The Power to Protect
A Short Story
By Ashleigh Oldfield
Copyright 2012 Ashleigh Oldfield
The Power to Protect
A Short Story
by Ashleigh Oldfield
Julia looked at the carnage scattered all around her and grimaced. To her left a boy slightly younger than her pushed over yet another shelf, spraying the books as he did so. The reek of spray-paint made Julia choke, and regret seeped through her veins.
A week before, Julia had heard the library of their tiny town was expanding to include a paranormal section. Assuredly evil, the matrons of the small society had ascertained. Taking matters into her own hands, Julia had gathered a small collective of youths to form a protest. Such books, she exclaimed, should never be allowed to be published. Such monstrosities! Before she knew it dozens of the town’s young had gathered to back her claims, although the protest rapidly became violent. Irreparable damage to the library was the result.
***
The chief librarian stood behind a large oak desk of tasteful design. Sensual blood red lips and crisp white teeth; when he smiled his mouth reminded Julia of a bite taken out of the Forbidden Apple. Trembling slightly, Julia took the last few steps that would take her to the desk of the library’s chief.
“You should not have come here,” he crooned in an oh-so-seductive voice. “You would have been better off hiding with your friends.”
“No,” she stammered, “it was my fault. I know better.” She murmured an apology, not quite able to look the librarian in the eyes. She knew she had done wrong, of course she did. Her mother had raised her to respect books, but here she had deliberately destroyed a whole section of them with her friends. Admittedly, when she had decided to come forward, she had not expected to encounter such a dangerous man.
The chief sat down, no readable expression on his flawless face. He indicated to Julia that she should take a seat. As she did so he delicately clasped his hands, resting his index fingers on his chin.
“You admit fault,” that dangerous voice began, “but are you truly prepared to pay the price?”
The chief examined the girl closely, waiting for her response. Her bottom lip quivered slightly, but she was showing more courage than he had expected. Yes, she would do very nicely.
The girl gave an almost imperceptible nod, all the encouragement he needed. He explained to her the cleaning required, and how short staffed the library was. Was she aware of how much work went into keeping the library such a warm and comfortable environment? He did not think she understood the effort the librarians put in everyday without so much as a ‘thank-you-very-much’ from the public.
The girl hung her head in shame, just as the chief had hoped. She was ripe for the picking now. How rare it was to find a teenager with a conscience. In all his hundreds of years on this earth he had only found three so far. He was going to cherish this one with everything he had within him.
“And so”, he concluded, “You shall work here until the damage is in some way repaired. Think of it as community service, if you will.”
Julia raised her head, hardly daring to believe what she had just heard. Was that it? Her overactive imagination was conjuring up images of this man, so vampire-like in looks, demanding some sort of blood sacrifice from her. Community service was a much better punishment. On being dismissed, Julia did her best not to run out of the room, her back itching with the need to protect herself from such a dangerous man.
***
Julia arrived at the library, her third week of this ‘community service’. Despite everything, Julia was thoroughly enjoying the time spent each week at the library. The staff, after an initial coolness, was warm and friendly towards her. The chief was nowhere to be seen. Today Julia was cleaning after closing hours because she was back at school, her fleetingly fast holiday now over. As she walked through the doors she saw Betsy and Jemima leaving, on their way to wherever it was librarians went.
With a sigh that looks comical on someone of Julia’s small stature, the girl shuffled over to the paranormal section of the library and picked up one of the books. Were they really as bad as the elders claimed?
“You should try it,” resonated a dark, deep voice out of the shadows of the library. “You might even enjoy it.”
Startled from her reverie, Julia looked up at the chief librarian and stifled a gasp. She had forgotten how beautiful he was, for surely ‘handsome’ was not strong enough a word to describe this man. He started towards her with a predatory grace and stopped a hand span away from where she was standing. Julia took a step back, suddenly wary. The chief merely smiled and motioned for the girl to follow him. Telling herself she was being stupid, Julia forced her legs to take the steps required to walk behind the chief.
They went back to the chief’s office. A full-length mirror stood to the left of the oak desk, something Julia had not noticed the last time she was in this room. The chief indicated that Julia should look into the mirror.
