This is the beginning to a new, and likely very, long story. The central themes around this are not new. In fact, many plot details have been mentally hashed over for several years now. However, up until now, I hadn't been able to find a start to this story that was acceptable. This has themes of romance, paranormal, and fantasy.
I will say that Christina will return, but the interactions between Nick and Bella will be the primary interest for awhile. She will be back in the story before her and Bella are reunited as I'll go into what happens from when she wakes up in that first morning until they meet again.
This is a post from my other blog, going into a bit more detail about concepts and characters who will appear later on in the story.
"What can I get you today Bella?" asked the barista, Jenny, behind the counter of Isabella White's favorite coffee shop. It was a local place, just a few blocks from her house. She'd be coming here for several years and all the employees knew her by name. Bella was a tall 5'6, seemingly taller as she was always wearing some kind of heeled shoe. Gorgeous red hair framed her heart shaped face, with stunning green eyes that glistened with unspoken knowledge. She knew how to rock her hourglass figure with every outfit she wore.
"Two large mochas to go. I'm going to Christina's after this. She just moved into her new place. I don't want her to be alone right now, especially after the breakup with Rod." Jenny gave her a sympathetic look, knowing first hand what bad breakups were like. Within a few minutes, Bella was out of the shop and off to her best friend's place. Tina and Bella had been friends since middle school, clicking from the moment they met. They had been inseparable ever since, even going to the same college. That's where Tina had met Rod, and while Bella had never liked the guy, she respected her friend enough to let her live her own life. It was a year after their graduation and the relationship had crumbled. Rod had abandoned her for another woman, leaving Tina to pick up the pieces of her life on her own.
After a quick five minute walk across town, Bella knocked on Tina's front door. "Bella!" she yelled as she hugged Isabella tight. "Oh how I'm glad to see you. There's so much to get done and I don't know where to even begin. Come on inside and I'll show you around." Christina led her into the living room, which was on the left from the entrance hall way. On the left was a staircase leading to the second floor and at the end of the hall, she was able to see part of the kitchen. The couches were already uncovered so they sat for a minute, drinking coffee and catching up. It had been two months since they really had gotten a chance to have some time together.
"Tina, it's so good to see you again. I've missed you, and I'm glad we'll be living in the same town again. I know you were thinking about buying a house, but you never said anything definite either way. This place is gorgeous by the way. I love the Victorian architecture. You really got lucky with this place."
"I know, I fell in love with this house the moment I saw it. I was thinking about buying it, but given everything that's happened, buying didn't feel right. The rent is very reasonable so I'm comfortable with the decision for now. The owners also mentioned that if I ever change my mind, they're more than willing to negotiate a sale. So I hate to put you to work right away, but there's a lot to get done and not enough time to get it all done today!" The young women laughed, having helped each other move plenty of times in the past, they both knew that they could become easily distracted for hours talking. The day went by quickly, but they managed to get most of the downstairs unpacked. The large kitchen was now stocked and the cabinets full. The dining room hadn't needed much work, beyond setting up the china cabinet, which Tina planned to do another day. Curtains were hung, rugs laid out, furniture arranged. By the end of the evening, both women were absolutely exhausted and decided to go out to one of the local restaurants for dinner and drinks.
There was a little place called D'Angelos in between both of their homes, which was known for its' burgers and home made fries. They ended up staying until the bar closed, drinking cocktails and having fun. Forgetting, even if for a little while, their responsibilities and hardships. Isabella noticed one man was watching them throughout the night, but whenever she would mention it to Tina, the man would be watching a game on one of the TVs. At one point Tina said, "You're obviously interested in the guy. Ask him to join us." When Bella shook her head, she continued, "Bella, when was the last time you got laid, hmm? I know it's been awhile. He's a good looking guy. I'm not telling you to date him, just have a bit of fun." Bella refused again, still having an uneasy feeling about the man. But by the end of the night, the man was forgotten as they stumbled back to Bella's place.
Since Tina had just moved in, Isabella offered her the guest bedroom until the rest of the house was in order. They arrived home safely and almost immediately went to the separate rooms. They called out good night and then the house was quiet and dark. Across the street, under the glow of a street light, stood the man from the bar. He was smoking a cigarette, watching the house before him. He was known to most as Steel, though his real name was Nicholas, or Nick, Hall. At 6'4, his height was imposing on its own, and mixed with his toned physique, the average person tended to avoid him. There was something about his aura that made even the toughest biker second guess starting a fight with him. He had dark brown hair and hazel eyes that liked to change colors depending on his mood. Currently, he was wearing black slacks and dress shirt, but his outfits depended on the job and the location.
