The Rite Twins

4: Secrets

Secrets

Night. There’s so much unknown life that happens during the night. When you hear everything, it’s never quiet. You hear people sleeping, whispers in the night, crickets chirping, bird singing their lullabies, the fluttering wings of a lightning bug, but most of all, when you listen very carefully, you hear silence. Silence is sometimes overrated, sometimes underrated. But most of all silence is sound. When most people define silence as without sound, we understand what silence truly is. Silence is when your heart stops beating, but your blood still pumps. Silence is when the crow who caws incessantly during the day, lies down at night to rest his voice. Silence is when the feline stops to stare at his prey before he pounces. Silence is death, without dying.

December 16th, 2003. We are south of Atlanta, Georgia, in the small village of Abole. The name was derived from the status of the original settlers during the Civil War. While most of the South was fighting for slavery, these few individuals opposed involuntary servitude. In other words, they wanted to abolish slavery, and were therefore called abolitionists.

It was around 11 when the four of us entered Abole. There was no nightlife in this town, but there was a hotel open on the main road. They had three rooms at the Abole Inn, two of which were occupied. Thankfully, they did have a stable to care for our companions, Memory, Khan, and Care. After tending our horses, Davis, Marlina, and I walked up to the room that we would occupy for what we assumed would be the next few days. We had been traveling long, and had stayed only shortly in a very few places.

The room consisted of an antique dresser and bureau, along with two double-sized beds with a night table, lamp, and digital alarm clock accompanying them. There was a phone in the far corner next to a door that led into a gold and brown decor bathroom. The first question to arise was, of course, who was to bed with whom. It was decided that my brother and I would share a bed. This we had not done in months. Of course, since Marlina’s arrival into our growing coven, we had all kept our distance during our resting hours, as to give each other proper space. Or was it jealousy that drove us all apart?

Nevertheless, this was a new time, a time for all of us to grow together once again. We must unite to survive. The time was closing to find our creator, and we must stick together if we are to do so. It was around 3 when we all decided we would rest for the night and possibly wake up before sunset, and linger in the shadows to observe this quiet town. I had begun to fall into a slumber, when my brother slipped into the bed.

For a moment, I could feel his flesh touch mine. I smelled the sex on him. He had been alone for a long time. He had fed when needed, but seemed to strive for sexual pleasure. His arm wrapped around my naked body, and I could feel his erection rub against my backside, creating a warmth to his touch. I could feel a sigh of relief, content, and his body fell into a restful state. He was asleep.

I arose around quarter ‘til 5. From the glow around the curtains, I could tell that it was still bright outside. The sun would be going down in another 2 hours. I went into the bathroom and splashed my face with some cold water. It was early for me to rise, but I missed the light. I wanted to experience life as normally as possible while there was still some human blood left in me. Human blood that was my own at least.

I looked up into the mirror. I wondered if what they said was true? When I become whole, will I ever see my reflection again? Are vampires truly invisible to glass and silver? Whatever the truth is, it didn’t apply then, for I saw myself. And at this moment I saw Marlina standing behind me.

I turned around to face her, but all I caught was the bathroom door closing. I walked into the bedroom as the room door closed. There were often times when any one of us would leave without telling the others anything, but this was unusual. She let me see her. She wanted me to watch her, to wonder. Markus and Davis began to awaken while I covered myself in a white button up shirt, long black pants, and a long black trench coat. Yes, I know; the “vampire look”. It’s convenient for daytime coverage. I put on a fedora and scarf to cover up most of my face. If it weren’t the middle of winter, even I would be suspicious of myself.