Farewell

      I wasn’t sure what actually woke me, the bright sunlight or the feeling of being watched, but I opened my eyes to a giant mess. The fridge had been completely torn apart, the door embedded into the wall across the room. Its contents were scattered around. The smell of rotten milk and busted eggs filled the air, making me choke. There was also an unfamiliar scent in the air. It smelled like lavender, but I didn’t have any thing that could smell like that. That’s when I heard breathing behind me. Before I could actually even think the command, my body was in the air spinning to face the intruder. I was stunned at the feral snarl that rent the air. With an even greater shock I realized that it came from me.

      All this was established by some part in the back of my mind. The main part of my focus was on the figure standing in the shadows. I instantly recognized Tiffany looking back at me. Her blue eyes stood out against the dark corner.

      “Calm down, I mean you no harm,” she stated, putting her hands up as if in surrender. My posture didn’t relax.

      “How did you get in here? Why are you here?” I questioned. I was distracted for a second by how hoarse my voice sounded.

      “I’ll explain everything, just please close the curtains, the sun is killing me.”

      I had wondered why she stood completely concealed in the dark shadows. After a second I decided she was trustworthy, so I complied. I moved swiftly to the curtains and pulled them closed, throwing the kitchen into almost complete darkness. I looked back at her and saw that she hadn’t moved an inch; her hands still raised in surrender. I knew she wouldn’t attack me, so I exhaled and relaxed my rigid posture. She smiled and lowered her hands.

      “Sorry my house is a mess, I don’t know what happened,” I apologized.

      “It’s ok, I know what happened. That’s why I’m here. I saw it at the party last night. I figured it wouldn’t be long before you would need a drink,” she replied, looking at a piece of dry meat on the floor. “By the way, you might want to wipe your mouth; your covered in blood.”

      I whipped my sleeve across my mouth and was again shocked to see dried blood clinging to it. I turned to the sink and turned on the hot water. After the first splash across my face, the sink had turned a shade of reddish pink. I was repulsed to find that my mouth started to water at the sight of the blood. The fire in my throat flared again, though not as bad as last night. I tried my best to ignore it. I finished washing my face and turned back to
      Tiffany. She had moved to sit at the table on the far side of the room. I moved to sit across from her. A glance at the clock told me that it was almost noon.

      Tiffany pulled something out of the bag she had placed by the door. She tossed it to me, its dark contents making a sloshing sound as it flipped towards me. Without conscious thought, my hand flew up and caught it right side up.

      “Water bottle full of blood, its a necessity for sudden thirsts. That should calm the fire in your throat,” she smiled at the stunned expression on my face.

      “How did you get this?” I ask as I removed the lid and poured the cool elixir down my throat.

      “A mountain lion attacked me on the way to Amber’s house,” she said simply.

      I drained the bottle faster than it took her to finish her sentence. I put the cap on and tossed it back to her. Without looking at it, she caught it and threw it into her bag. She was right, the burning in my throat had stopped.

      “So let me get this straight, I suddenly became a vampire?” I ask, half sarcastic, half serious.

      “No, you are not a true vampire. You seem to have our speed, strength, and thirst, but sunlight doesn’t affect you. I don’t know how or why,” she replied. “Who turned you?”

      “What are you talking about? I was fine just before the party.”

      “Did you run into anyone on the way there?”

      “No.”

      She looked at me quizzically. She leaned towards me and sniffed. “You have a similar smell as a human. But its mixed with something I’ve never smelled before. I can’t place it.”

      “So what? I’m a half vampire?” I ask, letting the sarcasm in my voice cover the panic I could feel rising inside me.

      “So it would seem.”

      “What do I do now?” I questioned.

      “You have two options. One, you go with me and I show you how to survive as a vampire. Two, you try to figure it out on your own. It’s your choice,” she answered.

      I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew I didn’t want to face this alone. “Okay. I’ll go with you. Do I need to pack?”

      She looked at the bloody mess that was my clothes. “No, but you might want to change before we go.”

      “I can’t just leave. I have to say good bye to Amber.”

      She deliberated for a moment. Then she removed another bottle from her bag and tossed it to me. “Make sure your thirst is quenched, I don’t want you to attack her by accident.”

      I drank some of it as I went up stairs to change. “How will we be traveling?” I yelled down.

      “Wear good running shoes,” was all she shouted back. That worried me.

      After I had changed into some comfortable yet sturdy jeans and a long sleeved shirt, I dug through my closet for the pair of running shoes that I had just gotten. I tied them tightly. I walked back to the stairs and had a sudden idea. I leaned forward and sprinted toward them. Everything moved so fast, yet it all seemed so slow. I knew the things whistling past were moving at a very high speed, but I could see every detail as I passed. Every speck of dust on a table, every hand print on the mirror in the hall, all of it, in crystal clear detail. When I reached the stairs, which only took half a second, I launched myself into the air. I underestimated my strength. I had to flip quickly and land on the wall across the room from the stairs. I stayed on the wall for longer than I thought necessary, so I lightly pushed off and landed softly on the floor, 10 feet below me. Tiffany was at the bottom of the stairs.

      “Having fun?” she ask, smiling.

      I smiled back. “A bit.”

      “Good. Get it out of your system now because you can’t let humans see you doing stunts like that.” She walked to the door. “Ready?”

      I took one final look at the house that was no longer my home. Everything looked the same, but everything was different. This place had meant comfort, but now, standing in the here about to walk out the door for what might be the last time, it felt empty. It seemed oddly dark. I looked out the window and saw that the sun was hidden behind the clouds.

      “Jacob?” Tiffany was standing beside the shelf next to the door. I had some pictures there that had caught her eye. “Are these your parents?” she ask indicating the only picture I had of them.

      “Yes. That picture was taken just before my dad died. I was sixteen,” I spoke softly, remembering that day. Neither of my parents liked photos of them selves, so I got lucky with this one. It was Christmas. We were in the front yard of our house, playing in the snow. Dad had slipped and fell. Mom tried to help him up, but was laughing so hard that she fell beside him. They were using each other to help stand. I snapped the picture quickly, while they were both laughing and covered in snow. They looked so happy. The next day, Dad had went to work, and that night we got a phone call. Mom was cooking dinner. It was Dad’s favorite, pot roast. I was putting in our favorite movie. He was suppose to be home in a few minutes. Mom answered the phone in a cheerful mood. Her expression went from smiling, to shock, to tears in a second. She dropped the plates she was holding. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. My heart felt like it shattered as the plates did, the pieces jumbled and scattered. I knew what had happened before she said a word. He wasn’t coming home. Ever.

      A soft hand on my shoulder brought me back to the present. I took in a deep jagged breath to steady myself.

      “I’m sorry about your parents,” Tiffany whispered.

      “It’s ok,” I replied. I took the picture out of the frame and went to put it in my pocked.

      “It will get messed up in your pocket. I’ll put it in my bag. It will be safe in there,” she said softly. I handed it to her and watched her put it in an empty compartment.

      “Ok, lets go,” I said, walking out the door.

Reviews

[Scarlett Secret]

Simply amazing. You've created your own breed of vampires, and still preserved your brilliantly vivid descriptions. I still hunger for more!