The Passionate Partner

CHAPTER 1

I looked up towards the hallway. Different people of different calibers stretched out far as eyes could see. They were chatting, clinking their wine glasses and laughing. The party was going on lively and I struggled to keep to their liveliness. I just wished I could be happy just like they were. It was a pity that I couldn't.

After that sad encounter with Amy, I hadn't been able to forgive myself or even move on. It is a surprise that this certain incident had happened for about a hundred years now. That might have gotten you shocked, I know.

My name is Jason and as you may have guessed, I am a male werewolf with a hidden past. A past which I had held in high regard and which I believe won't wash away. It was a very remarkable experience.

The past experience was that of my past lover and I. We had been so loved up so much that I was shocked to the bone marrow when she died leaving me behind. Before she died, she had promised that she would be back to be with me once more. I had held on to that promise and looked out for her but I never did see her.

Back to the party now.

I look forward and my sharp eye meets different people looking at me back. I wasn't strange and they stopped looking at me now. They were probably looking at me because I seemed different. I was the only one alone at the party. Others were involved in a discussion with their friends and families. I just stood there alone and sipped my champagne.

In my mind, I thought briefly about my friend, Kenny. He had went off to see a friend of his and he was yet to be back. I pictured him in my 'mind's eye' talking to people and I was frustrated. I couldn't stand there alone and continue looking like a moron. I decided to go find Kenny.

"No problem. Let me find Kenny. If he is having any irrelevant discussion then I would drag him out instantly." I said to myself as I got going.

I dragged myself from where I was standing and started to search around for Kenny. I didn't want to call his name out loud. I had to use my eyes not my mouth to find him. It was absolutely hard to stress my specially sharp eyes for looking for the kind of friend which Kenny was.

Don't get me wrong, I actually likes and fancies Kenny a lot. He isn't just my best pal, he is my only pal. He is the only friend which I have ever had in my life. Being so much long on earth, I didn't want to call too much attention to myself. Kenny was only 50 years old but he had seen through thick and thin with me. That had made me like him.

However, I have to say that he has his own shortcomings. For example, Kenny could stay on talking to a total stranger for a whole forty eight hours. This wasn't an exaggeration as it had actually happened. It was during a party which we both attended together courtesy of Kenny. He was the one who fixed my invitation and pass card.

It had actually happened that Kenny had to urinate. He went to the toilet to ease his bladder while I waited at the bar for him. I waited for about thirty minutes but he just didn't arrive. That made me go look for him but I couldn't find him. I searched everywhere but he seemed to not exist.

That day, I asked everyone but I still couldn't get a hint as to where he could be. At some moment, I thought he had been kidnapped. I didn't know what to do and I just continued searching everywhere. Later after fourty eight hours, Kenny finds me and tell me that he had met some couple of guys at the seat just before the way to the toilet. He used the toilet and went to join their interesting topic. About five minutes, they had wanted to leave and he followed them. He later told me that he had the time of his life in the house of total strangers. Actually, I and Kenny were direct opposites. Sometimes, I wondered how we managed to hack our friendship up.

Anyways, after he told me of what happened with him, I knew I was in real trouble by associating with him. Of course, it was too late and I couldn't step out of the friendship.

Back to the present time.

I was heading down to find Kenny when I saw a familiar figure. The figure was one which I could never forget in my life. I tried to catch the remembrance and I eventually did.

The figure resembled every bit of Amy, my past lover who had died. I stared at the girl who resembled her so much and struggled to see the girl's face. My heart was beating hard and harder every second.

Slowly, I watched the girl stand upright and turned to face my direction. I watched her face my direction fully and I gasped as I caught her in my sight.

The girl was a spitting image of my past Amy. She just looked exactly like my Amy. I had wanted to rush into her arms and stay there all day but something about this new girl made me realize that she wasn't my past lover. She probably was a reincarnation of Amy.

With my heart beating louder than ever, I watched the lady leave the place. My eyes followed her and captured all I had to know about her.

Her dress, it's color, her shoes and it's color amidst others. That was enough for me not to forget the lady.

As far as I could, I ran to find Kenny so as to tell him the latest development. What I had just wasn't what I could keep in my heart again. I had to confide in someone and that person I could actually say was Kenny.

