The Last Wish

[• Echo]

Prologue

Darkness is everything.
It can be dark, or it can be light. It can be peace, or it can be war. It can soothe, or it can distress. It can heal, or it can harm. I guess it just depends on the situation you happen to be in to decide whether or not it can be used for Good, or used for Bad. Such simple terms in my opinion; Too bad the meanings can go far, far deeper than what you would expect on first thought.
I guess one of the worst things about being on the outside looking in is that no one notices you. You can see everything, hear everything, taste, smell, touch, breathe it all in… Yet no matter how loud you scream, how much you pray to the Lord in the Heavens above, no one will hear you. You’re trapped. Lost. Cut out from everyone and everything. Thrown away as if you were toxic waste that everyone is afraid to touch. If that’s the case, then darkness has only two meanings, as in almost every case: Torture, or Bliss. Which one? Will you have the soothing, calm dreams, or the frightening, bloody nightmares?
Or maybe, just maybe, will you feel nothing at all, and slip into the blank darkness of oblivion?


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Chapter One

Booted footsteps fell almost silently as the tall man moved through the forest, belying his weight as he walked. He was clothed completely in black; A black shirt, black pants, a black-and-gray checkered scarf, black work boots, black sunglasses, even though it was dark out, and probably even black socks. Even his hair was black, his eyes hidden behind the dark shades. His olive-toned skin was stretched across large muscles; Not the kind that a body-builder on steroids has. No, muscles that suited his slim form perfectly. His body moved with the grace of a prowling hunting cat, his body illuminated in silver moonlight that draped across the land like a silken veil as he moved from the security of the trees. He paused, and even though his eyes were covered, it was obvious that he was looking up at the large castle that rose up above him, standing like a sentry that watched the rolling plains and jagged peaks of the distant mountains. Then he walked again.
There was a loud ringing sound as he pushed open a concealed door, one that only a person who knew what they were looking for and where to find it could be able to locate. The door slammed shut behind him, but he never stopped moving now as he continued through the dark halls, hardly any light brightening the halls. His footsteps rang out clearly, the only sound in this part of the castle. Then he began to climb. Up and up in a twisting spiral staircase, one hand trailing along the railing, the other on the walls. The guards who stood at the top let him pass as if they didn’t see him, and he walked unharmed through the next arched doorway. Inside was a large room, almost like a courtroom, but instead of a judge’s and witness’s stands and all that, there were tables overflowing with rich and ripe foods, and people stood around talking and laughing. A band played in a corner.
Those who turned once his presence entered the room stopped talking immediately, and soon the others followed in their companions’ silence. Even the band stopped playing, and his never-ending footsteps continued, stopping only as he came to an older man. The younger looked exactly alike his father.
“They’re gone.” The man looked down at his son in disbelief.
“What do you mean, gone?” he asked, staring down at him, curiosity, suspicious, and a wary look crossing through his eyes.
“As in they packed, and boarded a ferry. They just left this morning, what I could gather from the neighbors in that they are going into the US.” Both their voices had a rich, deep Irish accent. They were in Connaught, living where there was still wild Irish lands amid the farms and towns.
“But,” the man’s voice rang out again before his father could speak, “the son is still here. He refused to leave Connaught.” The father smiled, still continuing to ignore the other guests in his homestead.
“Good, we can use that to our advantage. For now, I will get someone else to follow them. You have done well.” The son nodded. He did not expect any more praise than that, as he knew he would never get that. He exited through one of the two side doors, one on either side of the room. As he walked down the hall, gas lamps hanging on the walls, he heard the music start again and voices rise. A party he would never be a part of unless his father started to treat him more like a son than a servant. Which, as he knew all-too-well, would be one of those things to never, ever, happen.





The prologue and Chapter One of The Last Wish, a story I've been writing for a while. No, the man is not the main character in the story, that comes in Chapter Two, which I will be uploading soon if you want me to put it up.

[Guest]

you are a good author, i love all your stories you've posted

[• Echo]

Thank you! I've made a bunch of short stories and stuff, but this one is onen that I've actually been putting a lot of effort into and everythin'.