Nicholas wondered if he should make his move tonight. Given the amount of alcohol she had consumed, her resistance would be weakened. Unfortunately, he hadn't planned on her friend going home with her. He knew her name was Isabella White, that she had grown up in this same small town, she left for college at 17, and returned right after graduation. He didn't know much about Christina Miller, other than she was Isabella's best friend. She wasn't his target though, so it didn't matter much. He decided to take a chance and execute his plan. He went around to an alley out behind the house, and walked up to the back door. He checked the lock and found it unbarred. He was going to have a word with Isabella after tonight. There were plenty of bad people out there who would easily pounce on an opportunity like this. He chose to ignore the irony of this thoughts and focus on finding his way upstairs in the dark.
Nick had excellent night vision and easily found his way to the master bedroom. The door was open and for a moment he just watched her sleep. He couldn't believe that so much was riding on this one young woman, and she didn't have a clue. Confident that she was fast asleep, he moved to the side of her bed. She was sleeping on her left hand side, facing him. He touched her right shoulder and whispered, "Eo, tractus, vicis. Obduco per inritus. Trans rectus quod ager. Vicis, tractus, eo." The room began to shift focus, as colors blended, and changed. Nicholas was thankful Isabella was fast asleep as the travel by magic was disconcerting, even for a seasoned veteran like himself. It felt like they were being blown through a tunnel, lights and colors whizzing by so quickly that they appeared as long streaks. Nick felt intense pressure along his whole body, not entirely painful, but not pleasant either. When the color regained focus, they were in his house. He took a deep breath when they arrived, muttering to himself about how he hated traveling like that. He owned an ocean front home on the coast of New Hampshire. From the front, the house appeared a normal size, but he had built it into the side of the cliff, and was twenty times larger than it seemed. It was all his. Until this moment, no other living person had been inside his home, even interrogations happened at other locations. This was his sanctuary and he risked it all bringing Isabella here. But if she was to fulfill her destiny, she would need everything at his disposal.
They had been transported to his bedroom and he careful laid her underneath the covers of his bed. He brushed the stray hairs from her face before gently kissing her forehead. Then he took a seat in one of the lounge chairs in the room and waited. Come morning, both of their lives would change forever. He had so much to teach her, and not nearly enough time to do it. Throughout the night he pondered how she would accept her new life. Would she resist, or deep down would she feel the same draw to it that he had so many years ago? He wondered how she was going to react when he found out he kidnapped her in the middle of the night, and what she would do when she found out his age. Magic had given him many more years than a natural life had to offer, yet he looked no older than thirty five. He was just beginning to get into the best part of his life, having devoted centuries to studying and practicing his arts.
She was a prophesied warrior, a savior of sorts. Yet the final battle was near, too close for Nick's comfort. He still had doubts, even knowing her potential, that the woman barely more than a girl could save them all. He had discovered her prophecy is several ancient texts, many older than known civilization. They all spoke of a female priestess/warrior/mage, the terminology changed yet the message was the same. The world would need this woman in order to be spared a second coming of demonic control, and if he was lucky, he'd have a few years to teach her all she needed to know. Knowledge that should take centuries to learn. Unless a miracle occurred, he didn't see how it was possible.
He kept an eye on her throughout the night while he went through his daily habit of casting basic spells. He checked the wards and found them all secure. He checked Isabella's overall health, and saw nothing that concerned him, though he saw she needed to get in better shape. While she wasn't overweight by any means, she needed more muscle mass, both for magic and for the upcoming fights. Around six in the morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise, he heard her stretch and looked up to see if she was waking up. Instead she smiled sweetly and curled her body up. He found himself smiling, surprised at how something so innocent and simple could still affect him. His mind struggled until she woke up, knowing he was going to destroy everything that was pure, simple, and innocent about her. It came with the territory of fighting a secret war and watching unsuspecting bystanders get caught in the crossfire.
Around nine, Isabella's eyes fluttered open and she stretched out, waking up slowly. Her body froze not recognizing where she was, and when she looked over in Nicholas's direction her eyes opened wide. She recognized him as the man from the bar the night before, the one who gave her the creeps. Panic spread in, as she watched the man stand and move towards her. He knew the moment had come, where he'd begin taking her apart and building her back up. She'd never be the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment