Forever Changed (6 page)

I grabbed some bath oil and bubble bath stuff out of the closet and poured a little of each in the hot steamy water. I took my ripped bloody clothes and threw them in the trash along with my Nikes.

After pulling my hair back in a ponytail and shutting off the lig
hts, I walked back to my tub; slowly I eased myself into the hot water, letting the hotness sting my skin, inhaling the steam and aromas that came off of the water. After turning off the water, I laid back with my whole body submerged in the water except for my head.

             
I had only been laying there for five minutes when I heard an eerie sound. It sounded like whispering. I opened my eyes and raised my head to have a look around my bathroom. No one was there, but I strained to hear the same noise again. I heard nothing, shrugged my shoulders and laid my head back down while closing my eyes once again.

             
I heard the whispering again and didn’t have to strain to hear it. It was loud and clear, “
Elizabeth! Elizabethhhhhh!!!”

             
I snapped my eyes opened, jumped up into a sitting position set, looking around the room. I saw nothing. What in the world is going on?

I felt a hot breeze and the thought of t
he steamy water crossed my mind. That was until the candlelight started flickering. The flames were dancing around as if someone was blowing on them.

I sat there frozen! I didn’t know if someone was going to c
ome in and drown me or what. I was not scared, but I was agitated. I was supposed to be trying to relax and now this shit. Seriously, can I not get to enjoy a nice hot bath without something happening?

             
Then I see it, a red glow coming from my floor, in the corner of my huge bathroom. This is where all the whispering was coming from, and had turned into a chant like song. Seriously, it reminded me of the movie Nemo, when they were initiating him into the fish tank. “Shark-bait ooh ah ah.” I was trying my best not to giggle, when this thought crossed my mind.

The red glo
w was a hole it appeared, but I was not about to investigate. I watched as a something, came up out of the floor. It was tall and dark! I watched as it edged closer to my tub. The chanting and the red glow behind it, shone brightly.

             
It got closer in the candle light and I realized the “it” was actually more like a person. I looked him over. He was wearing a long black cape that trailed out behind him; it appeared to be steaming, as if someone had poured cold water into a hot pan. It was torn and ripped in a few places and on his broad wide shoulders, there were spikes sticking up everywhere decorating the cape. I thought to myself, really, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that in a play, more or less in public.

             
As he made his way closer to my tub and into the light I could make out more of his features. He was quite young, looking to be a little older than me. His skin was pale and creamy white. However he looked like he had an accident and fell into a chimney, causing soot and ash to get all over him. I was not so sure anymore that his cape looked like steam, for all I know, it could have soot and ash all over which means my bathroom will be a mess.

His
hair was dark and long, it had not been washed, but looked as if oil was dripping from it. How disgusting!! I would be more willing to get out of this tub so he can use it himself, jeez, the dude needs to bathe.

I was so fascinated by him that
I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. On his forehead there appeared to be to small stubs, one on each side. I was not so sure what those were, but my eyes by then had connected to his.

His eyes were magnificent! They were dark and looked even darker to his pale white skin. I looked into his eyes and thought I was looking at th
e night sky with no stars. That was not the best part. The best part was that he had specks of red in the black of his pupils. When he opened his mouth to speak however, I totally forgot about his eyes.

             
“Hello, Elizabeth,” when his lips parted, I could then see that he had little pointed razor sharp teeth. O lord, he needed some dental work done big time. Other than his teeth, hair, clothes, and the dude needing a good bath, he would have been gorgeous. He continued to speak, “I have waited patiently to meet you!” His voice sounded as if it were the sun melting snow. I was the snow by the way.

“
Ummmm, I am sorry, but do I know you!” I asked him like a snobby cheerleader picking on a new kid at school. I pushed myself down in the tub surrounding myself with bubbles to cover up my nakedness. I had obviously forgotten about being naked, but now I was a little embarrassed. Even with him looking all rough and stuff he was still gorgeous. “Most importantly, why the hell are you in my bathroom? Can’t you see that I am in the middle of a bath?”

             
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” he said while moving his finger back and forth. “You need not fear me, my dear Elizabeth”

             
“Fear you? Ha, I don’t fear you! I want you to return down to the hole that you came out of, so that I may finish my bath. I have a busy day tomorrow and I do have school to attend. So show yourself out and go back into your hole!” I looked at him as if he was scum, but was thinking I really wanted to know his name. I know. How weird is that?

             
To my amazement he just laughed at me! I did not find what I said amusing! Oh, this just pissed me off. “Who the hell do you think you are?” I screamed while jumping out of the tub and grabbing my robe. I was still putting my robe on when, I looked up and he was just staring at me.  “Are you some kind of pervert? Because seriously I would have preferred you to look through the window, instead of dirtying up my bathroom. Even better, I would really prefer it if you would leave!”

             
He was just as fascinated with me as I was of him. “I am the Son of the Dark Lord,” the weird guy standing before me said. No trace of humor remained in his voice and his eyes were all serious. I just looked at him.

