CPOV

By the time we return home, I was exhausted, weary all the way to the bone. All I wanted to do is sleep, sleep, and sleep some more! Unfortunately I have a few small roadblocks, a vampire (I think), work and the most pressing problem, literally. Gwen is nearly sitting on top of me in her enthusiasm. She can be as calm and analytical as ever but she also has this spring that when let loose is a dangerous weapon.

I groan, "Alright Gwen, what is it?"

She immediately sobers to relay her information. "I believe you are correct. Raven is a vampire."

When she uses the word believe it really means 'I know'. I manage to forget my exhaustion just for a moment to topple her over, "Really? Why? How? Where? When?"

She just laughs at me. I don't become upset though because I know she isn't laughing at me to be mean. We understand each other well enough we could be identical twins of the mind. "When, today. Where, the shop. How, he was infected by another vampire's venom. He most likely also consumed at least a mouthful of that vampire's blood as well. Why, I have no idea. He could have been sick and a loved one saved him; it could have been an accident. He could have been a lunch turned wrong. I really don't know; there are a million possibilities. And yes, really I believe so." She smiles and adds, "And I think Charlie is a were-dog who is stuck in his dog form."

I collapse on the couch. I can't process all this information at once. I begin to stare at the back of my eyelids. Gwen let's me be, understanding I need to process the information and that I'll come back around to talk with her about it. They're red to begin with but then pictures start to form along them, moving pictures.

Of all the things that were, are, and will be, I saw snatches. Pieces of my memory mixed with pieces of what is still to come.

I watched my younger sister, about age 6(I would be about 10), on our backyard swing set. My dad built that swing set. He built his sweat into it for us. Two swings, one trapeze bar, one slide, and one pair of plastic rings comprised this swing set. I was so proud of myself when I mastered hanging from the trapeze bar by my knees, pulling myself up, and then doing a flip. I thought I was the natural trapeze artist. I eventually moved onto the rings finding the ability to flip myself upside down to create a perfect bird's nest. This is when you are hanging upside down; you hook your feet either into the rings with your hands or securely around the rope and inversely arch your back to form a cradle, or bird's nest.

The yard slips away and I see the basement of a house I have not been inside for almost 5 years now. I see a 15 year old version of myself experiencing the first kiss of all first kisses. I thought it was the most amazing thing at the time, but between braces and inexperience…oh it doesn't matter anymore. He moved on as I did.

My vision switches to another boy, one I would rather forget. He was all innocent blue eyes and caring hands until I realized he was not what I needed. He then turned foul, has not left me alone to this day. He pops into my life every once and awhile. I continually push him away. He was no good, is no good, and will never be good for anyone.

That anger leads to think of what calms me. Cooking, especially baking, has always been the best way for me to calm down. You beat eggs and knead bread. It is the perfect stress reliever.

My vision moves to a kitchen and there are two images overlaying each other. I see myself full of flour and about 12 years old. I remove a dozen cookies from the oven and place a dozen more dough lumps in the oven to become cookies.

Images of what will be came next. Gwen dressed in a white lace gown. A cradle rocking in my bedroom. A fat black and white cat lounging on our sofa. A lime green yaris parked in the driveway. My things being at Lot's apartment permanently. All these things I could imagine happening. All these things are possibilities.

My vision slips to the other image of Gwen, now, sitting in the kitchen looking at me like she's worried about something. I look around and I see myself sitting on the couch, apparently sleeping. Gwen gets a chill and begins to look around. I've walked over to her and around her. She obviously cannot see me. I do not understand what I am doing outside of my body. I've heard Gwen talk about out of body experiences but I did not believe in them. I laugh at myself. If I can believe vampires exist then I can believe all the insane things Gwen brings my way, couldn't I?

The answer was yes, yes I could even if just for a moment.

Everything began to spin. Spin so fast so as to become a blur about me. Just like a picture where the shutter had been left open for longer than a millisecond. The colors changed from the crème, silver, brown and red of my living room and kitchen to the deep green and dark brown of a forest.

Through the streaks of green and brown I see red, dark red, almost black, much like dried blood. The whirling was slowing down. I did not know what to do, I was completely and utterly lost.

Being pretty sure that no account of this sort of incident has ever been recorded, I could only panic. The type of panic one gets when 100 of one's rationality and logic fly totally and completely out the window. I alternated between screaming and hyperventilating for a span of about 5 minutes. Or at least until I was interrupted by my clumsiness, so I thought.

The fall knocked the wind out of me and after the hyperventilating I quasi black out. As I come out of the black abyss I shake my head to clear the rest of the blackness away. It is still a tad difficult to breath.

The reason: A dog.

Instant recognition tells me Charlie is sitting on my chest. I had never really paid much attention to him before, but he's HUGE! He is an Irish Wolfhound, a long haired and furry dog. He had long thick fur that is a dark stormy gray with a pure white patch over his heart. His other distinguishing feature is the coal black tip to his tail.

My logic kicks back in and remembers that Gwen could not see me, but Charlie can. I wonder if Raven can too. I make as if to get up and Charlie continues to sit, stoically.

"Would you be so kind as to get off me?" I ask while glaring at him.

He yips once and bounds away towards the house. I put more information together. The house is made out of blood red brick. This is the newest blur I saw. How did I end up here of all places? I can only assume this is what the outside of Raven's house looks like. It is quite a change not to be found in his bed, but to walk to the front door as a normal person would.