I soon found Kenny amidst some pals. They were talking about something which seemed interesting just from the sound of it. I called Kenny out and quickly told him about what I had seen.

"Why are you here? You've missed a lot." I tell him as I gazed at him and noticed a strand of black hair peeking out of his gray-colored hair.

"Really? What have I missed?" Kenny asked in his normal inquisitive nature.

I lower my voice deliberately and tells him about Amy. He looks up at me for a moment without talking.

"Which Amy?" He finally asked as he looked up at me with a smirk beginning to form on his face. I felt like he was jeering at me.

"Why ask that question? Have I discussed two 'Amy's' with you?" I asks in a mature nature.

"Are you sure she is the one?" He asked back.

"Yes, I am."

"What do you want to do now." Kenny asked as he looked at me closely. "I don't think I actually believe you."

And with that statement made, I dragged him closer and muttered in the cloth she wore and other notable facts about her. I then told him to find everything he could about her.

Kenny left immediately to help me do that. Just then, my mind went down memory la

Jason remembered...

It was snowing that fateful day. Jason had been running as fast as he could. He was weaving through the bushes and even as thorns were prickling him, he paid no attention to them and focused on where he was heading to. What he had in front of him was far higher than what he was facing that moment in the hands of the prickling thorns.

Jason had just received news about his lover, Amy. He had been told that she had been kidnapped by an unknown fellow who took her to the same bush which he was treading right then. Jason had to save his lover as quickly as he could.

He hurried towards the path and practically flew on his way. He was stressed up and the only thought which kept him going was that of having Amy backing his arms.The love between Amy and Jason were the greatest. Both of them could die for your each other. Such a thing as perfect as their love was uncommon and probably that was why faced so many difficulties.

In those days, Jason could remember that he was quite young and with burning passion. Amy then was also a very beautiful fellow to look upon. She was smart and quite jovial. They both had met at a get together and it had been love at first sight. Jason had been the first person of the couple to confess his love for the other.

Amy then was very caring and kind to a fault. She could give someone the shirt off her back. He kindness knew no bounds and that was probably what lured Jason to her. Quite surprisingly, they had both managed to work things out between them and they stood strong in love. Their love for each other was well cemented.

Things had however started to go wrong with the couple's life when they started to plan marriage. It was at this time that a certain unknown guy whose name was Joe vowed not to allow their marriage take place. Joe meant that he loved Amy and if she doesn't agree to marry him, he was ready to kill her. If she wasn't going to belong to him, then she didn't worth or merit living as well.

One fateful day, Jason had been out. He had left Amy alone at home. Unknown to Jason, Joe sneaks in and kidnaps Amy. This is related to Jason sooner than he had thought.

Joe takes Amy to the forest in a bid to rape her before killing her. Unfortunately, before Jason got there, Joe had finished his evil work. He had raped Amy and also stabbed her. Joe was cleaning his hands of the blood when Jason arrives.

Jason is shocked by the sight he meets. He sees Amy stabbed and this make him want to collapse. Joe takes advantage of the situation and he escapes while Jason holds the dying Amy.

"Amy! Amy! Amy, stay with me. Please don't die yet. I can't do without you. if you leave me, I die. Don't kill me, Amy. Don't, please I beg." Jason begged as he shook the dying Amy.

"I also don't want to die as well." Amy managed to say. As she talked, she vomited more blood.

Jason was crying profusely. The dagger wasn't etched in Jason's heart but he felt like it was. Seeing Amy go through much pain was something he couldn't bear.

"I'm sorry, Amy. I will he sure to avenge your death. Joe won't live three days on this earth." I promised Amy who was still vomiting blood.

"I don't want to leave you, Jason." Amy says.

"I know..."

"But I can't stop the situation. It's getting harder for me to breath." Amy says.

"Don't. Please don't." Jason begs. He was still crying hard and seemingly harder as time passed by.

"I am sorry." Amy says as she shed tears as well.

"Don't be."

"I will surely make it up to you. Don't worry I will make it up." Amy says as she vomited more blood. Jason knew she was dying gradually and he couldn't stop that death.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Amy asked as she looked unto Jason. She was as expecting him to talk.

