Bloody Memory

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This chapter is rather jumpy or something... I don't know...
Well, it's straight to the end. The whole story is almost done; even I still stuck in how I get the best ending, haha...

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Chapter Eleven

Everything around him was white, pure brilliant white.
That was odd, considering its usual plainness of thick, pitch black which later tainted with sickeningly bloody redness. He wasn’t displeased though; feeling more relief than his usual deep fear and anxiety.
He knew this was his own dream; his realm of subconscious. He realized it since the beginning he arrived here; this was his own memory, smothered deep within his mind. The blackness and redness that usually appeared always forcefully dragging him to that horrible memory; in later day he was even shoved to face the demon of his beloved dead one, crawling at him with rotten, pallid thin ghost fingers; hollow, empty eyes which haunted him every single time he slept...
But this time was different. No blackness and redness. No rotten, eerie ghost of his beloved dead one. No haunting, horrible bloody memory that repeating, repeating, and repeating...
It was good. He appreciated that new situation. He felt peace, at least...
Suddenly he saw a figure, a familiar one. It was his beloved one, calling for him with his soft and tender expression. He jolted with happiness, and then managed to run to him, his arms voluntarily stretched open to embrace him. And albeit his sudden fear that he would disappear again from his sight, he didn’t. He was happy to know that.
He hugged the older man happily, contently, being able to be in contact with him again after so long. He broke their hug and looked up to him. His face was always the same like he had remembered since then; tender, affectionate look yet still serious and goodly stern expression he usually had while he was looking down at him.
Yes, he was still a bit taller than him, though he was sure he had been grown so much for these four years. His crimson hair was still as same as he had back then four years ago. His bangs were a slight longer though.
His beloved one spoke something to him. He couldn’t hear the voice but he understood every word out from his lips. He tried to swallow those kind words; he tried to absorb them. He usually denied those remarks if they came out from somebody else other than his beloved one. But it was him who talked to him so he would listen.
He listened, carefully; and realized his mistake. He was too ignorant; too selfish as long as he remembered. All he had been thinking was himself and only himself. He threw away other people who cared about him, people around him who loved him.
He realized it now. There was something important he had to do now. He had to wake up. He had to save his other important one.
He had to save Jamie.

