Taint (Formerly Claimed) Dark Midnight 1

Chapter 9

They sat in silence.

An awkward, suffocating silence that almost made Miriam want to do something random just to shatter it.

Laugh out loud.

Giggle.

Anything.        

In the end, she settled for reaching across the table for a wad of napkins to dab at the wet mud still coating her face.

Eliot watched her.  

Those ruby eyes seemed to slice through her body like razors.                

“You missed a spot,” he remarked after a moment.

Miriam flinched, fingers clenching over a wad of used napkin beneath her chin. 

“T-thanks,” she stammered while moving the tissues to the section of skin he stared at. 

The center of her throat. 

“Where were you going?”  His voice was bored and dry as if he spoke out of politeness more than anything—but Miriam didn’t miss how he stared with avid interest as she dabbed at her neck.

 It made her feel nervous…that look.  The way his eyes lingered over the exact spot where she knew from health class that her carotid artery throbbed. 

She scrubbed a little harder.

To his question though, she thought a little bit before answering.  “School.  But, I can stand to miss a day.”

There was no point in lying, and she was too tired to come up with a convincing one, anyway.

The truth was that she didn’t think she could sit through class, let alone bear fourth period math, always waiting in fear of a flash of blue.

Not today at least.  

Already, she had a much better plan in mind for wasting away the day; spending it curled at the foot of her bed waiting for the fear to pass. 

Chalk this one up as a loss, and try again tomorrow.  

It wouldn’t have been the first time.

Eliot didn’t reply, but the fact that he had spoken at all encouraged her somewhat to the point where she could ask a question of her own. 

“Do you still go to school?  Back wherever you’re from?"

A curious look crossed over his face.

 “No,” he said after a moment.  He broke their gaze to stare out of the window instead.  “I…graduated,” he went on in a soft tone.  “A long time ago.”

“Oh.”  Miriam fidgeted on her seat.  

He didn’t look too much older than her, but if he had graduated ‘a long time ago’ she couldn’t help but wonder just how old he really was. He didn’t have a beard or mustache—the skin beneath his pale skin was utterly smooth.  But there was an ancient wisdom in those amber eyes.

The controlled but haunted look was familiar.

“Here are your drinks!”

Miriam flinched their beaming waitress as she set a glass of water onto the table along with a steaming mug of coffee dressed in flourish. 

Eager to get rid of the acidic taste in her throat, Miriam reached for her glass and took a hesitant sip.  At the same moment, the waitress turned to Eliot, flashing another charming grin.