i knooow people are confused and im sorry for that, things will be explained in time. for now just be confused, it makes things more interesting. remember this IS a supernatural based story so no Tommy is not off his rocker and yes creepy and unnerving things will happen in the future. just stay tuned. sorry for the delay in updating i kiiiiiiiinda forgot i was posting on here coughslooks around innocently


The first thing I see when I open my eyes is Amber, dipping a washcloth into a bowl. She gives me a small smile and pats the cool cloth around my face, neck and chest and neck. I close my eyes gratefully as I feel my body relax. She sighs and re-wets the cloth.

"You should know better by now than to mess with things you do not understand," she scolds. Well, I believe it's her intention to scold. She seems more relieved than anything, and I realize I'm probably lucky to have woken up at all.

"I thought...maybe...I could touch her, feel her again..." My already weak voice cracks as warm tears fill my eyes. Amber nods understandingly and runs the cloth down my chest again.

"I don't know what kind of energy the mirror zapped you with, but my mother says it probably had the same power as 10,000 volts of electricity. You've been having convulsions for hours, it's a miracle your not dead."

I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head. "I won't die, not yet."

"The fates want to make you suffer for your sins," Amber tells me with a solemn expression. "You love this girl, her suffering will be your ultimate downfall."

"She hasn't sinned," I argue. "She has nothing to draw her to this place. She has no reason to suffer."

Amber brushes her hand across my cheek in an oddly maternal fashion and shakes her head. "Tommy, she loves you. Love is a power that magic cannot touch. Her innocence won't divert her path. She's doomed."

Her hand is trembling as she brings the cloth back to my skin. I close mine over it. She freezes and looks at me. I can see images of her past flash behind her eyes, I can see her heart slowly fall to pieces. The door creaks open and her eyes dart away from me, towards the figure of a small girl standing and staring at us.

"Nikki!" She exclaims, running to the girl and scooping her up in her arms. "What are you doing out of bed? Where's Abuela?"

Nikki blinks at her blankly and then snaps her focus to me. I force a small smile. I remember the day I arrived here, that little girl crying for her mommy, her grandmother watching me as I knelt down to comfort her. I don't know why I feel so drawn to these three women, but I feel like it's my duty to protect them. Maybe it's because of how much they've protected me.

"I'm here," said another voice from the doorway. It was an older woman this time. Her rightful name is Arielle, but I've come to call her Abuela, just like Amber and Nikki.

"She's supposed to be resting," Amber snaps angrily. Abuela shakes her head.

"You think she can rest any easier than you do? Amber this is your daughter, you need to be there when she needs you."

"She will never truly need me," Amber hisses at her mother. She kisses the top of Nikki's head and sets her down before returning to my side and picking up the washcloth again. "Right now this is where I'm needed."

"Eres su madre!" Abuela yells in her thick Mexican accent. Amber glares at her.

"Soy su asesina," she answers coolly. Without another word she gets up and walks out of the room. Abuela rubs the bridge of her nose and picks up a very scared looking Nikki.

"I'm sorry son," she tells me as she consoles the girl. "She blames herself, you know, for everything." I nod. "But, enough of this nonsense. We are always so negative around here."

"The lingering scent of death tends to put a damper on optimism," I point out. Abuela waves me off.

"Nonsense, we all die sooner or later. If we went around being depressed about it, we'd waste our lives. Now tell me, how are you feeling?"

"Better," I answer truthfully.

"I saw the mirror, after you touched it. It was glowing. Her face was shining through the glass, as though desperate to break free...She is very pretty."

"Yea," I smile. "Very pretty." The glowing mirror doesn't get to her but she's interested in the fact I have some taste in the women I choose. Typical.

"When she comes, we will protect her. She'll be ok."

"You don't know Jude," I say quietly. "She won't do as she's told, she won't be easy to protect."

Abuela nods and smiles warmly. "We will try."

xXx

It's dark, I know it's late, but I wake up anyway. I hear what sounds suspiciously like sobs coming from the next room. Amber's room. I quietly climb out of bed.

I knock lightly on her door. From beyond the door I can hear footsteps shuffling and hushed swears as Amber makes herself decent. The door creaks open and I see her tan, tear-stained face in the dim midnight light.

"What do you want?" she asks, a little more sharply than necessary.

"I thought I heard someone crying," I explain, ignoring her tone. "I wanted to make sure you and Nikki were alright."