***

Dark crimson eyelids fluttered slightly, trying their hard to open. When finally they had opened, the slits inside tried to focus on the darkness around them. They looked around after they had adapted, realizing that their owner had been laid down at the room somewhat empty and smelled like hospital ward.
Maybe I am already in hospital, Scarlet thought plainly. He tried to sit up, but his body didn’t comply. So he just lied and stayed still where he was now. He began to recall his own memory before he blackened out and after that. He still remembered even vaguely, Arthur’s genuine concern and affection toward his person and sudden appearance of Vermillion. He smiled softly remembering that.
I’m still immature brat same like myself back then, four years ago, he pondered. No wonder Arthur went mad and yelled at me like the last time. He was right after all. I am just closing my own shell, my mind and heart from the others. I rejected every kind of affection and made myself distant. Such pathetic person, I am...
Jamie...
I hope he is all right now, at least he isn’t harmed. I doubt Opal will go as far as killing him, but now that thought isn’t sounded very sure. Opal is unpredictable person; ruthless, mean, sly, somewhat insane...
Oh, God! I hope Jamie is all right! Just wait for me, Jamie. I will come to save you, right away after my body is recovered, as soon as possible.
Scarlet groaned faintly while trying once more to move his limb. Since when he lost so much energy just for mind assault; yes, he knew now that his horrible late dreams were coming from Opal’s mind breaking attack; Vermillion had told him. That bastard! Scarlet gritted his teeth in anger. He will pay; absolutely, painfully pay.
He sighed in relief when he finally managed to sit on his bed. His head still felt heavy, but his mind was somehow clearer now. He could think very clearly now. He sat still to regain his own strength and when he had gotten strong enough, he stood up and walked somewhat wobbly to the door.
He opened the door and instantly cringed when he was welcomed with bright sunlight came from wide windows in front of him. So it was afternoon, but he didn’t know what date and time it was. He quickly hid himself behind the door, covering his weak body from the sunlight. As Symbion vampire, he could stand the sunlight to some degrees, but his body was still weak and trying to recover, so it could easily be exposed and get some burnt-like inflammation. Off course he didn’t want that.
He trudged back to his bed and grabbed the blanket for some covers. He wrapped and hooded himself with the blanket, and slowly walked back to the door. He opened the door widely and, full covered now, he stepped on to the middle of the corridor. He looked around and recognized that his room was one of many rooms on this corridor. The smell on the air reminded him of hospital wards.
But it wasn’t hospital. Scarlet concluded that it might be some kind of clinic. Its lack of patients and the quietness were somehow unusual for ordinary hospital. He suddenly sensed his comrades’ presence and turned right, trudged along the corridor towards them. He could hear people speaking and small commotion from the direction he was heading to.
When he arrived, he recognized that the room was an atrium, somewhat looked like television room. Scarlet frowned looking at the messy room; he didn’t expect that human could do something disgusting.
There was a large square table on the middle of the room; with eight chairs alongside it; where mostly covered with papers, other than mags, pizza boxes remnants, after-used coffee mugs, etc. he didn’t care. An old fashioned television was neatly placed on the corner of the room, facing a huge sofa and a small coffee table full of foods remnants. The television was on, presenting Funny Bunny cartoon in mute; but no one paid attention since they were busy discussing about some plans. The room was completely in mess; almost all of the messes were foods remnants.
Every body was sitting on the chairs, circling the large table and pouring all their attentions to Arthur’s explanations. Scarlet stared at them and began to wonder, it was just his imagination or Sarah really looked like she was the only one who taking a bath? He considered the last guess as the true one since he could smell repulsive odor from the other men. He winced and pinched his bridge of nose before spoke teasingly in soft voice, “Geez, you all but Sarah smell like garbage.”
Arthur startled and abruptly stopped his explanation. His eyes widened both in surprised and joy looking at the young vampire who was mostly covered with blanket. He laughed warmly; then quickly ran to him and intended to hug him when Scarlet backed away. Arthur halted and stopped laughing, stared at him with confusion and worry; but his happiness quickly came back to his feature when Scarlet mumbled his disapproval to be hugged by some disgusting-smelled man.
The older man let out a fit of hysterical laughter now, commenting the crimson haired vampire that he was also in the same condition like him. Scarlet snorted and retorted that at least he didn’t smell like shit.
“Ha ha ha ha ha, I’m smelled like shit, he says! Ha ha ha!!”
“Would you stop bursting out loud like that? I said the true after all; and not only you.” Scarlet glanced to the other two men and pointed. “Both of you are also smelled like shit.”
Both Tyler and Allan just grinned, while Sarah giggled mischievously.
Scarlet humphed and let himself to smirk. His body couldn’t hold an extreme laughter though; so he satisfied himself just by laughing softly, even if he felt he wanted to laugh out loud just like Arthur did. He swayed to the nearby chair and sat down. Arthur had stopped laughing now, but he still giggled here and there while resumed his previous seat. He looked straightly at Scarlet and smiled warmly.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Yeah…”
There was a silence built around them, but soon it was broken by Arthur’ soft apology.
“...I’m sorry for my harsh words back then.”
“That’s okay. You’re after all right anyway.”
“You mean...?”
“Vermillion told me everything; and like you’ve said early, he scolded me, a lot.” Scarlet grinned sheepishly. “He truly smacked my head and snapped at me, like you’ve said.”
Arthur inwardly gaped. “Well... I’m not surprised though...”
“Inside my dream, he came. And he told me everything I didn’t know since I blackened out.”
“I see...”
Another long pause.
“I miss him...”
Arthur sighed in understanding. “I know. I miss him too.”
Another pause. “You know, I was quite surprised seeing he showed himself like that, in his ghost form.” Arthur chuckled before added, “It still amazed me how he did that.”
“It was his blade spirit’s ability. Shion can resurrect the souls of the dead, being a phoenix.”
Everyone raised their brows in awe.
“Well, it was just for once though.” Scarlet murmured.
“But why now? Why didn’t he show up early?”
“...Maybe he thought it wasn’t his time to show up, yet. Vermillion always looked forward, you know.”
Arthur grinned. “I know that.”
“He probably restored his own soul within Navalm, out of her consciousness. If she knew she has been possessed, she would likely have told me from the beginning.” Scarlet frowned while pondering his own theory. “He did it right after I ...killed him.”
Arthur looked at him with sad eyes.
“For now, I don’t feel a lot guilty to say that. Strange though…” Scarlet trailed off, but Arthur could see that his eyes didn’t dim out like the last time. He just drowned within his thought. For some reasons, Arthur let out a relief breath.
“Well!” he suddenly snapped out of his mind, startling the others. “Right now, all we have to think about is how to save Jamie. That’s most important thing to do right now.”
Everyone include Arthur smiled widely and nodded in agreement. Soon after that, they had been drowned on discussion for saving the child.

