Playlist for Firm Believer:
"Echo" by Trapt
"Going Under" by Evenscence {sp?}
"Hysteria" by Muse
"In the Shadows" by The Rasmus
"Never Again" by Nickelback
"One Thing Leads to Another" SUNG by Steven Strait
"Sooner or Later" by Breaking Benjamin
"Voices Carry" by Till Tuesday
"Waiting" by Trapt
"What Comes Around" by ill nino
Prologue
When Seamus had turned 19 he had a dream of becoming old and turning into dust after death. When he turned 20 he had already researched ways of becoming immortal. By 21 he had already killed four witches in the process of them performing immortality spells on him. Yet, he was still aging and in 9 years he knew he was going to lose any hope of retaining a forever young look.
On his 22nd birthday he found an unmarked envelop in his mailbox that contained a card with an address, date and time on it. Curious, he decided to check it out.
Four days later Seamus was in a Chicago library.
"Excuse me young man, are you Seamus Kirney?” an athletic looking man in his 30's asked walking up to Seamus. To Seamus it looked liked he didn't care a thing about his looks, but with the gray eyes girls probably didn't see much else. “Yes, I would be. Who may you be?" Seamus snipped in a pompous manner. Pretty boy gray eyes extended a hand and gave Seamus a smile that would probably get a girl into his bed if that's what he wanted. Seamus ignored the hand and continued to glare.
"Sorry," gray eyes dropped his hand and the smile slowly evaporated. “I’m Jake Thorton. I believe I may have something you want." Jake's eyes started to sparkle and he raised his eyebrows to emphasize his next statement, “The road to immortality? Straight ahead and probably somewhere in the space books. She's really interested in all this controversy about Pluto.”
Seamus blinked before looking for the space books. When he found them he saw a black haired girl of about 18 or 19 flipping through a book about Pluto. He approached her and suddenly Jake appeared behind her and nodded at Seamus.
"Excuse me..." Seamus started. The girl slammed the book shut, looked at the shelves and placed the book back in its correct position before turning to Seamus. Seamus saw that her eyes were a deep shade of purple that almost complimented Jake's gray.
"So you're him. The witch killer in search of immortality. Finally found me, didn't you? Well, I've got news for you buddy, I won't do it."
Seamus was speechless at this outburst. Jake put a hand on the girls shoulder before she could run off. "Katherine, my dear, do it for me. We both know you're strong enough to do it and not die. Besides, you can make him pay.”
Katherine sniffed looking from Seamus to Jake "Fine." She spat out.
"Great!" Seamus exclaimed, “When are you next available?"
Katherine shook her head, “I wasn't agreeing to it. I was asking how much I could fine you for it."
"Oh... well... How does one million sound?"
Jake's jaw dropped and Katherine grabbed his hand and after some frantic whispering to Jake she agreed.
Two weeks later Seamus, Jake, and Katherine were in a dingy apartment on the south side of Chicago. On the floor of the living room was a pentagram laid out in salt and candles burning at each point. Seamus stood in the middle of the pentagram. Katherine started her chant while Seamus closed his eyes, hoping that the same thing that happened the four other times wouldn't happen this time. A blinding flash and sonic boom of sound overwhelmed Seamus just as he finished that thought. Normally this was when the witch would scream and die. Seamus could still hear Katherine chanting and she didn't sound like she was going to end anytime soon. Suddenly Seamus heard a howl and Katherine stopped chanting. Seamus opened his eyes to look straight at Katherine, not an inch away. "AH! What are you staring at?" he exclaimed and took a step back to trip over a candle and land on his backside. He looked up at Katherine, who was still staring at where he had been. Jake appeared next to her and started looking around the room. "Kat... Where'd he go?"
Katherine couldn't understand it. She had done everything correctly, yet somehow Seamus Kirney had disappeared into thin air. "Well, wherever he is, he's immortal. That and he left the 1 mil just inside the door, so I don't think we should worry about it. Unless he shows up on our front porch again, I say we forget about it. It’s what he wanted."
Jake was prowling around the room. He knelt by a dresser and reached underneath it. When his face twisted with pain Kat figured he'd been bitten by a mouse. Instead, he pulled out a cypress twig. That was not good. "Jake! I know what happened!"
She turned back to the pentagram, "Seamus, if you're still there, listen to me. You ARE immortal, yes. There's just a little twist to it. No one can see you unless they're dying before their time. In this instance, you can give them a choice to live like yourself, or you can let them die and move on with whatever happens to them after death. You're... You're kind of like the Christian angel of death. Use that wisely!"
Seamus heard Katherine's words, but couldn't believe it. An unseen immortal that can give life to the dying? This was going to be fun.
Geneva, IL
4 years later
Anastasia Melissa Anderson had just turned 20 a few weeks ago and her parents surprised her with a membership to the Delnor Health and Wellness Clinic.
"It's so you don't have to wake us up at 4am with all that noise you make in your room," her father had said with a laugh.
Asia had been attending the local community college, Elgin Community College, for a year and was planning to earn an Associates in Fine Arts. After that she was going to go to Germany for a year of fun. Afterward she was going to become an English major.
She'd inheritated her father's piercing emerald green eyes and her mother’s black hair. She was short for her age, but she didn't mind. She'd done swimming, basketball, and track in high school, but wasn't good enough to go on to college level sports. With the new membership she could swim without having to pay and she couldn't wait to get into the water.
Though she was attractive enough, Asia preferred to stay away from guys and dating. It wasn't that she was frigid; it was just that she wanted to focus on school before thinking about a relationship.
Not long after Asia saw a poster for a swim meet in Chicago that was open to every one of all ages and swimming ability. She instantly signed up for it and started working.
Two days before the meet Asia was relaxing in the hotel pool where she was staying for the past week. It'd been nice to get away from her parents and the hotel was comfortable. The pool was warm and clean, and Asia loved having it all to herself. She'd go under the water, close her eyes and relax in the silence completely surrounding her. She did it a few times, but then something was wrong. The silence was off and she didn't feel as relaxed as she had before. She opened her eyes to peer into the bored eyes of a man not much older than herself. She gave a shriek and shot to the surface. The man rose slowly and when they were both above the water he gave her a smile.
"Greetings, She who will be reborn from the darkness. Do you know who I am?"
Asia splashed water in his face and made her way to the edge of the pool, “A pervert! A crazy pervert! Now, if you'll excuse me, leave me alone!"
"I'm sorry, but you can't do that."
Asia stopped and turned to look at him, "Huh? What do you mean?"
The man looked up with a smirk that made him almost attractive, “You can't leave and I can't leave you alone. No, it's not what your thinking, unless what your thinking is that your dying."
