All My Balloons Are Popping

Laughter echoes off the barriers of my mind. It is a soft musical sound that can only be made from the most innocent of beings: Her laughter. Skylar is playing in the field, the sun is high in the sky and she has never looked more beautiful. Her long flowing dress twirling around her making her look like a child, one that has no fears and is completely content. Oh how I love her like this. She stops and looks at me with her big gray eyes. The tenderness in them only makes me love her more.

“Eagan.” She whispers my name and I become nothing. My whole life means nothing when I am around her; all that matters is that she is here with me in this moment. A smile is displayed on her elfin face. Her eyes begin to change from gray to lavender as a blush is exposed on her pale cheeks. Nothing is lovelier then the feeling I get when she looks at me with her extraordinary eyes.

She reached for me when all of a sudden the skies turn black. Her expression drops and becomes unmistakably horror-struck. Skylar screams then and runs from me. I run after her so I can try to keep her safe but she only runs faster and faster. It starts to rain and the field shifts forms becoming a back alley in what appears to be an ancient European city. Skylar is disoriented and afraid. I try to come near her to comfort her but she only shrieks from my closeness. I can feel my temperament changing. I can feel the hate and loathing wash all over my body. Before I realized what I was doing, Skylar is in my arms as I plunged a dagger in to her heart. I can feel the blade in my hands and see the shine in her eyes fade. With her last breath she whispered, “I curse the day I gave you my heart” and with that she dies by my hand.

Gasping for air I came awake in Skylar’s apartment. I was sitting upright on the couch with a blanket draped over my waist. Sweat coats my entire body and plastered my hair to my face. Unable to take the perspiration I stumbled to the bathroom. With the little self-control I had left I forced myself not to glance at Skylar’s bedroom door. I knew she was safe in her bed and it sickened me that I was not the reason for her well-being.

“Please let it be a dream. Please, just a dream” I chanted to myse

lf. But what I was hoping for had become a mystery to me. What part of the dream did I want to be a fictional? Was it that I loved her or that I killed her?

I can’t love her!

Even though I feel like I have known her my whole life I have really only known her for a day. It wasn’t possible. I have a job to do and this absolutely is not it. How could I be so stupid? Never once have I let my feelings get the best of me. I promised myself I wouldn’t let emotions get in the way of my job. But look at me now.

“C’mon Eagan, stay focused. Keep your head in the game. You are better then this. She is nothing but a job, so get your act together and finish it”

I splashed more water on my face before I left the bathroom. Needing some inspiration (or at least that’s what I told myself) I peeked into her bedroom. She was asleep on her bed. She didn’t look peaceful but looked as though she was having just as bad a night as I was. Her blankets were wrapped around her body like she has twisting and turning all night. Though she looked tired, even as she slept, it was hard to think of her as a job.

Aw crap, this is definitely not good.

I’m just going to have to forget about her and treat her like I would anyone else. Maybe if I make it so she won’t want to be around me things would be better? If she hates me it would be easier to do what I need to.

Man this is going to suck!

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It was hard trying to go back to sleep after the dream I had. I mean it was hard enough trying to fall asleep in the first place knowing that a strange guy was sleeping on my couch not thirty feet way, but now it is impossible. It felt like hours before I was finally able to drift back to a restless sleep.

The next morning I woke up, as always, at the crack of dawn. Well ok in all honestly it was more like seven o’clock this morning due to the non-sleep I got that night. I quickly got dressed in a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt and threw on a little make up.I tipped toed into the living room. My hair of course was in shambles but my Quick-Fix-Messy-Bun helped by giving it a little style. Making sure not to look at the couch as I rounded the corner into the kitchen I almost screamed at the sight of Eagan leaning against my counter. All I was really successful of making though was a pathetic squeak. Eagan pressed his lips at that. It was like he was uncomfortable with my reaction.

“What are you doing up?” I said trying to cover up my ridiculous response to him being there.

“I didn’t sleep well last night”

“I’m sorry. If it makes you feel better I didn’t sleep well either”

“No.” he said with a stern look

“No what?” his tone confused me. Was he mad that I said I was sorry? I mean I know it wasn’t my fault but he made it sound like he didn’t want me to apologize.

“It doesn’t make me happy to hear that you didn’t rest well.”

Umm Okay.

“Okay well anyways…” What should I do now? “Well I don’t know what you have to do today but I have some things I have to do so umm…yeah…I don’t think Callia would like it if I left you hear by yourself so…” She most definitely would throw a hissy fit if I left him. Well no actually she would probably do something totally unexpected but why chance it?

