The Counterpart

2. Foreigner-1

2

FOREIGNER

CLAUDIA

Saturday night. A few hours earlier…

I sat in my room. The party was tonight, and I didn’t know what to do. I had already promised John I was going with him. At least, he expected me to be there. After our moments together yesterday, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

A text came from him and I nearly leaped out of the bed to read it.

John: We still on for tonight Miss Belle? ????????❤️

I fidget with my shirt collar, biting at my lip. My heart was racing.

Me: Yes!

John: Pick you up? ❓

I immediately texted back. My friend Alex is picking me up. Can I meet you there?

John:

Ok, but text me if she’s a no show …. I have no problem swinging by and picking you up. ????. See you there ???? ????

Me: Ok ❤️ ☺

The called to Alex, just kept going to voicemail. After the third time, I left a message. I always had the option of calling John, so I didn’t sweat it. I would have just called him to begin with if I hadn’t already made plans with Alex.

Michael had already said I wasn’t going to the party. And to top it off, Michael had come to some crazy arrangement for me to work in Joseph’s office after school every day. How is that any better? I hadn’t mentioned anything about it to John. I was pretty sure he would soon find out.

Either way, none of this was going to stop me. I got dressed. There came a knock at my bedroom door, just as I was finishing up.

“Claudia?”

It was Michael and I didn’t want to open the door. He would find out that I was dressed and ready to make my escape.

He knocked again.

“Yes?” I said with a sigh.

“Can I come in?”

“No,” I firmly answered.

“Claudia, please. Is this about the party? I’m doing this for you. I don’t want you to get hurt. Can you just come down and have dinner? Let’s talk about it.”

“I have nothing to say to you right now. You made it quite clear I’m not going, so there isn’t much to discuss, is there?”

He didn’t have anything to counter with, but that didn’t stop him from trying to get me to come out.

“Claudia, will you at least come down and have dinner?”

“I’m not hungry. I’m going to bed.”

He went quiet, but it didn’t last long.

“I’m sorry about the party.”

He stood there for a moment, and then, he finally gave up and left. The lights in the hallway went out and the door of his bedroom close. Immediately, I raced quietly to the bedroom window, looking over the side of the house and onto the street.

What luck to have the giant oak near my window, I thought.

Never had I imagined I would need it. Climbing out, I sat on the ledge, then carefully moved out onto the branches, and down the side of the tree until my feet were touching the grassy lawn below.

Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.

Glancing back up at the window, I raced across the street. Before I had time to get nervous, headlights flashed in my direction. A Mustang pulled up alongside me and I was relieved she hadn’t forgotten.

Alex leaned over from the driver's side pushing open the door.

“Get in,” she said.

I climbed in and we sped away.

“Thanks for picking me up. Where have you been all this time?”

She sat quietly, which was strange for her. She was usually talkative and responsive. She glanced over and smiled.

“Did you hear me?” I asked. “I’ve been looking for you. I thought something bad happened.”

“I’ve been around,” she answered coldly.

My nose wrinkled. “I honestly didn’t think you would show up today. Are you okay?”

“Who are you? Why does she care so much for you?” she asked suddenly.

Confused, I stared at her. “Who do you mean? Alex, you’re acting weird …okay, well, weirder than normal. What’s going on?”

The car accelerated.

“Alex, you need to slow down. Alex. Alex?”

Her eyes flashed at me. In them, I saw a glimmer of purple.

“I’d like to get out now. Alex, please stop the car.” When Alex didn’t respond or made an attempt to slow down, I screamed, “Stop the car!”

“I see it now, a source,” a voice that was not Alex’s answered instead.

“What are you talking about? You’re making no sense.”

“I thought you were but a dream, a myth conjured by those searching for a connection outside our world.” She laughed.

“What do you mean? Alex? You’re scaring me.”

“Once I drain every ounce of energy from your body, I will give what’s left, to it…and be rid of both of you.”

This was obviously not Alex, but that left me wondering what exactly was it?

“Alex? Alex, wake up! Alex?”

She slammed her foot onto the gas pedal and the car took off. My body rocked on the seat of the car crashing against the side of the door.

“Stop!” I screamed before I realized she’d spun the car around into the entrance of Milton High’s parking lot. The car came to a sudden halt.

I reached for the handle of the car door as I glanced back. Her eyes were glowing, and her face began to take the shape of someone else’s beneath her own.

The car door popped open, and I fell out onto the pavement, dragging myself to my feet. The driver’s door exploded off the hinges and out leaped a figure. It landed on top of the car with a thunderous roar. It was a young man, with dark hair and purple eyes that reminded me of Quentin’s. He was dressed in a black scaly leather uniform with a red patch on the side of his arm.

“It’s because of you she refuses to come home,” he said with a growl. “You’re the only thing that stands between us.”

Who was he talking about?

I staggered onto the steps of the school entrance. He rushed towards me, and I put my arms out in defense when suddenly, a thunderous roar came between us.

