Static Reflections: Book 1 of The M... - Chapter 64: Chapter 64

"Look in the mirror," Leah told Pierce, stepping to the side in the middle of her room and gesturing to the vanity.
The vampire looked down. "I'm stupid sorry about how I acted out there. I really just tried to suck your blood! I dunno what's wrong with me!"
"I mean, you're a vampire. It's in your nature now," Leah explained. "In time, I'm sure you'll learn to control this hunger. But uh, it was pretty freaky, yeah."
"Sorry," The lemur sighed, approached the mirror at a snail's pace, and leaned down to look at it, gasping. "My eyes! They're completely red!"
The female otter nodded. "Yeah. I think Self-Renfielding does that to you. I mean, like, vampires. If mortals drank their own blood, I don't think anything would happen."
Pierce continued to stare at their reflection and blinked. "It's super freaky! Is it gonna go away?! I can't go out in public with eyes like this!"
"It's already dangerous for you to go out in public anyway," the witch responded. "We saw what happened in the hallway with me . . . ."
"I know, I know. But there's gotta be some way . . . Like some contacts or something. I don't wanna be in isolation forever!" they complained.
Leah thought for a moment, furrowing her brows. "Plus, there's the added thing of you needing to hone your vampire skills but me not wanting to give you over to any vampires to do it."
"Is it really that dangerous?" Pierce asked, stepping away from the vanity.
Leah went over to her desk and pulled the dark brown wooden chair out, sitting and looking through a book that had been open. "Yeah. Vampire broods are like little cults. Once you're in one, you can't get out unless you kill the leader and leave or die. You have to act like them and do things for them and I bet you turn into a real asshole."
Pierce groaned. "But how did that happen?"
"I dunno. It's just the way they are, I guess. Obviously, I've never been in one but the ones I've heard about and met are like that."
The other animal sighed. "Yeah."
Leah kept focused on the book, not saying anything else.
"Well, uh, I guess I'll get out of your fur now," Pierce muttered, returning to the entrance of the room before stopping and looking back. "Why don't you ever hang out with us? You're always trapped in here. I know you're working on the ritual, but you can't spare some time?"
Leah stopped, turning in her chair, resting her arm on the back of it, and crossing one leg over the other. "I want to but it would be stupid to be messing around when I should be preparing this detailed ritual. You know, I have expectations on me."
"Yeah, but--"
"I'm a witch, Pierce. I have power. I know you don't know what being a witch is, so I'll explain a little. We can't just use our magic infinitely. I told Boris that, too. Using magic makes you really tired after you use it and if you use it too much, you could risk putting yourself into Forever Sleep. So, we have to be careful how we use our magic and rituals."
"But what do you use it for? To fight monsters or something?" Pierce asked, innocently.
"It's complicated. You know the Mortal Guard, right? They protect the mortals from the Other Side. Well, we do something similar. Creatures and supernatural things have been around for an extremely long time. There are always things going on at any given moment. Over time, there have been cursed artifacts, magical traps, and in the rare case, Darkness Doors that open so that creatures from the Other Side can leak through. We witches take care of all this stuff. It's um, like, when there's a crack in the wall and you fill it with caulk."
Pierce's jaw fell. "So witches are protecting mortals just like the Mortal Guard? Then why don't they join them? They'd be so powerful!"
Leah looked down, sighing. "Because! The Mortal Guard does things differently. If a witch was taken there, they'd get one of those stupid Suppression Collars that make it so we can't use magic without jurisdiction. Not only that but the Mortal Guard would never understand what it takes to get rid of some of these things! They don't even know that Darkness Doors exist as far as we know. They'd try to control the situation and it would probably fuck it up!"
"But can't you just explain that to them, then?" the lemur queried. "And also can I sit on the bed, please?"
Leah pointed her hand at Pierce's right hand. "The blood from your feeding is all over the floor and the carpet in the hall."
Pierce lifted where they had eaten, now healed thanks to their regenerative abilities. "Oh, uh . . . Sorry. I couldn't control it at the time. I promise that's not like me! I would never do that!"
"You don't have to yell, I'm right here," the witch blinked. "I guess I'll use a spell to clean it. Small spells like that are no issue."
"But what if Tyler or Boris come out and see it? Or worse, your sister or your dad?!" Pierce whined. "Aghhh, I really messed up!" They brought their hands to their ears and pulled.
The otter shook her head. "We're just gonna have to risk it."
