15 KiB
Chapter 10
Dinner had been quiet. No one really spoke as they ate. Abraham sat in silence, as he could only watch and observe everyone eat. Only Asher and Katie had been absent from the table. Asher was in his room resting, as he had expended a lot of power earlier, and Katie was in her room, still sleeping off her injuries. Everyone else at the table barely touched their food. None were very hungry after witnessing Asher feed on the Dawn Bringer assassin, Warren. Even Solomon, who was always uplifting and upbeat, had a dark look across his face the entire time. Now Abraham was sitting on the couch in the den. He was staring off into space and trying hard to wrap his mind around everything that had taken place in the past few hours. Katie, the lost lamia, had returned to them. The Dawn Bringers had sent a pair of killers to their home, and Asher had killed both, feeding on one. What else could happen before he went to bed that night?
"Abraham," Abraham whirled around to see Michelle behind him. Next to her stood Sarah, who was looking down nervously. "we need to talk with you." "Um, sure what's wrong?" "Not here, come with us." Sarah whispered. She and Michelle turned and walked to the porch door where they pushed open the doors and rushed outside to the yard. Abraham stood up and hurried after them following them into the middle of the yard. The moon was still out and the sky was a beautiful deep indigo blue. The stars above twinkled merrily, as if none of the horrors that had been witnessed earlier had ever happened. Michelle and Sarah stopped in the middle of the yard and turned to face Abraham. Abraham paused and looked around him. "Why'd you want to talk out here?" Abraham asked. "We wanted privacy." Michelle explained. "Now listen close, because we've got a lot to tell you and we don't have long to tell it. We'll talk and you listen, we clear?" Abraham was taken aback by Michelle's attitude. It wasn't her normal tough and can do sort of persona, but more like nervousness and anxiety that filled her voice. "Um...alright. I'm listening." Abraham said. Michelle sighed and looked at Sarah who gave her a nod. Michelle faced Abraham and inhaled. "You need to stay away from Katie."
"What?" Abraham asked. "You heard me." Michelle snapped. "What did I do wrong? Does she hate me or something?" Sarah stepped forward, her red eyes were filled with sadness. "Oh, it's nothing you did, Abraham!" She said reassuringly, "we trust you and we know that you wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone here." "But Katie doesn't see it that way." Michelle interjected forcefully. "She doesn't trust men." "But she gets along with Asher and Tamil just fine." Abraham pointed out defensively. "Only somewhat," Michelle explained, "Asher and Tamil aren't human...so she trusts them fine...but you..." "I'm a human." Abraham growled. "So she hates human men?" Sarah and Michelle both nodded. Abraham groaned and stared up at the sky. "So what can I do?" "Stay clear of her...for her safety and yours." Michelle said forcefully. "We'll talk to her and try to help her understand why you're here...but until then, she's only going to see you as a threat." Sarah finished. "Why does she hate humans?" Abraham asked. Michelle and Sarah exchanged a glance with each other and looked down. Michelle's stern attitude dissipated. "How much do you know about lamia?" Michelle asked. "Up until now, I've never seen one or heard of them." Abraham admitted. "Then you wouldn't understand." Michelle said darkly. "In time, maybe Katie will tell you herself...but it's not our right to tell you that." Michelle walked around Abraham and back to the house. "Just be careful, Abraham...for your own sake. Either way, I’m going to bed…I’m exhausted." She then dashed back to the house and into away from the yard, leaving Abraham with Sarah. Sarah had a sad look across her face as she started to head back inside as well.
"Sarah," Abraham asked, "Solomon said that Katie is like a sister to you...why?" Sarah's body stiffened and she shivered a little. "Calypso, Katie, and I are the only ones here who were born the way that we are." Sarah choked. Abraham could hear the tears behind her words. "Asher was once a human. So was Michelle, Tamil, and Solomon. Calypso was born a mermaid, but she lived on the other side of the world. Katie and I...we met before we came to the Monster Club...and we understood each other. We looked out for each other." Abraham listened to her, and couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy for Sarah and for Katie as well. "I'm sorry." "It's alright, dear." Sarah said, turning and trying to regain her composure and charm. She brushed her hair back and grinned. "Regardless, we need to find you a new place to sleep at night, don't we?" Abraham suddenly slapped his forehead with his palm. He had forgotten that Katie would be moving back into her room, which left him with no place to sleep. "Oh yeah, I guess I can sleep in the den for now." Abraham said. Sarah gasped. "No! Absolutely not!" Sarah shook her head furiously. "You can sleep in my room if you like! I can make you a bed out of my webbing and everything."
