Fan Fiction ❯ Room 316 ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

     Duncan narrowed his eyes and shifted himself as best he could so that he was shielding from the oncoming figure.

     "Vince." ‘Vince.’ Both he and that clear voice spat. Deirdre started making a sound similar to growling. Duncan filed that little bit of information away for later use, but there was something more pressing at the moment. Vince came right up to their table and sat down with a plate full of every meat product served in the cafeteria. Deirdre tensed as the smell overrode her feelings of hatred.

     "I thought I told you to back off from her." Vince glared at Duncan.

   &nbs p; "And I thought that I told you that you had more to worry about than she did, so unless you feel like making out, I’m going to ask you nicely to leave." Vince was just plain confused by the statement. He looked down at their breakfast plates, then to the drooling Deirdre. He picked up a piece of bacon and grinned evilly.

     "What’s the matter, Kitten?" He dangled the bacon just above her nose and jerked it away as she nipped at the air. "Is he not feeding you properly?"

     ‘Please, don’t! I don’t want to, but I can’t control it!’ Duncan realized that it was coming from Deirdre. The voice had been her’s. She began to push Duncan out of the way and go after the bacon that Vince was teasing her with.

     "Oh, but you know you want it." He smirked at her, and laughed evilly. Duncan jumped up and pushed Deirdre back into her seat. She hissed and swatted at him. He noticed her fangs as she pulled back her lips in another growl.

     "I think you should leave before this gets ugly." He glared at Vince, who put the bacon back on his plate, meeting the glare.

     "Are you threatening me?" He stood up so that hin nose was even with Duncan’s eyes. "Because, I don’t see you doing much to me." Duncan took a deep breath, and began a chant. Vince twitched a little when Duncan’s eyes rolled up into his head. Then, out of nowhere, Duncan took Vince’s lips in his own. Vince’s eye grew wide with surprised and disgust. "What the hell was that?! Are you gay or something?"

     "Well, duh!" Duncan crossed his eyes at Vince. "And in about thirty seconds, you’ll find out the reason they call me flaming." Duncan snatched Deirdre, and had to literally drag her away from the plate of meats brought over by Vince. Just as they reached the door, Vince burst into flames.

   &nbs p; "Ahhrg!" He screamed in pain. Everyone turned to spectacle, and did not notice Duncan calmly walking away with a dazed Deirdre slung over his shoulder.

   &n bsp; ‘What was that?’ Deirdre’s voice rang into his head. He sighed, and placed her down once they were out of range for her to smell the cafeteria. Duncan turned her to face him, and had a serious look in his eye.

     "We are going back to the room, and you are going to explain to me exactly what’s going on." She stared blankly at him as he turned, and headed back to the dorm. Noticing his distance from her, she ran to catch up. At the entrance, they ran into Abby.

     "So, what for breakfast?" She shouted cheerfully. Deirdre flinched a little at the sound of her voice.

     "Pig." Was all Duncan said as he pushed Deirdre through the doors.

     "Oookaaay." Abby drew out. "Bacon sounds great." She left in the direction of the cafeteria, completely unaware of what awaited her.

     Once back in the room, Duncan motioned Deirdre to her bed.

    & nbsp;"Sit." He commanded. "Now you have some serious explaining to do." She sat down, and went to grab her laptop, but he stopped her. "No," he then pointed to his head, "I can hear you just fine." Her eye grew wide.

      ‘You can hear me?’ He nodded, and she crossed her arms in disgust. ‘I do not have to tell you a thing, elf, and you know it.’

     "Now that I know what you sound like, in your head, you’re not that intimidating." He stood over her, asserting his dominance. "Now, if you want me as your protector, you sure as hell better start explaining exactly what the deal is between you and Vince." The two glared at each other for a moment before Deirdre motioned next to her.

     ‘Sit, the story is quite long and complicated. I have never told the whole thing to anyone, and I’m not about to start with you. Got it?’ She gave him a seriously cold stare. He nodded, and took the offered seat. ‘I am not what you would call human, but from the way you’ve acted towards me, I’m guessing you already knew that. My story is too complicated for even you to comprehend so, I will try to make it as simple as possible. I am a descendant of the great Egyptian cat-goddess Bastet.’ She flipped her hair a little and held her head high. Duncan’s eyes grew wide.

     "You’re a goddess?" The information began to sink into his brain. "If that’s true, then why are you so afraid of humans?" Deirdre shook her head in response.