The lemur swallowed. "At least Molly's clothes didn't get bloody since I was crouching . . ." They went and sat on the edge of the bed, even though they hadn't gotten a clear answer as to whether that was okay or not. "Are witches nocturnal, too?"
"Mother Lorena, I wish," Leah answered.
"Lorena?"
"Lorena. She was the first witch--the one where all our culture hails from," the otter told them, wiggling her foot as she spoke.
"Hm." Pierce messed with her sheets. "This whole conversation has me thinking. If the Mortal Guard and witches are working to patch all the cracks in the world, does that mean the world is constantly in danger of falling apart? And are there other groups patching it up, too? Maybe vampires are contributing something!"
Leah snorted. "Pretty sure vampires are the races' equivalent of mosquitoes."
"Oh." Pierce had more to say about that, but they didn't feel brave enough to argue with her.
"But yeah, the world's pretty much cracked glass," Leah explained. "There's existential dread and then there's collapsing dread. It could happen at any moment."
Pierce's red eyes were wide. "Well, I'm gonna sleep really well during the day now!"
"You asked!" Leah exclaimed.
"That's horrifying!" they cried. "How can I enjoy anything anymore?!"
The witch sighed, draping her head over the chair. "Listen, sweetie. It's just one of those things you're gonna have to learn to accept. Like death."
Pierce's eyes began watering at that moment. "Oh, god. I CAN'T DIE EITHER!!!"
The female otter got up quickly and rushed over, grabbing their face, and placing her thumbs on their cheeks. "Pierce, you're crying blood. You're gonna get it on the bed."
Their muzzle wrinkled, and a small hiss escaped their mouth. "Who cares about the bed?! This is horrible! How can I even see my family again . . ."
Leah didn't want to tell them yet another thing they wouldn't want to hear, so she just used her thumbs to wipe their bloody cheeks. "It'll be okay. You're gonna do a great thing for the vampire and witch community."
"I guess you're right . . . It would be nice to prove that not all vampires are evil. And I refuse to believe I'm the only good one out there. There are always firsts and chances are you're never one of them."
Leah let go of their face. "I really hope so." She pulled her large tail, setting it on the bed so he could join her acquaintance. "Going back to what you asked about witches being nocturnal, we're not. I have to get short bursts of sleep in between researching this ritual."
Pierce pulled their feet onto the bed, messing with their socks. "Not to be rude or anything, but you seem stressed."
"I am," Leah admitted. "I'm the one with the power to fix this. There's a lot of expectation that comes with it. He's my brother, too. We only have one chance to get this right."
"You gotta be kidding . . . ."
Leah brushed off her plaid mint-colored pajama pants. "Nope. Rituals are the hardest magic to do. One mistake and we could make something really really bad happen. Mother Lorena, I'm exhausted."
Piece frowned. "Uh . . . how did you realize you are a witch anyway?"
"I didn't," the animal beside them said, laying back and turning on her side, lifting her head and resting her head on her palm. Her bracelet charms jangled as she did so. "When you turn eighteen is when your powers activate."
"Mmm . . . but I remember reading in one of the books that a spell can be learned by anyone," Pierce told her.
"Yeah, but witches are a lot more than just spells. A mortal could never close a Darkness Door, or destroy a cursed artifact. It would totally kill them." She brought her legs onto the mattress. "Anyway, you know we can sense one another? Witches can tell when another animal is a witch, and one of my high school classmates realized I was one before I did."
Pierce looked back at her. "Wow, so she just told you, then. Were you, like, freaked out by it?"
Leah pursed her lips, then shook her head. "No. It just felt right. Since dad never paid attention to us and Molly and Boris did their own thing a lot, I had a lot of time to practice."
"That's something that really bothered me," Pierce said. "Boris was so mad about how your dad never took care of you guys, but you were so calm about it. That makes me really sad. I'm close to my mom and dad. Heh, I still call my mom 'mommy'."
Leah covered her eyes with her hand for a moment, rubbing them. "He doesn't feel like my dad. I know he's my dad and everything, but he's just a stranger to me. My coven feels like my real family."
"Doesn't that make you sad?"
"It makes me . . . I dunno," she shrugged. "It is what is, I guess."
"And you erased his memory, too! Maybe there was a chance that whatever happened with the Black Cross could bring you all closer together!" Pierce was practically yelling.
"It wouldn't have helped," Leah mumbled. "I think this family is beyond saving. What happened with our mom really fudged up the whole thing."