[Guest]

coolio are you gonna try to get it published?

[• Echo]

yep, I am, and soon I'ma get the second chapter up here

[Guest]

kk

[• Echo]

Chapter Two
Keira
You know those days, where everything just seems to be so perfect on a warm, lazy afternoon, the sky a light blue speckled with puffy white clouds?

I wish it were that time.

"There," I muttered to myself. "That's it." I took a deep breath, straightening up to look at my room. Empty. The only things left were myself and boxes. And a bed. And a desk. And a couple bedside tables with lamps on them. Everything that I wouldn't be able to take with me in my car. Nothing but a guest room, now, as it would be for probably awhile.

A moment later my twin, Aishling, sat beside me, running her hands through his fur with me, her golden blonde hair tucked behind her ears yet still falling in long waves past her shoulders. If it weren't for the colors of our hair and eyes, we would look exactly alike. Her hair was a gorgeous blonde, mine the darkest of auburn. Her eyes were a soft, welcoming grey, mine a deep, fiery green-hazel. Our hair lengths were the same, just below our shoulder blades. The types were the same, airy, light, wavy. Our features were the same, distinct, defining. Our skin was a practically glowing olive. We were the same height, 5.1. And, of course, we were both 18, our birthdays on May 13, 1992, 3:38. A.M. Well, Aishling was 3:26, but, oh well. Just twelve minutes.

"So…" Aishling said, breaking through the silence that was starting to get just a little (or very) unnerving.

"Yeah," I said quietly in response. We were best friends, and now I was literally just packing up and moving out. We had done everything together up until the point that we graduated from high school last year. Now she was going to a college that was just an hour and a half away and renting an apartment, and I was driving way out of state to go to a college and moving there. I took a deep breath, letting it out in a soft sigh. Well, I never had liked it here in California. Ever since we moved here from Ireland when we were seventeen, I couldn't wait to leave. I wished I had stayed there with my three-years-older brother, Cathal.

"Well, I'd better get going if I want to be at the hotel by eight," I say quietly. More like if I ever want to get going. She smiled small in a way that didn't even make it close to meeting her eyes.

"Yeah, probably," she said quietly. I sighed and stood up, picking up two of the small boxes, and after a minute Aishling stood up as well, picking up the other. I gave a small smile, my eyebrows pulling together slightly. I turned around, taking one last look at the room. Biting the inside of my lower lip, I turned and walked out, Aishling following closely behind. Walking carefully down the stairs, I shifted the boxes in my arms in order to open the door at the bottom without dropping them. Slipping outside into the front yard, I blink a couple times to let my eyes get adjusted to the early morning sunlight. Moving from the front porch, I nudged the gate open with my foot, which was never locked since it stuck in place, and moved over to my charcoal Dodge Charger. The trunk was already up, and I moved the boxes into the far back of it. Aishling moved the box she was carrying in its place. The trunk already had a couple plain dark suitcases in them and a few bags, everything I owned. I turned to Aishling, forcing another small smile onto my reluctant face.

"Try not to kill yourself in that school, alright? It'd be nice to actually see you again sometime in life," she said, and I laughed a little.

"Do I really have to promise that?" She laughed with me before stepping closer, hugging me for a moment before pulling back as the door opened. I shut the car's trunk gently, watching her walk back through the gate, passing Mom as she went the opposite way. When she stopped next to me, Mom handed me a map and a Bible.

"Just in case you lose your way," she said quietly, trying to smile as I took them, putting the two on the passenger seat through the open window, turning back to her.

"And there's a couple twenties in the center council, if you run a little short on cash when you need it," she said.

"Thanks, Mom. You really, didn't need to, but I'm glad that you're not one of the mom's who doesn't really care when one of their children moves out," I say, and she gave a very small smile, only the corners of her mouth tipping up.

"No problem," she said, and then she, like Aishling, pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her slight shoulders. I was a couple inches taller than her now, and it felt off.

"I'll call," I promised.

"Feel free to, I'll always be open," she said, and I smiled as I pulled back.

