Sequel: Broken Wings ›
Status: Old version.
Broken Soul
Seven.
“Dannie, he is not a vampire,” Caden declared, getting annoyed at all the supernatural talk lately. It seemed childish to him. He didn’t want to even accept what he just saw Evan do.
“Okay, then explain his stab wound healing instantaneously, his eyes, his paleness, his weird fear of the sun, his sudden attitude change AND the fact that my nasty injury just melted away when he touched my leg,” Dannie debated. “Please, enlighten me.”
“Vampires can’t heal people,” Caden argued.
“How many vampires have you met?” she asked him.
“Zero because they aren’t real,” he remarked.
“Are you serious? Even after all of that, you still won’t believe me? Wow…you guys are officially crazy.”
“We’re crazy? You’re the one who keeps bringing mythical creatures up as if they actually exist.”
Dannie gave up with him. It was awkwardly quiet until Evan spoke. “All I feel is cold. I did hesitate to walk out in the sun but I had no idea why. It feels almost like all the life inside of me is just gone. And I know why I felt faint on that stage. It’s because I was overwhelmed since I could smell everyone’s blood in that room and I guess my senses are getting stronger.” He looked at Dannie and said, “I think she’s onto something.”
“So…you believe her?” Bryan asked him.
“Yes,” Evan replied, still looking at her. “I do.” She just smiled at him, touched that he trusted her.
“Yeah, okay, you guys are insane,” Caden said nervously, keeping his eye on Evan as he started walking toward the door. He was going leave but Bryan stopped him. He started yelling in protest.
“Hey, calm down!” Bryan shouted, silencing Caden’s sudden outbursts. “Clearly, Evan is not going to hurt us, so just relax.”
“How do you know?”
“He probably would have tried by now.” Bryan looked back at Evan. “You wouldn’t, right?”
“No,” he promised. He felt absolutely no hostility toward them.
“I saw him eying Dannie’s blood though,” Caden declared.
“But he didn’t hurt her,” Bryan reminded him. “And Dannie was the only one of us who saw what he was and trusted him to attend to her injury. She wasn’t scared at all.”
Dannie spoke up again. “Yes, I do trust him. We may not understand what’s going on with him right now but I know he’d never hurt us.”
“Okay, this is just too much,” Caden said, still confused. “I don’t know if I can handle this…”
“Whoa, hold on,” Dannie stated, getting defensive. “You can’t handle this? The rest of us are just as freaked out as you but did you ever stop to think about Evan? And how he’s feeling? I can’t even imagine it. And how would you like it if you felt continuous guilt all day and night because it was your fault this happened in the first place? Because that’s how I always feel.” Her voice was starting to shake and her face grimaced and turned red. “This whole thing is my fault…” She tried to avoid crying but it was inevitable. “I don’t want him to hate me…” She hid her face in her hands and let herself vent.
“Hey…” Evan said, gently moving his hand over her back to comfort her. “I don’t hate you.” He put his arms around her and she leaned against him. His body was feeling so cold now but she didn’t care.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did though,” she uttered softly. “I hate seeing you like this…”
“It’ll be hard, yes,” Evan told her, “but I’d rather go through all of this than let something happen to you.”
“Well…” Dannie said as she wiped the tears from her eyes, “you helped me so we’re going to help you.”
“How?” he inquired.
“I don’t know,” she answered. “I guess we’ll keep your secret. And keep you out of the sun. And maybe find a way to change you back.”
“What about…his food?” Bryan wondered. “He hasn’t eaten yet.”
Everyone looked at Evan. He was starving but was dreading the moment he’d get his first taste of blood. “I’ll figure it out,” he promised them. He really didn’t want to have to hurt anyone.
Bryan looked at Caden and asked, “Okay, now. Are you going to be alright with this?”
“Of course not,” Caden replied honestly. “But I don’t think any of us will be.” He made eye contact with Evan and said, “I’m sorry for freaking out. You’re our friend and I trust you, too. This whole thing is just so damn weird.”
