I'm Here

Chapter 59

The title is for me too. I'm not going anywhere. My life has been hectic, but I'm back. I told y'all that nothing would keep me from finishing this story and dammit, I mean it. As always, thank you for reading, reviewing, and sticking with me through my bullshit, drama-filled life. Most of the characters belong to Charlaine Harris, but the story idea belongs to me. Enjoy!

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Everyone was walking around and staring at me. They were talking about me as if I wasn't in the room. As if I wasn't aware of what was going on around me. As if I'm not a fucking prisoner. They're here to see me suffer. They don't care about what could happen to me. And they shouldn't care. The me they've met has tried to kill them. Hell, this me would try to kill them but this is different. I'm not me.

But I guess they're right. I wasn't there. I am nothing more than something for them to gawk at. Point at. Talk about with disdain and anger. They don't even know me. They've never talked with me. They don't know that I'm a pawn in the game of a sadist. I've been standing here for a few days, and it feels like a lifetime. I hate feeling him. I hate it when he touches me. I feel as I did as a child. He would trace his decrepit fingers along my jaw. He would brush a wisp of hair behind my ear. He would kiss me and tell me that he's missed his little girl.

'I realize my mistake, my sweet Pamela. I got rid of the wrong child. I should've allowed your mother to keep you. Your brother. The weakling. I should've gotten rid of him. Yes. That's what I should've done. But it's never too late.' He leaned in and kissed my forehead. 'It's never too late to right your wrongs.'

He looked at me and smiled. His dead eyes looked through me. His rancid breath practically burned the hair from my scalp. And I wanted to burn the skin from every part of my body that he touched. And when I'm free, that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Every.

Single.

Inch.

To have him touch me. I dread it. I hate it. It reminds me of the life I had before my brother saved me. Those disgusting men touching me. Defiling me. I don't want that life anymore. I won't have that life anymore. I'll meet the sun first. And just like that, there it was. My salvation. I'd never been happier to see a … friend? Yes. That's it. My dear friend.

Sookie.

She was the only one not looking at me as if I am a prize. Though, I am, she's not looking at me like that. When I'm free, we will discuss her blatant disrespect of her elder … to not see me as a prize? I can damn well guarantee that she's been hanging around Eric far too long. To see her beautiful and loving eyes, almost made me happy. If I could've smiled … I wouldn't have, but I would have patted her on the arm.

I almost forgot and allowed relief to flow through me. She reached out and lightly touched my hand. If I could've, I would've closed my eyes.

"Go," Octavia said. "Figure out who the traitor is in the group. Ask questions. Befriend them. Be sociable but smart. Meet the new members. Meet the old ones. Tell them the rules. Make sure they understand them." I noticed how she looked at Sookie when she said that. "We don't touch the merchandise."

Sookie glanced at Octavia over her shoulder before returning her eyes to me. She dropped her hand immediately. "Sorry," she said. "I've never seen a vampire like this before, so quiet. So still. So dead. I didn't know that something like this could happen."

Octavia came over and placed her hand on Sookie's arm. "It's okay, Agatha."

Agatha?

What the fuck is an Agatha?

Octavia then leaned in and sniffed my friend. She stared hard at the side of Sookie's face. "Has anyone ever told you how different you are? You're not like the others." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeper this time. "Yes. You're powerful. You just don't know it. Not yet." She was almost kissing Sookie she stepped so much closer to her. "What are you?"

Don't you fucking tell her?

She looked at me but kept her face blank.

Did she hear me? Did Sookie fucking hear me?

"Yes," Sookie said to Octavia, but she was looking at me. Before speaking any further, she took a couple of steps back away from the witch. "I've heard … that I'm different." She looked at the old witch and smiled. "I don't know what I am. I just know that I'm different. I've always felt different. I've been trying to find my place in this world. I've never quite fit in with the humans. I considered attending a coven to see if it's the right place for me. Amelia and I have discussed my differences for many years. We never considered me attending her coven." She then shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I was never really interested in it. That's why she never mentioned it. Today was different, though. I came to visit her and here I am. She brought me here." She looked around the room. She stared at the people in the room. "I hope that I fit in. It if I don't, that's okay too." The disinterest on her face was priceless.

Octavia smiled at my friend. "You will, dear Agatha. You will."

Looking at Octavia, Sookie asked, "What do we win if we find the traitor? Is there no incentive?"

Octavia patted Sookie's arm. "My respect."

Sookie looked Octavia up and down before shrugging her shoulders. "I guess."

If I could've laughed, I would have.

Octavia looked to offended but kept her words to herself.

"Octavia," a male voiced called out to her. "You've got to see this."

Octavia never looked at the person that called her name. She lifted a finger dismissively. "It was nice meeting you. I hope that you return." I could tell that she didn't mean it. She patted Sookie's hand once more before walking away.

Don't speak.

She looked at me and offered me a slight nod. She seemed to be in thought for a moment and said, I don't have to. I'm going to send my thoughts to you. Let me know that you heard me.

I heard you.

She stared.

Is Eric safe?

He is.

If I could've closed my eyes, I would've.

I'll bet you're wondering why it's me and not the other me.

I am

I'm me during the daylight hours. I'm his when night falls. He's going to try and kill Eric. He's going to use me to do it.

He can't do that.

He will.

Sookie closed her eyes.

Don't try to save me.

She opened her eyes and stared at me as if I'd sprouted another head.

Go home.

No.

You will die.

No.

You and Eric will die. You must see reason. If he can't use me to get to Eric, he will use you.

No, he won't. Where is he?

He's in the basement. You can't get to him. There's a been a spell placed on him that will keep those that want to cause him harm from getting to him. Even Octavia can't get close to him. She wants his blood. She wants him dead.

When is he coming for us?