"Dying, yeah right. Unless you’re my doctor's son and he told you that I had cancer and he forgot to tell me. Than again, he is forgetful."
The man chuckled, " No, I have no relations to your doctor, but you are dying, Asia. You want to know how I know?"
Asia was getting crept out but she was curious. The guy could be some escaped mental patient and maybe if she kept him talking long enough someone else would come into the pool area and she could ask them to get help. "Sure... what's your name?"
"Seamus."
"Well, okay Seamus tell me how I'm dying."
Seamus turned and snapped his fingers. Suddenly Asia was standing on the pool deck looking into the water. There was a man kneeling on the edge of the water with both his hands in the water. He was holding down someone-- no wait, he was holding down her! Asia couldn't believe it as she watched herself drowning at the hands of a man she'd never met, never seen. Was he a serial killer? Or was this all just a joke and Seamus was some telepath and he was projecting images into her brain? She couldn't grasp onto either idea and sank to her knees. "What do you want from me?"
She saw Seamus step up next to her out of the corner of her eye, "Join me."
"Okay." Suddenly Asia was back in the water and she could feel the hands of the man holding her down. She screamed and clawed at him in an attempt to get to the surface, but he was too strong. She felt her life leaving her body and she started thrashing frantically. But Seamus asked me to join him and I accepted! Why is this happening? Did I say the wrong thing and he didn't want me to come? Her thoughts stopped as her life ended.
Asia woke up slowly. The smell of french fries made her think she was delirious, but when she opened her eyes she knew she was crazy. She was lying in the middle of a MacDonald’s lobby. Behind the counter was a boy in the normal ‘I’m working for minimum wage’ attire and he was waiting on a heavy set woman. Asia stared at the menu before she caught herself staring and got up. She looked at the boy, but he didn’t seem to notice her so she turned around and started to head out.
“Asia.” A voice behind her called her name soothingly, “Asia, my pet, welcome.”
Asia turned to face Seamus. He gave her a smile and his eyes lit up with happiness at seeing her. “My dear, I hope you understand. To join my group you must-!”
Asia cut him off with a swift punch to his right cheek. “You b*****d! I drowned, and you did nothing. I could feel his hands holding me down and I felt the water entering my lungs and everything went black and you… you did nothing.”
Seamus rubbed his cheek and sighed at Asia like she was a little kid. “You must forgive me.” He gave a big smile and spread his arms wide, “You’re here now, aren’t you? Why don’t you meet the rest of the people you’re going to be spending the rest of your immortal life with?” He started waving to the air around him in great sweeping gestures making reassuring noises. Asia stared at him as if he was insane.
Seamus gave her a smile to rival Jake Thorton’s, though she didn’t know it. “Ah, yes. Your family and mine.” A group of people in various states of decomposition formed around Asia. “Come, Asia. Let me introduce you to them.” He took her hand and led her to a raven haired teenager boy with eyes as blue as the sky. He looked like a skeleton and almost every bone in his body was nearly sticking out of his skin. “This is Allen, found him in a dumpster outside an apartment building. His father had already killed his mother or she would be here to. Allen ran and hid in the dumpster, but couldn’t get back out and died of starvation.” Asia looked at Allen and Allen blinked at her before turning and running off to sit at a table and stare out the window. Seamus pulled her to a little girl of no more than seven. Her skin was black in some places, peeling in others, and white in the rest. Her hair was cut randomly and short, with part of her head being bald. “This is Stacy. She was walking home from school one day when a telephone pole fell on her. She was badly burned and died from the electric shock.” Stacy performed a curtsy and took off to the play gym at the back of the restaurant. Seamus pulled Asia over to another girl of about her age with long red hair and gray eyes. There didn’t appear to be anything wrong with her physically. “Katie’s father used to verbally abuse her, but one day he went too far with his words and threw a hammer at her. She lasted two weeks in the hospital before her body decided to give way.” Katie nodded at Asia before walking up to the counter and stared at the boy, who appeared to stare back at her. Seamus led her around the rest of the circle and Asia heard stories about children and adults being killed before their times in so many ways that she knew she’d heard it all by the time all the introductions were done.
Seamus than brought her over to an empty table and set her down. “My story is short and simple. About six years ago I wanted to become immortal. Four years ago a young and powerful witch performed an immortality spell on me. Everything went well, only she hadn’t thoroughly cleaned her spell casting area and there became a catch. Look around you and try to guess what it is.”
Asia looked around her for a bit, “No one can see you. You give second chances to those who have run out of options.”
“Bingo. We exist on the same plane as the mortals; it’s just that they don’t realize we exist. Unless you’re a firm believer in ghosts or whatever we are, no one will ever see us.”
Asia leaned forward, “Why did you choose a MacDonald’s as your home?”
Seamus pressed his lips together and thought for a moment, “American tradition? I don’t know. I hate this place as much as the next person. It’s just easier to introduce inductees to this new world if they’re in a place they’re most likely familiar with.”
Asia laughed and leaned back. She was going to enjoy this life.
Seamus’s narrative {tentative ‘title’}
I don’t know what she did to me, but it changed my personality quite a bit. One moment I was a pompous jerk and the next I was humbled. I was all alone in the world. No one could hear my screams.
I stayed a week in the apartment where Katherine had made me immortal. I screamed a lot those first few days. No one came to me. I finally walked out into the light of the harsh day. Somehow, no one noticed the door opening when I walked out. I guess that had to be expected with the witch’s little spell.
I found my first rescue a month after walking around outside. I had found out that sleep and food were no longer essential to me.
As I was walking through a heavily lit park sometime in the evening I heard a cry. Wandering over to the sound I saw a small little girl huddling under a park bench. Still trying to get over the fact that no one could see me, I bent down and whispered, “Hi.” Her eyes instantly locked onto mine and she reached for me. I was surprised, but than I remembered Katherine’s words. I could help those who were dying before their time.
I pulled the girl out from beneath the park bench and into my arms. She was so light and when I looked under the park bench I found a puddle of blood and a knife. She’d been stabbed. I was so angry that I set her down again. In a blink of my eyes she was back under the park bench and looking around anxiously. I tried waving a hand in front of her face, but she didn’t see me. Than she gave a sigh and closed her eyes. I blinked again and she was back at my feet. She grabbed me. I held her close as she started to weep uncontrollably.
I did my best to explain to her what had happened to her and eventually she understood. We traveled all over together, never making conversation. We communicated nonverbally, with nothing more than a smile or a frown to answer questions the eyes asked. We enjoyed the silence. Sometimes we’d go to the lake and sit on the beach and stare out into the waves. It was a day like this where we met our next addition to the group. She was watching a family playing in the surf and I was lying on the beach. Suddenly, our silence of two months was broken.
