Awaken (25 page)

             
“Spiders the size of Volkswagens and one massive cobweb,” he chuckled. “Scariest moment of my life,” he glanced at Carmen and corrected himself, “Make that the second scariest.”

             
“Hey guys!  Come look at what me and Ian found!”

              We gathered behind Phoebe in the dim hallway as she brushed her fingers over what looked to be a large, imposing oil painting in a gilded metal frame.  As she worked, faces slowly began to emerge.  A small girl.  A boy.  A beautiful woman dressed in a ruffled dress.  She uncovered two more girls, another boy, and a handsome older gentlemen standing behind them all.

             
“The Drake Family…” Phoebe breathed in fascination.

             
“They look…stuffy,” Ricker commented; squinting his eyes.

             
“Way back then people didn’t smile for portraits or pictures.  Think you could smile for an hour while somebody painted you?” Liam asked Ricker.

             
“Depends.  Am I naked?  I’d be smiling if I was naked.” Ricker inspected the painting further as Carmen punched him lightly in the stomach. “What?”

             
“Look at that little girl.  She doesn’t look too good,” Ian said thoughtfully.

             
“She must have been one of the girls that died,” Phoebe surmised.  The small girl was clearly emaciated; her clothes simply hanging on her slight frame.

             
“I can’t believe he killed his family,” I thought out loud as I examined Dr. Drake.  He could have been any normal middle-aged father at the time, with dark hair that was slightly graying and a muscular build.  A hint of pride evident in his features, he gallantly held his wife’s much more petite hand, which furthered my suspicion of the events that resulted in his family massacre.  A resounding thump came from upstairs and we all stared wide eyed at each other, trying to decide if we should run or go investigate.  My feet were leaning heavily towards running away from the house as fast as possible.

             
“Probably just a mouse,” Ian shrugged his shoulders.  His eyes widened as we heard an even louder thump directly above our heads. “A very, very big mouse…?”

             
“I’m outta here,” Carmen muttered and took off towards the front door.  We started to follow when we heard her scream.  As we made it to the main room, we saw her standing in front of the door; unmoving except for the shaking of her hands.

             
“What happened?” Liam called out to her.

             
“It just shut…” her fear causing her to stumble over her words. “…by itself!”

             
“It was probably just the wind,” Ricker tried to console her.  She turned to us with a spark of madness in her eyes.

             
“There was no wind and I was nowhere near it.  It just shut all by itself.”  She swung back towards the door with her mouth still hanging open. 

             
“Well, then we’ll just open it back up.  That’s what they make door knobs for.” Ricker walked up to the door and grabbed the handle.  There was a loud pop and his body was thrown backwards; crumpling onto the hard wooden floor.  Dusting himself off, he stood immediately and made a beeline for the same door.

             
“Ricker I don’t think that’s a good idea-“ Liam started to warn him, but it was too late.  He had grabbed the doorknob again and was sent flying once again; landing hard on the floor.  Carmen rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

             
“I have never met anyone so stubborn,” she muttered under her breath, helping him back up.  I looked around for a window, but the closest one was back in what would have been the kitchen. 

             
“Maybe we could open a window and get out that way,” I speculated, as I entered the would-be kitchen.  Once in the center of the room, the substantial wooden door to the kitchen slammed shut behind me and I heard a distinct click at the window.  I tried to wrench the window open to no avail.  The lock wouldn’t budge and the stronger my fear became the sweatier my hands were.  That definitely didn’t help my already compromised dexterity skills.  I ran back to the door and tried the knob.  It wouldn’t even turn.

             
“Hey!  Let me out of here!” I pushed against the door and started jostling the knob as I hard as I could.

             
“Stasia?” Phoebe’s surprised voice came from the other side of the door, “Stasia!”

             
“I’m stuck!  I can’t get out!”

             
“Hold on!” I heard her walk away, followed by mumbling as they decided what to do.  I scanned the bare cabinets and empty holes where an oven or ice chest would have been.  As I glanced back towards the door, I cried out in unadulterated fear.  Blood.  Everywhere.  It covered the door; the ceiling.  I watched in quiet horror as a word was methodically written across the wall in deep red. 

             
Penance.

             
My lungs squeezed as panic wrapped around my throat and shattered my courage. “Get me out of here!” I screamed, and started banging on the door.  “Phoebe!”

