Kane...

I stand opposite her in the dark alley way.  I watch the curls of her long dark hair laying down her back move around with the breeze.  She opens her phone the glow lights up her beautiful face.  Her blue eyes read the screen, she memorises what it says, tucking the phone in her pocket, looking over towards the building across the road again.  We both look at the sound of the bikes all parking out front.  Then she turns and slides down against the wall.  She doesn't look worried but I can tell she is thinking this one thru thoroughly.  I usually know what she is thinking because she has been saying it out loud lately, almost like she is talking to me.  I know she feels me around her, I have never tried to hide from her.  She will probably never see my face, I will never know what it is like to kiss this one.  I can't get close to Layla, or I will break her.  

I watch her cross the road, she looks back over her shoulder towards me before she goes in, almost like she is telling me she'll be out in a minute.  I can't go in with her, I can't go into any foundation that has four walls, I have to stay outside.  I learnt the hard way many years ago how much it hurts to step foot into an enclosed area.  My energy pings around the room making it impossible to utilise the powers that I have been granted, thus making me feel weak.  So I stay outside, lurking in the shadows.  I relax a little knowing she is safe inside with Grizzly.  He knows I can't go in.   He actually knows me very well, he was my teacher.  Now both of us are designated protectors of each of the girls souls.   Yes only their souls, it has never been their bodies.  Only ever protecting just the soul.  But this time around, and about four bodies later things have changed and I get the feeling that these bodies need us to protect them as well.  

Yes I said four bodies later.  I've watched Layla's soul inside four other women's bodies since the turn of the 19th century.  I've watch each body die, I've felt such sorrow far beyond what anyone should endure.  If I protect this one and don't get to see it die I will leave this earth a happy soul myself.  Layla doesn't know her soul designated me to the job many years ago.  And as she gets older she gets wiser.  That old diary that sits in her office is teaching her.  That book has travelled thru history with each body that this powerful soul planted itself in.  But this time, the difference will be that this body will be it's last, the soul has  completed it's cycle, this body, Layla's has to produce a child to continue the line.  She will need to pass her heart and soul on naturally, and teach the new soul all she has learnt.  I'm waiting for Grizzly to advise me where I will be next.  I hope it is soon because I'm getting rather fond of Layla.  

I stay in the shadows waiting for her to come back out.  What seems like an hour turns out to be just a few minutes.  Grizzly had time slowed down, it was time we can't waste.  I watch her come back out then turn and try to door again.  Once she has crossed the road she looks back watching the building change back to its original being.  She slowly walks down the alleyway, I follow her creeping along the wall close to her.  She stops and reads her phone.  Then she speaks out loud, reprimanding herself about her safety but talking to me.  I make sure she is in her car safely and driving away before I follow her.  My shadow weaves in and out the buildings beside her.  I can't feel the breeze against my skin, I can't feel the ground below me, I never feel cold or hot.  Sun or rain.   Some things I've missed immensely.  

I'm the shadow now sitting outside her window as she reads her diary.  I watch her mind filling up with wise words.  She comes over to the glass that I am standing at the other side.  This is when I can see her clearly.  He brilliant blue eyes look straight at me.  I look down her face, looking at her beautiful lips.  Lips that I will never touch.   She leans to the glass like she is coming towards me for a kiss, I lean closer.  The glass protecting her from ever feeling the hurt.  Her breathe stains the window as she speaks to herself then she draws a smiley face on it.  I smile at her humour.  None of the other woman I've protected had such a sense of humour.  Then she says good night to me.  I look at her intently, she looks back like she can see me.  Suddenly something happens.  I jerk back with an instant spark of emotion, my heart squeezes, it feels like a beat, something I have not felt for over one hundred years.  I duck down quickly, she can't see me surely.  I look up watching the curtains closing, falling to the ground in pain I hold my hand to my chest.  A pain in my heart, a heart-breakingly awfully beautiful pain.

