"Vex. I know it's difficult to see right now. But you are going to be alright."
He reassured me as he looked deeply into my eyes. His thumb tracing my temple in small circles. Compared to mother, or father, Sebastian knew how to calm me down best. My brother and I share a very rare bond that's due to our royal blood line, and shared birthday. As he mentioned, we are stronger together than we were apart. Its been this way for our entire lives. If either of us were to get hurt physically, the other would gain the exact same wound. To feel the pain as the other was tortured.
Together, our Magik's that manifested from the elements can be harnessed, causing more damage to the opponent. We have yet to meet any others alike. Creepily adding, our psychic link that seems to never be off. Back at the Academy, we used our link to the advantage in our combat training to take out whatever opponent we came across.
We are eachothers weakness, yet also our strengths. Without my brother, I'd might as well be dead.
"Say Loon," (My terrible nickname he gave me,) "Why don't we call it a day? Head to the forest for a little hunting?"
He asked, his eyes not leaving mine. He knew I would protest him due to the rules mother set, but I wasn't in the mood for debating points. I nodded hesitantly, and, with that we were off.
Exiting the stuffy halls and into the cool, November afternoon towards the woods. We scanned the grounds of people, making sure not to be seen before entering. With a light step, he charged foward as if the wind itself had swept him within it's grasp. I followed closely behind.
Darting around trees as if they weren't even there, leaping over the roots that sprouted like veins from the large trees. I couldn't help but enjoy myself as we hunted the grounds for a delectable snack.
We stopped suddenly near a great oak. The grain of poison begrimed from the dark bark, and gleamed as if it were pixie dust. I admired the old and antiquated prime of the forest. My eyes dancing around us as Sebastian dove into the canopy of twisted branches and leaves, (that resembled skeleton hands,) above us.
"We may have something." Sebastian whispered as he joined me back on the ground, staring dead ahead of us.
We walked slowly up the middle pathway that was covered with moss, rocks and roots. Sebastian halted, bending down as he took a knee. His hand reached out toward the hoof print that was stamped into the earth.
There was a change in the air. The cool and light breeze had become warmer. Not a nice warm either, like enjoying hot coffee during a cold winter morning. No, it was sticky warm, Like wearing a wool sweater during a summer evening.
We didnt share any words, but I could tell Sebastian felt it too. Not a single movement was made for if we had, the harsh reality of the situation would be met with matters neither of us could handle on an empty stomach. That was before the wind picked up, and we caught the scent of blood in the air.
Sebastian and I shared a worried glance. Standing statuesque in the middle of this path.
The silence was broken by a branch snapping about twelve feet ahead of us. Our heads instantly shifting ahead where the sound had echoed. My adrenline kicked in. I haven't felt this for a time. My senses warning me about the upcoming situation at hand.
"Don't fret, Vex. It's probably hikers, Or lunch. Follow me."
Sebastian insisted calmly as he grabbed my hand, forcing me into the branches above with him. We watched the ground in silence as the autumn leaves buried us behind them. Waiting for whatever it was to come barreling down the path. In a matter of moments, (which seemed like forever,) A rather large moose came limping down. Its back hind leg had been wrapped in a large barbed wire fencing, cutting deep within its own flesh. Sebastian let go of my hand and scanned our surroundings for people before leaping down on top of the creature below.
Almost as instantly as Sebastian had descended upon it, a loud squeal followed by even louder moans bellowed from the moose as it became terrified. It crumpled to it's side as Sebastian dug his fangs into the wound. It's mouth wide open, I couldn't help but noticing it's two sets of teeth as it thrashed under his arms.
Sebastian turned to me with his mouth agape, huffing as it dripped steadily with blood.
"Come now sister. Do the honors? We do not have all day."
I jumped down landing at his side, my fangs already out in excitement. I couldn't fight the eagerness, diving my teeth into the artery of its neck. I felt my hands wrap around its antlers so that I could hold it more firmly against my mouth.
As my saliva touched the deep wound its blood flowed more quickly. Its body filling with our venom as it stilled. It was a luxurious warmth that dove into my cold flesh, a ruddiness to my complection as my mind mingled with the frenzy of feeding on something alive again.
