Lucian's Mark

Chapter Three

           It wasn’t until the next morning, when the warm gush of the shower had fully awakened me, that I realized the extent of the previous night’s escapade.

            Oh my God.

            I started to gasp for air, thinking of the teeth, those sharp, sharp teeth. I felt my neck throb in reflex. Oh God. I sat on the shower floor, raising my knees to my chest, as I thought about what I should do.

            I wouldn’t, couldn’t, tell a soul. I didn’t need the inhabitants of Black forest to think of me as a freak. That was a label I didn’t need on my forehead; it was bad enough Beth already thought of me as some sort of ‘Scarlet Letter’ to put it nicely.

            I could ask around? Be subtle, and see if anyone else knew or heard of ‘creatures’ or ridiculously beautiful men who lurked in the woods, ready to pounce on unsuspecting victims−

            Oh no. It even sounded crazy in my head.

            I finished washing and got out, wrapping a towel around me.  I had to see , maybe I had imagined the whole thing. I wiped the steam from the mirror with my palm, to reveal my reflection. I groaned. The deep red neck ‘mark’ was clear as day, looking no better than before. There it was, evidence of my ‘encounter’. I closed my eyes in frustration, reliving the events of last night.

Those gray eyes. His gray eyes. Forever embedded in my memory. I shook my head, trying foolishly to rid myself of the image.

            I opened the mirror and found the same powder and cakey foundation from yesterday and reapplied. I would have to remember to buy some concealer in my shade when I had the chance. I got dressed in some random grey t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans, then attempted to brush my hair.

            It took forever to brush, being that it nearly reached my waist, but I didn’t mind. My hair was the one thing that defined me, and no matter how hard I tried to consider the idea, I could never bring myself to chop it off… to get rid of the long black waves that cascaded down my back.

            I looked at my face in the streaky mirror. I had fair skin that highlighted the random spatter of freckles that adorned my cheeks and nose. My eyes were the same as my grandmother’s, blue, bright and noticeable, they seemed to stand out in the reflection.

            I hated that. If ever had a mission in life, it would have been to blend in. I had no desire whatsoever to stick out.

            I pursed my lips involuntarily; they resembled a puffy heart, like fluffy miniature pillows. I sighed. I looked so much like my mother…whether I liked it or not.

            Making my way downstairs, I was disappointed to see that my grandmother had already cooked breakfast. I would have to remember to wake up earlier tomorrow, “Morning grandma.”

“Good morning, come sit down. How did you sleep?”

I pulled out a chair, “Pretty good actually. Thanks for the food grandma, you really didn’t have to.”

She waved me away with her hand, “Nonsense, I enjoy having someone to cook for, it’s been a while since your grandfather was around.”

I nodded sadly, my grandfather had passed away ten years ago, when I was eight. He had suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm, dying unexpectedly on his way to retrieve the mail from the mailbox.

“Sorry,” I apologized.

“It’s not your fault silly, now eat up before the eggs get cold!”

I obeyed and grabbed a plate.

“Oh and it slipped my mind, but yesterday a Ms. Evie Parker called looking for you.”

I instantly felt my cheeks widen, “Evie?”

“Yes, she wanted to know how your first day in Black Forest had turned out. She asked if you could call her back when you had a chance.”

I dropped my fork and ran to the telephone. When I looked back my grandmother’s eyebrows were up in curiosity and I laughed. “She’s my best friend.”

She nodded in understanding and returned to her paper.

As I dialed the number by heart, I couldn’t help but stare at my grandmother. She really was beautiful. Her smooth white hair was pulled back in an elegant bun, sapphire earrings dangling from her ears, light makeup complimenting her high cheekbones. You could almost see the young woman when you looked at her long enough.

After a few rings I got the answering machine. “Hey Evie, it’s me Lilly, Call me when you get the chance. I miss you… wish you were here.”

I hung up a little sad, hoping this round of phone tag would end quickly. I missed Evie a lot, plus I needed to confide in someone about yesterday.

I touched my neck in response.

“No answer huh?”

I shook my head and returned to my breakfast.

I finished eating and cleaned the dishes. I vacuumed and tidied up a bit, inspecting the house in the process, writing a list of things to get for when I went to the store. I had already asked my grandmother what she needed, to which she had replied, ‘Just another roll of yarn and a box of Fig Newtons.”

And so I was off.