***

When they finally dismissed their discussion and parted to have their lunch, Arthur grabbed Scarlet’s arm and dragged him to the nearby room. Scarlet wide-eyed him in confusion before Arthur finally closed the door and gestured him to sit. He obliged hesitantly and silently waited for the older man to speak.
Arthur retold him about every thing Vermillion had said after he slept; mostly about his future event he had foreseen. Scarlet listened in dismay, especially the part Vermillion claimed himself that he would once again reappear as their enemy, along with other fallen souls. It was ridiculous yet painful. He didn’t want to kill his own brother, again.
“I know your fear.” Arthur spoke softly. “But when the time’s coming, you have to face it. He, by any means, will be no longer our comrade and ally. He will be our enemy we have to obliterate.”
Scarlet gazed at him. Slowly and reluctantly, he nodded. “…Did he say about the exact time?”
Arthur shook his head. “No, he just said that it will happen soon. When soon is, I don’t know.”
“Resurrecting the dead… it’s definitely his specialty.”
“Who?”
“Black Diamond. He is an expert in necromancy.”
Arthur gawked at him. “You mean…?”
“He can resurrect dead people and command them as his army. If what Vermillion had told us is true, then it will most likely to be happened in future. He’s planning something, other than killing me and screwing up human’s region.”
“Hmm,” Arthur frowned while tipping his chin using his finger. “…Most likely.”
“Anyway,” Scarlet patted him in shoulder, “THAT can be shoved aside for a while. Now, we have to think about saving Jamie in the first place.”
“You’re right.” Arthur smiled. Scarlet smiled back at him, genuinely.
“Let’s have lunch.” Arthur barely walked to open the door when he saw Scarlet pinched his nose looking annoyed. “What?”
“Right, I’m hungry too; but firstly, I want to take a bath.” Scarlet exhaled exaggeratedly. “Geez, I don’t get it; you humans can be so disgusting some times.”
“Hey, don’t be so racist about that!”
“Don’t mean to, but it’s true.” The young vampire grinned in mischief. “Go get a shower, you smelly dork!”
“Hey!”
Scarlet just laughed while leaving Arthur who sulking behind. He halted at the corridor to ask him about the bathroom and clothes he could wear, and Arthur told him briefly that Dr. Bowman and his wife had prepared it in his previous room. The crimson haired vampire nodded and walked away, still mumbling about how repulsive the other man’ smell was.

