Chapter 5
Keir kept me busy for some time. He had me playing mind games
for hours. No, he wasn't trying to get me to manipulate people
like Kama would have. These were literally games. He'd ask a
question, I'd have to focus on a human who would know the
answer, and pluck it from their mind.
Apparently they didn't want to introduce me to the rest of the
world until I had my mind under control.
He started simply with himself, "What color am I seeing now?"
He'd concentrate on an object then I'd touch his mind and see
said color. Then he'd ask what shape. It was the silly kind of
thing you'd see in movies where some college study was testing
kids for telepathy with shapes on cards. Only I had 100 percent
accuracy.
Then he began asking bizarre questions. The accuracy didn't
decrease when he moved beyond himself. It just took me a little
longer to answer him. He blocked his mind so that I could not
obtain the answer from him nor see from whom I could get the
answer. He started with ones that I could easily discern who's
mind to reach out and read.
"What year was Gary born?" Searching out Gary, through the
tumult of minds and focus only on his was the hardest part. I
wasn't quite sure how to get the information from him but I just
thought the question while in his mind and it popped up. Easy
enough.
"What is Abel eating right now?" That was no harder, just find
him and see through his eyes. Weird, I tasted it too. I never
could understand what people liked about peanut butter banana
sandwiches.
"How many micrograms of glyceryl trinitrate should be
administered to a heart attack patient?" This question wasn't
that hard, but accessing Doc Wendel's mind proved to be a bit
tough. He had so many shields up getting through took a little
effort.
And they started getting weirder. Abstract things that maybe
someone might know and maybe everyone might know.
"Who was the twenty-first President of the United States?"
"What is the meaning of Stammbaum?"
"Where can you find the best pizza in Maine?"
Each one I managed to find after a little time. I just had to
learn a little about each person I scanned in the process.
"Simultaneously, give me five individual's opinion of their
favorite movies." This seemed an odd requisition but I did it
anyway. With as many voices running around in my head it was
easy.
"Now, ten." While it was a little more difficult to discern
who was whom it didn't take much effort. I expected him to
double it again and even started preparing myself but he moved
on.
Then came the questions where I couldn't really put the answer
into words.
"How tall does the Torre Pendente di Pisa appear from the
ground?"
"How do you adjust your grip on an ice axe while glacier
climbing during a snow fall?"
Then a scary one;
"You are stranded in a foreign country where you don't know the
language, with no money, and know no one. Without controlling
anyone's mind, how do you secure the funds to get out?" I mean
who would want that situation? I found a poor soul who
experienced it. She apparently struggled for some time eating
garbage and struggling to learn the language before she found
someone to help her back on her feet. It almost made me feel
sorry for Gwen.
It's not that I couldn't find the answers. It's just they were
subject to opinions and abstracts that not only are hard to
search for an exact fact but the actual answer comes from the
right side of the brain and is a little harder to deal with than
the left. So they took a long time to find. It wasn't a
difference of minutes but nearly an hour for the last one. I
also observed he designed these questions to eliminate the need
of accessing another vampire's mind. They seemed to prefer
their privacy. What hypocrites!
"Does Douglas Scott like you?" Now this question stumped me.
There's many levels of "like". Feelings don't seem to be
element of any one portion of the brain. I tried picturing
myself in Doug's mind but that didn't really work. I tried to
feel what he felt right then but it just came off as emptiness.
There were so many variables between feelings and reason. After
about a half hour of trying, Keir brought me out of my
concentration.
"Perhaps we will try that another time."
The final question shocked me: "What is your gut feeling about
me right now?"
Was there a right or wrong answer to this? I'm sure there was.
He wouldn't have asked it without expecting a specific answer.
Yet, my gut response I was sure wasn't the one he was looking
for. Well, it was, but not in the way I thought. So I
concentrated. Then I let go. I dropped all my shields and
relaxed. I didn't think about him, anything else or myself.
Then I said, "You're testing me and are disappointed that the
results are not what you expected."
"Why?" There was no easy answer here. He had more shields up
than I could force through. I tried. It was like walking
through a swamp and drowning half the time. It was just too
much and too tiresome. He nodded and told me to stop. I
deflated.
"I have taxed you too much today. You should meditate to quiet
your mind." I never thought him the meditation type. I sat on
the floor and began to meditate how Bram had shown me. Only he
stopped me.
"There are other methods for meditation. Would you care to try
mine?"
