DEVON
I was lying in bed trying to process what had happened an hour ago between Shea and I.
I couldn't fight the grin that was permanently etched on my face. I was way too excited. I got out of bed and got ready for the day.
After having my breakfast, I drove to school. "Now, this is getting really weird, Dev. Did you win a lottery?" Karla said to me after our third lecture for the day.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm just... happy" I shrugged. She wriggled her brows.
"There's something you're not telling me" I rolled my eyes.
"Did you confirm if Shea is Theo?" My eyes widened.
"Aha! Gotcha! So, he is Theo" I smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
"Why doesn't he know who you are?" She asked.
"He has amnesia" I said.
"Oh...poor thing. I guess Liam is really unlucky. Your man is back. So, he needs to find someone else" Karla said. I'd totally forgotten about Liam and at this point, I was feeling guilty. Well, I guess I couldn't please everyone. My phone buzzed. There was a new message from Liam on the screen.
'You left without saying goodbye. Are you okay?'
I sighed, biting my lower lip.
'I'm sorry about that. You were having a conversation with your clients and I didn't want to disturb you' I replied to his message.
"Is that Liam?" Karla asked.
"Yeah"
"I feel really bad for him"
"He deserves better" I sighed.
"Oh honey, you did your best" Karla said. Liam's reply popped up on the screen of my phone.
'That's okay. I'll see you later at my club?'
I stared at the message wondering what I would say to him. Hanging out with him at the club won't be so bad, I guess. Exhaling slowly, I started to type a reply.
***
SHEA
I was in my office completing some paperwork when my phone rang. It was Rachel. She'd called me the previous day, asking me if I could hang out with her for a bit. But, I hadn't given her a straightforward reply. What if she was telling the truth? What if she triggers a memory and I end up in a hospital again? I couldn't risk that. The ringing of my phone ceased and I exhaled slowly.
Just when I thought she'd given up, my phone started to ring again. I groaned, resting my elbow on my desk. I picked the call and brought my phone to my ear as I rubbed my forehead with my eyes closed.
"Good day, Rachel" I said. "Look, I'm really sorry if I'm calling at the wrong time. But you have to understand that I just want to help you. I really miss you, son. Don't you want to know who you really are?" I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"Rachel, don't you think I want that? The thing is, the doctor said I might never regain my memories. Triggering those memories cause me pain. It's better I don't trigger them" She sniffled and I rubbed my temples. I was definitely feeling bad. Women and their emotions...uurgh!
"At least, hang out with me when you're free. I just want to spend some time with you--- like old times" she said, her voice cracking.
"I-"
"Please, Shea" I let out a long sigh."Fine. I'll see you in thirty minutes" I said. "Thank you"
The line went dead.
Thirty minutes later, I was walking into the restaurant not far from the company where I worked. Rachel was sitting close to the entrance. She was wearing a bottle green dress with her hair in thick wavy curls. She smiled as I approached her. "I'm really glad you agreed to this, Th-Shea"I raised a brow but she quickly gave me one of her brightest smiles.We ordered some sandwiches and chips.
"What is your favorite food?" She asked."I don't know. Muffins?"She grinned
"You have always had a weakness for muffins" she said.
"Um-- I'm just curious. Did I...uh...Did I have a sibling?" I asked. She smiled sadly.
"Yes, you did. You two were inseparable"
"Really?"
"He was your bestfriend and brother"
"Where is he now?" I asked.
"Well, he went far away to...uh-- work"
I frowned.
"When was the last time you saw him?" I asked. She shrugged, her eyes filling up with tears.
"The last time I saw him was the day you went missing"
"I'm so sorry, Rachel" I said and she smiled, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "It's okay. I'm glad to know you're actually alive and you're here. Maybe, someday your brother will come home. You two are my treasures. I'm so glad I found you two."
"What was he like? My brother, I mean"
"He was generous, really saucy. There was no dull moments around him. He has a heart of gold, just like you. I really miss hearing you two bicker during dinner" she sighed, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief.
We made small talk and when I was about to leave, she embraced me. When we pulled apart, she brushed my hair out of my eyes.
"My beautiful, beautiful boy has become such a handsome young man" she said, smiling at me with more tears leaving her eyes.There was something about her that made me believe the fact that she was my adopted mother.
She pressed a kiss to my cheek. "I'll always be there if you need someone to talk to, okay?" She said to me. "I know, thank you"
"I should be thanking you. I'll see you some other time, Shea" she said and picked up her purse. I watched her as she got into her car and waved at me. She drove off few seconds later.
