Chapter two.
I'm walking, trying to find a spot alone to think. The business of the real world is still pounding in my head, and I need to get away. The homework has been piled on endlessly, and I've barley had a single hour to myself. As I walk, not exactly aware of where I'm going, I come across a beautiful oasis, alive with colorful trees and pink lilypads in sparkling blue water. Ahh, finally. A place to call my own. This is my spot, now. I walk along the rickety dock and sit on the edge, dangling my feet over the water. The lake is filled with fish, and everytime they move the water goes swish. I shut my eyes to the sound and let my body loosen.
"Afternoon." I hear a familiar voice, and my mouth gapes open. Ryan?! I look behind me to see him kneeling down behind me with a grin. "I said, afternoon. Aren't you going to reply?" He messes with me. I scowl at him.
"Hi."
"You just ran out the other day on Liah and I, now, that's kind of rude don't you think?" Ryan teases me immaturely.
"Whatever...." I grumble in repsonse. Ryan sighs and hoists himself down onto the ledge of the dock to sit next to me.
"What do you want, Ryan?" I groan in annoyance. How did he even find me here?
"Just wanted to say hey."
"Ugh..." I turn away from him and stare into the pond. So much for solitude.
"I don't think you should be so rude, considering I saved your life. That's right, I said it. It's me, from the alleyway, you remember."
I sigh, "I'm not trying to be rude. I'm just grumpy that I can't have a single moment alone."
"Well, I'm sorry, but I had to tell you, even though you already knew." Ryan hesitates, as if he were looking for something to say. "You were just another girl in the town, and I happened to notice someone following you and being a creep." His eyes are lying.
"Really?" I question sarcasticly.
"Yes, what else would be the reason?" Ryan looks at me and frowns.
"You tell me."
"There is no other reason, Evalin. I don't know why your so suspicious." Ryan's shoulders shift uncomfortabley.
"Alright, well, sorry." I study him for a minute."Hey, why is your skin golden?"
"Um, it's not."
"Yeah it is, you and Liah and Matt. It's beautiful."
"Uh, thanks? I'm guessing that was a compliment."
"You didn't answer the question."
"Genetic." He replies.
"And what about Matt? You guys aren't related."
"Yes, I guess it is then." Ryan snaps. I snort, followed by a sarcastic giggle. "Listen, Liah also wanted me to ask you if you guys wanted to hang out sometime. She was swamped with homework back at home, so I offered to ask you for her."
"Well, yeah, I'd like to. If we ever have time." I roll my eyes. School was putting us all under alot of pressure.
"I'll tell her. And by the way, the Spring Dance is coming up tomorrow night. Just to let the new girl know." Ryan stands up.
"Tomorrow night?! Is it formal?" I didn't know our school had dances, but I was excited.
"Semi formal." Ryan grins with his sharp teeth before he walks off the dock. I lie my back down on the dock and gaze into the pond. Silence and swishing, my perfect place. So it really was Ryan in the alleyway. I hadn't asked him who that person was, or what had happened after I blacked out. But I can guess that somehow he figured out where I lived, snuck into my house and put me there. I suppose I really should have been nicer, considering the fact that he actually cared enough to make sure I was okay. I wonder why he did, he didn't even know me. I shut my eyes and thought about the Spring dance. I wonder who I would go with. Just Liah. No one at the school had even checked me out in the past days I've been there. It'll be fun to go with her, having a guy take you is always more intimidating. You don't know if you look good, or if your face is all sweaty or your hairs a mess, and your always worrying if your deoderant is wearing off the heat of the room. Emilia had been to a dance with a boy once, and that's how I felt. Even though the boy was ugly, with braces and short cropped hair. The only reason I accepted was because I was glad to have finally been noticed by anyone. But now it's different. Liah accepted me right away, which is odd. I've never met someone so friendly. I allow myself to fall asleep, clearing my thoughts while I was at it.