             
I listened intently but was only met by a deafening silence on the other side of the door.  Where did they go?  Did they get out the front door?  Did they leave me?  I quickly noticed that the word had disappeared, but the blood that had stained the walls was now flowing down in earnest now, puddling on the floor at my feet.  This wasn’t real.  This wasn’t real.  I closed my eyes and repeated it over and over.  This wasn’t real.

             
I steeled myself and opened my eyes, and with a momentary wave of relief I let out a sigh.  The blood was gone.  I twisted my head back and forth, hoping that I wasn’t just seeing what I wanted to see.  I reached my hand out and lightly touched the door with my fingertips.  Completely dry. 

             
“Phoebe!” I yelled for her again, but was only met by more hair-raising silence. 

             
“No!”  A deep voice boomed behind me.  I twisted around and met the eyes of a handsome middle aged man.  “You can’t have them!  Do you hear me?” he boomed.  I took a step back, falling against a cabinet.  He was covered in blood.  His hands, his white shirt, even his trousers were drenched in crimson.  My heart was jumping out of my chest but I did my best to calm down and speak clearly.

             
“I don’t want to take anyone!  I promise!” I pleaded with him.

             
“You’re lying!” he boomed again, moving closer.

             
“Dr. Drake!  I swear!” I covered my head but no retaliation came.  I peeked out to see his face contorted in confusion.

             
“Drake?” He stood straighter, seemingly deep in thought.

             
“Isn’t…Isn’t that your name?” I guessed.

             
“It sounds familiar.” He stared at me, fascinated. “You aren’t like the others.”

             
“What others?” I asked, suddenly terrified.

             
“Get out.” His features hardened and he backed away.

             
“But Dr. Drake-“ I reached for him.

             
“Get out!” he yelled at me, and suddenly faded away.

             
“Phoebe!” I pressed my ear up against the door in order to hear something; anything.

             
“Carmen, don’t!” I heard Willow gasp, and the sound of bodies hitting the floor turned my stomach.  Furniture scraped across the floor as I heard more scuffling.

             
“What’s happening to him!?” I heard Carmen scream.

             
“Carmen!” I yelled out, “Phoebe!”

             
My response was more muffled yelling and thumps, followed by a shrill scream.  Then I realized the blood was back; once again dripping down the door and walls.  I moved away as it ran down the cabinets.  Now trapped in the middle of the room, I couldn’t escape the thick mass of red liquid.

             
“Scared of a little blood?” a voice mocked me. “Oh, boo freakin hoo.”

             
“Nadia.” I spun around and immediately ran at her, anger erupting through every cell of my body.  “Why won’t you leave me alone?!”  In a fit of rage I tried to tackle her, but she simply disappeared; causing me to land hard against the blood soaked wall.

             
“You’re gonna have to do better than that,” she snickered from across the room, and crossed her arms over her black leather mini dress. “So, how’s our handsome dark prince?  Oh that’s right.  He lied to you.  Broke your fragile little heart.”  She stepped closer and smiled, “You’re welcome.”

             
“When I become immortal, I will hunt you down….” I hissed at her.

             
She started laughing and shook her head at me in pity. “You really are a riot, Stasia.” She moved closer to me and the evil tendrils began to seep through her skin and into the air.  Her golden skin began to shimmer as her anger grew.  “You won’t make it ten minutes in the Underworld.  And if you dare step foot in my river-“

             
“What, Nadia?” A streak of boldness shot through me as I stepped towards her. “What are you going to do?”

             
Her honey eyes darkened, “I wouldn’t want to ruin your pathetic story by giving away the ending.  Patience, dear.  Patience,” she patronized me with a smirk.

             
I stepped towards her again, “Let me go, Nadia.”

             
“Funny how you keep saying that,” she chuckled.  “If you think you’re such a badass, get yourself out.” She smiled wickedly and then promptly disappeared.  I ran to the door and tried the knob before resorting to banging on it some more.

              “Phoebe!” The silence I was met with sent a wave of panic through me.  I had to think.  I looked around for something solid to break the glass window with.

             
“Why did you do this to us?”  I froze as two small girls stared at me with nothing less than pure hatred.  Their beautiful green and blue dresses were smeared with blood, culminating on their chests. 