“Tell me what you see,” he crooned. The girl hesitated, looking searchingly at the chief. With a shrug, Julia peered into the mirror. A black-hooded figure looked back at her. Julia jumped back and looked down at herself. No black cloak. She peered back up at the mirror. The hooded figure was still there, mimicking her movements. Julia whirled around to look questioningly at the chief.
“You could be so much more than you already are, Julia,” that beautiful voice declared. “I can teach you things your wildest dreams can’t even think of.”
A wave of understanding flooded over Julia, a sense of rightness coming with it. The chief examined the girl, sending seductive tendrils of comfort to over-ride the objections forming in the girl’s mind. Her thoughts tasted delicious to the chief, so pure and strong. He wanted her to be his, but she had to come willingly if her thoughts were to remain so chaste.
He extended his hand towards her. Julia hesitated, and then slowly imitated his movements until their finger tips were touching. This was all the contact he needed, and as much permission as he was going to get.
The chief dove down deep inside of himself to tap into the well of power that was an integral part of who and what he was. Rushing back up to the surface that was Self, his power burst forth from his fingers and down Julia’s arm. The girl began spinning, spinning, spinning, the edges of the room blurring. After an immeasurable amount of time the girl slowed. As she stopped Julia grasped the desk for support. The room slowly came into focus. The chief was still standing in front of her, but that was the only thing that had remained the same.
Transported to another place, another time.
The girl’s mind was not able to comprehend the change, so she asked the only thing her brain could deal with at that moment.
“What are you?” she asked, one of a thousand questions lingering on the tip of her tongue.
“I am all and nothing, darkness and light, good and evil.”
Without thought Julia replied, “Can you teach me?” The chief smiled reassuringly, at the same time reassured that he had chosen the right girl.
***
The chief was the last of a long-dead race. Vampires, many called them, although this is not what they were. Set up as the caretakers of the earth, the chief’s people used their powers to protect humans from all manner of evils.
Superstition clouded the primitive humans’ minds, and they began to blame their caretakers for small wrongs. Death at childbed: a crop of wheat destroyed by fungi: a dried-up well. The humans claimed their monthly tithes were too high a payment for so little return. The chief’s people may as well demand their blood, the humans declared. Blood-suckers, they called them;
Harbingers of evil.
When drought hit the lands the humans rampaged through the streets in desperation, murdering all who came in their paths. Within a decade of war and slaughter the chief’s people were all but destroyed, far outnumbered by the humans as they were. Those who were left went into hiding, mating with the humans until their powers were so diluted they were virtually non-existent. Occasionally one of the caretakers’ descendants would be born with full powers, a throw-back to the full-blooded peoples of days gone by.
The chief was one of these, born with powers humans had long since forgotten about, the last of a race no longer remembered. He made it his life’s goal to find those half-blood remnants of the caretakers and train them up to take their place in the world once more. In Julia he sensed more power than he had sensed in anyone for centuries and all his hopes lay with her.
***
Julia’s days became a series of lessons in Majik, as well as learning to make a connection with the land. She forgot what it was like to be a regular teenager, forgot about school, forgot about her friends, forgot everything except the chief and her new-found powers.
On making a connection with the soil in the garden Julia could make the roses bloom, could entice the birds to swoop around and eat the harmful grubs. With a thought she could create a ball of light that floated above her head as she examined the Majik tomes that held the knowledge of a people long since gone.
The chief could not be more pleased. Here was a girl as powerful as the caretakers of yore, stronger than he had initially hoped. Julia took to her lessons as a fish to water, and thrived on the knowledge the chief fed to her. Soon she would be ready to take her place as caretaker to the world; and when she was of breeding age he himself would seed her so that she could begin a strong caretaker’s line.
***
Julia no longer had a place on Earth. She was Other and walked down roads humans could only begin to imagine. She would forever live Apart, keeping an ever-watchful eye on the humans under her care as the caretakers once did so many years ago. Under her gaze her people would thrive and they would never know to whom they had to thank for such good luck. The caretakers require no thanks or recognition. They could survive off the positive thoughts of others. Julia could accept this new life with a peaceful heart, knowing deep down that it was her destiny.
The End.
***
About the Author
When she is not writing, Ashleigh enjoys rock climbing, going on long walks through forest-strewn mountains, and baking chocolatey cakes.
Connect with Ashleigh Online
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshOldfield
Website: www.ashleigholdield.com