“SEAMUS!” she screamed in a panicked voice. Shock and a need to protect had me on my feet. I saw my little girl-child standing in the surf and pointing towards the waves. I didn’t see anything at first, but then I saw a young teenage boy caught in a wave. I looked around and saw that no one could see him. I rushed out into the waves, not feeling the cold sensation of the water. I made to grab for his hand when I got to him, but it slipped out of my grasp. He looked up and straight into my eyes. I grabbed his hand quickly and pulled him up from the water, “You want to live or not?” I screamed into his face. His eyes widened in shock and he nodded. Again, just as before, he disappeared beneath the waves and tried to get to the surface. He stopped after a second and slowly rose up out of the waves. He looked at me and gave me a crooked smile before looking over to see the girl. She swam as fast as she could and jumped at him to give him a hug. She than jumped at me and gave me a huge squeeze before slipping from my grip into the water.
Our group continued to expand and finally I decided we needed a permanent place to stay; a base of sorts. I came across a MacDonald’s one day and with an eye roll from my girl-child I choose it.
~~
Asia had learned a lot about what she was over the past thirty years. She had befriended Katie and they went everywhere together. Seamus trusted the two girls enough to let them leave the MacDonald’s and walk the streets, sometimes scouting for others who could join them. Whenever they came across someone who was dying one would stay with the person and the other would find Seamus. Seamus would than judge if the person was worthy of joining the immortals or could be condemned to the afterlife. About nine people had joined since Asia. Some went crazy at first and Seamus would isolate them and reason with them until they would feel better about their choice. Asia enjoyed watching them all from her favorite perch on top of the soda machine. She’d lean back in the clothes Seamus had somehow found for her and think about everything she had done in her life.
Asia had been born in Geneva and had lived there her entire life. Her first best friend was a raven haired boy two years older than her named Nick she’d met when she started grade school. They lived across the street and for 10 years Nick would show up every morning, his hair ruffled as if he had just got up and ran out the door to Asia’s house. Than one morning Nick didn’t show up and Asia found out that he was attending high school and wouldn’t be seeing her much. His family moved away the next year and Asia mourned for a year before she met Charlie. He was a bit of a swinger and Asia was cautious around him, but he reassured her that he’d never pursue her and they became good friends. Charlie moved away when he started college and Asia swore that she’d stay away boys for the rest of her life.
Asia was curious about Seamus, but scared to ask him about his life. His body was about four years older than hers and when she asked Katie if she knew anything Katie said that it was pointless to ask.
One day Asia finally built up enough courage to ask Seamus about himself. She approached the table he had claimed as his own and sat across from him. He’d been looking out the window and when he noticed she was there he turned to her. He looked particularly attractive today and Asia gulped before saying anything. “I want to know more about you.” Seamus blinked before leaning forward, “Okay. I’m Seamus Kirney. I was born, I had a dream, I wanted to become immortal, and I became immortal. The. End.” He leaned back and smirked at Asia. Asia pressed her lips into a thin line and slowly nodded. “Okay”, she whispered as she made to leave and Seamus grabbed her hand. “Stay awhile. I’ll tell you a little if we have a conversation that leads to it.” Asia looked at Seamus’s hand that had curled around hers claw-like. She settled down and pulled her hand away from Seamus’s. They stared at each other before Asia sighed and once again made to leave. “Seamus, I really do hate your tricks.” Seamus threw back his head and roared with laughter. “Asia, my pet. Have you forgotten how to start a conversation? You were the one who wanted to talk so I was waiting for you to start. Unless it was all just a dare and now that I told you something you’ve won whatever the bet was.” Asia glared at Seamus before completely sitting down and leaning across the table. “I’m not going to play 20 questions, but I do have a few questions. May I ask them?” Seamus gave a slight nod and settled back into the seat. He had a feeling this would be a long conversation, even for an immortal.
“Okay, so you were born in Ireland to non-Irish parents. You had one sister who is thirty-two this year, if she’s alive. Your mother died in a boat accident just after your sister was born. Your father is probably still alive, but you’ve forgotten how old he’d be so you’re not sure. Before you became immortal your favorite food was garlic mashed potatoes with mustard. Your favorite color has always been gray. The last book you read was your favorite, [i]Dune[/i] by Frank Herbert. You believe in the existence of vampires, werewolves, and all magick for the simple fact that you exist as what you are. Did I miss anything?” Asia repeated back to Seamus after a weeks worth of conversations. Seamus thought a moment, “I hate animals. Vegetarians scare me.” Asia smiled at the memory of that conversation. Seamus had eaten a cheeseburger in front of a group of vegetarians and they had all pulled out gas masks the entire time he ate. That had been a few months before he became immortal and it was by far his favorite memory of odd human behavior. Asia leaned back and started to study Seamus. She wondered why she never had before.
Seamus had a long scar that went from his left eyebrow to his chin. He had blue-gray eyes that at close range appeared to be made of bubbles. His hair was an auburn-brown that was styled to be short and messy. He was at least 6 ft and muscularly defined in almost every way. If they weren’t immortals Asia probably would have stereotyped him as a sex god who cared more about the next girl in his bed than his next English assignment. She knew him better than that. He acted like he didn’t care about anything and most of the time he didn’t. It was when a small child was in danger of dying before he or she was supposed that Seamus would show a side Asia thought never existed. At night, he would play with Stacy on the play gym and during the day he’d play tag with Allen and his friends.
Asia didn’t ever want to give up this life. Until that one morning when Seamus brought home her niece.
Seamus walked in late one night holding a small girl with dirty-blonde hair and eyes as green as uncut emeralds. When he set her down she ran to where Asia was lying and jumped on her. Asia made an “Uff!” and sat up straight. She gave Seamus a deadly glare and he set his lips in a thin line. She patted the child’s head, “Explain, buddy.” Seamus sighed and knelt down next to the two girls. “I was out walking and was watching a family taking a stroll through a park on the north side when this little one tripped down a hill and broke her neck. She’s having a hard time accepting where and what she is.” He stood up and walked away. Asia started into the eyes. They looked so familiar, yet she couldn’t place what it was familiar about them. She held the child close to her and settled back down on the floor to ponder what she and Katie would do the following morning.
