Chapter 3 - Outside Pt. 1

-----------------

Downtown

Lewis Clan

11:15 am

Kat sat in the hallway, listening to Lewis rant. It’s been half an hour since Charlotte came back and most of that time had been spent in that office. She had to admit she was also very curious as to the spell the witches used. She had spent hours behind her desktop trying to figure it out. The only conclusion she came up with was that either someone very powerful taught them the spell, or it was home-made! In her entire being she prayed it was the first hoping that she might learn it somehow. The witches would not share the spell if it is home-made. Let alone to the side the latest attack came from…

When Charlotte came out her face had an irritated expression. Kat decided not to push her about the spell. ‘What was all that about?’ she decided to ask instead. Charlotte waited for the door to close behind her before answering.

‘The usual… you work your ass off doing what it is she wants you to do;  knowing in the back of your mind that she’ll never be satisfied… And in my case, when the job doesn’t go as SHE originally planned it, she makes it sound as if I’ve just brought on the apocalypse. Unreasonable bitch! If she’s gonna bitch about everything I do around here, why doesn’t she get off her ass and do it herself. My job was to get information on the witches, which I did. And when I was ready to come home she wanted me to watch super-freak over there?! If he made it out of there alive, he better stay hidden if he knows what’s good for him’ Charlotte spat.

‘He won’t! She promised him his freedom if he helped her. I’d come back… too…’ Kat’s voice trailed off when her thoughts went back to Lewis’ reaction last night; the indifference in her stance after hearing the first report.

‘Freedom?’ Charlotte said in a scuffing sound. ‘She e-mailed me the contract on his head right there in my car. He was already dead before entering the witches’ house. I mean, did he honestly believe her? The head of a Vampire Hunter’s Clan promises to set a vampire free?

Ever since I came here I’ve been second guessing everything that comes out of her mouth… Hmh, freedom. As soon as I find the vampire that killed my brother, I’m done with this shit’

‘A vampire killed your brother?’ Kat asked a hint of caution in her voice. The last thing she needed was Charlotte lashing at her for invading her privacy. Charlotte’s eyes glazed over – there was a moment of silence. ‘Yes…’she finally said; her voice, close to a whisper.

It was quite an uncomfortable moment for both of them since they’ve never discussed why or how they ended up being hunters. Charlotte didn’t want to raise any more questions from Kat and made a move for the stairs.

‘Now if you don’t mind, I’m gonna pretend to be dead for a few hours! I’ll put out the fuck-off sign for the others, ‘cause if I stay up another minute, I might kill something; Vampire or not!’

‘Hm-mm! Hey, I’m going to the store later. Need anything?’

‘Yeah, a new life! And get me another Job while you’re at it…’

------------------

RiverBlossom Hills

Allen – Bison Residence

11.35 am

‘A premonition while you were sleeping? That’s gotta be a first? What did you see?’ Julie enthusiastically said jumping on the counter; the smell of Jane’s famous pancakes with chocolate syrup filling the kitchen.

‘I saw exactly what happened in grams’ room this morning, Jules – A hooded man standing next to her bed. If I hadn’t gotten there in time… who knows what would’ve happened. He was this close, THIS close to hurting grams’ Jane let out with a sigh. ‘I don’t mind the premonitions, but the least they could do was give me a bit of time-space before it would actually happen, not 1 minute!’ Jane agitated while serving the pancakes. The extra chocolate she put on them was melting to the sides ‘I mean, what’s the use of my gift if I can’t do anything with it… If it’s in the house, then okay… But what if it’s a premonition about the neighbor and…and her stove ready to explode? What should I do then with the 1-2 minute time-space? It takes that long to even get to her house…’ Jane knew she was ranting, but she had to get it out. Throw it all into the air. Relieve her mind of the pressure of the thoughts she had harbored for quite some time.

‘Hmm, well at least you can try and save the people in your premonitions! Look at my gift… Is there anything more lame than what is it… Postmonition? I don’t think anyone in my vision will be needing help anytime soon. Some of them are already dead most of the time. I’d trade places with you anytime, sis! I would be voted world’s most worthless witch if it weren’t for our active power…’ Julie reassured her sister, taking another syrupy bite. ‘Maybe the time-frame is short because we’re not fully trained yet. I mean, it could be, right? Jane?’

‘Yeah, maybe… I just don’t want to be reminded of the shortcomings and every time I don’t get there on time I feel the same as I did when…’ Jane’s voice trailed off as she turned her face from her sister.

‘When what, Janey?’

‘…when mom died’ Jane continued almost reluctant to say the words.

She heard Julie swallow that piece of pancake as if it was a stone stuck in her throat. It had been long since, never, that the incident with their mother had been mentioned.

Recovered from the stone Julie was the first to find her voice. ‘But back then we didn’t know it was going to happ…’

‘I did! I saw it happen Jules…’ Jane cut in, her knuckles turning white from the pressure she put on her hands. Julie let out a heavy sigh. Being her twin she knew what her sister was feeling; the pain, the guilt of not being able to do something.

‘…y-yeah, but we were 7, Janey… We wouldn’t have been able to do anything. We didn’t even know about our abilities back then. Mom shrugged it off as a nightmare. Maybe she did believe it, maybe she didn’t. Maybe she didn’t want us to worry about it, we were little. She was just protecting us…’ Julie said to comfort her sister and maybe even herself.

