To Thine Own Soul, Be True When James had asked me out, I wasn’t looking for love. I wasn’t looking for that feeling in my stomach I got whenever he was around. I didn’t ask for it, so I am still confused as to why it hurt so much when it was through. “It”, of course, being the friendship that developed between James and I so quickly. I didn’t ask for it, and I didn’t want it. I didn’t really want it until it was gone.
Being that vacation was over, and school was to start the next day, I hoped to have a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Since Luthar usually gets his way, I am not surprised he managed to ruin my last day of relaxation.
***
There was nothing on tv, but flipping the channels countless times was better than any other idea I had. My thumb was beginning to cramp, and my eyelids were getting droopy, so I finally gave up my futile search for entertainment, opened my book, How I Got Back My Ex in 30 Days, and began to read.
I was just getting to the real juicy part of my novel when a drop of blood stained page 129. I looked up, and found my friend Jasmine floating above me. She smiled an open-toothed grin, showing her sharp fangs, dripping red.
“You’ve been eating,” I replied nonchalantly.
“Yep. A middle-aged man in a Porsche.”
“A Porsche? I thought you hated small cars.”
“I do, but I’m a real sucker for anything with speed,” she shrugged.
“Well, do you have to mark my bedspread with your meal?” I replied, looking at the beads of red, now soaking into my new quilt.
“Sorry, but I was told some important news I thought you’d like to hear.”
I looked up at my friend, still floating near the ceiling. (She never walked on the ground when my cats were nearby, and KiKi, Salem, and Hannibal were sleeping in the corner.) I said, “And what news would that be?”
“Luthar is in town.”
***
I think I woke twenty minutes later, wet and shivering.
“Geez, Jasmine, why’d ya have to throw my soda on me?”
“Well, you were out cold and the Sprite was the closest thing.”
“Why does my face hurt?” I moved my jaw around, wincing from the pain.
“I slapped you a couple times before I tried the soda.”
“Whatever,” I got up and went to the bathroom to dry off. “Is what you said, true? About Luthar?”
“Unfortunately, yes. But you sound so calm. Aren’t you frightened?”
“Hell yes, I’m frightened! That bastard has me scared shitless, but I’ve just had my reaction for the evening.”
Jasmine just nodded, and went to get me a dry shirt. She was finally on the ground, but only because she had shut up my cats in the laundry room first.
“As soon as you get changed, we’re going downtown to confront him. He’s waiting for you.”
“Why should I confront him? Can’t I just stay as far away from him as possible?” I shut off the bathroom light and walked to my small, tidy kitchen. Jasmine followed.
“Caroline, you have to stand up to him and get it over with. We gotta fight for our rights. Otherwise, he’ll hunt you for the rest of your life, and you know how long your life is going to be.”
“Look, you can go down and bully him as much as you like, I’m not stopping you,” I pushed past her and sat on my black leather couch. “I, however, have an advanced mythology class in the morning in which my oral report is due, and my college professor would be none too happy if his ‘star pupil’ got herself killed. Luthar can threaten me all he wants, but I’m not backing down.”
“Okay, I get the not-backing-down part, but why won’t you attack the situation, instead of letting him make the first move?”
“I’ll give you three reasons, Jas,” I held up my fingers.
“Yeah, and what would those be?” Jasmine put her hands on her hips, trying to act like the know-it-all she thought she was.
“One, my soul is my soul. He can’t take it unless I allow him to. Two, he doesn’t know where I live, so he can’t attack me in the night. Three, he freaks the hell outta me, and I’m not idiot enough to put myself in danger. Now, my favorite show is on, so go back to your Porsche.”
Jasmine held up her hands in surrender, “Fine, fine, but I won’t be there to help you when he has a knife to your throat.”
“Luthar doesn’t believe in knives. He uses his fingernails to cut people open,” I called over my shoulder, just as Jasmine was headed out the door.
Her fading voice replied, “You’re sick, Carrie, you know that?”
***
The next day, I proceeded to present my report to my class. It was specifically on the urban legends of Old England. Rather ironic, since London in those times was the vampire capital of the world. Not that I would know first hand; I was made in the early nineties.