I felt whole. Almost.
I pulled myself back from it's body in a gasp. I couldn't help but feel slightly disgusted in myself for getting so worked up over such a lame hunt. Sebastian let out a laugh as he held out a tissue.
"Clean yourself up, and let's get going."
"That was almost, too good." I breathed out heavily as I wiped my face off of any leftover residue. I stared for a moment at the moose's lifeless body, gazing into its large dilated eyes before looking back at Sebastian.
"Im sure that should satisfy your needs momentarily. Maybe we should fetch mother a rabbit?" He said jokingly. Knowing mother would be livid at the fact we hunted during daylight.
I suppressed a smile at the thought of seeing her face as we handed her a rabbit.
We took off back towards the entrance, leaving the body behind for whomever, or whatever wanted to do with it. Leaves flying up from under our feets as we ran, floating back down to their place along the ground.
Stopping abruptly before we met the schools trimmed lawn. We shared a few laughs walking toward the doors, they flew open letting out a couple of seniors, almost fumble over eachother as they skipped down the stairs.
"I suppose you know what that was about? Is the day over so soon?"
Sebastian questioned as I peaked inside to look at the clock on the wall: 12:20 p.m.
"Sorry to say brother, but it's lunch. The seniors are allowed off campus for lunch while the others find themselves stuck in the cafeteria."
He crossed his arms with an annoyed look. I smirked as I settled against the stone pebbled stairs, watching as the seniors enterd their vehicles and drove off toward the cafe in town.
My mind almost seemed at ease before I caught myself thinking of Ouija again. I could feel the evolving puzzle in my mind as I questioned our current situation. What if she managed to become human again? What kind of attention will this bring?
I needed to figure a way out of this before it escalated out of control.
----
Five O'clock P.M., I turned into the smooth black drive way of our house as the engine powered off. I sat quietly at the wheel, my hands still gripping it as my mind wandered into the depths of thought.
The passengers door shut with a loud bang that shook me from my train of thought.
"Coming inside? Or shall I drag you in myself?"
Sebastian asked his arms leaning over the hood of the car. I groaned in protest as I slipped out myself. Moving quickly to the red front door, noting its leaden handle that felt dull within my grasp as it turned.
"Vex, darling. Is that you?"
Obvious affection rang in mothers voice as we entered. Sebastian hovering near the door, pausing, as I shook off my shoes. I gave him a look of 'come on' as I veered into the kitchen where mother called. She was seated at the dining room table on my left, holding a note book as she wrote profusely. Her pen pressed and flowed in such perfectly practiced cursive.
Like a baby duck, Sebastian followed in behind me. He was slightly anxious as he stared over at mother, his hands hiding in the front pockets of his jeans.
Mother looked up from her book, clearly surprised to see Sebastian actually standing before her. She seemed a mixture of confusion, and even slightly uneasy as she looked him over. Clearing her throat, her expression softened.
"My dear boy...Is that really you?"
Mother asked, Sharing her brilliant smile. Before either of us could speak, her arms dove out towards him for the longing embrace she had craved. Sebastian now smiling wide as his head tucked into the crook of mothers neck, his arms wrapping around her small frame.
I couldn't help but feel relieved at how well this reunion turned out to be- Course I wasn't too worried, I knew mother missed him dearly.
"When did you arrive? How long are you staying with us?"
"Hopefully, forever." He murmured slightly before releasing mother from his arms.
Her eyes brightened as she lead Sebastian to the dining room, Seating themselves at rather old, french polished dark wood table. A tortoise window providing shade and privacy on the wall behind them, decorated with stationary drape panels that had a brush fringe on the leading edge, hung from bronze knobs.
It was a dark room compared to the open concept of the kitchen- much more accommodating to our lifestyle. They chatted away as I watched in a happy silence. As they became distracted with one another, I pursued my bedroom leaving them to talk, abandoning my satchel at the bottom of the stairs. I felt the need for a shower to rinse away some of my worry down the drain.
