Untitled Chapter four

I tossed and turned for hours, but could never get to sleep. Finally I pulled all my blankets onto the floor. Ironically even with all the blankets, the bed of leaves on the cave floor had been much more comfortable to sleep on. I wasn’t sure when it was that I finally fell asleep only that it had been late. This time in my dreams I found myself lying in the field, everything seemed almost symphonic. The rabbits were lying near and I could hear and feel their rhythmic breathing.
Seymour trotted by and for the first time he made a noise that was actually mule like. For just a few moments me; and everything around me were at peace. It was as if I could feel everything around me, it was all a part of me, connected to me somehow. I felt his presence as I closed my eyes trying to focus on my breathing, I could feel the world start to shift and become unsettled. It started as just a small nagging feeling deep inside as it slowly grew into a fear that I couldn’t escape.
The rabbits suddenly scattered, I turned to look at Christian. The sky began to turn dark, Seymour bolted for the woods. I stood up and faced him, knowing that I should be afraid of him and yet I just couldn’t do it. I should be angry and yet the anger wouldn’t come. The sky turned angry for me, it was as if the elements were screaming for me. Christian stepped closer, the sky got angrier. I yelled at the sky to stop and then everything went quiet and calm.
Christian had a look of confusion and fear as I tried to get closer to him. And then all of a sudden he was gone, I looked around the clearing but couldn’t see him. I felt a chill that ran through me causing me to shudder. I wasn’t sure why but that caused a panic to follow through me. I couldn’t explain it as I rushed towards the woods for safety. I couldn’t see anyone around, but I felt that they were there. As the fear inside me grew I begged to wake up, an entry way opened up in front of me. I stepped through into the darkness. I walked forward not sure where I was but I felt safe.
There was another entry way and I stepped through and found myself back in the woods. As I stepped out I caught a glimpse of Winifred and Cassie as they slipped into an entry way. I turned and screamed as I saw the man from the cave again. I sat up, screaming out loud as I realized I was still in my room. I looked at the clock, I couldn’t have been asleep for more than three hours.
I was wet from sweat, so I got up and showered before making the bed. Each dream I had took me back; I couldn’t escape it. I couldn’t escape that world; it was haunting my dreams and gripping my consciousness when I was awake. Christian had said that it could change a person and it had done so for me. That world had slipped inside of me; taking hold of me and wouldn’t let go. There was no way to say if I would ever be able to shake it off; what was worse I didn’t know if I wanted to.
But for now I was here in this world, stuck waiting to see if I was about to become a vampire. I could easily accept the fact that this other world did exist and that I was somehow forever linked to it. With this being said I had to accept the probability that Christian and the others might possibly be vampires. I could even admit that I would like to go back in time to the cave when it was just Christian and me together. But what I knew I was sure about was that I didn’t ask for or want to become a part of that group.
These thoughts continued to work their way around my mind. It was causing all sorts of nervous energy so once my room was clean and tidy; I began to scrub the bathroom. Once every square inch was clean I found myself even more agitated than before. So I moved down to the kitchen and started scrubbing it. I hadn’t seen her but I felt her arrive just seconds before the items she was carrying hit the floor.
“Kathy are you alright?” I asked as I jumped up to help her retrieve her items.
“Jesse what has gotten into you?”
“Just pent up energy from being asleep for too long.”
“Well take it somewhere else before you get me fired.”
“Sorry, just let me finish this area and then I’ll clean up the supplies.”
“You’ve done enough, just go be a teenager for a while.”
I went upstairs and took a shower before getting changed. Unsure of what to do I drove down to the beach and sat staring at the waves as they crashed against the shore. The hours passed by me and all I could do was compare the ocean to the streams that ran through the other world. I missed the swishing sounds of the woods; I couldn’t ever explain where the sound was coming from but it had been comforting.
I tried to spend the day shopping but I didn’t find anything I wanted to buy. I wandered aimlessly from store to store; inspecting everything and yet nothing seemed to draw my attention. I went to the book store and finally did purchase a couple of books, one which was supposed to cover every myth and fact about vampires; and the other was about the probability of alternate universes and dimensions.
