Chapter 3

“Jeremy,” Abriel cooed, “Come to mami and papi!” His muscles flexed as he extended his arms wide. 

The toddler, filled with goos and gaas, panting, grabbing onto things in his little journey towards us. His eyes glinted with mischief.

Our grins were enormous. This little man was so adorable and growing up so fast. He managed to steal our hearts just by being here with us.

I was never this happy in my life. I had a doting and loving husband with the best kid in the world.

We were currently in the neighborhood, taking our usual stroll. We passed houses left and right, not caring that it was dead in the night. We stopped at the usual spot. The park of adventures, as Abriel would put it. This was Jeremy’s favorite place to play when he couldn’t get to sleep.

He made it, grabbing on to Abriel’s arm, holding on like it was the only lifeline he had to stay upright. He produced a cute frustrated noise when he would fall on his butt. 

It amazed me how someone so small had so much spirit in him. Jeremy was the definition of life itself. He made me proud everyday. He was learning how to walk, but soon, he would be talking up a storm.

I felt giddy at the thought. Our little family would have ourselves a talker just like his father.

He picked our son up with ease.

That’s ma man, I thought. I placed my hands on each of his cheeks, bringing him in for a kiss.

He pulled away smiling. “What has got you in such a good mood? I usually initiated the kisses.” he asked, chuckling.

I shrugged. “I’m happy. That’s it.” And, I meant it. Joy exploded inside me the moment these two came into my life. They destroyed all the dark that stayed in the past and that's where those memories were to stay. I agreed with a huff.

Jeremy goo-ed, turning to face me. He reached for me. I went to carry him. I brought our noses to touch and nuzzle causing him to giggle. He loved it when I did that just as much as blowing a raspberry on his tummy.

I flipped him, carrying my like a price. He had gotten so big that I had to use my extra strenghth in order to blow on his stomach. 

He would giggle as soon as my breath fanned his tummy. A sign I took as an invitation for more and more.

I did it a few more times, until his fits of giggles subsided, a sign he had over indulged himself. It got to be too much.

He bawled like a newborn.

“Shh, it’s okay. Mommy’s got you.” Still, his crying wouldn’t stop. “Jer?” He screamed. He was dying. His tears, red with blood. He coughed, red coming out of his mouth.

I panicked, searching for Abriel, but he was gone. I couldn't help my boy without the help of my support. Gone was everyone. I was left in the room of mirrors. 

Where I woke up a few days ago.

Luz stared back at me. Tears copying Jeremy’s red rivers.

I reached to touch the mirror. My fingers tasted the cool glass beneath it.

I was Luz. What was she trying to do? Scare me with flashbacks?

I smirked. It would take more than that, sweet cheeks, to scare me away.

One of the mirrors shined bright. I figured Idoya wouldn’t show up soon, so I took the chance and crept in.

The sound of a motor assure me that the vehicle was moving, but my observations were false. The motor was left on. Cries were muffled as the muggers stabbed the man and woman to death. I could hear the man cry out for help, yelling at the stars for any form of assistance, but it never came. I sat behind the driver’s seat staring out the window, counting how many raindrops fell to the earth. I was a naive child. That was how I coped. I didn’t know what was truly going on until years after this happened. The man was the first to die. The woman was shielding my small form. I was a child, my tiny body was positioned in the fetal position just how mommy screamed at me to do. She the spitting image of Luz. Her empty hazel eyes stared back at my own. The woman took her last breath and loosened right under me, brown hair hiding her face.

I cried, screaming at her to get up, to kiss the boo boo that was tearing on my left leg. A black dot was in there. It hurt really badly. I hissed, crying and begging for mom to get up and tell me everything was going to be okay, but she never woke up.

It was a reminder that I was useless.

Useless.

I couldn’t do anything to save them. I wanted to go on the road. I was the one who cried to her parents and demanded things that could have waited another day, another month or maybe a couple a years when it was deemed safe to drive out on the open road.

Useless.

It ran through my mind all the days of my life until one lucky day, a boy with chocolate creamed eyes took me away from the bad. He showed me how to love again. How to trust the system even if every fiber of my being told me to hang that system and run free.

“Mami,” I struggled. Her body was too heavy for me. Was this the way I was to die? Suffocating in the arms of my own mother? 

An arrangements of colors, the last thing I could ever remember of this day. The colors got louder, deafening. They took mommy and daddy away with rolling beds, sheets covering their bodies. Were they going to sleep?

They never died, I told the cops. They were merely taking a long nap. They were exhausted from providing me everything. I nodded, convincing myself. A little demented smile tugged itself on the corners of my lips. I convinced myself, but it was only to protect myself.

I was alone, now.

They weren't coming back, ever.

They were sleeping, I told them.

They were on a long vacation with the fairy godmother. They told me they would bring back souvenirs once they were done with business with Santa.

The silent tears that escaped my eyes told me otherwise. 

Never coming back.

Luz, I thought, cut it out.

I glared at the mirror showcasing a small brown head, soul less eyes glancing at me.

I would punch the soul back in those eyes. I wanted her to stop looking so pathetic and weak, I huffed.

That little girl…

Another mirror shined bright, bringing me to Luz’s first night with Abriel. The night she lost her virginity to him.

How fun.

It wasn’t up for debate, however. She threw it at my face with such a force. Luz knew my limitations of the human realm. The minx wanted to get back at me. My eyes narrowed as the memory replayed itself in my head like I was actually the one undergoing this.

“Baby. Lay on the bed.” He urged. “I’m going to make you feel good tonight.” He kissed the scar that stayed on my leg, the one from that day my parents fell into a coma. “It will feel better than what I usually do.” He wagged his eyebrows, gaining a giggle from me. Again, were those eyes filled with love that made things better than they really were.

I knew that I could instantly trust him. He would never do anything to hurt me.

Never.

Images of a broad back and mouths entwining together filled my vision.

My fists clenched under him, drowning on the feel of his hard body fitting with my soft one.

I was battling Luz. She wasn’t going to make this easy for me one bit.

The sounds of pleasure filled my ears hitting me somewhere inexplainable. I realized one of the voices belonged to the body I was using to replay this memory.

A memory that felt so real.

My breathing quickened, this sensual dance getting to be too much for me.

I observed the mirror with amusement. So, this was how humans mated.

I snickered, enjoying his motions. Luz was taking control. She was still with me, her will power outshining the witch’s magic. She might not have liked that at all. Idoya loved to feel powerful. She was the Guardian of the Eternal Prison, after all.

No wonder Idoya wanted Jeremy gone. It would hurt Luz in the cruelest way possible. I gave the hag kudos for creativity. Being inside Luz’s body made me feel what she felt, see what she saw, and decipher everything in her head from her birth to what was currently happening at this moment.  Something about this wasn’t right and she made it worse by pairing me with this human.

The witch wanted me to act like a spy. With this body, I was useless, a trait I hated with a passion. I would kill a thousand Jeremy’s just to have my pride in tact. But, no, the vixen didn’t do that. She’d let me rot for all she cared. All she wanted was progress.

Throughout my shenanigan, I heard the climax. Abriel and Luz moaned in unison, groaning as the bliss took them somewhere a demon wasn’t allowed to prowl. They must have finished. The sheet was stained -- with blood.

I raised a brown eyebrow.

Odd.

They laid in each other’s arms, content misting the aura around them. No one could get through that.

Not even me.