Chapter 8

April Wednesday 14^th 1832

 

The birds are singing this morning them seem extra beautiful this morning. I awoke to see the boy had not moved from the spot he was in last night, he appears to be in a deep sleep, when I got dressed in my work clothes I tried to wake him but got no response at all. I would say I’m worried but I know that’s not possible. I do wonder when he’ll awake however, something seems odd about him. I decided to eat this morning, nothing special, just some bread and some of Mr Dearnly homemade jam. Still believe it’s the best. I’ll come back later to check on the boy again and see if I can stir a response. I just looked outside and judging how bright it is I would say it’s about 7:30, well got to get to work.

 

 

 

 

Rose got up putting her diary back down on the wooden table and walked across the room to the stairs. She was wearing her work clothes today, it consisted of a white apron made of fine soft linen and a personal touch to her, and bright red dress underneath. She got to the stairs and began to walk down as the first creak echoed she heard a voice from downstairs.

“Your early sweetheart, you don’t start work for another 20 minutes or so.” She got the bottom to see her Alastair setting up tables, he turned and beam at her. ”Go on back up it’s not your time to work”

“Better early than late father” she replied, he placed his finger on his chin.

“I guess your right” he smiled at her even though he wasn’t expecting one back. “Right you know what you’re doing this morning right?” she answered quickly.

“I think I do, but could you run it by me again please?” she asked.

“Certainly, I need you to dry the remaining cups whilst I set the tables and please take everyone’s order, you got that?” she nodded at him “Good, so come on now, hop to it”. She quickly got to work and soon was behind the bar drying the remaining tankards. Not long after she started a middle aged man wearing and clothes suited for harvesting and white trousers which were presently muddied came in through the front door. His hair was brown bark in colour and his eyes were a gentle blue.

“Ah Mr Dearnly, good morning” greeted Alastair.

“And good morning to you to Alastair” he smiled at him and stopped to talk.

“So what can we do you for today?”

“A nice breakfast would go down excellently”

“Certainly, now I’ll alert Rose and she’ll be right there to get your order” he smiled and raised his hand gesturing him to a table. Alastair travelled to Rose who was still behind the bar.

“Ok dear never mind those now, we have a customer” she nodded again and walked around to the table Mr Dearnly was sat at.

“Well what a pleasant surprise Mr Dearnly, and how are you?” Rose said greeting Mr Dearnly,

“Very good thank you” he grinned at her.

“I had some of your jam on bread this morning”

“Did you now? Well I’m very glad you’re enjoying it”

“Well can I take your order?” her voice sounded dull, it hadn’t changed at all during the conversation.   

 “You most certainly can, I will have some of your finest meat and some peas, and even some Syton eggs”

“Any preference on meat sir?” she questioned,

“Surprise me” he said waves his arms up in front her face, he chuckled and pulled out a small notebook, however Rose had already gone to notice.

“Ok father he wants some of your finest meat, surprise him, peas and two Syton eggs”

“Right on it” Alastair turned and started cooking away. Rose turned back and sat waiting for another to enter the Inn or even for someone to come downstairs. The place seemed empty today she thought to herself.

 

Damion:

 

A hooded figure stood before Damion. He was stood within a white room; the walls were white all the way around and no windows or doors. No furniture was within it was just a box, a prison.

“Who are you? I keep seeing you in my dreams, well I think their dreams?” he looked at the figure confused.

“These are no dreams you’re having Damion, flashbacks and memories you’ve forgotten. Memories locked away, kept safe from him” a woman’s voice answered.

“Wait I remember you, you saved me from the werewolf right?” he asked.

“Yes that was I but I was too late, your one of them”

“You mean I’m one of the impure, the daemons”

“No, you’re not one of them; your heart is still pure unlike theirs. Yes you’re of the same race, species. But not of the same cult” she moved closer to him but only slightly.

“And a minute ago you said my memories are kept safe from him? Who do you mean?” his eyes softened looking for her answer.

“I cannot say” she replied mournfully “If you go out finding him you won’t survive his wrath”

“But what does he want with me?”

“Again I cannot say, I have to keep you safe, you and your brother” Damion’s eyes widened,

“My….my brother? He’s alive?” he stumbled back “But it can’t be, he fell over the waterfall”

“That may be so, but he has survived, but he is not one of either of us anymore”

“How do you mean?” he moved a step closer to her.