I wasn’t sure if either had that much to interest me but having spent the whole afternoon at the mall it seemed irresponsible to not purchase anything. I felt a bit more
confident with the bag in my hand as I moved to the next store. I began to feel uncomfortable as I scanned my surroundings; I felt relieved when I saw Mrs. Johansen and her daughter Martha coming towards me.
“Hello Mrs. Johansen, Martha. How are you two doing today?”
“We are just fine, thank you,” she answered back stiffly.
“I apologize for not getting a thank you card out yet. I really did appreciate the flowers your family sent to the hospital.”
“You are welcome, but it was nothing.”
“No it was actually a lot, but I promise to get the cards out soon.”
“No rush dear, your mother had mentioned that you helped her with getting things organized for the charity dinner next week. Will you be attending?”
“I don’t know yet. Just getting through a single day is hard enough. That is too far to plan for right now. Well I do need to finish shopping, hope you two have a pleasant day.”
“You too, I am so glad you are recovering so well.”
We parted shortly and I decided that I should pick up some thank you cards. So I went to the stationary store and picked out cards and stationary that matched. When I stepped outside the sky had turned violent; I looked up and watched as the storm started to rolled in.
“I have been wondering how long it would be before we met again,” his voice was low and husky causing my skin to chill over.
“I would have been happy to wait much longer,” I said trying not to draw any attention to us. Momentarily more concerned about the innocent shoppers than for my own safety.
“It was very helpful that the newspapers found you such a human interest piece. I loved the articles that marked your return, after having been in a coma for weeks. I have to admit, they seemed so much better than an engraved invitation.”
I glanced over at him, he was even more frightening than he had been in the cave. I quickly looked away, trying to decide what I could do. The door behind me opened as a man began to exit and suddenly I bolted back into the mall. I had no clue as to which myths were true so I sought out a place to hide. I wasn’t sure if I really knew where I was heading but it felt right. Within a few minutes I found myself in the storage room of one of the department stores.
As I hid behind a stack of boxes, I heard him enter the room as a stack of boxes fell to the ground. He was chiding me trying to get me to slip up and respond. Pressed between the wall and the boxes I had nowhere to go when he found me. He stood over me with such a menacing smile that I really didn’t know how to react. Bracing myself for what might come next, I wished I could go home just one more time.
An entry way opened up and I fell into it, he followed me in before it closed. It was pitch black as a sort of emptiness surrounded us. This was very much like my dream and I started to wonder why we were in this empty void. Then I realized that I had wanted to see home one more time; up till this very second there had been a tear between where my mind and where my heart called home.
But in truth I knew where home was, it was a sensation that I couldn’t get rid of and then the entry way opened again. I stepped through it as it closed right behind me; leaving him trapped in the abyss for now. I immediately rushed through the woods, I didn’t need directions. I knew exactly when to turn in order to get to the next clearing. I stood before the cave entrance wondering if I should enter or not. Eventually I gave up and just walked in; he wasn’t there. I sat down and then leaned back against the wall, where I eventually fell asleep.
I woke up a short time later to the shrill of Cassie’s voice out in the clearing.
“I’m telling you she has the gift. She shouldn’t have it but she does.”
“Cassie, you have no proof of all of this. As you stated earlier it seems. I don’t want to risk everything just because you are adding up coincidences,” Matthew answered back.
“You haven’t changed, you really need to look at the big picture and not let your emotions effect how things appear to you. But I intend to get my proof, and when I do will you side with me?”
“I can’t imagine where this is all coming from. You have always had a drive that I couldn’t understand; but this, well this seems to have climbed inside you. What is up?”
“Nothing. You wouldn’t understand.”
I couldn’t tell if they were coming towards the cave but either way I needed to get back to the other world. And so I wished for an entry way to appear and when it did I stepped through. I returned to the storage room I had been in before and I quickly found my way back out to my car. It wasn’t until I reached the house that I realized I had left the bag with the books in the cave.
