Hint of Fear

Sephirah watched Damon's back as he walked away from her. What made her say that? Gosh, it made absolutely no sense at all.

Without saying anything else, she teleported back home. The sun was about rising. Now she had missed the beauty sleep she was supposed to be having and it had left her already, she no longer felt sleepy.

Heading straight to her bathroom, Sephirah went to wash up and get ready for the day.

She had not gotten anything new about the SAGE and the next thing she hears is that their minions are on earth? Woah! Just how far behind has she been, how long have they also been around? They couldn't have been here for so long.

When she was done, she made her favorite Jasmine tea and settled on a couch. Then she thought about Ashley. She really needed to find out more about that girl. Maybe inviting her over for dinner wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Sephirah remembered the last time Ashley was at her house. The lady had been in such a hurry to leave. It seemed like she felt uncomfortable being there. It was probably because she was a stranger to her. Waking up suddenly and finding yourself in the house of someone you don't know wasn't something Sephirah herself wouldn't be so comfortable and okay with. Sephirah didn't think the lady would just accept to have dinner with someone she didn't know.

But did Damon really mean it when he said that was what she was going to do? Whatever, she'll just wait till he tells her what exactly she should do.

**************

Ashley turned in bed and felt somewhat tired, she didn't feel like getting up. How could she be so tired early in the morning? The sound of her alarm still ringing made her remember that she was supposed to be at work. Ashley immediately opened her eyes, the sun had risen already. She looked at the time, it was about fifteen minutes after seven. God, how could she just be waking up? She couldn't miss work!

She got out of her mattress in such haste that she stumbled forward a bit and almost fell. She dashed into the bathroom, took care of her self then she dressed up and got ready to leave for work. When she picked up her phone, she saw Natalie had called her like three times.

What was wrong with her? Why didn't she hear her alarm ring on time and why didn't she hear her phone ring? When she checked she saw her phone was on silence, that would have been why she didn't hear her phone ring.

Ashley locked her apartment and decided she would take a bus, she was already too late to walk down. On the way, she thought of what excuse she would have to give for coming late to work. She really hoped Cassandra, her boss wouldn't be there.

In a short while, she got to work and met with Natalie. The lady gave her a look and Ashley quickly went to her.

"Natalie I woke up late." Ashley said.

"You didn't see my calls?" Natalie asked.

"My phone was on silence so I didn't hear when it rang. But I eventually saw you called and I was already on my way." Ashley explained.

"Are you alright? I mean sometimes you come late but you've never been this late and through out yesterday you were so not you." Natalie looked concerned.

"I just feel tired but it's fine. I guess I just over slept." Ashley replied still feeling a bit tired.

Ashley and her friend spent the whole day serving customers as usual and having little time to take a break. When the day came to an end and both girls closed from work, Natalie and Ashley went over to a bar close by to grab a drink. It was Natalie's idea since Ashley had sort of not been well.

"Natalie I don't drink." Ashley told her after she ordered two bottles of wine.

"It's okay, I'm not bringing you here to get drunk. I see that you've been so bothered since you came to work yesterday and you seemed so off today so as your best friend, I suggest you talk to me and doing it over a drink, isn't bad." Natalie explained.

Ashley sighed as she watched Natalie pour out the drinks into the wine glasses and handed one to her. Ashley looked at the cup in Natalie's hand and at the colour of the wine. It reminded her of the fangs she saw that had stains of that same colour on them. She shook her head to dismiss the thought and collected the cup from Natalie.

"Don't rush it when you drink okay?" Natalie told her as she took a sip from her own wine and Ashley nodded.

"So tell me, what's been bothering you?" Natalie asked again.

"I really don't know where to start from Natalie." Ashley said looking at the wine cup in her hand on the counter.

"Anywhere, start from anywhere. I'm all ears."

Ashley let out a deep breath, "I think I am really strange," she started and Natalie watched her, patiently waiting for her to continue.

"Back then, when I used to be at the orphanage home, almost every one didn't like me. Some used to call me a witch because I was really weird and strange things happen to me. Those that didn't call me names or insult me still kept their distance, the elders there said different painful things like; I brought bad luck to my parents so they abandoned me while some brought other theories that I killed my parents because of the kind of person I am. There was nobody I could call my friend and it hurt so much." Ashley poured out becoming emotional and then she sipped from her wine. Hmm, it wasn't as bad as she thought.

Natalie continued to listen. Ashley had told her part of this before but not the part of strange things. The first time Ashley said something about being strange was when she had seen somebody at the window of their shop but Natalie couldn't see anyone.

