How Time was Lost

Gabriella Sanchez read the invitation for what must have been the millionth time. Since publishing her theories in The Science Chronicles, she had received dozens of invitations to strange events, some she found interesting and others she could care less about. Her theory was based on the crazy concept that vampires truly existed. Of course there was very little evidence of this in the real world and scientifically speaking, there wasn't much on the subject, but there was some evidence of this in history throughout the world.

An invitation caught Gabriella's eye as she was paging through the stack. It was completely black and made out of some sort of paper Gabriella had never seen before. The lettering on it was some sort of gold leaf and silver leaf and if Gabriella didn't know better, she would have thought the writing was made out of real silver and gold. The invitation was simply written:

Dearest Gabriella,
We welcome you to our Oceanside retreat. Please dawn your best dress
and arrive on Mirror Lane at 8 o'clock sharp. A carriage will be awaiting
your arrival. Please come alone; this invitation is for your eyes only.
Tonight is the opportunity for you to learn the truth about your research.

Sincerely,
The Dark Ones

As Gabriella read the invitation one more time, she couldn't deny her fascination with the dark side, so to speak. Deep inside, she knew vampires had to exist. Besides the scientific evidence that was out there, her gut told her it was so.

She arrived at Mirror Lane as instructed at 8 o'clock later that night. Gabriella had chosen a flowing red dress with matching red heels that went well with her midnight hair and her shocking blue eyes. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a coach came her way. All she could hear was the clip-clop of the Clydesdale's feet on the pavement. She didn't know how, but Gabriella knew this night would change her life forever. As the carriage approached her, she smiled at the driver who was just a ghost of a man wearing a black suit and a top hat. Gabriella attempted to say hello and stuck her hand out to shake the man's hand, but he simply stared ahead without responding. Most women would have turned around and left the situation at this point, but Gabriella climbed in, nervously touching the skin around her lips to ensure no red lipstick smudges.

The carriage didn't seem to go very far, but before she knew it, Gabriella was riding through the black rod iron gates of an enormous Oceanside estate. The sign at the entrance read "Lockwood Downs" and it was as if Gabriella had been here before. The gates creaked as they slid closed behind her. She heard the lock being turned and turned herself to stare out at the gates, but no one remained in her sights. The chills crept over her once again, but quickly disappeared as the carriage stopped in front of a massive home that spoke of Victorian times and grand parties.

As Gabriella carefully stepped out of the carriage and walked confidently towards the entrance to the home, her footsteps were the only thing she heard. The air was oddly crisp for a summer evening and a fine ocean mist touched Gabriella's cheeks as she walked towards the grand double front doors. Even though the driver was just beyond her and Gabriella was sure that there were others inside, the estate felt empty, as if no other presence than her own existed. A small sense of fear enveloped Gabriella now and she knew she should be cautious or scared out of her mind, but still she walked to the front doors, prepared to ring the bell. Before she could even reach her hand out, the doors opened as if they knew she had arrived.
Another man was waiting for Gabriella on the other side. This man was younger and very pale, again, a ghost of a man. He was more handsome than the driver, but like the driver, spoke no words to Gabriella as she followed him through the grand home. There were rich tapestries and woods everywhere. As the two made their way through the home, it occurred to Gabriella that she was walking across hardwood floors in high heels and her footsteps were making no sounds, nor were the man's footsteps in front of her.

She was led to a massive ballroom that was full of laughing party guests. As she entered the room, she could at least hear everyone's voices. The room felt full of life, but there was a dullness about it that made Gabriella think of death. People stared at Gabriella as she walked through the mess of people, but no one said a word. There was a hunger in the air as soon as Gabriella stepped in the room and it was almost as if everyone held onto a strong sense of control that Gabriella didn't understand.
Gabriella rested her eyes on a man standing on the other side of the room by the balcony. Before then, she had felt the need to run, but a voice in her head told her not to do so. It was odd, because it was as if it was not her own voice, but she was unsure of where it had come from. Oddly enough, Gabriella made her way towards the man. She felt he would offer her safety for some reason and it was now that Gabriella realized how much she needed it. He too had hair of midnight and deep blue, nearly violet-colored eyes. His stare was intense and Gabriella felt a sexual energy around him. As she approached him, the orchestra played the most entrancing tune Gabriella had ever heard and he put his hand out to hers. As she took his hand, he led her to the center of the ballroom in amidst all the dancers. People stared at them as they made their way through the crowd. The man leaned down and whispered in Gabriella's ear.

