The Paris Escapade

Life just wasn’t fair! Why did Angie have to go off to Paris and leave me alone? Why did Gabriel have to go with her? He was just going to be mean to her, he wouldn’t appreciate the opportunity like I would. Why did I have to suffer all alone by myself?

I lay on the couch, one my side, my legs curled up, hugging a throw pillow to my stomach. Chris walked into the Living Room then and saw me. “She said she would be back in a week.” he said patiently to me. “We’re already halfway through.”

Okay, maybe I wasn’t completely alone...

The doorbell rang then. “That’ll be your friends, Steven and Ricky, was it?” Chris headed over to the door, keys jingling in his hand.

All right, I wasn’t alone at all, but it still wasn’t fair for Angie to leave me.

I sprang up from the couch and sprinted through the kitchen, skidding to a halt right behind Chris, whose massive frame blocked my view of the door completely. “Hold your horses.” He cautioned. “You’re going to knock me over.”

“If you don’t hurry up, I’ll lift you off the ground and toss you aside.” I warned him.

He laughed. “I’d like to see you try.”

“No you wouldn’t.”

He unlocked the door after a small eternity and I pushed past him to greet my guests. “Cassie!” I cried. Okay, maybe just one of my guests.

Cassandra, Ricky’s younger sister, was behind the guys. I slipped between them and hurled myself at the girl. “Cassie, Angie left me.” I said sadly.

“Callie, I tell you all the time, call me Cass.” she said gently. “Also, you’re hurting me.”

I loosened my grip on her. “Nooo.” I said. “I’m Callie, and you’re Cassie, it’s cool that way.”

She arched a brow skeptically. “We sound like an 80’s pop band.”

I smiled at her, feeling my spirits lighten a little. Cassie was no Angie, but she was funny and pretty. I admired her high cheekbones and chocolate skin. Her hair was short and thick, and always styled rakishly. Her features were an exotic blend of her African father and her Native American mother.

I took both of her hands in mine and led her into the house. Steven and Ricky were already standing in the kitchen, each of them carrying several large bags on their backs. They placed their bundles on the floor. “I hope we brought enough stuff.” Steven said seriously, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Ricky grinned at him. “Are you kidding? We can hole up here for days.”

“It’s been a while since we all had a sleepover.” Cassie said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “It’s just too bad Angie is not here, but I bet she’s having loads of fun in Paris.”

“Well, I don’t know about that.” I said cagily, looking to the side.

“Uh oh.” Steven said. “Lemme guess, trouble in paradise?”

“I take it she and Gabriel aren’t getting along.” Ricky said.

“What else is new?” I shook my head. “In the meantime, we have the next best thing.” I gestured to Chris. “This is Chris Statton, Angie’s older brother come home from overseas.”

Ricky was closest to Chris, and held his hand out first. Chris shook it firmly. “Pleased to meet you.” Ricky said. “I’m Ricky Andrews, this is my sister Cassandra.” He gestured to Cassie, who held out her hand.

“Can I call you Cass?” Chris asked her with a smirk.

“Please.” Cassie pleaded.

Chris shook hands with Steven next. “I can see the resemblance.” he commented.

“No you can’t.” Chris said, his smile unwavering. “Angie and I look nothing alike.”

Steven didn’t miss a beat. “You’re absolutely right.”

I clapped my hands together. “Into the living room, I’ve got a wonderful lineup for us tonight. We’re going to start with ‘Dracula’.”

Steven groaned. “They’re not all vampire movies, are they?”

“What’s wrong with vampire movies?” I asked huffily.

“They’re so Halloween.” I frowned at him and he sighed. “Fine, but nothing from the past decade. Cass has put us through enough torture.”

Cassie grinned. “I went a little crazy there, but you can’t blame me. All the girls at school were doing it, too. I’m over vampires now, though.” She waved her hand.

“Oh?” Steven asked her. “What is it this time? Werewolves?” He lowered his voice dramatically. “Dragons?”

“Nah, time travellers.” She grinned at me, her teeth the same brilliant white as her brother’s. “Time travellers are cute.”

“I’m afraid I’m fresh out of time travellers.” I said gravely. “All my vampires are old school, though.”

She arched a brow. “Young Brad Pitt?” she asked hopefully.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Chris moved the couch and the sofa chair. Steven and Ricky moved the glass coffee table while Cassie and I unpacked the sleeping bags. I took the opportunity to indulge in some idle gossip. Cassie had had a crush on Steven for years, the only problem was, so did Ricky. “How have things been lately?”

“Steven has been taking everything quite well,” she smiled. “but he won’t tell either one of us anything either way.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s just doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. He’s a sweetheart.”

“Cass, what have I told you about spreading those filthy lies?” Steven called from across the room.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have a talk with him later on.” I told Cassie quietly.

“Don’t start any trouble.” she whispered to me sternly.