When Asia was ready enough to move from her place on the floor she took the new child over to Katie. Katie could be exotic at times and her favorite place to stay for the evenings was the air ducts. Asia found her crawling out of one right behind the counter. She took one look at the child, looked back at Asia and nearly shrieked, “YOU AND SEAMUS HAD A CHILD?!?!” Asia took a step back and looked down at the child again. She did look a bit like a mix between her and Seamus, but she dismissed the thought. Seamus poked his out from behind a corner, “Now Katie, you know we can’t have children. Why don’t you and Asia take the youngest one out for a bit today? She’s still in a bit of shock and maybe a day with you two will help her. Just remember… any rescues and you find me right away.” Katie rolled her eyes at Asia and took one of the child’s hands. “You want to go out and play for a bit?” The child nodded and Katie smiled. The three of time walked out the door.
Asia kept both eyes on the child at all times. Though she couldn’t get hurt anymore, it was still impossible to keep her under control. She would run ahead of Katie and Asia and the two girls would have to run like hell to keep up and find her standing in the middle of the street, sometimes staring at a bus that would be about to hit her. She would scream whenever something would hit and wouldn’t kill her. She most certainly did not want to be immortal. Asia approached the girl cautiously after seven times of being hit by a bus and asked her gently, “What did he say to you when you saw him for the first time?” The girl looked down, “He didn’t say anything. He just picked me up and carried me back to where you were. I wanted to die. My mother was always depressed and it was driving me insane. If I live like this I may see her again, and I don’t want to!” She stamped her foot. Asia bent down and looked into the child’s eyes, “What is your name?” The girl seemed to think a bit, “Isabel.” Asia smiled and stood up, “Well, come on Isabel. Katie and I will show you the good things about this life.”
From that day on, Katie, Asia, and Isabel would go out and enjoy their immortality to the fullest. Isabel’s favorite thing was diving to the bottom of Lake Michigan. Though none of the girls could see a thing at the bottom, the silence was so peaceful that it would have lulled them to sleep if they could.
One day, Seamus approached Asia and grabbed her shirt. He looked at her and Asia saw anger, depression, and anguish in his look. He opened his mouth and tried to say something, but instead he ran out the door with a long scream. Asia looked around and saw Isabel giving her a look. The small girl would have been twenty that year. She still tried to flout about and could give sexy pouts. She was giving Asia one at the time and Asia tried to piece everything together. Nothing came out of the equation and she pushed it to the back of her mind. Isabel looked at her, shook her head and walked out the door silently.
Seamus’s narrative
Isabel was Asia’s niece. I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t tell my beautiful Asia what I had just found out. I had seen Asia smile so much since Isabel had come to us and there was no way that I would take the smiles away from her. To know each other only in death… It was enough to bring me to tears. I had done this to a family. Had I destroyed it or was I bringing it together?
I had finally become curious enough about Isabel to talk to her. The words that came out of the sweet pout could have scared any senior citizen to death to my doorstep. I had approached her, ready to hear everything and anything the sweet-looking child would wish to tell me. “Hey there, Isabel, would you care to talk to me today? We really haven’t had the chance to talk and I’d like to get to know you better.” Her sweet face turned towards me, “You waiting ten years to talk to me? Oh right, immortality. Time isn’t measured in years. It’s probably only been mere seconds since I came here in your eyes.” I bit my lip and guided her over to a table. I pushed her down into a seat and slide into the spot across from her. She was glaring, but it wasn’t working on her child’s face.
“Isabel. That’s all I know about you. What else can you tell me?” I decided to take the defensive in a conversation that would probably end up in a fight with the way Isabel’s eyes were seething. She pouted her lips, “My mother was an only child. She had had a sister, but she drowned about forty years ago. My grandmother was pregnant with my mother at the time. I don’t know what my aunts name was since no one ever talked about it and only my grandparents knew her. My favorite color is purple, I love animals, and I think democracy is the most stupid thing in the universe. My best friend’s older brother was a neo-Nazi and I thought he had to be the coolest person in the world. My favorite food was Italian and I never had a bedtime.”
I gawked at her. Something from ancient memories trickled into my thoughts. “What was your mother’s maiden name?”
With a bit of thought she shocked me with her next word, “Anderson.” I leaned forward. “Anastasia Melissa Anderson. That’s Asia’s full name. She drowned at least forty years ago. The similarities between you two. I have reason to believe she’s your aunt.”
Isabel got up and started pacing. I saw Asia smiling as she lifted her head as the sun rose. She looked so beautiful when she smiled. I couldn’t tell her. She’d hate me for making her niece immortal. The niece she had no idea existed. My poor, sweet, beautiful Asia.
~~
Asia was surprised at Seamus and Isabel’s reactions towards her that morning. She had quickly dismissed the idea; why should immortals dwell on thinking too hard? She waited all day for the two to return, and when they finally did, she was surprised at how numb they both looked.
That evening she found Katie crawling out of an air duct and smiling. Wondering what was so amusing she asked, “Okay, who was doing who in the bathroom?” Katie burst out laughing, “The manager and the new girl if you were so curious, but that’s not what I’m smirking at.” She pushed a finger against Asia’s lips, “And don’t you even think of asking me what it is. You’ll find out eventually, and I hope you like it. Come on, we need a girls month out. Let’s see if Seamus will allow us to go to Germany or Washington. It’s been a while since I left the state.” She grabbed Asia’s hand and yanked her over to Seamus. “Hey, Seamus! Asia and I are getting cooped up here and we thought it’d be nice if we could take a trip somewhere. Do you approve?” Seamus looked up at the two girls. He bit his lip when he looked at Asia, “Yeah, you two deserve some away time. Do you want to take…? Is Isabel going to go with you?” He stuttered a bit and looked fairly upset. Asia leaned down, “Nah, it’s just Katie and I. We were thinking Germany or somewhere along the west coast. We’ll be back, of course, but we just wanted to let you know, okay?” Seamus gave a tight smile and nodded. Asia leaned back up and both she and Katie started to rush for the door. A soft, husky voice made Asia stop in her tracks, “Asia, wait.” She turned. Seamus was right behind her. He had a weird look in his eye that made her nervous. He held out both his hands for her to take. He slowly pulled her to him in a gentle yet fierce hug. “I don’t want to lose you.” He whispered into her ear. She started to pull back, but he stopped her. He looked at her and with slow deliberateness he let his lips settle upon hers. She felt a shock building up in her heart. Her stomach erupted a thousand warm butterflies. He pulled back and gave a teasing smile, “Just wanted to do that once before you took off for some time.” Asia was dizzy, “Okay.” She said in a light and childish voice. Katie giggled behind the two and started pulling Asia towards the door. “Bye, Seamus!” She giggled at him before the two girls disappeared into the midnight lit streets of Chicago.