Hopefully Christian was the one who found them, I didn’t want to risk giving Cassie the proof she had wanted. I wasn’t completely sure but I assumed that they were talking about my wishing. Which is obviously not too common. Charlie called me as I was heading up the stairs.
“Hey girl, lusting for blood yet?”
“Not yet, but I ran into an old acquaintance today.”
“Really, who?”
I explained to him the events at the mall and how I had been able to open an entry way. While I explained I pulled out clothes to wear for the evening. He was worried for me, about me being found; but he was very excited about my ability to open an entry way at will. In fact he wanted me to take him there. I told him we would have to talk about it later, since I needed to get ready for the movie.
More than anything I would love to share this with Charlie, after all he was my best friend. But I feared what it could do to him; that ever looming statement of it changing people. The other fear was that I’d be putting him into danger; I didn’t trust Cassie, I wasn’t sure if I could trust Matthew and now I had my doubts about Christian. And that thought alone scared me to death.
How would he react once he knew what I could do? If he picked a side, who’s would he pick? The questions went on and on; he had claimed to Matthew that he couldn’t bite me a third time and yet he had. Was he hiding that from Matthew and why? Again too many questions started to form all of which I had no answers and no way to get them.
The evening went well; after the movie we went to a party at the beach house. I avoided the punch and settled for a can of soda. I made my rounds saying Hi to all those still sober enough to acknowledge me and a few that weren’t. Charlie and Amanda were having a great time so I walked out to the beach and sat down watching the reflection of the moon as it bounced across the waves.
I sensed someone walking up behind me, so I turned to face them. It was a girl about sixteen with dark hair and as she got closer I could tell her eyes were a very dark blue green. The light coming from the house casted an odd glow around her that irritated my eyes. She smiled as she approached me, I smiled back. I noticed that she had a cup of punch in her hands and hoped it wasn’t as tainted as it had been the last time I drank it.
“Hi, my name is Liz, short for Elizabeth,” she said as she continued to stand there.
“Jesse,” I said in response, not wanting to be rude.
“You’re not the girl who was missing are you?” she asked as her eyes widened.
“Unfortunately.”
“Is it true that you were in a coma the whole time?”
“Well that’s what the doctor’s tell me.”
“Did they say what caused it?”
“Apparently I was bit by something.”
“Really, can I see the bite mark, is it even still there?”
“As far as I know it’s still there,” I said feeling a bit uncomfortable by where this was going.
“I’m sorry, that is a bit forward of me, I know I am such a geek. But I study insects and would love to see if I could figure out what bit you.”
“They didn’t necessarily say it was an insect.”
“You are so mean. My curiosity is peaked. Please let me see it. I promise I won’t ever ask again.”
I looked at her face, so eager over something so simple. Of course I knew that it had not been a bug that caused the bite. But obviously she would not go away, and if I wanted peace it would be easier to just show her. So I unbuttoned my shirt so I could lower it just enough to show the marks.
Her hand gripped my shoulder sending a chill down my back. Then there was that
familiar muted pain. As quickly as it clicked what was happening she was screaming and fell backwards into the sand. I scrambled to my feet and turned to face her. Something had changed, she wasn’t the innocent sixteen year old I had been talking to a few minutes ago; she now was casting an evil sort of glow and I could see her fangs. She was a vampire; one I had not expected.
“They said you weren’t marked. The bite doesn’t show it but your blood is tainted by the mark, how can that be?” she cried out as she scrambled to her feet.
I didn’t respond, she wasn’t exactly on my list of people I wanted to confide in or share the details of my life. I saw Charlie and Amanda coming my way and I panicked. I was obviously safe from her but they weren’t. I silently wished for an entry way to open up. Charlie called out to me just as it appeared when she turned to look at him I pushed her in and watched it close. Amanda screamed.
“S**t Jesse, was that an entry way? Who was that?” he asked.