Pushing through the door, dark emptiness greeting me; The space drips dully with the synchronized rhythm of the leaky faucet in the porcelain clawfoot tub. I locked the door behind me, stopping in font of the mirror to look over the debris today made of me. I fumbled with my contacts momentarily as they stuck to my eyes before stripping myself of my clothes and under garments. I heard the clink against the tile as I tossed my shirt to the floor.
Bending over curiously as my hand found the cold metal mother had given to me as a child. A silver pendant on a long black velvet ribbon, shaped of two crescent moons back-to-back against the full moon encrusted with garnets. Mother, maiden and crone that have been watching over us for some time. I clutched my hands around it as they shook with anxiety.
----
The night was unforgiving. I couldn't manage to find peace of mind with the stirring thoughts of evolving ghosts, or spirits. I thought of going over the details might give me clues about what the hell was going on.
I was wrong. I couldn't piece anything together without creating more questions for my already riveting mind.
I groaned into my pillow out of annoyance, beside myself of the mystery that is Ouija. I glanced over at my alarm clock. Nearly Four A.M. Three more hours before I needed to get up and face another day.
Sebastian, who I swear could fall asleep standing on his head in the middle of a storm, snored across the hall. Zen was curled up beside my head on my pillow. Even she had stopped complaining at me and was breathing deeply with her weird cat snores.
I forced my eyes shut and attempted counting sheep as I imagined myself chasing them. It was supposed to work. Right?
So I made up a field in my head with a large brown wooden fence that the sheep pursued in escape. After sheep number 106, the numbers began to blur in my mind and I finally slipped into a fitful dream where I noticed the sheep were gathering closely together. My dreaming self was floating gently above the heard like a cloud in the sky.
The shepherdess directing them closer towards a cliff as they jumped over its sharpened corner into the rocks below. I couldn't see the shepherdess's face but even from the back I could tell that she was short and misplaced. Her snowy white hair was waisr length. As if she could feel me watching, she turned toward me and her pale blue eye looking up at me.
My eyes widened. Ouija directing the unknowing sheep to their untimely deaths, even if it was just a dream. I waved at her, but instead of responding, Ouija's eyes narrowed dangerously and she suddenly spun around. Snarling like a wild animal, she grabbed one the sheep, lifting it over her head, and in one practiced motion slashed it's throat with a large scythe, burying her hands into the wound in its neck.
My dreaming self horrified as well as freakishly drawn to what Ouija was doing. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't...Wouldn't...then the sheeps body began to shimmer, like the heat waves rising from a boiling pot. I blinked and it wasn't a sheep anymore. It was me, and her dead eyes were wide open, set and staring at me in fear.
I gasped in horror and tore my gaze from the blood, meaning to look away from the rather gory scene, but my vision got trapped because Ouija was no longer ripping out my throat. She was laughing up at me over the river of red. I couldn't look away. I stared and stared...
My dreaming bodt shivered as a familiar voice drifted in the air around me. At first the whisper was so soft I couldn't hear it, but as Ouija finished laughing maniacally the words became as well as visible. They danced in the air around me with silver light that was familiar as the voice.
...remember, darkness does not always equate to evil,just as light does not always bring good.
My eyes lids jerked open and I sat up, breathing heavily. Feeling shakey and slightly sick to my stomach, I glanced at my clock: 6:30 A.M. I stifled a groan. I'd only slept two hours. No wonder I felt so disgusting.
Quietly and swiftly I crept downstairs toward the kitchen to splash water on my face and try to wash away my grogginess. Too bad washing away the awful foreboding feeling the bizarre dream had given me wasn't easy.
No way was I going to be able to sleep again with school creeping up so soon. I walked listlessly over to our heavily curtained window and peered outside. It was a gray day. Low clouds obscurred the sun and a light, constant drizzle made everything looked blurred. It matched my mood quite perfectly, and It also made the daylight bearable. How long has it even been since I went out for a walk?
I thought about it, and, it has been quite a few days. I shivered. Suddenly I couldn't stay inside for another instant. It felt claustrophobic, Tomb-like, coffin-like.
I went into the bathroom upstairs to find my tiny contact box on the sink, to hide my beautiful gold speckled purple eyes. I understood at most times why we must disguise ourselves. It wasn't about wanting to hide amid humans and spy or whatever ridiculous things humans would assume. The truth was humans and Vampyres coexisted in an uneasy state of peace.
