WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GABRIEL GRIMMEL

1.

It was that weekend within Castlemount Arms hotel where he first met twin sisters Janice and Alice and where a path towards the future really began to take shape. Gabriel Grimmel had faith that Vampires and Humans could live together in peace or at least apart in peace, but that faith has most definitely been tested on a number of occasions.

Of course, it was during that very weekend when the more angelic twin had been turned into a Vampire though this had not been something that came via the hands or rather fangs of Gabriel neither had it been done with his approval or knowledge. As it was, such things were not to occur and he who broke the truce paid the price, punished by the hands of Gabriel himself.

Parents, Brian, and Denise were left to return home with only one of their daughters not knowing what happened to or ever giving up on finding their other daughter though as we know finding Alice or ever getting to see her again were two things that they would never get to do.

Even though Gabriel had a preference to take care of and look after himself and only himself, it did matter to him as to what happened to other Vampires both day walkers and non-day walkers alike, but it was the day walkers that mattered to him the most as there are so few left in existence with he himself of course being one of them.

There was this power, a charm mastered by only a few, along with a fearful and dark respect held for him that aided to bring about a gathering. He had a strong group of followers ready to do as he asked, and Alice became a permanent part of this group of followers. Janice too was willing to follow and do whatever Gabriel may ask of her. There was a certain mysticism to the hold he had over Janice and despite her desire to be taken and turned by Gabriel she would remain human at least for the time being in the interest of human-vampire relations as Gabriel himself would put it. Sure, his power was strong, and a plan became enhanced.

To turn Janice so close to that weekend would deter from the grand plan. For a start it would only add to the anger and outrage already going against him. Turning her so early indeed would only throw spanner in the works. To those who knew her, Alice is gone, presumed missing, perhaps worse. If Janice was to disappear, willingly or not, well Gabriel would not be willing to test the waters to which Janice's disappearance would create ripples in. What happened with Alice had set things back a little but not so much that all may be lost.

Despite the unwanted and unnecessary ripples, Gabriel still believed that he could move forward, though maybe the things that had already come were working more towards his advantage than against it.

Janice had returned home with her parents after that life altering weekend and for the first time in her life she was without her sister. At this point in time Janice had no idea what the future would hold. She had no idea if she would see either her sister or Gabriel again. Being without her sister was like something worse than losing a limb. It ripped at her soul and left her in her own private maze where every turn leads to a dead end. Adding on to her despair was a strong longing to be near Gabriel that refused to go away.

Plans, wasn't that what been told, plans which Gabriel had for each of the twins. Surly Janice was not to be left in the cold. She knew what had been said, still things felt somewhat final.

On that first evening of being back home Janice couldn't help but cry for hours while sitting on the floor of the bedroom she had shared with her sister. They had been so close that they didn't want to have separate rooms. They may have had their differences though still they were and always will be twins.

Inconsolable, not that anyone was trying, Janice did indeed sit on the floor with her back to a wall while holding a piece of her sisters clothing. She sat crying, rocking and repeatedly backing against the wall with more than a soft thump while listening to her parents as they argued downstairs.

She at this moment didn't quite know how to feel about having had her say as to where the family trip had gone to. There was guilt obviously; if she hadn't been so insistent on having her way along with her sister then it would be quite likely that the family weekend away would have been a boring one but one the family would have returned home from still complete and intact.

However, she would not have met Gabriel if she hadn't of had her say. Her thoughts of what he is and of what her sister has become quelled her tears and her fears. Before any tears could return, a distraction would grab her attention.

A small clicking sound tapped once at Janice's bedroom window. A moment or two later it sounded again, soon it came a third time. Janice got up off the floor, went to the window, pulled back the curtain and saw her sister standing outside. Quietly Janice went downstairs and made her way outside. At first with the early evening darkness setting in she couldn't see Alice, but as Janice cautiously walked down the garden path, she could feel a presence.

This feeling, it was more than a twin's connection that she was sensing. Alice had not come alone, and Janice knew this before Alice once again made herself visible.