“Yes it was an entry way, welcome to my deliria,” I said as I dusted the sand off of me.
“Someone want to explain what just happened? And don’t try to tell me I’m drunk,” Amanda demanded as she gripped onto Charlie’s arm.
“Let’s go somewhere else to discuss this,” I suggested as I led them away from the house.
Charlie tried to give her a very brief synopsis of what had happened during the three weeks I was missing. Then an even briefer list of events from today. I didn’t care at this point as long as I didn’t have to explain. I felt a familiar chill again and knew that the area wasn’t safe; we just needed to make it back to the car and to get out of here. As all the ‘what if’s’ came to mind I realized I had no idea what to do, what I could do.
Finally we slipped around the side of the house next door where we were hiding near and tried to stay in the dark shadows of the hedges that marked the end of the lawn. We crept along them as we neared where the cars were parked. I stopped cold in my tracks as another familiar face from my recent past appeared.
“S**t,” I exclaimed as I pushed the other two back into the shadows again.
“What is it?” Charlie asked.
“It’s Winifred.”
“Really, where?” Charlie asked with just a bit too much excitement in his voice.
“By the car, and there are two others I don’t recognize.”
Charlie crept forward so he could take a look.
“Wow, she is very pretty. How do you know the other two are with her?”
“Because there is a glow about them. I take one good look and I can just tell.”
“Will someone tell me what is going on?” Amanda cried out. A bit too loud because one of the guys turned towards us.
I watched as the glow about him became even darker and it seemed that without words the other two also knew. And their glow together seemed to leave a mark in the air around them; within less than a minute Cassie and two others joined them as they started heading towards us. I looked at Charlie who no longer seemed to be enjoying the experience as he tried to comfort Amanda. Who was completely freaked out and gripping his arm so tightly it had to leave a mark. I didn’t like the choices that I was stuck with.
“What are we going to do?” Charlie asked.
“I guess I need to grant your wish. I hope.”
I closed my eyes hoping for an entry way to appear and save us. And it did, which I knew before I even opened my eyes; but I didn’t have time to analyze it. I grabbed their hands and pulled them through with me. We arrived into the land of difference on a cliff side that over looked a large portion of the land. I felt a small sense of security as I looked around me.
“Jesse, those trees look like they are moving,” Charlie whispered.
“They are,” I responded back.
I looked out amongst the vast area of land before us, watching as the slow smooth process of movement floated around. It was slow and steady and then it would stop; only to start up all over again. This was a comfort to me; because all of this crazy unusual stuff signified a sense of home to me. I knew deep inside of that it would not be long before I had to change my life. It was getting harder and harder to even consider leaving here; I was so strongly connected here, which had to be the reason that I was able to do the things I had done.
“Come on, I’ll give you a quick tour before we go. Just down to the fruit groves. Then we need to get you two safely home and I need to check on the others.”
I led them down the hillside and around to the other side that was hidden from the sun. They both gasped as we entered; I had the same reaction when Christian first brought me here. It was an ever glistening and colorful place; with fruits and vegetables of all sorts of shapes and colors. I picked a few of the blue pear shaped apples and handed them each one as I took a bite out of mine; nothing could ever compare to the taste or sensation. I looked around me and smiled as the colors seemed to almost pulsate at me; then my smile dropped.
“What the hell are you doing? I warned you how this place changes people, and now you are bringing people for tours,” he yelled. I turned to face him, my emotions torn, however anger was winning at this moment.
“You have no place to speak so just get the hell away from me. I know the truth and I know what kind of monster you are.”
“I gathered as much by the message you left,” he said bitterly towards me.
I gave him a questioning look, I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Oh come on, the book you left for me in the cave,” he stated.
“Please don’t flatter yourself, I left them there by mistake. If I hadn’t been rushing to save my life I wouldn’t have forgotten them. I bought them to try and figure out what you did to me and how long I have before I become a threat to my friends and family,” I yelled as I moved towards the side of the grove and sat down on a rock there. Just being near him was enough to send my mind reeling and I needed to keep my wits about me.