"Yes, I do." Jason replied. "Wasn't it at that banquet when you were talking with your friend."

"Yes. You really still do remember how we first met. I thought you would have forgotten." Amy says.

"Why will I forget? I will never forget that single moment in my life. That was the moment when I fell in love with you." Jason replied with his head bowed.

That moment between them had been tense. They were all looking at the finality which was right in their presence. Nothing could save the situation and they knew it. That was what made everything harder.

The forest which they were in was too far to the outer space. Jason couldn't take Amy to a doctor now. Even if he tried to, it would still end the same way. Amy was already vomiting blood and that had made everything rule out by itself.

It was all definite; Amy was going to die.

"When did you fall in love with me?" Amy asked as she looked into Jason's eyes. This was a moment of questions and answers.

"I fell in love with you when I first set my eyes on you." He paused and then continued. "I loved the way you were. You seemed so happy like the world was revolving around you. I fell in love with your happiness first and then with you at the same time."

"Really?" She asked.

"Yes."

They didn't get talk again now. They were drowning in their different thoughts. It was sure that they had wished to spend the moment of remembrance together.

"Is there anything you have kept secret from me? You can let me know." Amy said as she looked tenderly at his eyes.

"I have kept nothing from you. What about you?" He said as he looked at her dying in front of him.

Amy sighed.

"Well, I tasted the cake before I served it for you the night before yesterday even when you told me not to." Amy confessed.

"You did?" Jason says.

"Yes, I did."

Jason was crying again now. He seemed so hurt, lonely and depressed.

"It's so bad that you wish to leave me now. How do you want me to avenge by tasting the cake now when you are about to die." Jason said as he cried the more.

"I am sorry. I don't want to leave you as well." Amy says.

"I know."

"You can avenge tasting the cake anytime. It doesn't seem like I am going to eat cake ever again. You have all to eat now." Amy said.

As Jason heard this, he burst into another fresh round of tears. Even Amy couldn't keep her tears at bay. It was overwhelming.

"No, Amy. Please don't leave me to eat my cake alone. Please don't. Just don't leave me alone. I beg you please. " Jason begged.

Amy started coughing hard. The end seemed very near.

Jason went to her and held her hand. They both held hands now and looked into each other's eyes. They could only feel love and passion in the air.

"Jason..." Amy called.

"Yes."

"I will come back to you." Amy says.

"You will?" He asked.

"Yes, I will. I will come back to you and be with you forever. That time I will never leave you again." Amy said.

"I trust you will. " Jason says.

"Hold me please. Hug me..."

Jason held her in her arms and muttered 'I love you'. He waited for her reply but didn't hear one. He held her back and looked at her. Her eyes was closed and her breathing had stopped. It had happened.

Amy was dead.

That moment was the turning point of Jason's life. He wouldn't forget it; the moment Amy died.

I was back to the present now. With that promise at her dying state in my mind, I had the belief that the girl which I had just seen was the comeback Amy. I was anticipating Kenny to come back and tell me all he had found out about the girl.

I went to the bar and sat down. I was too excited that I could collapse that moment if I kept standing. I sat down and dropped my drink. The lady I had just seen took hold of my mind.

The barman seems to see my state and he engaged me in a discussion.

"Hello sir. Is there anything wrong." The barman asks as he gazed at me with a concern look.

"Oh! Hello. There is nothing wrong with me." I replied as I gazed uncomfortably.

"You don't look comfortable. " He pointed out.

"Oh, I am very comfortable. But why are you questioning me this way? I just came to seat here and you are acting like we have knew each other for years. That is a strange behavior if you ask me." I replied sternly.

The barman seemed uneasy by my statement. It seemed I had been too harsh on him. He was only trying to show concern about my well being.

"I am sorry if I have embarrassed you. I didn't mean to." The barman apologized. His apology made me feel a bit sorry for him.

"No, I am sorry for that. I was only concerned that something. What I have in my mind is affecting my behavior." I apologized solemnly.

The barman seemed to understand my position as he started to share some things with me. I began to think that we could be great pals.

He started to tell him tales after tales and that made me distracted a bit. In that situation, distraction was what I needed most.

