Are You Scared Yet?

“Mithos… I can’t. Not tonight.” I muttered, feeling around my teeth with my tongue. “I promised my father I’d wait until the weekend, sorry. Need a cap?” I reached around in my pocket, trying to avoid grabbing some pocket lint, and tried to hand him a pill capsule.

He took it from my hand and glanced at it. “It’s an AB pos', I don’t know if it’ll settle the craving for too long, but okay.” He stuck out his hand as if he wanted a couple more, so I handed them over. “Why exactly are you carrying these around though? You’re always around people, and because of your family you’re always offered whoever you want if you’re thirsty.”

I looked up at the moonlit sky, kicking some sand in the air as I pushed myself on the swing. “I’m in public these days now that I’m going to a standard school. My father told me I can only have the real thing on the weekends. Even so, it’s hard to find anyone who is pure… most of the adults and even teenagers aren’t on drugs or whatnot.” I sighed heavily.

Go for the kids; that’s what I do when I need something fast.” He responded with a smirk.

I leaped off of the swing and gave him a look. “Mithos..!” I snapped.

He gazed at me with wide eyes and his jaw dropped. He threw himself onto the ground and onto the sandy ground on his knees. “Brendan, I am so sorry! I—I forgot, I swear!” Mithos stuttered, trying to make up for his fault. I sighed and laid down on the sand. “You know I’d never make you think about it on purpose.”

I nodded, knowing his words were truthful. No one ever say a thing to make my dull memories come back. “I—I…”

I shot him a look of surprise, no longer thinking about what he had stated—thank heavens—and stared southeast. Footsteps… breathing…but what type? I can’t sense it. No others like Mithos and I are even around this area at all, so could it be her? It must be…!

“No… Marie! Get away or you’ll get hurt!” I screamed, knowing that Mithos was hungry from borrowing the caps. I darted at full speed to the body, eyes closed since the rushing wind irritated them, and accidentally got too close to where we brushed cheeks. I whipped back around and grabbed her, my lips only an inch from her neck. The feel of the skin shot back my urge to quench my thirst, but I couldn’t. I had to resist. Marie…

“Brendan, what the hell are you doing?” Marie had said in an extremely manly voice. I looked up to see it wasn’t Marie at all—it was my comrade. “And who’s Marie?” He chuckled.

I hurriedly dropped him to the ground and turned around, looking shy. So that’s why I couldn’t sense them, it was really one of us. We have no scent, but I didn’t think he was even here. “Tobias, why are you here?”

“He wanted to tag along once I traveled here, but he stopped to get a drink before I met up with you. Didn’t I tell you?” He snickered; I could tell he didn’t tell me on purpose. Oh man, is he in for it. “So, this Marie girl,” He started to say. “Is she your choice for your”—don’t say it, don’t say it—“heroine?”

I made a noise, somewhat like a growl, and pounced at him. “Shut up! It’s only been one day! I haven’t even picked out a girl, let alone even met any well enough!” We fought, not with all our might, but more lightly and it was a rather jocular fight.

“Aww!” Tobias teased. “Brendan’s got a crush, Brendan’s got a crush!”

I stood up and pinned him to a tree. “I do not.” I said, loud and clear. After that, not a noise occurred. The crickets stop chirping, the birds quit flapping, and the creatures in the nearby lake stopped rustling around. I let go of my grasp, stunned. “I’m, sorry?” I was uncertain of what to say, knowing that both Tobias and Mithos had a petrified look on their faces. “I wasn’t being serious—I mean, I’m not kidding—but—”

“Dude, I think you need to chill out.” Tobias murmured.

I told them both to go, and they did as I commanded. I asked them to meet me back at this location in a couple of days. I sat alone, throwing stones in the river.

“Why would I pick a heroine that I didn’t even know the scent of? I mean, if the sole reason of a heroine is for their type and if you care for them, then why would I pick her? I don’t know her, and I don’t care for her.” I whispered to myself after sitting by the lake. I would know if I liked her—that’s one thing about my kind, we immediately know when we adore someone like that. It’s a natural sense.

“Then why did you try to protect her?” Another whisper followed.

I turned back around and threw a rock in the lake. “Why are you here, Mithos?” I muttered recognizing his voice.

“I wasn’t going to leave you alone. You could wipe out this whole down in your sleep in a good mood. Can you imagine what you could do when you’re pissed?” His reason made me laugh slightly and smile; he was correct, I am capable for doing most anything, anytime. “But think about it. You were sent here to find a heroine and here one is. Plus, the quicker you pick one, the quicker you go back home. And why would you have warned her if you didn’t care about her life? And then you tried to drink Tobias… how could you mix those two up? We don’t even have a scent.”

“I don’t like her, okay? I’d distinguish it like everyone else does. And I was too thirsty to tell a difference,”—I wasn’t prepared to tell anyone I couldn’t sense her type—“I’d really appreciate it if I could be alone.”

He sighed. “As you wish. But it’s a possibility to consider.”

All I wanted was to learn about her so I could determine her, like a game. But he was right.

A point to consider, indeed.