"Probably not good plan." Sarah and Abraham turned to the house to see Tamil standing up against the wall, staring off into space. He couldn’t see them through his glassy eyes, but he could hear them just fine, and he seemed amused. He had a small grin on his face. "You sleep in Sarah room...you not get out again." Sarah flushed and scowled Tamil. "I'd clean the webs off the floor, Tamil." "Actually, Tamil has a point," Abraham said kindly, putting a hand on Sarah's shoulder, "maybe it would be better if I slept in Asher's room? He's always out for the evening, so I wouldn't be bothering him." "No, Asher doesn't like other people in his room." Sarah said. "Besides, he might be tempted to feed on you if you stay in his room." Abraham shivered a little at the thought of that and placed his hand on his neck, imagining Asher's fangs ripping into his flesh. He grimaced and shook his head trying to rid himself of that thought. "My room have space!" Tamil offered. Sarah suddenly brightened. "Now that's a good idea!" Sarah said happily, "How'd you like to room with Tamil for a while?" Abraham considered this and smiled. "Yeah...that sounds fine to me. I just need to get my clothes and move them to Tamil's room." Abraham moved past Sarah and Tamil and made his way into the house. Tamil hurried after him towards his room, likely to make space for Abraham. Abraham moved quietly to his old room, and then paused. Katie should be asleep right now, and wouldn't be a problem. All he needed to do was grab a change of clothes and move them to Tamil's room. It shouldn't be a problem. With a small nudge, he pushed open the door and stepped inside. "Um, Katie?" He peeked inside and saw that Katie was fast asleep in bed. She didn't move or even open her eyes as he tip toed inside. He crept past the bed and to the chest of drawers. He grabbed the stack of clothes and made sure that he had everything. "Okay, that should be-"
There was a furious hissing sound as Abraham was thrown to the ground. He felt a long and scaly mass slam on top of him. He looked up to see Katie, wide awake and furious, laying on top of him, staring at him with golden, serpentine eyes that were filled with rage. She looked beautiful...and her body looked completely healed! There wasn't a scratch or injury on her! How had she healed so fast? "Katie!?" Abraham grunted, having trouble breathing. "Shut up!" She spat. Abraham could hear a slight accent to her voice and he realized that she was Indian after all. However, that knowledge really didn't help him here. “Who the hell are you!?” “I’m Abraham! We met earlier!” Abraham whimpered. Hearing this only seemed to make her angrier. "What the hell are you doing in my room!? Trying to take me back to the Drawn Bringers?!" "I was just getting my clothes so I could move to Tamil’s room!" Abraham groaned, trying to get away from her. “I swear, I’m not going to hurt you!” "Liar!" Katie snapped. "You're a liar!" Abraham grunted and wriggled, trying to escape from Katie, who was leering down at him. She opened her mouth to reveal her fangs. "I'm not lying!" Abraham cried, hoping that someone outside would hear him. "All men lie! Now shut your lying mouth!” Katie reared back her head like a cobra prepared to strike. Her long dark hair silhouetted against her almost looked like a cobra's hood! "STOP PLEASE!!" Abraham screamed.
As if prepared for the worst, the door burst open. Tamil came stumbling blindly through the open door with Asher right behind him. Asher took one look at Katie and acted instantly. Tamil rushed forward and threw himself in the way of Katie. Unable to stop herself, she struck and sunk her fangs deep into Tamil's shoulder. Tamil let out a cry of pain, and fell backwards. Suddenly Asher dashed to Tamil's side and grabbed Katie, using one hand, he pushed her off of Tamil and back to the bed. Before she could say or do anything, Asher's eyes suddenly glowed a very familiar red. Abraham turned away so that he wouldn't be caught in Asher's gaze, but Katie was already locking eyes with the vampire. Her eyes glazed over and her body went limp. "Sleep." Asher commanded. Without a moment's hesitation, or a second thought, Katie collapsed on the bed, unconscious and breathing softly. Asher stepped back and made sure that she was asleep.
