A Fatal Attraction

I awoke to utter silence. Sweat was lightly glazed across my forehead, as the clamminess of sweat braised my chest. I glanced over to the digital clock that blindingly read three a.m. Being fully dressed in my clothing from the day before was unusual for me to wake up to, but that’s exactly what happened. Almost dragging myself out of bed, I made it to the bathroom which in seconds went from a comforting darkness to a blinding fluorescence.

Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I stared blankly into the mirror and began rinsing my hands under the cool water that flowed from the stainless steel faucet. The coolness hit my hot flesh and sent slight shivers down my spine. The insane idea of me even considering joining the Kalibary clan flooded my mind like a raging river; much too fast to stop. I understand their want to gather all the vampires with special abilities to help, but why me? The one who was wrongly forced to live under their laws.

Absently, I shut off the water and the light and dragged myself back to bed. Pulling the blankets to chest level and stared blankly at the ceiling letting my mind run laps wildly. My fingers fidgeted with my father’s necklace that lay gently around my neck. My father, the most courageous man I’d ever known. He fought for his life against their attacks. Of course he wasn’t any match for them, but he still did all he could to try and protect his family. I’ll never forget the man he was. One day, I’ll hope to be the great man he was, even though I’ll never grow past my teenage years, until I’ve made it to my 1000th anniversary of being turned. No matter how hard I try, I’ll never be as great a man as he. The shame of which I bear everyday takes away the slim chance that I could ever be even half as great. They never should have died. I should have been the one killed under their murderous wrath. I should have stood up to them, instead of cowering down like a pitiful child. Their lives are so much more precious than mine. Why couldn’t I have taken their stupid threats seriously, to protect them from their cruelness?

I could feel my face getting hot from anger that was directed towards myself, the Kalibary clan, and towards Reziv. Exhaling deeply, I let the anger ease gently out of my system. My eyes closed as the long exhalation ended and my unnecessary breath steadied. It’s easy to breathe after you’ve had to practice so long. My mind wandered off without me and slowly I drifted into another restless slumber.

*********

“Why do you resist us dear boy?” His lips were pressed into a hard line.

His cold, bottomless eyes bored into my own pale blue eyes. With that single stare he caused a claustrophobic feeling to surround my body. Almost so tight to where it felt like I couldn’t breathe. I flinched, hoping he wouldn’t notice, but I’m almost positive he would notice every little detail. I tried my best not to cower down in his presence. Standing this close to a real vampire wasn’t a person’s idea of fun. They can feel the pulse that beats under your thin skin. They can smell the fear that you try so hard to hide.

“Only bad things come to those who do not do as we say.” A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth in a sickening way.

He was lying. Something in my heart told me he was lying. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was my naiveté that was holding on to the hope that he was only bluffing. He wouldn’t hurt an innocent child. Would he?

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, miraculously managing a moderately normal tone.

“Trying to be brave now are we?” He laughed. “Do I really need to explain myself to you?”

My eyes dropped first. I couldn’t look at this sick being anymore. With great disdain, he spat at me. To be spit on is one of the lowest forms of disrespect. My clenched fists and gritted teeth helped me keep from attempting to hit him. Or to keep from getting myself slaughtered right then and there. To mess with an already angered vampire in such ways would be extremely foolish.

Using my neck as a control to jerk my head around, he forced me to stare him directly into the cold eyes that were as empty as his heart. After seconds that felt like dreadful hours, he spoke.

“You know what you did was wrong.”

*********

I jolted awake. I couldn’t think, nor could I move. But I didn’t want to move. The dream always stunned me into a slight stillness. It was the less frequent of the nightmares, but when it did occur, it was never easy. Thankfully, it ended shorter than it had ever been in the past. I glanced at the clock. It was fifteen minutes before my usual time to get up. There wasn’t any point in waiting for the annoyance one calls an alarm clock to wake me if I’m already awake. Shutting off the alarm clock, I stretch my limbs until I can walk without any stiffness.

From my room, I hear Lillian slightly stirring around, already awake. She’s the early bird in the house. Always waking before everyone to make sure she is ready for the day. Her unnecessary daily routine is baffling to me. She is already more stunning that anyone in our city. She doesn’t need all of the extra stuff to make her look better. Even before vampire years, she was a very beautiful woman.

I stood up and glanced at the mirror that was tacked on my bathroom door. I looked only slightly better than I had at three A.M., but not much. Sweat wasn’t lightly coated on my skin anymore, and I certainly didn’t look as restless. But I wasn’t too excited for today. Dealing with the annoying teenagers was not something I wanted to do, but I didn’t have much of a choice. Playing the role of a human teenager meant attending human school. Some of the people weren’t too bad to talk with, but it was hard blending in with humans when you don’t generally like the way they speak or act. Nonetheless, Jamien, Lillian, and I attend every Monday through Friday. It isn’t all bad. Spending time with the same few people every day for a long period of time gets pretty boring, so I’m glad to have met people from school who I can consider friends.

Absently, the sound of the TV led me down the stairs. From the bottom of the staircase, I could see Lillian in her light blue and purple robe standing in front of the TV. Her body was like stone. After a few seconds of trying to find out why, I tuned myself into the horrifying news update.

In an automatic - almost forced - voice, the reporter read from the teleprompter, “Two young girls, no older than five and six were found afloat in their underground pool by the next door neighbor. While taking out his puppy, he noticed two abnormal figures in the water after the family’s security light came on. The neighbor is still horrified by what he saw and refuses to say anymore. The parents of these two little girls are being taken in for questioning.”

