The Two Kings (Afterlife Saga)

  “Don’t go there, RUN, RUN!” I was screaming out at myself but when my head simply turned to me, I only shook my head to indicate a “NO”.

  Then I was back to the bloody Keira shaking my head and mouthing the words,

  “No, it will be alright.” I wanted to go over and comfort myself, I looked so frightened and so, so fragile. Draven was right... I was fragile. I looked so breakable like that but not now. I wasn’t fragile like this, I felt strong. Invincible. Godly.

  I whispered a goodbye and started off as fast as I could into a lightening run. I could just hear one last scream from my other self as I ran into the altar and collided with the brightest flash of light, almost like a meteor had just impacted where I stood.

  That’s when I woke up and found I was dressed like the Keira in my dream, the frightened one. I had wet cheeks from tears I don’t remember crying. I had a scratchy throat from screaming words I didn’t shout out in the real world. But most of all I was heartbroken from watching myself die. What a horrible dream and most disappointing of all is that Draven wasn’t there at my greatest time of need. He hadn’t been there in my dream and he wasn’t here now. I was in my own bed at home and it took me a moment to realize why. Draven had driven me home in the early hours of the morning and stayed with me until I fell asleep in my new room.

  Now he was gone and my heart ached for him as the morning sun flooded my room that wasn’t yet familiar to me. After a few seconds of getting my bearings, I whipped back the covers and looked at my chest. What was I expecting to find exactly I don’t know but there wasn’t a gaping hole like there had been in my dream. There was no sliced flesh and bloody feet. No flowing white gown and no strong buzz of energy raging through my veins.

  I was still shaking my head when I heard a knock at my door. Libby didn’t wait for me to say “come in”, she never did. She was dressed for work but instead of her usual power suit, she had on a loose white shirt that allowed more room for her growing bump. She was glowing in her cheeks and the sight of her happy mood told me two things, One...she had enjoyed her night away from the she-Devil. And Two...she hadn’t yet had the pleasure of her company this morning.

  “So, how did it go last night?” She plonked herself down on my bed and handed me the mug that she held in both hands. This time instead of Homer Simpson, it was a Liverpool Lfc mug with the words “You’ll never walk alone” below the team’s crest of a Liver Bird.

  “Thanks” I said taking the mug of tea and taking my first sip of the morning. I didn’t smoke but I would imagine that this was my equivalent of having my first cigarette of the day.

  “So?” She prompted “What happened?”

  “She met Jack, that’s what happened.” I said deflated. Libby just raised her eyes at me like I had lost it...maybe I had and after days like yesterday I think I was certainly entitled to lose something!

  “But that’s a good thing...right? I mean, it gets her out of our hair and gets her focus off Dominic, so drinks all round....or not.” She added this last bit when she saw the misery on my face.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she didn’t spend the night chasing after Dra...Dominic but I don’t want that at the expense of Jack’s feelings. Besides, I don’t think were as great of friends as I first thought. Not after hearing all about me from our delightful cousin.” I said bitterly and Libby covered her mouth in a dramatic shock.

  “Why, what did she say?”

  “I’m not completely sure but I can only guess. It’s what she does Libby, she plays the victim and creates me as the bad guy. You should have seen his reactions to me after just one evening of her lies. Anyway I’ve decided I don’t care, if he really was my friend he wouldn’t have believed such bull from someone he’d only just met!”

  “Didn’t you warn them about her?”

  “A little, well mainly RJ but I didn’t want to go around slagging off my relations to my still new friends. I mean they still don’t know about me....about my past and I don’t know how long I can keep that part of my past a secret. Jack is the only one who knows.” Libby put her hand on my arm and nodded at my problem. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel so strange talking about this kind of stuff and Libby could tell.

  “You don’t have to tell anyone anything you don’t want to. They will still be your friends and I hate to bring this up but aren’t you worried about your biggest threat here?”

  “I don’t under...”

  “Hilary....she knows everything too, remember. Not that I think you have anything to be ashamed of but I understand why you don’t want people knowing, but are you not worried that the girl who hates you most in the world will take an opportunity like this and try and ruin everything for you?” Libby looked scared for me but I just shrugged my shoulders.

  “She wouldn’t go that far. Look I know she hates me for some reason I don’t think I will ever figure out but I don’t imagine she would ever go that far!” She raised an eyebrow to indicate she clearly did.

  “Trust me on this,” I said as I tried to get up but as soon as my legs touched the floor boards I had to sit back down. My head started to spin thanks to a Corona induced hangover.

  “Rough night?” My sister asked as she noted my head in my hands.

  “Umm....something like that. I drank way too much last night and I’m not sure if I won’t be an alcoholic by the time we get rid of Hilary!”

  “Well, at least one of us can. Right, well I’m off to work now but will I see you after college?” She stood up whereas I couldn’t at the minute and looked down at me waiting for an answer.

  “Yeah, but not for long, I’ve got work tonight so at least that should mean Hilary won’t be around here either.” I sounded tired every time I even said her name.

  “Ok chuck, I will see ya later, try not to put up with too much shit from her and don’t worry about Jack, he will see her for what she is soon enough...they always do.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t want him to get hurt.”