“Me? Never.” I winked at her.

A few minutes later we were all settled down on the floor, except for Chris, who took the couch. “Are you going to feed us this time, Callie?” Ricky asked with a lazy grin.

“That’s right, you guys need food, don’t you?” I said, getting up.

“It’s funny how you always look so serious when you say that.”

“No worries guys, I got you covered.” I headed into the kitchen.

Steven gave me a cautious look. “You didn’t cook anything, did you?” He sniffed audibly. “Do you smell smoke?” he asked Ricky.

“Relax, I picked up a few things from the store.” I reassured them. All three of the guests visibly relaxed.

“I take it you’re not an ace in the kitchen?” Chris deduced.

“The last time was a disaster.” Steven told him. “I personally feared for my life. Callie herself was in hysterics for hours.”

“Hush.” I told him. “It was only a small fire.” I opened the fridge and pulled out a cheese platter and a vegetable platter, which I set on the table. “I can microwave some popcorn, if you guys want.”

“No!” Cassie, Ricky, and Steven said at the same time. Chris snickered.

Once everyone was fed, we finally settled down to watch the first movie. I had already seen it more than a few times, so after the first half hour my mind began to wander. My consciousness withdrew, into that place inside of me that meticulously sorted the threads of circumstances that surrounded me.

When I concentrated, I could always see things so clearly. It struck me as odd how everyone else always seemed so surprised by the events that went on around them, as if they came out of the blue, surprising them around corners. Things didn’t happen that way, everything happened for a reason, and usually through circumstances of their own machinations.

Angie for instance. She was always cooped up in this house with me and Gabriel. She had trust issues, most likely from an incident in her past. She trusted Gabriel only because he could not lie, and myself because I was a vampire like Gabriel. Other humans she did not trust. She didn’t show it, she was attractive and funny, and friendly to those she met. But... she did not reach out to others, instead withdrawing into herself more and more.

Suddenly, now, she was in an exotic locale far away from everyone who knew her. Here she could let her guard down, just a little, because she would be gone in a short time. She would probably never see these same people again. That kind of feeling would invigorate her, spur her forward, possibly into reckless situations. Someone was bound to notice it, and to respond to it. Of course, since she was now vulnerable, she would let herself feel for that person.

As soon as I had known about him, his thread wove into my mind, connecting to Angie’s. Now that I knew him to be real, I could follow his thread as well, tracing it backwards. There was something dark there. Of course there was, everyone had something dark in their past, but this man was a hunter. There was a reason why he was a hunter, something that had changed him one day, from victim to attacker.

Yes, he had been a victim once. That was the only reason someone devoted themselves to killing an entire species; because they had been hurt or wronged. It was possible that something had happened to someone close to him, but following that thread led nowhere. Instead, something had happened to him directly.

I found the spot in the thread, a snarl that tainted his entire existence. He had been hurt, and he still carried that hurt with him now. Most likely a physical deformity. Yes, it was his eye, it had been taken from him and replaced by a dark wound that sapped his strength from him.

Many threads were connected to his. There were people that loved and admired him. He would not let them see his pain, because it would hurt them to see it. That love would turn into pity, and even fear. He would hide it behind a veneer of forced levity, a shield against his own inner despair.

Angie could easily fall for this man, one tiny tip of the scales could decide it. He ran from his past headlong, just the way that she did, oftentimes not realizing that they both ran into increasing peril.

During my musings, I felt a tug on my own thread, the thick wire that all of the other threads branched off from. This was a substantial pull, something was coming towards me, pulling stronger the closer it came.

“Callie, are we going to start the next movie?”

I blinked and focused my attention on Cassie, who had waved a hand gently in front of my face. Behind her, credits were rolling up the TV screen. “I’m sorry.” I said. “I just love Bela Lugosi so much.”

She grinned. “Glad to see you’re still with us.”

“Does anyone hear that?” Steven asked, tilting his head to listen. He looked over at Chris. “Your pants are playing ‘Barbie Girl’.” He informed him.

“That’s not supposed to happen on Sundays.” he quipped, springing to his feet. He lifted up the couch cushion he was sitting on, revealing my cell phone. He picked it up and tossed it to me lightly.

I caught it with both hands and answered it. “Gabriel, I’m genuinely surprised. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” I pushed my mental musings to the side. They could be examined in greater detail later on.

“Have you seen anyone strange near the house?” The urgency in his voice was apparent, but I couldn’t help teasing him. It was one of those small joys that made my life that much brighter.

“Do you mean literally, or mentally?”

I could hear the barely restrained frustration, it made me feel warm inside. “Both.” he growled.

“No, but I’ll keep my antenna up. Right now I’m having this really wild party...” I looked around at the gang. Steven and Ricky were playing cards on top of their sleeping bags while Chris was showing Cassie a game on the TV.