He's going to at Bill's party. The party that he's throwing this Friday. He plans to ambush Eric then. He's going to wait until you are alone, and he's going to have someone grab you and bring you to him. He has a spy in Eric's camp. He's going to be a guard for you. I don't know who it is, but he'll be there. He's in the Colonel's pack. The Were is supposed to grab you and give you to Appius. He's giving these Weres V, and they'll do anything he says. He's not going to fight fair. He never has.

You know that Eric is doing all he can to bring you home. There's no way he's going to allow you to sacrifice yourself for him. He loves you.

I know.

And because you know, stop talking such nonsense. We're going to come up with a plan to get you home. I'll never leave you here. For any reason. You're my friend. Will Octavia be at the party? Will she be close by?

Yes. She is the one that cast the spell on me.

She seemed lost in thought for a moment before nodding. She looked over at the old woman before thinking, 'She'll just have to die too.'

She reached out and lightly touched my hand. You're coming home, Pam.

You're such an emotional asshole.

She burst out laughing through tears. She quickly wiped them away as she continued to stare at me.

You're coming home.

I hope so.

A man was soon standing next to my friend. "Hi. I'm Alan."

"Agatha," she said without looking at him.

"You're fascinated with that vamper, ain't cha?"

She glanced at him and nodded. "I've never seen a vampire so still or dead. This can't be good for her." Using her head, she pointed at me. "Why are her eyes open? Won't that be painful for her?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, and I don't really care what happens to her. She doesn't matter. She's not a person." He laughed as he elbowed me. 'It's a vamper. They don't matter. They shouldn't even be here. They're fucking monsters, that what's they are. They ain't right. They drink blood." He firmly nodded his head as if that was the final say on the matter.

She turned to look him in his eyes. If looks could have killed, he would've died right on the spot. "Says the fucking V addict."

Did Agatha just say fucking?

She looked at him and turned up her nose. She inhaled deeply with her eyes closed. I swear that when she opened her eyes, I could almost see … me. "They're monsters when you're draining them, are they?"

His mouth was wide open. He began to shake his head no.

She looked at him and shook her head. "Don't try to deny it. I can smell it in you. On you. Who are you to pass judgement on any being?" She invaded the addict's space. "I should tell the head vamper that you have a vampire in your basement." Glaring deeply into his eyes, she said, "You've been drinking right from the tap, haven't you?"

"How do you know?" he whispered.

"Does it fucking matter?" she asked. "You're having your way with him too, aren't you?"

He said nothing.

Glaring at him, she nodded. "Yeah, you are."

I've never been so proud.

Agatha's back straightened. "I'm going to tell my boyfriend what you're doing, Alan." She nodded. "That's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Please," he whispered. "Please don't do that. I don't want to die."

"Neither does the vampire you have hostage in your basement. You're going to pay for what you've done."

He pissed his fucking pants. I swear to all that is unconsecrated and evil, that he fucking pissed his fucking pants.

She let her finger trail along his face as she held his gaze. "You're a piss pot and the scum of the fucking earth. You know that right?"

He nodded.

Wait.

"You're going to go home and let that vampire go. You're going to check yourself into rehab and never use V again. That's what you're going to do. Do you want to know why?"

He nodded again.

Did she just fucking glamor him?

"Because if you don't, I will have my vampire boyfriend to end your worthless fucking life. Do you hear me?"

He nodded.

I think she glamored him.

"Do you believe me?"

He nodded.

"When you get home, you're going to let that vampire feed on you."

"Okay."

"You're going to give him what you took."

"Okay."

Speaking in a louder voice, a voice loud enough for others to hear, she said, "Get the fuck away from me and don't come back."

She watched him walk away from her and out of the building. When she looked at me again, she blinked and shook her head.

What happened to you? Did you glamor him?

Her wide eyes told me that she wasn't sure.

"Agatha, are you okay? What happened with Alan? What did he do?" Amelia asked Sookie.

"He told me that he does V. He tried to sell me V. Didn't Ms. Fant say that she wanted no V addicts in the coven because of the vampire that's staying here?" She pointed at the door. "He could get us all killed."

You lying, bitch. He didn't tell you shit.

She had the nerve to slyly give me the finger. Pretending like she was rubbing her eye.

Amelia grabbed Sookie's arm. She looked surprised and scared. "He could've gotten us killed," she repeated.

Her little witch friend is hot. I wonder if she'll let me have a little taste.

Sookie glanced at me and frowned.

Octavia loudly announced the winner of the challenge. "Agatha found the V addict. And saved everyone's lives … including his. I was going to kill him if no one figured it out. He was putting the rest of us at risk." She looked deeply into Sookie's eyes. "How did you figure it out? I know that he didn't tell you. He was too afraid of that."

Did she save his life, though? Did she?

Though she heard me, Sookie's face was as blank as ever as she talked. "He took a bloody piece of tissue from his pocket and stuck it under his tongue," she lied again. "Right in front me. Told me that he enough for both of us. He said that it would loosen me up." She snorted … like Eric. "Asshole."

Octavia nodded. She studied my friend's face for a long minute. To Sookie, she said, "I don't know what it is about you, but you belong here." To the rest of the coven, she said, "Meet the newest member of our coven."

Everyone stood around Sookie and clapped. There were hugs and welcomes. There were handshakes and smiles. They were so polite and happy to have a new member of the coven. Everyone looked happy, but not Agatha. She looked disgusted. She looked out at her fellow witches and smiled. She didn't look happy. She didn't look like she wanted to be there. Her face was blank when the smile was gone. The only thing she said was, "Call me Aggie."

To me she said, 'You're coming home.'

I hope so. I want to watch the new season of Gordon Ramsey.

She finally smiled and filled the room with her melodic laughter.

I'm going home.