After my report was through, and Mr. Fielding had given his interpretation, class was dismissed and I went to join my friend Isabel for lunch.
Getting into my new Ford Tundra (a gift from Jasmine), I turned up the radio as loud as I dared and zoomed onto the highway. I floored it all the way to Johnson, Jackson & Neal, the legal office where both Isabel and James work. Isabel is one of the legal secretaries and James brings the mail and takes the lunch orders. (It’s a crappy job, but someone’s gotta do it.)
As soon as I walked into the front office, several of the lawyers crowded around me, asking how I was, where I’ve been, and why haven’t I called? This was my former place of work, so I had made lots of friends including Isabel. Speaking of which, she got up from her desk and pushed her way through the small crowd.
“Caroline, if you can tear yourself away, let’s go.”
“Alright. Hey, Francie, call me and tell me how your case goes. We should have lunch tomorrow,” I quickly said to my friend, before Isabel tore me away from the herd.
Farrah waved goodbye, Erica nodded while copying some documents, and Gwen yelled her farewell while faxing something.
***
“So, does James talk about me?” I asked my friend while absently stirring my mochaccino. We were at the Veranda, an outdoor restaurant.
Isabel looked at me nervously, “The truth, or do you want me to lie?”
“Truth,” I sighed.
“He hasn’t mentioned one thing to either me or the other girls. We’re all wondering whether or not he really did break up with you.”
“I told you guys already. He did, and in not a very nice way either.”
“Why do you want to know if he’s mentioned you, anyhow?”
“I need to talk to him about the whole thing.”
“Just forget about him, Carrie, he doesn’t deserve you.”
I set my spoon down and motioned for the waiter. “I know he was a real jerk to me, and he doesn’t deserve to live in the same universe as me, but he’s a guy, so I can’t really blame him. Plus, deep down, I’m sure we’re meant to be together, even if it’s casual dating, or just being friends.”
“That’s twisted.”
The waiter came to our table and said in a voice so stiff you’d think his vocal chords had been starched, “Is there anything I can help you with?”
I looked up at his blank face. “We’d like our check please.”
“It’s on me,” Isabel said, bringing out her wallet after the waiter left.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I got some overtime last month.” The waiter dropped off a small burgundy folder, and walked militantly away. Isabel opened it, and her face went white in shock. “Hey Carrie, how ‘bout I get the next one? I only have enough cash to cover the tip.”
“Alright,” I laughed. I pulled out my checkbook and filled out the amount.
“Did I really eat that much chicken salad, or are they making us pay for the slaughter of the hens, too?” Isabel said in a shocked voice.
I laughed again, “Well how much do you think it costs for lunch in Reno?”
I slipped the check into the folder and left it on the table. Isabel put $20 on the table, a 15% tip. We left the restaurant, and got back in the car.
While we were driving back to the office, my cell phone rang.
“This is Brewster. Oh hi Nina, what’s up? Lunch? This Saturday? Sure, I’ll pencil you in. See you then, bye.”
“Who was that?” Isabel asked, while I wrote the engagement in my day planner.
“That was just a friend of mine from school. I met her in my mythology class.”
Isabel changed the subject. “James will be off his lunch hour by now. Are you going to talk to him today?”
“If he doesn’t run away at the sight of me, yeah. I plan on giving him something to cry about.”
“Hey, let’s listen to some music. How ‘bout something loud?”
I smiled my largest as I slipped in my Kid Rock CD, “Now you’re speakin’ my language!” The heavy bass pounded through the stereo, and Belle turned it up until the truck was practically jumping. We headbanged all the way back to the firm.
Chapter 1
I took the breakup pretty hard. I had never received the chance to tell him my secret, and now he would never know. The problem now, was that although I wanted to solve the predicament between James and me, a new obstacle surfaced and demanded my attention. Luthar, my maker, had found me and was after my immortal soul. I had managed to keep my humanity within me, even after Luthar consumed my mortality. Now, he wanted what I owed, and he would not stop to get it. My current situation was turning out to be quite complicated.