The Curse Conduit

Derek prowled his room like an injured animal. What had he said? He had not known Elizabeth very long. If truth be told he really did not know her at all. What he knew was Bethie, was Beth-Elena. His head told him that walking away from Elizabeth was the right thing to do but his heart would not let go of the feeling that they were meant to be together. Even his dreams had come to life speaking about their love. A love that had not happened yet, a love he already knew. Derek kicked the wall frustrated “Arrrrrrrrrrrrr.”

Slumping on the bed he put his head in his hands.

“Derek.”

The room was silent then again “Derek.”

Derek raised his head still angry and frustrated. “What Uriah!” His eyes widened and he jumped to his feet when he saw who was before him. “What the. Urian!”

Urian smiled as Derek stepped a little closer wondering if he was again dreaming. He could not remember falling asleep. “How, you know me?”

“That I do.”

“How this is possible?”

Urian shrugged his shoulders.

Derek was still having trouble understanding if he was dreaming. “I am dreaming again.”

“No Derek,”

Derek looked at Urian. “No.”

Urian shook his head. “No. And before you ask I have no idea how. All I know is that you have been in my dreams for years. I saw you the day Danny died. I have spent nights wandering in my dreams trying to reach you so that I could quieten the torment in my own life.”

Derek looked at him puzzled.

“Uri. He turned up when Danny died as well.”

Derek moved to touch Urian but his hand just washed through his arm and Urian shimmered a little but he smiled. “My time to dream Derek.”

“You’ve seen my future haven’t you?”

A cloud covered Urian’s face and he put up his hand. “I have seen one future Derek.” Urian paused. “Do you understand why we have come together?”

“We are supposed to save Declan or Danny, so….” He could not finish his words.

Urian’s eyes showed his sorrow. “You have to Derek. To me Danny is already gone.”

Derek ran his hands through his hair. “They are dead to me as well. How the hell am I supposed to save someone who lived and died before I was even born? Why can’t you?”

“Uri thinks that it has to be you. You are the link between Danny and Declan. It is your life we are trying to save.”

“Then tell me how I die so I can stop it.!”

“Derek, I can’t do that. You would spend all your time trying to stay out of situations that may lead to your death. No. You would go insane.”

“I’ll go insane knowing I am going to die.”

“We all die Derek. You know how I die don’t you?” Urian had a sad smile on his face.

Derek realised that he was right; he had seen Urian’s death. He shivered just a little. “Did you want me to tell you?” Derek was hoping he did not. Telling someone of their fate seemed unnatural and he thought that he may have a small grasp as to why Urian did not want to tell him about his own.

“No Derek. I will live and die like everyone else, not knowing the time or place. But even what you have seen could change. You could change everything.”

Derek shook his head. “How? How do I get back to Uri and Declan? Tell me that?”

“I don’t have the answer I just know you will. Just like you know you love her.”

Derek was shocked at his remark. “Who?”

“You’re Beth-Elena, your Bethie.”

Almost in a whisper Derek let her name escape across his lips. “Lizzie” and felt the sensation that gripped him when he thought of her. A soft, warm wave of love, of happiness. A feeling of peace and belonging that cocooned him.

Urian’s voice broke through his thoughts. “I see that you have already met her.”

“I guess, but we do not know each other very well. I can just stay away from her. Not see her again and then things cannot get out of hand.”

“Do you really believe you can do that? Derek you forget I saw the effect Bethie had on Danny. It was like a spell.” He looked at Derek with very serious eyes. “They were always going to be together. She found you and neither one of you was looking for the other didn’t she? You feel like you have known her all your life. Danny felt the same. I understand how you feel Derek. I just don’t want your love to end the same way Danny’s did.”

Derek sat on the bed. “It’s hopeless.”

“No. Like I said I don’t know how but I know you have a chance.”

Both men were quiet for a while and Derek ran everything through his mind. Sitting up straight he looked at Urian. “You’ve seen it haven’t you. You’ve seen something different.”

Urian shimmered a little. “In my dreams. It’s only there.”

“Damn it Urian! It’s in those dreams that everything is happening. What did you see?”

Urian sighed. “It was a life much different. But only if you change things.”

There was a knock on Derek’s door and Uriah walked in. “Derek I was….” He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Urian.

Both men stood silent, looking at each other. Uriah’s heart pounding in his chest, not sure if his eyes were deceiving him. “Urian?”

Urian nodded and Uriah looked at Derek. “Don’t look at me Uriah. I have no idea how he turned up but he did.”

Urian and Uriah looked at each other. It was a little unnerving looking into your own eyes knowing they belonged to someone else.

“How are you Uriah?” Urian smiled a little.

Uriah rubbed his injured hand and said a little gruffly. “Fine.”

“I understand how you feel Uriah.”

Uriah was about to answer sarcastically but hearing his own voice coming from Urian stopped him.

Urian looked back at Derek. “You need to stop her Derek. For all of us.”

With that he vanished, no thunder, no lighting, and no shimmer, just vanished.

Uriah swore and began to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“For a drink.”

“Wait for me.”