Chapter Eleven:

Henley darted for the door before Jackson even finished, but as she tugged at the handle, the door wouldn't budge. She tried desperately to yank it open, to run as fast as she possible could away from this psychopath. Godric had been right. He had been right all along. She felt so stupid for falling for Jackson's charms. Godric had been so adamant that Jackson had been lying to her, that there wasn't something right about him. But she didn't listen. She just assumed the ghost was trying to ruin anything good in her life.

She had been so stupid, though. So very stupid.

"Nuh uh uh, that's very rude of you," Jackson slowly approached the frantic Henley. "Is this how you treat all your guests?"

Henley ignored him as she started pounding on the door. Unlocking it did nothing, the door stuck in place. She refused to just give up though. She feared what would happen if she did.

"It isn't polite to not look when someone's speaking," her body suddenly felt as if it had a mind of it's own as she slowly began to turn around against her own will. She struggled against the invisible forces, but it was no use. "There we go, much better."

Her heart was racing as Jackson stood before her, that charming smile she had fallen for plastered across his face. She should have known something wasn't right about him. No one could be so perfect; no one could be absolutely flawless. She was just so hopeful that he could be Mr. Right that she hadn't allowed her to think anything was strange.

"I hope you don't mind that I let myself in," he drew closer, raising a hand to caress her cheek with the backs of his fingers. Henley flinched, but her feet kept her rooted to the spot. "You did invite me, after all. Timing just wasn't right. I'm sure you understand."

"I don't understand at all," her eyes darted all around. She may not have been able to move, but she was damn well going to find an escape route for when she could.

Jackson chuckled as he caught her chin, forcing her gaze to meet his. "All in good time."

"Why are you doing this?"

"What part don't you understand, sweetheart? Why I broke into your house? Or is it the poisoned soup your little ghost boyfriend warned you about?" the charming smile twisted into a smirk as Henley's orbs grew as wide as saucers. "Oh you didn't think I didn't know about him, did you? Oh what's his name? It's just at the tip of my tongue. Oh right, that's it. Godric."

"How…"

"Oh you naïve little fool," he snickered, his grasp on her chin tightening. "I know so much more than you could ever imagine."

Henley had never truly feared for her life before. She had always been fearful of the ghosts when she had been a child, and even Godric spooked her with his strong abilities. But she had never feared for her life, not with the dead floating around annoying her. They were peaceful, if not persistent at times. But they had never threatened her life.

It was ironic to her that it was in fact a human that scared her.

"Oh the things I could do to you like this," Jackson's smirk widened at her look of sheer horror. "But unfortunately I must act quickly; I won't be able to enjoy myself."

"You're sick," she spat at him, her heart pounding wildly. She began to struggle again, to break the invisible bonds holding her in place. But she was trapped to the spot, unable to do much more than blink and cry for help. "You're a psychopath."

"A strange thing coming from the girl who speaks with the dead," he snorted, stepping away and turned towards the kitchen. "Enough with the insults, Henley. It's time for us to begin."

She could do nothing but watch as Jackson grabbed the open soup container, pouring the contents into a cup. The moment he began back towards her, the cup in his hand, Henley began to panic.

This was how she was going to die. It wasn't going to be from some overzealous ghost, or some normal human incident like when she was a little girl. She was instead going to die at the hands of this madman in her own home.

"Why?" With every step he took, dread filled her. There was once a time in her life that she would have welcomed death. It was easier. But Henley feared it now, feared it with all of her being. Would she become a helpless ghost, stuck between the living and the dead, wishing someone like her could help her pass on? "Why me? What have I ever done to you?"

"It's not what you've done at all," Jackson reached out to her, grasping her chin between his fingers and squeezing. "You're just the innocent little girl stuck in the middle of a war that has been raging for centuries."

"What does that even mean?" it felt as if her heart was going to leap right out of her chest. She couldn't blink as she eyed the cup filled to the brim with poison, knowing that a single sip would likely be the end of her.

"Perhaps you can ask your ghost friend when you join him," the smirk slid across his lips, making Henley realize it suited the man even better than his charming smile. How did she ever fall for his tricks? She should have known better. Why couldn't she have known better? "Now, time to open wide for me, Henley."

Henley clamped her lips shut, keeping them as tightly pressed as she possibly could. Jackson sighed heavily, rolling his eyes at her stubbornness as his large hand engulfed her neck. Her eyes grew even wider as the air was suddenly sucked right out of her. She wanted to gasp, to gulp whatever sliver of oxygen she could find. But the moment she opened her mouth, it would all be over. She fought as best as she could, even as the black dots began dancing in her vision. Jackson's grip tightened the longer she refused to obey him, his frustration growing.