             
“Go away!” I screamed at them, “Leave me alone!”

             
“Don’t yell at my sisters.” The dead pan voice of another child sent my mind reeling as I took in the emergence of two boys; one ghostly white, and the other covered in blood like his sisters.  They backed me into a corner, staring at me with menacing eyes and hateful frowns.

             
“I didn’t do anything to you.  Leave me alone!” I yelled at them, but they continued to approach slowly and methodically. 

             
“Stasia!” I looked behind the dead children to see that Bianca had appeared.

             
“Bianca!  Help me!”

             
“You’re stronger than them!  Use your abilities!” 

             
My heart was beating out of my chest and I had lost control over my arms and legs. I couldn’t think straight enough to figure out what to do with my abilities. Frozen to the spot, I could only watch them advance.

             
“Bianca!”

             
“Say you’re sorry,”  one of the girls demanded quietly.

             
“Bianca!” I met her gaze across the room and saw that she was crying.

             
“I can’t!  She’s pulling me back!  I’m trying to fight her….” I watched in horror as Bianca faded.

             
“Say you’re sorry,” the other dead girl repeated, louder and more forcefully; bringing my attention back to them.

             
“No!” I yelled at them, hysterical with fear. “Get away from me!”

             
“Then you must die,” the sickly boy said plainly, as he produced a knife and plunged it into my heart.

              I was floating.  It felt so effortless and peaceful, I could have sworn that I’d been air born my whole life.  The freedom was liberating and soothing.  Well, except for that awful rushing sound.  It was so loud.  Not to mention, it sounded like it was coming from inside my head. But that couldn’t be right. Maybe if I tried hard enough I could make it stop.  Not only did my attempt not work; the rushing noise actually kicked up a notch. I decided to give up and resume my peaceful floating instead, as the numbness in my mind scrambled my thoughts and confused my memory.  I couldn’t figure out why I was floating or how I got here; wherever ‘here’ happened to be.  When I tried to open my eyes, a blinding light pierced my sensitive retinas and I snapped them back closed immediately.  The darkness was less painful.  Darkness.  A pair of bright blue eyes flashed in front of me and I smiled.  They were a startling mixture of light blues and grays; captivating my every thought.  They blinked and disappeared.  An intense sadness washed over me and knocked against my recently frozen heart. 

             
I was so lonely.  Empty.  I wanted the eyes to come back.  They brought warmth.  Comfort. Happiness.  He was the only one who could save me.  Bring me back to the whole person I once was.  Now I was shattered; pieces scattered about, never to truly be complete ever again.  The lines had been drawn.  The damage had been done.  It was a cruel world, indeed, that would manifest the only cure from the very source of the pain and agony.  I needed his touch; the warmth of his skin and the strength of his arms.  I needed to hear his voice; see his heartbreaking smile.  I desperately needed to feel the security his dark embrace always brought with it.  He was my salvation as well as my inevitable undoing.  In his capable hands; my heart had craved acceptance and love, only to be crushed beneath the pressure of his betrayal and lies. 

             
The dizziness took over and I squeezed my eyes shut.  Next, I was sinking and finally…a lightness.  I opened my eyes only an inch; anticipating the now familiar blinding pain that sunlight produced.  But thankfully it was dark and the moon provided enough light to make out my surroundings.  Four earth toned stone walls caged me inside, creating a perfect square.  The walls reached impossibly high; allowing only a small view of the night sky above.  No sounds penetrated its solid walls, but I could sense the ocean was near.  I felt its promise of security calling to me.  Where was I?

             
As my eyes adjusted to the shadowed features of my prison, I began to make out distinct shapes.  A chest.  A chair.  A desk.  A bed.  A very comfortable looking bed.  My tired mind and body ached to lie down and escape into the world of pillows and blankets that awaited.  Then I realized that the mound on the bed was moving.  Immediately on the defensive, I held my breath and pressed against the wall nearest to me.  When the mound of covers didn’t sit up or make a noise, I relaxed slightly; eyes still fixed on the bed.  I could hear someone breathing.  Were they sleeping?  I tiptoed carefully to the side of the bed and peered over at its contents.  At least eight pillows protected the sleeper from the stone wall next to the bed, and a fluffy white down comforter blanketed the bed’s owner. 