*****
I was driving home after a long day. Liam and I had attended several meetings after I'd returned to the office and I was pretty much exhausted. All of a sudden, my car stopped. I groaned and tried to restart it but it wouldn't budge.
Annoyed, I got out of the car and started to head to the hood of the car when someone bashed my head with something heavy. My vision went black for a split second but I was vaguely aware of being dragged towards an alley.
My head was smashed against the wall this time. I cried out in pain, trying to fight off my attackers. Next came the vicious kicks to my ribs. I was slammed into the wall repeatedly, with my ribs and shoulder taking the full brunt of the violence.I curled up in a ball, fully aware of the blood filling my mouth. I coughed up blood.
A searing pain invaded my skull and the image of Theodore coughing up blood right before he died kept flashing in my mind's eye. I didn't want to die, not yet anyway. I rolled to the side to get a glimpse of what they looked like.
I was horrified when I saw three creatures with blood red eyes and fangs hovering over me. 'I must be dreaming' I thought. But I knew I was not.
It was probably a costume but come on, it was not Halloween yet. Maybe, I was dreaming. I let out a strangled groan when their heavy boots collided with my aching ribs. Yup, my ribs were definitely broken. I scrambled farther away from them and kicked one of them in the head when he got closer.
He sank to his knees and I fumbled for my phone, dialling the first number I saw. The blood pouring down my face was blinding me but I knew that I had to get away somehow. I kicked the next one when he tried to grab my legs.
"Shea?" Devon's voice on the phone almost made me sob with relief. "Devon-" I gasped when my attacker kicked the phone out of my hands. I scrambled towards the phone. "Shea? What's wrong?" Another kick to my rib had me crying out in pain.
"Shea?! Now I'm worried. Where are you?"
"An alley..... I don't-"I dropped the phone when one of my attackers pounced on me, wrapping his fingers around my throat. He was too strong and I knew he was going to strangle me to death. Would anyone attend my funeral? Would anyone remember me? I clawed at his fingers, black dots dancing around my vision. I could vaguely hear Devon's voice from the phone.
"Shea? What's going on?! Shea?! Answer me, dammit! Shea?!"
I couldn't breathe. I felt so tired. There was a blur of silver and my attacker fell to the ground. That was the last thing I saw right before I passed out.
...
UNKNOWN
The three pale creatures rose to their feet, fangs in full display. They growled, moving away from their prey. I'd finally gained their attention. "Stay out of this, Blondie" one of them growled. I rolled my eyes.
"Has it finally come to this? The three of you attacking a single mundane? Is he that strong?" I said."You have no business here, now run along" the taller one said."Oh really? Do you?"
They sneered.
"We're not here for you. We're here for him."
"My bad, I didn't know that" I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice. The first incubus lunged forward and I sent a white ball of energy. He slumped to the ground and faded away. Smirking, I spun my blade around.
"Who goes next?" I said. The other two incubuses looked at each other and vanished into thin air. I moved closer to Shea who was lying on the floor. He was out cold. I checked his pulse. He still had a pulse, fortunately for him. I could hear sirens in the distance. Giving him one last glance, I vanished from sight.
****
DEVON
I paced back and forth in my bedroom, letting out a frustrated yell when Shea still didn't reply my calls. Something was awfully wrong, I could feel it in my guts. I needed to call the cops. But then, they would have to organize a search party for him. I needed to know where he was exactly. I put on my black jacket and grabbed my purse. On my way to the car, I dialled Melvin's number. He picked the call on the second ring. "Hello?" Melvin croaked.
I cringed.
"You sound awful. What have you been up to?" I asked. "I have the flu. I feel horrible" he rasped, his voice hoarse.
"I'm so sorry about that, Mel, but I really need your help" I said. He groaned.
"I need-"
"Five blocks away from your house. It's an alley"
I smiled, turning on the ignition."Thanks. Now go back to sleep, Mel. Feel better" I said and the line went dead. I hit the gas and drove off. By the time I got to the alley, my heart had jumped to my throat. I cautiously made my way into the alley with my flashlight on. Someone was lying on the floor, unconscious. I moved closer, only to realize that it was Shea. "Oh my goodness!" I shrieked when I saw how banged up he was.
He was bleeding from a gash above his left eye brow. He was practically wheezing. Shea was lying on the floor, mostly covered in his own blood, with purple fingerprints around his throat.
With my heart in my throat, I raised the hem of his shirt, letting out a gasp when I saw the horrifying bruises on his ribcage. I knew he was going to be in a lot of pain when he wakes up.
Cradling his head in my lap, I took out my phone and dialled 911.