“Can I come with you?” He asked while making a face that screamed “LOST PUPPY”. I was putty in his hands.

“Um sure if you want, I guess we have to find you a place to stay?”

“Yeah that probably would be a good idea”

“Okay let me get my jacket.”

We didn’t talk at all for at least my first two errands. My first errand was to go to my favorite coffee stand and get a cup of New York’s finest. When I offered to get him one he just looked at me with a DUH stare and walked away. Feeling more uncomfortable I lead him to the dry cleaners to pick up Callia’s concert clothes (her boobie shirt and rock star pants, all colorful all the time) then started to head to my volunteer commitment.

“So do you work or is there some vampire thing that keeps you from being able to hold a job?” the silence between us was broken but the toned he used was so different that I felt like I was meeting some one new. “On that note how are you out in the day time?”

“Um well no I don’t have a job, and there is no real reason why I don’t, I just don’t. I’m also half human so I mean the light is annoying but nothing I can’t handle.” I had a bad feeling about this. He never used that pushy tone before.

“So vamps can procreate huh. I never would have guessed. So who was shacking up with the freak? Your mama or pop pop?” he was being so ignorant that I hardly knew how to respond?

“My mother was human.”

“Oh okay so did dear old Daddy Jedi mind trick her into the nasty or was she a willing subject? I mean no normal person could love a freak?”

“My mother loved my father!” my temper was starting to resurface. “Why are you being so rude?”

“Rude, I’m not being rude I’m just curious.” A smile appeared on his face and instead of causing me to swoon like it would any other time it just made me want to hit him. “What happened to them anyways? You eat them or something?”

Pain assaulted me. That was a low blow and he didn’t even know it.

“This is none of your business. How dare you ask me these things?” anger reared its nasty little head. Feeling my eyes change I turned away from him and stormed to my final destination leaving him on the sidewalk.

Rushing into the animal shelter, I wasn’t sure how many people I startled but in the corner of my eye I saw more then one person jump at my dramatic entrance. Trying to avoid questions I kept my eyes down and head straight to the back of the building were the animals were. Before I was able to storm through my next pair of swinging doors I was stopped by one of the sweetest voice I have ever heard.

“Are you okay honey,” asked Kay the receptionist. Ever since I started volunteering here Kay has been one of my closets companions. Nearly fifty-seven, she is having a hard time letting go of her youth. Every time I see her she has a different hairstyle and new “ Fashion Forward” outfit on. Of course she looks ridiculous but I have to give her props for holding on.
“Yeah I’m fine” knowing that my eyes were back to normal I looked up at her. Her purple hair drew my attention immediately. Forcing myself to look at her I continued with “Oh if a guy comes in here looking for me, do me a favor and unleash the devil Kay I know is waiting inside you just dieing to come out.”

“Sure thing Babe, I’ll tear the boy a new one if I have to” she said with a sweet grin that could never be anything other then adorable.

“Thanks I’ll be in back if you need me?” I walked through the doors to find Cal already with a litter of Labradoodle puppies that looked as though they needed some extra TLC. Callia and I both love animals. Honestly we love them more then people. If you think about it animals either love you or hate you. It’s as easy as that. They aren’t prejudice and they don’t switch gears on you. If they love you they will love you till they day they die. If they hate you than I wouldn’t want to be you when someone lets the dogs out so to speak. They trust with everything they have and they don’t play games with your heart. If everyone could be like them the world would definitely be a different place.

“What took you so long I’ve been here for an hour?” The words she spoke out loud did not match the ones running through her head. What she really wanted to know was what happened with Eagan.

“I kind of ditched him.”

Callia busted out laughing. Unable to overcome the power of her infectious laugh I joined in. Clapping her hands together Callia certainly didn’t have problem showing her approval for my actions.

“Success!” Cal shouted as she raised her hands above her head.

“What happened with you approving of him?” I asked. This was the Callia I suspected the first time so what was it that changed her mind?

“Oh I still do I just love it when a girl makes a dramatic exit. So what happened to make you bail?” she asked still trying to fight back a laugh.

“He was being a jerk. I don’t know what happened he just started to act really different?” I explained to her in dumb wonderment

“You do realize that he is a dude right? Guys kind of do that. He must really like you if he is already trying to push you away.” She did have a point. I undeniably was not one who understood men but Cal on the other hand did. I don’t know if it was because of her mind reading or not but she was amazingly attuned. Yes, that must be why he is being a butthead he must like me. Wow!