“You’re telling me…” Evan said softly. Dannie just leaned on him again to help him feel less alone.
“Okay, then explain his stab wound healing instantaneously, his eyes, his paleness, his weird fear of the sun, his sudden attitude change AND the fact that my nasty injury just melted away when he touched my leg,” Dannie debated. “Please, enlighten me.”
“Vampires can’t heal people,” Caden argued.
“How many vampires have you met?” she asked him.
“Zero because they aren’t real,” he remarked.
“Are you serious? Even after all of that, you still won’t believe me? Wow…you guys are officially crazy.”
“We’re crazy? You’re the one who keeps bringing mythical creatures up as if they actually exist.”
Dannie gave up with him. It was awkwardly quiet until Evan spoke. “All I feel is cold. I did hesitate to walk out in the sun but I had no idea why. It feels almost like all the life inside of me is just gone. And I know why I felt faint on that stage. It’s because I was overwhelmed since I could smell everyone’s blood in that room and I guess my senses are getting stronger.” He looked at Dannie and said, “I think she’s onto something.”
“So…you believe her?” Bryan asked him.
“Yes,” Evan replied, still looking at her. “I do.” She just smiled at him, touched that he trusted her.
“Yeah, okay, you guys are insane,” Caden said nervously, keeping his eye on Evan as he started walking toward the door. He was going leave but Bryan stopped him. He started yelling in protest.
“Hey, calm down!” Bryan shouted, silencing Caden’s sudden outbursts. “Clearly, Evan is not going to hurt us, so just relax.”
“How do you know?”
“He probably would have tried by now.” Bryan looked back at Evan. “You wouldn’t, right?”
“No,” he promised. He felt absolutely no hostility toward them.
“I saw him eying Dannie’s blood though,” Caden declared.
“But he didn’t hurt her,” Bryan reminded him. “And Dannie was the only one of us who saw what he was and trusted him to attend to her injury. She wasn’t scared at all.”
Dannie spoke up again. “Yes, I do trust him. We may not understand what’s going on with him right now but I know he’d never hurt us.”
“Okay, this is just too much,” Caden said, still confused. “I don’t know if I can handle this…”
“Whoa, hold on,” Dannie stated, getting defensive. “You can’t handle this? The rest of us are just as freaked out as you but did you ever stop to think about Evan? And how he’s feeling? I can’t even imagine it. And how would you like it if you felt continuous guilt all day and night because it was your fault this happened in the first place? Because that’s how I always feel.” Her voice was starting to shake and her face grimaced and turned red. “This whole thing is my fault…” She tried to avoid crying but it was inevitable. “I don’t want him to hate me…” She hid her face in her hands and let herself vent.
“Hey…” Evan said, gently moving his hand over her back to comfort her. “I don’t hate you.” He put his arms around her and she leaned against him. His body was feeling so cold now but she didn’t care.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did though,” she uttered softly. “I hate seeing you like this…”
“It’ll be hard, yes,” Evan told her, “but I’d rather go through all of this than let something happen to you.”
“Well…” Dannie said as she wiped the tears from her eyes, “you helped me so we’re going to help you.”
“How?” he inquired.
“I don’t know,” she answered. “I guess we’ll keep your secret. And keep you out of the sun. And maybe find a way to change you back.”
“What about…his food?” Bryan wondered. “He hasn’t eaten yet.”
Everyone looked at Evan. He was starving but was dreading the moment he’d get his first taste of blood. “I’ll figure it out,” he promised them. He really didn’t want to have to hurt anyone.
Bryan looked at Caden and asked, “Okay, now. Are you going to be alright with this?”
“Of course not,” Caden replied honestly. “But I don’t think any of us will be.” He made eye contact with Evan and said, “I’m sorry for freaking out. You’re our friend and I trust you, too. This whole thing is just so damn weird.”
“You’re telling me…” Evan said softly. Dannie just leaned on him again to help him feel less alone.