~A preview for my new story O'Dark Thirty. An Alec/OC story with some Marcus/OC thrown in, though I have yet to figure out how prominent it will be. I will finish my current Alec/OC story before truly starting this one, I just wanted to get the preview out here (and out of my head). I know a lot doesn't make sense right now, but that's because it's a preview, not a tell-all. Please review and let me know what you think.~
She huddled in the darkest corner of the library, intently examining the titles on the side bindings of the thoroughly aged writings. Here, she was safe. Huddled in the dark, behind rows and rows of shelves and surrounding by boxes of miscellaneous items, she was safe from the world. From the light, the people, the danger. The darkness was safe. In the darkness, she could hide from it all. Here, in her hiding, she stood a chance.
From the hallway, mumbled voices were heard. She didn't know if they were real or not. Often times her mind would play tricks on her, making her see or hear or feel things that didn't exist in any form of commonly accepted reality. Laviana said that was normal. Maybe it was in Laviana's world, but Laviana's world and the real world were two very different places.
Soon, it was proven that the voices were perfectly real as the door to the library was opened and the voices flowed inside. She absentmindedly slid a book off of the shelf and slipped further into the shadows.
"I sincerely appreciate your assistance in the matter, Laviana." An upbeat, male voice announced.
"Oh, it's my pleasure, Aro. You know I'm always willing to help an old friend." Laviana reassured him. She could hear the smile in the witch's voice.
"I've heard rumors that you are no longer alone in this exceptionally large dwelling. Is that true?"
Laviana laughed, "Oh Aro, I've told you many times: no one is ever alone. But in reference to having another intelligent creature present in my physical world, the rumors are true."
Yes, no one was ever alone. That was one of the first things Laviana had told her. She had explained the way "The System" was set up. There was a world and within that world there was a universe and within the universe was a galaxy. Within the galaxy was a solar system. Within the solar system was a planet. That planet had planes of existence. Most people exist on the physical plane, taking over a physical body. Once that body dies, the soul moves onto another plane. This is where the modern concept of heaven and hell developed from. Instead of two- however- there are dozens. Gifted ones exist on multiple planes at a single time. But each gift has its own plane. Oracles exist on a separate plane than mediums, telepaths on a different one than telekinetics and so on and so on. Laviana had told her that she existed on a healthy number of planes, which is commonly referred to as being a witch. She said that the reason the younger girl would hear, see and feel things is because she was in tune with multiple planes of bodiless souls, or "ghosts" as they are commonly referred to as. In her mind, this just solidified the argument of this Laviana woman being nuts. A very kind and helpful person…but nuts.
"Where is the creature in question?" Aro asked.
"Probably somewhere in here, actually. She is very shy, prefers the shadows."
"Hmm." Aro murmured thoughtfully.
Uh oh. She didn't like that sound. That was the sound of curiosity. Curiosity was usually coupled with investigation. Damn Laviana. Damn her to hell.
She heard a footstep echo through the shelves and books and panic electrified her body. No, no, bad. She had to get away. She had to distract him. Okay, he and Laviana are closed to the door, but if she snuck along the back wall, she could maybe get around them. She would just need a distraction.
She thought back to the book that she was now clutching to her chest and looked around her, going through her options. If she snuck, she'd have to throw the book closer to where she herself would be, drawing their attention to the door. If she threw from her current position to the other side of the room, their attention would be away from the door, but she would have to run. Choose. Choose. One way or the other.
She rose to the balls of her bare feet, took a calming breath, and chucked the booked. When it crashed into the wall, she bolted.
Aro turned to the door just in time to see a streak of wheat colored hair quickly turn the corner.
"Shy, indeed." He observed offhandedly.
"She's extremely gifted," Laviana told Aro as they sat down for a drink. For her tea, for him, blood.
"She wouldn't be with you if she weren't." Aro told his longtime friend, "You always select the brightest and most capable of students."
"I don't like wasting my time," She said with slight indignation, "Though I feel I may be with her."
A look of concern crossed his face, "Just why would you think that, dear Laviana?"
The witch sighed, "She is not as accepting to her magic as the others were. She fights it with a stubbornness I rarely see. She hides from me more often than not and explains away any potential sign of her gifts. Most people consider at least some things to be unexplainable, and therein lies the opportunity to open the window of acceptance of the supernatural, but she'll find a way to explain anything. Even if it's at the expense of her own sanity. She truly believes she's crazy, you know? That her grasp on reality is continually slipping, and she is prepared for it to be gone one day."
"And you're certain that she is not mad?"
"Not entirely, no." Laviana admitted, "You'd be too. Oh Aro, the world she knows…it disgusts me to know that while working to defend humans from so many evils, I must still allow human evils to continue on."
Aro nodded in agreement, a far off look in his glazed red eyes. "The things that humans are capable of...barbaric in every sense of the word."
"Just repulsive."
~8~
The young girl in question just nodded her head from up in her room where she had kept an ear to the ventilation shaft. Humans were disgusting. Humans were repulsive. Humans were barbaric. She didn't care for them much. She hid from them often. Actually, she hid from everyone. Her life was nothing more than a game of hide-and-seek. Occasionally someone would call 'Olly Olly Oxen Free', but she never trusted it. So she stayed hidden, stayed safe.
"Stop playing."
She whipped her head around, eyes searching her darkening room for the source of the voice. There was none. Fabulous.
From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a minute, cerulean light, but there was nothing there when she turned to look. For quite a while it stayed there in her peripheral vision, before leaving once and for all.
With a deep, silent breath, she silently moved to her bed. She grabbed a pillow and a throw blanket, tossed them to the stone floor and laid down, curling up and resting. For the time being, that is.
"Good night, Agatha."
Her silver eyes shot open.
We could a chill, on haunted hill: where the saddest parts inside my heart, can live in the past- leave me at last.
Haunted Hill by Holly Brook (aka Skylar Grey)
Please review with your thoughts.