Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:41:10 +0000 From: Confidential Confidential Subject: Night of the Ceremony: Dark Influence Chatper 2 Author's Note: All feedback or hints and ideas of what in include in the story can be sent to quistis15646@hotmail.com. Please leave a first name or nickname because I plan on putting everyone's comments into the Author's Note of the next chapter and if you give an idea what could happen and I use it, I want to give you credit. Be sure to check out my story `Just Life' in the high school section. Using the Sims 2, I created my characters and the house Teal, Kayla, and Dan live in and took screenshots and put them in a file. If you would like this file, just let me know in an e-mail. Chapter 2 The line wasn't very long at the Espresso Pump so I sat down to enjoy my melted chocolate bar with whip cream latte. I took and sip and savored the taste on the taste buds before swallow and letting out a little `ahhh' after. Whenever I sat down here, I always sat in the cornet booth by the window. I sat with my elbows on the table and rested my head in my hands and just watched the world outside. It was relaxing sometimes, to sit and just watch the sunny sky, or people walking by. I couldn't quite say what was relaxing about it, but it just was. The conservatory was also relaxing. It was only the size of two average bathrooms but we had set in two lawn chairs and a bench in there for seating. It was always nice and warm with all the windows. As I turned my head from the window, I was startled when I saw Zarek sitting on the other side. "Oh gosh, you scared me," I told with a goofy smile. "Sorry, you looked lost in thought and relaxed; I didn't want to interrupt." He said with a tiny smile. I smiled and ducked my head. "Yeah, I do that a lot. I just think of something and my mind wonders onto other things," I told him, giving him a small role of my eyes. "Well, I better head back home; I have a few things I need to do." "No, why don't you stay. We can talk?" I looked at Zarek and smiled. "We don't even know each other, we just met last night." "If we sit and talk then we will know stuff about each other." I nodded my head from side to side, knowing he had a point. "Why not," I said, sitting back down. I heard my phone and reached into my pocket to answer it. "Hello?" "If you or Dan `test' the potions on me one more time, I'm gonna hurt you guys?" Kayla threatened. "It was a joke, sorry, I won't do it again, mother." "Hey, I'm not even in my mid-20's. Just hurry back home, we have research to do, remember?" "Yes, yes, okay." I hung up my phone and put it back in my pocket. "Sorry, but I really have to go this time, we'll have to talk to later," I told Zarek as I stood to leave. He stood up also. "Maybe we can meet tonight? At Club 86 around 8:00?" I thought about before given in. "Alright, 8:00 it is. I'll see you there." I waved good- bye before getting in my car to drive back home. Zarek's eyes lit up with flames before returning to normal. "This is going to take to long," he said quietly before going into the bathroom and disappearing in a flame. ### "Okay, so we've narrowed it down to rituals, weddings, hand fasting, or ceremonies," I sighed, pulling my long hair back and up and using a hair clip to hold it in place then put on my small frame glasses. "This is so long. It could be anything. Why do most of your visions have to be blurry? They show what happens, but not how or what it is that is happening, you should ask for a refund." "Yes, I just go get the recipe of when I bought the power of visions," Kayla mocked at me. "The faster and sooner you look through these books with Dan and I, the faster and sooner we know what it is that was in my vision." "What is it's one from the past, or nothing at all. Do you know how pointless all this would be then?" I said, putting down the book I had and picking up an older one. "And if it is something then I get to kick your ass after words, right?" Kayla had a dry sense of humor. I searched the index for any words that might help me find what we were looking for, wrote down the numbers on a pad before I flipped to the first page. After five minutes, I grew tired of this and dropped the book onto the table. "Screw personal gain, this is for all out sakes. Because I can't take this anymore more, show us only the books with the content we are looking for." I pointed at the stacks of books and in a shimmer or sparkles, eight books sat stacked on one another on the table. I smiled before grabbing the top book and starting to look through it. "About time someone did something right around here," Dan said as he tossed the book he had aside and grabbed the next one from the stack. Kayla followed suit. "Well, as least I don't have to worry about personal gain, but god is this better. We should index these things." She thought about it for a second. "That'd take forever." She sighed before looking through the book she had. ### "I need some way of advancing this a little faster, get him to like me a little sooner," Zarek said as he paced slowly in thought. The Chinese woman stood watching him. "Are you sure that is wise? It could ruin everything if you do." "I understand that but we have some much time before the ceremony must take place. Do you see the ceremony going according to plan?" The Chinese woman sighed before waving her hand over a very large cauldron of bubbling water. Slowly, and image appeared. "It's to early to tell, my liege, but this vision so the ceremony taking place, but not if we have to wait for the next one." Zarek took and step towards her. "Do you know that's it's another century until the next time the ceremony can be done?! The ceremony will take placed at the end of the month and it will go smoothly or I'll have your head, do I make myself clear?" The Chinese woman stood to her full height and she had the look of she won't intimidated but she bowed. "Yes, my liege, it will be done." She disappeared in an outline of rainbow light. Zarek growled before an idea came to him. He summoned a man to his cambers. "I have a job for you. Tonight, at the club, you will attack three witches, but you are not to harm young male with blonde hair, understand?" The man bowed. "Yes, my liege, it shall be done." ### I stood, checking myself in the mirror, making sure I looked okay. I wasn't sure why I was being so picky about how I looked, I mean, I barely know the guy anyway but I know me, always wanted to look my best. My long hair was driving me insane so I tied into a pony tail and gave my shirt and quick rub down to get rid of any loose hairs. Grabbing my keys, I exited my room and headed downstairs. Kayla came from the dining room, doing an `oooohhhh'. "Going somewhere, are we?" She asked in a teasing tone. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. I WON'T be back late so you can rid your evil mind of any thoughts you were having," I said, continuing into the parlor. She followed close behind me. "Is it that tall, dark, handsome guy from last night?" "Maybe." Had to stop her before she continued with her 20 questions game. "Do like him?" I sighed. "I don't know; I just met him." "Are you sure you're not going back to his place because Dan and I can go somewhere else if you want to come back here." "I'm just gonna go now," I said, opening the door and walking down the front steps to my car. "Use protection!" I heard Kayla yell but she closed the front door before I could retort. "One of these days, I tell ya," I mumbled with a smile before climbing into my car and leaving. ### I arrived at the club a little early and headed in. The place wasn't as crowded as it could be on other nights so I glad for that. I had to admit I was hoping for a quiet night. I choose and table for two in the corner and ordered a simple glass of water as I waited. "Waiting for someone?" I turned to see Zarek standing there. "Yeah, tall guy, black hair, tan skin, seen him around?" I asked. "No, I don't think I have, why? Is he the jealous type?" I smiled. "I don't know, maybe I should put it to the test and see." "Oh, then I'd feel sorry for the guy after I put him down." I let out small laugh at his grin. "Aw, just water? Come on, you don't to a club and just water. Hey! Can I get a beer and a Pina Colada for my friend." "How you know I like Pina Coladas?" "I'm psychic, I know what you're thinking like right now, you think that I hottest man alive and you want to ravish me." I laughed. "Am I that obvious?" I teased. He grinned again before we simply stared at each other for a minute. "Do you wanna dance?" I was surprised by his questions and couldn't find my voice for a minute. Quickly thinking about in my head, I nodded my head. Zarek took my hand and lead me to the dance floor. Because it was a slow song, Zarek took my right hand and wrapped his left around my waist. We started to slowly move to the song as I rested my head on his shoulder and rested his head against mine. I never saw the Chinese woman set our drinks on the table and pour a potion into my glass, then give a slight nod to Zarek.