“You’re not. I told you before I left, no parties.” His voice was so stern, but there was a hint of panic underneath.

“Did you? I don’t remember...” I tapped my finger against my chin.

“Tell him I threw up on his bed.” Steven said without looking up from his hand. “That’ll get him going.”

I gave him a thumbs up. “Uh oh, I think someone threw up on your bed.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

Looks like I had gone too far. I immediately backpedaled. “No... tell me how Angie’s doing.”

“She’s still alive.” His voice was completely lifeless.

“Oooo, someone sounds grumpy. Don’t like the new boy moving in on your turf?”

“What turf? I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“We’ll see about that.” I told him warningly.

I felt a presence send a shiver up my spine. I straightened up, tuning into it. It was outside, not that far away and coming closer, and distinctly vampiric in nature.

“What do you know? What’s going to happen?” Gabriel asked urgently, but I wasn’t listening. I hung up and rose to my feet.

“I’ll be right back.” I said to the room. I headed for the door, lifting the keyring off the kitchen table as I passed it.

Outside, the area was completely quiet and still. The white gravel that surrounded the house glittered in the moonlight. The line of trees started a hundred yards away, and it was there that I looked. A shadowy figure stood there, just outside of the moonlight.

“Who are you?” I said softly, knowing that they could hear.

The figure stepped forward. Long blonde hair shone under the moonlight, the slim figure stood with her arms folded casually at stomach height. A familiar half smile was on her lips, sarcastic and condescending.

“Callisto?” I asked, my eyes wide.

Months of suppressed feelings washed over me. My sister, my twin. My other half, who had made all the decisions for us, protected me from harm. She was my equal, but opposite. Vicious where I was demure, loud where I was quiet, forceful where I was reserved. She was everything I wasn’t, and everything I needed, and I missed her more than anything else in the world.

Before I knew what I was doing, I had raced across the white gravel and hurled myself at my sister. I fell to my knees, hugging her around her waist. Tears poured down my cheeks. “I missed you so much...” I whimpered.

Gentle hands stroked the top of my head. I looked up at her. “How are you here?” I asked in wonder. “Gabriel killed you.”

She cupped her hands on the sides of my face, leaning her face down to mine. I looked up into her eyes that mirrored my own, and paused. This looked like Callisto, perfectly, but...

It was not her. There was no connection between us, no unbreakable bond that came from twin sisters who were closer to each other than anyone else in the world. This was not my other half.

“Who are you?” I asked. I tried to pull back, but her hands tightened on my face, holding me still as she continued to lean in, her lips pursed slightly.

“Let me go!” I said in a flash of anger. I pushed away from her, falling backwards. Her expression did not change. “Who are you!” I screamed.

Still without a word, she raised one hand, then brought it down on the side of my face quickly. The blow knocked me to the side, pain exploding behind my eyes. White gravel was sent flying as I skidded into it. I got to my feet and faced the thing with my sister’s face, her eyes staring at me hollowly.

She dove at me, bearing me back into the ground. She held my arms down, leaning her face into mine again. I struggled, but it was in vain; her grip was unbreakable. She pressed her lips to mine and my energy flowed out of me. Exhaustion rushed in, and my struggles grew feeble.

Over her shoulder, I saw a massive shadow fall over us. Moonlight reflected off a long silver curve, which descended like a guillotine. The silver arc cut right through my attackers torso with no resistance. A trail of black smoke clung to the blade as it passed.

I was released at once as the thing turned on my rescuer. There was no mark on her torso where the blade had passed, not even on her clothes.

The sword flashed again, slicing swiftly through it’s opponent, first at the neck, then at the torso again. Wisps of black smoke were the only signs the sword had cut anything.

I sat up and reached out for the thing’s arm. My hand closed around it’s wrist and I pulled it to the ground. The silver blade was thrust through the thing’s chest. Black smoke rose up and the thing disintegrated before my eyes.

I sat on the gravel and stared at the spot where my sister’s face had disappeared. I didn’t look up when Chris knelt down in front of me. “Are you okay?”

“Get that thing away from me.” I said. The silver sword in his hand shone naked under the moonlight.

“Sorry.” He sheathed the sword, hiding the deadly silver. “It must have been something, fighting off a clone of yourself.”

“It wasn’t a clone.” My voice was bitter as my hands clenched. “That awful thing took on the form of my dead sister.”

Chris drew in a sharp breath. “Oh Callie, I’m sorry.” He placed one huge hand on my shoulder. “You poor thing.”

I shrugged off his hand and stood up quickly. “Thank you for saving me, but leave me alone.” I turned away from him, crossing my arms over my chest.

“I understand.” he said. “You’ve been through a nasty shock. I’ll go put this back where I found it.”

When he was gone, I felt my face crumple. Hot tears splashed on my arm. I was silent as I cried, as I finally let emotions I had buried for months come to the surface.

As I grieved.