After the Calling

<<Bliss: Part I

“Tobias, seriously. Cut it out and come upstairs” Aeryn said, folding her arms and glaring at her fiancé.

Tobias smirked at her posture. “I’m not coming within 20 feet of that girl.”

“She’s in complete control of her abilities. And you know it.”
“Oh yeah? For how long?”

“Crap Toby! Are you serious? She’s a 15-year-old!”

“I don’t care how old she is. She’s a parasite.” Tobias spat. He settled himself on the hood of his car, appearing completely set on remaining there until she returned. “If The Calling was still in existence – ”

“If The Calling was still in existence,” Aeryn cut him off angrily, “she would be dead. And that is exactly why The Calling is no longer in existence!” She turned and began stomping away from him, but then changed her mind and spun back around on her heel.

“Well shit,” Tobias said under his breath as she made her way back towards him.

“And you know what else, Toby?! The Calling is the reason why half the telepathic community is on the run from one another. They are the reason why my brother has a bounty on his head. They are the reason why dozens of psychics are ascending into their powers everyday with no one to help them, and no idea what is happening to them. I mean, hell Tobias, they are the reason why we are here! Right now! Today!”
“Right, right, things are so bad after The Calling. The Calling has made everyone’s lives a living hell. The Calling is the bane of the animaic existence. Save it, Aeryn. I’ve heard it a thousand times. Namely, from you,” he said. “You know damn well The Calling was the best thing to happen to our community, and if it wasn’t for them we would be right up shit’s creek, which, coincidentally happens to be where we are right now.”

“Oh right, killing psychics that don’t fit into a certain code is so great for the community.”

“Oh, come on Aeryn.”

“Manipulating non-psychics to commit acts of violence. That’s an awesome morale booster. “

“Those actions were committed by a select few who were – ”

“Torture! Let’s not forget! It’s such excellent fodder for stories to tell the kiddies at the company baseball games.”

“You know what Aeryn?” Tobias spat, fed up. “The only reason why you care so much is because your brother is a psychic leech. He’s the only reason why you take to these… these ticks on the ass of the telepathic community. Aura drainers. Vampires. Energy demons!

“There are ways to control their urges!” Aeryn said, loudly.

“What? Serums? Meditation? Aura donations? Eventually the desire for the real deal overcomes the rationale for playing nice.”

“There are only a few vampires out there who can’t be helped by the serums, and that’s only because they don’t want to be helped.”

“Yeah, like Hadrian.”

“Don’t! Okay, just don’t! He only does it because his aura can’t support itself. You think he wants to be that way? He can’t help it! And there are plenty of other methods that we haven’t tried yet that may work on him. If he didn’t have to constantly be on the run – ”

“Stop defending him Aeryn! You of all people know what harm people like him can inflict! He almost killed you! His own sister!” Tobias said, raising his voice.

“It was an accident!” she yelled back.

“Accident my ass! He knew exactly what he was doing when he was doing it! And he enjoyed it! He’s an abomination!”

“My brother is not…” Aeryn started, but lost her breath mid-sentence. She felt her face begin to collapse and the pressure of tears rising behind her eyes. She struggled to control the flood of bad memories that began to pour into her head as a knot formed in her throat.

“Shit. Aeryn…” Tobias jumped down from the hood and reached out to her, scolding himself for allowing things to get so heated. But she roughly pushed his arms away, turning sharply to walk off again.

“Don’t even think about touching me,” she said coldly, straining to keep the tears out of her voice.

“Aeryn, just wait. Don’t walk away from me like this,” Tobias pleaded.

“Screw you,” she said over her shoulder and began making her way out of the parking lot.

“Aeryn, come on, wait a minute!” Tobias called. “You know I didn’t mean it!” He started to run after her, but then thought better of it. Aeryn had certain wounds that were never going to completely heal, and he knew he had just made one bleed.

“Shit.”

Bliss: Part III>>