'Hello sister.'

'Alice, what is going on?'

To Janice, Alice sounded very different even despite the fact that Alice had only spoken two words, and when Alice stepped out of the shadows, she even looked different. She still wore all white, but she held herself differently, more confidently. Alice seemed to have a more playful tone to her voice. Her long blonde hair was now more a golden colour and her curls had a bounce just as if her hair had taken on a life of its own. She had already been heading that way before the sisters last parted, now the difference was quite clear.

'We have a visitor.'

Alice almost sang those words, just as if she were a schoolgirl and the new boy in town was about to show himself. A schoolgirl is exactly what she is and will now eternally be without of course ever having to go back to school. Janice instantly knew that her sister was referring to Gabriel, but Gabriel was no boy. If he was a regular man, he would look to be at least twice the age of the girls, with the fact of him being just what he is, putting an age on him is not such an easy thing to hazard a guess at.

Gabriel briefly stepped out from the shadows. The words he speaks ask for one thing and that was for Janice to follow him. Standing out in the back yard of the home to where Janice lives, the former home of Alice, where a strong floodlight attached high up on the back yard wall shines brightly was something that made Gabriel feel just a little uncomfortable.

He did not want to be seen by the girl's parents. Brian would seriously blow a gasket if he knew who was standing just outside in his back yard. Knowing how much of a hothead Brian is, Gabriel did not want to allow himself to lose control of his own emotions. How can there be peace of any sort if he himself doesn't set an example?

Janice followed Gabriel as he turned and walked away, she hurried herself so that she could walk along-side him while Alice walked a few steps behind. The setting sun hid behind the horizon and conditions were ideal for Gabriel to take a stroll with the girls.

'I am sorry about how things worked out' he told Janice, 'I never intended for things to turn out the way that they have.'

Janice had her head turned slightly so she could watch Gabriel's face as he spoke. Both girls were quite tall, though Gabriel was a good head and shoulder taller. Janice faced forward and smiled almost being oblivious to everything and anything else other than what was in this moment. Even with the way things have turned out, she felt good walking next to Gabriel.

'You know, Humans and Vampires have been going at each other all through history, all I ever hoped for was for all this fighting to come to an end. There is no need for it. All the killing, all the violence, it isn't necessary. There are billions of people on this big piece of rock, there are even quite a few vampires in this world. As for me and my kind though, well there are not so many of us. You see, as I have told you already, I am a day walker, a different breed of Vampire than that of the more common kind and there are not so many of this kind, my kind left.'

Janice listened intently to every word that came out of Gabriel's mouth. Keeping a short distance between herself and the other two Alice held her head low and grinned as she watched her sister walking next to Gabriel. Briefly looking back towards Alice Gabriel would continue to speak.

'When I met you and your sister, I was full of hope; the future seemed to hold great potential. With the two of you I saw an opportunity, but someone messed up and things got a little out of control. The whole point of that weekend was to attempt to end the fighting to some degree. The human race does not need to fear us. All is not lost though. I need you Janice just as I need Alice too. Right now, I need you to be home with your parents, they need you too, and Alice, well she will stay with me.'

Alice moved forwards. She reached out and took her sister by her right elbow. Janice turned. Her awe of Gabriel had kept her in silence. The two sisters hugged. Gabriel kept walking.

'See you soon, I will keep in touch' spoke Gabriel. 'Remember, you know nothing of tonight ...' his voice trails off.

When Janice turned to look back toward Gabriel, he was gone and Janice was left staring at a distant darkening sky tinted with streaks of pink and purple with the light from a sinking sun, nearing level with that horizon, light of course from a sun which Alice had attempted to keep away from, hiding in the shadows that the evening had brought.

Alice soon began to walk away, it was time for the sisters to part company and as they did, Alice looked back at Janice and gave a slight wave, her bright red lips said 'bye' without any sound passing through them. The strangest of sensations hit Janice right where she stood. Never before had she felt so alone and never before had she felt part of something so big, the world, her world had expanded big time.