***

Arthur’s cell phone rang when they had finished their lunch and gathered again for another discussion.
All of them had had shower just now and Scarlet sighed in bliss when he were no longer smelling unpleasant odor around his comrades, save the food remnant’ smell. He scowled in disapproval and with quick movement swiped away all the trash and collected them inside one big carton box, shoved it outside and burned it instantly. Everyone watched in amazement when he finally resumed his seat and cackled in satisfied tone.
“…What?”
Tyler shrugged. “Nope. Just amazed watching you so much aggressive on cleaning the rubbish.”
Scarlet snorted. “YOUR rubbish. It supposed to be you and Allan who did the cleaning instead of me. I just can’t stand the smell any more.”
Sarah hummed in agreement. “Right. Now you can see my trouble coping with these big babies.”
Both Allan and Tyler groaned exasperatedly.
“Who’re the babies, Sarah?! Geez! You’re the youngest amongst us anyway.” Allan yelled in frustration.
The woman just chuckled, along with Arthur and Scarlet.
Suddenly they heard a ringing sound. And not just usual ringing; it was Macarena Dance’s ring tone. They silenced themselves and listened carefully, in both confusion and amazement.
“Sorry, it’s mine.” Arthur smirked smugly. The others rolled their eyes. Allan even went as far as mockingly mumbled about his captain’s weird choice of ring tone. Arthur just glared at him.
He picked his still ringing phone from the pocket of his jacket flung on the sofa and looked at the receiver screen, frowning when he didn’t recognized the number. Instinctively, he also picked the phone loud speaker and connected it to his cell phone. He looked to his comrades and whispered something about his suspicion for the stranger number calling and all of them nodded in response.
“Wilkins.”
[It takes you so much time to pick the phone, Detective Wilkins.] The melodic tone from the voice successfully made Scarlet and the others tensed in alert.
“How did you get my number, Opal?”
[Easy one. I just called your office and asked about how to contact you when you’re out. They easily gave me your number.] Chuckling could be heard from another side.
“Okay. Let’s get to the point, bastard. Where’s Jamie?! What have you done to him?! Is he safe?!”
Another chuckle. [He is just fine. He is unharmed, safe and sound if you want to know. Well, except…]
“Except WHAT?! Tell me, you bastard! What’s happened to him?!!”
Scarlet suddenly felt very unpleasant, tight knot inside his gut. He clenched his fist in anger hearing another sly chuckle from Opal. Oh, that silver bastard would pay!
[…I just gave him a birthday present.]
“What?!”
[Yesterday it was his birthday, right? Well, I just gave him ‘special’ present.] The word ‘special’ was spoken in rather long and mischievous way.
“What do you mean?! What are—” Arthur didn’t finish his sentences yet when suddenly Scarlet yanked his phone away and yelled in anger.
“DON’T YOU DARE TO TOUCH HIM, YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!!? DON’T YOU DARE TO LAY A HAND ON HIM!! YOU SICKENING PSYCHO BASTARD!!”
He heard the older vampire laughed in evil way, making him more and more angry. God, how he wanted to crush, to smash that silver bastard until he was no more than dust! Scarlet remembered now; he remembered that Opal had done THAT before to another child. He remembered and felt his blood rising to his head with rage.
[I didn’t ‘touch’ him, if that what you meant.]
“You bast—”
[I will, though; if you didn’t comply with my request.]
“What is your REQUEST then?!” Scarlet growled.
[Come to me, Scarlet. I don’t care about the others since I can kill them easily if they dared to interrupt our rendezvous. I will give the human boy back to his parents, alive, safe and sound, if you complied that.]
Scarlet gritted his teeth angrily and gave the phone back to Arthur, who paled as the others also did. They had seemed to understand the circumstances.
“How can we trust you with your words, Opal?!” Arthur blurted out.
[Trust me. However, they can and will continue their lives, happily and peacefully. They don’t need to worry about assassination again, isn’t that good?]
Arthur exchanged look with Scarlet. “What do you mean?”
[The exact proof of my words will be packaged to you in hour. Please accept that as my late greeting present. By the way, I will inform you again for our appointment, along with the package, Scarlet. Right now, I’m busy. Bye.]
“Wait—OPAL!!”
But the phone had dismissed.
Silence filled the atrium room. Any sound could be heard of was the beeping sound from the phone. Arthur pushed the off-call button and huffed.
“So…” he sat down on the sofa heavily, “This is rapid development, don’t you think so, guys?”
Everyone save Scarlet nodded in unison. The young vampire was looked like he was about to kill something, or rather someone; his scowl was so deep and his expression was infuriated. His hands clenched tightly and they could see popping veins on his temple.
Arthur watched him grimly and stated, “No need to get overreacting about that, Scarlet. He said and guaranteed that he didn’t touch Jamie—”
“—Yet!” Scarlet bared his fangs and snarled. “You just don’t know what he is capable of, Wilkins! I have seen it! With my bare eyes! HE IS A FUCKING PSYCHO PHAE—FUCK, I even can’t say it!! FUCKING HELL!!”
Arthur paled several degrees of blanch. The others gasped in shock.
“You—you don’t think he has…he…” Arthur stammered, too shocked to speak coherently.
“I hope not. GOD, I HOPE HE DIDN’T TOUCH JAMIE EVEN A SINGLE HAIR!! I WILL KILL HIM! DEFINITELY!!” Scarlet slammed his fist onto the wall which instantly cracked under his knuckles.
“We—well,” Sarah gulped nervously and spoke meekly, “We—we hope that—that vampire is true on his words…”