I was so infatuated by these tales that I didn't know how time went back. Just as he finished one of his tales, I snapped back and remembered that I had told Kenny to find out about the strange girl that I had seen.

Now, I knew how Kenny got confused sometimes. I could guess that Kenny would be looking all over for me now. Quickly I left the bar and went to search for him as well. I could imagine him yelling at me upon seeing me.

As I passed by, I watched everyone passing by to the exit door. I was so deliberate at doing this that I hit a lady who was coming from the opposite direction. It wasn't intentional. It happened as I was looking at the opposite direction, I mistakenly jammed my body against hers. I managed to grab her before she fell and glanced at her.

Oh goodness!

It was emotional. It was heart melting. It was so empathical that I lacked words to express it.

Right there in my arms were the lady I had seen. It was my comeback Amy. I didn't know what I was doing that I mistakenly called her name.

"Amy." I called.

"Yes. How do you know my name?" The lady replied.

I let her on her feet properly and looked at her tenderly.

"How do you know my name?" She asked again as she gazed at me back in concern. She was probably suspicious of me a total stranger who knew her name.

That moment, I had wished to tell her all and that she was my comeback Amy but I couldn't. I felt like confessing my love to her immediately and let our love continue but I couldn't just bring myself to do it. It seemed so improper.

"You haven't told me how you knew my name." Amy said as she looked inside my eyes deeply.

"I don't think you would want to know." I replied with a smile.

"Really? Why do you think so?" She asked back. I was getting drawn closer to her. My past Amy also had the same inquisitive nature.

"You don't need to know, my dear Amy. Moreover, we are going to meet very soon. Maybe then, I would tell you." I tell her making her more confused. However, Amy didn't pursue the matter like I had thought. She left there immediately with a show of courtesy.

Just as she left my sight, I saw Kenny calling out for me. I heeded him and went to see him.

"Everything fits. She might as well be your past Amy." Kenny says as soon as I got to him. He was bursting to talk.

"Yes, I know right. What have you found out about her?" I asked with anxiousness ridden in my voice. I was quite bewildered and I considered what could have happened if I had missed the party.

"Well, a lot. I don't think we should discuss it here. Why don't we go home?" Kenny said and I agreed with him.

Everything seemed done there and I headed for home where a real inquisitive session would fan out.

As soon as we got home, I didn't let Kenny remove his shoes before I started pumping him with different questions.

"Calm down, Jason. Let's be cool about this. I will tell you all I have found out so calm down, okay?" Kenny said.

When Kenny was done removing his shoes, he got a cup of water for himself then sat down and face me.

"I think it is better you talk now. You are keeping me anxious." I tell him but he just laughed it off.

"Okay, let me tell you what I have found out.." Kenny says.

"Okay.." I replied.

"No more interruptions." Kenny pressed.

"I got that."

"You are still interrupting. " Kenny persisted.

Now, I didn't talk again. Kenny was acting like he held something up against me. I felt like punching him but I needed the information. He had it and he was using it against me.

"Okay then." He starts as he gains in on my face. "Her name is Amy just like your past lover. Turns out that she is an orphan. She was raised by one doctor in town. They call his name Kimbro."

I couldn't stop myself from interrupting.

"Who is Kimbro?"

"The man who raised her." Kenny replied.

"Continue."

"OK, Kimbro is a doctor by profession. He works and lives near the valley. Don't worry, I got the address. Kimbro has no kids and he seemingly adopted Amy as his child."

"So that's it?" I asked.

"Yeah. The men didn't want to tell me too much about her. They almost tagged me strange." Kenny said.

"I will go see her." I tell Kenny.

"Really? Well, I have no objections. You really should go see her, you know. However, I don't know how she would take it. Since she has no memories of you, she might be likely to disbelieve your story." Kenny pressed.

"I know." I replied.

"What do you want to do now?" He asked me. He also seemed to be worried about the situation.

"I have to see her. I won't tell her outrightly. First of all, let me see her. I believe everything would roll out on its own in due time." I said to Kenny as I watched him closely.

"Okay, I got that." He replied.

We were both silent with each of us envisaged in different thoughts. I was thinking about Amy but I didn't know of his own thoughts.

I had only one thing in mind and that was to see Amy.