The herb

Doctor Carol looks at the map on his phone, Steel pushes the visor down as the sun is high in the sky beating down on them, "How long does it take Carol?"

Mars shakes his head slinking down into the seat kicking the back of the doctor's seat, he twists to pinch his leg till he jumps up shouting in pain.

"Do it again you brat!" Carol states annoyed, "I will end you!"

Alex shoves his shoulder into Clarence's side who is stuffed in the middle between both him and Mars, he is also the tallest so his head reaches the ceiling of the car.

He has to squeeze his arms in betwixt his legs crouching down, he feels nervous as his head is bending forward leaning into Steel or Carol depending ramming his head into their seats, "Sorry Steel..." Clarence says in laughter.

She pats his head softly, "You are such an idiot sometimes."

"He can barely fit in the car woman! He should have stayed."Doctor Carol argues following his map guiding system on the phone.

It would be several more hours till they reach a small narrow bridge crossing over it into a long slender road reaching for miles out, "Almost there!" Carol cries out.

Mars sits up to look out the window, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his oversized hoodie, he props his head against the glass, "So what do vampires even do?"

"What do you mean by that?" Clarence questions, the blue-haired teen tries to turn kicking Clarence's side, Alex tries to thrust him off after he squishes him into the car door.

"I mean why would you want to be a vampire?" Is it a career?"

"Are you saying we chose this life?" Carol questions lifting a brow confused.

"Okay Doctor weirdo, why did you turn?" Mars protests, "This has to be good."

"What if that is personal?" Carol answers stepping on the breaks into the large field ahead of them coming to a halt, he pulls out a cigarette lighting it.

"Surely it wasn't that bad?"

"You know what..." Carol replies, "I did this to myself, but Steel didn't...Clarence didn't ask for this and Alex I don't know his story...you are too demanding."

He feels a pang of shame hit him listening to his tone of voice cracking through the stifling sound of him chewing on the end of his smoking stick.

The sound of the slam of the car door startles the rest of them sitting in silence, Clarence's long legs nudge Alex out of his side falling to the plush grass on the ground, "Steel!"

Alex sits up eyeing Mars on the other side of the seat, "What happened to her?"

Letting the cigarette bud hit the ground, he smashes it into the dirt with his steel toes boot, "Do you want to know what happened to her?"

"I feel like I shouldn't ask unless she tells me..."

"You knew the answer yet you said it anyways...congratulations," Carol responds walking away momentarily, Alex stands idle watching Mars.

"I heard you are fractured, but you are creepy."

"You felt familiar for a second is all..."

"We been to compound many times, did you really forget it all?"

"I don't know, anyways we got to meet Steel...at least say sorry."

"Fine..."

They walk to meet the others, Steel spins around ignoring Mars's presence talking to Doctor Carol, Alex's attention was turned toward the cliffside.

"Apparently she forgot a few more things so we have a lot to gather!" Steel confirms holding up the guide.

"How is Christian holding up?" Clarence mulls over to himself, "If you know."

"Let's just concentrate on getting on the herbs Sweetie." Steel reminds him.

They spend half the day picking the herbs as instructed by revered witch Lucia.

Mars and Alex trek up the cliffside exploring, the first thing they notice is a small stream running through filled with clay deposits that ran into a much deeper river.

Down below they could see the water rushing over the rocks and branches washing anything not heavy down in its path, peering up they could see clouds from above gathering in the distance.

"Stop playing around up there! We need to finish!" Carol yells at them carrying a full jacket of herbs from a small patch growing near the water.

"We will be down soon Mr. Grumpy!" Alex shouts back at him, "Just go!"

Alex clutches his chest, "Christian..."

"What happened?" Mars questions.

"He doesn't have much longer Mars, we have to go back now!"

A clap of thunder has him look back toward the cliff, they could see ones beneath them scattering to the car; Mars starts his way down.

The rain buckets down, Mars forces his hood over his face; the soil is loosened under their feet from rapid rainfall causing their feet to sludge through the mud.

Alex is pinned in place as water rushes down the sloping hill, Mars detects quickly that he hasn't followed him behind going back for him, "Alex! You need to come!"

Mars hollers through the deafening rain reaching for Alex's hand, their clothing both soaked, he is afraid to move further, "Just go!" Alex says loudly signaling him away from the spot.

"Mars, what is taking you so long?" Doctor Carol yammers as another crack of thunder roars, he darts up to see that Alex is having a hard time.

Carol squeezes past Mars to Alex tied to the spot barely able to clutch his sleeve gradually yanking him forward with all his might, "It's not stable Carol..."

"Why did you come up here then?" Carol grunts through his teeth having him inch by inch move his foot from a very narrow spot.

A clump of rock dissolves in the deluge drenching everything flooding the area, a mysterious face looks above; she looks exactly like Alice.

The only difference is her twisted demented features beckoning the ones above, her slender fingers dancing the rain, "Alex..." A whisper entices a new fearlessness in his soul tempting him to turn.

"Don't listen to this, she is merely an illusion!" Doctor Carol exclaims, he propels Mars away dispelling him away.

"My sword..." Alex says tranced by her words, his purple fractured eyes glow with an intensity in her presence; he shifts his feet facing the edge of the newly fallen side of the precipice.

"Shut up you ugly hag! He is going to jump to his death!" The good doctor argues screaming at the woman, Alex without warning snaps out of it.

The look-alike sways her hands out almost as if she was conducting, the stones under his feet crumble with nothing to hold too he falls into the rushing river.

In horror, Carol stares out as he is carried by the rapid current, Mars hauls his hoody off tossing it to the ground, "I will get him, doctor!"

He plunges into the icy water, Carol gazes back down to see no one there now.

Mars submerges his body, he grows scales glistening while a long tail dangles out; swiftly he wades kicking out slowly till he catches sight of Alex snagged on a sharp rock, "Master Mars he is stuck!" The spirit says inside his mind.

He kicks his feet out motioning closer to unbind his caught shirt grabbing his waist tightly, Doctor Carol is hunched overtaking Mars clawed hand lugging Alex's unconscious body to land.

The rain finally has come to a drizzle, Steel, and Clarence stands behind them at the edge of the riverbank, "Don't tell me..." Clarence responds aghast at the situation.

"This is a long story, Clarence." Carol states irritated, "I don't know what's what..."

Mar's scales recede touching land, "What are you?" Carol questions in awe.

"I am inhabited by that of a water dragon, I guess I am no different..." Mars replies.

"Why did revered grandmother do this to you?" Steel inquires.

"I am not really sure, but I have lived with this spirit for a long time."

"How strong is this woman..." Carol whispers quivering at the mere thought of what she put into a child, Alex chokes up water from his lungs.

Clarence jogs back from the car carrying a large fluffy towel wrapping it tightly around Alex, "You have to explain what happened later Mars, please."

"He will be okay?"

"Of course, he just needs rest."