CHAPTER 3: HITCHES

                I was walking on a very thin line. Gustav was so sure of our safety in this town and I almost blew it. If the other girl didn’t bump me, we’d have half the town knocking on our gates with torches and pitch forks by now. Not that it could do us any harm, but we had nowhere else to go.

                The house was quiet when I got home. Gustav must have been out hunting. I dropped my bag unceremoniously on the floor and proceeded to my room. I leaned against my closed door and slowly slid to the floor. I still had the handkerchief in my pocket. I could smell my blood and the faint scent of the boy I had met. I was hoping he didn’t see my earlier transformation on the roof. But he’d seemed so calm and sure of himself when he approached me. Obviously, I didn’t look dangerous to him. I wonder if he would still think that if he knew what I really was. I pulled out the hanky and pressed it to my nose. I inhaled deeply, taking in the metallic fragrance of my blood mixed with his smell. There was a hint of forest in it. Guess he’s the outdoorsy type. We could probably go hunting together, yeah right. I slapped myself. Why was I thinking of him anyway?

                “Sanguine?” Gustav was back.

                I momentarily panicked as I stared at the soiled piece of cloth in my hand. I ran to the bathroom and soaked it in the sink.

                “Just a sec!” I called.

                I changed into a clean pair of drawstring shorts and a tank top. When I entered the living room, my maker was lounging on the sofa watching the news.

                “How was your day?” he asked.

                “It was okay.” I answered too quickly. I mentally kicked myself.

                “Really, that’s good.”

                “What, you mean that’s all?”

                Gustav cocked his head, “Were you expecting a full interrogation by any chance?”

                “No.”

                He suddenly stiffened and pulled me down beside him. “Who is that?”

                It was my turn to freeze. I felt the blood drain from my face and I probably looked whiter than a ghost. “W-who is what?”

“Don’t mess with me, cherie. I caught the scent when you entered the room. Where have you been?” he asked his tone accusing.

“At school.”

Gustav’s brow furrowed. “What is a Shade doing there? Is he your teacher?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Shade.” He touched my cheek and sniffed his fingers.

I imitated his gesture. A feeling of relief and confusion washed over me. Gustav smelled the girl from my gym class, not the boy. Thank goodness. “She’s not my teacher.”

“How did she get so close to you then? Her scent on you is so strong.”

“She’s my classmate.”

Gustav’s head snapped up so quickly I was afraid it would break. “That’s impossible.” He exclaimed. “They’re never this young.”

“Hold up! I’m still in the dark here.”

“Have I never told you about Shades?” he looked as bewildered as me, it was almost hilarious.

“Obviously, no.”

We moved into the kitchen. Gustav took a beer can from fridge and chugged it down. Yes, we can consume other food besides blood. He settled into the chair across me.

“Shades are special beings that can control shadows. What they lack in strength, they make up with their power but they rely on the dark. So basically, if you bring these guys out into the sun they’re useless, vulnerable…”

“Like us.”

Gustav nodded grimly. “Exactly.” He crushed the can and threw it into the trash can. “But unlike us they can’t be turned, they’re born. The female Shades get their powers by the time they turn eighteen and males twenty-one.”

“But my classmates are freshmen.” I added. “Most of them had just turned fifteen. Are you sure it’s a shade?”

“I’m positive. And another thing, these guys are never alone. This is more complicated than I thought. I never imagined that there’d be more species in this town.”

“Why not? It’s secluded, practically hidden from the rest of society. Isn’t that why you chose to stay here, so what if there are other kinds of supernaturals in Austinford?”

 He stood up and paced uncomfortably around the room. His expression was dark. Gustav seemed to be debating with himself about something bigger than sharing the town with some Shades.

“Gustav, what’s wrong?” I asked.

He combed his fingers through his tousled hair. “Just another hitch, cherie.”

He didn’t explain anything to me no matter how hard I pressed for information. So I decided to drown my dismay in hunting. I never procured a taste for animal blood but it would suffice for now. Once we’re clear of that crazy guy hunting us down, we’d be back to our normal jive and back to our original diet. The cute little deer I had startled was now a gory mess and so was I. I had seen a river a few feet from my location so I headed down for a wash. The river was running steadily, bubbling gently and intensifying the serenity of the forest. The air smelled of pine and dirt, just like that boy. The handkerchief was washed, ironed and safely tucked away in the bottom of my drawer. Luckily, Gustav wasn’t the type of guy who rummaged other people’s stuff when they weren’t around. We valued each other’s privacy and it kept our bond stronger through the centuries.

My reminiscing was interrupted by a low growl. I had been too lost in thought that I had let my guard down and failed to notice a threat creeping in on me. I found a pair of yellow eyes peering at me from behind some large bushes, and by the sound of its snarl, it was something huge. Was it a Shade? We were observing each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. I moved a foot backwards and almost simultaneously, the creature set its paw forward. I could now see thick grey fur and the long and sharp nails connected to a muscled front leg. I didn’t wait around for it to show its whole self so I made a mad dash south. I heard it chasing after me. I was surprised that it could almost equal my speed. I leaped up into a tree praying that it couldn’t climb, but I was wrong. The branches made audible cracks and snaps as they tried to bear the weight of my pursuer. I ascended higher and higher until the branches became thinner and more brittle. I heard a whine followed by the sound of the whole tree toppling over. I grabbed hold of another tree and watched as a large ball of fur fell to the ground. It was obviously hurt but it still got up and tried to climb the tree I was on. I could take a hint. It didn’t want me in the forest so I opted for the final trick up my sleeve. This creature could run and climb but it couldn’t fly. I stood up, wrapped my arms around my torso and closed my eyes. I counted to three and swiftly spread my arms. I felt the familiar tingling in my muscles as I blew up into a swarm of bats. Didn’t see that coming, did you buddy? I flew back to the house carefully using a different route in case it would still try to follow me. I fluttered into my bedroom window and reassembled myself on the carpet.

The sun was rising as I plopped onto my unmade bed. I wiped the grime from my face remembering each minute of the chase. I just had a dangerous encounter with yet another kind of species. My mind was overflowing with unanswered questions, but then it suddenly hit me - something far more important than my nightly escapades.

My unfinished homework.

Reviews

[lovejulez03]

Well, yet again you get great with your words and the flow of the storyline. I was a little surprised to see that you chose shifting into a bat. It's great that you found a way to put a hitch in the characters lives, already, with the Shade part. Well written and I'll keep on reading :) Good job

[ailesdelacroix]

unlike what the media shows about vampires these days, i opted for their more traditional abilities. :)