“Of course he does. How could no one not?” I blushed at Callia’s words. Doing my best to stay calm and not act like a total boy crazed schoolgirl I focused on the puppies in front of me.

“She works in a freakin’ animal shelter the girl is a freakin’ saint!”

The sound of Eagan’s voice in my head startled me. I was so focused on not thinking about him that when I heard his frustrated thought I literally jumped out of my chair.

“What’s wrong?” Callia asked.

“Eagan is here didn’t you just hear what he was thinking?”

“Sky you know I can’t hear people in other rooms” Cal cocked her head to stare at me. The puppy in her arms looked at me with the same expression.

“You sure you heard him?” Confusion filled her face.

“Yeah he irately called me a saint for working in an animal shelter.” I explained to her.
Callia’s face light up from my worlds, “Sky do you have any idea what this mean?”

“That I’m more powerful then you ’cause I can hear people in the other room and you can’t,” I said with a dry mocking tone.

“Ha Ha. No that means the kid really likes you. He’s mad because you keep getting better and better that he can hardly stand it” She said in classic Callia giddy-ness. Even though her theory made sense in that weird sort of way I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. If she told me yesterday when he kissed me I might have believed it but now it didn’t go with the flow. Now it seems like he doesn’t want me near him. Suddenly the sound of scuffling feet filled the hallway. By the reverberating pace I could tell that there was a struggle. Bless Kay and her kind heart. There truly isn’t a mean bone in her body and yet here she is trying to protect me from someone who could every well be a psycho killer. Kay came bursting into the room with a look of horror and shame plastered on her face.

“Skylar I’m so sorry, that young man you were telling me about showed up and I tried to tell him to go away but…” Kay was cut off by a thud of the door that followed when Eagan entered the back room. Arrogance radiated out of his body.

“Young man you cannot be back here!”

“Bite me Grandma!”

“Hey!” I shouted at the same time Callia shouted, “Excuse me?” The boy was begging for a beating. Eagan then turned his attention on me with an expression that was dripping with faux injury.

“Oh hey Skylar thanks for ditching me back there” He took a step toward me only to have Kay push him back. The force she delivered wasn’t enough to make him move but it did make him give her an acidic glare. “I just love being left alone in a city I’ve never been before. Now what if something happened to me?”

“I’m was pretty sure you could take care of yourself…Oh and look here you are unharmed. I guess I was right.” I turned to look at Callia over my shoulder for a little back up but was shock at what I saw. Instead of standing ready to rip the poor kids head off, she was sitting back in the puppy pen pretending that none of us were in the room with her.

“That’s not the point?” Eagan growled.

“No the point is, is that I didn’t want to be around you, obviously you didn’t take the hint.” I turned to Kay who was still standing between us. “It’s alright Kay you can go back to your desk now. He is all talk and no action.” she gave me a hesitant look before be nodded and headed out the door. As soon as Kay was out of the room Eagan stepped toward me and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

“Are you sure about that?” He pulled back to look at me with an arched brow just begging for me to test his word.

Is he serious?

Did he forget about last night where I almost killed him? Now he has the gall to threaten me. What a little punk! Letting out an aggravated sigh I turned from him and walked over to the puppy pen. Callia was still acting like we were invisible.

“You need to leave. Now!” I said in a stern voice without looking at him. The request was practically a snarl. I stepped in to the pen and sat down to let the puppies run all over me.
“C’mon on baby don’t be like that. You know you want me around.” Those words successes in shattering me self control.

“Baby?” I spat the word out like it was poison. I turned on him then. Standing up in the pen I ignored the puppies at my feet as they tried to get my attention. Cal shushed them and got them to come over to her. My eyes burned with irritation. I locked my gaze with his. The expression on his face reeked of arrogance and self-importance. I climbed out of the pen and headed toward him. Still he didn’t flitch.

“I don’t know who you think you are but if you ever come near me again I won’t be held responsible for what happens.” I was nowhere near kidding. I’m pretty sure that I would rip out this tongue if I heard his voice every again.

“Or what? You going to suck my blood?” Shrieking inwardly I focused a murderous gaze on the putrid slim ball in front of me.

“I just might”

Crash!

Stunned, I react up to feel my neck where the sudden pain shot threw me. Feeling the dart in my neck I look over at Eagan who has a horrified expression. I see the broken glass from the window before my world goes black.