Somewhere
amidst the darkened alleyways and shot glasses filled with
liquor, Epic had managed to find his way home. He staggered
into the house, fumbling in the darkness for a place to
rest his weary body. Anallee stood against the staircase,
watching with a soft sadness as Epic plunged into the nearest
chair. She moved towards him, kneeling at his feet as her
small hand crept gently along his thigh. Epic peered at
her through the dark lenses of his glasses, taking in her
presence as he spoke softly to her, "I didn't think
you were going to return." His words held a deep resentment,
stabbing at her heart as she fought to hold back the tears
that threatened to escape. "I just needed some time
to myself. I've felt so overwhelmed since you proposed,"
she replied shakily. He nodded slowly, searching his shirt
pocket for the pack of cigarettes that laid within it. Lighting
one, Epic stared into the darkness past her as he inhaled
deeply. "Epic...please say something," she almost
begged, keeping her voice soft as she spoke. He finally
gazed down at her once more, biting at his lower lip in
thought, "What would you like me to say? Would you
like me to ignore the fact that I do not smell Loeki on
your skin, that I do not see the bruises that mar your soft
flesh? I can't just lie to myself anymore, Ana." She
almost gasped, choking back hard tears to the pit of her
throat as she pushed herself away from him. "But..I...I.."
"You what?" he asked, cutting her off quickly
as he stood and pushed her further away. His emotions had
ran deeper than he could have ever imagined, his heart racing
with the pure hatred and frustration that fueled his anger
from within, "You lie to me, you lie to Raynee and
to everyone. I am not some pathetic whipping boy for you
to stick in a dark corner as you go out, playing with me
only when you feel you need a little normalcy in your pathetic
life." His words filled the air with tension, his emotions
no longer remaining dormant.
Epic kept his back
to Ana, fearing what the sight of her face would bring if
he were to gaze upon it. His eyes shut tightly, wincing
beneath the pressure he felt in his heart and mind. "Please
Epic, be rational.." her words came forth, the heavy
burden of her heart laying upon them, "When have we
ever been normal? You smell Loeki on me not because he has
touched me, but because I went to see Raynee...to find where
you were." "That smell is from no mere meeting,"
he replied through clenched teeth, his free hand balling
into a fist at his side, "I know when you are lying
to me. I don't want to play these games with you anymore...I
can't handle it." "And what of you?! I could smell
her a mile away when you came home that night...I knew what
she had did to you, how you had touched her and told her
the same things you've told every other woman in your life!
So don't lay all this on me, Epic. You're just as much to
blame as I am!" She stood as she spoke, her words falling
fierce into the thick air of the home. Her deep emerald
eyes blazed with a passion that had long since been extinguished
from them. "I ran to Raynee because the woman I had
come to love was never allowing me to show my feelings to
her!" he yelled, turning now to face her, "She
was always too busy with my cousin to finally realize what
I was trying to offer! And Raynee, you took everything away
from her! Are you happy Ana? I hope you are, because you
have blazed a trail through everyone that has ever cared
for you without looking back..." "I took everything
away from Raynee?! She took everything from me without even
caring how I could feel! Yes, let's all just comfort poor
little Raynee, shall we?!" she tossed her hands up,
tears beginning to stream from her eyes onto her soft cheeks,
"I am so sorry that I have hurt you and I am so sorry
that I have felt almost happy for once just being in someone's
arms that truly made me feel like I was needed...wanted.
But Epic...all that is gone now. All I have left is this
house and you."
"And you don't
have me anymore. Sorries don't mend hearts and sorries don't
cut it anymore, Anallee," he replied shakily, keeping
his fist from plunging into her smooth skin. He walked past
her, grabbing the door handle tightly, "I hate you,
I hate what you have done to me, and I hate what Loeki has
done to me." "You hate what I've done to YOU?!"
She yelled, rushing towards him and grabbing him roughly
by the arm, "You have demeaned me, raped me, beat me
more times than I can count and yet, I have stayed. But,
when I have done something so small in comparison, you want
to place all the blame on me and leave?! No Epic, it doesn't
work that way!" He tried to shake her from his arm,
looking away from her pleading eyes, "Let go Anallee..."
"No, not until you listen to me." He turned, staring
at her a moment before grabbing her tightly by the throat
and backing her against a wall. She gasped loudly, her eyes
filling with fear. "Leave me the hell alone or this
will be your last mistake," he spoke through gritted
teeth. "Then so be it...I cannot let you walk out,
laying all your problems onto me as though I have only one
goal in life...to hurt you," she labored as she spoke,
"I...love you.." He squeezed tighter, his eyes
shutting hard as his free hand pounded just past the wall
several times, "Shut up! You don't love me, no one
loves me!" "I do! Why can't you just believe that?!"
her words came faintly through the tightening of her throat,
her hand grabbing his wrist gently as she tried to ease
the pressure. A slapping noise came loudly in the quiet
home as his large hand finally found it's way to her face.