‘Doesn’t take away the hurt’ Jane replied, unconsciously braiding and unbraiding her fingers.

Rosalie, who had overheard them from the living-room, came into the kitchen exactly as the words left Jane’s mouth. It was then and there she decided it was time. After the attack last night, they needed to know the truth; even if it didn’t actually include them.

‘Jane-Julie, could you meet me in the living-room. There’s something I need to confide in you.’

 -------------

Downtown – Lewis Clan

12:30 pm

Charlotte wasn’t able to get the rest she would’ve liked. After mentioning her brother’s incident to Cat, she was once again haunted by it, leaving an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She glanced at her wall clock, revealing she had been resting for little over an hour. Not near enough for someone who’s been playing watchdog for almost the entire night. Still, she was too edgy to prolong her sleep. The soft knocks on her door stirred in Charlotte an urge to curse. Resisting the urge, which is pretty unusual for her, she turned her head towards Kat, now appearing in front of her bed.

‘Don’t look at me like that, I didn’t plan this.’ Missy’ found another hole and requires our cleaning services. I really think she has a thing for you since she specifically told me to partner up with you. Knowing pretty well you’ve got to be tired. Jessica and Alex are bored out of their wits looking for a job and still she insisted on you. Sorry...’

‘Don’t be’ Charlotte said getting up, ‘That’s the downside of being in the service of someone. Whatever and whenever you HAVE to obey. Let me freshen up and get my things!’ Charlotte said grabbing the towel off the stand and disappearing in the small adjoining bathroom.

Charlotte was done getting ready in a mere 10 minutes. ‘You know, this will be the first time working together after an entire year’ Kat mused, while Charlotte did her routine of checking if she had everything for the job. Knives, stakes, gun – a hunter must be prepared for everything. Her routine ended with the gentle stroke of the little piggy on the corn. She always finished with that gesture, Kat always wondered why. She’d ask her about it one day.

‘Yeah’ Charlotte answered, ‘Those were the fun days, when we didn’t have so much work’ She looked at the crazy pictures she and Kat took in some photo-booth, she couldn’t even remember the location of.

‘Now those fanged-asses have such great numbers that I can’t even have a good night’s rest. God, you have no idea how much I hate…’

‘Vampires?’ Julie mused, smiling from ear to ear, ‘Come on grams, that’s absurd. Everyone knows that vampires don’t exist’.

Jane didn’t seem very amused by the revelation. Being grabbed by the neck and lifted as if you weight nothing tends to change one’s believes.

‘That’s what they used to say about witches, Julie. Is it that far of a stretch that a vampire does exist?’

‘No, but… Ugh’ Julie sat down on the edge of the couch. It’s not like she could deny the witches’ part. Hell, she was one. But vampires, she wasn’t sure of. ‘Well, even if they exist, what do they want with you Grams?’

‘My guess would be it has something to do with a prophecy I once predicted, but I honestly don’t think it’s them per se. After all, the vampires won’t get anything from harming me’

‘So you think they’re working for someone? Wait, prophecy? What prophecy? You can prophesize?’ Julie’s eyes lit up in both excitement and confusion.

‘I used to. I blocked that part of my mind 25 years ago. I haven’t prophesized since’.

‘But grams, surely you must know which prophecy they’re after? Maybe that will help us predict their next move’

‘That's the problem, dear! I don’t know which one. If I had made only a handful of prophecies, I might’ve remembered. But there are just too many to remember them all and only so many years have passed. I’ve gotten old.’

‘But there must be some way? Julie pushed.

‘Oh wait, I believe there is. You can search the prophecies yourself. There’s a woman, a witch. Jean di Gorgio. I can’t believe I had forgotten her. She and I had worked together many years ago. She calls herself ‘The Keeper’. No one but a few friends and I knew what she was keeping since it was we who gave her the name. We called her ‘The Keeper of Prophecies’ in full. Cheesy, I know, but we were young. She took it upon herself to keep whatever prophecies we made save, sheltered.’

Jane, who hadn’t uttered a word since entering the living-room, got up from the couch and walked over to the window.

‘Jane?’

‘It is settled then. We find this woman and search through the prophecies. Where does she live, Grams?’ Jane said to make it known that she had been listening.

‘I have her address written in my address-book. Julie, it’s in my room; the drawer next to my bed. Be a dear and get it will you’

Julie made a sound that made Rosalie frown. ‘Ugh, isn’t there a spell to just call for it. Like that ~Booook~ witch from ‘Hocus-Pocus’ Julie slumped towards the bedroom. Sure there is, but there’s no way I’m teaching you that one, dearest! Rosalie thought, smiling inward. She turned her attention back to Jane. ‘I sure hope she still lives there. I haven’t had contact with her since I blocked my mind and with no prophecies to send to her the contact just thinned out. It’s been a whole 25 years already.’

‘Here you go grams’ Julie said handing over the address-book to Rosalie. ‘Will she help us if we tell her you send us?

‘She might, but she could also think it a trap using my name. I’ll write her a letter. I’ll enchant it with notes and memories only she can access. Give it to her when you meet. She’ll know then that you’re not lying’

‘Don’t worry grams, we’ll find her… We’ll get to the bottom of this… I promise!’

To be continued…

---------------------------