I looked up to see Quentin had come to block him. They were locked in a gripping fight.

Quentin tossed the other man back with a powerful blow, knocking him to the ground at a distance. He leaped into the sky and came down over him stomping his form into the pavement so hard a sinkhole formed, dragging cars into it.

I cowered back unto the entrance of Milton. The two figures emerged out of the ground and flew up into the sky to continue the fight.

One of the figures knocked into the other, who stopped and began to fall, crashing onto the roof of a car in the parking lot.

He didn’t move. The other figure glided down making me cowered, until I realized it was Quentin. He came and kneeled before me. I reached a hand toward him, he gripped my hand so tightly and wouldn’t let go. An electrical current connected us briefly. He released my hand.

Quentin seemed to regain his strength and rose. The other figure came dashing at him from behind, but Quentin spun around grabbing ahold of his throat and squeezed it tightly.

“Why are you here? Why do you dare hurt my Pet-tricia?” He snarled.

The figure gasped. “She is …the one … we must give her up … deliver her … let it end with her …” The words seemed to squeeze through his pale lips.

“You’re weak, and a fool to challenge me. I will never give her up to anyone.” Quentin drove his fist into the other figure’s chest.

“I will take from you what you intended on taking from her, your life force.”

Frightened, I huddled back into the corner, he found my eyes and eased, pulling his fist from the figure’s chest. He drew the figure close, and a cloud of energy seemed to drain from his lips and fill Quentin’s mouth. With that, Quentin tossed the weakened figure to the ground.

The figure dissolved into the air and was gone. I dropped to the floor, losing consciousness.

When I awoke, seagulls were singing and floating over my head. Sitting up, I realized there was white sand gathered at my fingertips. Far ahead of me the blue ocean was filled with mermaids. They waved and made their presence known, emerging from the water as I rose to my feet to greet them.

All around me, there were a vast greenery that span of palm trees and mountain terrain, alive with the sound of beasts and colorful birds flying overhead.

“Do you like them?” a voice asked from behind.

Glancing back, Quentin was gazing and smiling over at me.

“They’re a new breed.” He took a few steps towards me. “I made them in your honor, my pet.”

We both looked up at the sky. It was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. It can always be like this here. His voice mentally said to me.

“You like it here?” Quentin asked. “You know you never have to leave if you don’t want to.”

My face dropped, finding his eyes paralyzing. “Quentin …” My lip quivered as he stared over spellbound. My cheeks were burning, my heart racing as I glanced back onto the skies to avoid his gaze, and spotted a group of witches flying high in the clouds in the distance.

But when he neared, something drew me into his arms. He held me tightly as I looked right at him.

“Why do I feel this way when I’m around you? I can’t describe it, but it’s as if I can’t be away from you. I can’t resist you …” What power was he using to be with me?

Claudia? a voice asked inside my head.

“John?” My lips quivered.

Something awakened me, and I blinked falling from the daze. It momentarily broke the spell, and I was able to pull away from Quentin.

Where are you, Claudia? John’s voice faded, and I couldn’t find him.

“John?”

“He means nothing to you.” Quentin stroked back a portion of my long hair. “We are meant to be together you and I.” I didn’t understand. “He means nothing. He’s a mere intrusion, a disruption …”

I was under his spell again, dancing in his presence in an intoxication I couldn’t shake. His words were not making sense to me in this haze. How is he doing this to me? What kind of power does he have over me? I must have appeared like John when he was with me.

Quentin held me to him, watching the witches above us, I followed his eyes.

“What happened? Why am I here? Who was that in the parking lot?” I asked about the figure that had tried to harm me.

Quentin held my cheek turning my attention towards him and stared deep into my eyes.

He was silent for a moment, then said, “You don’t have to worry about him, my pet. He will not harm you. As long as I’m here to protect you no one will harm you.”

After a moment noticing my nervousness, he added, “You fear it.” I didn’t understand. He pulled away slightly. “You must not fear the darkness. I know he lurks waiting for his chance to possess you. I can only protect you from here. Out there, it becomes far more of a challenge, but with our connection, we can fight it.”

"Who, or what, is it?" I asked.

"A thing that uses many forms and goes by many names. There are things out there that hunt us and will come. Some even lurk now."

Unsure of what he meant, I pried into his mind. A darkness that seeks energy was the unspoken answer.

Does he fear it as well?

He glanced over; his purple eyes filled with pain. They glowed with a burning light as if he were recalling a long-lost memory from his past. But nothing was revealed.

“This other that attacked me? What happened to him? Did you—” My lips quivered as I thought about the fate of our strange attacker.

He laughed. “Kill him?” he finished for me.

I nodded with difficulty.

He turned to me when he realized I wanted an answer. “No, I did not kill him. I sent him away,” He smiled, waving a hand towards the sky to symbolize his departure.

“Sent him away? But why did he come after me?” I asked, unable to understand what he meant by that.

Quentin levitated slightly off the ground. Leaning back, he seemed to become arrogantly distracted.