Hey y`all- yaaay, you`re still reading :D Okay, this is gonna be the chapter, where the truth is told and you`re gonna understand what this is all about. I hope, you won`t be disappointed or stop reading without giving this topic a chance… So, if you like it, please review and I keep my fingers cross, that you will continue reading ;)
Chapter 4.
I came home quite close to dawn.
The last time, I had eaten more than a snack to survive, was almost two days ago, but I was too tired and exhausted to go and find me something.
My precious little house was just at the edge of Forest Hill Cemetery, so it was quite peaceful and not as busy as it was in the middle of the city.
It had been quite easy to get to buy the house, cause there were not many people, who wanted to live that close to a cemetery.
I found it by far more scary, to live among other people.
I lay myself down on my huge dark wooden bed and wrapped the snuggly black blanket tight around me.
How I wished, I could just switch off my brain for a few hours of peace.
But the memories were coming back to me. Pictures. Noises. Even the smell...
It was more than 32 years ago.
I was a detective in Boston. The only female back then and I had fought hard to live up to my male colleagues.
It took me some time, but finally I had made myself a reputation. I was good. One of the best.
Bostons criminals hated me. I was proud. And stupid.
We were after one of Bostons most wanted- an irish mob hit man named Patrick Doyle.
He had killed many men- whenever one was standing is his way, he took care of him- and he was connected to all kinds of crime imaginable in Boston.
One day, I nailed him.
It was coincidence, that we were on the right place, at the right time.
My partner, a youngster that followed me like a little puppy, and I were coming around the building from different directions and I was the one, who spotted Paddy first.
I wanted so much to be the hero in this game and I just wanted to try to get him on my own.
I was observing him, while he gave instructions to some of his employees as one of the men came up to him and whispered something into his ear.
Paddy nodded and disappeared out of my sight.
I waited for him to come back, cause they weren`t done with their business yet and I couldn`t get out from where I hid anyway.
Then I heard a click.
A gun was pointed at the back of my head.
"Bad idea, Rizzoli.", he growled and then he laughed gravely.
I didn`t move.
He came around to face me, an evil grin on his face.
I was furious inside.
Without thinking I tried to grab the gun that was pointed at me.
I pulled down his hand.
He shot. Straight into my heart.
The last thing I saw, was his face. Smiling...
I woke up with a terribly headache.
Everything was a blur.
A man was kneeling over me, looking down on me eagerly.
I`ll never forget those eyes. They looked like fire.
A brown- yellow sparkle...
His skin was white and smooth and his hair was long and golden.
I tried to move, when the memory hit me like a hammer.
He shot me! Where was I?!
It didn`t hurt. Was I dying?
Was I- dead?!
My hand searched my chest. Blood.
"Well, there you are!" the voice said, rolling deep like thunder.
It sounded friendly, almost joyful, though.
"The pain will ease. Give it a few minutes and you`ll be good as new.", he said, as he hold my hand in his.
I slowly looked around.
I wasn`t in a hospital. I lay on the cold ground. Seagulls were circling over me.
Was this the harbour?
Paddy shot me just by the harbour.
Where was the ambulance? And where the hell was my partner?
"So many questions..." the man said quietly. "I see...".
WHAT?! Who the hell was this guy?!
"My name is Romanus. You got shot. I found you just by the garbage. They had thrown you away as they heard the police coming.
But I found you, before they arrived and I thought it was a shame to throw something so young and so beautiful away like a piece of dirt.
I took you with me, until they were gone and I decided to bring you back..."
My head was spinning. Why would he hide me? From the police, the ambulance? Was he insane? Would he let me die here?
"Oh no, my dear, you don`t understand... He killed you... you had just died seconds before I found you. But I decided, that you deserved to live.
I hope you don`t mind, that I couldn`t ask you for permission, but I made you what I like to call "a daughter of the night". Don't worry. You won`t die anymore- ever...".
He WAS insane. I started to panic. What would he do to me?!
He laughed and pulled me to sit up.
" No, no, just look at your wound, dear...", he said amused and pointed at my chest.
I looked down on my shirt, which was red from blood over and over.
Oh gosh, I was dying! Why didn`t it hurt at all? Was it a shock?
My trembling hand slit under the shirt, searching for the wound. I couldn`t find it.
I used my other hand as well. Nothing.
I looked down my cleavage- no wound.
I felt dizzy.
"I know, I know... it`s confusing right now. But I`ll tell you everything you need to know."
"WHO ARE YOU?! What the hell have you done to me?!" I half shouted trembling, but my voice was hoarse.
"Now, now... no need to yell at me, my dear- you don`t want them to find you, don`t you?" he asked softly and his smile seemed indeed a little insane due to this situation.
"Just a little more patience, my precious- it will take you some time, to understand what is not understandable. Did you never hear the stories of the undead? The children of the night...? Vampires?" he asked, while he was trying to tame the wild curls of my hair.