This made me curious. I mean he was being polite and asking so
there was no point in me refusing. "Sure."
He slid his lyre out from under the bed. No doubt he had
prepared for this before bringing me here. "Music calms the
savage beast." He smirked. He eased in beside me and placed
the lyre in my hands.
Dumbfoundingly I said, "I don't know how to play."
"It's all right. I'll teach you."
He slipped his arms under mine and pressed his chest up against
my back. Warm and soft he seemed like a big teddy bear now. I
fought the urge to lean back and relax into him. Meanwhile, he
placed my hands in the correct position on the lyre. It rested
on my thigh while my left hand pressed gently against the
strings, my fingers spread and my right hand nails scrapped
against the other side of the strings. He had me move my right
so that I would strum the strings. A beautiful harmony that
neared angelic floated about me. I closed my eyes and allowed
it to take me away for a moment.
He spoke softly into my ear, "Here is C."
He knew I knew a little about music from band class in high
school. I'd just never played a string instrument before.
Then he did something I didn't expect. He opened up to me.
His mind freely showed me how to play without words. I knew
instantly how to move my left hand to produce different pitches
on each string.
"So the scale would be like this." He had me pluck each string
with different variations of hand movements. He showed me a
myriad of techniques for strumming and plucking to compose
certain tones and melodies. Never the best student I made
mistakes as I can't just immediately imitate what I see them do,
even if it's recorded in my memory forever. Still, I did better
than had I not had his knowledge. I'd just be plucking
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Instead of almost nailing the
first piece of Hucbald's "De Harmonica Institutione" that
apparently is often used for tuning the lyre, which he also
showed me. It's strange to think that there was a time before
when I didn't know how to play.
I must admit. I became so fascinated and drawn into the music
that I didn't need to worry about meditating or blocking the
rest of the world from invading my thoughts.
After several hours of this I expected my fingers to be sore
and calloused. I had forgotten a vampire doesn't worry about
such things. Heck, I didn't even feel tired. On the other hand
a small pang in the bottom of my stomach began to demand notice.
So at this point Keir stopped me.
"You may want to answer the door."
"Huh?" At that moment someone knocked on the door. "Damn." I
shook the cobwebs out of my head and the expected inrush of
voices didn't follow. I leaped to my feet happy to be free of a
heavy burden.
Of course like everything else in my life, it didn't last long.
Slowly they came creeping back starting with Jean who still
patiently waited on the other side of the door. I still had
much to learn.
Jean looked at me queerly, since I still hadn't let her in.
Keir motioned her in. I blinked a few times before I could
clear my head enough to follow. I stood awkwardly as Keir took
Jean's hand and kissed it. He said some soft words to her but I
wasn't really paying attention. He then offered her to me.
It never gets easier. My stomach told me I was hungry. For
some reason I had no desire to bite her. She wasn't like Dave.
She was kind of opposite him. She wanted me to bite her. She
got off on it. I know Keir chose her on purpose. He probably
wanted me in this embarrassing position. Keir wasn't going to
help as Bram did either. So we stood there for several minutes
while I got up the guts to do what should come naturally. Her
lust helped.
It was a strong emotion, like fear. It made my hunger
stronger. I wanted to feel that desire more. I moved in close
and I smelt lilacs and some subtler scent that was like body
odor but more appetizing. My mouth watered.
She drew in and offered her neck to me. I hesitated again.
The whole biting thing was my hang-up here. I had no desire to
mark her perfect flesh. I breathed in deep and her fragrance
enticed me. I bit down. She gasped slightly and began to moan.
I was unused to this and nearly stopped. The voices in my head
murmured on distracting me from my goal. She held on tight to
me. The blood touched my tongue and it was all over. I dragged
the blood out of her and enjoyed ever second of it.
I felt the same euphoria I did with Dave. She sighed every
time I drew in more blood and I wanted to make her feel that
pleasure over and over. My own passion started to take over and
I pushed her against the wall ready to take everything from her.
"Toni." Keir warned.
I didn't care. She was quite willing to give me everything she
had.
"Antoniette!" He threw me backwards. My head hit the end
table. I felt and heard the bones crack in my skull twice.
Once when it caved in and a second time my head pushed forward
just a little, I assume when it healed. A vase went tumbling.
It all seemed a little familiar.
Yes, just like the night you learned Bram had no control. Now
you learn you are just like him. I read Keir's thoughts.