I sit and remember the first body who possessed this soul...Elizabeth's body.  My Elizabeth...my first love.  It was 1901 we had just finished celebrating the first year of the turn of the century.   Elizabeth and I were so in love.  I had studied medicine at a large University in England, she was working in the library.  Of course I always needed her help everyday.  And she was so bright and intelligent.  Full of life and so much wisdom at such a young age.  I fell in love with her the minute I looked into those eyes.  After a short courtship, and in such a short time I found myself falling in love with her deeply.  Probably not enough time to know everything I should've known about Elizabeth, but at the time I was so much in love with this woman.  As I became a high ranking doctor in the local hospital, Elizabeth continued as a librarian.  On rare occasions she would be secretive about things, but once again at the time, I was busy and passed it off as just her mannerism.  We ended up married, settling down.  I continued stepping up the ranks in the hospital, Elizabeth was happy in her library.  

When the subject of children entered my mind, obviously taking for granted this is what every woman wanted, she changed the subject quickly.  After a few years of the non-verbal subject, we tried for children.  But pregnancy never happened, with Elizabeth dying too early in life.  And no matter how much love we had for each other, or how much of a good doctor I may of been I couldn't save her from death.  As Elizabeth lay dying in the hospital I wallowed in despair, not knowing how I was ever going to live without her.  Until one day whilst sitting at a bar, drinking myself into a stupor, a large hairy bearded man, similar looking to a viking sat down beside me.  Grizzly was his name.  I knew he wasn't from around this part of the world, his language was hard to understand.  With my head hung low, sorrow taking over my life he told me he could help me.  But I would have to give my life to save her soul.  

While I sat and thought about it he continued drinking shot after shot of vodka.  Her body was already gone, but I could save her soul.  After thinking about it I accepted the deal.  That same night I went to see Elizabeth.  I leant down and kissed her goodbye.  Lip to lip I felt her soul leave her body and enter mine.  I felt her pain, I felt the sickness burn inside of me, later in the century finding out it was named cancer.  Her soul buried itself deep inside me.  I then went home and went to sleep.  The next day I arose.  Everything seemed normal.  That was until I turned and found my own body slump in a chair, dead.  My body was over there and I was here.  Elizabeth and my body were buried together.  I no longer walked this earth  as a human, I was just a ghost protecting a soul.  After that Grizzly made me continue on my journey finding the next person to receive the soul.  I retained only one thing of Elizabeth's life, and that was her wisdom, her wise soul.   The only other thing was her diary...so from that day forward I started following the diary.

The diary sat in a second hand book shop for many years until it was picked up by a beautiful Italian woman named Nina...           

Layla...

I open up my phone reading the address once more.  I look up at the dingy, rusty sign above the door.  'The Drinking Hole.'   Great, straight from the frypan into the fire.  I decide to stand across the road for a little while watching what sort of people are coming and going.  The rumble of bikes all slowing down out front makes me take a step back into the shadow.  I see about ten large bikers all dismount their bikes.  I can't quite read their patch from this far but they all look the same.  Big, hairy and tough.  I'm not scared of them, but I definitely have to be smart about this.  I look down at my phone and read the text message again just to make sure I've got all the facts right.

'Meet me at The Drinking Hole anytime after midnight.  No need to ask for me I'll find you.'  I look back across as the last of the bikers is entering the pub.  I squint my eyes trying to read what the patch says.  'Soul Keeper's Bike Club.'  I slip down the wall in the dark alley deciding to sit here for a few more minutes, try to get my head around all the events of the last few weeks.  I'm not scared to go in there, these days no-one seems to frighten me.  I just need to make sure I ask the right questions, and not reveal any sort of weakness, or I know I'll get eaten alive.  'Grizzly' is the man I need to speak to, his name alone means he doesn't muck around.  I know very little about him except he knows something about my big sister Brittany's disappearance.  I've spent several weeks back-tracking her steps, and they all lead to him.  So now, without getting angry about it, I need to play the game, play by his rules for now at least until I find out what happened to Britt.

