The Protector of Memories (The Veil of Death Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

stood the closest to her.
    “Indeed you are.” He replied and quickly added. “And long may your wine keep flowing.”
    Hope laughed. “That,” she said. “I can still do. I may not be able to absorb your burden of heaviness but I can at least make it bearable for you to carry.”
    “Av another drink Hope!” A woman slurred, “Yorrrr gettin tooo deep.”
    Hope laughed along with her friends. “Forgive me,” she said. “Let us drink the wine and be numbed from the pain that our Mother Earth weighs us down with.”
    The volume of the music was turned up.
    The sound of raucous, drunken singing filled the room.
    The front door opened and Hope watched the mortal she knew to be called, Sam walk into the room and up toward the counter.
    Sam was five feet tall, chubby in build with short spiky hair; dyed in a multitude of colours. The many colours in her hair mirrored the bright and colourful clothing that she always wore as well as the outstandingly beautiful array of colours that her auras were; a walking rainbow.
    “Sam you are a never ending rainbow of colours,” Hope shared. “Drink with me. Let us toast this bizarre and wonderful life that we sorry mortals live in!”
    “Hope…” Sam paused and stared at the red wine that stained her friend’s face but decided not to comment – she does not have the time. “Please,” she pleaded. “Everybody is getting fed up with the constant partying. The noise…” Sam paused, looked around the room and again wondered how anybody could live the way these people do.
    She frowned at the cartons of wine, empty glass bottles, half eaten pizzas, dried up noodles and half eaten chicken that scattered the floor and decided not to think too much as to what else lived among the shadows.
    “Hope…” she raised her voice above the volume of noise, “you promised to keep the noise down. Remember? At the meeting?” She pointed toward the front door. “They are all outside. Residents, business people…” she put her hand upon her chest, “these people are also my friends. They have had enough and quite frankly I don’t blame them. You have tried their patience Hope. The constant partying and boozing is affecting our community. You have got to_.”
    “Sam.” Hope interrupted her friend, “you talk with such seriousness. Be happy. Ask all your friends to come in and experience the joys of life…” Hope made her way around the counter before adding, “… fill their hearts and Souls with laughter, music, wine, love and song.”
    Sam stared at Hope. “Why do you not listen?” She asked. “Why do you not see life for what it really is? You are not responsible for the happiness of the entire human race.” Sam swept her arms around the room, “these people don’t care about you. They are here because you keep them in an endless supply of free wine and food and because of that, our community is suffering.”
    She raised her voice more out of frustration than anger. “These people are not your friends!” and kicked one of the DVD players to get rid of the; ‘boom – boom – boom’ that was invading her eardrums and getting on her nerves.
    Hope held her hands up. “Sam…” she paused to drink some more wine, “I will go outside and speak with them. It has been made known within this very moment that I am officially a creature of the earth. At last, this state of limbo I have been living in has been cast off of my Self.” Hope laughed and looked at Sam before adding, “I am truly a part of this world now.” She squeezed Sam’s shoulder, wiped her face so as to clear away the wine and then stepped out onto the pavement to invite all those who stood outside to come in.
    “Great.” Sam mumbled, “That’ll help.”
    Hope looked upon the faces of the people that stood before her and read the words written upon the banners that they held within their hands.
    ‘Squatters have no rights’.
    ‘Our taxes pay for your dossing’.
    ‘Get a job’.
    ‘Get out of