Scarlet glared at her, but his anger was reduced when he saw the woman was taken a back, literally, by his glare. He shut his eyes tightly, counted until ten inwardly to calm himself and when he opened his eyes again, he only said flatly, “Yeah, I hope that bastard said the truth. Or else, I will…” he didn’t continue his words, but his gripping claw on the wall spoke volume.
Arthur cleared his throat and stated matter-of-factly, “Well, all we have to do now is waiting for the package…”
He trailed off and then looked at Scarlet sharply, “…Are you thinking what I am thinking right now?”
Scarlet grimly tilted his head with sudden miserable-look on his eyes. “…I guess he kills Callahan.”
Everyone save them both shocked.
“But, why?” Tyler asked out of curiosity.
Scarlet shrugged; he had calmed himself. “Simple. He doesn’t like being under human’s command. He never likes under everyone’s order, actually. If my guess was right, Callahan might be angry to him since he failed or seemed failing to kill us, specifically the Ainsworths. He insults him, which mostly causing his fall. Poor man.”
“If it was true…” Allan muttered. Scarlet just shrugged and plopped down beside Arthur.
They waited in silent for almost an hour when suddenly the front door’s bell rang. They looked at each other and hurried to the front clinic and office of Dr. Bowman. When they arrived, they saw the doctor talking with delivery boy. He held an average-sized box which he had given signature with. After the delivery boy went away, he turned around and almost jumped when he saw the group.
“Holy God! You all scare me!” he said exaggeratedly while clutching his shirt right on the heart.
Arthur forced a smile. “Sorry, Randy. What’s that package?”
The old man glanced at the package. “I don’t know. There’s no sender name on the signature paper also.”
“Let me see.” Scarlet stepped forward. He took the package from the doctor who observed him closely and mumbled something like ‘Thank God you’re okay’ before retreating to his own chair while keeping his attention at them.
Scarlet opened the package with careful haste. He had no doubt what was inside the package; he could smell it, clearly. When he finally un-wrapped the box, he heard the others let out gasps and even yelps, save Arthur, who gave a heavy sigh.
He held the box tightly while staring at half-lidded dull blue-grey eyes from the head of a dead blonde man inside the box. The wound was cut with high accuracy and right pressure; leaving it so clean and strangely tidy. There was no blood pooling around the wound, indicating Opal had cut the head after he firstly killed the poor guy and left the body to be drained for a while. Or he sucked off his blood.
But Scarlet found no puncture marks around the neck. He didn’t want to know whether Opal sucked him on the other parts of his body or not. He felt undoubtedly that man was Richard Callahan.
“Callahan.” Tyler hissed, shocked.
“So it’s true after all. He killed him.” Arthur stated matter-of-factly. Scarlet only nodded and kept staring to the head.
“My God Heaven! That—that is a head! A head inside the box! My goodness!” Dr. Bowman started to panic. “Call—call the police—”
“We ARE police, Randy.” Arthur snapped. The old doctor looked at him and smirked sheepishly, completely forgetting about their occupations.
“Look.” Scarlet blurted. “There’s a note inside the box.”
He dropped the box on the desk; Dr. Bowman cringed seeing it; and took the note. He read it out loud.
*Dear my friends, I sent this to you as my late greeting present. Say it’s my proof for talking honestly about the safety guarantee of the Ainsworths. No Callahan, no assassination, right? Humor me. Meet me at the casino; 0900 p.m. O.*
“What the hell is that?! Greeting present?! Do we look like we need it?!” Allan scoffed in disgust.
Arthur took the note from Scarlet’s fingers. He reread it once more and huffed.
“We have to prepare for tonight. We will face him together.”
“No.” Scarlet cut off. “I will face him alone. All of you will stay out of the field.”
“That’s nonsense!! You’ll be killed!”
“I will return those words to you. And no, I won’t be killed. Trust me. I will win from him.” Scarlet rarely winked at Arthur and smiled warmly.
The older man felt the urge to smile back and he did it. He felt that the young vampire had changed; he wasn’t a cold and desperate young man anymore, he had thrown away his sadness and despair, and filled his heart with affection and hope; like he had once done long ago. Arthur inwardly thanked to God for that.
“Okay. I trust you. Whatever, we will support your back.” Arthur gestured to his team to prepare everything they needed for ‘the feast’ tonight.
Scarlet smiled genuinely. He began to feel that feeling again; hope and trust. And another one: affection. He wondered when he lost those kinds of feelings. Oh, since Vermillion died…
He turned his attention back to Callahan’s head. Poor guy, he thought sadly. But maybe this is the best for him, after all he had done many crimes, most of them were left unsolved… and the murder the Ainsworths have witnessed… along with the casino boss’ death, the case will be closed… maybe it is surely the best…

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Poor Callahan!! I kill him! Hahahaha XD
The truth was, he is meant to be killed in the first place. I feel pity for him somehow... Sorry for not telling about how he is killed, just for shortening the story. He is killed in his casino along with his entire employee and guests. Opal specially cut his head off tidily, while he killed the others with much ruthless and brutal force, just for 'present' purpose. Opal is soooo crueeelll!! But still he is an angel in feature, so I think I forgive him for all what he'd done, hehehe...

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