"Again, thanks," I said quietly, feeling a slight drop in my heart as I thought about how this was probably the last time in awhile that I would be able to talk to her, or Aishling, face-to-face. I paused for a moment, looking at her, for a slight instant not wanting to leave. She smiled slightly, and I could see a mixture of happiness and sadness written in her eyes. I took a deep breath, turning to walk around the front of the car and opening the driver's door. Sliding into the seat and pulling the door shut, I fastened my seatbelt, pulling my keys out of my pocket. Sticking it in the ignition, I turned it clockwise until the engine came to Life, letting it fall into place. Looking up at Mom, now standing on the porch, and Aishling, I smiled small. Putting the car into reverse, I ease up on the brake and looking in the mirrors behind me as I backed out of the driveway. Shifting gears and pressing down on the brake, I gave a little wave to my mom and sister before easing the car down the dirt driveway.

I took one last look in the review mirror before the ranch disappeared, my eyes lingering on Mom, Aishling, the horses and cows and few sheep and goats. Then I looked back to the road, pulling out into the street.


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The car slid to a stop in the gas station next to one of the pumps, and I put it in park and turned it off. I let out a deep breath, turning to the gas pump and pulling out my wallet. I was able to get the hatch open, the cap off, the card scanned, and the nozzle in the tank in record time, but I couldn't help the numbers that dragged painfully slowly as my gas tank filled. I could've groaned aloud. Cars came and went on the road, a few pulling into the gas station or minimart, others just continuing to drive on past. Leaning against the side of the car, looking up at the bright lights above me, I closed my eyes, sighing softly. Other than the sound of the cars driving past, it was absolutely silent out, unnerving. I frowned, opening my eyes just as the tank finished filling, swiftly putting the nozzle away and screwing the cap back on, re-shutting the hatch. I turned to get back in my car but stopped, my eyes scanning the rest of the gas station. Not another soul in sight, which was odd. There had just been a couple other cars parked here, but now they were just gone. A flurry of movement caught my eye and I swiveled my head to look at the minimart, where a raven sat on the overhanging eaves. It's hard eyes seemed to stare straight at me. Lifting sits sharp beak into the air he cried out once, twice, the sounds guttural and harsh. Spreading its purple-hued, black wings, it lifted its ebony frame into the air, angling straight towards me. It paused overhead and I spun around just in time to see it disappear into the inky sky, the stars and moon blotted out by heavy storm clouds. As if on cue in a horror film, the wind began to pick up, the lights of the gas station flickering as thunder roared in the distance. Shaking my head slightly, I took one last look at the darkened sky, taking a deep breath and waving what could have been a bad omen from my mind, climbing into the Charger.

It seemed like not only a moment later as I was pulling out of the gas station that rain was pelting the car in furious torrents, and I had to turn the wipers on high in order to be able to see out the windshield. Navigating the slippery roads took a bit of concentration, but finally I pulled into the parking lot for the hotel I was staying at, turning the car off. I just sat there for a moment in the car, both hands on the wheel, staring out the rain-streaked windshield, frowning a bit. Finally I popped the trunk, grabbing the keys and sliding out. Moving as quickly as possible, I grabbed one of the suitcases, the smallest that I had packed for the couple days I would be staying at the hotel before the school opened and I moved into one of the dorms. Half-running towards the doors, I slowed inside, looking around at the lit lobby, nothing too fancy, yet elegant at the same time. Walking up to the front desk where a man sat, I stopped, standing the suitcase up.

"May I help you?" the man asked, and I tilted my head slightly to get a better look at him before answering. He had a heavy, what sounded like German, accent, thick, shaggy eyebrows that moved as he talked, and wire-rimmed glasses. His nose was long and narrow, crooked in one place, which hinted at it being broken one time in his life, his eyes were a startling, eccentric light blue, his hair dark and streaked with silver lines of grey.

"Yes, I need a room for one," I say, feeling slightly awkward, even more so when he leaned forward slightly towards me.

"Yes, I know you need a room, but is there anything else that you need?" His question caught me completely off-guard and I blinked a couple times, shaking my head.

"No, I don't think so, at least, why do you ask?" I responded, now a little suspicious. He laughed, the sound deep and rougher than I expected.