"I am Ian Blackwood, my dear Gabriella, and I have been waiting for you for a very long time."

The beautiful people around them stared, some with curiosity and others with plain and pure disgust. As Ian put his arms around Gabriella's small body, something felt extremely right. Ian spoke to Gabriella through their dance and she became more and more entranced. He told her of his life and everything seemed to be from another time, almost as if it had all remained in place for centuries. It wasn't until several dances had gone by that Gabriella was astonished to realize that Ian had not been speaking out loud to her. She wasn't sure how he had been communicating with her, but when he leaned down and kissed her delicately on her lips, for Gabriella, time simply did not exist. This was a world that was not part of her modern world. This time Ian spoke out loud.

"I know you have questions and I know about your theories surrounding the vampire world. Unfortunately, this party pays a price. You may leave here this evening and never fully know the truth. No matter how much you search, you will never find the facts to back up what you know. Or, you can stay and I will tell you the truth about vampires, but you will be bound never to tell another soul, so your research will come to a halt. You may not remember me, but I know you. Your soul has existed for centuries, jumping from body to body, and if you can believe it, I love you."
With that being said, Ian reached down and gently touched Gabriella's chin. His lips touched hers again and Gabriella didn't know how, but images of Ian flashed before her eyes. She wasn't sure if she was herself in these images. In "real" life now, she was a Puerto Rican and Caucasian mix. This gave her a rich complexion. Somehow, Gabriella knew he place was with Ian. She put her arms around his neck and whispered softly.

"Tell me everything." When Gabriella looked away from Ian suddenly, she realized they were no longer in the ballroom and there was no music. Instead, she was in a room full of books that looked to be very old. Ian began talking and handing her documents and books. He explained about the vampire world and how she was the reincarnation of his love from centuries ago. Each lifetime he found her again and again and each time she had more questions. He asked her to stay with him several times, but she never did and her life passed before her quickly. When the evening was complete and dawn was approaching, Ian took Gabriella's hand once more and told her that he loved her and could show her all of her lifetimes together with him and that they could have many more. She felt entranced and leaned in, but suddenly pulled away as reality snapped into place. How could she leave her wonderful life, her job, the things she had come to know? A darkness entered Ian's eyes and he averted his eyes to the floor.

"When you leave here, time will be lost, my sweet. Even I do not know how much. I apologize and I hope you find happiness." Before Gabriella could respond or kiss him, she found herself sitting in the carriage; the ride was a mere blur and she was back on Mirror Lane. She stepped out of the carriage and looked over her shoulder, but all was gone, including the path to the manor. When Gabriella got home, everything seemed different. On the way home she noticed cars she had never seen before. Upon looking in the mirror, there were lines her face that she had not previously had and when she picked up the morning newspaper, it was no longer 2010, but the date said it was 2015. Gabriella was astonished and in shock. She had bits and pieces of memories over the last five years, but she also remembered that night. Her life had continued somehow and still seemed familiar, but she now carried an emptiness with her at the loss of Ian.

Years went by and Gabriella continued to look for documentation and proof of her theories on vampires. It was what she had known in her heart to be true, but she could not bring herself to identify it completely enough to support her theories. Another year had gone by and in 2016, Gabriella had compiled a list of names of others who had gone to similar "parties" as she had. They too had lost time and from what she could discern, no one ever knew how much time they would lose. It may be five days, five years or ten years. In order to dance with the vampires, the mortals must pay a price and lose time. Those who fell in love with the dark ones, like Ian, would go back repeatedly, but the price they paid was losing years off their life and growing older faster. None of it made sense to Gabriella, but when she received another invitation similar to the old one, she knew she had to go. It was a big risk and one she didn't know how she would handle, but she decided to go and this time she intended to stay with Ian forever.