part 4

AWAKENING

Katie was in her room, a week since the move to Scotland. Valan owned a castle it had been in his family for generations, standing on top of a hill it overlooked a lake or loch as they called it. It was a distance away from the village the housekeeper warned that in the winter they can get cut off. Looking at her reflection in the mirror she pulled a face, the school she was to attend insisted on a uniform, no makeup and the purple hair had to go. "We pride ourselves on our neatness and good curriculum" the headmistress had told her proudly. Katie thought she looked a nerd.

School was as she expected, the kids felt uneasy around her so avoided her. The teachers were OK she guessed but she was glad when the day was over. Jumping off the bus she run up the hill and in the door, slamming it behind her. "That you Katie?" the housekeeper, Mary asked. Plonking herself on the kitchen chair she watched her take a pie out of the oven. "Good day was it?"

"It was OK"

Mary cut two pieces of pie placing one in front of Katie. "You must be hungry!"

"Mr Cambell out is he" Katie asked, her mouth full of pie. Mary nodded. "How long have you worked here?"

"Och, I've been here for years, my husband died in WW2, we never had kids"

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be child, it was a long time ago, Valan has been very good to me"

"You two seem to be getting on!" Valan stood in the doorway. "Oh my! is it that late, I must get the dinner started" Katie stared down at the table, she hadn't made up her mind if she liked Valan or not, there was something about him she couldn't put her finger on it just...something. Valan sat at down and looked at Katie, he should say something, talk but what, what were kids into these days.

"How are you finding the school?"

"It's OK"

"It has an excellent reputation and a good range of subjects I believe"

"I guess" Shit! this wasn't easy and she wasn't making it any easier. "The rest of your things arrived this afternoon Mary put them in your room"

"Thank you"

"I see you have a violin, do you play?" her reaction was surprising. "Yes, yes I do" her face lit up, the passion showing in her eyes. "What kind of music do you like?"

"Anything really but my favorite is goth metal"

"Goth what?" Valan had never heard of it. "It's a mixture between classical and heavy metal, like Apocalyptica"

"Apoca who?" Valan was lost. "I'll lend you one of my Cd's " Katie offered. "Err thank you" Valan wasn't sure about this Apoca whats a ma call it but he accepted the offer.

In her PJ's Katie sat on the floor of her room her homework in her hands. She stared glumly at the book, Valan insisted she did her homework every night. He had left the castle shortly after her and Mary had eaten. Opening the book she got to work, Rabbie Burns was the subject they were doing in English class, she couldn't see the point, the language old and difficult to understand his poems boring.

A cloud of red smoke passed through the locked door, it crept a few inches across the hall then stopped. Hovering in the air it swirled, thickening, a shape formed in the centre. Valan was home. His hunger sated he walked the castle checking that the doors and windows were locked. He knew the castle was the safest place for her, no one would dare enter uninvited but it was best to be sure.

Walking into the kitchen he sat at the table. Mary had just had her coco and was about to go to bed. "Your back early tonight!"

"Yep"

"Everything alright?" she asked. "Everything's fine" he smiled, "Katheryn asleep?"

"I think so, she went to do her homework that was a few hours ago" Mary frowned, "Poor kid, what a lot to go through at such a young age" Valan shrugged. "What do you think?"

"Think about what?"

"Well is she human, Vampire or both?" she wouldn't hold the latter against the child, it wasn't her fault. "I'm not sure, I can feel the Vampire in her but as to how strong it is I don't know, it may never come to anything, we will have to wait and see what happens"

Katie stood at the kitchen door, thirsty she had come down for a drink of water, she heard voices. It was Mary and Valan, their discussion serious. "But Katie..."

"No Mary she must not find out..." What must she not know, something about her dad? Trying to hear more she put an ear to the door but the conversation changed.