Her head shook violently, raising gently as she wiped a
shaky hand across her lip. The crimson blood stained her
pale skin with it's deep hue, her eyes watering as tears
fell once more. Epic glared at her through the sunglasses,
his mind raging with emotions he could not handle any longer.
"Why couldn't you just leave it all alone?" he
asked quietly, stepping away from her.
Ana shook her head
slowly, watching as he finally turned and walked out of
the front door, slamming it hard behind him.
A loud clapping sound
came instantly with the slam, pale hands coming together
as thick laughter echoed from the middle of the staircase.
Her raven hair fell over her slender shoulders, the leather
rustling gently as she stood and walked towards Ana. "Keeria...what
the hell do you want?!" Ana yelled angrily, wiping
the tears from her cheeks with the back of one shaking hand.
"Nothing...I have already received my gift," she
replied, her Russian accent thick as she spoke, "I
couldn't have planned that any better." "You did
what?!" Ana's words almost leaped from her lips, her
teeth clenched as they bit back all the anger she now felt.
"Darling, I merely made Epic see you for the deceitful
whore you are. You have done the rest." Ana clenched
her fists at her sides tightly, "What did you tell
him? What lies have you told?!" Keeria chuckled, shaking
her head gently as she stepped in front of Ana, her hand
resting against the cracked wall, "I only told Epic
the truth of things, the affair and who it was involving.
You did all the hard work for me. You always did know how
to push a man's last button." "I don't need this,
you Russian bitch! I don't need you, your lies or anyone
in this damn city!" "And will you be running away
to Romania again, dear Ana? Back to the home where you killed
your first husband and abandoned your child?" Keeria's
words sent a chill up her spine, shaking her as she remembered
the past from so long ago, "I didn't kill Chupa alone..."
"No, but you certainly didn't need me to help you out.
You had thought about it so long...I merely gave you the
strength to go through with it, much as I have given Epic
the strength to see past your lies and walk away like he
should have done so long ago."
"Go to hell, Keeria.."
her voice quivered as she pushed past her cousin and began
grabbing small items of clothing. Keeria chuckled, her hands
placed firmly on her hips as she watched Ana pack, "Oh
cousin, you always know the right thing to say." Ana
dropped the clothing in her hands, glaring hard at Keeria.
The older woman smiled softly, giving her a gracious wink
as she walked towards the doors, her slender hand grasping
the handle gently, "I'm sure we'll be in touch sooner
or later," she spoke, pulling the door open as the
wind tossed around her body, "I'll expect it to be
sooner." Ana watched as the door shut slowly, Keeria
disappearing on the other side. Her eyes welled with tears,
her body brimming with such anger and self loathing that
she found her emotions almost impossible to control. A knock
came suddenly at the door, Ana charged to see who it was.
She fell backwards in shock, her feet stumbling for the
grasp of the carpet as her eyes grew wide in horror. She
shook her head quickly, not able to believe the apparition
that stood before her, "No....you're dead!" she
quickly stammered, "Keeria and I..we.." "I
know what you did to me, Darling. But, all that is in the
past now." His German accent was heavy, thick on his
lips as he spoke. His brilliant eyes shone brightly in the
full moonlight, his dark hair wisping about his strong face
as he leaned just inside the door. He stared at her, a small
smile present on his full lips as he looked her body over
once, twice and third time. Ana gasped, her hand clutching
the clothing tightly, "Chupa.." was all that was
uttered before she collapsed hard onto the floor.
"Nasty burn,"
Loeki said softly as Raynee's eyes fluttered opened. She
stared at him a moment in confusion, looking down as he
held her hand in his own, "Where did you get it?"
He seemed to pose the question knowingly, still allowing
her to answer. "I burned it while cooking," she
replied, withdrawing her hand gently.
He stared at her a
moment, his brow arched, "You should be more careful,"
he spoke, knowing full well that she was lying, "We
wouldn't want anything to happen to the baby." "Right...I'll
try." She pushed herself up on the couch, dropping
her feet to the floor as she stood slowly and stretched
her arms over her head. Loeki sat on the couch now, his
eyes drifting over her as his thumb stroked his chin gently,
"What were you cooking, by the way?" Raynee turned
quickly to stare at him, her mind racing as her eyes narrowed,
hating the fact that he questioned her so much. "Why
don't you tell me where you have really been, and I will
tell you what I was really doing. Fair enough?" she
countered, hands now placed firmly on her small hips. "Alright,
I was doing business. Happy?" Raynee glared harder
at him, releasing a low sigh as she turned and started for
the spiraling staircase. "What?! What do you want me
to say?!" Loeki yelled, pushing himself off the couch
as he followed her. She turned slowly from her place on
the third step, pale eyes growing dim from the lack of sleep,
"How about the truth...I want you to explain to me
why you were gone the same time as Ana and why when you
have both returned, there has been evidence of violence."
