When Lorraine and Simon left the police station it was already five o'clock but dark outside. It took them hours to file a missing persons report. The streets were active in Volterra at this time of day, people were happy to either go home or go to happy hour with their friends and coworkers. However, Lorraine didn't feel like having any type of fun so she parted ways with Simon to go to her apartment. It didn't take long to reach her place. Lorraine's apartment complex was one of the most "modern" apartment complexes because it had an elevator, which is helpful with the groceries since she lives on the fourth floor. The fourth floor was considered the perfect floor because it was high enough for a good view yet low enough to still be able to see the passers-by from the balcony.

Once Lorraine got into her apartment, she felt at peace. She loved having fun and hanging out with her few friends, but she mostly preferred staying home. The apartment was a medium size one: it is a two bedroom two bathroom with the bathrooms located in each of the bedrooms. Lorraine's bedroom was in brick but painted white. It was a medium size room with a queen size bed bordered by two bed-stands on each side and a TV across from the bed. The bathroom was painted baby blue, and was standard with a sink with storage cabinets underneath it, a tub, a toilet bowl and a medicine cabinet. The part that Lorraine loved the most was the balcony: two French doors opened to the balcony, it wasn't big enough to have chairs and a table, but she did put some cushions on the floor to sit on and gaze either at the stars or at the pedestrians. Her bedroom wasn't anything fancy but it was home and that in itself made it special.

Lorraine was about to get undressed to take a shower when her phone rang. It was her mother FaceTiming her, which wasn't odd in itself but it was already midnight in Florida.

"Hey mom, what are you still doing up?"

"What's going on Lorraine? What's happening with Valentina?"

"Valentina's missing, but how did you know something was going on?"

"Because I just saw her in the kitchen."

"Wait, you saw her or you "saw" her?"

"I "saw" her."

"Mom, you can only see spirits, so if you "saw" Valentina that means..."

"That she's dead, yes." Lorraine's mom, Athena, finished her daughter's sentence with a shaky voice. Lorraine, Valentina and Simon have known each other since middle school but Simon and Lorraine knew each other since birth. To Athena loosing Valentina felt like loosing a member of the family.

Lorraine was completely shocked. She was truly hoping that Valentina was in one of her adventures but deep down she knew that it was more serious. However, she never once fathomed that it was that serious.

"What exactly did you see, Mom?"

"I just saw a glimpse of her. It was a full body appearance but it was for a second or so."

"She went missing two days ago but, mom, I had a feeling all last week that something was going to happen, like I don't know how to explain it but I've been having dreams. You know when you know that the dream is real? Like it's going to come true?"

"I do."

"That's how I felt and I still feel that way."

"Sweetie, you've always known that you and Simon have been blessed with supernatural gifts, so it's completely normal for you to know when something is up. But listen, when I saw Valentina, I called Minerva and we decided to book tickets to Volterra. We're coming next Friday. We need to bring you kids somewhere." Athena informed her. Minerva was Simon's mother. Minerva and Athena are best friends and grew up together. Just like Athena, Minerva also has supernatural abilities.

"Where do you need to take us?" Lorraine asks.

"We'll tell you once we get there but look I want the both of you to start cleansing. Cleans the apartments and yourselves, do you remember how?"

"Yes, of course. But mom, I feel like you're hiding something from me, like there's something more."

"There is but once we get there, we'll talk in details. Okay, baby?"

"Cool, I'll text Simon and let him know. I don't have the ingredients so I'll go to the market tomorrow to get them. I'll take Simon with me because I'm sure that he doesn't have them either."

"Sounds good baby. I think that Minerva will call him tomorrow. I'm going to bed so we'll talk okay. Love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

"Don't forget to prepare! Friday is in seven days, that is seven days of cleansing the body through vegetables and fruits, prayers and meditation, bright colored cloths and so on."

"Mom, I know. We've done it before. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay. Love you!"

"Love you too, Mom."

After hanging up with her mom, she quickly texted Simon asking him to meet her at the market place at ten am. Then, she goes to take a shower to rid herself from the terrible day. But before getting in, she remembered that she had some rosemary in the kitchen, so she quickly gets some, mixes it with some warm water in a bucket to rinse herself with. Once done with the shower, she does her nightly beauty ritual of putting shea butter on her lips and acne and poor reducing medicine on her face. Lorraine had a love and hate relationship with her skin. She had acne prone skin on her face and back and stretched marks on her sides due to being heavy as a child. But she knew that she was beautiful even though she often wished that she had perfect skin like other women her age. 'Oh well' She thought, 'that's life.' She then puts the towel back on the rack, and walks to her closet naked to get her T-shirt not knowing that she was being watched.

Once she was dressed, she went under the covers and started making a list of everything that she needed for her cleansing. Once that was done she watched TV until she could no longer keep her lids open, then turned it off to go to sleep.

When she was in deep sleep, Demetri and Felix made their way from the opposite building and into her apartment through the French doors. They explored the entire apartment, starting with Valentina's bedroom; they needed to make sure that she didn't bring anything that would reveal the existence of the Volturri. While searching, Demetri caught the smell of rosemary coming from Lorraine's room, so he made his way there, and what he saw paralyzed him: Lorraine was on her bed under her white covers, fast asleep, with the moonlight shining over her. When they had entered through her bedroom, Demetri was so focused on the issue of Valentina that he didn't even notice Lorraine on her bed. She looked like an oil painting created by a master painter. Her hair was spread all over the pillow, and the combination of the moonlight and the white pillow made her hair even redder. He was mesmerized by the sight, he wanted to feel her skin under his bare hand so he takes of his right glove to caress her face, and he wasn't disappointed.

As he was caressing her face, suddenly she moved her hand upward only to rest it on Demetri's hand. Lorraine now was subconsciously caressing his hand. She then takes it and puts it on her chest, in between her breasts. She does this smiling. That was such an intimate gesture that Demetri dared not move fearing that such an act wouldn't happen again. He stayed immobile for what seemed like hours, and that's exactly how Felix found him. Felix was watching the scene intently; feeling like he was invading an intimate moment but noticing that Demetri didn't even sense him. They should search her room as well, but Felix felt that would be invading Demetri's privacy, even though this wasn't his room.

"Demetri, have you searched the room?" He asks knowing that the answer was negative.

"Not yet, but we should." Demetri responds still looking at Lorraine and not making a move. Felix took this as his cue to search the room himself, so he did.

"Demetri, there's nothing in this room or the apartment. We should leave."

"You may go, Felix. I'll stay here just a bit longer." And with that, Felix leaves his friend with who he thinks is his mate.

* I apologize for the length. *

* Please review/comment *