The Monster That Is Me

Eliza:

A bluish light bed through the cracks and lit the room. This was extreme early, especially for me But I know I’m not going to be able to go back to sleep. I sat up resting my head against the chestnut headboard. My head rotated to the opposite side of the bed. The sheets were distressed, the pillow was misplaced and Austin was missing. I heaved a sad sigh. I’ve woken up like this each morning for the past month and a half. I’m starting to grow accustomed to waking to an empty bed. As if right on cue Drella, the stray dog that I begged Austin to let me keep, barked from the edge of the bed. I smiled lightly.

“Or maybe I’m not alone after all” I chuckled when she bombarded me with good morning kisses. “Good morning to you too Drella.” I kissed the top of the dog’s forehead sweetly. I let my legs swing over the bedside before rising to my feet. I patted the side of my thigh calling my companion “Come on girl!” She yelped once before abiding loyally.

Drella and I made our way through the halls. It was so quiet, only the pitter patter of the dog’s nails against the wood floor could be heard. As we got closer to the kitchen I could make out the voices of a few people, though they were very faint and barely above a whisper.

“Remember when Arthur said something about the prophecy?” A voice questioned, I new to be Phil’s “Do you remember what he said?”

Tino’s grunt sounded, of course he was with Phil as always “Yeah! That it had something to do with Austin and the Bathorian people.”

“And that’s why they wanted to kill him so badly right?” He asked

“Yep.” Tino sounded uninterested in the topic. “I think Austin’s dad is wrong about the prophecy. I mean it doesn’t make since…..How can Austin be a danger to Eliza’s life. I mean…..fate brought them together, he did imprint on her.”

“How about?” There was a bunch of shuffling “How about if Eliza has something to do with the prophecy……in like helping Austin fulfill it instead?”

“She could……or she couldn’t.” Tino replied “We won’t know because we don’t have the Book of Prophecies……….damn Bathorians keep that thing under lock and key.”

“She could get it for us….or at least help us understand it better.” Phil added and even though I wasn’t looking at him I could since the excitement dripping form his word

“I would love to help you guys.” I took a step from around the corner so that I was no longer hidden in the shadows. “But I don’t know how much I can help.”

Tino and Phil both looked at me with wide eyes, obviously not expecting me to be listening in on there conversation.

“You’re an eavesdropper.” Tino smirked “You know what we do to eavesdropper’s right?”

“Stop it Tino!” Phil giggled smacking the man beside him. He turned to Eliza “Just tell us what you know.

“You don’t scare me.” I spat at Tino before sliding into the bar stool. I turned my gaze to Phil with a sad smile “I mean I would tell you what I know but I’m pretty sure everything they taught us in school about the prophecy was a complete lie.” I took a cookie and chucked it a Drella before turning back to the guys “For goodness sakes they told us you guys were monsters with big yellow teeth and green skin.”

“Only when I’m angry.” Aaron snickered from behind me. He walked up taking the seat at my side. I rolled my eyes at him and he threw his hands up in defense “You know it’s true…..I went incredible hulk on your ass when we first meet.”

“Yeah! And then I burnt your green ass purple into next week.” Aaron elbowed me and I laughed. “But Bathorian teaching is pretty much a fifty-fifty chance for being true or not.”

Phil leaned forward looking at me excitedly “Well what do you know……..about the prophecy and all?”

I shrugged my shoulders “Well I remember reading the Book of Prophecies when I was little….”

I was interrupted by a flabbergasted Tino “Wait! You’ve actually read the motherfucker?”

“Valentino Artega!” Phil spoke sternly looking at the man in furry. If looks could kill, Tino would be dead. Phil turned to me and smiled “He’s sorry for his outburst. Please, continue.”

I nodded thankfully at Phil “Anyway, so what I was saying before being rudely interrupted….” My eyes flickered to Tino who was no doubt staring daggers at me. I chuckled. “ Yes, I have read the book……all I know is that there are four prophecies. The Promised Ones, The Charmed One, The Chosen One, and The Almighty One.” I shook my hands watching the coffee swirl in the cups. “My sister is The Charmed One.”

“You have a sister?” Phil and Tino questioned in unison

I nodded “Yeah, I actually have two.” They looked at me in shock and I just shrugged “And a brother.”

“And how are we just now figuring this out.” Tino inquired resting his elbows on the table and his head between his hands.

Phil wrapped his arms around Tino’s waist raising an eyebrow at me “Yeah, why haven’t you told us more about your family.”

“Because I told her not too.” Austin’s voice boomed from the doorway. Everyone paused in shock and locked up at him. Even Drella could since the agitation and crawled behind my legs in a whimper. Austin’s gaze fell on me. “I guess she just doesn’t listen.”

I swallowed before speaking “I didn’t say much just…..”

“More than I asked you too.” Austin sputtered. I sat in shock, Austin had never spoken to me in this way before. He looked into my eyes before looking back down again “We’ll talk about this later.”

Without another word he brushed pass me and out the back door. I inattentively jumped at the ricochet of the door slamming which seemed to ring in the air minutes after Austin was gone. My thoughts soon consumed my mind. What was that all about? Why was Austin acting like that? Was that considered our first fight?

“Hey! Don’t cry babe.” Aaron cooed rubbing my back up and down

I raised my hand to my face filling the wet liquid. I hadn’t even noticed I was crying. I wiped the tears away. “He’s never talked to me like that before.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m sure it’s just a spare of the moment feeling.” Tino gave me a genuine smile for once in his life. “I’m sure everything’s fine.”

I closed my eyes just letting the tears fall. “No…..no it’s not fine, it’s not okay. He’s been acting so distant lately. He hasn’t done anything with me in days. I’ve waken up to a cold bed every day for the past month and a half. He….he hasn’t even called me gorgeous in forever.” I twiddled my fingers in my lap. “Is he…..is he falling out of love with me?”

