Lost Without You

~15~

Getting out of the bed wasn't easy. The dream, once it was gone, left me feeling miserable, more alone and lonely than before, if that was even possible.

Cheer up. At least you know he's all right, I tried to reason with myself, wanting to believe that what I saw in my last two dreams was true.

Why should it not be? I had had this sort of visions, or premonitions, concerning Vlad before. My mind managed to find its way to him through my dreams while we were separated, and help Junior save his father's life. It was as if we were linked, somehow.

You saw him. He is doing fine, under the circumstances. And you must go on, as well as you can, for him. I told myself.

My mind was in turmoil, but at least physically I was feeling better this morning. The obnoxious headache from the previous day was completely gone. So, seeing that I had woken up too early to do anything else, I made my bed, then grabbed a couple of foldable boxes from underneath it. I started filling them with my belongings, things and clothes Mum wouldn't notice were missing over the next few days. I needed to move some stuff over to Lia's before Friday night.

When I heard Mum walking past my door on her way downstairs, I stuffed one of the boxes under my bed, leaving it there ready for tomorrow. Then I rushed in the bathroom, got dressed and prepared my bag for the day. When the front door shut behind Mum on her way out, I took my bag and the other box, and headed downstairs myself.

'I'm off rowing, see you later. Don't forget about Friday night.' Mum's note was waiting for me on the kitchen table.

While the water boiled for my tea I popped outside to feed Whisper, finding her, or was it him?, already waiting.

Lily didn't venture in the freezing garden with me, but she curled at my feet as I sat  down to eat my bowl of cereal, my eyes strolling back to Mum's note.

How could I forget about Friday night, the night when I would tell my parents that their only daughter is some ten weeks pregnant? Not with the guy they knew, and approved of, as her only boyfriend and maybe a future husband, but with a man she will never be able to introduce to them? Or even tell them his real name?

I propped my elbow on the table, resting my chin in the palm of my hand, while I swirled my remaining breakfast in its bowl of milk absentmindedly with a spoon held in the other. However bad this sounds, it's not your biggest problem, I reminded myself. How this child of yours will be is what should worry you more.

I sighed deeply, stirring Lily to life and earning myself a curious look from the little dog, complete with her head inclined to one side, and twitching ears. She seemed to be trying to suggest that if she could cock her eyebrows at me, she definitely would. Well, Lily wasn't the only one who didn't understand anything. I was completely lost.

Who could tell me something about vampires, and half-vampires here in London? I had no idea. A thought of Lucas flashed through my mind but I dismissed it immediately; the notion of him being a vampire looked utterly ridiculous now. There were no vampires in present day London. But who else was there? Who could know something about my vampires, and their world?

Finished eating, I texted Lia, asking her to come to the shop later to pick up my box.

'Don't make it too full.' She texted back. 'At least leave those books you keep dragging around with you at home today, you're not supposed to carry heavy things.'

She was right, as usually. I wouldn't carry the heavy history book with me today but I couldn't leave my copy of Dracula...

Suddenly it hit me. Bram Stoker. The writer. He, according to both Vlad and Alina the receptionist, had walked through the time portal and visited the parallel world, just like me. How come did I not think about him before?! There was no one else who could help me more than one of his descendants. Stoker must have left notes, and diaries...