The stars overhead shone brightly in the vast darkness of the night sky. It was amazing how all those tiny specs of light held a thousand tiny secrets. Somewhere in the old streets of New Orleans there was an estate centuries old. To the outside eye, it was the vacant and dilapidated mansion of the very late someone or other, whose name had been lost to time. The city hadn't torn it down due to the history of the place but has yet to do anything about the condition either. It was for the most part, just what it looked like. But for a certain woman... It was so much more.
She sat quietly on the edge of the balcony, the window to her old room open behind her. The cold January breeze whipping past the moth eaten sheer curtains causing a ghastly whooshing sound to fill the tiny dust covered chamber. She was dressed simply in black. Black nylon pants with a tight fitting black shit, cut high in the front with long coat tails in the back. Her long raven locks were half clasped to the back of her head in an elegant, old century jaw clip. Her pale skin shone majestically in the moonlight and her eyes sparkled with the stars. Though her body was that of a 20 year old, her eyes... Her eyes were much, much older.
Silently the gusting winds that swept past her brought out the familiar yet dulled smells of the room behind her. It had been too long since she had stepped in this building. She didn't even know why she was here... She just felt... drawn. She adjusted her weight and pulled her knees up to her chest as she continued to gaze at the stars. How long had it been? Years? Decades? The last was probably closer to the truth. After the disaster with the hunters in Louisiana she had picked up and moved to Europe. She'd been there for almost 77 years. She sighed deeply wondering what in the world it was that made her come back here. This place held nothing but painful memories for her. The last time she had been here, it has in his arms.
She lowered her head for a moment as the thought entered her mind. Though it was so long ago it felt like yesterday. She remembered everything about him and the time they shared. Her perfect memory was such a curse to her at times as well as it could be a blessing. She smiled to herself despite the pain. From his looks to his rough voice... to his touch. She missed him so much. What ever happened to him all those years ago? She had to wonder. Had he gotten caught? Or did he find a better life for himself...? Why didn't he come back, even just to tell her he was leaving...? At least then she would know he was alive...
With a heavy heart and a deep sigh she rose and re-entered the room. Brushing a spider web away from the end table by her old bed, she lit a candle she had brought with her. The room lit brightly for a moment and then slipped into a soft glow as the candle adjusted itself into a comfortable intensity. The room looked much like it did when she left. Save for the inch thick coat of dust covering everything and the casual spider web here and there. The dresser was still open; a few clothes lie on the floor, moth eaten to match the drapes, from when she left for Europe. She didn't exactly have the time to pack nicely. The sword and shield still on the wall, though rusty and a bit fractured. She turned and faced the bed. The same moth eaten drapes and sheers that fell form the top of the window also lined the bed. There were so many memories swimming though her mind, she had to close her eyes and take a deep breath just to maintain her sanity. Then there, on the floor by the bedpost, she saw something that hadn't been there when she left.
Bending over she picked it up. A single, perfect and un-aged red rose.
" I knew you would come..." His voice was soft, but just as strong as it had always been.
She spun on her heels, dropping the rose. The momentary terror the shook though her freezing her in place. If she were a cat, she might have lost a life just then. She rubbed her eyes and stared open mouthed. Surely this had to be a dream... an illusion... a mistake. As the image before her stayed stubbornly in place, despite her efforts to clear her eyes, she tried to call upon her senses to regain composure. After a long moment of open-mouthed silence, she finally swallowed her fear and stood with slightly less conviction than she felt.
"Drake..." He words piercing the silence.
"Katrina." He replied and stood just as still as he had been.
