When Night Breaks

As soon as I shut the door behind Samantha, I heard Leo run into the room.

"What the hell, Jay?!"

"Leo. Don't."

"No! Why the hell was she here? Is this the girl you've been sneaking out to see?"

"I've not been sneaking. And I haven't seen her in that way, I'm just watching over her."

"She doesn't need you to watch over her!"

"Yes she does!" I was now yelling, meeting Leo's volume with my own.

"Why? What could she possibly need your protection from?"

"She got attacked." I didn't go into details with what had happened with Ian.

"Did she call the cops?"

"No."

"Then let her take care of it herself. Why does it concern you?"

I didn't expect Leo to understand what I was saying. I knew he would over react. He had valid reasons but it still didn't make the situation any easier.

"Leo, I'm being careful."

"Some random girl just shows up on our doorstep and you say you're being careful? The doorstep that no one is supposed to know we own?"

"I didn't bring her here, she followed me."

"That's even worse! Cause that shows that you're NOT careful. How could you let down your guard so much that she followed you all the way here?"

Deep inside, I knew he was right, but I couldn't admit it to myself. Truth is, it wasn't safe for her to be at our home. And I shouldn't have been careless enough to let her follow me. I didn't really know this girl, yet I had just promised to explain things to her, to answer her questions. Even if I regretted that promise, I planned on keeping it.

"I'm sorry, okay? I get you're mad but just calm down. I can handle it."

"You better handle it." With that, he walked away and went into his bedroom and shut the door. I grabbed my coat and went outside to gather my thoughts.

After an hour of sitting on the roof, I decided to go back inside. The wind was picking up and as the temperature dropped, I felt myself drawing closer to a final decision concerning Samantha. I had to leave her alone. I couldn't risk everything that me and Leo had built. I couldn't put us in jeopardy again. But for some reason, deep inside me, I was feeling an unfamiliar awareness. A force that was drawing me back to Samantha. It was almost like a second heart beat was beating inside my chest. I jumped up to my feet and began pacing back and forth. The cold air was hitting my face, yet I could feel sweat beads forming on my forehead. What was happening?



I climbed up the fire escape and stood on her balcony. Should I knock? I could hear her inside moving about. I stood almost frozen for 15 minutes listening, sensing her very being. I moved closer to the balcony door and knocked. I felt inside myself her feelings in that moment. I could hear both mine and her heartbeats; and I wasn't so sure whose was beating faster. I knew she was hesitant to come outside. I seen the curtain to the window move as she peered out for a quick look. I then seen the door handle turn. She stood in the doorway, but didn't come completely out.

"Hey." Hey? I had just climbed up to her balcony at night and my opening line was hey?

"What's up?" She asked. She was just as nervous, and her opener wasn't much better than mine.

"Oh you know, just knocking on balcony doors" my attempt at a joke was weak, but she chuckled a little. "Actually," I became serious, "I came to talk to you. I know you have questions."

"Do you have answers?"

"Some. Not all." I answered honestly. She motioned me to the small patio chairs she had sitting out.

She took a seat across from me, but remained alert.

"There's only one reason I'm going to answer your questions, Samantha."

"Because you follow me?"

"No. Because I feel what you feel."

"What?" She was puzzled.

"Your heartbeat, I feel it beating inside me. I hear it right now-racing. Samantha, I don't understand this at all, but what I say is true. I feel your fear, your nerves, I feel it all."

"But...no. How?" She was speechless.

"I don't know. All I know is there is a reason for all of this. That's why I'm here tonight. I'll answer what I can honestly. Some questions though may have no response"

"Who are you?" She asked immediately.

"Jay Reese."

"Where are you from?" An odd inquiry, I thought.

"I was born in Chicago. I've lived many different places"

"How long have you been following me?"

"Since the night in the parking lot."

"How did you know Ian was going to attack me?"

"Like I said before, I feel what you feel. I sensed you were in danger."

"Are you..." She stopped short without finishing but I knew what she wanted to know.

"Am I human? I don't know anymore." This was an area of gray I wasn't sure how to address. "I was simply a man. A boy, actually. But then something happened, and I changed. You can see the physical alteration. But it was my DNA they mutated."

"Who is they?"

"I cannot tell you that." Was I making a mistake by telling her any of this? It was too late to worry
about that now.