"I don't know what you're talking about...I don't know
what to tell you," he sighed as he leaned against the
wall, his hand fumbling for a cigarette as he felt himself
growing nervous. "You don't have to tell me anymore,
Loeki. I smell her all over your skin." She turned
quickly, walking up the stairs and into the large bedroom
she called her own. Slamming the door loudly behind her,
her eyes began to tear painfully as she fought to hold them
back. She heard the front door slam, her eyes finally releasing
the tears she had held back so long. Wiping the back of
one pale hand across her cheeks, she stormed from the bedroom
and downstairs, throwing open the door angrily as she walked
the long driveway to the road.
She moved slower than
she would have liked, but her large stomach would not let
her travel faster. The smaller mansion came into the view,
it's structure standing like a dark monster against the
pale night sky. The driveway was not as long, but just as
hard on Raynee as she climbed the few stairs to the sweeping
front porch. Her hand found it's way to the doors, knocking
fiercely as she called out to whomever was inside, "Ana..answer
the door! I know you're home!" Her fist pounded harder
against the wood until the door opened slowly. Raynee stepped
inside, looking around quietly for who might have been the
one to answer, but she saw no one. Ana's figure laid draped
across the couch, her body was motionless yet still alive.
Raynee moved slowly towards her, bending slightly to tap
a small hand against the woman's pale cheek. She watched
as her emerald eyes rolled open slowly, her head moving
side to side as she muttered something in an almost silent
tone. "Chupa!" Ana called loudly, jerking to a
sitting position as she knocked Raynee backwards. Raynee
caught herself on the table, grabbing Ana's flailing wrists
as she glared hard at the woman, "No...try again."
"Wha..What the hell are you doing in my house?!"
Ana yelled, jerking her wrists away as she stood and looked
around the room, her eyes searching for the lingering presence
of the ghost from her past. "Correction, this is my
house," Raynee spoke calmly, trying hard to control
the fierce rage that burned within her. "Fine, it's
your house. What are you doing here?" Ana spun finally
to look at her, feeling strange yet throwing the visit back
into her mind as a dream. "I'm here because you can't
keep your damn hands off my husban-" her words fell
short as she bent forward, her eyes wincing tightly with
a searing pain. She gasped loudly, dropping to her knees
in front of the couch.
Ana stared at her,
pacing back and forth as her hand ran shakily through her
hair, "No..no no no! You're not going to have that
mutt in my house!" she watched as Raynee continued
to wince, biting her bottom lip as she stepped closer to
her, "Raynee! Are you listening to me?! You're not
having the baby here!" "Funny how things happen...isn't
it Ana?" Raynee spoke, her breathing becoming labored
as she pushed herself onto the couch, "Funny how when
you tell someone not to touch your husband, she finds herself
completely doing the opposite." "This is about
Loeki?! You are punishing me for talking with Loeki by having
your baby on my couch?! You know...you people should really
just grow up!" Ana yelled, standing over Raynee. Raynee
stared up at her, pale blue eyes blazing with anger and
pain, "You should talk, you can't keep your own man
so you have to take what isn't yours. Better go get some
towels and water, quickly. I don't think we have very much
longer." Ana paced again, her mind racing as the words
sunk into her, "I don't know how to birth a baby!"
she yelled, throwing her hands in the air dejectedly. "Well
I hate you, so we're even!" Raynee yelled back, pushing
herself up on the couch as she found herself breathing harder
through the searing pain.
The cabinet doors in
the kitchen swung open quickly as Ana plowed through them,
searching for anything that might help in the delivery,
"Why did I leave Romania?! Why why why?!" she
screamed, throwing things aside. They crashed to the floor
loudly, the sound only intensified with Raynee's painful
groans coming from the other room, "That woman couldn't
keep her legs shut if they were sewn together! Now she's
having it on my couch!" she yelled at herself again,
grabbing what little she could find and racing back into
the living room.
"Hurry!"
Raynee yelled, her back propped up with pillows as her sweat
drenched hair laid against her pale skin. "I'm trying!
I don't know what I'm doing!" Ana yelled back, touching
Raynee's leg and grimacing at what she knew she had to do,
"Look Raynee, you've done this three times now, it
should be like popping out a tennis ball so make with it."