Once they were outside the city limits, Katie stopped. She placed herself in front of Asia and gave her a childish grin, “So, how was it?” Asia looked confused, “You mean the kiss? It was pleasant. I had no idea that he wanted to do that. Am I imperceptive or what?” Katie smirked, “Uh huh. You are slow. I knew he had a thing for you the second he brought you in. He was holding you in his arms like you were the most precious thing he had ever held and didn’t want to let go of. I think it hurt him to set you down and let you wake up when your body wanted to. He watches you everywhere you go within his sights. He grows defensive if someone in the group says something bad about you. You haven’t noticed it? It’s only been going on for forty years! The big question is; do you return his thoughts and feelings?” Asia thought for a moment and gave Katie a pained look, “I don’t think so. He is attractive, and the scar adds a bit of character, and he is sweet, but I don’t think so. I guess it’s just a shadow of my formal life echoing here. I was never really into guys other than as best friends. I guess that’s what I could consider Seamus to be—and you! But I don’t think that I could ever see him as a lover, husband, boyfriend, f**k buddy, or anything past friend. It’s just impossible for me to see that.” She moved past Katie and started running west. When Katie still hadn’t moved she turned, “Come on! Sure, we get as much time as we want, but I don’t want to miss a sunrise in the Rocky’s!” Katie pressed her lips together and started running after Asia. “Race you to Wyoming!” She screamed as Iowa ascended upon them all too quickly. Their immortality gave them the chance to run as fast as they could without worrying about heart attacks, breathing or anything else that would handicap a mortal in any physical sport.
The two girls reached Wyoming just as the sun started to rise. They watched awestruck as it hit them in the face. Asia made a purring noise and lay down on the ground to watch it. Katie remained standing and after a few minutes she spoke in a dead tone, “There’s no hope for him, is there?” Asia flipped on her back and the sunbeams turned her hair the same auburn-brown as Seamus’s, “None at all. Unless he did his best to win me and did something amazing for me. Like… let me see my family again. My parents are probably dead, but I have no idea where they’re buried. I’d like to see their gravestones. If he were to find them for me, or find any record of any of my other family records, I may rethink it. But, for the meantime, he has no chance.” Katie smiled and whispered, “He has a chance than.” Asia flipped back over onto her stomach and gave a bark of laughter, “Not at the moment.” Katie continued to smile and suppressed a squeal.
Back at the MacDonald’s Seamus was grieving. Katie and Asia were gone for now, but Isabel was here and he could have her take her to places where they could figure out if she and Asia shared blood. They started at the park where she had died. They walked through the park and Isabel told him as much as she could about her mother and grandparents. She took him to where she had lived, but her parents had moved away. Her grandparents had died a few years back and they were still scouting cemeteries for their names. It was about three weeks after Asia had left when they found the two gravestones. Seamus and Isabel started searching the area around the two gravestones for the empty graves of Isabel Anderson and Anastasia Anderson. They found Isabel’s right away and Asia’s a few minutes later. The information on the stones proved that Isabel and Asia were blood kin. Isabel screamed for three days while Seamus nearly destroyed a whole city block in pure rage.
In California, Asia and Katie were becoming tanner and fitter as the days wore on. They had hiked from northern Washington all the way down to Mexico, and than had headed back up towards Santa Monica in California. They found a hotel that was closed for a few months for reconstruction and stayed in the penthouse just for the heck of it. During the evening they would either find the nearest concert and watch it, or swim in the ocean. During the day they would walk into any store and just look at everything for as long as they wanted. When they got bored with the window shopping they would find a busy part of the town and have fun making fun of what people were wearing, or start a commentary of some people.
One morning, around 10 O’clock they were sitting down beneath a small tree and pointing at people and having fun giving each other background stories on certain people. Asia felt bold so sometimes she’d jump down from her perch and stand in the middle of the crowd and let people walk through her. Whenever someone did, she’d pull a tough-guy routine and start asking the mortal if they were looking for a fight. Katie would laugh at this and Asia would smile as if she was the happiest person in the world. A somewhat average looking guy with short spiky blonde hair and brown eyes swerved past Asia and his elbow went through her bicep. She turned to him, “Hey punk! You want a piece of me? If you don’t learn some manners and apologize!” The boy turned to her, “Sorry.” He whispered.
Shawn’s narrative
The raven haired girl looked like she’d seen a ghost. She paused what she was doing and her friend up on the wall gasped and fell over. Both girls looked at me like I was the most amazing thing in their lives. The girl who had called me a punk took a step forward and flicked my head, “Hey!” I protested and took a step back. The other girl leaned in really close, “Asia… I think he can see us…” I took another step back, “Of course I can see you!” I protested once again. The girl named Asia looked at me cautiously. She grabbed my hand and looked shocked and delighted that she could hold it. She started pulling me towards a secluded spot covered with ferns. “Um, lady’s, I don’t think I’d like to do this. I don’t know you very well. Hell, you don’t even know my name…” The girl whose name I still had yet to hear uttered muttered under here breath, “Save it for the judge, blondie.”
The two girls looked at me like I would explain why I was there. Asia placed a hand on my arm and pressed down. She looked delighted at the reaction of nothing happening. “Okay, what’s your name?” She asked, bouncy like. I was starting to like her, despite how much of a b***h she had been towards me. “Shawn Trent. I live here. Now who are you two?” Asia flashed a smile that made my insides squirm uncomfortably. There also appeared to be something wrong with her neck. “I’m Asia Anderson and this is Katie.” The girl named Katie stretched her hand out to me and took my hand to shake it. She gasped when our flesh met and pumped my arm enthusiastically. There was a circular scar healing just above her ear. Suddenly, she disappeared and Asia was left standing there alone with me. I looked around, “Hey, where’d Katie go?” Asia gasped. “She’s still right in front of you! You can’t see her anymore?” I shook my head, “No, she disappeared from my sight.” I took a step back from the raven-haired green-eyed goddess that was staring at me. “Don’t let me leave your sight.” She whispered. Her eyes grew wide and she leaned forward, “Be here at 4pm tomorrow, okay?” I nodded while she turned and ran faster than I would have thought possible. I decided to go home and think about what had just happened.
My apartment was pretty scarce. I had just moved to Santa Monica a few months back in pursuit of my photography career. College had been a breeze for me, but all the girls there were ditzy. I did my best to stay away from them, though my roommates where always girl magnets and they’d bring their female play things back to the dorms all the time. I was so glad to get out of there and away from all the hustle and bustle of hormones.
Asia had been the first girl I had had somewhat of a conversation with since high school. She was an odd one, but I guess she would explain it the next time I saw her. At least, I hoped she would. She was slightly pretty and could be my type if I got to know her. I really wanted to get to know her, learn what it was that had fascinated her so much about the smallest thing of a touch. Physical touch and seeing her, those two things had had her and Katie nearly freaked and happy at the same time.