"Just open your god damn mouth, Henley," Jackson growled, his orbs narrowing. "It's time to be a good little girl."

She wouldn't just open her mouth and let him poison her, though. If she was going to die, then she would damn well put up a fight even as she was frozen there, unable to move. The black dots began growing in size, invading her vision quicker now. Jackson tightened his hold, squeezing her neck in hopes that she would give up, but she wouldn't back down.

Henley was able to feel it as the darkness started to consume her, as her heart began to slow to their last few dull beats. It was nothing how they always said it would be; there was no life that flashed before her eyes, no light that enveloped her. There was just darkness.

There was, however, a single clear thought as she began to lose consciousness.

Godric.

Godric sighed as he watched Henley hurry out of Fangtasia, his curious grandchildren exciting the bathroom in confusion. Pam immediately headed towards the office, and he was settled to follow after sensing her intrigue in Henley. He felt oddly protective of the human, though he shrugged off as his desire for her to help him without another roadblock in their way. Pam's curiosity would only hinder their attempt at helping his depressed child.

He was stopped, however, as he caught Willa slipping out of Fangtasia after Henley. Frowning, Godric followed the young vampire as she stopped in the parking lot, sniffing the air until she caught Henley's scent. He was following her with ease as she ran through the streets undetected by any human. Pam's curiosity was one thing, but Willa was still young and hoping to win Eric's affections.

When they arrived on Henley's street, Willa came to a halt, her vampire senses still so fresh that she needed a moment to decide where to trek next. Deciding on a path, Willa began down the sidewalk to the house Godric had become too familiar with over the past few weeks. His worry grew and he began to conspire ways to deter his grandchild.

He froze in place, however, as a panicked whisper fell on his ears. His head snapped towards Henley's home as Willa passed it, her nose still to the sky as she sniffed the human out. He glanced at the vampire, and was confused when she did nothing, as if not a single word had been spoken.

But it had been her. It had been Henley.

A wave of fear and pain swept over him, causing his entire being to tense. As the pain grew, he knew without a doubt who the panicked emotions belonged to.

"Henley," he growled under his breath, vanished with haste.

Willa's head suddenly turned, hearing the tiniest voice that sounded familiar to her, though she could have sworn she had never heard such an accent before. Perhaps Pam was right; maybe she was just hearing and seeing things. This girl was likely just an ordinary human and she was just looking for something that wasn't there.

Or maybe it was Pam that was wrong.

Hearing a strangled cry, this time clear to her hearing, Willa darted towards the house she had only just passed.

A feral growl sounded from Godric as he appeared inside of the house. Henley lay on the floor, and as he strained for any sigh of life, he only found the tiniest heartbeat battling for survival. Jackson knelt above her, his hand poised over her bruise neck, waiting for her to struggle or wake. When she did neither, a satisfied smirk spread across his face as he stood and dusted himself off.

"Suppose I didn't need this after all," Jackson snickered to himself, gazing down at the poisoned liquid Godric recognized immediately.

Godric had never felt more furious than he did in that moment. If he had been alive, if he had been in a solid form, he would have ripped Jackson apart, limb by limb. He would have sunk his fangs into the nearest artery and he wouldn't have stopped until the blood ran cold. He had not wished for another being to die in over a century, but in that moment he wanted Jackson's death many times over.

As the doctor turned, returning into the kitchen, Godric wanted to follow. But he knew as he glanced down at Henley, that if he left her side she might breathe her last breath. He didn't know if he could help her; he was dead after all. But something drew him to her side, down onto his knees, and his hand to her cheek. The moment his fingertips grazed along her cooling skin, the girl woke with a start.

Henley gasped as oxygen suddenly filled her lungs, causing her to choke at the overwhelming ability to breathe once again. Her eyes were wide as she sat up quickly, her orbs darting in every direction. She thought she had died. She could feel it happening. And suddenly, just like that, she was thrust awake and back into the world of the living.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Jackson growled as he twisted around, hiding his shock at her survival with a menacing glare. "You're supposed to die, sweetheart."

She could barely keep her concentration on the doctor as he grabbed onto the poisoned soup once more as she tried desperately to control her breaths. In and out, she told herself, in and out. But it was too much. She felt light headed and dizzy, her vision blurry as she tried and comprehend what had happened. It was a voice, however, that halted the panic that was starting to burn inside of her.

"Go!" Godric was there beside her, urging her to move. "Go now!"

Henley stared at the ghost as if she had never seen him before. Where had he come from? How did he even know she was in trouble? Why was he there? Her questions were never answered, however, as Jackson caught on to where her attention now lay.