Unlike that other night Keir did not seem upset now.
The pain in my head subsided quickly. I expected to hear
ringing in my ears for some time. There was none at all.
I wouldn't look at him. He wanted me to snap at him. I was
quite indignant at the insult. However, I had to hold back. In
time I would prove him wrong on both counts. I took a deep
breath and looked at Jean instead. She looked as if she needed
a cigarette. "You okay?" I asked her. I knew she was, she
only felt a little fear of Keir that was all. She nodded her
reply anyway.
"Get up." Keir ordered and turned his back on me. He took
Jean by the arm and set her in a chair then gave her a glass of
water. By that time I was on my feet on my way to the bathroom
down the hall. I needed to splash some cold water on my face.
When I returned Jean was comfortably tucked into bed and Keir
sat with a smug expression and a glass of wine. "Thirsty?"
"No thanks, I just drank." I couldn't help the pun and
smirking while saying it.
To my surprise Keir laughed a little. He patted the couch next
to him. I sat down and he put an arm around me making me lean
into him slightly. I didn't fight it. I waited for some kind
of admonishment or at least some disapproval. He rubbed my back
and sipped his wine. All I could get from his mind was a bit of
self satisfaction.
After a little while of quiet he nearly put me to sleep. My
mind wandered and even as I tried to ignore the external voices.
One pushed for me to ask a simple question.
"Who's Sophia?"
He stopped rubbing my back and seemed lost in thought for
several moments.
"A goddess." Keir said dreamily. "She's the most beautiful
and charming woman I've ever known."
"Was she a vampire?"
He nodded solemnly, "Was. I'd rather not speak of it."
A memory of a dream poked at the back of my brain with another
question. "Who's Oran?"
"Someone whom I mistook for Sophia. It was… an unfortunate
incident."
His honesty surprised me more than that he wasn't getting angry.
We sat for some time only speaking a little. I began to feel I
could trust Keir. He was my genitor and he was there to help,
protect me and to see me through the rough times. He wouldn't
hurt me unless I did something stupid and I slowly learnt not to
do stupid things.
Later, when I awoke Jean was gone and Keir was preparing to
leave. He bent down and kissed me on the forehead before
saying, "You are of course free to go where you please. I will
come by from time to time to help you refine your talents. If
there is anything you need in the meantime, my door is always
open to you."
Damn, that was sweet of him. What happened to the Keir I used
to know? The one that had his thorny whip around my neck? On
second thought, I didn't want to know.
He left leaving me, for the first time since coming to this
place, totally free.
***
Free to move about the complex, I still didn't feel free of the
vampires. I probably could leave the building but what was
there for me on the outside? Not much I imagine. I couldn't
face my family, not now. The hunters were no more of an answer
now than they were before. Of course freedom to move about the
complex still had restrictions. I could only go places where
someone would open the door for me. Not that I wanted to go
down into the bowels of the complex or to the King's room. I
was quite content staying within my known haunts.
Speaking of haunts, the room reminded me of Erik. All his
effects were gone and luckily his voice didn't echo in my head
like Al's but I swore I felt his presence. I didn't believe in
ghosts at least not back then. So I couldn't really explain it.
It still creeped me out to stay there.
I had people to see anyway. People to apologize to.
I had debated for hours. Well, it wasn't really I who did the
debating. A part of me did, a part that had tried to remain
silent and yet I felt him all the time. Al didn't know how
Missy would react. Hell, I didn't know. I hardly even knew
her. She was one of those you fed and went on your merry way.
Now I was her equal. While I didn't know her, Al did. She was
a caring person. One who, at least where Al was concerned,
didn't treat the slaves as slaves. I wondered if I could learn
from her, to keep myself from going the route so many others
took.
First things first though, I wished to apologize to her. Al
wasn't so sure it was a good idea. We finally decided that I'd
at least go and speak with her. Apologies would come out if
needed.
Slowly I was able to focus my thoughts. The sounds of others
were distant, though still persistent. I couldn't find someone
like Missy in the midst of them, because I didn't really know
her signature. However, as I approached her door her thoughts
became more prominent. She didn't blankly stare at a wall
indulging in depression. She skimmed a book not really reading
the words on the page. It was a simple distraction, an escape
from the real world. It didn't take her long to realize someone
was intruding.
The door opened and a short, fiery, red head stood with a bit
of an attitude that told me I wasn't really welcome. "Can I
help you?"