  “Sounds to me like he deserves a good kick up the arse to wake him up,” she said as she walked to the door.

  “Libby!” I scolded but she just smiled and blamed the hormones before leaving me alone in the house with someone I wanted to staple things to. I got up and the first thing I did was go in search of pills to numb the pain from not only my hangover. While I was in the kitchen the other pain in my life walked in. She was dressed in a pink track suit that had stars on her bony backside. The hooded top was one of those that only covered half of her torso but she matched it with a skimpy pineapple top.

  “Man, I just love exercising in the morning!” She said overly energetic.

  “I prefer sex!” I said under my breath.

  “Excuse me?” She asked snootily.

  “Oh nothing...Juice?” I asked holding it out to her, making her wrinkle her nose.

  “I only drink organic freshly squeezed and no offence, but you don’t look like the type to buy that.”

  “None taken,” I said wondering if that was supposed to be an insult or not because I wasn’t sure.

  “So what are we doing today?” She asked me, casually leaning back on the fridge. I found myself staring at it just hoping the door would slam into her.

  “Sorry....what do you mean by we because I have collage?” I shook my head but she just smiled reminding me of the Grinch at Christmas.

  “Perfect!” She then clapped her hands together and left the kitchen leaving me both worried and confused by that comment. I ran out after her and found her half way up the stairs.

  “What do mean perfect....do you have plans?”

  “Yes, of course, but I have to get ready and need a shower if I’m going to scrunch my hair...it has a natural wave you know...” I didn’t give two hoots about her so called wavy hair but what I did need to know about is her so called plans.

  “Well, I need to get ready for college now.”

  “Yes I know you do, ‘cause I’m not going to be seen dead with
you wearing your hair like that!” She was still climbing the stairs to the third floor and I was still following until we reached the top.

  “What do you mean “with me”?” She stopped outside my room and opened the door before answering me.

  “I’m coming with you, of course! It’s a great chance to meet Jack again and besides, you didn’t expect me to hang around in this rickety old house did you?” I couldn’t answer her in my mental breakdown and she smiled at what she knew she did to me. I would have preferred her to have just punched me in the gut and get it over with, ‘cause any physical pain was better than the mental pain I was going to get constantly with her around. I was still standing there dumbstruck when she walked into my room and turned round to say one last thing.

  “Oh and Keira....My room remember!” And with that, she slammed the door in my face making me close my eyes at the air that hit me.

  “Brilliant!” I said as I got in my room to change. I knew there was no chance at a shower now as she would purposely use all of the hot water. Thankfully I had had a wash and stuff before I went downstairs but my hair still looked a state from a night of tossing and turning. Of course the weather didn’t help as I soon discovered when we got outside.

  Thankfully, I had my car here now as Draven had it driven back to me this morning. We had decided it was better if I had woken up here, because I needed to go to college and I didn’t want my sister to have to deal with our cousin alone. In the end it wouldn’t have mattered because she didn’t even have to see her...unlike my fate.

  We were on the way to college when Hilary started to moan...again.

  “My god Kizzy Cat, you still drive like an old woman. I’m surprised you even make any lectures. Do you ever get pulled over for going too slow?”

  “No I don’t, do you ever get pulled over for going too fast?” I asked knowing full well that she didn’t have her license anymore because she had too many points for speeding.

  “I bet Dominic never lets you drive.” She laughed to herself and avoided my question.

  “He does actually!” I said fighting the urge to stick my tongue out at her after saying it. However, she didn’t take much notice of my responses to her insults, she was more preoccupied with applying a fresh layer of pink lipstick that in my mind made them look more like she had just spent the night sucking them! Did I sound bitter? That might be because my cousin free day had quickly turned into Hell at college.

  “You do know that you can’t sit in my classes with me...don’t you?” I was still trying to put her off, even though we were nearly there, I would have been gladly late for all of my lectures if it would free me from her company.

  “Well durr! Do you think I want to spend my time sat listening to American toffs talking a load of shit I don’t care about....I mean it’s obvious you don’t do beauty at this school of yours!”

  “Gee thanks!” I said making her laugh at me, not with me.

  “Then what are you going to do?”

  “Oh didn’t I tell you....I meeting up with Jack and he’s going to show me around and stuff. Then he’s taking me to this bar he likes.” She noticed my face drop and a dark, satisfied smile wriggled its way across her lips. Then I smiled at the one thought of Hilary’s day not being picture perfect.

  “Let me guess, is it called ‘Willy’s One Eyed Joe’ by any chance?” Now I couldn’t keep the smirk from my face.

  “Oh, so you’ve been there!” It wasn’t really a question as she knew the answer, more like her prompting me for more information.

  “Yeah a few times, with the gang after lectures. You’ll have fun...it’s just your kind of place.” I said knowing she would hate every minute of the dilapidated building that calls itself a social meeting place. It has two regulars that looked glued to their seats and to look at, you just know when they finally do move from “their” seat, the stool cushions would have ingrained their distinct arse impressions.

