Sanctuary

New Meets Old

New Meets Old

            Arabella added some dill to the scrambled egg mix. She poured it into the pan, flipped some bacon and flipped a couple pancakes. She was in her bathrobe still but she had no desire to change or even to do anything. Wishing she could call in to work like most people who had a bad day, she sighed and went back to scraping the eggs.

            She scooped more pancake mix onto the griddle and pulled the bacon off the pan. She set the bacon on the table and went to get the eggs. After two more minutes, the pancakes were done and on the table. She put out three plates and forks. She put out syrup, ketchup, and hot sauce.

            As Godric was finishing up making his plate, Scott came striding into the kitchen with Godric’s old clothes on. She smiled at him though she wanted to cry. She made her plate and barely ate. The kitchen was full of silence except the scraping of forks on plates and the chewing.

            “So…” Scott finally said. Everyone looked up gratefully but he clearly didn’t know what else to say.

            “Listen, I bet you’re really freaked out and I bet you wish you’d never met me and learned all of this.” Arabella said.

            “Well, yeah, I’m freaked. I swear my whole life I’m told Angels, demons, witches and ghosts are fakes. Now…” He shrugged and scooped more eggs into his mouth. Arabella smiled.

            “You and everyone else in the world are kept in the dark to keep you safe.” She said. He looked into her eyes. “With everyone in the dark about all the good things in the world, like Angels and witches and things like that, they are kept away from the dark things. I’m not saying all witches are good, I’m not saying all vampires are bad. I’m just saying everyone is safer out of our world.”

            She ended as the door bell rang. Sighing, she pulled her bathrobe closer around her and walked to answer. It was her neighbor. “Hey, I’m sorry to bother you when we usually have nothing to do with each other.” He said. She smiled a little. “But I really need to use your phone.”

            “Come on in. Sorry about the mess. And the bed.” She said as she led him back to the kitchen. She offered no excuses and he asked for none. He’d gotten over it a long time ago, the weirdness of his neighbor, when she can be there sometimes and gone the next second or how she never ages.

            He just shrugs all of that off and lets her live in peace. She gestured towards the table. “This is Scott and that’s Godric. Guys, this is my neighbor, Greg.” She said. They waved but went back to eating. “Here’s the phone.”

            “Thanks, Arabella.” He said and dialed some numbers. She drifted back over to the table so that his conversation could be private.

            “So what are you going to do today?” She asked Godric.

            “I have to go back.” He said looking up at the ceiling. “Then I’ll have to go to work when I’m Called.”

            “And you?” She asked Scott.

            “I have to go pick up my sister from my grandmother’s house.” He said.

            Arabella’s brows drew together in confusion, but before she could say anything Greg hung up the phone. “Thanks, neighbor.”

            “You’re welcome. You know I always got your back.” She smiled. It was true. The only time she really talked to Greg was in emergencies. He’s just gotten accustomed to that.