I check the time on the phone...12.14.  I stand up, dust off my backside, straighten up my t-shirt and head over.  Before I go in I glance back over to the alley, just to check if I need to run that will be my escape route.  I take a deep breathe and push the door open.  The place is darker than the alley I just left.  All I can see is smoke lingering above my head, it twists about from the night air I just allowed to enter.   In the dim light I can see a barman cleaning a glass standing looking at me.  A few of the bikers I just watched come in are sitting at the bar, they all look at me at the same time and in sync.  My head turns slightly seeing the booths on the other side are all full of more hairy men all wearing the same patched vests.  I start to walk towards one of them, bugger this I'm going to ask the first person I catch eyes with for Grizzly.  But when I get up close to one of them, he totally ignores me, not even turning his head towards me.

I put my hands on my hips ready to tell him how rude he is but as I open my mouth to say something my head turns towards a sound.  Suddenly next to me is man, he has an amazing blue aura that is swirling around him making an almost sizzling sound.  I take a small step back.  I look up at him.  He is an incredibly tall, amazingly broad and absolutely towers over me.  If this is Grizzly the name suits him from the tip of his boots right up to that big head of hair, all the way up there.  And his aura is actually sizzling in my earhole.  I move my hand up to my ear not understanding the sound I can hear.  I look back up at him, I blink a few times not knowing what is happening and trying not to stare before he speaks to me.       

"You Layla?" he asks me direct.  I hesitate before I answer him.  The air around us is thick.  

"Yeah..." I answer him making quick eye contact then looking back down.  I stand looking down at my shoes.  'Will I turn and run?'  

"Don't run away, come sit with me" he says.  I look back at the man I was about to talk to, almost apologetic for disturbing his evening before I follow Grizzly.  Did that man hear all the sizzling sound?  I haven't heard that before when I've met someone.  I know the man probably didn't see Grizzly's aura, most people don't but that sound was amazing.  I keep walking too busy thinking to realise Grizzly has stopped.  I bang right into the back of him.  It was like walking into a brick wall.  'Sorry' I say softly.  I clumsily plonk myself down on the bench.  I look around realising just how much darker it is way up the back here, way darker than up at the bar.  Everyone must of stopped talking when I came in, because all the sudden everyone starts talking to each other.  I wiggle myself back, my feet hardly touching the ground.  There is no way I could run from this position.  I lean forward putting my hands on the table, keeping hold of my phone and give Grizzly a look like I'm waiting.

"You don't need to run from me, I'm not going to hurt you" he says reading my thoughts.

"I'm not gunna run, and I'm not scared of you" I say with no hesitation.  'I know your not scared of me' he says looking at me but moving his lips.  Shit he just spoke to me without opening his mouth.  I've heard people talking to me before then no-one has been there, it must of been him.

"Your not recording this or anything are you?" he growls looking at my phone clenched tightly in my hand, changing both the conversation and his manner quickly.  I look at him.  I can't hear the sizzling sound anymore and his aura has settled close to him.  I always try and look at people in the face rather than the light around them, but his colour was spectacular making me having to concentrate more.  

"No...don't need to...I'll remember everything you say to me word by word, it's a talent of mine" I answer leaning a little bit more forward and sounding smart-arsely.  He sits back, crossing his arms over his chest.  A woman appears with two small shot glasses of what looks like vodka, don't be stupid Layla, it might not be vodka at all.  Grizzly picks up his glass smirking as he holds it up waiting for me to pick up the other.  I'm fighting myself inside at the moment, knowing I shouldn't drink this, but knowing I will offend him if I don't.  I pick it up and raise it like his before we both simultaneously swing our heads back and drink it in one gulp.  We both slam the glasses down at the same time, with him slightly smiling at me now.  I can feel the liquid sliding down my throat, burning it's way down.  I'm waiting for some sort of affect, maybe I'll just faint, my head falling on the table with a crash, then wake up from this nightmare...but no...all it does it make me feel more relaxed.