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The forest was deadly and silent, for Ryan Everdon prowled the grounds. Every creature knew to hide in their burrows each night and hope they had the chance to live, but not all were fortunate. Ryan was quiet and fast, giving no signs that he was anywhere near. The moonlight always casted a sparkling glow on his bare skin at night, drawing attention to creatures that didn't know of him...Ryan's eyes flicked across the forest, catching something move out of the corner of his eye. A feral cat. And a big one, too. Ryan bolted towards it, tumbling over the cat and breaking it's neck in an instant. Ryan sunk his sharp fangs into the warm flesh of the animal, the hot blood streaming down his throat with a burning sensation. He was so thirsty, it had been too long. In the daytime he had even almost lost control around a human girl. But his bloodlust was satisfied now, and he was free to return home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesus, what time is it? I woke up to the darkness beside the pond. I must have really been tired. Crap. Which way is home? I just wandered here, I don't know the back. Especially not in the darkness. I'll just have to try and find my way, if I can. I start walking, and nothing I come across looks the slightest bit familiar. The forest is only getting thicker on all sides of me. God damnit...I'm always lost... I think to myself. I hear rustling in the bushes and freeze. Large rustling, like a huge animal or person. To my astonishment, Ryan steps out of the trees and flashes me an akward smile. He's shirtless, and I can't stop my stupid eyes from tracing the gorgeous lines of his chest.
"What are you doing out here?" I cry, ripping my eyes from his bare skin.
"I could ask you the same thing."
"I...I fell asleep by the pond and now I'm lost." I let out a huff, and realize how stupid I sound.
Ryan chuckles, "Well, do you need help finding your way home?"
"Apparently you even know the way better than I do."
"Apparently I do." And he leaves it at that.
Ryan starts walking in the opposite direction from where I had been heading.
"Of course..." i mutter under my breath. We walk in akward silence for a moment, "Why are you shirtless, anyway?" I ask, refraining my eyes from looking back at his chest.
"I like to go out at night..." He ponders.
"Shirtless? You just like to go out into the forest at night shirtless?"
"I lost my shirt, I took it off for a moment because it was so hot in the daytime, and then the next thing I knew I couldn't find it."
I laugh, "Oh. Well, I'm the one who fell asleep and then got hopelessly lost."
"Seems like something you would do. Girls always need saving." He rolls his eyes.
"Uh, excuse me?" I challenge.
"Let's face it, they're just not responsible enough to do things on they're own. Someone always has to come and save them."
"That's so not true." I cry defensivley. Emilia hadn't been saved. Well, I suppose in a way she had been, considering I'm her.
"Yeah it is. You've been saved twice now."
"For your information, tonight I did not need saving! I just needed a little direction!"
Ryan laughs, "By now, you'd be in the middle of the forest near all the bears screaming your ass off and crying. You know it."
"Maybe...but thats just me. Not other girls."
Ryan laughs at this again, "I guess I could compromise that much." He smiles at me. After a while, we finally come to an empty road.
"Wow, we're way out here." I murmur.
"Yep." We walk alongside the road, no cars passing us on the way. I could see the flickers of colored lights from the town up ahead get closer and closer. "Evaline." Ryan begins unsurley. i've never heard him in such a passive tone. That's a first.
"Yeah?"
"Do you feel uncomfortable with me?" He asks honestly.
"Not right now, no." I admit.
"I mean in general, because of that night."
"I did, but I'm cool now. I'm not freaked out anymore." I smile.
"Okay." Ryan shuts his mouth again as he stares straight ahead.
Ryan leads me to a spot where I can finally tell where I am and stops.
"Got it from here?" He asks.
"Yeah, thanks."
"Don't step on a land mine on the way home." He teases me.
"And those pants better stay on." I retort playfully. Ryan laughs.
"Okay, see you at school."
"Bye, Ryan." I turn away and begin walking up the hill back home.
I find my way back home easily and crawl into bed just as a steady rain begins to fall. I think back over my day. It wasn't so bad. I mean, typically I would have been uncomfortable around Ryan after the weird night, but it wasn't bad today.
