Part 25
Juliana sank back against the wall. She appeared to be in some motel room somewhere. Apollo was wandering around aimlessly, his blue eyes glassy, muttering to himself. Juliana had tried talking to him, but he didn't seem to be making sense any longer, she wondered if he even remembered he was there...
"You're like one of those voices in the head that talks all the time." He turned and smirked at her. "Know what I mean?"
Juliana tried to keep the tears from flowing. "Yeah," she said, an eyebrow raising. "I got a pretty good idea." She wondered if he'd even get what she meant. His statement had been kind of an obvious metaphor. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk normally.
"If you are who you say you, then how come my memory of you isn't there?" he asked, tilting his head to one side, blue eyes inquisitive.
Juliana sighed. "Because Serefina bewitched you into letting her do this and made you forget me."
At the mention of Serefina's name Apollo's face briefly turned into a mask of rage and hatred. Then changed to puzzled. "Why?"
Juliana had never really thought about that. She had been so shocked about the disturbing truth of the mysterious Hunter, she hadn't even begun to *contemplate* why Serefina would do such a horrible thing.
Ever since she'd changed Serefina had been different. Colder. Crueller. She took whatever she wanted, not caring about anyone or anything else but her own pleasure.
As far as Juliana had been aware Serefina had never shown ant interest in Apollo. He had always been too goody-two-shoes for her. Maybe she had decided to have her fun with him, see what he was like in bed, or...
"I don't know," she answered finally.
Apollo frowned a little, studying her for a moment longer. "She needs to die," he said, straightening, a smile spreading across his handsome face. "Yes. That's the answer. I should go and find her and kill her. Send her to hell."
"Unfortunately, didn't you ever learn that *hell* sometimes comes to *you*?"
Juliana looked over Apollo's shoulder, staring in shock and disbelief as Serefina arrived with a large wooden stake in her hand. "*No!*" she shrieked, struggling with the ropes that bound her. She was already too late, anyway. Apollo was finally dead.
Jackson and Charlene burst into the apartment, racing over to Juliana and untying her. Juliana tore away from them, kneeling beside Apollo's body, not bothering to stop the tears from following.
Jackson pulled her away, taking her in his arms and letting her cry for a few minutes. Juliana pulled herself together then turned to face Serefina. "You *destroyed* him. And you changed him. *Without* permission."
Serefina shrugged. "I was bored." She placed her hands on her hips, as if daring Juliana to start something.
But Jackson was holding her back. "She's not worth it."
"What happened?" Charlene asked.
Juliana sniffled. "It was all *her*. It was Serefina he was hunting, he got us mixed up. You remember Apollo?"
Charlene's eyes widened. "The guy you were nuts about." She turned furiously towards Serefina. "How *could* you?"
Serefina's eyes rolled. "Get over it. You people bore me greatly. The psycho's dead now. Didn't he spend the last century driving you crazy?"
Juliana sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, Serefina had a point. She didn't know what to make of the whole thing yet. Maybe in time she could forgive them both.
"So...now what?" Jackson asked.
"This place sucks," Serefina said with a pout.
Juliana didn't say anything. She had a point there.
"Maybe you can start school," Jackson suggested.
"I'd rather die," Serefina snorted.
"It can be arranged," Juliana muttered under her breath.
* * *
Juliana sank back against the wall. She appeared to be in some motel room somewhere. Apollo was wandering around aimlessly, his blue eyes glassy, muttering to himself. Juliana had tried talking to him, but he didn't seem to be making sense any longer, she wondered if he even remembered he was there...
"You're like one of those voices in the head that talks all the time." He turned and smirked at her. "Know what I mean?"
Juliana tried to keep the tears from flowing. "Yeah," she said, an eyebrow raising. "I got a pretty good idea." She wondered if he'd even get what she meant. His statement had been kind of an obvious metaphor. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk normally.
"If you are who you say you, then how come my memory of you isn't there?" he asked, tilting his head to one side, blue eyes inquisitive.
Juliana sighed. "Because Serefina bewitched you into letting her do this and made you forget me."
At the mention of Serefina's name Apollo's face briefly turned into a mask of rage and hatred. Then changed to puzzled. "Why?"
Juliana had never really thought about that. She had been so shocked about the disturbing truth of the mysterious Hunter, she hadn't even begun to *contemplate* why Serefina would do such a horrible thing.
Ever since she'd changed Serefina had been different. Colder. Crueller. She took whatever she wanted, not caring about anyone or anything else but her own pleasure.
As far as Juliana had been aware Serefina had never shown ant interest in Apollo. He had always been too goody-two-shoes for her. Maybe she had decided to have her fun with him, see what he was like in bed, or...
"I don't know," she answered finally.
Apollo frowned a little, studying her for a moment longer. "She needs to die," he said, straightening, a smile spreading across his handsome face. "Yes. That's the answer. I should go and find her and kill her. Send her to hell."
"Unfortunately, didn't you ever learn that *hell* sometimes comes to *you*?"
Juliana looked over Apollo's shoulder, staring in shock and disbelief as Serefina arrived with a large wooden stake in her hand. "*No!*" she shrieked, struggling with the ropes that bound her. She was already too late, anyway. Apollo was finally dead.
Jackson and Charlene burst into the apartment, racing over to Juliana and untying her. Juliana tore away from them, kneeling beside Apollo's body, not bothering to stop the tears from following.
Jackson pulled her away, taking her in his arms and letting her cry for a few minutes. Juliana pulled herself together then turned to face Serefina. "You *destroyed* him. And you changed him. *Without* permission."
Serefina shrugged. "I was bored." She placed her hands on her hips, as if daring Juliana to start something.
But Jackson was holding her back. "She's not worth it."
"What happened?" Charlene asked.
Juliana sniffled. "It was all *her*. It was Serefina he was hunting, he got us mixed up. You remember Apollo?"
Charlene's eyes widened. "The guy you were nuts about." She turned furiously towards Serefina. "How *could* you?"
Serefina's eyes rolled. "Get over it. You people bore me greatly. The psycho's dead now. Didn't he spend the last century driving you crazy?"
Juliana sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, Serefina had a point. She didn't know what to make of the whole thing yet. Maybe in time she could forgive them both.
"So...now what?" Jackson asked.
"This place sucks," Serefina said with a pout.
Juliana didn't say anything. She had a point there.
"Maybe you can start school," Jackson suggested.
"I'd rather die," Serefina snorted.
"It can be arranged," Juliana muttered under her breath.
* * *