The Vampire Cross

11

Since it was still early in the morning, there were barely any students at school. However, this did not prevent Cassius from walking to his locker and grabbing his English book that he needed. Once he closed his locker and decided to walk down the hallways to sit on the stairs, he started to hear the sound of sobbing. Cassius stopped and looked to his left and saw it was the janitor's closet as the sign said over the door. Then there was a rumbling sound that sounded so familiar Cassius couldn't put his finger on it. He wanted to help the monster on the other side of the door, but he also didn't want to be rude. Cassius took a deep breath and knocked on the door as though he was going for his last interview. The moment he did that, the sound on the other side of the door became dead silent, and now Cassius was starting to regret doing what he did, but it was already too late.

"Um...I just wanted to see if you were okay?.."The moment those words came out Cassius' mouth, it was apparent what the answer was. But it seemed the only thing he could think of to ask. "Alright, I know it was stupid of me to say but-"

"You heard me." The voice sounded as though it could break in half of shame and frustration. Cassius couldn't help but take a step back in fear. He didn't want to make the female angrier.

"I-I'm sorry, but I did," Cassius admitted, then the janitor's door opened slowly, and a hand grabbed an good grip of Cassius' shirt and pulled him in quickly. The janitor's closet was dark, and he heard a switch turn on, and there she was, Lilith. Her face was so close to his as she had her hand on the string that connected it to the light above them. Her eyes were glowing that blue hue, that same scary one that made the students go to their classrooms, the one that turns him on in a way, but for right now seeing her. Her white wolf ears out, and her tail out not wagging. She never had them out when she was in human form. He supposed she lost some of her focus or something.

Her eyes held burden and sadness that was coated in layers that even if he could unravel some, there would still be hidden parts. Parts he could never touch, no matter how hard he tried. But at least he wanted to know the middle layer. The source was right here in front of him, and yet he didn't know how to start.

"Cassius, I'm sorry for dragging you in here, " Lilith sat down and crossed her legs. She put her hand over her eyes to try to make them disappear, and he could see a fresh cut on her side of her hand opposite of the thumb and down her wrist where the sweater seemed to hide it.

"Y-your hand, it's injured," Cassius said, but Lilith pulled her sweater sleeve higher so he couldn't see it anymore. She was self-conscious, and he knew it. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

She jumped. "No, no, it's okay. I just got hurt from training is all."

"Training?" He asked, but she didn't say more about it.

"Anyways, how do you feel seeing me in such a state?" She looked at him straight in the eyes. Her eyes grew dark and serious. Almost like she wanted to murder him. "Hearing me cry, " she spoke slowly as though letting him hear the tone in her voice clearly salty. As though he would enjoy her at her vulnerable moment like this.

Although Cassius knew he was pretty average in many things; however, he was terrific at observing people when it was just the two of them. She observed every single thing, as though searching for something. But then it went blank, her facade to cover things up that could trick many monsters. How he knew she did it on a day to day basis. Then the thought crossed his mind if anybody even asked how she felt. It didn't seem like it happened often. So he looked at her. He remembered Lilith telling him that she could sense people's emotions, which meant she absorbed more than she could handle, and it got in her way.

  She was waiting desperately for his answer.

   "Lilith, it doesn't matter what I feel. I'm not going to look at you as weak just because you feel upset, or..maybe something more I can't point out, but it's okay. Now tell me, how are you feeling?" Cassius asked, hoping it came out better than it sounded in his head.

Lilith repeated this question in her head many times. "H-how, am I feeling? " she stuttered, and he was shocked, but he took that thought away.

Lilith clenched her fist, she looked angry, and before she even knew it, she shifted into her lycan form and pounced on him. Her teeth were snarling at him, her salvia present in her teeth. He could smell her dog-like breathe, and his heart was racing. He was pinned down by a mad, frustrated wolf who seemed to be taking out her anger on him.

A part of him was scared, terrified of this side of her, but the other felt as though it was understanding how much pressure she had to go through each day as though she was famous. Which, in a way, she was. Her beautiful white coat reflected some of the light of the dim bulb. Her eyes glowed more, and from up close, he could see traces of cuts and slight scares through her fur most near her neck and front legs. That same newly cut was red but instantly healed.

She snarled again. Some of her saliva fell on his face, and he could hear Pandora's voice. Cassius, this is an unstable lycan. Be careful about what you say and do. I swear to god one more move, and whether or not you like it, I'm coming out.

Wait, just a moment, Pandora, please, Cassius said in his head. He heard her hiss as a reply.

Right, when Lilith was about to do something else, suddenly, she felt weak as though a spell was drawn to her, and she collapsed on top of Cassius. She was still in her form, making it hard for him to breathe, and there she was bleeding slightly as the new wound reopened some of her cuts. She was panting hard. Her tongue was sticking out as he tried to move her, but it was no use. She was heavy and passed out cold. "No, please, Lilith, wake up." He said, then louder. He didn't want to get too loud, afraid someone might see her in such a state, which wouldn't be right. He needed to think of a plan and fast.

He managed to free one of his legs, and the moment he did so, he heard something drop from Lilith. He didn't know what, and he continued to free his other leg, and finally, he was able to move. Cassius went straight to her face, and her eyes were closed with uneven breathing. Near her neck, a shine caught Cassius' eye, and he saw it was a necklace charm that was in the shape of a heart, and he picked it up. He wondered why it didn't absorb into the magic of her clothes, but he would hold onto it for the time being just until she woke up. But there was also the problem of getting someone to help Lilith. Cassius opened the door, and he felt a pair of eyes staring at him. He didn't know from where and there he heard footsteps behind him. Once he turned around, it looked like a butler. He had a stoic face as he walked up, and he stopped in front of Cassius.

"Cassius, I sense Lilith's energy down. What the hell did you do to her?" The butler said. His fangs came out, and Cassius wondered if this bulter belonged to Lilith and if he was a vampire also.