I'm dead.
I don't have emotions anymore. I have no emotions to express, and for once in my life the Wells that are my eyes are dry. I won't cater to any visitors in my life to feel some sick need to socialize. There is no more hurt, misery, no love and no laughter. I am at the edge of a cliff with nothing holding me back. Nothing matters and nobody can get through. I'm dead.
"Silly girl, you're not dead yet. Not even close. But if death is what you're after, I can show you. After all I am very much deceased... then again who's fault is that?"
Leah felt her mimd, body and spirit snap out of a spooky dream that had no images. Or maybe it was just a vision without- vision? Either or, She spread her eyelids wide and looked up at her mantle.
She was still in her living room, curled on her couch in what was now an uncomfortable position. Her body crackled as she elongated out of the pose even a baby in the womb wouldn't want to be in.
A whispered yawn gasped out of her mouth as she rolled her neck and sat up.
"Sleep well?"
To her favor, Daniel smiled from behind the kitchen island. He gave a wave with dusty hands.
"I don't know," she peeled from the couch and stood up finding herself having to catch her balance. She stumbled to her kitchen in a swaying walk before resting against the island top, "I feel like I've been asleep for days. I haven't have I?"
"No," Daniel shook his head, "Not quite."
"I'm sorry," she gulped.
"About what?"
Leah pouted slightly at him, "Last night. You know, Taking off, breaking down and not even saying thank you for the meal. I really am sorry. "
"Don't Worry About it," he wiped his hands on a towel and gestured to her, "Now come here I want to show you something." He sauntered around and helped her to the kitchen table, pulling a chair out for her to sit.
She sunk into it and looked at the setup on her table top, "What's all of this?"
"Well, while you were asleep I decided to do some research. I found a few things that might be of assistance to us." He pointed to the book, "For Every one of those things in there, there are these. They're called sweeping cures and depending on what you believe, they can be very strong."
"Like a dusting?"
"Kind of," he held up a clay pot, "I already made one batch here, for protection. It's got herbs, earth dust and crystal crumbs... blessed."
She rose a brow, "By whom?"
Daniel cleared his throat and put the pot down, "Fawn. I hope you don't mind but on my way out I saw her and wanted as much help as I could get." He waited, seemingly nervous for her reaction.
Why should she mind? Any thing to help didn't upset her and as it had turned out, Fawn seemed to already know of her ordeal. "No, not at all," her eyes watched strong hands tap the tabletop. What he had done for her and continued to do was more than kind. She forced her lips to curl, "Thank you."
"You're Welcome," his eyes locked with hers, "Your blood."
"H-huh?"
"I want to spill it all over."
She gulped and stood up from her chair, "Excuse me?"
He looked puzzled, "I said I'm gonna sprinkle this batch around your house. Unless you don't want me to?"
She ran her fingers through her hair and shook her shoulders. She had to stop letting things play with her head. "No, go ahead."
"You okay?"
Her green eyes punctured into him, "Yeah I'm fine. I guess I'm just worn out." She watched him pick up the pot and stir it one last time. His hands were seemingly perfect, like a hand model with a great tan. Her tongue swiveled in her mouth before she pulled herself back to the real, "Do you want some help?"
--
Short cut grass parting beneath their feet, Daniel and Leah walked around the back of her house, sprinkling the last batch of the sweeping cure. The mint and pine aroma wasn't as strong now that they had gone outside. It didn't bother her as much as Leah poured the very last few speckles beneath her guest bedroom window.
Holding the clay pot in her hand, she sighed and turned to him, "Guess that's it?"
Daniel grinned shyly and scanned her yard, "For now. Maybe we can get some more and do the fence parameter."
As he analyzed the length of her rather large and lush yard, she couldn't help but analyze him beneath the warm autumn sun. His skin was bronze and beautiful and even the highlights in his beard caught her attention.
He wasn't the prince charming advertised in magazines or movies, but as she studied his well kept body, she couldn't help but catch herself attracted to her average joe. He'd saved her and hadn't broken a promise to her yet. The vulnerability in her fluttered like birds in her belly. Daniel Moss was a hunk in her books and there was no point in her denying it.
She swallowed and gathered herself just in time. He turned and teased her with another gut wrenching smile, "Did you hear me?"
No, I was too busy checking you out.
"Uh, what?"
He chuckled and looked down at Beo, who had joined them without her noticing. "I said I think your dog likes me." Sure enough, the well contrasted black and white husky was playfully licking at his fingers. It was good that he was giving kisses instead of gnawing off his hand.
Leah rubbed her companions head, "I see that. You did take him on a car ride, he loves them."
"Hope you don't mind?"
"No way. If he likes you, you must be a good guy after all."
"I was raised right," Daniel gently took the pot out of her hands, skin grazing hers, and pointed his chin towards the house, "Come on. I have one more thing to show you."
--
After cleaning the table off of ingredients and grinders, and making tea for them both, Daniel sat across from Leah flipping through the book. It was unnerving watching him so comfortably moving the pages without any hesitation. Her lips pushed together until they turned white under the suspense.
He had found something in there, between the faded cover and mixed in the yellowed pages. There was serious dark magic dwelling in the cracks and chapters, what could he have come across?
She waited as patiently as she could. But when he stopped and his eyes locked on to a position in the book, her patience went out the window. "Well, what is it?"
He looked at her, "You know when we were at the parlor, and you told me about all of that? I still remember every detail. I really needed to figure something out. So, when I was looking for some kind of help, I checked in here too."
A lump galloped down her throat, "Go on?"
"Well while browsing this, pretty intense book, I noticed it was checked out of a local library," his palms rest on the pages, "So I might have done some snooping and found your library card and guess what? Same place."
Leah's stomach tightened into a ball. The intense feeling made her feel as if she were about to fold in half like a rag doll. Her mouth dried and she leaned forwards, elbows resting on the table. She couldn't even conjure up words to say, all she knew was he was on to something even she hadn't thought of.
"I know you probably don't want to remember him, especially after last night, but we can find him as easily as he found you. All we have to do is-"
"Daniel, stop."
He paused, chocolate eyes diving into hers as he waited cautiously. The table was quiet for a moment before Leah part her lips again, "You're a genius." She instantly brightened in the face and stood up from her chair, pushing it in with her foot.
A little bit of hope was in the air at that moment. Her knight had been clever enough to really make the best of the time he'd had alone while she slept. He had put two pieces together in her benefit. If it weren't for him, she didn't know if she would have ever thought about the library. It was the first place they'd met and it was full of information, including his. She felt a little disappointed in herself but extremely pleased with him. It was almost exciting.
She threaded some hair behind her ear, watching him watch her. A handsome grin had taken light on his lips and he stood up slowly, "The handy man did good?"
Her head bobbled, "Real good."
Daniel rounded the table and returned the book to the island top, closing it with a slam. He focused on her over his shoulder, still smiling the tiniest grin.
Fluttering and flipping, her insides frolicked as she caught what could only be described as his 'good side.' Who knew brown eyes could be so dashing? It amazed her how stunned by his presence she was and how comfortable she felt. He was quickly becoming the Robin to her Batman in the midst of a destructive week.
Leah caught herself before she slipped any further into analyzing him. She crossed her arms and sighed, "I owe you one."
He pushed off the island and turned his body to her completely, "We'll worry about that later. Go change and then we'll head out. Deal?"
You bet your sweet arse.