“Nothing is going to happen to you. Hell you haven’t even been marked yet?”
“Um, excuse me, Christian right?” Charlie said as he stepped forward just a little bit.
“This has nothing to do with you,” Christian snapped.
“She is my friend, my best friend and I’d like you to reconsider your last statement, because apparently you did mark her. If you hadn’t your fellow blood suckers would have, and we would like to know what happens from here.”
“Charlie you are wasting your time on him,” I said as I stood up, “We need to get going.”
“What is he talking about?”
“Just forget it Christian.”
“Jesse, what is he talking about, I only bit you twice.”
“Twice on the back maybe,” I said softly. His eyes moved down to my leg as I watched the expression on his face change as he realized that it had counted. I stepped closer to him.
“How long do I have before I change?” I asked barely in a whisper, I almost couldn’t hear it myself. It needed to be asked but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.
“You can’t be marked. It has to happen in the same location. The bite’s have to line up.”
“Maybe that is how it works in that other world, but apparently not here, not for me. Am I going to change soon, what is going to happen to me?”
“You can’t change unless you drink from the one who marked you. What did he mean about the others would have?”
“Apparently I am of great interest now. Earlier when I left the books it was because the guy who had approached me in the cave that day, well he showed up again. Just earlier this evening a girl who said her name was Liz; she tried to be the third bite, and if I hadn’t already been marked by you. Apparently my blood didn’t agree with her, it caused her to pull away screaming.”
“Liz is one of Cassie’s creations.”
“Well we left Cassie, Winifred and more of their friends were they were looking for me.”
“Cassie, I would expect it out of her, but Winifred she has never much troubled herself with turning anyone. Why you?”
“Well maybe it’s because no one else has been able to control this world before,” Charlie chimed in. I gave him dirty look, this was not information I was ready to share. Christian looked at me then turned to face Charlie.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Tell him Jesse,” Charlie said. Christian turned back to me.
“Jesse,” he started. I held up my hand as I stood up.
“I seem to have the ability to make things happen, my wishes seem to be granted. I can open entry ways by just wishing them. So far I have only done it in emergencies; I don’t know how it works exactly.”
He came over and sat on the rock I’d just vacated. I looked over to Charlie and Amanda knowing that I needed to get them back; but not sure if I should stay right now or not. I turned back to Christian, I couldn’t help but reach out to him. Letting my hand gently caress the coolness of his cheek; although the touch was cool it still sent a warm sensation through me. He looked up into my eyes; silently I cursed myself for letting him affect me so strongly.
“They will keep trying if they don’t see the mark,” he said. Though I wasn’t really sure that he was actually talking to me, but this was obviously something that bugged him.
“Not much we can do about that.”
“I don’t know maybe. I’d like to try something, but I need to know that you trust me.”
“I trust you,” which was true, even though I knew it shouldn’t be. After all he was a vampire and that made me his prey.
He pulled me onto his lap and his hand cupped my jaw as his thumb slowly caressed my cheek. For a moment the world just stood still and I didn’t want it to ever move again.
“I didn’t want this to happen. I’m sorry,” he whispered before his hand slid down and unbuttoned the top few buttons of my shirt and then adjusted my shirt so that the bite
marks were exposed. I felt a cool rush on my back for just a minute.
“What the hell are you doing to her? Jesse,” Charlie yelled out.
I looked at Charlie, feeling guilty for dragging him into any of this. I couldn’t explain to Charlie or anyone that I knew this was something I had to try. I looked back at Christian as his face changed and his fangs appeared. He looked at me, I knew that this should scare me but it didn’t. He was showing the monster that he was and I still felt drawn to him.
“Do you still trust me?”
All I could do was nod; I couldn’t speak. He moved to my back and I felt the all too familiar muted pain. Amanda screamed, Charlie cussed and then everything went black. I woke up in Christians’ cave once again. I wasn’t as sore this time and although I was a little dizzy I wasn’t without the ability to move. I sat up in a panic as the details of what had happened came flooding back to me.