“Eliza that’s not possible.” I looked up to be met with Phil’s eyes “He imprinted, he can’t fall out of imprintation. It just doesn’t work like that sweet heart.”

I looked out the door at Austin who was sitting on the hammock watching sun rise. We normally watched it rise together, but lately I guess I’m not good enough to watch it with. I let out a breathy sigh.

“Then why is he acting like this then? Why is he basically acting like he doesn’t love me anymore?”

All the guys shared glances at each other, silently conversating among themselves. They all nodded there heads first Aaron nodded followed by Tino and lastly Phil.

He looked upward before yelling “ALAN!”

“TELL HER!” The red-head yelled back down. Seconds later he appeared at the base of the stairs. “Tell her……she deserves to know.”

I furrowed my eyebrows looking at there faces with confusion “I deserve to know what?”

“About Austin….” I immediately was all ears. Phil smiled obviously seeing my excitement but it soon turned into a frown “Austin get’s distant around the same time each year. The months of April and May are pretty rocky for him.”

“Rocky?” My eyes squinted as I became consumed in thought. I could sense Austin’s uneasiness, but I thought it was something that I had done. But now hearing this, I’m starting to think otherwise. “Why is it rocky?”

“Austin’s mom loved the month of April. It was her favorite time of the year. She loved rain, the sound of rain calmed her.” I smiled sadly at the thought of Austin’s mother. Boy, do I wish I could have met her. Alan continued to speak. “Then tragedy struck and she died…..on Easter.”

I gasped “Oh my God…..she died on Easter.” I looked at them in wide eyes “Is that just a coincidence?”

“No!” He shook his head before his eyes met mine. “It was all part of the prophecy. The sadness and anger made Austin release a bulk of his magical powers…..which also caused more tragedy.”

“How?”

Everyone looked to Phil. He glanced around noticing the stares and sighed. “I guess I have to explain this part huh?” He questioned though he already knew the answer. “Well, Austin had a brother, Andrew. Andrew was a sarcastic little fuck and him and Austin were always at it.” I chuckled at the though of Austin and his brother arguing. Phil just smiled at the memory before sighing. ““Well they got into an argument. I don’t know what about but some kind of way his mother came up. Austin told him to drop dead and well….he literally dropped dead.” My eyes went wide and Phil shook his head “Yeah, Austin never forgave himself for what happened.”

I sighed sadly “Poor Austin.”

“Yeah, I know he was devastated….then it happened again to his sister. Her name was Abigail. She tried to step up and be a mother figure to Austin after his mom’s passing. One day she was telling him off and he just snapped. He got so angry that he….. he made her break out in flames.” Phil shook his head at the memory. “He tried to put out the flames…..tired to douse the fire with water but it kept burning. It burned her inside out.”

“That’s horrible” I whispered.

Then it happened, a premonition. I was pulled away from our world and back in time. I was back in Austin’s room. I saw an angry Austin yelling at his sister, and then the flames. They floated out of Abigail’s mouth and ears before spreading across her whole body. I could sense her pain. I could sense Austin’s fear. He tried to put out the flames. He tried everything, but there was no use. The flames were unstoppable. Austin eventually crawled into a corner, rocking back and forth. Sobbing over his sister whose body was still consumed by fire. Then the flames suddenly stopped, they just vanished into thin air. But by then it was too late.

“Eliza!” I came back to earth to see Aaron snapping his fingers in front of my face. “Eliza! Are you there?”

I blinked my eyes “Yeah……”

“You zoned out on us their.” He mumbled looking at me with concern.

I shrugged him off “Yeah, sorry bout that.”

“Well, Austin had one more sibling. A brother named Avery. But his dad sent him away after his sister death.”

Phil leaned into Tino who embraced him in a loving hug. I smiled at them before frowning lightly. I wish Austin would hold me like that, but he hasn’t even touched me in forever. I stand up and walk to the sliding door looking out at Austin. He was still standing there looking up at the sky.

“Austin always blames himself for what happened. The brutal deaths and the splitting of the family. He thinks that he’s a…..”

“Monster.” I whispered lowly but loud enough for them to hear. I sighed shaking my head “He’s not a monster. He didn’t kill them. Destiny may have killed them, fate may have sealed there death certificate….but Austin is no murder.”

“If only he knew that.” Aaron said sadly “Instead he drowns himself in his own misery and pity.”

Tino agreed with him “I just wish there was a way he could talk to them again.” I turned around abruptly to look at him. “They could maybe explain all this to him.

“Tino, don’t be stupid. As much as I want him to get over this, he can’t talk to the dead.” Phil kissed the man on the cheek. “It’s a sweet thought, it’s just…..impossible.”

I turned around facing Austin again. What if he could talk to his mother, his sister and his brother again? Maybe then he can see that he isn’t a monster. That this isn’t his fought. That everything happens for a reason. Then maybe, just maybe, I can get my Austin back. Drella sat down at my foot with her gaze, like mine on Austin. I sat down Indian style on the floor and she immediately hopped into the middle. Short, shrill whimpers started to escape her mouth as she looked at her other owner.

“You worried about him to Drella!” I questioned earning a yelp from the dog. I smiled down at her, I swear she’s a human in a dog’s body. “I am to Drella, I am too.”

I rubbed my hand down the dog’s sleek coat. “Don’t worry girl.” She looked up at me expectantly. I nodded my head returning my gaze to the man that I love. “I’m going to get him back.”

I’m going to do everything in my power to help Austin. But in order to help him, I myself will need some help.

Bathorian help…..

Notes

I hope you guys are enjoying this story =)