PICTURE OF GWEN -------->
“What’s wrong?” he asked before I could shove away my feelings about being accepted.
I looked away and didn’t answer. I didn’t want him to feel sorry for me and then apologize.
“You can’t hide from me.” he said, a hint of humor in his voice.
“I’m just hungry.” I replied half-heartedly.
He nodded, unconvinced. “I’m sorry. I forgot. I’m not used to being around humans. I should’ve known considering how much time has passed since you last ate.”
“Wait, I’ve only been here a few hours right?” I asked in fearful confusion. I didn’t like the idea of not even knowing how long I had been there.
He shook his head guiltily. “After I… bit you… you were out for about three days. You were so weak I was afraid I’d killed you.” he didn’t look at me as he disappeared out of the bed room.
I sighed in frustration. Why did he always apologize for everything? I wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised if he told me that he apologized to himself for even breathing. I felt a twinge of the anger from earlier but I pushed it away as he returned holding a plate in one hand and a glass of water in the other. “Here you go.”
He place the plated of spaghetti in front of me. I couldn’t help but smile lightly. I loved Italian food. “Thank you.”
He nodded smiling a small smile. “You’re welcome.”
I quickly finished it and he sat the plate aside and lay back on the bed, closing his eyes. I let my gaze travel across his face, taking in every angle and shadow.
When I had been back home I had drawn a lot. Not anything like he was able to do but I preferred more sketching with pencils rather than pain. I looked away and put the memories out of my mind and reverted to staring at the black and silver patterned comforter that decorated the darkly painted crimson room that was evened out by the black ceiling.
“What are you thinking about?”
I sighed. “More unhappy memories.”
His lips tightened to form a straight line. He opened one eye and looked over at me. “What are some of the good memories of your family?”
I swallowed and remained focused on the comforter. “Well, my brother, Quinton, and I almost set the entire place on fire when we blew up a bottle in his bedroom one time when I was around fourteen. And then there was the time when he convinced me to eat the goldfish, claiming it would be fine.” I smiled at the bittersweet memory of Quinton. “We used to have so much fun. We were pretty much like twins except closer and the fact that he’s a year older than me.”
He smiled. “Him and Xavier would have gotten along fret. Xavier’s very devious most of the time and loves to play the most horrible pranks on people and get into things he shouldn’t. But he’s a real softy when it comes right down to it.”
I gave a sad smile and nodded. “They would’ve gotten along. Quinton was never satisfied though. He always wanted more, wanted what he couldn’t have the most. Maybe that’s why Mom was the way she was.” I said the last part in a low whisper to myself.
I could feel his gaze on me. “Tell me about your mom. That is if you don’t mind.” he added quickly.
“Well, she was the most amazing person I know. She could take a depressed person and make them happy but she always wished she could satisfy Quinton, she wanted both of us to be happy. One day we all got into a huge fight, I taking Quinton’s side immediately. I was fifteen and he wanted to escape, I wanted to go with him. She found us leaving and blamed herself. Finally we gave up and went back to our rooms, just to end the chaos. The next morning we found her dead in the bathroom. Drug overdose. She left a note apologizing for everything. That was only a week before I met Harold.”
“Harold?” he asked in eager confusion.
“No one.” I said quickly, not really understanding what I felt the need to lie.
“No, I’ve heard that name.” he insisted.
“Well there are a lot of Harolds.” I urged.
“But there’s not man Harolds I know who could put a jolt of fear into your eyes when you said their name. Please, just tell me.”
I sighed, knowing I couldn’t deny a direct order. “Promsie you won’t do anything irrational?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
“He’s the vampire who took me.” I whispered, tears finally coming to my eyes as the dull pain in my heart increased into terror.
Zane tensed. “That’s who did this to you? I’ll kill him, he doesn’t have any right to be doing this…”
“No! you said you wouldn’t do anything irrational! You promised.”
“Kat look at what he’s done! How is killing him irrational?” he demanded and I shrank away at the sound of his voice. He calmed immediately. “This is what I’m talking about, I even try to so much as touch you and you run away in fear.”
I felt tears come to my eyes as my heart seemed to crack. He really did think was hopeless. At first I thought he just felt sorry but this just proved that he really did just give into me being a lost cause. One without a soul.
“It just hurts to see you and everyone else at that place being terrorized everyday of their lives all because of one vampire.”
I shrugged and didn’t say anything, feeling the twinge of annoyance once again.
“Aright you can’t hide anymore. What’s wrong?” he asked his voice playful. I remained silent. “Okay let me ask you this. Are you ticklish?”
I looked over in confusion to see a smirk on his face. “Like I would tell you.” I replied smartly.
He narrowed his eyes before poking my ribs, fast enough so that I didn’t have time to shy away. I yelped out in surprise and he tried again, lingering there for a moment and make me laugh hysterically. That was probably my biggest weakness when I came to physical means. Tickle my ribs and I was useless.
He laughed. “So you are ticklish.”
I back away, getting off the bed nervously. Before I could move any further he had both hands on my ribs and I could breathe from laughing so hard. I crumpled to the floor and he straddled me playfully continuing as I tried to move away from his merciless fingers.
I opened my eyes and suddenly froze in utter terror. I no longer saw Zane’s laughing form above me, I saw Harold’s cold and excited gray eyes staring intently down at me as his hands traveled up and down my body, discovering areas that only I should know about.
Tears flooded my eyes and spilled over and I screamed out in a panic. Suddenly I felt two arms lifting me and placing me on the bed once more and I opened my tear filled gaze to see Zane staring down at me with a wide, guilt and anguish filled gaze. We both jumped as Christa barged through the door. She looked from Zane to me and back.
“Out. Now.” she said quickly and curtly.
He didn’t argue and left without a word. She sat beside me and rubbed my back comfortingly “What happened?”
The small rivers that flowed down my face continued steadily and I buried my face in my knees. I felt terrible. I had pretty much just ruined any kind of truth I had for him and he had for me. I shook my head and remained silently crying against the pants that he had given me. I had finally begun to realize that I actually might have had a chance at living as normally as possible with these people. Now? Now I wouldn’t have been surprised if Zane came in and said they were taking me back to Harold.
“He wouldn’t do that if his life depended on it, Kat. You’ve only shaken him, he’ll get over it.”
I just shrugged. “Why cant I be even somewhat normal? All I ever wanted in life was to do art and live freely.” I whispered.
She sighed and stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking. “Sometimes we get thrown into situation that seem like they’re never going to just end and everything we have lived for seems as lonely and unneeded as being a single flower in the desert. At the time it seems hopeless but then when the flower blooms it attracts al sorts of life and as more and more time passes more flowers start to inhabit around the original one. And in the end the flower has grown more beautiful than ever before.” her story ended and left only silence.
“What are you saying?” I asked, desperate for anything she might have that would help me.
“I’m saying that right now and for the past few months of your life you’ve been all alone and lost. But just don’t five up. Things will get better and who knows? You might even end up being happier than you were before. Everything happened for a reason.”
I nodded. “Thanks, that helps. I didn’t mean to hurt him. I really didn’t. it’s just when I saw him I saw Harold for a second and what he did to me…” I trailed off and she nodded knowingly.
“You should tell him.” she said finally.
I nodded. I knew I should, I just didn’t know how…