  We didn’t speak again until I parked my truck in its usual spot. I had been trying to word what I wanted to say most of the way here but I knew that it was going to be a pointless exercise trying to reason with this destructive girl. Even now, to look at her you wouldn’t really be putting her down to be the biggest bitch in Britain and now currently the US.

  Today she had tried to tone down her slut look and went for a pair of tight, skinny jeans that made her thin legs look like matchsticks and matched it with a white T-shirt that said “I love Yoga” on the front and then on the back had a winked eye with the words “It makes me flexible” underneath. Even naive me could read in between the lines to its seductive inner meaning.

  “Look Hilary, I need to say something.” I tried to make my voice sound serious but when it croaked I realized that it was never going to happen but I still needed to try, and seeing Jack’s new red Toyota parked two spaces away made me follow it through.

  “Jack’s a really good friend of mine and with you leaving soon, I can’t help but think it’s not a good idea to...you know...do anything”. At this she laughed and turned to look at me for the first time this journey. That’s when I fully understood my mistake...I had just made this game all the more appealing.

  “Kizzy, Kizzy....Are you jealous?”

  “NO!” I shouted a little too defensively.

  “Really...’cause you know Jack told me how you two nearly hooked up but you just used him to get to Dominic! I’m just so glad you haven’t spoilt him for me...It’s no fun when they’re vulnerable, but thankfully he got over you too quickly (his words, not mine) to be affected. Actually, I think his exact words were “Used and abused” and imagine his shock when finding out this wasn’t the first time.” By the time she had finished, I was close to jumping on her and clawing her eyes out but I was frozen.

  “Don’t worry about old Jackie boy, I will take good care of him...I think he’ll make a good fuck don’t you....?” She opened the door as she could see him coming over but she didn’t close it behind her until she finished her spiteful speech.

  “Oh wait, you wouldn’t know...you never really get that far do you Kizzy!” And then she slammed the door leaving me red faced and close to tears, I was that angry. I therefore, couldn’t help the rage filled scream that erupted making Jack turn to face me in concern. I grabbed my bag and wrenched open the door. I then slammed the door making Jack jump at my behavior. I stormed up past them and when Jack grabbed my arm to stop me I yanked it free.

  “Just leave me alone!” I said at him, making his usually soft features turn cold. I pulled my bag strap back over my shoulder and half jogged to my first class. I know I wasn’t being fair but I couldn’t stop thinking about what Hilary had said to me. I know Jack wouldn’t have said most of the things she said but he must have said something. Could I be sure that Jack was the friend I always thought he had been? Now I wasn’t so sure. Man I hated her so much it made my head ache!

  “Hey Kaz, where’s the fire?” I turned before I went through the door to see RJ’s pink hair next to me. She looked like I felt. Her eyes were deep set in sleepless bags and no amount of makeup would cover up the same hangover we shared.

  “Just trying to get away from the new couple.” I said and nodded to Jack and Hilary who were walking hand in hand. She rolled her eyes and walked with me inside, obviously wanting to get away from them as much as me.

  “I tried to tell him about her poisonous ways but he wouldn’t listen. Did you know she has already infected him into believing a load of bullship about you?”

  “Bull....ship?” I couldn’t help but ask.

  “Ah I’m trying this new thing out for my mom. She wants me to curve on the bad language as my sister has started swearing, saying she gets it from me! So I have replaced a few words like fudge instead of fuc...”

  “Yeah, Yeah I get it!” We both laughed and thanks to RJ, it was a nice little diversion to make me forget the ‘Hell cat beast and the beauty Jack’! I didn’t want to talk about it anymore, especially since my first class was
with the dreaded Reedinator! RJ walked me, bless her and it reminded me of my first week here. I don’t know what I would have done if it hadn’t been for meeting RJ.

  In there, I found Sophia in our usual seats, filing nails she didn’t need to file.

  “What’s up home bird?” She said trying on a street vibe. I was laughing once again.

  “Umm...well I’ve been better but what’s with ‘in the ghetto hood’ talk?”

  “I knew you needed cheering up.” She said as I took my seat.

  “I’m down with tat!” I replied trying the same but if you’re British and not from Essex, it’s quite hard to do.

  “So I gather the bitch is still a thorn in you behind.” I groaned my answer.

  “I understand and I see only one solution to this girl.”

  “What’s that...violent crimes?” I only half joked.

  “Nope...Demon introduction. I think it’s time I met this cousin of yours.”

  I could say only one thing

  “Fudge, yeah!”

  Chapter 46

  Thank The Devil For Demons.

  My history class didn’t go quickly enough, but at least I had Sophia there with me to help keep my sanity in check. I had to submit my assignment and held my breath as I made my way down the steps to Reed’s desk. Sophia hadn’t ever handed in anything but just made him think she had. She offered the same service for me but I declined.

  “I have this crazy idea of passing this class by handing in actual work,” I had said before getting ready to leave.

  “You’re right...that is just so crazy!” She mocked and I couldn’t help shaking my head in laughter. Sophia was one of those people that was so infectious to be around that it was hard to remember any problems I had. She had a way of making them fade into the ‘not important’ part of your brain. That’s where Hilary was right now....way back there, where my mind just said “why do we give a shit?”