Revelations
August 5th 2010 14:35
Occam walked to the house, passing William’s car. A pulse of energy hit Occam like he walked into a wall. He searched for the edge with his hand and walked around it, being careful not to hit it again. Cordelia watched with silent fascination. Once he reached the doorway he stopped abruptly. He put his hands out in front of him and to his sides, measuring the space. When his hand didn’t connect with anything he continued inside.
William was standing in the kitchen rinsing out a glass by the sink. When he saw Occam he dropped the glass. A hollow tinkling came from the sink as the glass fell. He looked down and saw that the glass was not broken but the sound did startle him. Cordelia walked over to him and put a hand on his arm, calming him down. William continued to stare at Occam.
“Forgive me for asking, but do you have a plastic bag? I don’t want this to soil your carpet,” Occam asked.
Both William’s and Cordelia’s eyes flicked to what Occam had in his hand and both gasped at the sight of the bloody handkerchief.
Cordelia walked over to a cabinet and got out a brown plastic bag with green writing on it. The bag said “Publix” on it. She handed the bag to Occam who nodded and thanked her. He put the bloody hand and handkerchief in the bag and put it near the door.
“Is it ok if I leave this here,” Occam asked.
“Y-yes, that’s fine,” Cordelia said a little hesitantly.
“What is that,” William asked.
“It is a hand, but do not concern yourself with it right now. I will tell you more about it when the time comes,” Occam said.
“Sorry I didn’t introduce you. William, this is Occam. Occam, this is my boyfriend William,” Cordelia said.
Occam bowed and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you William.”
William nodded, unable to speak momentarily.
“Would you like something to drink,” Cordelia asked.
Occam smiled.
“What am I saying, you don’t drink anything but, well, you know.”
She shook her head and turned to William.
“Actually, if you have some water I would be most grateful.” Occam said.
She turned back to him and nodded. She reached into another cabinet and brought out a glass. She filled the glass with water and handed it to Occam. He thanked her and took a drink.
“Water is the only thing I can drink other than, well, you know.”
“Would you like to have a seat,” Cordelia asked, ignoring the last statement.
“That would be wonderful,” Occam said.
The three of them walked into the living room where Cordelia and William sat on the couch and Occam sat on the loveseat. William touched Cordelia’s hand and she took his hand in hers. They sat there for a moment in silence. Cordelia’s eyes motioned from Occam to the coffee table with the ring on it and back to Occam.
After a long silence Cordelia finally spoke.
“What is this ring?”
Occam smiled.
“This is a marker, it holds many things inside of it, many memories. It once belonged to Kurong. He is the man who is looking for you.”
“Why did you give it to me,” She asked.
“I gave it to you because I hoped you would be able to tell me certain things. It can reveal different things to different people. I am certain that what I see is not the same as what you or William would see.”
William shook involuntarily at this. He remembered what he saw and heard when he put the ring on. The thought still horrified him. Occam looked at him.
“I take it you put the ring on William?”
“Yes, we both did,” William said.
“What did you see or hear,” Occam asked.
“Hear,” William and Cordelia asked in unison.
“Have you both heard things,” Occam asked.
“Yes, more than we’d like to,” Cordelia said.
Occam nodded.
“Before we go any further, I’d like to ask you a question,” Occam said, looking at Cordelia.
“Sure, what is it?”
“Why did you allow me to come inside your house again, after all, you do know what I am.”
Cordelia thought about that then said, “It’s because you don’t feel like a threat.”
“Wouldn’t your visions or premonitions warn you against me?”
“They might if you wanted to harm me or anyone around me.”
“What do you think would happen if I did?”
“I wouldn’t have let you in. One thing I’ve noticed about my visions is that I have them before there is a threat.”
“What if I came inside with good intentions and then changed my mind?”
William began to squirm uncomfortably.
“Easy William, I have no intention of harming either of you,” Occam said.
“The reason I ask is because I think that Kurong will try to extract that sense from you.”
“Extract how,” Cordelia asked.
“Honestly I do not know how he will try to do it, only that he will.”
“Do you think that if he got me he will put me in the room where he bleeds people?”
“Where he bleeds people,” Occam asked.
“When I put the ring on I was inside the body of a woman he bled. Underneath her was a grate or something where her blood would go.”
Cordelia’s eyes went pale as she recalled the memory.
“Inside the floor was a monster, I could hear it drinking the blood before the vision vanished.”
“So that is how he is doing it,” Occam said.
“Doing what exactly,” Cordelia asked.
“That is how he plans on awakening it. He told me that he plans on purging the earth of all of humanity so that we will rule the world. My Mistress and I must stop him before he does this.”
Silence swept over the room.
“Why would you want to stop him,” William asked.
“There is no reason we should exterminate all of humanity. He does not understand that if he does this then there will be no reason for vampires to exist. Yes, we do feed off the blood of humans but humanity is also very important for our survival in other ways.”
