Dark Secret

Darkness surrounded me that instant, preventing me from seeing anything. My mouth was glued together, unable to speak. I heard Leanna shouted, Kenneth muttered a foreign language, a cross between Chinese and Spanish. The warmth of his body disappeared, replaced by the bumpy cold floor. Focusing more on my hearing, I guessed Kenneth had escaped, judging on the steps getting further away, while another pair hurried closer.

‘Charlotte!’

‘Tyler…’ I choked out the word with all of my remaining strength, my eyes stayed shut. ‘You’re here…’

Reluctantly, I forced my eyelids to separate. Bright light stung my eyeballs like needles, causing tears to flood them for protection. My eyes had always been sensitive to the sunlight, but not like this. It felt as if someone was shinning a flashlight straight at my eyes, irritating and painful.

I stared in shock when my eyes had finally adjusted to the uncomfortable light. The surroundings were still the park I was in, yet the scenery was different, in a more defined way. I thought I was viewing the world in unearthly HD.

The sun was no longer just a white circular object in the sky, it was a flaming ball of fire jets. And though the light was ever frustrating, each ray was tiny straight rainbow. Red to violet, seven individual colors added a finishing touch in the scene I was gawking at. Words could only outline its magnificent splendor.

Motes, pollens and many more things that scientists studied yet couldn’t see with naked eyes danced in front of me, spinning like snowflakes. They danced on top of trees, fields, people, in the skies of various blues, in everywhere. I prepared to choke when I inhaled a handful of dust, and then I realized the air wasn’t different from what I usually breathed in. Its untouchable texture travelled down my throat smoothly.

I’ve seen better.

I grunted mentally. Where were you when the creep stole my—our—first kiss? Out for a picnic?

I merely gave you…a dramatic pause. Privacy. I could almost see her gleeful smile. I scoffed. Anyway, like I’ve said, I’ve seen better, something more beautiful than you can imagine, stupid.

Like what? Oh wait, we have the same body, you moron! I retorted. Rather unexpectedly, she faded away. On her own.

‘Charlotte, are you alright?’ Tyler asked, standing next to me. He held me gently in his arms, unlike Kenneth.

‘I’m alright…’

We gasped at the same time. I had no idea what was he gasping for, but I surely knew mine. Standing before me wasn’t the Tyler I could identify. If weren’t for his musical voice, I would’ve screamed bloody murder. Instead of his dyed-black hair, wavy corn silk hair reached the edge of his strong, angular jaw. Vibrant red eyes stole my focus, nothing seemed to exist that moment. The depthless vermillion pools held puzzling emotion that I had not seen in him. Needleless to say his skin was chalk white, two dagger-like canines was visible. He didn’t hide them.

‘What happen to you?’ My human voice mixed with his heavenly one, so did our shared fear, anxiety, worries. I touched my face unconsciously to check was there any difference. Okay, round face? Check. Two eyes, one nose and one mouth? Check. Hair and brows? Check. Horns? Uncheck. Dude, I even have pimples.

I was so human.

‘Your eyes, Charlotte.’

Oh, that.

But it was nothing compared to him.

‘Forget about my eyes. Look at yourself, Tyler! You’re…You’re…’ I glanced around to see was there anyone nearby. ‘A vampire,’ I whispered the words.

Leanna and Tyler stiffened in alarm. Regret clouded Tyler’s eyes while anger painted Leanna’s glistening orbs. I did not comprehend their sudden changes of moods. Kenneth was gone now.

So why were they so tensed?

‘W-what?’ Their glares held murderous intent, ready shed blood.

‘That good-for-nothing son of a gun… How could I not notice his damn aura?’ Leanna gritted her teeth.

I gaped at her use of language.

‘He gave you the damn sight!’

‘I’m sorry, Leanna,’ Tyler muttered softly, as if he too was scared of her. ‘I should’ve come earlier. I thought he was only discoloring her eyes…’

‘Discoloring?’ I asked.

‘Um…’

Leanna pulled something—I couldn’t see it even with my new sight— out from her pink purse, and shoved into my hands before Tyler could explain himself. I found myself clutching a mirror on its carved handle.

‘Look at yourself,’ she ordered, then started rambling incoherently in lightning speed.

I looked into the smooth oval glass, searching for my reflection, and observing it carefully. Another mouthful of pollen and floating particles was sucked in my lungs. I had not anticipated the change.

My eyes were rid of their original colors, the blue I disliked. They had different colors, contrasting one another. The left one was deep crimson and solid black, reminding me a piece of Gothic designed onyx. The right one was frosty blue, silver-gray lines spread like laces over my iris, like a pure crystal in snow.

The baffled girl in the mirror moved when a moved, paused when I paused. She was truly me, no doubt about it. Yet, the set of exquisite orbs did not belong to me. I blinked once. Twice. Thrice.

It wasn’t an illusion.

‘Wow…I like them.’ I mused. My new eyes looked unnatural…unnaturally beautiful. Some people might think they were scaring. It depended on how you looked at them.

Of course they’re beautiful.

I’m glad we have something in common.

This is an exception, girl. Don’t think there’ll be another time.

I rolled my eyes. Was that her pride, or was she merely intended to annoy me?

‘No, you don’t,’ Leanna ceased her rambling. ‘You hate them, that’s what you should feel.’

‘But I…don’t?’

We don’t. The voice corrected.

Fine,we don’t.

‘You can’t, Char. You just can’t.’

Leanna looked away from me. She looked angry again, I could see it in her eyes, but there was sorrow too. I could almost see the chaotic conflict inside of her, though I didn’t know what she was battling about.

It made me sad. There were too many things I didn’t know about her, too many secrets.

I told you I don't like her, the girl repeated what she said when I first met Leanna.

Stop saying that. Leanna must have her reasons.

Your kindness will be your downfall, Charlotte Williams. Startled by what she said, I froze. She used my full name.

‘Tyler, look after Charlotte and take her back home.’

‘Yes, Leanna.’

‘I’ll look for Kenneth,’ she said his name with dripping venom. ‘And we’ll have a little talk,’ she dashed towards east, leaving a trail of dust behind her.

‘Come on, Charlotte. The sun’s already setting,’ Tyler pulled me with him. My legs moved unwillingly. I wanted to stay here, to wait for Kenneth’s return. I had so many things to ask him, particularly about the sight they had mentioned. What had he done to me?

Who, or rather, whatwas Kenneth?