“Damion you can’t go looking for him, he is not as pure in his heart as you are”

“So what he’s my brother I can’t just pretend he doesn’t exist” he shouted at her, his body began to tense.

“No I know you cannot, but you can’t go looking for him. He’s not like you and I anymore” she looked down placing her hand against the wall.

“But what do you mean he’s not like us?” tears began to well up in his eyes. “I need to find some of my family, I no one left” a single tear fell from his eyelash and echoed the room as it hit the ground.

“He doesn’t know what you are, and he doesn’t know who you are either” she stopped and sighed before continuing. “Listen to me, he kills people like us. He catches people like us and he tortures us. The only people he lets live are the people that will work for him” 

“Work? What kind of work?”

“I cannot say, but you will find out one day”

“When?” an awkward silence fell between them,

“Soon” the hooded figure finally said. “Look after yourself” she said whilst turning away, she walked further away from him and vanished with thin air. Suddenly the walls around him vanished until all was clear and his mind had become empty.

 

The room was a haze; the walls seemed not to be overcome by the limits of physics. Damion look through the slits of his eyelids, the light was bright and blinding. He felt light headed and groan slightly, he lifted his hand to his head to regain some consciousness of his surroundings. He sat up slowly but the room spun around him making him feel dizzy and ill. Once it stopped he was able to see fully, he was sat in a room with two beds both sides and a small bedside cabinet sat between, it held a small candle and candleholder upon it. The bed beside his was all messed up. He sat to the side with his feet touching the ground; it was funny to him because somehow this wasn’t odd to him. He did feel that something wasn’t right being in an odd place he doesn’t know but somehow he was expecting it. Damion clambered up and for a moment had to regain his balance but was fine once he did. He opened the door cautiously and wandered down the corridor. He held his arm up and brushed it across the side of the walls. As he reached the living room he could hear commotion coming from somewhere close, it sounded as if it was coming from downstairs. He walked slowly across the living room as his eyes wondered looking at the pictures on the wall. He reached the staircase and put one step on it, it creak and made him jump back. His heart raced and as it did so he laughed to himself. He had braced himself and wandered down the stairs, as it came in to view he could see a full room, all the tables were occupied and people were enjoying their meals, as he looked at the meals his stomach growled.    

“Hmm must be hungry” he said to himself. As he reached the bottom step he began to feel a little lost, he looked around for a few seconds to see if he recognised anyone, he didn’t. As he stepped out he sat down at the bar. Alastair turned around to see him sat there.

“Ah! So you’re awake at last” he said to him,

“Huh?” Damion looked at him confused.

“It’s nice to see you’re feeling better son” Damion still looked confused.

“Excuse me, who are you?” he asked, his voice trembled slightly.

“I’m Alastair, founder of the Eternal Paradise” he lifted his hands to present the Inn. “And may I ask your name?”

“Yes you may, I’m Damion”

“Ah! Pleased to meet you” he held out his hand and Damion sat and watched.

“Oh sorry sir” he reached out and shook his hand. 

“That’s better” he smiled, “So” he started “Where are you from?”

“Oh, I’m from Domine” he answered,

“Ah Domine, I’ve heard that town has really had its fair share of problems”

“Yeah it has” he looked mournful.

“So what you doing all the way out here?” he raised an eyebrow.

“I’m running away”

“From home?” the conversation went silent for a moment as Damion tried to come up with an answer.

“No” he finally replied, “From life”.

“From life? Well I guess I’m not one to argue with another about why he’s away from home. You’re a man now anyway” he stopped and finally continued, “Where you staying?”

“Oh, I don’t really have a place” Alastair placed his hand on the bar.

“Well, I can’t let you stay here for free; I have a business to upkeep you know”

“I understand” he looked down sadly.

“However, I think we can come to an agreement” he stopped and thought for a while, “How about you work for me and in return I will let you stay where you woke up this morning, well we got ourselves a deal?” he looked down to Damion.

“Yes Sir, when would you like me to start?”

“Tomorrow, 7:30 sharp”

“How will I know when 7:30 is sir?”

“My daughter will wake you; she’s kind of in tune with the Inn” he stopped once more, “Well off with you now, go and look at the village, we’re very small but it’s home” Damion stood up.

“Yes sir” he turned and walked out the front door. As he opened the front door the light fiercely shone down and the heat outside became very apparent. He stepped out into the village, there we’re very few buildings and most were small houses. As he looked around he noticed the small beach and the pier. He walked forwards onto it and sat down in the sand. He watched as Sherman was out on the lake in his small fishing boat. He had the net over the side and was now pulling it in, the net was filled with many fishes and some in fact Damion hadn’t even come across before.