"Um, yeah, my name is Antoniette-"
"I know who you are. I know what you are, and I know what you
did. I want you to leave."
"Look, can't we talk?"
"I'm not interested."
"Missy, I'm sorry."
"There's no reason to be." She started to close the door.
"Al's sorry." I said quickly.
She sighed, then opened the door for me to go inside with her.
"Not to worry, you did what you had to do. Besides, Al and I
said our good-byes the night before."
I searched within me, he didn't remember it like that, but he
did have a wonderful night with her. "He misses you."
"I know, otherwise you wouldn't be here now."
Of course she knew. I wondered how many souls she had adopted.
"Enough to wish I hadn't." She said.
Obviously my wall wasn't very strong. I had to work on that.
"Did you…" I wasn't sure how to phrase it. Al wanted to know
her feelings. I wasn't sure it was a good idea. "Do you miss
him?"
"I'm not going to lie to either of you. There are others here
to keep me company and I have seen so many come and go. Love is
a fleeting thing, Antoniette. I have loved many, and so has he.
I'm certain I'm not the only one you'll apologize to over the
next few days because of him."
Al protested. "He did love others, but none so much as you."
"You don't have to lie for my sake."
"Look inside me, Missy. I'm not lying." Missy merely shook
her head. Al pushed me again, this time a flash of a memory or
something floated by my eyes. "He thinks you are though. You
protected him when he attempted to escape. He was injured and
Keir wished to kill him. You put yourself between them. You
took the blows that were meant for him." I started getting a
little choked up.
She still shook her head, though her face had grown softer. "I
would have done that for any innocent."
Another memory; "You took him to Alaska. He'd always wanted to
see the aurora borealis. You asked him to spend the rest of
eternity with you."
"Stop please." She sounded as if about to cry and indeed I
felt her frustration. I obviously had broken through some sort
of block. She had been trying to be cold to me to prevent a
breakdown.
"I'm sorry." This time it was I who was sorry, not Al. I
didn't wish to cause her embarrassment.
"No, it's all right. Al always tried to make me show more
emotion." She laughed softly. "He always could."
"He always was an interfering bastard wasn't he?"
"Yes!" She laughed aloud now with just a little bit of tears.
"One of the reasons I did love him so."
She opened up to me then. She told me many things about Al I
already knew even before I held his soul. We reminisced for
quite some time about things I couldn't have known before and
most of the time I let Al speak through me. I sat back only as
an observer. She was right, Al did have other lovers but only
one made him truly happy and that made leaving her a difficult
task. Eventually though, I did take my leave promising that I
would return.
On my way out she did as any protective lover or perhaps more
befittingly mother would. "Be careful. Don't let the others
force you to do anything you don't want." Even after I was out
the door she called, "And tell Kama I don't disapprove."
***
I waited at Kama's door. I focused solely on her fighting the
urge to listen to the voices in my head. She still slept, at
least I assumed that's why it was hard to center on her. There
at least was no definite thought patterns coming from her, I
knew she was there, I could feel her. There's not really a way
to explain it, it's like the feeling you get when you know
someone's standing behind you, but more specific. So I settled
into the "at rest" position on my knees. She would open the
door when she was ready.
Two hours later she did just that. She had been alone, which I
thought unusual. Nonetheless, she knew I was there almost the
moment she woke, still she took the time to prim herself. When
her thoughts turned towards the door I stiffened my back and
tried to keep my beating heart in my chest. I held my breath as
the door swung open.
Quickly she drew me from my knees and held me at arm's length.
"Look at you, my beautiful vampire!"
I wanted to slap her. She wasn't supposed to be happy that I
was now one of them. She was supposed to be indigent against
the King and Keir. Why wasn't she? How could she be so
tickled? I knew it was against etiquette but I slid into her
mind. Walls popped up before I got anywhere. What was she
hiding?
"You know better than that, my dear." That was it, no
additional chastising? She embraced me warmly. I smelled curry
and heard the tinkling of bells. I looked around and found
neither.
She led me inside and set me down in her plump chair. She sat
across from me with a broad grin. Something definitely was
amiss. "I'm just happy because I don't have to pretend anymore."
"Pretend?"
Kama hesitated knowing she said something wrong. "I can just
be your friend now and not treat you as a slave." Still that
didn't feel like the truth. I didn't dare press too hard.
"Nothing's changed for me."
