Chapter 9: Acceptance

 

Vamp managed to get my home in time to say good morning to my parents, who didn’t notice anything different about me, and get me to school. I basically drifted through the day not paying attention or really caring. This Window business had affected me. I fell asleep in three of my classed and was yelled at by all three teachers. I saw Blake for a little in the hall way. I think he noticed I was out of it and left me alone about a short conversation on certain people in the school.

When I got home all I wanted to do was sleep, but Vamp was in my room waiting for me when I got there. He was flipping through my Anne rice book scoffing at some of its contents.

“Do I really have to go now? I’m tired.” I whined.

“Come you can sleep back at the Elders Building.”

Vamp helped me through the window then scooped me up so we could get there faster. When he set me down, I smoothed my hair and just automatically went to my room to fall asleep. Vamp looked worried as if my late night battle had damaged me but I didn’t have the energy to comfort him. I fell in a deep sleep as soon as I laid down. My night mare began appeared then:

I was on the cold stone floor of a cave. Outside it was dark, but there were bright blinding light coming from the west on the cave. Flares of light burst in the sky and broke into several smaller steams on fire. I broke through a small underbrush where all of hell broke loose in my sight. The forest was crowded with fighting from all creatures in the window world. Werewolves, witches, warlocks, pixies, giants, goblins, elves, vampires, I even think I saw a Bigfoot somewhere. There was slaughtering every which way you turned.

What stood out the second I set foot in my worst nightmare was Matt and Vamp. They were in the middle of the battle facing at each other attacking at one another. They were fighting! How could they?! I stared scared sick at them. I knew Matt was no match for Vamp. Just at my thought Vamp clawed at Matt’s shoulder taking a softball size chunk out of him. Matt let out a snarl and pounced on Vamp. Vamp pinned him before Matt made contact.

“NO!!” I shrieked. I was running in straight through the battle.

I knew I wouldn’t make it in time. Matt was helpless. I looked up and what I saw horrified the last of my pathetic attempt to stop them. I stopped in my tracks staring at Mat. He wast lying still and paler than ever. Mat was getting farther and farther away from my reach. I couldn’t save him.

I fell to my knees crying. I gazed at the ground and gasped again. The slaughter had stopped but the dead were still there. Till I realized that the dead were all women staring to the sky with a smile. I sniffed and approached the nearest one and realized that she was human. Why was a human here? All I saw were six dead women around me all laying crumpled on the ground looking…well dead, but they were all smiling. Confused I walked over to another woman and saw a necklace on her neck.

I held the small pendant on the gold chain in my hands and read the inscription on the back.

 

                    Friends Never Forget

 

I gasped. It was the same inscription on my necklace I was wearing. I looked back at the girls face and screamed. The face of the girl was me.

I abruptly woke up gasping. A fresh layer of sweat covered my forehead and that was when I heard the voices outside my door.

“What exactly happened?” The first voice said harshly.

“She made a… blood promise.” The second voice was Matt. He fell silent.

There was a pause and some deep breathes.

“Why?” The first voice demanded. I’m guessing it was Vamp.

Matt went and explained the entire talk we had and the blood promise which he made it sound like was his fault. I knew he was doing it for me.

“You know what has happened now, right?” Vamp spat trying to contain his voice.

“Yes.” Matt whispered.

What had happened? What did we do wrong with our promise? I thought hard back to what had happened that day and nothing seemed wrong.

“What do I do?” Matt pleaded.

“You can’t do anything.” Vamp roared lowly. “All you can do is prepare yourself and take care of yourself or tell her and have her help you. Your mistake isn’t my problem. As her protector I can only protect her from what she wants to be protected from now.”

“When will she wake up?” Matt sighed.

 “Soon.” A wind breeze through the room and Matt walked in.

I closed my eyes enough to seem like I was asleep.

Matt sat at the edge of the bed and stared at me for a while before he whispered. “I can’t tell her. Not yet at least.” Matt out his head by my feet and fell asleep.

What couldn’t he tell me? I wouldn’t force him to tell but I will ask.

 When I was sure that it was safe I yawned, sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

Matt was sitting in the corner of the room staring at the wall leaning back in the chair that was there.

 “Hey, where’ve you been?