 

He sat and watched for a few hours as Sherman sat in his boat awaiting for the right moment to pull the net back in. However at that moment something else caught his eye. Rose had walked out onto the pier and as she reached the end slipped off her dress revealing nothing but her bra and underwear. She placed the towel and dress to the side and dived into the water. Damion watched as she led back and floated atop the water. Her sleek slender body fascinated Damion; he couldn’t pull his eyes away. He began to smile and was smitten. He watch as her long golden hair dripped wet as her the droplets fell from her hair creating rippled chains within the water. She led back in the water again, she used her arms to swim further out in the lake, and she kicked her legs in the water and began to swim further still. Damion was still sat smitten and never realised he was staring. It suddenly became apparent to him and shook his head quickly and tried to look away. Rose straightened up in the water and saw Damion sat upon the beach; she swam for the pier and dried herself with towel and when she did put her red dress back on. She walked up the pier and jumped onto the beach sitting down next to Damion.

“So your awake then” she said dully,

“Yeah, as everyone seems to be saying now” he turned and smiled.

“So how are you feeling?”

“Oh, you know. Not too bad” he smiled once again however did not return one back.

“So what’s your name?”

“Uh Damion” he said scratching the back of his head “And yours?”

“I’m Rose, pleased to meet you Damion” she tried to crack a smile yet her face produced none. “So what are you doing out here?” Damion pondered for an answer until he could find one convincing enough.

“I’m just travelling”

“Oh really? So you won’t be here long?” Damion giggled,

“No I’m planning on staying for a while, well I definitely am now” he smiled awkwardly realising what he said. Rose sat staring at him and turned away slightly.

“Well that’s….good, will be nice to have someone new here for a while” she stood up straight “Maybe we can get to know each other more later tonight?” Damion laughed awkwardly,

“Y-yeah” he stuttered “That sounds good” the side of her mouth twitched as he said it and after she started off back to the Inn.  The waves climbed onto the beach where Damion was sat, he ran his fingers through the water as he let the time soar by through the treaded winds.

Reviews

[Silent Wolf]

~"The birds are singing this morning them seem extra beautiful this morning." The birds were singing this morning, and they seemed extra beautiful.
~"he appears to be in a deep sleep, when I got dressed in my work clothes" period between sleep and when.
~"just some bread and some of Mr Dearnly homemade jam." Mr. Dearnly's
~"She was wearing her work clothes today, it consisted of a white apron made of fine soft linen and a personal touch to her, and bright red dress underneath." She was wearing her work clothes today, which consisted of a white apron made of fine soft linen and a bright red dress underneath.
~"her Alastair" I don't think he belongs to her...
~"Not long after she started a middle aged man wearing" Not sure what you meant here...
~“Well what a pleasant surprise Mr Dearnly, and how are you?” Rose said greeting Mr Dearnly," You don't have to say greeting mr dearly.
~"he said waves his arms up in front her face, he chuckled and pulled out a small notebook, however Rose had already gone to notice." He said, waving his arms in front of her face. He chuckled and pulled out a small notebook, however, Rose had already left.
~"“I need to find some of my family, I no one left” I need to find some of my family, I have no one left.
~"she walked further away from him and vanished with thin air." Vanished into thin air.
~"“Hmm must be hungry” he said to himself." You've already let the audience know he's hungry. You don't have to have him say that he's hungry.
~"there we’re very few buildings and most were small houses." There were. Not we're.
~"He watched as Sherman was out on the lake in his small fishing boat." How does he know Sherman?
~"Damion watched as she led back and" Laid.
~"Damion giggled," Guys really don't giggle, they chuckle...

Not bad, I liked this chapter. :) I like how she's kind of stiff and emotionless outside, but how she's so curious inside. And Damion. Still just as pleasant as ever. I like the story because it provides more questions than answers, plus some new information, such as his brother is still alive. One thing I'm curious about is why he didn't ask HOW he survived.

[Forgotten]

I love your reviews :) You're making the editing process so much easier for me, I'm glad you liked this chapter

[Silent Wolf]

Lol, you're welcome. :3 I'm glad.

[Coyote Poetry]

I like the switch in the story. The new environment and people will do the Damian some good. I like the dream sequence of the story. Create another world in the story. A very good ending to a strong chapter.
Coyote