"Where is my sister?" I ask him directly.

"You have the same eyes as her" he says teasing me.  He is wrong I have incredibly blue eyes, Brits eyes are green.  I wonder if he even knows anything, or has even met Brit.  I sit back leaning my head against the back of the seat constructing what I'll ask next.  And by the way he hasn't even see my eyes.

"Are you going to tell me or am I just wasting my time?" I ask sounding a little sad.  He can see my emotions have changed.  He fidgets a little.

"She's safe...that's all you need to know at the moment."  I'm so tired of this, talk to me god damn you.

"That's not fair...you need to give me more than that...where is she? Why does she need to 'be safe'? What danger is she in?" I ask losing control slightly.  I know he is going to lock up.  I'm so stupid.  I lower my head, letting one tear roll down my face.

"Your not being stupid.  You just need to trust me Layla.  Don't cry girl, you showed so much courage coming in here, you need to keep that feeling, don't show any weakness."  Then he gets up and walks away into the darkness.  I can't see any sign of him, Christ it's dark in here.  I take a deep breathe, I place my elbows on the table and start rubbing my forehead with my fingers.  I'm no closer to working out where to go next.  'I'll find you, when the time is right' I hear whispered into my ear. My hair moves with the breathe that has just been spoken to me.  I quickly turn my head to see who is there but there is no-one.  I can't see his aura but I could smell him.  

I open my phone up causing a dim light to glow around me.  I glance up knowing I'm being watched.  It's the same feeling I always get.  I never feel scared from it, I've actually never felt scared from anything, I don't even know what that feeling is.  I've just always felt safe.  Even when I've put myself in these sort of dangerous situations I have never worried that I'm going to survive, I just know I will.  I take one more look around but I can't see anyone else aura's in this pub but, even though I know there are at least another fifteen bodies sitting around me.  I shuffle out of the booth and walk towards the door blindly.  I glance over at the barman, who is still in the same position cleaning glasses.  The same three men are still sitting at the bar, this time they don't even acknowledge me.  I look sideways at the man I was about to speak to before but he is still looking away from me.  Everything seems like it is frozen in time.  I walk out of the door hearing the lock turning behind me.  Just out of curiosity I push the door to go back in but it is locked.  Strange, but that is my life, strange most of the time.  

I weave my way between the bikes, crossing the road to walk back into the alleyway towards my car.  I take one more look back at the pub.  To my amazement the bikes are all gone, and rickety sign 'The Drinking Hole' is gone and instead there is an abandoned shop front sitting there.  I look up the street seeing if I can see anyone or anything but everything is surreally quiet.  I've seen places just appear and disappear before but I've never seen this many men just silently appear and disappear, this is new for me.  I start heading down the dark alleyway thinking about all the things Grizzly said.  I wish I could just work it all out.  My phone chimes with an incoming text.

'The time is near, soon you will know, keep safe for me until then girl.'  I read the message.  Grizzly just called me 'girl' back in the pub.  It must be from him.  I tuck my phone in my back pocket.  I can feel someone watching me.  I know, I know I'm going I say to myself, or rather to 'it.'  I get in my car turn on the lights, seeing the shadow of 'it' moving along the brick wall.  I remember when I was small, seeing my own shadow, this shadow is unlike that.  This presence is big, always vertical, always following me, but never close enough for me to see it clearly.  I've only just started talking to 'it' in the last few weeks.  I've actually just started talking to myself because Britt isn't around to talk to.  I've started telling 'it' my progress in finding Britt.  I wish I didn't just have myself to talk to, but sometimes it's kind of soothing telling someone my next move, sort of letting a parent know where you at, a security thing maybe.  Anyway I finish that thought telling 'it' I'm going home.  

