Challenge #145
Option: Re-visiting Challenge #143. "That's the way with magic. You've got to know it's still here, all around us, or it just stays invisible for you." - Charles De Lint
Note: My poetry skills are rusty. Comments & Suggestions are very welcome.
Peeping Alice pt.14
In the early hours of the morning, Alice starts upright in her bed. The moonlight falls through her windows casting dark shadows around her room, but still manages enough light to see by. A quick glance at her bedside alarms shows 3:42AM and she wonders what woke her.
Hearing nothing but the sound of her own ragged breath she sits there unmoving, and convinces herself it was nothing. She lies back down and settles in. Within moments she's fallen back into a dreamless sleep.
In the moonlight, Vincent sits calmly in the corner of the room. Once he is certain that Alice has fallen back into a deep, restful sleep he continues his prayers. He speaks in a hasty but devoted whisper, his deep voice falling in a cadence that almost matches Alice's breathing. He stays focused on his ward throughout the night; content to pray and watch over her as the moonlight and shadows chase each other through the room. And through the rest of the early morning he snatches any dreams from her mind before they can settle in to play through her sleep.
"Bless the Cycle, bless the Goddess.
Let the end be as the beginning: timeless, unshaken.
Grant the foundations strength,
The Cycle safety, give us all courage.
My brothers and sisters -
Our celestial kindred, keep us all protected.
Bless the Cycle, bless the Goddess.
Let the beginning be as the end: steady, lifeless.
Grant the Goddess wisdom,
Our kindred vitality, keep us all sagacious.
Our brothers and sisters -
True keepers of the world, give us all immortality."
The morning sun shines brightly even through the drawn blinds into Alice's bedroom. She stirs and glances at her bedside clock, realizing she's slept in. Her room is illuminated by streaks of a golden sun high in the sky, reiterating the hour into which she's slept. Moments after she's awake and out of her bed, the bittersweet scent of coffee tickle her nose, and she follows it to the kitchen. Vincent is waiting for her at the table a steaming cup of coffee watiting in his hands.
"You let me sleep in pretty late."
He nods, and raises the mug up for her to take. "I thought you could use it after the amount of energy you used up yesterday. Hopefully, you feel restored?"
"I do," she says as she takes the mug and slides into a chair across from him.
"Good. I thought you might be up for a short trip today?" He cocks a pale eyebrow at her and then grabs his own cup and takes a quiet sip.
"Where? We'll need to be back in time to get dinner ready for tonight."
"We will be," he says steadily avoiding her questioning gaze. "I will leave you to get ready."
He finishes his coffee quickly, downing the last sips in one quick motion. She watches him intently hoping he will divulge more of the nature of their outing, but he does not. A few moments later he has placed the empty mug in the sink, and is heading out the front door of the apartment. She hears the loud click of the door closing behind him before she turns back to her own warm drink.
An hour later, Alice is washed and dressed; sitting in her living room, waiting impatiently. She has already phoned her sister to verify their evening plans, and checked her kitchen for the necessary supplies to make dinner. She is flicking through channels on the television but paying no attention to it, when the front door opens revealing Vincent's black-clad physique.
"About time," she mutters as she gathers her purse and jacket and strides to the door.
"There were some things that needed to be prepared." He turns and heads down the stairs as she locks the apartment door behind her.