The burdens of family

15

When Arkyn got home he immediately asked Xavier and Alexis to do a boundary spell so he wouldn't hurt them or anyone else.
"You let yourself get bitten by a werewolf?" Alexis scowled.
"It's been a few decades since I fought one."
"By which you mean, you're getting old." Xavier countered.
"Just shut up and do the spell. It usually takes about twelve to twenty four hours for the hallucinations to kick in. I don't want you guys near me when that happens."
"So we're supposed to put a boundary spell where?"
"I was thinking my room."
"Are you sure?"
"I've suffered a bite before. Just promise me you won't come check on me?"
"Why not?"
"Because I'll say anything to get out. To get fresh blood. In fact, I want you to put a soundproofing spell around the room."
"You think it'll be that bad?" Xavier asked.
"I know it will. Give me a week before you check on me. It should take two or three days for the venom to get out of my system, but just in case, I want you to give me a week. Don't let me out for a week."
"What about you? Are you going to be okay?" Alexis worried.
"Hey, hey! Of course I'm going to be okay. I'm an original, remember?"
"Yeah." Xavier smiled. "But you should tell Bonnie something."
"I'll call her after you guys set up the boundary spell."
"Stalling, huh?" Xavier teased.
"Just go. Besides I need to think of an excuse."
"Why not just tell her you were bitten by a werewolf?"
"She already knows it's fatal. And I already told her I wasn't."
"Tell her Alexis accidentally hexed you."
"Okay. Now go set up the boundary spell." He paused. "Please."
"Alright."
"Hey, Ark?" Alexis stopped after Xavier left the room. "Sorry about last night. At the carnival. I didn't mean to worry you guys."
"I know darling. It's okay." He gave her a smile and she ran out of the room. Arkyn stood and started to pace, thinking of how to tell Bonnie. Soon the siblings came back down and he had to call Bonnie.
"Ark." She greeted.
"Hey." He replied. "How are you?"
"It hasn't even been an hour since you saw me." She laughed.
"I know." He said. "So, there's a reason I called."
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to go AWOL for, like, the next week."
"What? Why? Where are you going?"
"It's the opposite. I'm confining myself to my room."
"What?" She was confused.
"Long story short, Alexis hexed me."
"It was an accident!" Alexis called, defending herself.
"You were aiming for me!" Xavier added.
"Oh my god!" Bonnie said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I just have to wait for it to wear off. I'll be fine."
"Do you want me to come over?"
"Not while I'm like this. It was a complicated hex. It affects humans and vampires differently."
"Is there a reverse?"
"For a human yes. Not a vampire."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"I will be fine. I promise. One week, and I will see you, okay?"
"Okay."
"I'll see you soon." He ended.
"See you soon." Bonnie replied and he hung up. Arkyn passed his phone to Xavier.
"Thanks." He said and they all walked to his room. He turned and kissed Alexis's forehead and pat Xavier on the back. "Soundproof?" They nodded, and he smiled. "Don't look so glum. A werewolf bite is really not a big deal. Not for me anyway."
"We know."
"Go. Now." Arkyn said and stepped inside his room closing the door. He sighed and laid down on his bed, picking out a book. A play. Macbeth. He thought it fitting since he too would be losing his mind.
He drifted off to sleep somewhere during the witches' warnings during the fourth act. When he woke, he woke to Klaus standing at his door.
"You're not here." He scoffed and tried to turn away.
"Of course I'm here." Klaus smirked. "I am always here, brother." He spat the word mockingly. "Always lurking in your thoughts as you wonder, just how long can you evade me. Just how long can you be happy before I find you and kill everyone you care about. Again."
"Shut up."
"You think you'll die at the hands of your family? I will never kill you, Arkyn. I will kill those you love. And watch you close yourself off to anyone and everyone. Watch you slowly wither away until you finally allow yourself to feel. To be happy. And then I will appear."
"Leave. Me. Alone." Arkyn growled.
"Arkyn." Another image appeared to him.
"George." He said. George was one of his best friends, and the last person Klaus had killed.
"This is your fault." He said coldly. "I died because of you. You killed us. You killed us the moment you stepped foot in our town. Do you remember?" Arkyn was transported into a memory.

1919
Arkyn sat down on a bench as he passed a pub. In front of him was some sort of festival, and it seemed the entire town was there, dancing and laughing. Arkyn watched them with a smile. Never had he seen anything so full of life. A young woman came up to him and pulled him off the bench to dance. He tried to decline but it was impossible not to want to take part.
"I'm Alice." She greeted, and gestured to her friends. "This is George, and Anna."
"I'm Ark." He greeted.
"Nice to meet you, buddy." George said with a smile clapping him on the back.

"That was the moment you killed us. When you became our friend." Arkyn shook his head.
"Get out of my head."
"And you're going to kill my great great grandchildren."
"I won't let anything ever happen to them." Arkyn hissed furiously.
"Yes you will. Because when your brother comes, as he inevitably will, he'll kill Xavier and Alexis. And then he'll set his sights on your precious Bonnie. It'll be 1919 all over again."
"No. It won't. Get out of my head!" He yelled and turned away.