"Oh fantastic, has your boyfriend joined us?" his dark smirk widened as he took in the empty air Henley was staring at with wide, scared eyes. "So glad you could join us, Godric."

Godric's head snapped to Jackson, momentarily confused, before focusing on Henley. She needed to leave. Willa was close, Godric could feel it. If she only managed out of the house, the vampire would protect her at least out of her own curiosity. That was enough for Godric.

"Go," he commanded. "Get outside. Now."

Henley couldn't move, though. She knew whatever had caused her to be frozen in place was gone, her limbs able to move on their own now. But she was so startled, so disoriented, that she couldn't move a muscle.

"Henley," Godric didn't know why he reached out to her, why is hands immediately went to cup her cheeks, to try and make her understand the necessity of her moving. When he realized what he was doing, he fought to pull away, but an invisible force drew his hands to her skin.

He touched her.

Henley's eyes grew even wider as she stilled completely. Everything else in the world was forgotten, including the doctor that was nearing them.

Godric was touching her.

Godric shook the impossibility of being able to physically touch her away. They would deal with it later. "Henley, you need to go. Run. Get out. Get to Willa. Now."

"How..." her voice was hoarse and filled with surprise.

His tone lowered. "Now, Henley. Get up. Get outside. You need to go now."

The hiss of the command yanked her out of her disoriented trance. Henley blinked before realizing Jackson's presence. She was on her feet in mere seconds, her head swimming as she willed her feet to cooperate.

"T-The door," her gaze never left Jackson as she slowly backed up. She was stumbling over herself, even with the little steps, but she refused to stop.

Godric wouldn't let her even if she tried.

The front door smashed open and she was never gladder of the ghost in her life. With one last glance at the deranged doctor, Henley twisted and dashed towards the door. She stumbled to a stop just in the doorway, however, as the sudden appearance of the vampire from Fangtasia caused her to jump.

"You should stop fighting me, sweetheart. We both know this isn't going to end well for you. Your little boyfriend can't stop me," Jackson mocked from behind.

"Go!" Godric urged before summoning all of his strength and sending a strong gust of wind towards Jackson, throwing him against the nearest wall. "Now!"

"Who was that?" Willa's eyes were wide as she glanced at the scene before her. The girl from the bar was frozen in the doorway, bruises littering her neck as she fought for oxygen. When the man behind the girl suddenly flew through the air, her jaw dropped open in surprise. Was this girl a witch of some kind? But no, there was that voice again. It was so familiar, and yet it belonged to a stranger at the same time. "Who just spoke?"

Henley's eyebrows furrowed at the vampire. Had she heard Godric? No, that was absurd. It was impossible.

Just as impossible as it should have been for Godric to touch her.

"Henley now!"

"Godric?" Henley glanced behind her, only to hurry out onto the porch as Jackson began back to his feet.

"Godric?" Willa exclaimed. She knew it! She had known Pam wasn't right, that she wasn't just making things up. "Are you talking to Godric?"

Godric's head suddenly snapped to the young vampire. She could hear him. But it wasn't possible.

"Godric!" Henley's cry caught his attention.

Growling, Godric sent another burst of wind at the doctor, sending the poison flying to the ground. It sizzled as it met the floor and Henley stood shocked at the display.

"I said go!" Godric's fangs had extended, throwing Henley a pointed look. "Get out of here."

"Is he telling you to run, Henley? Is he telling you to go?" Jackson laughed and he once again pulled himself to his feet. "Have no fear, sweetheart, allow me to have the honour."

She didn't understand his mumbled breaths, but in only an instant, a hazy smoke began filling the room until she could barely seen the man any longer. She took a tentative step back, just in case he suddenly appeared. But just as quickly as it appeared, the smoke vanished, as had the doctor.

What worried Henley was the fact that Godric was nowhere to be seen either.

"Godric?" she croaked, hurrying back into the house, looking every which way for the vampire ghost that had somehow saved her life. "Godric?"

"What's happening?" Willa stood outside the house perplexed. She couldn't understand what she had just witnessed. She had been a vampire for many months now, grasping the supernatural world as best as she could. But nothing had prepared her for this. "What's going on?"

Henley felt as confused as the vampire appeared as she gazed into the living room and kitchen, finding herself absolutely alone in the house. A sudden thought struck, her heart pounding as she searched for her dog. She was relieved when she found him scratching at the back door.

"Who are you?" Willa questioned, never taking her eyes off of the girl in fear that she would disappear like the other one had. "What are you?"

Henley sighed as she slowly turned towards the vampire. That was a loaded question. The one she desperately wanted to ask, however, couldn't be answered by anyone present.

How the hell had Godric touched her?

How was she even alive?