“No where special. The room looked empty so I went and picked you some flowers.” He pulled his right hand in front of him. He held the most extravagant bouquet. It looked as if to have a million different types of flowers. The scent filled the room with burst of thousand of aromas I didn’t know.

“Oh my, where did you get those? They’re beautiful.” I grasped the empty air like they were there. Matt handed them to me and I stuffed my face in it. “They smell wonderful…” I trailed off.

“What is it?” Matt demanded anxiously.

“Nothing, put then on the table over there I’m gonna sketch them. Bring me the paper and charcoal, please.”

Matt walked over and placed them gently on a table in the corner of the room. “Is that good?” He asked delighted to help.

“Perfect” Matt grinned and crossed the floor bringing me what I asked for and sat at the edge of the bed.

I took the pencil like stick and began to trace the out line of the flowers and the table. Then I began to put details into the petals and stems and the table. Before I knew it a picture of the flowers were before me. I held it out.

“Done,” I huffed.

Matt was next to me turning his head this way and that in a sarcastic tone he was making Ahh’s and Oh’s. He once whispered Claire the Master Artist. I laugh quietly.

Finally Matt smiled and announced “I like it.” I giggled at his pathetic attempts to be funny. “I would have really missed you if I had actually left you back in Seattle.”

“Me too,” her sighed then lifted his head as if he heard something.

Matt frowned and slipped out the window before I could ask what was going on.  A slight knock came on the door and Vamp walked in. He looked at the flowers and shook his head but coughed back a laugh at the same time. He looked back at me and gave me a forced smiled.

“They want an answer, don’t they?” I asked bluntly.

“Yeah, they’re waiting.”

Once we were to the giant arched door and he didn’t delay waiting this time. Cosmin was in his chair as well as Emil, Evgeny, and Iustin. I was sat in a chair in the middle of the room I folded my hands in my lap and waited patiently. Cosmin raised his hands and spoke.

“Claire Woods!” He bellowed. “We have summoned you for the ceremony of Window Keeper acceptance. You have been chosen by the Window to protect our world from evil and to keep your world from discovering our existence. You have been able to discover this existence earlier than most of the others but you have shown great maturity…” I coughed back a laugh that was about to escape. Cosmin eyed me and continued.

“As I was saying, you have a decision. Either you accept or decline. If you declined you will be ejected from the world and be forbidden to return.” Cosmin eyed me down making sure I understood clearly.

I did Emil did come to me explaining and his words did change my perspective but I would have still answered the same if I wanted to keep my promise to Matt. I turn to vamp and faced each elder and stared at them all for a brief moment.

“You have given me a night to think this over. I took it wisely and came to my decision.” I pause for a dramatic effect, “I accept. I realize my duties and will try to my best to continue them.” I spoke confidently.

I looked at Emil for a moment and all I saw was defeat and despair. He didn’t look like he would be able to bear another minute in the chair as an elder. I would have given him a hug if I could.

“After you train, of course,” Iustin pointed out.

“Ah, yes, of course.” Cosmin agreed. “So with that this is done, time to celebrate!”

“What?” I stressed.

Before I knew it there were seven tables that rolled out and Vamp help me find the correct seat. He and Emil sat by me and Cosmin, Evgeny, and Iustin sat on the other side. Then six neat plates of food were suddenly steaming in front of us. How they got there was a mystery to me, but the food look delicious.

The food looked like grilled fish and steamed rice covered in thick white gravy. I hadn’t eaten since this morning and this looked like the most appetizing meal I might ever eat. I stare wide-eyed at the dish. I look up and see every one stared at me.

“Uh…” I stuttered.

“Go ahead eat. You are probably starving.” Cosmin urged.

I took my fork in my fingers and pick a piece of the fish off and slid it in my mouth. It literally melted in my mouth washing away in a sweet sensation. I moaned as what must have been brown sugar mixed with the salted fish.

“Do you like it?” Cosmin asked.

“Yes. I love it.” I replied in a heavenly voice.

Emil coughed in raspy whispers. He seem like he was choking on air. His face was just as distraught as earlier. I carried on with eating as did every one else. The meal filled my hunger up quickly giving me a satisfied stuffed feeling.

“Well, thank you very much for caring for our world Claire.” Cosmin thanked and dismissed us.

What to do from here?