“What do you mean,” Cordelia asked.
“Humans and vampires have lived together for centuries. They have been there to stop us from taking over the world. If he eliminates the element of good then evil prevails. Even among us that would be catastrophic. Imagine a world where your most evil human were in control. What do you think that would mean for you?”
“Enslavement, murder, and torture.” William said.
“Would you want to live in a world like that,” Occam asked.
There was no answer.
Occam spread his hands in a “There you go” gesture.
“It is the same with us. The weak vampires would be at the mercy of the strong ones and if the strong ones were in charge then there would be no hope for survival. We may be bad, but we are not truly evil. There are few things on earth that are truly evil. If this is the monster I think it is then to unleash it would be to bring hell back on earth.”
“What do you mean BACK on earth,” Cordelia asked.
“Thousands of years before humans, vampires ruled without any checks and balances. The only thing that could stop a vampire back then was other vampires. They did not have any reason to do so other than to gain power. Power is what ruled them. These vampires did not look or act like any vampire now, they were pure evil. It was a miracle that early humans were not destroyed completely by them.”
“But you’re bad, so what do you care if they do this,” William asked.
Occam stared at William for a long moment, his eyes flashed silver from anger.
“I mean, you and your Mistress must be powerful enough that even if this monster was awakened then you would not suffer like the weak ones,” William said.
“What would you do if you were a ruler and your people revolted? Would you want to make sure that those responsible for the revolt were punished,” Occam asked.
“Well yes, if I didn’t deal with them then I would be viewed as being weak.”
“If Kurong succeeded, who do you think he and his master would want to get rid of first,” Occam asked.
“You, of course.”
“And why William?”
“Because you threaten him the most.”
“Exactly, and with us out of the way then there is a very good chance that darkness would fall on the entire earth.”
“So what are you planning on doing,” William asked.
“My Mistress is the founder of a group of assassins called the Circle of Thorns. There are 29 of us including my Mistress. We make sure that the balance between vampires and humans remains. Many of us are working on keeping Kurong from his goal, but there has been a struggle.”
“We’ve lost many assassins but fortunately, so have they. Every time we lose one we must replace him or her. Kurong can be very persuasive when it comes to obtaining followers. I daresay that he would rather kill any that we may be interested in rather than allow us to train them. “
“We’ve been at a stalemate for the past hundred years, but things changed.”
“What’s changed,” Cordelia asked.
“First, Kurong has also corrupted many humans. He has lead them to believe that he is working to rid the world of all vampires, when in truth, he only wants to get rid of the Circle. Second, you were born.”
Cordelia was startled badly by that.
“I was born? You mean he’s been watching me since I was born?”
“Not precisely. He has only been watching you since your powers became stronger. He would not have cared if your gifts of premonition left you or never heightened. Since they grow with each passing day, there came a point in your life that it became too noticeable. He does not think twice about someone unless their strength reaches a certain point. He has drawn a line in the sand and only those with great gifts are able to pass.
A faint layer of sweat began to form all over Cordelia’s body with the fear of knowing that she had been watched by Kurong. She licked her lips and glanced at William. A look of disgust was clear on his face. Cordelia wondered if that look was from the story that Occam was telling or from Occam himself. William glanced back and gave her a hesitant smile. She moved her eyes again and noticed that Occam was looking at her. His face was expressionless but she noticed a flicker of silver spread through his eyes.
“Why do your eyes turn silver,” She asked.
Occam didn’t answer immediately.
“I never knew they did that until my Mistress told me. I believe it is a sign of strong emotions.”
“Why are you doing it now?”
“I wasn’t aware that I was.”
He looked at William and his eyes narrowed. Again, they flashed silver.
“You don’t like him do you,” Cordelia asked, pointing at William.
“I do not know him and he does not know me. I’m reacting to his reaction of me. It is he that does not like me.”
William’s eyes in return narrowed as he began to speak.
“How am I supposed to be when you come here while Cordelia’s alone? Then you tell her that someone is after her and sure enough, this guy comes chasing us. You give her this weird ring and when I put it on it scared the shit out of me. Now you come here with a bloody hand like it’s a gift. Oh don’t mind me, I’ll just come in and put the bloody hand in the corner under the ficus, don’t worry about it.”
William stood up, walking closer to Occam.
“How about you get the fuck out of here before I call the police,” He yelled.
“William what the hell is wrong with you,” Cordelia asked.
“He isn’t the one chasing us down the street and trying to get to us, to me. He’s the one that’s here to help us, can’t you see that?
William looked at Occam with a look of pure loathing.
“He was the one who brought this guy to us, for all I know, they could be in on it together and they’re just fucking with us.”
“And this,” He grabbed the pouch around his neck and pulled it off, “Let’s see if this does anything.”
