Twenty-four

I awoke with a groan, trying to remember what had happened. I kept my eyes closed and enjoyed the feeling of Selene running her fingers through my hair. I was surprised I could feel her, but I wasn't complaining. With my head resting on her lap, I couldn't help but smile from her soft touch.

Selene noticed that I was awake and said softly, "I'm glad to see that you are okay. You had me worried with how long you slept."

Without opening my eyes, I responded, "There is nothing to worry about. You got to see what a day in my life was like. Like I said before, I had that injected into me thousands of times. I slept so long because this is where I feel most comfortable, right in this corner. This is my home."

Selene was quiet, taking in what I had just said. I kept my eyes closed and just enjoyed her touch, but somehow I could feel her sadness. I took advantage of her silence and asked, "Why is it that I can feel your emotions? When you kill, I feel happy, or when humans stare at your body, I feel angry."

With a small laugh, Selene responded, "We are connected now. You are my master. We have a link between the two of us that allows us to feel each other's emotions. It is not too strong right now, but when I tell you my real name, then the link will be complete."

That made sense to me, so I nodded my head in agreement. The two of us sat in silence. I was happy to lay where I was and feel Selene's touch. Eventually, I heard her ask, "So this really was your life? Fight for food and injections. How could you survive something like this?"

"No idea," was my honest reply. "I have no idea what made me special or why I was able to survive. I guess it was just because of my need to keep Rebecca safe."

I paused quickly after what I had said. I had never told anyone her name. While Selene had heard me talk to her, I never stated anything directly to Selene. I knew that nothing would change, but I felt like I was letting out a big secret. Selene sensed my unease and said, "I think she would be proud of you if she could see you now. The strength that it took to come back and not forget about her. I heard what you said outside. You kept her alive for years. There is no way she could hold anything against you after everything you did for her. It will take time, but one day you will see that."

I had nothing to say as a response. While what she said was right, it was still hard to agree with.

After a moments pause, Selene asked, "Well, are you ready to get moving?"

We had done everything we came to do, but I didn't want to move quite yet. Slightly embarrassed, I responded, "Would you mind if we wait a bit longer? I know it sounds weird, but I haven't been this comfortable in a long time."

Selene seemed surprised by my request for a moment, but began to chuckle and responded, "Of course. That is fine with me."

With a smile, I closed my eyes and went back to enjoying the feeling of her touch while my head still rested in her lap.

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"You sure you're ready to leave?" Selene and I were standing outside with the building behind us. I nodded my head and responded, "Yes, we did everything I wanted to. I finally feel like I can move forward and not worry about what happened. Thank you for your help."

Selene flashed me a huge smile and reached out to squeeze my hand. Smiling back, I said, "Come on. Let's get going." I was about to start running, but I paused and asked, "What are we doing now?" Selene stared at me for a moment, then began to laugh at my cluelessness. Still smiling, she responded, "I was wondering where you were heading off to. We never made a plan."

Laughing myself, I asked, "Okay. Our only goal right now is to find your friend, but we still have no idea where to start, correct?" Selene nodded her head in confirmation, so I continued, "I think the only thing we can do is head in a direction that we haven't before and look for the biggest towns. Someone has to have information about demons, and that can be our start." With a big smile and a sarcastic voice, Selene asked, "Now, was that so hard for you to make a plan?"