I stared at him unbelieving, not even knowing what to say. I shook my head and backed up a little.
"Oh I know, it sounds crazy, doesn`t it? But these are all true stories. Old but true. Well, not the details, of course... Not the flying and transforming into bats. Not the crucifix and the garlic... But anyways, we´re dead, yet we´re alive. We feed on blood and we prefer the dark. Just look around- you`ll notice some changes right about now, don`t you?", he pulled me to my feet.
I stared at him, like he was insane- well, he had to be.
Where the hell was everyone? They had to search for me, right?
"You will be hungry soon. You drank a bit of my blood- it will keep you on your toes for quite a bit, but not too long. So, as you don`t know anything about the hunt, I guess, I`m gonna grab us some dinner and I`ll tell you what you need to know- how about that?", he asked bemused.
"I drank your- WHAT?!", I yelled. And he laughed.
"There.", he pointed at the side of my mouth, "You spilled a little bit...".
I licked over my mouth and I tasted the dried droplets of something that tasted like iron. I wiped it from my mouth and stared at the back of my hand.
Holy crap- was this some kind of a fucking nightmare?!
I spit on the ground.
"Okay, you freak, thanks for saving me from Doyle, but YOU are totally INSANE, okay?! Don`t you dare to touch me, don`t you dare to follow me- I will go home now and you will go, wherever you came from, you hear me?!", I barked.
He laughed a little and took a step in my direction.
I grabbed my holster, but my gun was gone, so I remembered dads army knife, I always carried in my pocket and I pulled it out, pointing on him.
"STOP. RIGHT. THERE. Or I swear, you will regret it", I growled.
He hold up his hands and took a step back. Still grinning.
"You will regret THIS very soon, my dear. You have no idea how to survive in this world. But it is your choice. I gave you life, do what you want with it...", he said smiling and then he was gone. I mean, literally- he was gone. I didn`t saw him going. He stood there, I blinked- and he was gone.
I began to wonder if I had suffered a bad head injury or something. This all couldn`t be true.
For two years I hadn`t seen or heard from Doyle.
I was away, learning how to live my new life.
Learning to live in a new world, with new noises, new smells, a different view, new skills and powers I knew nothing about.
Mourning my life as it had been before.
Hating everyone and everything. Including myself.
Being so angry it almost ripped me apart.
Lonely, confused and afraid.
I couldn`t handle myself.
But then one day, I decided, if I had another chance, to end what I once started, then I should do it and if it was the last thing, I would do.
And so I did.
It didn`t took very long to figure out where to find him.
I could see him move inside the garage through the small windows under the ceiling.
I approached him quickly and soundless. I was right behind him.
"Where the heck are you?!" I heard him searching for something and then he turned around.
"Well surprise!", I said with a devilish grin and his eyes seemed to pop out of his head.
He went pale like he had seen a ghost. Well, that was me.
"That`s... not... how... you´re...", he stammered.
My hand grabbed his throat and I threw him up against the wall.
He crashed into a tool board and slammed to the ground.
" I always end what I started.", I whispered gravely and then I slowly knelt down beside him.
His scream hurt my ears. But a heavenly silence followed.
After I was finished with him, I just wanted to leave him there and go home. And celebrate. Alone.
But suddenly I heard a quiet little noise... like... a shaky breath?
I jerked around. Was anyone here?
I concentrated and I heard a tiny heartbeat- so fast like the heart of a captive bird.
A cat maybe?
I made a few soft steps to where the noise came from.
I heard a whimper.
Oh dear gods, no! Don`t let it be a child. Please, no!
Where could it be?
A closet. The doors were moving like they were trembling. Or someone was trembling...
I held my breath.
I looked down to Doyles dead body, then to the closet.
Oh gosh.
I made a quick move to the closet and I knocked, softly.
A sob.
I trembled.
"Anybody in there?". Silence. "It`s okay, you can come out now. You`re save, honey.", I whispered gently.
Sobbing again, then the closet opened up a little bit.
I felt my heart pumping against my throat.
I pulled the door open with one finger and there she was.
A blonde little angel- her hazel eyes wide with fear and red from crying.
Her doll face was full of freckles and the way she looked at me just broke my heart.
I lifted her up to my hips and she wrapped her tiny arms around my neck immediately and with such force, that I gasped for air.
"Shhhh, Baby girl... you`re alright. Don`t you cry, I`m gonna make it alright. I promise.", I tried to calm her but I myself was furious inside.
I didn`t knew he had a daughter- a man like him, I would have never guessed!
Why was she here- why today?!
What should I do- I had killed her father in front of her eyes.
Well, she hadn`t been able to see me out of the closet, so I guessed, she thought, that I came to rescue her, after someone else had murdered her father.
