Poisoned Crimson

Chapter 21. His Warning

Chapter 21

''Even if I'm full, the moment when I'm thirsty will come soon,

a satisfaction that lasts several seconds.

A surging desire

It doesn't matter if you die anymore''

I haven't seen any of the Parkers since that day.

That, and Beth and I avoided the subject as much as possible. The week passed, and soon it was Friday. The teachers in school had a meeting, so we had the night off. Luckily for Beth, her boss gave her the day off today as well, so we could spend the day together.

''Do you maybe want to go into town tonight?'' Beth asked while we were having lunch at the kitchen island. ''There's this new movie in the cinema that sounds interesting, and if you're hungry we can grab a bite somewhere before the movie starts.''

I smiled and nodded while taking a bite of my scrambled eggs. This lunch seemed so normal compared to all the fancy dishes Elizabeth made. My fork froze mid-air at the thought of her, a pang in my chest. She was probably the only person I missed at that place, and the only person I felt guilty for leaving without saying goodbye.

''Sure,'' I said munching on the egg. It was warm and gooey in my mouth. ''Sure, sounds like fun.''

We continued eating in content silence until I realized I still haven't met Beth's dad. Today was the first day I was awake during the day, mainly because I was still so used to sleeping then. Whenever we came home from school, he'd already been asleep.

''Where's your dad?'' I asked looking over my shoulder into the living room.

''He's having some job interviews today. Nothing special,'' she replied with a shrug. ''Should be back before we head out.''

I put my fork down and looked at her. She was poking absent-mindedly into her eggs, looking a little worried. She was probably afraid her dad wouldn't get hired today. Feeling the need to encourage her, I smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

''That's amazing, Beth,'' I said, making her look up at me. ''It's great that he's trying to pick things up again.''

She gave me a small sigh and smiled. ''I suppose. I just hope he gets hired sooner or later.''

''I'm sure he will,'' I said with a nod.

We finished our eggs and spent the day listening to music and talking in Beth's bedroom. Her room was a complete contrast to the guest room. While the guest room had simple furniture and basic cream colours, Beth's room was an explosion of stuff. Two walls were red, the other two black, but you could hardly see the paint behind all the posters overlapping it.

Posters from punk bands, movies, zombies and many other things were filling the wall and overlapping each other from the bottom all the way to the top. Bean bags and piles of clothes were scattered around the floor. Her desk by the window was cramped with tiny skulls, anime figurines, and school books. A stereo system was sitting in the corner, with a cd rack next to it.

I looked around the room, and then at Beth. I came to the conclusion that this room matched her completely. She turned the stereo on and cranked up the volume, letting Green Day blast through the room.

Apart from Edward's piano playing, I hadn't heard music in a long time. My chest ached when I realized I was thinking of the Parkers again, and I flopped down on the bed to rid the thought.