Dark Secret

I poked my head out.

I couldn’t help but to stare at Richard. Although I knew he would look like Leanna and Tyler, a gasp escaped from my throat once I saw the razor sharp canines sticking out of the corners of his mouth.

‘Charlotte!’

Both of them turned their heads to me.

‘I’m okay…’

‘Charlotte?’ Richard muttered quietly.

‘Hey, Richy.’ I ducked, peeking him through my thick lashes.

Dark eyelashes prevented me from getting a clear view, but I could tell Richard wasn’t thrilled by my change. There weren’t a lot of emotions, he was down-right furious. His emerald eyes shone dangerously.

‘What’s going on?’ He demanded, his teeth clenched tightly.

No one utter a single sound.

‘You see, Richy,’ I began, breaking the silence. I guessed I should tell him myself. ‘There was a guy—’

‘A thing.’ Tyler interjected, glaring at the floor.

Tyler had been quite hostile towards Kenneth. If I say Tyler didn’t like Kenneth, I would be putting it too lightly. He was too protective. The way he treated me was similar to the brother-sister complex, like the one me and Richard shared.

And he was my crush. Sigh.

‘Anyway, he claimed to be my secret admirer and we met at the park—’

‘Alone?’ His voice shook.

‘No!’ I denied right away. ‘I went with Leanna. Do I look that dumb?’ I added one more line. ‘Don’t answer that.’

You are dumb, girl.

Shut up!

I continued, the corner of my mouth twitched downward. My patient was wearing thin. ‘And he kissed me—’

‘He what?!’

That was the third time I was interrupted, so I snapped. Hey, even if my looks were had changed, it didn’t mean I had. I was only human.

Unfortunately.

‘Let me finish first!’

He shut up.

‘Sorry, Richy.’ I apologized. I felt bad for yelling at him. I had been very short-tempered and moody these days. ‘As I was saying, then I got the sight, and I…changed.’

‘That’s it?’ Richard seemed staggered. ‘No potions, no spells?’

I nodded.

‘Strange, isn’t it?’

‘No,’ Richard shook his head. ‘It’s terrible.’

‘Why?’ Leanna asked, standing near to him. I didn’t notice she had come up. Note to self, be more observant, especially when I had vampires as company.

‘I think this has something to do with the guy I met on my way here.’ Richard scowled. Not a good sign.

‘A guy?’ She questioned. It was unlikely for a vampire like Richard to remember a random guy he met on the street.

‘A demon,’ he corrected.

‘Kenneth didn’t look like a demon. He looks human,’ I pointed out. I was sure about that. He didn’t have bat wings or a spiky tail. Leanna didn’t say anything about being non-human either. He was just too good-looking, but that was it.

‘Charlotte’s right. I didn’t feel a demonic aura around that thing,’ Leanna agreed with me, though she loathed Kenneth as Tyler did. I didn’t understand why I was upset when they called Kenneth a thing. Weird.

You’re being nice. Again.She stated with irritation. Can you stop doing that?

Why? I thought my conscious is supposed to tell me to do good things.

I’m not your stinkin’ conscious. And don’t think about that Kenneth object, it’s making you uncomfortable, which in turn, makes me uncomfortable too.

Good, I can finally annoy you.

You wish. I have high tolerance.I scowled when she flipped her hair.

Hmph. I scoffed.

‘Maybe that thing was the demon in disguise. He’s very strong.’ Richard hinted.

So, Kenneth was wearing a disguise? That could explain his godly appearance. I wondered what he looked like originally. Perhaps he’d look like Hellboy, all red and with packs of muscles, and demon horns and all those things they mentioned in books.

…Ew. What a way to ruin his impression.

‘Strong enough to mask his aura?’

‘Possible.’ He confirmed.

‘But what did he want?’ Leanna glanced at Tyler. ‘You didn’t hunt in the demon’s territory, right?’

‘Nope. I just killed a homicidal manic. The city should thank me for getting rid of a threat. Maybe the mayor should gimme a medal or an award.’

I thought Tyler was a vegetarian. And why did he need a medal, to show off?

‘I’m not sure,’ Richard said, ignoring the later part of Tyler’s reasoning. ‘I think he wanted you, Charlotte.’

I sighed. Lovely. A demon from who-knew-where wanted me. It was kind of predictable. It would seem quite natural when you had my luck. I was a magnet of supernatural disaster. What had I ever done to piss fate? Did I had a ‘play me’ sign hanged on my neck or something?

‘That’s bad, Char.’ Tyler shrugged.

I gave him a look that said, ya think?

‘Don’t think about it, Leanna. I don’t want a bodyguard watching over me 24/7.’

I needed my personal space. I don’t want anyone inside of my bubble. They should stay away as far as possible. Besides, I was studying in high school. The preps would spread a silly rumor in no time, not to mention they were jealous of me due to my change. (I tried to reason with them, but they didn’t listen.) Ugh, the horror.

‘It’s for your own safety, Char,’ she chided like a mother trying to get her daughter to go to school.

‘I don’t care if I’m kidnapped or murdered. It means I don’t have to be trapped by life. So, there, no bodyguard. ’ I really didn’t love, or even like my life. Go ahead, take it if you want.

Scenes of my past flashed in my head. I grimaced, the images were too unpleasant. It wasn’t the first time it occurred, so I was prepared, in a way. I didn’t have to hold my head, it wouldn’t erase the horrifying pictures either way.

Away, away. I had to get rid of them, to banish those things.

‘We care, Charlotte,’ Tyler muttered.

Away, away, the words echoed.

‘Stop being so negative, Char. It’s getting on my nerves.’ Away. Leanna strolled across the room, jabbing me on the chest with her sharp finger. Away. ‘You’re gonna be protected whether you like it or not. You can’t die.’

Away!

‘Watch me.’ I gasped.

Away…and be gone.
The images released my suffering mind. Thank heavens…

‘Whoa!’

I lost my breath when Leanna pushed me onto her bed. She grabbed both of my hands, twisting them and placed them behind my back exactly how a police would’ve done to a criminal. I couldn’t counter her moves, she moved too fast.

‘Let me go!’

I tried to wiggle my way out, but her grip on me was strong, tighter than Kenneth’s. I imagined bruises forming on my slightly pale skin. Though I must say, I was glad the scenes were gone. Those terrifying scenes were also something I had started to experience years ago.

I never knew my past, my real past. I could see flashes of past events occasionally. I wasn't a hundred percent sure were they related to my mystifying past, I merely assumed. I had been an orphan since the beginning of my memory. I didn't seek out my past as the scenes brought pain and were hard to endure. I figured they were bad. Of course, those were simply my assumptions too.

‘Calm down, Char. Richard has something to tell us, remember?’

I creased my struggling. Oh yeah, that was Richard’s purpose. Leanna loosened her hold on me, stepping behind her lover. I rolled over, lying on my back, and examined my wrists for any injury. They were peach pink. Oh well, it was better than black and purple.

‘Well? What’s the news, Richy?’

The news was bound to be important. He was risking his job just to make a visit to tell us the news. A few possibilities popped up in my mind, however, they were unlikely to happen. Why would he insist me to be here?

‘Don’t be afraid, Charlotte,’ he said.

‘Afraid of what?’

I watched him curiously as he inhaled, an oddity if you ask me. I couldn’t be scared easily, he should know that.

My mouth hung agape when I heard his words.

‘The king ordered me to bring you to the kingdom, Charlotte.’

My mind was blank, blanker than a piece of paper, save for one thought printed onto it.

I’m going to jail.