"Why pass through life with questions?" he asked, and I blinked again, confused by his strange answer, but he continued before I could respond. "Room E169 on floor 3," he said, and I frowned slightly as he rattled off the price almost too quickly for me to hear. Now more than a little confused by the strange man, I took the room key from him, grabbing the suitcase and walking towards the elevator. After I pressed the button the doors opened almost immediately, and I stepped inside, turning around and pressing the number 3 button. Looking up as the doors began to close, my eyes moved over to the man, who winked before the doors closed around me. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly, wondering what he had been talking about back at the counter, why he had asked that question… He hadn't sounded at all like a hotel manager, either; He hadn't told me anything about the hotel or asked me my name, or even told me his. Was he new or something? Would he get in trouble because I had never caught his flaws and corrected him, something? I was contemplating going back down to talk to him once more when the elevator beeped and the doors opened.

The hallway I stepped out into was lit by wall lights, but only about half of them seemed to be working, and long shadows were cast about from simple things such as tables and door handles. Looking around as I walked across the grey-and-blue carpet, I looked at the numbers on the doors. On the right were E numbers, the left F. The hallway was long, seeming to get darker the farther in. Thunder crashed again outside, and the lights flickered again for an instant before the entire hallway went pitch black.

My heart beat sped up as I swung my head from side-to-side. There should be at least some light, but there was nothing. And didn't the hotel have a backup generator? Out of the corner of my eye I saw a red flash of movement, spinning to look. Lightning flashed as I spun around behind me, and instantly my blood ran cold and my body froze at the thing standing in front of me.

The eyes were sunken deeply in, black, wide circles ringing them. The skin was deathly pale, like a porcelain doll in the sunlight, and long ragged hair that looked to be in dread locks framed its face. As the light disappeared, one thing continued to stare back out at me: Scarlet, bloodshot and glowing eyes.

My mouth opened to scream but no sound came out, and I could only imagine how much like a fish I looked as I stumbled backwards, blinking furiously. My eyes opened again and refocused, but whatever it had been was gone, and not a moment later the lights were coming back on, illuminating the hall and bathing me in yellow hues. I heard the elevator door ding again, and my eyes switched over there, my chest still rising and falling unsteadily as what looked like a maintenance man stepped out. He paused, seeing me, blinked, then stepped towards me.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked, his voice gruff but not in an unfriendly way, his skin dark, hair brown, and his eyes a welcoming dark hazel.

"Uh, my room is up here, E169," I say, stuttering slightly, and he frowned.

"That can't be, because this whole floor is closed for maintenance. Mind if I see the room key?" he asked, walking over to me. I nodded and held it out to him.

"Sure, here you go," I said as he took it, arching his eyebrows as he handed it back.

"It says B49," he said, and my mouth dropped slightly as I read the small encrypted lettering.

"I could've sworn that the man at the counter said E169," I say, shaking my head slightly, and he smiled understandingly.

"It must've been his accents, everyone finds it hard to understand him," he said, and I gave out a small smile.

"Yeah, it was kinda tough," I admitted, my brain still warped and fuzzy from the weird vision thing I had just had. "So section B is on the first floor, right?" I guessed, and he nodded.

"Yep, though I'd take the stairs just in case we have a blackout," he said, and I arched my eyebrows slightly, nodding.

"You mean another?" He blinked, cocking his head slightly to the side.

"Another?" he asked, and I frowned.

"Yeah, the lights just all went out for a minute or so just now," I said, choosing to keep what had happened during that time to myself. He shook his head slightly.