He threw the pouch at Occam, who dodged it easily.
“That’s what I thought, it doesn’t do shit.”
He walked to the door and stormed out before anyone could say anything.
“Imbecile,” Occam yelled, running for the door.
William was standing in the kitchen rinsing out a glass by the sink. When he saw Occam he dropped the glass. A hollow tinkling came from the sink as the glass fell. He looked down and saw that the glass was not broken but the sound did startle him. Cordelia walked over to him and put a hand on his arm, calming him down. William continued to stare at Occam.
“Forgive me for asking, but do you have a plastic bag? I don’t want this to soil your carpet,” Occam asked.
Both William’s and Cordelia’s eyes flicked to what Occam had in his hand and both gasped at the sight of the bloody handkerchief.
Cordelia walked over to a cabinet and got out a brown plastic bag with green writing on it. The bag said “Publix” on it. She handed the bag to Occam who nodded and thanked her. He put the bloody hand and handkerchief in the bag and put it near the door.
“Is it ok if I leave this here,” Occam asked.
“Y-yes, that’s fine,” Cordelia said a little hesitantly.
“What is that,” William asked.
“It is a hand, but do not concern yourself with it right now. I will tell you more about it when the time comes,” Occam said.
“Sorry I didn’t introduce you. William, this is Occam. Occam, this is my boyfriend William,” Cordelia said.
Occam bowed and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you William.”
William nodded, unable to speak momentarily.
“Would you like something to drink,” Cordelia asked.
Occam smiled.
“What am I saying, you don’t drink anything but, well, you know.”
She shook her head and turned to William.
“Actually, if you have some water I would be most grateful.” Occam said.
She turned back to him and nodded. She reached into another cabinet and brought out a glass. She filled the glass with water and handed it to Occam. He thanked her and took a drink.
“Water is the only thing I can drink other than, well, you know.”
“Would you like to have a seat,” Cordelia asked, ignoring the last statement.
“That would be wonderful,” Occam said.
The three of them walked into the living room where Cordelia and William sat on the couch and Occam sat on the loveseat. William touched Cordelia’s hand and she took his hand in hers. They sat there for a moment in silence. Cordelia’s eyes motioned from Occam to the coffee table with the ring on it and back to Occam.
After a long silence Cordelia finally spoke.
“What is this ring?”
Occam smiled.
“This is a marker, it holds many things inside of it, many memories. It once belonged to Kurong. He is the man who is looking for you.”
“Why did you give it to me,” She asked.
“I gave it to you because I hoped you would be able to tell me certain things. It can reveal different things to different people. I am certain that what I see is not the same as what you or William would see.”
William shook involuntarily at this. He remembered what he saw and heard when he put the ring on. The thought still horrified him. Occam looked at him.
“I take it you put the ring on William?”
“Yes, we both did,” William said.
“What did you see or hear,” Occam asked.
“Hear,” William and Cordelia asked in unison.
“Have you both heard things,” Occam asked.
“Yes, more than we’d like to,” Cordelia said.
Occam nodded.
“Before we go any further, I’d like to ask you a question,” Occam said, looking at Cordelia.
“Sure, what is it?”
“Why did you allow me to come inside your house again, after all, you do know what I am.”
Cordelia thought about that then said, “It’s because you don’t feel like a threat.”
“Wouldn’t your visions or premonitions warn you against me?”
“They might if you wanted to harm me or anyone around me.”
“What do you think would happen if I did?”
“I wouldn’t have let you in. One thing I’ve noticed about my visions is that I have them before there is a threat.”
“What if I came inside with good intentions and then changed my mind?”
William began to squirm uncomfortably.
“Easy William, I have no intention of harming either of you,” Occam said.
“The reason I ask is because I think that Kurong will try to extract that sense from you.”
“Extract how,” Cordelia asked.
“Honestly I do not know how he will try to do it, only that he will.”
“Do you think that if he got me he will put me in the room where he bleeds people?”
“Where he bleeds people,” Occam asked.
“When I put the ring on I was inside the body of a woman he bled. Underneath her was a grate or something where her blood would go.”
Cordelia’s eyes went pale as she recalled the memory.
“Inside the floor was a monster, I could hear it drinking the blood before the vision vanished.”
“So that is how he is doing it,” Occam said.
“Doing what exactly,” Cordelia asked.
“That is how he plans on awakening it. He told me that he plans on purging the earth of all of humanity so that we will rule the world. My Mistress and I must stop him before he does this.”
Silence swept over the room.
“Why would you want to stop him,” William asked.
“There is no reason we should exterminate all of humanity. He does not understand that if he does this then there will be no reason for vampires to exist. Yes, we do feed off the blood of humans but humanity is also very important for our survival in other ways.”
“What do you mean,” Cordelia asked.