“You’re awake, good,” Charlie said from across the cave. The tone his voice held worried me, I had never heard him use it before. I looked over to where he sat with Amanda who looked like she had fallen asleep against him.
“She ok?”
“Needless to say she’s freaked out by all of this. She finally calmed down and relaxed a bit once she was more secure that he wasn’t going to move on to us.”
“How long have I been out?”
“About an hour,” Christian said from the cave entrance.
“Did it work?” I asked him.
“Yes.”
“So anyone who sees it will know now?”
“Yes, for as long as you live you are marked. Proof of the monster you once knew.”
I started to respond but he immediately started again.
“Here, I marked the parts that were true. At least that I know are true,” he said as he dropped the book about vampires in front of me.
I picked it up, but before I could say anything in response; Matthew called out for Christian from the clearing. Christian’s body became rigid as he looked over at the other two. Charlie took the unspoken warning and woke Amanda up and they both moved over closer to me. Christian walked out of the cave greeting Matthew as he went. I snuck around towards the cave entrance to try and listen.
Unfortunately I heard more than enough, Cassie must have been able to convince Matthew because it sounded as if he was trying to convince Christian. After a few minutes I had heard enough; too much in fact. I turned back to the others as I put my hand against the wall and opened an entry way. Charlie gave me a look of discomfort mixed with fear. I motioned for them to join me. We slipped through quickly and found ourselves in Charlie’s room.
I stood next to the entry way, book in hand as I watched Charlie help Amanda into the bed. How gently he helped her remove her shoes and then carefully tucked the sheets around her. I turned back to the space on the wall where the entry way still shimmered. I touched it and watched as it closed but left a few minor glimmers. I didn’t have to question things as much right now, I knew for a fact that I could open the way into that other world anytime I wanted. I had unprecedented control over that.
“Jesse,” Charlie said as he looked at me. His voice was strained and I didn’t blame him. He had liked the idea of it all when it was still just a fantasy, but this was all too real.
“Wait Charlie, before you say anything; I need to get this out. I’ve decided that I need to go away, if I stay around here it is too big of a risk for everyone I care about.”
“Where will you go?” he asked, but I could hear the relief in his voice. He was right to feel that way but it didn’t stop the hurt of it.
“I’m not sure yet, but the less anyone knows the better. I left the entry suspended. If you ever find yourself in an emergency all you have to do is push and you’ll find yourself back there on top of the cliff. If you have to go there I will know and will join you.”
“Jesse, I’m sorry.”
“Me too. Guess growing up had to happen to us sooner or later. Who would of thought that we would be making life decisions so soon? Just do me a favor and wait until midday to go get your car.”
“I will.”
He came over and gave me a hug, unlike any hug we had ever exchanged before. Because even though we weren’t saying it, we both knew that this was good bye; quite possibly forever. I called for a cab and headed down the drive way to meet it by the road. I had the taxi take me back out to the beach house and wait down the road while I ran in and made sure that Cassie and her coven of goons had not wrecked havoc with my friends. Once I felt secure that all was as it should be I returned to the taxi.
I gave my address and just leaned back staring out the window, not really seeing anything there. I reached to my back and felt the coolness of the bite mark and wondered if it would stay that way or not. I wondered if I could tell that I was marked. I still had the book next to me and the picture of the vampire on the front cover made my stomach turn; so I flipped it over. I looked out the window again and realized where I was at. I quickly told the driver to pull into the lot in front of Archie’s fast food and grill.
I stood there in the lot with the book in my hand watching as the taxi drove away. I took a deep breath trying to get my thoughts together before I walked into the restaurant. There were only a few customers there as I took a seat in the booth that was closest to the door. Archie came out of the back area with a plate in his hand that he delivered to the guy at the far table. He looked at me and then went behind the counter; a minute later he walked over with a cup of tea. He set the cup of tea down in front of me before he sat down.
“Missing my jokes already?” he asked with a smile. I tried to smile but I wasn’t sure if it showed through the pain I was feeling.