"But you didn't even give it a try!" Pierce fired back.
"What was I supposed to do?! The caretakers were dead, he was freaked out, and Molly was losing it. If I didn't shift his memories, he probably would have turned to drinking, Boris would probably hold everything against him still, and Molly would be traumatized for life!" Leah looked at them like they didn't know what they were talking about.
Pierce's ears flattened. "I just think messing with their minds was a bad idea."
"It was their choice," Leah reminded.
"Yeah, but . . ."
"Right now, I just want to get my brother back," Leah stated. "The fact that he was even Adam the whole time is still something I'm dealing with. But now some things make sense."
"Like what?"
"It's hard to explain," the other animal sat up, crossing her legs. "When we started hanging out more, there would be random times when he would have bursts of . . . personality? He wouldn't seem like himself, but it would only be for a few moments. I thought that was just something he did but now I'm suspecting Adam was trying to come out those few times."
"Was this before or after he was possessed?" Pierce questioned, tilting their head.
"Before, actually. We started hanging out a little before he was possessed. I knew he was possessed before he told me, but I couldn't do anything about it at the time. It's too complicated to explain right now."
The vampire gulped. "This whole thing is happening so fast. I feel overwhelmed . . . ."
"I think we all do," Leah agreed.
"Is there any way I can help during the ritual?" Pierce asked. "I don't wanna just stand and watch everything go by! I haven't been able to even do anything yet!"
Leah genuinely considered their words for a long moment. "Now that you mention it, there is something you can do. There's gonna be a big mirror in the ritual, and it needs to be held very still between Adam and Tyler. Do you think you can do that? The mirror is the most important part of it."
"Really?" Pierce felt their undying heart leap in excitement. "I can totally do that!"
"Pierce, this is extremely serious. If you don't hold the mirror still, Tyler and Adam will lose their Souls."
The lemur calmed down, straightening their face. "Right. Uh, yeah, yeah. I can do that for sure."
Leah sized them up. "Alright, good. As for your powers, I think I'm gonna ask the coven if I can train you myself."
Pierce gasped. "Really?!"
"Yeah. I might even teach you some magic along the way. I'm not a vampire so it might be hard, but I'm sure there is some way we can figure out your abilities."
Pierce threw their arms around her. "That's so awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Leah stiffened. "Hey, be careful! I'll need my blood if you want to do this!"
Pierce pulled back, slumping and pouting. "Oh, I wasn't gonna . . . sorry. So can you explain how the ritual works to me? Just so I can know how I fit into the big picture?"
The witch shook her head. "Not yet, sadly. I still don't have the picture. But when I do, I promise I'll tell all three of you for sure."
Pierce sighed. "Alright. I hope it's not too crazy, at least."
Leah stared into their soul. "It will be. Trust me."
"Oh boy."
After their talk with Leah and watching her clean up the blood with a spell, Pierce returned to the room where Tyler and Adam were sleeping. It looked as if nothing had changed from the last time they were there. The vampire got back into bed and stared at the ceiling again, now going over all the new information they had.
It was a lot, for sure. They felt intimidated by it all. Worst of all, the idea of the world falling apart at any second kept them on edge. Leah really had answered every question they asked without thinking about the effects they would have on the lemur, but Pierce supposed it was their fault for being so dangerously curious.
Being a vampire always sounded like a cool concept, but it was very obvious that movie vampires were far removed from real ones at this point. Pierce knew that their life from that point would be a lonely hell, even if they were with friends. Not only would they outlast everyone around them, but they would outlast every mortal in general. And they wouldn't age.
Pierce could sense that tears were coming again. They placed their hands over their eyes to keep the blood from spilling, and they sniffed.
Hopeless. That's how they felt. Their life to that point had been a journey like anyone else's, discovering who they were and how to make it day by day and having trouble deciding their future. Now, they felt like they couldn't even afford to fall in love, as it would bring them more pain than happiness, and Pierce didn't feel like they could ever turn another animal into a vampire, especially if they loved them. Hopeless.
Now, life would only be a journey of waiting, waiting, waiting . . . And no matter how exhausted they got from living, they would never die, unless they were staked or took their own life. But they could never bring themselves to do something like that. Something inside Pierce told them that death wasn't even the end. Deep dread set in and filled every inch of their body, as they sniffled and let bloody tears loose into their palms.
There seemed to be no light on the horizon.