I drive away, my mind ticking over and over.  Where are you Britt? I won't sleep for hours now.  When I get home I head straight for my office.  I climb up on the small ladder reaching up to the top shelf, pulling down a dusty old book I've owned ever since I can remember.  Of course back then I couldn't read it, but over the years I've ended up reading it numerous times.  I go straight to the section on aura's focusing in on if any sounds are associated and the meaning.  'A sound with an aura means a strong presence...usually held by a protector, and usually only heard by what it is protecting.'  I read on.  'Unable to share their power, which is usually strength, you will only see it when needed but will never be able to predict when or where they will appear.  Most appear as an animal such as wolf, bear or lion.'  I sit back chewing the pencil I've been jotting down notes with.  Grizzly was strong that's for sure, Grizzly...Grizzly bear maybe?  Share their power? I want to know more about this.  But I yawn, a good sign for me.  Quick go to bed before you start reading some more.  I close the book and put it back in it's hiding place.  Way up out of reach.  

I look at the window realising I haven't closed the curtain.  I move over to the window putting my face up against the glass 'good night my guardian angel' I say watching my breathe stain the glass.  I draw two dots and a smile in the breathe stain and wonder if I've been heard.  I walk off to bed ready to dream about things that happened tonight, maybe this will answer some of my questions.  

Layla...

I got up the next day, stretching walking thru the house opening up all the curtains and windows letting the light shine in.  My shadow is different by the day, it's a made up of patchy movements, it shuffles around with the leaves, rolls across the earth with the clouds.  I have a quick breakfast then head into my office.  I had given up work, a librarian about six months ago to write a book, but never started because Brittany needed my help.  She had developed health problems, and was suffering deep inside worst than I ever knew.  We had always been close, but the last year she had made herself so distant from me.  I ended up rummaging thru her room when she went missing only to find her diary, full of mis-givings, and dark thoughts.  But all the way thru it there was always beautiful words about her protector.  Grizzly.  Her writings told of her meeting him finally.  I wondered if that was real or in her dreams.  Her description of him was so clear.  That's why when I finally met him I was not scared of him.

I checked my phone continually waiting to hear from Grizzly again.  I spent all day reading thru Britts diary, trying to find any hidden messages that I may of missed.  'You won't find anything, you need to look elsewhere' someone whispered to me.  I turned quickly trying to see any sign, but the door moving slightly was the only indication.  I got up and walk thru the house talking to myself like usual.

"Please Grizzly, please help me" I pleaded.  I felt my hand being picked up, leading me outside into the small area that I had filled with plants and wind chimes. The sun was going down, it's rays shining thru the trees, blinding me as I walked towards the bench by the fountain.  Instead of sitting I sat on a rock beside a water feature that trickled slowly mesmerising me.  I waited for more while I dangled my hand in the water looking at the reflection of the colours above me spreading across the sky like a water colour.   'What do you want me to see Grizzly?' I said in my mind.  I looked closely at the reflection to see a red door.  It had a gargoyle face holding a large brass ring.  I knelt down looking intensely into the water.  I put my face closer only a few inches away from the water.  I leaned back wiping my eyes not believing what I could see.  I was looking at a mans reflection behind me.  I didn't want to the lose the reflection so I didn't move I just looked.

He was a handsome, clean cut man in a suit.  His hair was sort of long but neat.  His face was soft, well shaven.  He wasn't big built but perfect.  His hand was in his pocket casually.  And he was glaring at the back of my head unaware I could see him.  He was just standing there.  I could see an emerald green aura surrounding him.  I strained to see if I could hear anything.  I moved my face away a little, watching his movement move back with mine.  He was very wary of my movement.  'I can see you'  I said softly.  I watched his face change instantly.  He looked worried backing up a little so I couldn't see him so well.  'Please don't leave me'  I said our loud softly.  He stopped in his tracks and glared at the water at my reflection. I slowly turned hoping I would see him for real.  When I turned there was a real man standing there, I fell back on my bum in shock.  He looked just as shocked as me especially because I could actually see him.  My eyes scanned down him.  I didn't attempt to get up I just sat there like a crumpled up new born lamb.  I could hear sizzling in my ears again.  It didn't annoy me as much but.  