Several days had passed since she had eavesdropped on the conversation, it was past midnight. Valan checking the locks found her in the snug reading. "You should be in bed, you don't want to be late for school"

"I'm not tired" Katie replied then went back her book. About to insist he changed his mind, he heard her wandering the castle late at night. Sitting beside her he watched her reading, he glanced at the title, Myths and folklore of Scotland. "You interested in that kind of stuff?"

"I found it and it looked interesting" her nose still in the book. "And is It?"

"I guess"

"You've been her a while now, you settled in?"

"Yes thank you"
"You get on well with Mary?"

"Yes" Christ here we go again! Valan was frustrated. "You happy here?"

"I suppose"

"If you need anything just ask, myself or Mary will be happy to help"

"Thank you" putting her book down she turned to him and smiled. Valan smiled back, she was a nice kid, he wasn't sure how he would get on with a kid here but he found he actually enjoyed having her around. She felt drawn to him, still uncertain she felt something in him, a connection a feeling that they were alike. "I've heard you playing your very good"

"Thank you"

"You enjoy playing?"

"I love it, I plan to got to collage study drama" she said with excitement. Valan expression changed. "I'm afraid that's not possible"

"Why not?" she demanded. "I have my reasons"

"I will be sixteen soon and can do as I please"

"I will not allow it" Valan walked away ending the conversation.

Getting ready for bed she went to the bathroom, grabbing the soap she worked it into a lather giving her face a scrub. How dare he, he couldn't stop her going, Katie was angry, why can't she go to collage, she looked in the mirror... "What the...?" Closing her eyes she opened them again and stared at her reflection. Her eyes!

They weren't hers! Normally a violet blue instead a reddish colour with green flecks, she leaned closer to the mirror closing her eyes then opening them again. They were still their, frightened she blinked hard, it didn't work she started to panic, what was going on? Katie blinked again and again but they refused to change back. "Katheryn! are you alright? open the door" Valan shouted through the door. "Katie!" it was Mary her voice unsteady. She couldn't let them see. "Please, please ! go away" she whispered to the mirror. It seemed like an eternity but finally her own eyes stared back at her.

 Opening the door she found Valan on the verge of braking it down. "Are you alright?" he demanded looking behind her, checking out the room. "Yes I'm fine"

"But we heard you scream"

" I...I saw a spider"

"Spider?" Valan was sceptical. "A huge one, all legs and hairy, yuk! it was horrible" Valan wasn't buying it. "If you'll excuse me I think I'll go to bed" Katie stepped past them. "Good night dear" Mary called after her. Valan watched her, no he didn't buy that for a second.

 The week over Katie looked forward to the weekend, a whole two days of doing nothing. "Your birthday is only a few weeks away, so what would you like?" Mary asked over dinner. "I don't know" Katie hadn't giving it any thought. "There must be something?"

"There is one thing" she mumbled. "What is it?"

"I want to go to collage"

"OH! I see," Mary knew that was impossible.

Katie lay in bed she couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning, she wasn't tired. She counted sheep but it didn't work so she ran through her homework, learning a poem written by Rabbie Burns, if anything was to put her to sleep that would. It didn't. "Damn!" throwing back the blankets.

Making her way down the stairs she wandered the rooms looking at the pictures and statues, stopping in the main hall. It was big plenty of space, she smiled, why not. She started to dance, music playing in her head. Valan returned home, hearing a noise he went to investigate. He found Katie dancing round the hall giggling. He watched from a distance, he always tried to avoid kids, never really knew what to do with them, others of his kind would feed of them said they were the best kind but not him, he wasn't into that. He watched as she whirled round, humming quietly. The kid was getting to him, seeping into his heart, why he didn't know. Leaving her to her imagination he walked the castle.

Katie crept back to her room. Still giggling she lifted the bed covers.... It hit, it's intensity almost painful. she crumbled to the floor. Give it to me!, it demanded. She craved for it, the sensation took over, trying to control her, Katie started to cry. What was wrong with her? she wasn't ill at least she didn't fell unwell. Her body ached.

