0126

Night walked up to Sabastian, looking directly into his eyes. "This is not over," she said, before turning dramatically and walking out.

After she had been gone for a few seconds, Sabastian turned to Elizabeth and asked, "Why does everyone say that?"

"Oh I don't know. I've said it myself. It's a way to leave with your tail between your legs and your head held high."

"Interesting," he said and then, changing the topic, asked, "So it seems you are Thomas' prisoner?"

"Yes, I suppose it looks like that. But that's not exactly what it is, I guess. We've been through this before. He looks at me as a child and, often, treats me as if I were one.

"In time his anger fades and it blows over. Right now tensions are running high because of, well, all that has happened and all that is happening.

"When he has control of the city I'm sure my little grounding will end. Then I'll leave for Europe."

"So your plan is to leave him again?"

"Yes. He used me. I'm very upset by that. I need some time away from him again.

"I don't hate him. It's not like that between us, but I need a few decades to be alone.

"Really alone," Elizabeth continued. "No one but me, Sabastian. I've never really had that. I think I need it."

"Perhaps," Sabastian responded. "You have never really spoken much about when you were made.

"From our discussions, I know you were poor and prostituted yourself. There was a child that you lost to poverty and then Thomas took you in. Yet I still do not see why you are willing to stay loyal to him."

"There isn't much more to say. My human life was horrible. Thomas saved me from that. I will always owe him for it.

"I don't think anyone can understand the poverty I lived in. Some of it was attributable to the times, but I didn't know that then. It was just horrible."

"After all that he put you through, though, you still feel you owe him that debt?" he asked.

"Yes, Sabastian, I will always owe him. He saved me."



[Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005. All rights reserved.]