I had to fix it, no matter what.
I wanted to take a look at her, to see if she was alright and so I pulled her arms loose a bit.
"Please, don`t go away! Take me with you!", she begged and I wished, I could hold her forever.
I gently sat her to the ground and knelt down in front of her.
"Okay Baby, let me fix it, okay? Let me see, what I can do...", I said and stroke the hair out of her face.
I rested my hand on her forehead and in my mind, I whispered, "You`ll forget everything you have just seen this evening. You won`t remember anything from the point, you went to the closet. You will think, you fell asleep in there. And now- sleep."
She fell down in my arms immediately, peacefully asleep and I placed her in the closet again.
Then I called the police from Doyles phone and told them, that he was dead and a child was sleeping in the closet.
They were confused, but I didn`t care. They would never find me. I was save. But that little girl...
What had I done?!
I had taken the childs father, I had destroyed its family.
I felt like a monster.
When Maura awoke, she felt numb.
She was sick in her stomach and for the first time since she had started her job, she considered to stay at home. In bed.
Her mind was spinning and she was afraid, she wouldn`t do her job justice, when she would try to work in that condition.
Those eyes. Her voice.
" ... Maura. I can`t.". It circled in her head again and again.
Her name. She had said her name.
It made no sense.
She would have loved to search the data base for her, but she didn`t even knew her name.
Was it coincidence, that she had met her so often over the past few days?
She needed to talk to her. Find out, what all this was about.
Find out why she felt like this woman held the key to her sadness- and maybe even her happiness.
But how? How should she find her?
The park was the only trace she had.
So she rang in sick and tried to get things sorted.
She managed to take a long bath, to clear her mind and ordered some lunch. She knew, she had to eat, even though she wasn`t hungry at all.
When she was done, it was almost afternoon and so she headed out for the park.
She wasn`t quite sure, if it made any sense, cause by day, the park was busy and noisy, but she just had to do something. Anything.
On the bench by the lake, a young couple was busy kissing and giggling, so Maura just walked around- just to be there.
Families were picnicking, dogs were chasing around, kids were playing soccer and cute old couples were walking hand in hand.
Watching all these people, Maura felt more alone than ever before. Everyone here seemed so happy. She felt cold. Dead.
Regarding why she came here, again and again the thought occurred to her, that she might lose her mind.
Wandering around, the sky slowly turned red. Then purple.
One after the other, the people headed home. It went quiet.
The birds sang beautifully into the dusk and the crickets welcomed the night with their song..
Maura sat on the bench, motionless, her eyes resting tiredly on the lake. Waiting.
This was insane. She wouldn`t be here every night, would she?
But something kept Maura from going home.
There was no reason to go home anyway. If she went, she would want to go back to the park sooner or later…
When she was sure, she was totally alone in the dark, she whispered, "What am I doing here? Tell me... I`m sure, you know it, right? You know ME...".
She shivered. Her breath was trembling.
Tears were burning in her eyes, but she refused to cry.
She stood and turned around.
Black trees swaying in the wind peacefully.
She slowly walked towards the lake to the place, where the woman had knelt the day before.
She obeyed the place as if she hoped to find something, but of course, there was nothing there.
No footprints... just a dead rabbit, which looked like it was bitten to death by a dog.
Maura closed her eyes, trying to hold back the tears that were fighting its way up.
"Come back. Please. I don`t know who you are, but for some reason, I just need to talk to you. Can`t you see? I need you! Please...", she sobbed and the tears fell from her eyes silently.
She didn`t noticed it at first, but something had changed. The birds were silent now. So were the frogs.
Only the crickets played their tune and the bats had begun the haunting.
Maura couldn`t help but whimper.
All the pain, all the loneliness was breaking through the surface. All the desperation came to show. Here in the dark.
Suddenly she felt it. A heat from behind.
Her heartbeat sped up painfully against her chest.
She was scared to death, and yet... excited.
It was almost like she could hear- or feel- somebody breathing.
It could have been a murderer. A rapist. A junky on turkey, who wanted to rob her.
But she didn`t dare to turn around.
If it was HER, she didn`t wanted to scare her away no more. She needed to talk to her.
She couldn`t help from shaking heavily and the sobbing increased.
Her head was empty. The only thing flowing through her mind was one desperate word.
"Please...!", she said and her voice was nothing but a shaky whisper.
A glow in her chest. Warm and bright and sparkling.
Hot breath stroke her neck.
Maura wrapped her arms around herself tightly, trying to stop herself from falling.
Her knees grew weak and she whimpered like a child.
Two strong arms slung around her waist from behind, gripping her firmly.
Her brain went blank. Her heart stood still. The earth moved beneath her feet. Pieces fell into place.
Hot breath on her ear. "Sshhhh... I`m here... I`m here.".
Then there was darkness.