             
“Ummm yeah ok, that explains a lot, now get out,” I spat out at him.

             
He chuckled, “Oooo Elizabeth, I am so glad I am finally getting to meet you. My name, well, you can call me Landon.” He still looked amused and I didn’t understand.

             
“Now, err Landon that you have told me your name, we have met and you can leave. Thanks for your time, but what do you want a cookie or something?”

             
“Elizabeth, aren’t you the least bit curious of not who I am, but what I am?” He said this with so much interest in his voice that it dripped on my feet!

             
“If I ask what you are, will you go back through your red rabbit hole, before you’re late for you’re very important date?” My mind had wondered off to the children’s movie ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

             
“Not so sure I can do that, we do have some things we need to talk about, Elizabeth.” He said sweetly.

             
“Can we not pick another day, when it’s not in my bathroom? That would be great!” I said again more sarcastically.

             
“Yes, we can another day.” He finally agreed to a different day. Men I swear they are hard headed and stubborn. “I say we are going to get to know each other really well, Elizabeth. We will become great friends.”

              “I, Elizabeth am Landon the Son of the Dark Lord,” he said this standing a little taller and prouder. “I am a little confused how you don’t know what I am, for my appearance should give it away.” He said this while studying me, rubbing his chin, and waiting for me to reply. I said nothing. He waited and I just stood their wrapped up in my robe staring at him.

              The weird guy standing before me showed no trace of humor in his voice and his eyes were all serious. I just looked at him.

Out of nowhere,
he threw his hands up, startled me, and screamed, “I AM A DEMON, ELIZABETH!”             

Chapter 12

Now I understood why he said not to fear him. How funny, me, fear him.

“And…yo
u want me to do what about this?” I asked while crossing my arms over my chest. He acted like it was my fault he was a demon or something.

             
“Your impossible, Elizabeth,” he said easing his way back to his rabbit hole. “I like it though. I really do like it. Until we meet again Elizabeth, you will be seeing me more than you think.” He winked, waved, and he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.              

             
For the rest of the night all I could do was think about Landon the Son of the Dark Lord!

****

              The alarm rang at 5:30am and I rolled out of the bed to go get ready for school. It was Monday and as much as I dreaded going to school, I had the evening to look forward to. I had already decided that I was going to find my father’s study and do some research. Especially now that I had a demon visit me in my bathroom. I wonder why I was not scared. Anyone else in my situation would have had a heart attack, but there I stood arguing and aggravated with his presence. I guess it has to do with who I am.

I dressed quickly,
brushed my hair and teeth, put a little makeup on and hurried out of my bedroom to the kitchen downstairs.

             
My family has never been big on cooking, so my father had hired a maid through the week to do our cleaning and cooking for us. On the weekends we ordered takeout and she was relieved from her duties.

             
When I reached the kitchen, I was greeted with the aroma of bacon, sausage, and eggs. I was starving the last time I ate was when I buried my father in the garden.

Julie was the maid that worked through the week and she was like a friend to me. I always helped where I could and we would go to her living qua
rters and watch movies and such when we could.

             
“Good morning Elizabeth, hungry?” Julie asked.

             
“Why yes, Julie I am famished, this all smells amazing.” I said while Julie handed me a plate.

Julie
had no family that she spoke of; this was one of the reasons that my father had hired her. However, I looked up to Julie as if she was my sister and I never treated her like a maid. My father couldn’t stand her and treated her horribly, but when I was around I always stood up for Julie. She was well paid so she tolerated the way my father treated her. Julie has been a part of our family since I was five years old and I loved her dearly.

             
Julie grabbed her own plate, and grabbed my mother’s; we walked over to the table, and sat down ready to dig in. Julie and I didn’t wait for my mother; we started digging into the breakfast that Julie had prepared for us.  We talked about the weekend mostly, but I let her do most of the talking, and I just continued to indulge in my breakfast.

             
Julie has a glow about her. She is so sweet and nice, that it is hard to believe that she is part of a human race. She is the type of woman that would give you the shirt off her back. She is the type that would hear your insults, but stand and smile. She was Julie and she was absolutely amazing. With wavy blond hair, soft tone voice and bright blue eyes, she reminded me of an angel.

             
We were enjoying our chat until my mother walked into the kitchen, “Ahhhh looks like you started breakfast without me,” my mother said through a cold tone in her voice.

             
“Of course we did! Do you honestly think that I would want to eat breakfast with you? And I am sorry, but I will not eat a cold breakfast and be late for school because you don’t know how to get up in time.” I said this too sweetly. I noticed Julie was looking at me with curiosity. She had never heard me talk to my mother the way I was talking to her now.

             
“Julie, heat my breakfast in the microwave and get this disgusting kitchen cleaned up! This is ridiculous, you should be eating your breakfast before we do. We didn’t hire you to entertain Elizabeth we hired you to clean and cook! Get with it!” I was shocked I had never heard my mother speak to Julie this way.

“Yes ma’am” Julie said standing.
They exchanged a weird look between the two of them. It caught me a little off guard.