“Humans and vampires have lived together for centuries. They have been there to stop us from taking over the world. If he eliminates the element of good then evil prevails. Even among us that would be catastrophic. Imagine a world where your most evil human were in control. What do you think that would mean for you?”
“Enslavement, murder, and torture.” William said.
“Would you want to live in a world like that,” Occam asked.
There was no answer.
Occam spread his hands in a “There you go” gesture.
“It is the same with us. The weak vampires would be at the mercy of the strong ones and if the strong ones were in charge then there would be no hope for survival. We may be bad, but we are not truly evil. There are few things on earth that are truly evil. If this is the monster I think it is then to unleash it would be to bring hell back on earth.”
“What do you mean BACK on earth,” Cordelia asked.
“Thousands of years before humans, vampires ruled without any checks and balances. The only thing that could stop a vampire back then was other vampires. They did not have any reason to do so other than to gain power. Power is what ruled them. These vampires did not look or act like any vampire now, they were pure evil. It was a miracle that early humans were not destroyed completely by them.”
“But you’re bad, so what do you care if they do this,” William asked.
Occam stared at William for a long moment, his eyes flashed silver from anger.
“I mean, you and your Mistress must be powerful enough that even if this monster was awakened then you would not suffer like the weak ones,” William said.
“What would you do if you were a ruler and your people revolted? Would you want to make sure that those responsible for the revolt were punished,” Occam asked.
“Well yes, if I didn’t deal with them then I would be viewed as being weak.”
“If Kurong succeeded, who do you think he and his master would want to get rid of first,” Occam asked.
“You, of course.”
“And why William?”
“Because you threaten him the most.”
“Exactly, and with us out of the way then there is a very good chance that darkness would fall on the entire earth.”
“So what are you planning on doing,” William asked.
“My Mistress is the founder of a group of assassins called the Circle of Thorns. There are 29 of us including my Mistress. We make sure that the balance between vampires and humans remains. Many of us are working on keeping Kurong from his goal, but there has been a struggle.”
“We’ve lost many assassins but fortunately, so have they. Every time we lose one we must replace him or her. Kurong can be very persuasive when it comes to obtaining followers. I daresay that he would rather kill any that we may be interested in rather than allow us to train them. “
“We’ve been at a stalemate for the past hundred years, but things changed.”
“What’s changed,” Cordelia asked.
“First, Kurong has also corrupted many humans. He has lead them to believe that he is working to rid the world of all vampires, when in truth, he only wants to get rid of the Circle. Second, you were born.”
Cordelia was startled badly by that.
“I was born? You mean he’s been watching me since I was born?”
“Not precisely. He has only been watching you since your powers became stronger. He would not have cared if your gifts of premonition left you or never heightened. Since they grow with each passing day, there came a point in your life that it became too noticeable. He does not think twice about someone unless their strength reaches a certain point. He has drawn a line in the sand and only those with great gifts are able to pass.
A faint layer of sweat began to form all over Cordelia’s body with the fear of knowing that she had been watched by Kurong. She licked her lips and glanced at William. A look of disgust was clear on his face. Cordelia wondered if that look was from the story that Occam was telling or from Occam himself. William glanced back and gave her a hesitant smile. She moved her eyes again and noticed that Occam was looking at her. His face was expressionless but she noticed a flicker of silver spread through his eyes.
“Why do your eyes turn silver,” She asked.
Occam didn’t answer immediately.
“I never knew they did that until my Mistress told me. I believe it is a sign of strong emotions.”
“Why are you doing it now?”
“I wasn’t aware that I was.”
He looked at William and his eyes narrowed. Again, they flashed silver.
“You don’t like him do you,” Cordelia asked, pointing at William.
“I do not know him and he does not know me. I’m reacting to his reaction of me. It is he that does not like me.”
William’s eyes in return narrowed as he began to speak.
“How am I supposed to be when you come here while Cordelia’s alone? Then you tell her that someone is after her and sure enough, this guy comes chasing us. You give her this weird ring and when I put it on it scared the shit out of me. Now you come here with a bloody hand like it’s a gift. Oh don’t mind me, I’ll just come in and put the bloody hand in the corner under the ficus, don’t worry about it.”
William stood up, walking closer to Occam.
“How about you get the fuck out of here before I call the police,” He yelled.
“William what the hell is wrong with you,” Cordelia asked.
“He isn’t the one chasing us down the street and trying to get to us, to me. He’s the one that’s here to help us, can’t you see that?
William looked at Occam with a look of pure loathing.
“He was the one who brought this guy to us, for all I know, they could be in on it together and they’re just fucking with us.”
“And this,” He grabbed the pouch around his neck and pulled it off, “Let’s see if this does anything.”
He threw the pouch at Occam, who dodged it easily.
“That’s what I thought, it doesn’t do shit.”
He walked to the door and stormed out before anyone could say anything.
“Imbecile,” Occam yelled, running for the door.
| 91 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