“I was wondering if you would give me another reading?” I asked as I held out a shaky hand.
“You want me to tell you that you will have a long life, that love will be a constant challenge? You are a smart girl, the answers you want aren’t here,” he said.
I looked down at my hand wishing I could read the answers that were there. I smiled at him as a tear escaped. I still was not used to this whole crying thing; it seemed to have a will of its own. Archie took my hand between his hands and looked at me.
“The answers aren’t here, because they are already here,” he said as he pointed to my heart.
This meant that I had no choice but to leave; I guess deep down I had held a glimmer of a hope that there was some other way. Not that I would expect him to be able to read the sorted details of my life as they have played out recently; but I was hoping for something more than what I was thinking I would have to do. I couldn’t stay around here because I would be putting my friends and family in danger; I couldn’t go to the place I considered home, too much of a risk for me.
I left Archie’s and caught the bus back towards my parents’ house and then walked slowly from the bus stop. It was very late and the air was cold and damp, it was as if I could feel a storm brewing. But when I looked up the sky was clear, I could see stars in every direction. The storm was inside me; I walked quicker as if I could walk away from the feeling. Once I was in my room I began to pack up the things I knew I would need, to include my passport and all the money I had stashed around the room. Going online I debated about how far would be far enough; and then I decided to go to England.
I thought it was kind of ironic since I had been trying to get my parents to send me there; now I was going because I had to, not because I wanted to. I wrote a note to my parents and slipped it under their door before I slipped quietly out of their house for the last time. I walked back down to the bus stop to see the bus going by; the next bus wasn’t for an hour. I slipped into the shrubs of the Crandel’s property where I stashed my bag before making an entry way.
I sat in the clearing, of what I have possessively started to consider my field, and I let the tears flow. This felt like good-bye again, and this one was even harder than that with Charlie. I heard a noise and looked around me, the white rabbits were moving closer towards me. I didn’t know their reasons for attacking me before but I didn’t feel threatened by them now. I watched as they lay down on their sides; something so familiar about this. I stood up and looked around, Seymour was standing next to the woods, and I could see the squirrels in the trees behind him. This was just like my dream.
“Jesse,” Christian called out to me as he emerged from the trees on the opposite side.
I looked from him to the animals on the other side, everyone seemed to be looking at me. My world was so divided; the sky started to turn dark as clouds formed over head making everything around me dark and gloomy as I felt. Tears began to fall again as I softly said good-bye. Lightning flashed over head as the rain began to fall. I ran and jumped through the entry way; closing it up tight behind me.
I grabbed my bags from where I hid them and somehow through a blur of tears and events I found myself on a plane heading to England. I couldn’t drown out the sound of him calling out to me as I left that world behind for good. I couldn’t get past the part of the conversation that I had overheard between him and Matthew.
“I don’t know what you expect out of me,” Christian stated.
“I just want you to think of the possibility. It had been your thought once before, getting an entry way to a practical place, being able to go to prisons to feed. It was a good idea back then and it still is now,” Matthew said.
“I don’t dispute that, but what about the risk, the cost. I saw what happened before, surely you have not forgotten.”
“I will never forget that, but there were other things going on that I didn’t know about. Things that I will never have answers to, so I moved forward. You need to move forward too, survival of the fittest is the game; and us, we will always be in that front team. Won’t we?” Matthew asked.
“Yeah, I guess we will,” Christian had said.
“There seems to be a lot at stake. I just can’t help but wonder if it came down to it, would you turn her then?”
“If it came down to there being no other way, then yes I probably would.”

It was then that I had left; I wasn’t going to wait until he told Matthew that we were there. I couldn’t risk it. And as much as the things he said bothered me I couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t what he had meant. It was as if the conversation hadn’t really belonged to them. I think what bothered me the most was that I couldn’t get Matthew’s voice out of my head. I turned up the volume on the movie that was playing in hopes of escaping the sounds of the voices that kept running in my mind.

Author's Note

Be honest.