The next day I met Asia at the same place I had seen her the previous day. She kept smiling and we talked about a lot of things. She even took my hand. After long hours of conversation I came to the conclusion that she was my type. I kissed her hand and forehead at the end of the day. I think she liked that. She left when the sunset and told me that she had to go back home, but she would try to come and see me whenever she could. I gave her my address; she said she didn’t have a phone. When she left I felt slightly empty and hoped that when I opened my door the next morning to get the paper that she would be there. She wasn’t.
~~
Asia and Katie ran as fast as they could back to Chicago. They had to tell Seamus the news about the boy Shawn that could see Asia and for a brief amount of time could see Katie. When they got back to Seamus’s lair, no one was there except for Seamus and Isabel. When the two excited girls burst through the door, Seamus pointed at Katie, “Leave us.” He commanded in such a dead tone that Katie ran out the door without asking any questions. Isabel than walked up to Asia and took her hands. “We have possibly good news for you. Come; let us show you what we discovered after you left.” She pulled Asia out of the restaurant and Seamus followed closely behind. Asia started to protest, but Seamus put a hand on her shoulder and whispered into her ear, “Don’t talk. It’s a surprise.” She shut up after that; anything to make sure Seamus didn’t touch her again.
Isabel led the group of immortals to the graveyard where her grandparents and Asia’s parents were buried. When they got to the gravestones, she pointed excitedly at the stones and after Asia read them, Isabel pulled her over to her own stone. Asia made the connection instantly. “Oh my God.” She turned on Seamus, “You made my niece an immortal like me?” She slapped him, “How the hell could you do that to her? I had no idea I had a niece and than you take her away from my sister, the sister I never knew, and bring her into your little group of forever damned souls. How could you?” Seamus took a step back and whispered in a husky tone full of emotion, “I had no idea who she was either. It wasn’t until you and Katie took off that we were able to confirm that you two are related. If I had known, I never would have done it. Asia, I am so sorry!” Asia looked at him in disgust. She made the connection between Katie’s words in Wyoming and this conversation, “You weren’t careful with your little chit-chats. Katie knows as well, you fool. I was such an idiot. She asked me if I would ever care for you and I said that if you found my family I would. I was wrong. Now that I know you took my family away from its rightful existence, I hate you even more. We discovered something in California though. Something that is so wonderful that I wish I didn’t have to tell you, but it involves all the immortals, so I guess I have to tell you.” Seamus looked at her weirdly. “Katie and I were seen. By a man named Shawn Trent. She disappeared from his sight after a few minutes, but he was able to see me from the moment we ran into each other until the moment Katie and I left. I made him a promise that I would visit him again and I’m going to keep my word.” She spat the epiphany at him. Isabel took a gasp and sat down heavily upon her grave. Seamus grew pale and started pacing, “Asia, my dear, that’s impossible. No one can see us unless their about to die.” Asia stiffened, “He saw me for at least twenty some hours. He wasn’t just about to die. I think he’s a firm believer. Remember what you told me the first day I was with your group? You said that you had a feeling that someone who believed in the existence of anything and everything in this universe could see us. That’s what Shawn is. I’m going to go visit him in a few days.”
Seamus was seething. Asia could tell. She knew exactly what he was thinking. No one had ever seen any of the immortals unless they were dying. Shawn wasn’t dying and he had been able to see her for at least a day before Katie had demanded they go back to Seamus and explain to him what had happened. Asia had promised Shawn that she’d see him again and she wasn’t going to break her promise. She was curious about him. She was starting to think that maybe not all guys were bad and maybe she could start to love one. Maybe Shawn was her soul mate and that’s how he was able to see her. That had to be it. Though, he’d seen Katie for a bit. It had to be a soul mate thing. He had to believe in everything to be able to see her and once he found her he couldn’t see anything else. That had to be it. He was kind of cute, though she hated to admit it, but Seamus was a whole lot more beautiful. Still, Shawn hadn’t treated her like property that only existed because of him. Seamus had gone from being a sweet guy to being a bit of a jerk. His mind was aging and it was turning him bitter. She had a feeling the same thing was happening to her, but she couldn’t tell. She just hoped that Shawn didn’t notice it. She was going to see him again in a few days. She had forever to see him, but he only had years. She had to live by his rules if she wanted to see him as much as possible.
Seamus’s narrative
No. My Asia is slipping away from me. She goes on a trip with the traitorous Katie and comes back to tell me she’s visible to a male mortal; a male mortal that she is going to see as much as she can until he dies. I can’t believe it. I was hoping that when she came back that she would realize how much she loved me. Instead, I fear she is falling for a mortal. I’ll give her at least sixty years before he’s dead and she won’t have him any more. I can wait that long. I just don’t know if I could handle her anger if I forbid her seeing him.
She said she met him in California. Of all places, a firm believer would live there. It’s still impossible to grasp. No one saw me for the forty some years I’ve been immortal. Not even the witch that did this to me could see me. I wonder what it is that he believes in that she didn’t.
His name is Shawn Trent. I will find him. I will make sure he never gets the chance to join with us. Asia will hate me for doing that to him. It will do her some good. She needs to know that there’s no way she could have a life with him. She’s been twenty for forty years. I can’t believe it’s only been forty years since I found her drowning in the pool. She was so beautiful as a mortal. The drowning permanently damaged her neck. The power I have as an immortal can only go so far. She’s still my beautiful Asia. I won’t let her go to some mortal who will end up hurting her just by dying. I’m here. What else do I have to do to get her to become mine?
She reacted so violently when she found out about Isabel being her niece. My sweet Asia, I am so sorry, my love. She slapped me and I had to do everything in my power to hold back from hitting her back or kissing her. Her anger aroused me. Though we are immortal, there are mortal urges that not even death can destroy.
Before she came, Katie asked me about my scar. I never told her; I was unaware of it myself. It has grown over time, though no one has noticed it’s decaying. I can never tell the others. We may be immortal, but our immortality has come at a high price. We will decompose over time, until we are left with nothing more than our skeletons, yet we will still be alive. It has only been forty years and my scar was originally from my eyebrow to my chin. It is now from a ½ inch above my eyebrow to a few centimeters under my chin. Katie’s scar continues to fester, though I believe I may be the only one to notice it. Asia’s neck continues to slant ever more slightly each year. Stacy’s burns began to putrefy about five years ago. We are cursed. We won’t survive this for long.
~~
Three days later Asia took off again. Seamus took off as well, dragging Katie along. He wanted to see this Shawn Trent and try to figure out what was so special about him. Maybe he was dead already. Seamus could only hope.