"What were you thinking?" Asher spat. "I...I looked at her bed...she was asleep, I swear." Asher walked around the bed and looked to see what was in it. He pulled out something long and snake like...but it was see through and it looked badly beaten and torn. "It wasn't her," Asher growled, "it was her skin." "What?!" "Lamia can heal wounds by shedding their skin. She must have been shedding it while you were all eating." Asher growled. "That's what you saw." Asher turned and pulled Tamil and Abraham to their feet. "You're real lucky, kid...lamia venom is extremely toxic. It would have killed you in minutes." Suddenly Abraham spun to face Tamil, who still had the puncture wounds in his shoulder from Katie's bite. "Tamil was bitten!" Abraham cried. Tamil burst out laughed. "It okay, I already dead. Poison does not hurt me." Tamil rubbed his shoulder and placed his hand around Abrahams shoulders. "I got room cleared up for you." Just as he said this, Sarah and Calypso came into the room. "We heard Abraham scream...is everything okay?!" Calypso asked. "Yeah, we're fine." Asher answered quickly. Sarah looked towards Katie's sleeping body and then at Tamil's shoulder. She then moaned and shook her head, realizing what happened. "I'll talk to her when she wakes up." Sarah said. "She needs to learn to trust Abraham...or we'll never have peace in this house." "It can wait for now, Sarah." Calypso pointed out. "Don't beat yourself up for this." Calypso reassured. Sarah smiled, but her face was downcast. Calypso moved to Asher's side to help him move Katie's body back onto the bed and under the sheets. Tamil reached his hand out to touch Abraham's shoulder so that Abraham could walk him out of the room.
"Are you sure you're okay, Tamil? Maybe Calypso should take a look at that?" Abraham offered. Tamil waved it off and continued with Abraham to his room. "Takes much to hurt me." Tamil chuckled. “Problem is, cannot see. Need help finding way back to room.” Sarah scurried up past them and stopped at Tamil's room. "Abraham, I want you to see this!" She opened up the door for Abraham and Tamil to walk in. When Abraham saw the room, he gasped. The walls were painted a sandy color with strange hieroglyph like symbols on the wall. There was a sarcophagus by the wall, but it looked awful big to hold Tamil's smaller body. Abraham scanned the far corner of the room and saw a twin sized bed. Abraham smiled, realizing that Tamil likely slept there. Tamil wandered into the room. He moved with ease and speed like one with perfect sight. It was likely that Tamil was familiar enough with his room that he didn't need to see anything to navigate through it. Tamil sat down on his bed and stared off blankly. "Do you like where you're sleeping?" Sarah asked. Abraham looked to the other side of the room and he suddenly groaned under his breath. The corner of the room had been covered in what looked like a hammock of silk and webbing. Sarah must have built that for him. "It's...nice." Abraham uttered. Sarah gave a small hurt look. "You don't like it?" "No, it's not that!" Abraham shouted quickly. "I appreciate it, but won't I get stuck in it?" Sarah giggled. "Oh, no you won't. I decide when the silk I produce is sticky or not. You can sleep in it just fine until we can find you a real bed." Abraham felt skeptical, but shrugged off the suspicion as he was starting to become accustomed to the unexpected. "Everything going okay in here?" Calypso asked, sticking her head in the door. "Yeah, we're fine." Sarah laughed. "Just getting Abraham accustomed to his new room." Calypso peeked around to see the web hammock and laughed. "I should've known." She then turned to face Sarah again. "Sarah, Katie is fine. I checked her over and she's okay." Sarah breathed out with relief. "Thank you, Calypso. How's Asher?" "He's sleepy. Morning is coming, so he's getting tired." Calypso said. "I'm a....I'm just gonna go...check on him real quick." Calypso gave a small blush and then disappeared down the hallway towards Asher's room. Sarah and Tamil both laughed at her behavior, and Abraham only looked between them. "What's so funny?" "Nothing." Tamil replied. "Well, I'll leave you two alone now." Sarah chuckled. "I'm going to go sit with Katie." Abraham got up and ran to the door with her. "I'll go too." Sarah stopped and stared at him. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" She asked. "I just want to learn more about her. Is it okay if I just tag along?" Sarah thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Alright, but just stay quiet please." The two walked down the hall into Katie's room. Abraham stood by the door, watching as Sarah wandered over to her bed and knelt down on all 8 legs and stroked her hair. She had such a sad look in her eyes....her normal cheerful demeanor was gone and replaced by a look of hopelessness.
"Sarah, are you okay?" Abraham asked. Sarah glanced up at him and shook her head sadly as tears started coming to her eyes. "Can I help?" "No, Abraham...not with this." Sarah said sadly. "Sorry." Abraham muttered. Sarah smiled, but then went back to looking down at Katie's sleeping form.
"It's okay, Katie." Sarah whispered. "I'm here...just like before, do you remember? I remember that night so well…" The room around Sarah dissolved into memories and thoughts as her memory took her back to that night…when she met that scared young lamia, Katie.