Kerwin stayed after the funeral. He was to attend the same college I would go to, as a transfer student. Tiffany went back to her place after an invitation to Amy and Peter’s wedding. I considered not going to college for a period of time, but canceled that idea. Few of the wolves were still at high school, and none of the other students seemed to know much about me and Zach.
I needed someone desperately. Someone who knew me and Zach’s true identity, someone who was not so much involved with humans, someone who could tell me most of the truth. Only one name came to me: Kerwin.
He might not be ideal, but at least better than anyone else. Amy and Peter did receive invitation to the surprise party, but that was the only evidence they could give me. Lucy and her pack was too much involved with us, and with the incident with human hunters, who knew which side they would take? They probably even feel relieved with Zach’s death. Kerwin was also involved, of course, but he was a foreigner as one might say, so he didn’t have a side to pick. Nor had he some other reason to feed me with lies.
Kerwin rented another apartment, about four blocks away. It was very close to mine. I redecorated my apartment, keeping Zach’s stuff all in the little room he possessed when he was still alive, cleaning everything else. I painted the walls again in black, with white flower patterns. I changed the curtains and rugs also. They were usually a bright crimson. Now the room was mostly dark and blue. A small part of it was red also, but it was dark-red, very close to black.
Some of Zach’s design was still Ok, not ruined by the fire. I removed these from his room into my bedroom and stuffed them under my own pile of dresses. Zach posted his designs to a small fashion magazine in the city. My mind seemed to change much as my body. Curiously, I examined his design closely and drew some of my own dresses. They looked in the same style as Zach’s.
I sent the scratches under Zach’s name to the magazine. He died a sudden death, and he didn’t use his real name, so there was a fat chance no one noticed the difference.
I even made some of the dresses I designed and took photos. I got the fabric in the store Zach used to go to, passing the coffin shop he used to pass. They looked pretty good though I suck at making stuff before.
A few days later I received a check from the magazine. An invitation was also in the envelope. The letter said that Zach was such a good designer that they would like to invite him to a communicational party of designers. I wasn’t so sure about that, but I wrote back telling them that I would be there. None of them knew that Zach was a boy.
I wasn’t really interested in the party but there might be some clues there. Maybe Zach had some kind of rivals there competing with him. I never really cared much about his career. I had no suspicions here; I thought it would be better to look at it from a different side. There might be other ones there who knew. There might be vampires in the editors.
Even the suspect might not be there, I could still have more clues on how Zach was outside of my life. The Zach I knew was a care loving brother, who liked teasing me a lot. I needed to know more of his stories.
The plane ticket was also enclosed in the envelope. I packed simply, a small amount of clothing and food, and some money. I even took a notebook. Some of the villagers eyed me with disdain. Normally, the families of the dead lock themselves in their home for a month, and never attend happy events for a year. Then they can start living their own life. Compared to them, I seemed not caring anything for my brother, heading off to a party in a big city just a few months later after his death, without even showing any grief in front of others.
Helen, the girl who shared a dormitory with Amy even stopped me on the street one day, after she heard about me going away for a week. Her parents seemed to be one of the villagers who were more traditional and they didn’t approve my actions. They thought it was the elders’ responsibility to teach me the respect of the dead.
I had to say I handled that rather badly, ending up with a very angry and embarrassed Helen stomping her way away from me. I didn’t have many friends, only Amy could be called my good friend. Lucy was a kind of a friend, but not as much. Helen was nice, but my mind now wasn’t one caring for friendship. Another reason was that I sensed, not realizing myself, there was danger ahead. The less people connected with me, the better for them.
No one except Amy came to see me off the airport. Kerwin sent his concern by phone. I thought that he would understand, and he did. He wished me luck, and warned me there were some nasty pieces of work in large cities. There were also hunters, more of them and most of them were more powerful than the ones I took care of unconsciously. His advice was to take as much information I could, but don’t do anything stupid, even if I had found out the suspect.
Amy was crying so much lately. She was not entirely supportive of this idea. However she thought I was so depressed by Zach’s death that I deserve a break. Although her face was not as enthusiastic, she wished me a nice journey. She hoped that I could regain myself after a week of fun outside of reality.
There we go. I thought as the plane soared through the clouds. After an hour and a half, the first steps would be taken.
Yay! Quick update!