It took Asia a whole day to reach the west coast. She found Shawn’s apartment with ease and cautiously knocked on his door. Maybe he couldn’t see her anymore. Maybe he had moved. Maybe he had died. Her maybes cut off as he opened the door and gave her a winning smile. “Asia! I wasn’t expecting you! Come on in.” Asia slinked into the apartment and did a double take. The apartment looked like a large refrigerator box. There were two floors in it and stairs zigzagging not ten feet where she was standing led up to the second floor which was completely visible from where she was standing. The first floor contained a large window that looked out on the ocean and a comfy couch under it and a small kitchenette and bathroom. Photographs filled up one wall and the other had different shaped mirrors. On the second floor was a large landing with another large window and a door that appeared to lead to Shawn’s bedroom. The entire apartment was painted white and it had wood floors with rugs scattered around. Asia loved it at once. It had a warm aura that charmed her. She went over to the couch and plopped down in it at once. Shawn was still at the door, but his eyes were gazing at her in something she could only describe as love. She smiled shyly at him. He was so beautiful.
Something in the hall put her on alert. Seamus and Katie were standing there. Seamus’s lips were pulled into a sneer and he was pointing at Shawn as if to ask, “Is this him?” Asia nodded and beckoned to Shawn to come over. He turned and shut the door, not noticing the two immortals looking in at him. He walked carefully over to the couch and plopped down next to Asia. Guarded silence descended upon the two. Asia could still feel Seamus’s look and was uncomfortable with the thought that he might still be outside. Shawn was just nervous because here was a beautiful girl that had so many secrets, he didn’t think he could learn them all in his lifetime.
Asia turned to Shawn, “So. Tell me something about yourself. You’re a photographer. I’d really like to know a little bit more about you.” Shawn smiled, “I’d like to know quite a bit more about you, too. How did your friend Katie disappear before my eyes? Where do you live?” Asia looked chagrined, “I asked first. We’ll get to me in time.”
Shawn leaned back and cracked his knuckles, “Okay. I went to school in Wisconsin. I have a younger brother that is a senior in high school. His name is Eric. My best friend lives in Las Vegas right now and his name is Brent Waver. He does more exotic photo’s than I do. He’s a bit of a risk taker. Let’s see… I’m twenty-five. I haven’t lived here long, but I hope to stay here forever. I like it here. California is so beautiful and warm. I love the ocean. Oh, I used to swim, but the college I went to didn’t have a team so I didn’t do it after high school.” Asia smiled, “At least you’ve lived a bit more of an interesting life than I have. I did swimming too. I wasn’t able to finish college. My parents are dead. I have a niece who is… ten. She’s ten. Her name is Isabel.” Shawn moved closer to her and gently pulled her into his arms. “Asia, I’m so sorry.” He hesitated, “So I guess that rules out meeting the parents.” She giggled, “I said my parents are dead; that doesn’t mean your not going to meet the person who has been raising me. Though I don’t think you can ever meet him. He doesn’t like you at all.” Shawn looked puzzled at her. She laughed, “Do you want to know all my secrets, Shawn Trent? I have quite a few.” Shawn nodded.
Asia moved back from him. “I’m an immortal.” Shawn raised an eyebrow and settled more comfortably into the couch. She continued, “About forty years ago I entered into a swimming competition in Chicago. I was staying at a hotel and one evening when I was relaxing in the hotels pool, a man drowned me. Another man, an immortal like myself, gave me the choice to become immortal. I did and here I am before you.” Shawn looked suspicious, than he smiled. “You’re really an immortal? So… you’re really sixty, not twenty?” She nodded at him. He tipped his head back and laughed, “Wow! This is what I get for reading science-fiction novels and believing in everything I read, as unreal and strange as it may be. I meet an actual immortal!” His eyes were sparkling when he looked back at her, “So, are you like a vampire and you have to drink blood to survive? That would be so cool, but please don’t feed off me. I have a thing against pain and my neck is a little on the sensitive side.” Asia snorted, “Vampires, ha, no. We don’t need to eat or sleep. We just exist. No one can see us. Except you, but I have a theory to that. Care to hear it?” Shawn nodded. “We’re soul mates. That and you already admitted to believing in the existence of everything. It’s amazing.”
They both lapped into silence again. Asia suddenly looked over at the door. “I have to go.” She whispered and vanished out the door like smoke. Shawn leaned back and looked down at his crotch, “No.” He said forcibly. After a few moments, “Maybe next time.” He whispered before getting up to eat something.
Asia slammed into Seamus the second she raced out of Shawn’s apartment. He steadied her and gave her a grimace. “Come on. It’s time to go home.” He turned and started running towards Chicago. Katie gave Asia an apologetic smile and raced off after Seamus. With a glance at the door behind her, Asia followed the two immortals.
They got to Chicago just as the sun set. Seamus pushed Katie into the MacDonald’s and walked in without waiting for Asia. She showed up a few minutes later. Only Seamus noticed that she was out of breath, like a mortal.
Seamus’s narrative
I can’t believe it, but Asia is becoming mortal. She’s in love with a mortal and when we ran home it took her longer than normal to get home and she actually had to catch her breath. Pretty soon people will see her. I hate to do it, but I’m going to have to banish her. She’s going to go run to Shawn Trent and live with him. She’ll be able to see me and Katie and the others, but people will think she’s crazy when she acknowledges our existence.
Her neck is healing, too. I noticed it when we got back. It’s as if we have to be mortal to get better. This gets to me in so many ways. I don’t want my Asia to leave me. I don’t want her to go to the mortals. I just hope that when she dies again that I’m no where near her to save her.
I’ll do it tomorrow. Take her to her Shawn. Leave her there.
No, I can’t. I must have her as long as I can. Who cares if she starts being seen? She will be with me for as long as she lives. Maybe she’ll carry her immortality into her new life. Maybe she’ll just be seen and heal and that’s all that will happen. Maybe she’ll realize after a few years that Shawn is not the right person for her.
When she was with Shawn I could hear how happy they both were talking to each other. He accepted that she was immortal and that she was nearly twice his age. He didn’t react out of anger or disappointment. He actually seemed to want her to stay with him. The mortal loves her as I do. I just refuse to give her up.
~~
Asia was feeling strange, and that was strange on its own. Normally the immortals couldn’t feel anything but the sun’s rays beating down on them. That’s what gave them the mortality to become tan and tone their bodies. Mostly the immortals were impervious to small emotions, love excluded since love extends into death, but Asia was feeling something other than love it was bugging her. She tried talking to Seamus about it, but he was still upset about Shawn.