"Hi" I said cautiously.  He took a step back turning to see if I was actually talking to someone behind him or something.  He seriously didn't not know what was going on.  'Please don't go' I think looking up at him.  That stopped him.

"Can...can you actually see me?" he asks me in a deep english accent.  I slowly get up trying not too make any sudden moves.

"Yeah I can" I say to him putting my hands in my pockets so he knows I'm not going to touch him.  He sits down on the bench in shock. 'Not possible' he hear him say to himself.

"What is your name?" I ask him without moving closer. 

"Kane...and your Layla" he says to me like he knows all the sudden I can see him.  

"I am" I say to him.  Awkward silence happens.  I mean what do I say to a shadow that has followed me around for the last few years coming alive.  Well I'll assume that he is 'it'...the shadow that looks out for me.

"Who are you?  Does this have something to do with Grizzly? Do you know where my sister is?" I ask him trying not to make him feel uncomfortable.  'Stupid girl...I just ask way too many questions!' I say to myself. 

"No you haven't.  I want to tell you everything but I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to at this stage.  Will you just trust me a little Layla?"  I just nod a yes response.

"You have a really beautiful green aura around you" I say to him.  He looks over to me, the sizzling sound sizzles as he moves but he doesn't say anything just smiles at me.  I rub my arms with the chill of the evening making the earth cool down quickly.  

"Do you want to come inside?" I ask him as I get up.

"I can't...I mean I don't go in to dwellings."  He says in the most gorgeous english accent.  He looks at the door.  I know he wants to come in.  

"Will you wait here so I can just go get a jacket...promise me you won't go" I plead with him.  He gets up when I start walking away.  He follows me all the way to my back door.  He looks all around so tempted to walk on in.  I turn when I'm just inside the door.  He puts one foot in.  Then another.  I can see him anticipating some sort of pain or something because he looks really worried.  His aura has faded also.  I put my hand out for him but he doesn't take it.  'I can't touch you Layla' I hear softly as he cautiously walks further in the house.  He follows me into my office and stands near the window looking out, like he is planning his escape.  

"Kane...Will you sit down and explain to me what is happening, or at least just a little bit until you can tell me it all."  He sits down opposite me.

As you know I am not of this earth.  I traded my life to protect a soul.  Grizzly made the deal.  Many years ago I was very much in love with a woman named Elizabeth, twas her soul I traded to protect..." I interrupt him instantly.

"Elizabeth Banks?" I say.  He looks shocked.  Then he leans back.  As far as ghost or spirits go I didn't see him go white, but I think he just did.

"How do you know Elizabeth?"

"I have her diary.  I sort of collect old books and this one came to me a few years ago.  I wish I had met her.  She was wise beyond her years, I would love to know what happened to her."

"Elizabeth died in 1905, she was in her 25th year of age.  She was much loved by her husband and missed terribly.  They say he died of a broken heart the day she left this earth."  And with saying this I watched him fade away from me.

"Kane...please don't leave me.  I have so many questions.  I need you" I yell at first, then realise I'm sitting by myself.  I start to sob big fat tears.  'Don't cry baby girl'  I ear whispered in my ear.  I sniff back my tears.  I get up and go into my bedroom.  At the foot of my bed is a chest full of my most treasured books.  If their was a fire this is what I would drag to safety.  I kneel down and open up the lid.  I carefully move the books around until I find what I'm looking for.  I wipe the dark leather cover a little before I open up and read the writing scrolled across the top of the first page.  'To my sweet Elizabeth, please write down all your words of wisdom, so maybe one day I can read them and become a wise old owl like you, all my love, Kenneth x.'  I sniffle again and sit on the floor opening up the book again.  I end up sitting there all night reading the diary from front to back.  I wish someone like Kenneth loved me.