was what the appearance showed me. It was a one story house with beaten shudders and shattered windows.

In every direction, nothing but miles of forest surrounded us. Daniel and I stood on the front porch, inspecting the house.

"This is where I'm safest?" I raised my brows. "It looks like it will collapse any minute."

Daniel ignored me and nudged the door open. He steped one foot inside and looked around cautiously.

"Follow my lead and step exactly where I step." Daniel ordered. "I set up a bunch of traps a long time ago. Only I know about them."

He made his way around the room slowly, to make sure I stepped on the right spots. As we made our way around the house, I got a good look at the inside of the house. There was mold along every wall, and every single corner was covered in cobwebs. A few coaches and mice scampered accross the rotting floor as well.

"Where am I supposed to stay?" I asked, disgusted. My voice seemed extra loud in the eerie house.

"Don't worry, I've got it covered."

We reached the back of the house, and Daniel moved some old wood and furniture out of the way. Finally, he found a lever, and with a grunt, pulled it down.

A door opened, and I walked under the frame, curious of to where it led. There was a deep, narrow staircase that spiralled into darkness.

"Aren't there bugs and stuff down there?" I asked, frightened.

"Nope." Daniel shook his head. He reached for the pocket watch hanging down from my neck."This drives certain things away. I promise, nothing will hurt you."

I bit my lip and looked down into the dark whole. "Let's go, then."

Daniel grabbed a box of matches from hos back pocket, lighting one as he led me down the stairs. It took eight matches altogether to reach the bottom.

Daniel placed his hand on the wall, and with a click, the room lit up.

I looked around and saw a simple bed with multiple covers. A dark, wooden tall boy dresser sat to the left of the bed. There were two sliding doors that led to a walk in closet.  The door that led to the bathroom was ajar, and I saw a simple bathtub and faucet. In the corner of the room sat an old stove. A mini trudge was the last thing.

I raised my eyebrows, "You live here?"

Daniel nodded once and made his way to the minifridge. "Are you thirsty?" He asked, looking inside.

"What do you have?"

He pulled out two different bottles. "Wine or coke?"

I smiled. "You drink wine?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "Not a big fan of beer. Coke then?"

"Sure."

He tossed me the can and I caught it reluctantly. Popping the top off his own can, Daniel leaned casually against the wall, and I sat on his bed because there weren't any chairs. The air between us was tense.

"I assume you have a lot of questions for me." He said.

I nodded and circled my thumb unconsciously over the clock laying my my chest. "How did this heal you? And why did Leon hurt you?"

Daniel pointed at the clock. "That healed me because it still has some of the witches powers in it. Remember that time wasn't needed that much back then... I mean, the clock was invented a while later than to when I got that from the witch. It makes you wonder how she knew about it."

Then he sighed. "And Leon is just angry because I saved you from the crash. He actually rear ended me, and that's how I crashed into your car."

"Is that how you got your scar?" I asked.

Daniels shoulders tended, and he clenched his jaw. "No, I got it a long time ago, three centuries back. I was in Amsterdam, and we had just met. Leon found us. He had just changed his name to Xander years before. But hen he had recently, at the time, changed it to Leon. Anyway, he was planning to kill you, and I tried to stop him. So I git this scar in the process."

I was quiet for a moment. "How am I immortal?" I then asked.

Daniel ran his fingers through his drooping, green hair. "When I pulled you from the wreck that night, you were on the verge of dying, so I did the only thing I could do to save you."

I waited for him to continue.

"And?" I prompted.

He shook his head. "That's all you need to know." He pushed himself off the wall and walked towards the closet."

"Why won't you tell me?" I asked. "I think I deserve to know."

"I think you do too." His voice was muffled as he searched through the contents of clothing in his closet. "I'm sorry, Eona, but I cant just tell you how to become immortal. You might use it on someone you love and..." he shook his head. "I don't take immortality lightly."

I rolled my eyes. "What are you looking for?"

"Clothes for you."

I frowned. "Why? By the looks of things, it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Nevermind, just..." He trailed off as he made his way to the door.

"You're leaving?" I asked.

"Yes. I'll be back in a bit." He turned around and looked at me. "Don't leave, okay?"

I sighed and slumped forward. "Fine."

He didn't move. "I'm serious, Eona. You wont make it out unharmed if you try to go without any help."

"Alright."

"And when I say 'unharmed', I mean like... paralyzed."

"I get it!"

We stared at each other for another long moment before Daniel finally nodded and exited the room.

Sighing, I let myself fall back on he bed and curl up into a ball. I kicked off my shoes and pulled one if the lighter covers over myself. Closing my eyes, I settled in for a well- needed nap.