Hollow

Chapter Thirty Four - Invitation

"Allura" My father called my name from his study as I approached the front door in hopes of escaping to the gardens. I sighed heavily, another complaint about my unruly behaviour no doubt.

"Yes father." I answered as I entered the study and walked towards the large closed windows, drawing back the curtains and staring down at the gardens.

"There is a very important matter I have to discuss with you and I need your attention." He says in his serious tone that was supposed to provoke some kind of respect on my part, it did nothing of the sort. My father had never earned the respect he thought he deserved.

"I'm listening father." I tell him as I stare at the sky outside and think of Tom counting the minutes until I would see him.

"It is about all of this running around with that boy." He begins and I let out a soft sigh because I had heard this speech so often now I could recite it. "You two are not a good pair Allura. He is not good enough for you." He says slapping the folded newspaper onto the desk. "It has got to stop, right now! Are you listening Allura?" he asks, his voice is boiling to a yell and I turn.

"I heard you father." I answer calmly

"You need to stay away from that boy." he says staring at the desk.

"Tom is a good man Father, why can't you just see it?"

"Enough!" he cuts through, standing suddenly. "I am warning you Allura, if you continue to see him there will be consequences." He stares me down, his hard brown eyes glaring at me. He only ever looked at me this way, with anger and bitterness, never with affection. He quickly looks away and seats himself once more.

I stand in silence, afraid my voice would give to tears.

"I am only doing this to keep you safe Allura." He glances up from his desk with a distant expression but I do not believe his words.

"Allura" I hear my name and blink suddenly seeing the cloaked Hollow before me I stand up.

"What were you doing?" the familiar voice asks and I stare at the tall man.

"Dominic?" I ask reaching for the hood pulling it back suddenly so that he cannot pull away.

He smiles down at me and I step back.

"What are you doing here?" I ask in almost a whisper.

"I have waited for 26 years to see you. Did you think I would just let you leave me again?" He asks staring at me with his black stained eyes.

"I don't want you." I tell him bluntly and he smiles.

"That's because you can't want anything."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just that maybe it will change..." He shrugs so casually and I take another step away from him.

"It won't happen." I tell him before turning away from him and walking from the room and turning several corners quickly.

I can feel the cord pulling at my centre the further I moved away from Eli and I wondered if I pulled too much would it snap? Everything Eli is feeling races along the cord but it is just a whisper by the time it reaches me, still it is enough to make me not myself.

My mind races as I attempt to piece together the present. Dominic was here, he was here because he believed the endeavour would work, One Soul For All. He was waiting for it to work because he believed if we were all returned to our human selves I would want to be with him.

Since the day I had met him in a small seedy bar, the memory begins to take over and the tunnel I walk in becomes darker.

It is 12 March 1952 as the paper I read informs me. Cigar and cigarette smoke fills the air as I sit in the back corner of a small bar in Chicago. The room is cramped and loud as men and women laugh and drink. I was waiting for someone to come along, someone who might be strong enough to survive the Origene's curse and be of use to us but this place was dark and dirty and full of people who worked like dogs all week and then wasted their money on booze and women on the weekend while their families starved at home.