Created: 09.07.2009 - Updated: 09.07.2009
The next thing I know, sunlight is streaming through the windows and Slane is at my bedside staring right into my face.
"Jeez, Slane! Get out of my face!" I complain. He chuckles, backing up.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." He says in a fake tone.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm taking a bath now." I groan, pushing Slane out of my room. I run the hot water and allow my stiff muscles to soak. It burns and enters the little splinter wounds that I got from the lying down on the dock. I'll have too go shopping for a dress for the Spring Dance. A short, modest one is always good for these kinds of things. Maybe Liah can help me, she has a nice wardrobe. Not to mention she's the richest person I've ever met. I get out of the bath and slip into my uniform, grabbing a hot pocket on my way out of the house.
When I arrive at school, I search desperatley for Avalin. She's probably in the back, where there are no other kids. Sure enough, all three are in the back. Ryan is at shcool for the first time, and he's in his uniform. I've never seen him dressed so formally, he looks handsome and sophisticated, considering he runs around half naked in the forest at night.
"Evalin!" Liah trots up to me.
"Hey!"
" Oh my god, guess what?" She demands in an excited whisper.
"Hmm?"
"Matt asked me to the dance...isn't that great?" Great, now I have no one to go with!
"Yeah, that's great." I try to sound happy.
"Isn't he cute? And I can't wait to see him in a tux."
I chuckle, "Liah. Your funny. Is...Ryan going?" I ask, peering over Liah's shoulder to find Ryan and Matt chatting.
"He might drop in, but it's not really his thing."
"So I figured." I smile.
"Well, come on over." Liah leads me over to the group. Liah and I take a seat, and she starts bickering away about the dance tonight.
"So, have you gotten your dress?" She asks.
"Well, I actually didn't even know about it until yesterday."
"Aw, I'm sorry. Do you need help going shopping?"
"No, I've got an old dress I can use."
Liah giggles, "Your good. I always have to get something new."
"Yeah, I have an black dress with tights."
"Cute." I notice that Liah doesn't have her coverup around her eyes, she left it off today. I guess that means she feels more comfortable with me.
"You should come for a sleepover tonight." Liah smiles.
"That would be fun!" I haven't had a sleepover since being Emilia. And that's a very long time to not get out of the house with friends.
Ryan must have overheard us, and barges into the conversation.
"Liah, do you really think that's a good idea?" He says through clenched teeth.
"Why? Because mom and dad are a couple of dumbasses?"
"Liah..." Ryan presses with frustration.
"I'm sure they won't think of it as such a big deal."
"We can't let her come over." Ryan says rudely. What is his problem? Does he not realize I'm right here? I stand up angrily.
"Maybe I should just go, okay? You obviously want nothing to do with me, you can't even stand me being in your house. And your rude enough to just admit it all in front of me. So, I'll see you at the dance, Liah. Bye." I snap furiously at Ryan. I thought we had become somewhat friends last night, but I guess I was wrong. I stalk away from everyone and go through the tedious school day.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't even look good. My hair is nothing special, and the only thing different about my makeup is my crimson lipstick. But who am I trying to impress? No one. I don't even have anyone to go with, I'm only showing up to show my face.
"Slane, I'm going now." I call to him across the house.
"Alright, see ya."
After the dance I was planning to go out again and search for things for the first time since that night, but I may stay in, depending on how to dance goes.
The dance is decorated nicer that I would have expected. It's nice and dark, with a few whit elight beams casting down on the dancing crowd. It has a nice amount of people, enough to be able not to notice me. The song is fast, but some people are slow dancing and others are fast dancing together. I stroll into the heated room, picking my spot as the wallflower. Liah and Matt are there, and Liah is looking extra curvy in her short, pink dress. She spots me and winks as she dances with Matt. I feel myself being pushed around by oblivious dancers in the crowd as I struggle to find my place by the wall. I notice a couple of guys scan my body. Well, that's a first.