"Everything's changed you just don't know it yet." That
sounded rather cryptic as well. "We're equals now. There's no
reason to play the domination game."
"Did it ever occur to you that I might need that game?"
"Nonsense, Keir-"
"Yes, Keir's my genitor and I'd do anything for him, more or
less fulfilling that need. I know that now. But he is not like
you.
"I need you. Not like I need Bram either. I need to let
someone I trust take some responsibility off me so I can relax."
"We can accomplish that through our friendship." She didn't
get it.
"I need your guidance and your love. I need a teacher and you
can't be that if we're equals." I moved to try to get closer.
I wanted to reassure her that it was okay to be herself and that
I wanted to appease her. "I know there are things I can give in
return."
She stopped me by standing and moving across the room. "I
never intended for you to become so intimate with me. I told
you before I didn't want you to bend your knee to me. As you
were a servant at the time, I didn't know how else to watch over
you. I'm sorry I've used you that way."
"You didn't misuse me. You know I've never had a problem being
submissive to you."
"I do." Why now, after all that's happened? "Do you remember
our first conversation?" She asked.
Before the other day I would have said no without even trying.
My memory improved with my new blood and so at her words that
night flashed into being. I saw the long conversation, the
lecture, and the words in response to me asking if she was a
dominatrix why didn't she just tie me up and do her thing.
"Because it's not what you want, and not what you need."
"We spoke of pleasure, child. All I wanted then, and all I
want now, is for you to be happy here and with yourself. You no
longer need algolagnia. You've grown beyond that."
"Are you sure?" I sure as hell wasn't. I don't think I've
grown at all. I think I degenerated somewhat.
"Yes." The answer came a little too quickly, I thought.
Something struck me as odd in her words. "It's not me, is it?
Why don't you want this anymore?" I knew one of the most
unbreakable laws amongst us vampires was: "You are not to kill
or otherwise harm another gens member." I also knew her
hesitation wasn't for fear of hurting me.
"It's not me. It's the King." Somehow that didn't ring true
either? Why did everyone use him as an excuse?
"The King be damned!"
"You shouldn't say that." She admonished softly. At least the
King didn't strike me down.
"You know this is not about him." I countered. Then I took a
deep breath. I was letting all of this get out of control. Why
was she letting it get that way? Normally by this point she'd
have me begging her forgiveness. "I came here to apologize not
to accuse."
"Then you've completed your task. Perhaps we should call it a
day."
"Mistress-"
"I think it's time for you to leave."
"What happened to wanting pleasure? What's holding you back?"
Fear. I blinked. I hadn't expected that. Strange thing was
it wasn't from her or any external source. It was me.
Now I had to know what caused it and so I poked just a little
into her mind. More walls.
"Yes, what happened to pleasure?" I heard a bit of a rattle in
her voice. "I have some delightfully sinful chocolate you must
try."
"No, thank you." I studied my hands. I felt my stomach
clench. My eyes darted about the room. Something was wrong.
"Are you sure? Perhaps some wine?"
"No, I'm fine." I'm pretty sure she was trying to distract me.
I felt restrained as if trapped. I watched my hands again as
they clasped tightly together. They certainly had something to
do with the ill at ease feeling that washed through me.
I heard handcuffs click. The cold metal gave me chills. I
looked at my wrists. Nothing there, yet I distinctly felt it.
My hand touched wood. Wood? I wasn't even around wood. It
definitely felt like slats, not like the table next to me.
That was it! Yes, wood slats. Like in the old headboard on
Kama's bed. Not wroth iron like it is now. I looked to it then
to Kama. Again Kama tried to distract me.
"You seem preoccupied. Perhaps we should talk later." Kama
moved to the door as if to usher me out. I had no intention of
leaving. Not without answers.
Fragments of a memory seemed to be trying to force their way
into the open. Fear. Darkness. Alone! I was all alone.
"What's going on?" I asked her. She looked away from me as if
shattered.
I tried to focus, either on what seemed to be a memory or Kama.
The memory won out. Handcuffs were all I ever felt. It caused
terror in me as if I were being locked up in isolation again.
This time though I heard them scratch against the wood. Kama's
warm hands caressed my arms as they moved away.
I blinked and came out of it a little bit.
"Why?" I asked Kama. No more could she hide from me. She had
erased my memory at one point. I remember hearing her tell the
doctor that. Kama looked at me with sadness in her eyes. She
felt failure. Obviously, she didn't want me to reach this
conclusion. Seeing no other option, she opened up to me now.