She still visited Shawn whenever she could. Seamus continued to nonverbally object to these visits, but he never forbad her from going. He started hanging out with a small girl that had been stabbed and Asia suspected that she was Seamus’s first rescue. The way the two seemed to be close without ever saying anything to each other just heightened her suspicions. She was glad for him. He wasn’t trying to work her into a frenzy about being seen by a mortal and he wasn’t trying to make any moves on her. She knew he was being patient. Shawn wouldn’t be around forever and once he died Seamus would be there for her. She didn’t want to think about it. She would run away from Seamus after Shawn died and come back when she was ready.
On Asia’s last visit, someone other than Shawn called out to her, but it was a false alarm. She disappeared from the person’s sight after a few seconds and the guy thought she was a ghost. She told both Shawn and Seamus about when she had the chance to talk to them. Shawn thought that maybe she was becoming more mortal the more time she spent with him, and he was perfectly fine with it. Seamus thought she was putting the immortals in danger. He made her stay in a less obvious spot during the restaurants working hours and stay low during the night to avoid being seen again. This went on for a few weeks until one morning an employee discovered her in the bathrooms.
Asia was sitting under the sinks when a woman walked through the door and screamed. Asia bolted up and the woman pointed at her and started screaming again. Asia flew out the door and past a startled Katie and out the door of the restaurant. That evening, Seamus called a meeting of the immortals in a courtroom downtown.
“My fellow immortals, we are here for the impossible.” Seamus looked impressive moving around the courtroom with the grace of a feline. His blue eyes glowed in the darkened room like a neon-blue glow stick. The other immortal’s eyes glowed the same way, all except Asia’s. Hers pulsed a dull, dying green. It was a sign that she was becoming mortal again. Seamus turned and pointed at her, “Our Asia, she who came to us forty years ago, is becoming mortal.” The twinkling of multicolored lights revealed the immortals to be blinking in surprise or sorrow. Asia’s eyes remained open. Seamus continued, “She was seen by a mortal this very morning.” He paused, “In our home.” More twinkling and gasps went through the courtroom. Seamus raised his voice, “I say this calls for a vote! Who will banish Asia to the world of the mortals? Who will have her leave us so we may remain in relative safety of the mortals? If they were to find out of our existence, they would all try to kill themselves so I could give them the choice to join us. This could cause an influx of people into our world, causing some sort of dimensional shift in the mortal’s lives.” He paused again and started pacing. He took a deep voice and continued in a calm voice, “I know what you’re all thinking. I can stop giving the dying the choice to join us. I don’t think I could handle that.” He stopped and thundered at the immortals, “Who has the strength to say no to a girl that has been stabbed? Who has the strength to turn down an abused child? Who can say no after watching a murder being committed? I know I can’t and I’m the only one here that can give the choice.” He slinked around the courtroom, “I say again, who will vote to have Asia banished? Those who say no may leave.” A few lights flickered out and disappeared. Seamus looked around and turned to Asia.
“Anastasia Melissa Anderson, you have been banished by the immortals.” Seamus whispered gravely. Asia stood up, “No! I refuse to leave! As much as I want to be with Shawn, I can’t leave! This is my home! Seamus! Please, don’t!” Seamus took a step towards her. He swept his right arm from his chest to his side, “You are banished, Asia.” His eyes flared brightly, “Get. Out.” With those words he turned and left the courtroom.
Asia wandered out of Chicago and headed east. Shawn was west, but she wanted to come to grips with the reality that she was a mortal again. Or half mortal or whatever she was.
It took two weeks for her to become visible to the world for a full twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. She learned that the hard way when she was arrested for dancing in a lobby fountain of a bank in Ohio. She was held for a few days since she couldn’t give them a name and address. After a doctor checked her out for illegal substances and alcohol abuse and she was cleared they let her go. She decided to go to New York after that and stay there for a few weeks before making a leisurely trip to California and Shawn.
After a month on the road she was in Nevada. She took a small shortcut and stopped in Las Vegas. A few managers in some clubs thought she was a dancer and wanted to hire her. She turned all the offers down until a brown eyed man with short brown hair asked her. She didn’t ask for his name and he didn’t ask for hers. He was a photographer and begged her to get a job as a dancer in the bar where he worked during the days as a bartender. She agreed to a month’s contract and settled down in a drab apartment a few blocks off The Strip.
On a rainy evening when Asia was zipping up a high heel boot she felt a hand on her shoulder. Thinking it was an intruder she turned on the person and kicked him as hard as she could. He fell to the floor and a familiar pair of blue eyes stared up at her in pain. “Okay, so that hurt, somehow. Damn it, Asia, what have you done to yourself?” Seamus grinned up at her. She kicked him between the eyes and he landed on his back on the floor. She pushed her heel into his throat. “What do you want, Seamus?” she gritted in a bored tone. He licked his lips and grabbed her boot. With a startled “Oh!” Asia was sent flying across the apartment and hit the window. The glass shattered, but before Asia could go flying out the window Seamus grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. “I came to talk to you. You left in such a hurry I never got to say good-bye.” Asia looked up at him and pushed him away. He went sailing into her front door. It cracked, but held. “You banished me. Now I’m banishing you.” Seamus looked up at her with a crazy look. “You’re not immortal, but you’re not mortal either, my dear. Look at yourself. You can be seen like a mortal, you need to eat and sleep like a mortal, yet you will live forever looking the same way you are and you retain the strength of an immortal.” He slowly stood up, “Neither group will ever fully accept you.” He took a deliberate step towards her, “You’re going to have to make the mortals not realize what you are,” his voice dropped an octave and he moved behind her to whisper into her ear, “Do you know how to?” As quickly as he moved behind her he was in front of her and heading out the door. “My sweet Asia, learn how to manipulate others.” He disappeared out the door. Asia thought for a moment before pulling on her other boot and heading out the door to work.
At work, her friend was taking pictures of some of the models. He saw her and waved her over. She wondered what was up and cautiously made her way to him. He looked excited when she stopped in front of him. He bent down and shouted to be heard above the music blaring from a speaker to their left. “I have a friend in California that I’m going to visit in a few weeks. Do you want to come with? It’ll be after your contract has ended so you don’t have to worry about any paperwork and it’ll get you to someplace other than Vegas.” He looked at her with a pleading look. California sounded good and she’d make her way to see Shawn after visiting this guy. “Anything to say thanks for this!” He smiled and bent down to whisper something in her ear, “I never got to tell you this before, but since you’ll be coming with me maybe I should mention it now. I’m Brent. Brent Waver.”
Asia had thought Brent’s name sounded familiar, but she dismissed it.
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