"Maybe it was just this room, I guess I'll have to check the lights as well," he said quickly, starting to walk off to the end of the hall, seeming to be in a hurry that he wasn't in when he got out of the elevator. What was he hiding? Shrugging, I watched him go before heading towards the staircase set off to the side of the elevator, making my way down. The second floor seemed to be perfectly fine, no eerie sense to them or odd silence. I could hear a TV from one of the rooms, a radio from another. When I came onto the bottom floor, I followed a short, curved hallway to the rooms. This floor was the same as the second, and even a couple people were hanging out by one of the doors. Quickly finding room 49 on the left, I swiped the card and walked in, shutting the door behind me. Flipping a couple light switches on just inside, I looked around. On my right was a little clothes hanger, on my left an open door to a bathroom. Walking forward into the bedroom, I looked at the queens' sized bed that sat with the headrest against the wall in the middle of the room. A desk sat across from it, a dresser with a TV on it across from that. A small trunk was at the foot of the bed, and a large window with dark drapes covered half of the far wall, where a table and three chairs sat. Setting my suitcase down beside the bed, I walked over to the window, pushing the curtains open slightly and looking out onto an empty, well-lit road, a small field extending to the woods behind it.

Sighing softly I walked back to the other side of the bed, opening my suitcase and finding a pair of shorts and a loose T-shirt, quickly changing into it. Closing my eyes and sighing deeply, I realized for a moment how tired I actually was. I hadn't been getting too much sleep lately; I'd been too busy with end-of-school work, getting ready to go off to college, and so on. Then there was always farm work. Mom had hired a stable hand, but still, I loved working with the horses and being around them. So sue me.

Reopening my eyes, I grabbed my toothpaste and toothbrush, making my way into the bathroom. A few moments later I came back out, still making faces at the taste of the toothpaste. Dropping the bag onto my suitcase, I pulled back the sheets of the bed, climbing in. Yet no matter how much I willed myself to sleep, I just couldn't, and continued to toss and turn in the hotel bed, tangling the sheets. Finally I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling, just thinking.

When Aishling and I had both been seventeen, just a year ago, we had been living in Connaught, Ireland. Mom had always made it a point for us to know English, so we had grown up speaking both Irish and English fluently. When we had moved we had been about to start out senior year of high school. Mom insisted we were moving just so that Aish and I could "see more of the world", but we had never really been exactly convinced, and had spent long hours into the night talking about it. Mom had seemed in too big of a hurry to leave our small town for it to be something as simple as that, and she had never brought it up before our entire lives. It seemed almost like she was running from something (or someone?), but that seemed crazy. Why would she have to leave our country just suddenly when we had never had troubles before in our lives? Our three-years-older brother, Cathal, had refused to come to the United States, reminding Mom that he was already living in his own house and building his own life in Ireland, and that he wouldn't leave now. I felt a slight pang as I thought about him; He never exactly acted like a brother to me, but like a friend that always had my back, even if him and Aish were almost constantly bickering.

Shaking my head slightly I rolled over onto my side, forcing my eyes to close. There was no reason in thinking about back home. Sure, I loved Ireland, with the rolling green landscapes and flowing creeks and the dense woods and thriving wildlife, but I had always been interested in the US, as well, and now that's where I am! Almost immediately my mind switched from Ireland to the hotel. First off, I know that the man's accent was a little difficult, but what was up with the Skeletal Man up on the third floor, and the way the maintenance guy was acting? It just made no sense to me. In my mind danced the image of the creepy face, and I jerked them open. Now how was I to sleep? Sighing, I forced my thoughts to go to memories of running through the forests and riding horses through the fields of Ireland. Focusing mainly on the horses, the smell of their breath and the velvet or their muzzles and silk of their hides, I pushed all other thoughts from my mind, a calming technique I had learned from Cathal. And after what seemed like hours of waiting, I finally, finally, found myself drifting off into sleep.




Alright, I know that not everyone knows how to speak Irish, so here's the pronounciation:
Keira-KERE, uh
Aishling-Ae,sh, LING
Cathal-Cuh-thawl
Connaught-Cuh,nawt
That was the only Irish I used in this chapter, right? Eh, if I missed one, just tell me, I guess. Yes, there possibly will be a little Irish or other languages through this story, I WILL be sure to translate. Cause I'm just so cool that I know other languages XD
These chapters I'm posting are JUST DRAFTS!!!! I want YOUR opinion on them, want YOU to find my mistakes, want YOUR ideas! This is not the finished copies; They are the drafts. Please please PLEASE give me your opinions, I basically thrive off them when it comes to writing, and I take them all seriously (sometimes XD)!

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