     ‘I thought one such as you knew the truth, but I guess I am wrong on all accounts.’ She looked him straight into the eyes. Her jewel-like irises burned into his mind. As she spoke, the images she was describing appeared before his eyes. ‘Those called gods and goddesses by ancient people, were nothing more than a superior race of beings. Though they had powers, they were nothing like those described in legends. Sadly, it seemed the fear and reverence brought about by those legends is what kept the higher races alive. With the rise of Christianity and other monotheistic religions, people lost fear of my ancestors as well as other beings and began to hunt and wipe them out. Most were hung as witches and sorcerers, or even killed for being blasphemers. The few that survived held up in many places all over the globe.’ Duncan interrupted her for a moment.

     "Is that why your afraid of humans? You think they’ll kill you? Is Vince one of these?" She put a hand to his mouth.

     ‘Please, all will be answered, but if you do not quit with these interruptions, then I will be forced to stop upon "The Loud One’s" entrance, and you will be left with only half of the tale.’ She glared at him once more, and he nodded in comprehension, and she continued. ‘Bubastis was the city of my ancestors, and with what little magic they had, they were able to shield it from the outside world. Centuries passed, and everyone prospered. Then, one day, a lost archeologist stumbled upon the city. It was my mother that took him in and cared for him. In doing so, she broke the greatest laws of the ancients. "No member of this city is allowed contact with outsiders. Offenders will be exiled." It wasn’t too long before she was found out, and cast away from the city and into the desert. The archeologist promised her that if she would marry him, he would reveal nothing about her, or the city to anyone else. So, she did.’ She hung her head a moment as if she were trying to regain her composure. ‘A few months later, I was born. It certainly was a surprise to my father when I came about. As it turns out, when first born, my mother’s people look exactly like cats. This made my father extremely upset, and he did not seem to want anything to do with me. The birthing had taken much out of my mother, and about a month later, she died from an illness she contracted after moving here, to America. Though I was very young, she implanted her memories in me so that I would not forget my heritage. After that, my father cast me out as if I were a common cat. By all appearances, I was, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t his daughter.’ Her shoulders sagged and her entire body drooped as she revealed her closest guarded secrets. ‘By all accounts I should have died, but I was taken in by a kindly old woman. She cared for me for about six months, it was about that time I was able to say my first mental word. Since it was all she ever said to me, it was the only one I knew, "kitty." When I first used it, she shrugged it off, but for me, it was like I had found a new toy, and soon I would constantly say it. At the time, I didn’t know how to block or control this ability, so, she thought she was losing her mind, and had herself institutionalized. I was sent to the pound.’ She gave a visible shiver and Duncan put his hand on her shoulder for support. ‘I’m not sure how long I was there, I just know that they were going to put me down soon. Because of my lineage, my brain was able to develop faster, and I was able to comprehend some things. When that yellow ticket was slipped into my information slot, I knew it was over.’ She drew up her knees and hugged them to herself. ‘ Just before closing that evening a man came. He looked into my cage with those grey eyes, and I knew that he knew I was different. He took me away from that place. Though now I almost wish I had been left to die.’

     "Vince." Duncan voiced aloud. Deirdre nodded and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

     ‘I apologize.’ She wiped away the tear. ‘My ancestors know nothing of emotions, but my human side makes it difficult for me to do so.’ She couldn’t hold back anymore, and she threw herself into the pillow to cry. Duncan rubbed her back.

     "It’s okay," he whispered, "this would be hard for anyone to tell, I’m surprised you made it that far. You can tell me the rest when your ready." He looked down at Deirdre as she nodded into the pillow between sobs. He could feel the sadness and frustration she was unleashing. That, was one of the drawbacks of his family. A heightened emotional sensitivity. "Believe it or not I know what you’re going through." She didn’t hear him though. He continued to rub her back in a comforting motion. Half of him wanted her to continue, but the other half told him that would be wrong. It was at this time, Abby returned from breakfast.

     "I thought you said you were gay?" She had her hands on her hips. "Did you change and not let me know? I wanted first dibs."

     "Now, is not the time Abby." His tone was cold and serious, she immediately shut up. "That Vince guy came back while we were in the cafeteria, and it has caused her some serious emotional trauma." Abby mouthed a silent ‘oh.’ She stepped up beside Duncan and whispered.

     "By the way, you two missed all of the excitement." Duncan turned his head to look at her. "Some strange guy came on campus, and caught on fire in the dinning area. They say when he snuck in he got too close to a grill. Probably caught his hair on fire, and he didn’t notice it until it was too late. They couldn’t catch him though, he was gone before anyone that wasn’t a rubbernecker showed up." Duncan’s eyes narrowed.

     "So he’s still out there." He hissed.