Was nothing in her life going to be normal? She felt an emptiness a longing, so fierce it scared her. "Katheryn!" Valan knelt beside her. He had sensed it, the wanting the Vampire in her was strong. "It's OK" It kept demanding, urging her to release it let it find what it desperately needed., but what? "Come" Valan pulled her to her feet.

Placing his arm round her shoulder he pulled her close, letting her cry into his shirt. He could sense the turmoil, the fear. Valan entered her mind, this was not the first time, a young child when it started, the awakening they called it. He waited till the sobs became whimpers then sniffing. "Feel better?" it was passing, letting go for now.

"You OK now?" She nodded, stepping back, she couldn't tell him he wouldn't believe her, think she was making it up. "Look at me!" She lifted her head. Valan looked at her eyes, he had seen it before, new born Vampires had that same colour, but for a few it would change as they matured, fed more, Emily had that same colour, she one of the few.

Katie felt safe, with him she felt protected, normal. Dear god! he hoped it would not hit till she was older, if ever, she was still to young to tell. Valan tried to control his anger, how dare Emily do this, to curse her. Leading her back to bed he pulled the covers up tucking her in. Sitting on the floor he waited. Katie stared at him through the darkness. Finally she fell asleep.

Valan explained to Mary. "The poor child, what do we do?"

"We wait"

"How bad will it get?"

"I don't know, normally you change straight away, but then, you die first, this is different, human and Vampire blood mixed, one battling the other, it depends on how strong one or the other is"

"And if the Vampire blood wins, will she turn completely?"

Again I don't know, she could or it could kill her, this is unknown territory, there's never been a halfbreed before at least not lived long enough to see what happens"

Valan thought of his own change, his rebirth from mortal to immortal. It was 1314, Scotland was at war, his friend now known as Robert the Bruce stood by his side. The battle at Bannockburn was brutal, the sound of steel against steel, the shouting, of horses hooves pounding the ground, they had won but at a cost, a lot of lives were lost that day... including his. He didn't feel the pain of the sword as it went through him, looking down he tried to pull it out. Falling to the ground he lay amongst the dead, waiting for his last breath.

Katie lay on her bed starring at the walls. Nearly a month since she had been in tears after that nothing, she was relieved. Her birthday was next week and she had mentioned going to collage again. Valan still refused and Mary wouldn't go against him. She wanted out, a hollow feeling and been creeping in for months now it consumed her, something was missing she felt incomplete. Hoping her move would be the beginning of a new life she was determined to go.

The day came. Mary had made a beautiful cake and after blowing out the candles she had given the woman a big hug. "Thank you"

"Och child no need for that, we wouldn't have forgotten your birthday"

"You only turn sixteen once" Valan laughed. "I've forgotten the plates" Mary dashed of to the kitchen.

Valan produced a box tied with a red ribbon. "We didn't know what to get you, hope you like it"

"What is it" she asked giving it a gentle shake, she felt a bit guilty, after all she was planning a runner as soon as the chance came. "Open it"

"Right lets have some cake" Mary declared coming back into the room.

The present was a computer keyboard the rest having been set up in another room upstairs. "That way you won't be up all night on that facebook or whatever they call it" Valan laughed. Katie knew exactly what she would do on it. With Mary busy and Valan out the next day she booked a taxi and a bus ticket to Elgin. Now she just had to wait.

She carried on as usual, attending school trying to make everything look normal, inside she was bursting the excitement hard to contain. She was glad that Valan had insisted on her doing her homework it had certainly helped her get into collage. Mary was delighted when Katie played the piano for her and agreed to doing it again sometime when Valan was home. She liked Mary and was going to miss her but she had to go, a new start forget her past, Valan she was still unsure of she felt something for him?

On a warm sunny morning a figure quietly left the castle. To early for anyone to be up the figure walked down the hill unseen. Standing at the roadside a taxi pulled up. Putting a suitcase in the boot the figure climbed into the front seat, the taxi pulled away.
Katie had gone.

POSSESSION