Charlie went off in a direction I barely caught so I followed him in that general direction. It helps that he barked once loud enough for me to hear. I find the front door. It is beautiful. Made of Cherry Oak and frosted glass, it looks sturdy and durable, yet pretty and fitting of this brick house. I also cannot imagine this house ever being cold, unless intended. I rap my knuckles against the door and surprise, surprise Raven answers it.

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

"I whirled here if you must know. I have no idea what's going on. I am fairly sure I'm lost. And I know I am without a corporeal form with me. So, in short, I have no idea what I'm doing here." I smile up at him. He looks completely flabbergasted. Seems as if I've taken him by surprise this time, it's about time. Chalk one up for me.

He regains his composure, smoothes out his shirt, steps aside and says, "Why don't you come inside."

"I think I shall. So do you have any idea how I got here?"

"Sure I do. You jump."

"I what?" I ask calmly, or at least as calm as I could when answering such a preposterous response.

"You jump. You move from one dimension to another while leaving your body behind. You not only take a form with you, but clothes and ideas. The interesting piece of that is you bring the ability to speak and manipulate space around you, just as if your corporeal, as you called it, form was here."

I was perplexed but there would be time later to figure it all out in my brain. Another reason Gwen and I were like sisters. We bounce ideas off each other after we've had time to think about them. She was in for so much information when I got home, assuming I can get home. I'll worry about later. He is in a question answering mood I should take advantage of that. "Well question one answered, have time for more?"

"Sure, I have all the time in the world." About this time Charlie comes and pushes the back of my knees with his head towards the couch. Sitting down for this conversation seems like a good idea so I do so. Raven follows suit and sits in a chair not too far away. Charlie, on the other hand, jumps up next to me and curls into my side.

"Alright then, are you a vampire?" I figured I would get the potentially dangerous and difficult questions out of the way first.

"What would lead you to believe that?" He asks cautiously, but shows no sign of distress.

"You said you have met quite a few vampires yourself. You also said that only very old, practiced vampires can control themselves around human blood. This leads me to believe that you are a vampire yourself and rather old at that, considering I am still alive, and you visited my bookshop. You also can see me when no one else can. You are also always in color when in another dimension, just as you were the first night I saw you."

"I believe you are too observant for your own good. I also told myself after I first met you that I would never lie to you. Frustrate you maybe, but never lie. So, yes I am a vampire."

He says this cautiously as well, just like he is waiting for me to bolt for the door and run. I remind myself I am just taking in information, if need be I will freak out later. "Question number two answered. Question three, what is Charlie? He is not just a regular dog."

He stares at me for a moment, making me nervous might I add, before he answers. "He is a man that is stuck in this Wolfhound form that never ages. He ran away from his human form for one reason or another and is now stuck for all eternity. I believe the best way to put a name to his condition would be were-dog. You might best identify him as a werewolf, but he does not bite to change others into werewolves and he does not only change on a full moon, etcetera, etcetera."

Gwen was right! She will be ecstatic to hear that. She loves being right. "Okay now question three is also answered. It seems only fair you should have a chance to ask me questions."

"Okay," He thinks about it for a moment, "Do you know who you are yet?"

"No, figuring out who you are usually takes a lifetime. And if you are referring to the prophesy you won't tell me about, no I don't have any clue yet." I answered him truthfully.

"Alright, you answered truthfully, that is interesting." He thinks again for a moment and asks, "Since you know what I am, why are you not running or asking all the usual questions about abilities and whatnot?"

I give the answer as much thought as I'm sure he gave the question. "Since the first time I came here on accident you have not hurt me. You have thought about it and if I had not woken up at an opportune moment on the very first visit… well let's just say that life would not the same. You managed to come to my shop without harming anyone. And if you believe I need to know about any abilities then you will tell me about them. Tonight is not the night to worry about what you can and cannot do."

He smiles, "That is an extraordinarily wise answer."

I smile in return, "Well, I have my moments. How did you and Charlie meet?"

"I believe that is a story for another time as well. It has been many, many years since our bond was made. I have one last question to ask before I know you have to go. What do you know you can do when it comes to this jumping and whatnot?"

"I know no human can see me. I know you and Charlie can see me. I know it happens accidently when I sleep. I know I can see ghosts and that is about it. I have no idea what I am getting into on the big picture."

"That is never good. I will help in any way I can but for right now, you need to return to your body. Think about how it feels to open your eyes to sunlight, to hear the sounds of your apartment. Think about waking up from sleep."

"If you think so, farewell Charlie; Goodbye for now Raven." I think about how it feels to be in my body, hearing my heart beat, blinking my eyes. I close my eyes and block out the vision of Raven and Charlie to see the red back of my eyelids that I started with.

This brings me back to reality and hopefully my body. I flutter open my eyes. The light feels harsh against my pupils. Gwen is sitting in the kitchen, just where I left her except she has fallen asleep on her arms. I quickly rouse her enough to get her to bed and prepare for bed myself. Allowing my mind to unwind from that experience, I find that I am exhausted even further and just go to sleep. I stop for nothing and sleep the deepest sleep I have had for the past three weeks.

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In heart of updating more regularly I decided to put Raven's POV in as the next chapter. This is another long chapter. I hope it suffices. :) I3anyone reading this far into the story.

Hopefully you all understand how much I appreciate the reviews (That I'm not getting) telling me what I'm doing wrong. -thinks- Maybe I should assume I am doing nothing wrong and just continue writing. HA! As if I could get this writing gig perfect the first time. C'mon Guys and Girls, I'm not perfect and you should never think so. Shame on you for not killing my self esteem. :(