"What strange things Ash?" Natalie asked and Ashley looked at her as if it was time to finally let her friend know what her problem was and she didn't feel okay with it.

"Like you witnessed the other day, I see things probably another person wouldn't see. Sometimes I hear strange sounds, there are times I even feel a presence in my own house, like somebody's there with me and it's creeps me out. But that's not all the nightmares creep me out more than all of these that I mentioned." Ashley explained and sipped from her wine again.

"You have nightmares?"

"Yes, all the time and it is just one particular nightmare I keep having until recently when there was a change in nightmares like twice." Ashley explained and sipped from her drink again looking at no where in particular.

Natalie didn't know what to say and just watched her friend sip from her drink. This lady here was really going through somethings that she herself didn't understand and didn't know in what way she could help.

"There's nobody I can tell what's going on with me that will help me out, maybe find a solution to all these." Ashley said and drank from her cup again, she was enjoying the drink so much, she didn't know she kept sipping. And now as she put the cup in her mouth only very little got into her mouth so she lowered her hand to look at the glass cup she was holding. It was empty so she reached for the bottle on the counter.

"Ashley, you shouldn't drink much."

"Don't worry, I'll just take a little more." She assured her friend and poured out the drink into her cup.

"I'm so sorry Ash, I didn't know all these things were happening to you. For how long have you been going through all these."

Ashley thought for a while, "For as far back as I can remember, I've always been weird but the nightmares started about two years ago after I turned 19." Ashley explained and this time gulped down the whole thing in her cup. Then she reached for the bottle again.

Natalie wanted to protest but felt the lady needed it.

"He said he would hurt me but not yet!" Ashley suddenly exclaimed, her eyes becoming distant and Natalie wondered what her friend was talking about.

"Who said that?" Natalie asked her confused.

Ashley looked at her and Natalie couldn't say what emotions the lady's eyes were displaying but she could see a hint of fear in them.

"The creature in my dreams." She said and looked away again. "He said he wanted to know if I was 'the one'." She drank from her cup again, almost finishing everything in it.

Natalie was confused and worried for her friend.

"Creature? Ash please explain to me. Who is he, what did he look like, did he hurt you?"

"I don't know who he is but he was so frightening the first time I saw him, he had pointed ears, fangs and red eyes and the next time he came to my dreams he changed to a human being which shocked the complete hell out of me." Ashley explained while Natalie just looked at her dumbfounded.

"He didn't hurt me but he promised we will meet again." Ashley said and looked like she wanted to cry. She emptied the bottle on the counter and reached for the second one.

"If you don't believe me, it's fine." She said, tears coming out slowly from her eyes.

Natalie shook her head, "I believe you babe. I'm so sorry that you have to go through all of this with no one to talk to. I understand why you didn't tell anyone now." Natalie patted her shoulder she wanted to pull the lady in for a hug.

Natalie couldn't imagine how frightening her dreams must be. Just hearing them alone made her frightened, but this lady here keeps having them every night. Natalie could only imagine how scared the lady would be. Yet at work, she tries as much as possible to be a normal person. Natalie wanted to scold herself for scolding Ashley all the time she came to work late. Her friend was dealing with a lot. She was indeed strong and Natalie loved her for that.

But now the drink was starting to have an effect on her, Natalie noticed.

Ashley suddenly started laughing.

"I hate my life!" She shouted almost excitedly but there was a sadness on her face and in her voice. Her shout also made people turn in their direction.

"I hate my life so much that I want to end it." She laughed again as she sipped from her cup.

"Ashley..."

"But you know what? I won't, I won't end it, not until I find out about Damon and the lady." Ashley said which made Natalie that was trying to stop her from drinking pause.

"What's wrong with them?"

"They're strange too. And I'll figure it out" She laughed, finished the bottle and began asking for more.

"No Ash you can't have more." Natalie stopped her.

"Hey, you brought me here to have a drink and now you're saying I can't have more?"

"I didn't bring you here to get drunk but it seems you are already." Natalie said.

Ashley hissed and stood up, her eyes surveying the whole room. Then she began singing as she walked away from Natalie.

"I hate my life, Why did it have to be me?" She asked nobody while Natalie tried to quickly follow her.

"Ashley wait let's leave now!" But she was ignored.

Different men were looking at her making eye contact with her and Ashley knew it but she ignored them. Natalie got to her and tried to drag her along but Ashley pushed her away. The strength at which Ashley shook her off was strange, where did that come from?

"Leave me alone." She half yelled while Natalie looked at her shocked.

When she turned she she hit someone and she looked up to yell at whoever stood in her way but her eyes met with a pair of familiar ocean blue eyes which she knew so well and she smiled.