Broadcasting that Vampyres actually existed and worked along the sides of humans at schools or jobs, was asking for another type of exaggerated trouble. I could only imagine what the people would say about us. Probably something along the lines of us being apart of cults, or gangs, engaging in all sorts of sinful juvenile behavior.
Some of them are just incompetent assholes. So clearly mother's rules made sense. Its amazed me at times how coloured contacts and concealing clothing can hide such a monster.
Resolutely, I stared, twisting the strands of my wavy hair into one long braid that fell past my chest, as I thought about how much has changed since moving here into this new world.
Watching as the girl I once knew, change into someone I didn't... couldn't, recognize. It gave me a weird, unexpected sense of loss.
Looking back, I should have listened to my internal hesitation, scrubbed my face, grabbed a book, and gone directly back to my room.
Instead, I whispered, "You're not a monster," to my reflection, and pulled on my jeans and a black bra. Then rummaged, (Quietly- for if I woke up Mother or Sebastian, there would be no way of leaving,) Through my dresser drawers for my Frédéric Chopin T shirt I was given on my fifteenth birthday.
Before I could (wisely) change my mind, I grabbed my black converse shoes and made my way outside into the drizzle of rain.
The street looked completely desereted. It was slightly weird not see anyone walking along the sidewalks, or driving up the road. My car wasn't expensive as most of the residents here. It's dependable engine sputtered for only a moment, then it turned over and hummed like it brand new again.
Despite the fact that even the weak, foggy daylight bothered my eyes and made me rather twitchy, (Even with my daylight ring on,) My mood lightened as soon as I pulled away from the house. It's not that I hated being their or anything like that.
It was a lot more welcoming than our previous residence back at the clans quarter's. It was just I needed to do something today- I needed to be alone with myself for at least one hour before driving back into 'proper' teenage norms. I wanted to visit the beach again.
Besides, I wouldn't run into anyone at this time of hour- even if humans managed to somehow make it over the sharpened wall of stone. I plan to make it a personal paradise of mine.
I pulled up along the curb of the emptied road that stretched around the outskirts of the town. The trees surrounding the lot were large, giving shade from the upcoming sun. I took a deep breath before exiting the car and sprinted over toward the rocks.
With short glances to my left- and right, I shot over top with a quick step and landed back into the sandy bank once again.
Not even close to disappointment, I took a deep breath of relief as I inhaled the familiar scents of the salty air wafting up to me. Thunder rumbling in the distance as the clouds lit up dimly with flashes of lightning. This beach was truly a remarkable sight for sore eyes. No litter to notice left from ignorant people, unwashed foot prints from scattered children as they would play. Just the deafening silence of the brewing storm above the untouched beach.
I seated myself against the flattest rock I could find, my eyes watching as the waves swayed up and down in front of me, lapping lightly against the shore. I felt as though time had stilled for once. That, until the sun peaked through the dark clouds, rising higher into the sky. I knew I should return soon. I could feel myself slipping ever so closely back into the reality that was my life. Dreading the thought of seeing Ouija today after that horrid dream. It was only a dream, right?
Some Vampyres over time have developed visions of what the future may bring. Some could be shown, possibly, through dreams, hitting us at any time of day whether we were awake or not. But, those found with this gift work for the council.
I have never experienced such a case, but maybe, just maybe I could have.
But what did this mean? Could Ouija even kill me? An Immortal creature?
I felt my stomach lurching.
I was hungry.
I took one last glance at my newfound paradise around me before returning to my car. I noticed more people were beginning their mornings around me.
My VW was sitting all alome under the big tree, just like where I had parked it. I entered, seating myself in the drivers seat as the engine sputtered to life once more and taking off back down towards my home.
The time showed on my small radio: 7:00 a.m., in an awful bright green colour. I had no idea of what today would bring me. I looked out my windshield toward the gray sky that opened and poured cold rain over everything.
Just five more minutes...
Thank you readers for support :) Truly appreciate it! Stay tuned to find out what awaits Vex! I'm posting every Thursday for a proper schedule!