Echo - Nicolae/Sebastian

The sun stung Dawn's eyes as she awakened from her short slumber. Her right temple ached from being pressed against the flat tempered glass window of the bus. A small yawn escaped her and suddenly, she found herself missing her bed. Dawn wondered whether the bed in Mr. Jones' cabin would be as comfortable as her own. She wondered when the next time she'd taste her mother's famous baked mac and cheese would be. She wondered when she'd see her family again. Dawn was homesick.

She found her mind drifting to their farewell. Mrs. Edmond had cried as much as the day Amy left for college, except Amy was an hour and a half drive from her family. Mystery Spell was well over three hours from Camden. Dawn could only promise to visit every holiday. Mr. Edmond gulped and blinked away his tears as he enfolded his eldest daughter in his arms one last time before her departure. Even Amy had traveled to town to wish her sister well. The youngest sister had promised to eat all of their mother's mac and cheese on Dawn's behalf and take extra-long showers in her name. The eldest sister gave her a playful shove before pulling her into an embrace. Goodbyes were bittersweet, but Dawn found herself wondering when the sweet part would begin.

"Don't trust anyone you don't know," Dawn's mother reminded her as she boarded the bus to Mystery Spell. She was certain she had been given that piece of advice the moment she was old enough to walk herself to grade school, even if her father had stood at the next block keeping watch.

Dawn nodded at her mother, putting her at ease. She had not feared a stranger since the red eyes had ambushed her years prior. She had never learned their intentions, but she knew to stay away from anyone and anything with pointy teeth and crimson irises.

"Remember to breathe," her father had offered, referring to the supernatural abilities she struggled to keep in check. Dawn's parents feared for her, and part of her wondered if they also feared her. Some days, she feared her power too. Nevertheless, she waved goodbye one last time and disappeared into the bus corridor.

As much as Dawn struggled to stay awake and enjoy the scenic drive, her lack of sleep had caught up to her. The new city jitters had hit at exactly eleven thirty in the evening and had not gone away since. Dawn was exhausted. She pressed her head to the window once more and stared at the lulling road until the clouds covered the sky and the road gradually turned black. The bus started sinking into a dark river of thick sludge. Dawn looked around her, watching as everyone slept on but her. "Wake up!" She yelled at the passengers, but everyone appeared unconscious. She unbuckled her seat belt and ran to the driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel. "Wake up!" Dawn cried and shook the driver to no avail. The front of the bus tipped deeper into the sludge, and she watched as the black water entered the bus windows, flooding the floor. She stood atop a passenger seat in attempt to kick the window out, but her efforts only lost her time and cost her energy. "Wake up!" Dawn shook another passenger as she saw the black waters engulf the passenger's legs and waist. She gasped at the horror and ran to the back of the bus striking the back window with her fists. In the distance, she saw the silhouette of a woman bathing in the black waters, her voice becoming louder by the second.

"Wake up, Miss." Dawn nearly jumped out of her skin as a hand touched her shoulder. "We're here," uttered the driver. Dawn looked around in confusion. Every passenger had exited the bus except for her. "I was about to call the paramedics on you. You scared me half to death."

"I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well," she measured her words.

With a gentle smile, he led her off the bus and helped her find her belongings in the undercarriage. Dawn thanked the man and apologized profusely. With two duffel bags over each rolling suitcase and a tote over her shoulder, Dawn walked to the closest bench from the city center bus stop. She sat, exhausted and distraught over her dream. She had left her old life, but she could never escape her unwanted powers or her unwelcome dreams.

"Do you mind if I join you?" A tall and lean man asked. Dawn nodded, although she much preferred to brood alone. "You seem to have rather sizeable luggage. Are you new to town?" He asked in an English accent Dawn was not accustomed to hearing, for her hometown's tourism had always been low.

"Leaving perhaps," she replied honestly. Dawn felt like a child the moment she set foot in Mystery Spell, missing the comfort of her daily routine, and wanting to run to the safety of her parents' arms.

"But it seems you have just arrived," the stranger recognized.

"How can you tell? Was it my frightened doe eyes or did the jacket give it away?" Dawn pulled the edge of her black Camden Community College jacket to point out the obvious. She wore an old Pearl Jam band t-shirt with faded blue jeans and black ankle boots, a common combination among young ladies her age, yet she stood out like a sore thumb.

"Not many lilac haired women visit Mystery Spell. I would have seen you before, I'm certain," he smiled warmly.

"I dyed it recently," Dawn fibbed instinctively, pulling back a strand of her loose lilac hair. The last thing she wanted was to scare the residents of her new town as she had the elderly Camden neighbor the day she had discovered her hair's true color as a young girl.

"Searching for a change, I see. Did you purchase those gray contacts as well?" the stranger probed, as curious as ever.

Dawn blinked a few times. "Contacts... No," she stated, observing a peculiar look in the stranger's eyes. "I'm Dawn, by the way, graduate student, new to town," she offered, wondering if she had disclosed too much to a stranger. 'Don't trust anyone you don't know,' her mother's words came to mind.

"Nicolae, businessman, long-time resident," he replied. He was charming, certainly not someone Dawn would perceive as a threat. "Tell me, Dawn, have you lost your way to the dorms?"

Dawn shook her head. "I haven't lost my way. At least I don't think so. I just haven't been away from home before. I always thought becoming independent would be liberating...easier."

Nicolae smiled tenderly. "Change is always difficult, but home will always wait. We owe searching for something greater to ourselves. This change could be the beginning of something better," he stated, hitting the nail on the head. He spoke like a wise man, words only someone as wise as Dawn's father could have ever said.

"Thank you. You're right. I do owe myself something better," she admitted. The stranger finally earned a smile from Dawn. "But what brings you to this bench of despair, businessman Nicolae?"

"I come here almost every day and... and wait," he spoke in a solemn tone, measuring his words.

"For what?" Dawn questioned inquisitively.

"For better."

Dawn searched his gray eyes for an answer, but he spoke of the subject no further. Nicolae was an enigma, but a good first acquaintance. Her stay in Mystery Spell was looking up... for the better.

★ ★★★★

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