Pain and anger seized my body. I could feel my body get hotter as the reality set in. The two little girls reminded me of Imera. Their lives were taken far too soon. I closed my eyes and mumbled a small prayer to the little girls then glanced up at Lillian who was far more distraught about their deaths than I was. Her non-beating heart cared more for others than I ever thought possible. My arms wrapped around her faster than my mind could follow. She needed the comfort.

I turned from Lillian and saw Jamien walking into the room, looking as if he was lugging his weight around. His dreariness was far more evident than mine. Looking at either us of, he gave a questionable look as if to say, “Why do you two look like that?”

Lillian sighed and dashed to her room. “Two little girls drowned in their pool.” My voice sounded more flat than sad, which was alright, considering I was telling this to Jamien who didn’t care anyway, but it bothered me for some reason. He shrugged at my words and stumbled his way into the bathroom.

I forced my own body back up the stairs to finish preparing myself for the day ahead of me. I put on a button up silk black shirt over a short sleeve cotton white shirt and a simple pair of black jeans. Glancing in the mirror, I noticed the difference of my choice of clothing in comparison to those I attend school with. My choice was definitely very strange to them. I still possessed my clothing from years before, though, not many people have seen them. I wore them sometimes, but not to school or anything like that. I can’t stand out too much, can I?

With my simple blue book bag draped loosely over my shoulder, I headed quickly back down the stairs where Lillian and Jamien were sitting on either ends of the couch putting their shoes on. I followed their example and walked to the table near the front door to get my own shoes.

With Lillian behind him, Jamien grabbed the keys from the bowl and proceeded to the door. Upon opening the door, I saw something strange. Recognizing that it was a letter baffled me. Even more baffling, was the fact that my name was hand written on the outside of the paper. Something inside of me shattered when I saw my name on there. The way it was written seemed so familiar, but I couldn’t place anything to it. Reluctantly, I reached for the note and followed them to our unnecessary Jeep. It was more for appearance than anything else. I climbed into the back and leaned my head gently against the window.

The drive to school for me was uncomfortably lonely. Jamien and Lillian chatted to themselves. I couldn’t keep myself engaged in the conversation long enough to know what they were talking about. My mind was too focused on the letter that rested in my hands.

Barely listening for the purr of the engine stop into stillness, I grabbed my book bag and climbed out of the back seat. After muttering my goodbyes to Jamien and Lillian, I walked myself to my first period class.

As I sat down in my usual seat, I noticed the recycling bin against the far wall; untouched and patiently waiting for a new days worth of paper. After a moment of staring at it, I decided not to throw the letter away before reading it. I opened the letter, making sure to not rip it and inside the letter was one simple sentence - a simple sentence, with too much meaning.

I know of your human boy!

Resiv. He wrote it. The same neat handwriting filled my collection of disregarded letter of threats. The ones I foolishly paid no mind to. As I was momentarily paralyzed by the letter in my hands so I hadn’t realized Allyson take her usual spot next to me.

“Aiden,” she said softly, “what’s wrong sugar plum?”

Usually those odd little nicknames she gave me would have lifted my mood even slightly while I was upset, but this was too saddening to lift so easily. She noticed and her playful smile was replaced by a worrisome frown.

Lightly nudging me, she asked again. Too fast for even my mind to catch up with I said, “I have to move.” It wasn’t necessarily a lie, because I will have to move. She gave me a suggestive look and I continued. “I am going to live with my father. He is ill and needs assistance, so I’m moving in with him. I am unsure of how long it will be until I am able to return again.”

This lie was only usable towards her. She was the only person besides Tristan who deserved to know what was going on. If I had left her without some sort of explanation, I would be no better than I was before. My thoughts then led to Tristan; what am I going to tell him? Unfortunately, I can be nothing but honest with him. I do not know whether I would like him to be upset or not that I will have to leave him.

All thoughts of him disappeared when I looked at Allyson’s usual smile disintegrate into a large frown of sadness. Guilt struck my non-beating heart. I couldn’t bear to see my best friend so upset because of me, but I wouldn’t leave her alone. I hugged her tightly until the teacher forced us to look at the board. I could sense the tears about to fall from her eyes and wiped them almost immediately after they began to tear up.

Neither of us could focus on the work in front of us, but we didn’t speak. I’m not sure why, but words were not needed. The ring of the bell startled Allyson back to reality and we hugged once more then left our separate ways after I promised to call her tonight and tell her all the details.

The rest of the day dragged on without me. A couple acknowledgments from teachers were the only reminder that I wasn’t completely invisible. I couldn’t wrap my mind on the work long enough to actually do it, even though I’d done it several times over. I couldn’t even try to focus on the teachers’ never-ending speeches. I walked quickly to Allyson’s locker when the last bell sounded. Her usual happiness was lost beneath the bad news. The good thing about most humans though is that they grow to get over things, because they know their life isn’t that long to remain so sad.

“Cheer up,” I spoke when she made her way past the crowd, “things aren’t so bad.”

She managed a weak smile. “You’re right. We can still talk on the phone and stuff.”

I smiled the best I could, hoping it would fool her. It seemed to work when she wrapped her arms around me in one of those tight hugs she loved to give. I walked her out of the building and we said our goodbyes and I promised to call her later.

Lillian and Jamien waited by our car for me, even though I wasn’t planning on riding home with them. I had a stop to make first. Don’t wait up for me. Get yourselves home. I’ll be there later. I thought to them as I watched Jamien’s actions towards Lillian. He was very affectionate towards her - more than brotherly, but not enough for anyone besides me to notice. I had always noticed the slight attraction he had to her, but he’d never express for the appearance of being brother and sister. It makes sense though, if you think about it, he can’t stand humans and he’s never attempted to date a female vampire.

Both, Lillian, and Jamien, glanced at me curiously but didn’t think more of it and climbed into either sides of the car. It was the last thing I saw before dashing to into the forest towards Tristan’s home.