"Are you insane?! Just get down there and help me!"
Raynee screamed, pushing her legs apart so that Ana could
climb between them. She sat in front of Raynee, a slender
hand on one leg as the other pushed the black wrap dress
up along her quivering stomach, "God Raynee, get your
damn stiletto out of my leg!" she yelled, pushing her
foot onto the couch, "What pregnant woman wears stilettos?!
It's like asking to get pregnant again!" Raynee glared
at her through the pain, breathing heavily as she pushed
down hard, "Stop...complaining!" she yelled, laying
back against the pillows as the pain subsided for a moment,
"Do you think I want to be here with your filthy hands
all over me?!" "Then go give birth in a manger
or wherever the brothel whores are having their children
these days!" Ana snapped at her, closing her eyes tightly
as her hand found it's way past her thighs shakily. She
opened one eye to look at what her hand was latched onto,
staring hard at it a moment. "What?! What is it?!"
Raynee asked worriedly, staring at Ana's shocked expression.
"I don't know! It's too slimy to tell.." Ana said,
looking at the object closer. She backed away and shook
her hand quickly, her mouth curling into a grimace, "Eww!
It's a head!" she yelled, wiping her hand quickly on
one of the towels. "Don't stop!" Raynee yelled,
pushing hard, "You need to help guide it out!"
Ana cringed, going back to holding her hands on the baby's
head while it slowly pushed it's way outside of Raynee's
trembling body. Raynee fell back against the pillows, her
body heaving from exhaustion, her eyes rolling closed as
she licked her dry lips gently.
She listened to the
baby cry, it's body now pressed naked and shivering against
Ana's shirt as she tried to quickly dry it and wrap it in
a towel. She stared at the baby a moment, it's small face
a haunting reminder of her own child from so long ago. Shaking
her head slowly, she laid the baby across Raynee's chest
as she stood and walked towards the kitchen. "Thank
you...Ana," Raynee spoke calmly, looking up as Ana
stopped in the doorway and leaned against the frame. "Yea...I'll
be sure to send you my bill," she replied, pushing
herself off the frame and walking out of the room. Her face
laid against the cool granite of the counters, her hair
falling along her eyes as she sighed heavily. She stared
at her pale hands, now stained with dark crimson. Ana stood
slowly from her position, walking back into the living room
only to find Raynee and the baby gone. She stared hard at
the couch, her mind wandering as the blood soaked cushions
stared back at her.
"She goes in with
belly and comes out with baby," Keeria proclaimed,
sitting atop the grassy hillside as the cigarette smoke
surrounded her slender figure, "Funny how two enemies
can become such friends after something so touching happens.
Too bad it's the love of one's husband that draws them apart."
"You worry too much about things, Keeria," a man's
hand laid firmly on her shoulder as he stood behind her,
watching the house as well, "Sometimes, things go just
as planned and sometimes, you must improvise." She
turned to look up at him, smiling slightly as he spoke.
"You are too optimistic, Razvan. Your mother, she gave
you away and left your life without ever returning. Yet,
here you are watching her home. Oh, how time does change
someone." "Kinda like it has changed you?"
he questioned, looking her over as she turned away from
him once more.
"Yes," she
began, tossing the finished cigarette to the ground and
lighting another, "In Russia, I would have been happy
living my life as the child of a merchant with my brothers
and mother. But those sailors..." she shook her head
quickly, replacing the memories, "My life has changed
with the knowledge that one does not get far in the world
without killing and taking what you need. You should understand
that very well now." Razvan nodded slowly as Keeria
smirked, standing as she turned to face him with her dagger
in hand. She patted him along the cheek with it, staring
deeply into his eyes, "If your father does not do as
planned, I will finish the job I obviously didn't do centuries
ago." Razvan stared at her, swallowing hard as his
eyes narrowed, "He'll do the job, Keeria. Just make
sure you know what you need to do and don't become side
tracked again." "Good boy." She patted his
cheek once more and walked away from him, the dagger spinning
from her hand back to it's place at her side. He waited
until she walked away before speaking, "Stupid bitch,
she always was too sure of herself." "Don't underestimate
her, Razvan. Keeria is self-centered, but living with that
deranged lunatic Anallee calls a boyfriend for so many years
has twisted her mind. If she could kill someone centuries
ago, I am sure she has perfected the talent by now,"
Chupa replied, stepping from behind the shadows of a tree
as he tossed his cigarette aside. "Then what do you
suggest I do, father?" Razvan asked quietly, turning
his attention back to the darkened mansion. "I suggest
you go along with her plan for now, seeing as how I have
my own to take care of." He smiled gently, staring
at the mansion as well.
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