             
As curiosity won over logic, I carefully moved the covers back to where I assumed a head should be.  I found a foot instead, and the roughness and size told me it was a guy.  The leather anklet holding four black beads told me which guy the foot was attached to.  I jumped back, clamping a hand over my mouth to prevent any hysterical sobs from breaking loose.  Monstrous tears immediately blinded me and continued to roll down my cheeks, as I allowed my eyes to release the feelings I couldn’t vocalize. 

             
Not realizing the toll my restraint was taking on my body, my legs failed beneath me and I slid to the floor.  I leaned against the cool stone wall, taking deep breaths and crying for what seemed like hours.  Finally, the tears subsided to a slow trickle and I was able to get to my knees.  Unbeknownst to me, he had wrenched back the covers during my breakdown; revealing his bare torso and painfully handsome face.  The need to look into his eyes was comparable to a punch in the gut, taking my breath and causing me to collapse back onto the hard floor.  The desire to crawl in the bed with him and wrap myself up in his body shattered my heart again and again.

             
I held my breath as he mumbled something in his sleep.  The tenor of his voice reverberated through my soul and I lifted myself back to my knees; allowing my eyes one last guilty pleasure. I knew it would hurt me later tenfold to even entertain this moment of weakness, but the void in my heart yearned to be filled; even if only temporarily. 

             
“Stasia, please….” I heard him mumble, bringing back the tears in earnest.  Holding back the sobs that continuously racked my tired body, my entire being became numb with pain.  Too weak to resist, I reached out and touched his hand ever so tenderly.  Still asleep, he moved his hand to lay on top of mine, filling me with an instant and overwhelming joy.  I let it consume me and warm my heart.  My eyes eventually grew heavy and tired, so I rested my head on the mattress beside his arm and closed my eyes.

             
“I think she’s waking up,” a voice said; sounding very far away.

             
“Give her a little room.  She’ll be confused when she regains consciousness.”

             
“Why is she so pale?” another voice asked. 

             
“Her energy will soon be restored.  As soon as she wakes up, her body will begin the regeneration process immediately.” I didn’t know who they were talking about, but it didn’t sound too promising.

             
“I hope so….” 

             
“Stasia, honey?” My stream of random thoughts perked up at my name. “It’s time to wake up now; time to wake up.”  Wake up?  Why in the world would I want to do that?

             
“Stasia?”  Willow! I tried to open my eyes, but the brightness scorched them and I squeezed them shut again.  I struggled to move; bringing on extreme pain and pressure.  This was quite unfortunate.  I couldn’t imagine that never moving again was a viable option.  I realized I was lying on something grainy and warm.  Sand?  Was I on the beach?  Why was I on the beach?  I attempted to open my eyes again.  Amongst the piercing flashes of light, I could see several faces peering down at me with concern.

             
“Somebody turn off the lights.  They hurt,” I heard my own voice say; still feeling somewhat detached from my own body.  Somebody snickered, and I remembered getting perturbed that whoever it was found fifth degree burns on my corneas to be humorous. 

             
“You can keep your eyes closed, but I need you to tell me how you feel,” said a voice I couldn’t quite place.

             
“Am I in my body?” my voice said again.  I heard a hushed, panicked whispering.  Then the voice spoke again.

             
“Yes dear.  Did you leave your body?” she inquired gently.

             
“I went to see Finn,” my voice said.  I heard several gasps and more hushed whispering.

             
“You’re back now.  You’re okay now,” she consoled me.  I just wanted to remember whose voice was speaking to me.  She sounded so familiar.  Once again I attempted to open my eyes.  This time the light didn’t hurt as much, and I was able to see flashes of white sand and deep blue water dancing in front of me, along with a collage of faces.  Phoebe.  Willow.  Carmen.  Liam.  Natasha.  Natasha?

             
“Natasha?” I croaked my thoughts out loud and tried to lift my head.

             
“Yes dear.  I’m here.”

             
“Oh good.” The pain in my abdomen receded as I laid my head back down with a thump.  I immediately thanked the sand for being so soft.  A light pulling sensation was my answer, and the pain in my abdomen receded even further. 

             
“Where am I?”

             
“We brought you to the Fortunate Isle.  You needed the Isle’s essence to heal your body.”

             
“Am I hurt?” I asked, completely perplexed.  No wonder I was in pain.