"Ugh, excuse me..." I mutter, trying to push through everyone. A slow song starts playing, and the crowd jumps up with excitment. Cold hands suddenly wind around my waist, sending shocked shivers up my spine.
"Dance with me." A familar voice murmurs into my hair. Ryan? Ryan is here? He puts his hands securely around my waist and moves with me to the beat. I feel sort of akward doing this...why is he here anyway?
"Evalin...I'm sorry. Today, I wasn't trying to be mean. I was talking about my parents. They would freak if you came over." Ryan's lips are on the side of my hair near my ear.
"Why?" I murmur back.
"They aren't good with guests." He says.
"I don't understand why anyone would be that freaked out to have another person in their house."
"My family is...complicated, okay? You can come over...it's not that I don't want you to. My parents would be rude to you and punish Liah and I for bringing you over." Thats weird, what kind of family does that?I notice now how good at dancing Ryan is. He's loosened me up and he moves naturally behind me.
"I just came here to tell you that I would never reject you like that." Ryan whispers finally, his cool breath against the side of my face. I don't know what to say to that, I want to reply, but Ryan has already unwound his arms from my waist and is walking towards the door.
"W-wait..." I stammer bravely. He turns to look at me for an answer. "Uhm...do you want to dance?" I flush a bright crimson and my face heats up like an oven. Ryan blinks, then manages a slight crooked smile.
Half an hour later, Ryan and I are sick of the dance. We head outside to try and find some quiet. The only quiet enough place is occupied by people making out. Ryan shrugs and invades their space, receiving a glare from them before they leave.
"So, you going home?" He pulls me aside and asks.
I hesitate for a moment, and decide to tell the truth, "No."
"Where are you going, then?"
"I'm...going back to that alleyway. I have unfinished business."
"You can't seriously be going back there?"
"I have to, Ryan."
"Why? What's so important there?"
"I'm just looking for something."
"What?" Damnit, why does this have to be so hard?
"I can't tell you..." I choke out. Wow. Best excuse ever. Ryan crosses his arms and stares at me with his eyebrows raised. "I can't."
"It's dangerous there, Evalin. You can't go back."
"I need to. I had a nice time and I'll see you around." I smile weakly. As I walk towards the road, Ryan's freezing hands latch onto my arm and stop me.
"Well, then I can't let you go alone, can I?"
"You don't have to come, Ryan."
"If your oh so determined to go and walk straight into danger again, it's not like I'll just stand by and watch."
I giggle, "Alright. Let's go."
We walk quickly further downtown until we reach the bad part of the town. And there's my alleyway, as dirty and neony as before. Something in me feels strange. Just like last time, I know I've been here. My heart is pounding effortlessly, my skin tingling with a strange sensation. The pink flamingo.
The pink flamingo comes with blood, dripping and rushing out of me... I remember. I remember a flash of something. Fangs above me, a grinning mouth, and peircing pain. I unawarley let out a gasp.
"Evalin? You okay?"
"What, yeah....Fine."
"What do you see?" He questions.
"Nothing, I've...just had a weird feeling being here."
"No kidding." He rolls his eyes.
"We have to walk deeper into the alley." I claim.
Ryan sighs, "Do you honestly think that's a good idea?"
"I have to."
"Argh, fine." I walk to the neon flamingo and concentrate as hard as I can on it. My ears are suddenly peirced by a loud shrieking and ringing. I cover them, afraid that blood will burst out of them any second. It won't stop.
"Stop!" I shout aloud. "Stop!" The screaming is blurred, and my vision fails as something begins to show me an image...
Emilia, lying dead, splattered with blood and clouded by a crimson smoke cloud. I feel myself hypervelilating. No! My murder was a brutal one. My murder was sick, disgusting. I'm going to find my killer. I'm going to do the unthinkable to them.
Emilia, sweet Emilia...you haven't left completley. I'm here. You're here.
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Gah, tornados today. So, I decided to upload this. Just because I wanted to. I couldn't wait to upload this chapter.
- Sidewalk. <3
(Maybe I'll be able to get 10 votes for the whole story! Eep!)