"Nikki's down the hall with my mom," Amber mutters. "She 'missed her Abuela'. And I'm perfectly alright so you can just go back to bed. Sorry for waking you."

"Do you wanna talk?" I ask. She hesitates for a moment and then shakes her head. I can tell she's lying. I open the door wider, and when she doesn't object I walk into her room.

I've never actually been in Amber's room before. She's been here a lot longer than me, so I guess I was expecting something a little personalized, but her room looks just like every other room here. The only thing different is a framed photo of her, Nikki, and Nikki's father, which is currently lying face up on the bed. It must be why she was crying. I walk over and pick it up.

"This is Edmund?" I ask. Amber nods.

"The anniversary of his death is coming up."

"Oh," I place the picture down gently, like its a sacred relic threatening to fall apart at any moment. "I'm sorry."

"I still feel his presence. Mom says his spirit stays with me and Nikki. I believe her. I can see him in Nikki's eyes," she reaches up and touches the necklace that always hangs around her neck. "I miss him."

"Tell me about him," I say, taking a seat on the bed. Amber smiles and sits down next to me.

"He was black, thats why my dad liked him. My dad was black to, he said if I married a black man the genetics would shift in his favor. Mom liked his eyes, he had very kind eyes."

"Why did you like him?" I ask. I can tell she's enjoying the conversation.

"He made me feel like I could do anything. He made me feel special. Sexy, even. I was only 14 when I got pregnant...but he made it seem like it would be ok. He told me we would raise our baby together. I think he would've kept that promise if he could've."

"How did he die?"

Amber freezes at this question. She clears her throat and hastily rises to her feet.

"We shouldn't talk about this anymore."

"Amber, I didn't mean to spook you-"

"It's not you," she assures me quickly. "It's just..." Her eyes roam the walls, she seems unsteady on her feet. I help her back to the bed and she buries her face in her hands.

"It was this place," she murmurs. "He didn't belong here. I didn't either, not really. My mother did, and I was so young...I had to come along. Edmund wouldn't let me leave without him."

"So what happened?"

"I assume you've realized by now supernatural forces are at work here?" she asks coolly. I nod. It's a hard thing not to pick up on. "Every blue moon, a life is claimed."

"A blue moon...when there's two full moons in the same month?" I ask. She nods.

"My husband was a sacrifice. He was innocent, his hands were clean. The next blue moon comes in a month. On that full moon, innocent blood will be spilled."

"Are you...uh...innocent?" Amber nods.

"Me and my daughter both. You're safe. I don't know what you've done, but if you were innocent you wouldn't be here."

I nod. "So either you are Nikki...you're going to die in a month?"

"One of us, or possibly...Tommy, if Jude finds you here-"

"No," I cut her off. Jude can't be in danger.

"You said yourself she hasn't sinned. If Jude finds you before the blue moon, she could be taken as the next sacrifice."

"I don't believe you." I state simply.

"You think I could make this shit up?" she asks. "You think I want my daughter to be the next to die? I couldn't protect Edmund, I will protect her."

I nod understandingly. "Amber...do you know why we're here? What these...forces, want with us?"

"No," she answers. "I don't know my mother's sin and I don't know yours. I don't know what you did powerful enough to make your soul obsolete. I don't know how you can repent. But as you've been told, if you don't escape, you will die here."

"I won't die here, and neither will you. Neither will Nikki. We will figure this out," I close my hand over hers. "Together."

Amber looks down at our hands and I can see the gears turning in her head. She looks so fragile, like the slightest breeze could break her to pieces. I watch as she takes a deep steadying breath and brings her eyes back up to mine. Her gaze is fierce and I find myself getting lost in within the swimming pools of chocolate that are her eyes. Our faces are getting closer, drawn together by some invisible force. Her eyes close. She's only an inch away. I turn my head.

"This is a bad idea," I whisper.

"Tommy," she whispers back. "I've been alone, for so long. You left Jude behind. We aren't doing anything wrong."

I look into her eyes again. That same stare sucks me in. She's moving back towards me.

"Don't fight it," she whispers, and I don't. Her soft, warm lips brush against mine and I feel my reserve fall away. I'd almost forgotten what a woman's touch felt like. I tighten my grip on her hand as she pushes harder against my lips. Her free hand comes up and runs through my hair as her tongue seeks entrance into my mouth. We're completely lost in each other, yet both our hearts belong elsewhere. Her heart resides with the dead, mine resides with the living. But, for now, we just hang on to what's right in front of us, instead of to our pasts.