The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Three (Draft 3) "Hello, Pretty Pretty"

"What's wrong, Honey?" When he spoke the term of endearment, fangs were visible.

Morpheus swallowed.

Julien was a Vampyre. A Vampyre with years of memories involving Morpheus. He knew exactly who and what Morpheus was.

Morpheus forced a smile. He had not met this person, yet. Or, more correctly, Morpheus had just met Julien, who remembered meeting Morpheus in his past, which hadn't yet happened from his own point-of-view.

"Tell me that's real water."

"It's real."

Julien winked at him! "I've seen what you can do with sand."

"It's real," Morpheus repeated, "The Djinn draw it from the sky."

"The Jeannies?" Julien asked as they were undressing him for his bath.

Morpheus didn't completely avert his gaze as Julien lowered himself into the metal tub. He had thought, from stories, a Vampyre would have deathly pallor. Julien, though light of complexion, had a faintly gold undertone to his skin.

"Julien."

"Mm?"

"There's something I should tell you."

Julien laughed.

Morpheus summoned his courage. "I've never seen you before in my life."

"Ooooh...time...and your...but how...unless I traveled?" Julien lifted his head and looked about the tent. "Oh, Gawd!" He drew his limbs in close to his body. "Did I die?"

"No!" Morpheus knelt beside the tub. "I promise. Your soul is in your body and you are in a safe place."

Julien's hands rubbed the back of his neck. The gold torc at his throat glimmered in the light from the lamp stands. "I was just in a plane crash."

Morpheus looked down into the bath water. "I don't see any injury." Julien's clothing had been damaged when he arrived, so there might have been unseen injuries. "Are you in pain?"

"No. I wouldn't be. I had enough of—" Julien paused. Their eyes met. The gaze lasted long enough to become awkward.

Morpheus opened his mouth, but Julien started speaking first:

"So, exactly how young are you to not have met me?"

"I'm." Morpheus cleared his throat. "I'm old enough."

Julien smiled wide. "That young." His posture relaxed and he lay his arms along the edge of the tub. He had a rose-shaped tattoo inside his right arm. "How? Can you tell me?"

Morpheus hesitated, considering how much to explain. "In my future, you will meet me."

"But, your body. It's the one you had when I last saw you, but not the one you had when we met."

"You gave me this body," Morpheus explained, "because you wished to see it when you approached the mirage."

"It is really you?"

"I'm Morpheus. The person you are thinking of is me, who coincidentally used to work in this mirage."

Julien sighed. "It's some coincidence." His tone suggested the opposite were true.

"What else would it be?"

Julien shrugged. He had a floral tattoo behind his left shoulder that continued onto his neck. "Destiny?"

"Moira. I don't think it was her."

"Might be best not to know."

"Why?"