             
“You were stabbed, but we got to you in time.  The Isle’s water has healed you to a point where your own cells will be able to regenerate.”

             
“Stabbed?!” I tried to sit up, quickly reminded by the piercing pain why I was lying down in the first place. 

             
“Easy, trigger,” I heard Phoebe say.  Somebody stabbed me?  The little boy.  The two little girls.  As the memory came slamming back, so did the excruciating panic.

             
“What happened?  Is everybody okay?”  The pain returned as the panic made my stomach clench.

             
“Shhh…you need to rest.  We’ll talk about it later.”  Later.  For some reason ‘later’ seemed like a luxury I didn’t have.  But I couldn’t remember why.  Not feeling up to searching my memory banks; I closed my tired eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

             
The next thing I knew, I was being carried.  A soft wind flowed along the bare skin of my legs and my senses reveled in the decadent smells of sage and lavender.  Without fully opening my eyes, I could tell it was twilight.  The absence of bird calls, the cool breeze, and an odd sense of just…knowing were my only clues. 

             
I also sensed something else.  A recognition.  A welcoming.  I could feel the energy of each tree.  Each shrub.  Each small animal foraging.  They stilled as we travelled by; acknowledging our presence.  Or was it just my presence?  Something else whispered to my heart and my soul.  The jewelry lying against my skin warmed slightly, and a frenzied energy began to race through my veins.  Both of my traces warmed and I knew.  I was home.

             
“I don’t see a house,” I heard Carmen say.

             
“You are correct.  But that doesn’t make it any less real, child,” Natasha answered wisely.

             
“So, do we do a dance? Say a chant?” The corner of my mouth lifted in response to Phoebe’s questions. 

             
“Maybe we should ask the future Goddess who’s pretending she’s still asleep,” Willow snickered. Damn.

             
“I’d really like to see you guys do that dance,” I retorted softly; immediately surprised at how much better I felt.  My abdomen reflected a dull ache, but it was only slightly uncomfortable.  I knew the island was healing me.  And one dip in Thetis’s estuary would fix me right up.  I knew the magical qualities of the water on the Isle because it had healed me the last time I was on the brink of death.  I was apparently making a habit out of that these days.

             
“As would I,” the voice of the person carrying me said.  Liam.  He was just as strong as Finn; supporting my weight effortlessly as we stopped in front of the intricate wrought iron gate.

             
“Stasia!  It’s your trace!” Willow exclaimed as she ran up to the gate.

             
“Careful, Willow,” Natasha warned and then turned to Liam. “Move Stasia closer.  The house will feel her essence.”  Liam slowly stepped forward inch by inch with a slowness that made me giggle. 

             
“It’s a house, not a volcano.  It’s not going to hurt you,” I smiled up at him.  I looked to the right and took in the same meadow I had seen the first time I’d come to the Isle, spreading out before us just past the gate.  Then I remembered the lightning.  I guess that could technically hurt us.  Maybe I spoke too soon.  I felt my trace burn and the gasps told me the house had appeared.  No dramatic entrance.  No natural disasters or lightning.  One second it was invisible and the next, a sprawling, majestic home stood before us.  Unlike the last time I had arrived, the home and surrounding gardens were immaculate.  The mangrove trees still dwarfed the manor with their size and stature, but nothing could compare with the home’s beauty.  Not even the gardens overflowing with the colors of Autumn displayed by the mums, zinnias, and marigold flowers. 

             
“That’s unbelievable,” Liam muttered in amazement.

             
“So it recognizes her?” Carmen asked with shock swiftly spreading over her dark features.

             
“That’s right,” Natasha confirmed. “She awakened the island, as well as the house, the first time she arrived.”

             
“Wow,” I heard Willow breathe.

             
“I think I can walk now,” I informed Liam.  He gently tilted me forward; allowing my feet to land softly on the grass below.  As soon as my feet hit the ground, the frenzied energy rushed through me like an electric current.  I closed my eyes and sighed with happiness.  I pushed open the ornate gate crawling with ivy and led everyone down the stone path.  The sandstone exterior of the house shaded with the warm colors of sunset set my heart on fire.  Its gothic majesty wasn’t lost on my roommates, who were still gawking like it was their job.  As I stepped onto the first step leading towards the door, it clicked automatically and swung open slowly.