"I tried to help you overcome your fears. You panicked because
you had been through recent trauma." She explained almost too
calmly as if she were trying to hide that trauma. It didn't
take much for me to remember my punishment for trying to escape
and compare it to what happened that night.
She continued; "I couldn't get close enough to remove the
cuffs. I wasn't trying to harm you."
Slowly her block on the memory faded. I remembered the dread
that made my heart pound. I pulled and pulled until- Crack!
The wood splintered. I ripped the blindfold off. She grabbed
me and I fought to get free. I screamed and shook. She tried
and failed to remove the cuffs.
"You bit me after that?" I somewhat remembered her doing that,
after all she had to have an excuse as to how I wound up in the
infirmary.
"I had to calm you." She said quickly.
"You drank too much. You almost killed me that night!" I
gesticulated.
"I know and I'm sorry."
"Sorry now that I'm your peer!"
"No, I was sorry then. Don't you remember?"
"I want to remember but someone's blocking me!" I looked at
her accusingly. "You didn't bite me just because I was afraid.
No, you would have had me work through the fear. There was
something more." Now I drove through her block and I felt great
shock from her. Both at the strength of my shove and the
audacity I had breaking protocol. She felt fear now. I came
across many an interesting thought, most of which are not
suitable for public exhibition. I became lost in the wide
variety of her mind. Fortunately, I didn't have to stay for
long. Whatever she had been doing to hold the block on my
memory disintegrated.
The wood came loose. She tried and failed to control me and I
rent loose from her grip. I felt murder in my heart. I wished
to kill Kama. Kill her for what she did to me. I needed to
kill her before she killed me. I took the wood in my hand and
slashed at her throat. It bled briefly as the sharp edge of the
wood ripped the top layers of skin loose. I took the moment of
her surprise to ram the wood into her breast knowing it wouldn't
kill but not knowing what else to do. I wrapped the chain from
the cuffs around her neck and tried to rip her head off.
Being that close, Kama took the advantage after dislodging the
stake (I guess I missed the heart). She grabbed hold of my arm,
flipped me to face her and bit me. Her eyes filled with an
animal rage. I scratched at her face to no avail. She bit down
harder and drank the fight out of me. I woke up in the
infirmary.
"Why?" I asked again. "Why would I want to kill you?"
"I suppose there are many reasons."
This was exactly why I need her help. I needed to gain control
over all the bad things going on inside me. She's the only one
who has taught me any kind of control. Obviously she could keep
me from doing something I would regret later.
I understood now why she had tried to keep her distance. It
wasn't because she was afraid to hurt me. She was afraid that
now that I was a vampire I could finish what I started that
night. At the very least she feared my strength of mind.
"We're not equals. You don't think you can control me. Do you
think I want to hurt you?"
She forced more walls into place when she realized I had read
that much. I allowed her privacy and backed out as much as I
could. Her mind still was quite active and I could hear her
surface thoughts: the words that go through her mind right
before she spoke. She thought of lies and explanations of the
dangers of the mind and so forth. Then she figured I wouldn't
buy it.
"What caused me to do that? I mean it couldn't be just that I
didn't like the handcuffs, you've used them on me plenty of
times afterwards."
"Yes, but this happened before the doctor increased your
medication." She knew I demanded the truth. "There was…
Something else." Again she evaded the question. Of course I
think she knew my frustration and perhaps didn't feel as if it
were that important to hide. "You had a dream that night. One
in which you believed I threw you off a building. You started
to panic when you woke from it and you now know the result."
"Was it a dream? A simple dream wouldn't make me want to kill
you."
"I don't have that answer." I finally gave up on her. It
wasn't the whole truth. She refused to fill in the details. I
could try to force them from her but somehow I knew it would
only cause trouble for both of us.
It gave me a headache thinking about it. Even now as a
vampire, I encountered lies and cover ups. I knew the rest of
my questions would go unanswered, yet I had to ask. "How many
other times has this happened?" I rubbed my temples. "Whom
else have I tried to kill?"
"I don't know, dear. I only know of the once with me."
"What else have you all made me forget?" She shook her head.
No matter what I did I couldn't unveil the secrets. I wondered
if I needed a catalyst or some sort of road map to those hidden
memories. It made me wonder, what else could they be hiding
from me?
By: Christine Schnell
