Disorientated, he stood, looking around the room, trying to remember what had happened. The room was empty, apart from a mirror which hung askew on the wall by a sliding door. There was something written across the top in blood. Flynn narrowed his eyes as he read the Gaelic text:
Sua vida comeza agora.
Your life begins now.
Instantly, the memories flooded his mind and Flynn staggered, his head reeling. Where had Master and Stitches gone? His hand flew to his mouth and he felt his teeth. They seemed normal. That being done, a lump formed in his throat as his gaze fell on the lifeless body on the floor. Who had been killed?
Kneeling next to it, he took the large gray hand in his and shook his head. He was sure he would go to hell for what had been done. The hand was one of a man’s – one who had worked the lands his entire life. Guilt and sadness washed over Flynn as he recalled the muffled groans emitted from the wrappings as Flynn struggled against Master. He was responsible for the man’s death.
Leaning forward, he began to unwrap the cloth from the head. There were several layers tightly encasing it and it took time to unwrap. When he finally pulled the last layer away, Flynn jumped back in abject horror. It was his father.
“No!” Flynn screamed, his voice taking on a life of its own. He scrambled from the body like a crab until he hit the wall. “Da!” He cried, his hands grasping at his head in terror as he tried to shield himself from the realization of what had happened.
The script on the mirror taunted him. Your life begins now, your life begins now, your life begins now.
Panicked, Flynn scrambled to his feet, throwing aside the sliding door. It tumbled off its slider and shattered against the wall. Barely noticing, Flynn flew down the stairs, wishing he could disappear into the earth. And then, he was falling, straight through the stairs onto the second flight. He landed in a crouching position, his hands stretched at his sides in surprise. Before he realized what had happened, he had fallen again, through the second flight onto the first. Terrified, Flynn sprinted out the front door and into the night.
Flynn ran until he threw up. After that, he tried to walk a few more paces and crumbled into the mud on the side of the road. Wagons, carriages, horses, and travelers alike passed him without as much as a sideways glance. No one cared about a body lying on the side of the road. That was, until Anna.
“Stop,”
Images of a delicate fifteen year old girl with long nut brown hair and emerald eyes filtered through. She was happy, smiling at Flynn, lovingly reaching for his face.
“I SAID STOP!”
Flynn launched himself at me over the top of the maple colored Pizza Hut table and we tumbled through the wall into the parking lot. Dazed, I threw a shield about myself and shoved him off me with a flick of my wrist. He fell to his side, panting and furious.
“She’s my memory!”
I stared at him, trying to understand.
His face twisted. “It’s all I have left of her.”
Suddenly, I understood: Anna was the love of Flynn’s life and Stitches and Master had killed her as well.
Thayde and Gavran burst through the glass doors and I held up a hand to stop them.
“They took everything from you,” I said as Flynn pulled himself to a sitting position on the asphalt. He rested an elbow on one of his knees and leaned his forehead against his palm. “Their form of ‘breaking’ you, was to take everything you loved and destroy it.”
He nodded.
“Do you know why they wanted you?”
“Hey!” Our waitress called from the door, “ya’ll need to pay for that drink! You can’t dine and dash!” Her eyes wandered over the two of us sitting on the asphalt.
Thayde pushed some money into her hand. “Thank you for the drink,” he said, dismissing her.
Flynn heaved a sigh. “I don’t know what they wanted. I left Europe and I haven’t seen any of the Farasi Family since.”
“You guys done fighting?” Gavran called and I waved him off.
“I’m sorry,” Flynn fought through his words, “I hate who I am. I never wanted to be a vampire and I can’t die. Anna,” his voice cracked as he said her name, “was the only one who accepted me for who I was and loved me for me, and he took her from me. There was nothing I could do about it.”
He watched a couple climb from their tattered Ford pickup and survey the small scene unfolding. Scurrying through the glass doors of the restaurant, their quizzical looks explained their thoughts: too many crazy people in Florida!
“I took care of Stitches no problem, but Master has special powers.”
“What did you do to Stitches?”
The evil smile returned to his face. “I dragged him 45 miles down into the earth and melted him in liquid metal.”