After Forever

by Krystal McLaughlin

  “Orlie…” I breathed, focusing on the figure. I edged closer to the window causing me to lose my balance. I gave a small yelp, trying to grab onto something, but my hands flailed in the air. I was toppling out of my two-story bedroom window when strong hands suddenly gripped my arm.

  I gasped in shock as I was gently pulled back into the room. I ran a shaky hand over my hair while my breathing and speeding heartbeat returned to normal. When I remembered to check who my savior was I looked into my room and saw that I was alone. Spinning around, I saw the figure still standing in the window, watching me.

  “You saved me,” I said in a whisper.

  “I couldn’t let you fall.” His voice was velvety soft. “May I come over?” he stepped closer to the window; his face hidden in the shadows.

  “Ah…sure, why not?” I went to stand up, but stopped when his gentle voice suddenly sounded near my ear. “You look fair against the moon’s glow.” I gasped, pirouetting on my butt. There he stood, a tall, dark, and mysterious Orlie. “H-How did you do that?” I stammered.

  Orlie grinned while my bedroom light shone on his trench coat. His dark teardrop eyes watched me and his hair looked like melted chocolate. Without a sound he sat in front of me on the window seat.

  “Would you believe…magic?” he leaned into me, his thin fingers resting on my legs; his breath cool on my skin.

  I went to make a smart-ass remark but all I said was, “Yes.”

  Orlie’s grin widened as he reached out, touching a piece of hair resting on my shoulder. “Can I ask you something?” his black-blue eyes met my gaze.

  “Okay,” I said eager to get closer to him.

  “Why did you leave when I mentioned the sun?”

  I tried to look away, but he kept a hold on me. “I-I’m a Daybreaker,” I answered. I braced myself for Orlie’s questions, but all he did was twirl my hair around his finger.

  “You’re a daughter of the sun?” he said. His dark eyes stayed on my unusual hair.

  “How did you know?” I asked slowly.

  His free fingers found my arm and gently turned it over. His eyes moved from my hair wrapped around his finger to the birthmark on my left wrist. “You and I are soulmates.” His fingers gently caressed my marked skin. “I also have a birthmark.”

  I watched, curiously, as he pushed up the sleeve of his coat to reveal a birthmark in the same place as mine. I leaned forward for a closer look. It was a perfectly round circle the color of pale silvery-blue, and in the middle was a smaller version of my jagged circle, the color of pastel pink and orange. Without thinking I slid my fingers onto his skin and felt the warmth coming from the birthmark.

  “You’re the son of the moon…a Nightfaller.” I looked up so he nodded. “You were out in the sunlight,” I said, dumbfounded.

  Orlie chuckled. “That is just a myth about our kind. It was created in the early twelfth century to scare children at night. The truth is Nightfallers can walk the day just like Daybreakers can walk the night,” he told me. “What else do you know?”

  “Not much,” I admitted. “My mum isn’t one of us, but my dad was.”

  “Was?” Orlie asked, keeping his fingers on my arm.

  “He died when I was little. Mum doesn’t talk about him much, but she said he had the same birthmark as me.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  I shrugged. “What about your family?” I cast a glance towards the dark room on the other side of the fence. When my question went unanswered I look around to see that I’m suddenly alone. I go to turn back to Orlie’s room, but my door opened and mum came in.

  “Hey, diner’s ready,” she said.

  “Okay. I’ll be done in a sec.” I wait until the door closes before looking back at the blackened window. A tall, lanky figure is standing at the curtains, his face in the shadows.

  “Can I see you later?” I ask in a quiet voice.

  “I would like that,” Orlie replied, disappearing into the blackness.

  Entering the kitchen I smelt Chinese food. “You’ve been busy,” I said, spying our local Chinese restaurant containers in the trash. “You’ll have to give me the recipes.” I slid onto a stool and grabbed the bowl of fried rice.

  “I can do you one better,” mum said, spearing a piece of sweet and sour pork with her fork, “I can give you the number.” She popped the food into her mouth then smiled.

  “Very funny,” I said, grinning.

  I was loading my fork with beef in black bean sauce when mum cleared her throat. “Hey, I thought I’d go and introduce myself to the new neighbors tomorrow. Wanna come?” she asked out of the blue. I had been chewing on a piece of beef which I nearly choked on. I grabbed my glass of lemonade and took several gulps while coughing. “Are you okay? Cali?” mum went to stand up, but I shook my head.

  After another mouthful of soft drink I was able to talk. “I’m okay. Are you sure you want to do that?” I wiped tears from my eyes.

  “Why not? When we moved here, Mrs. Noble came over with a chocolate cake.”

  “Yeah, because she was a busybody,” I mumbled.

  “Calista!” mum said, holding back a smile.

  “What if they like their privacy?” I asked, helping myself to more fried rice.

  “It’s only an introduction. I don’t want to be their best friend,” mum said, spooning pork onto her plate. “Will you come?”

  I finished my mouthful. “Yeah, I’ll come.” I was interested in meeting Orlie’s family.

  I was in my bedroom after having a shower, brushing my hair, when his cool breath drifted over my bare skin. “You smell like…” he breathed in deeply, “lavender…and sunshine.” his fingers slid onto my shoulder and ran across the thin strap of my singlet.

  “Sunshine…original,” I said. I went to turn around, but Orlie stopped me. His free hand snaked around my waist, halting on my stomach. His other hand stayed on my shoulder. I leaned back against him and closed my eyes. Being this close to him felt more than right; it felt natural.

  “I missed you,” his low, silky voice said in my ear. “I had to hold myself back while you were eating Chinese food.”

  My eyes flew open and I turned around in his arms, remembering that I had choked on a piece of beef. Orlie’s arms were still holding me to his body.

  “How did you know that?” I asked, making him grin.

  “I’m embarrassed to say…” he moved his eyes to look over my head. “You have a clear view into my room.” he sounded amused.

  “It’s the same view you have,” I retorted, encircling him in my arms. His leather trench coat denied me access to his body. “How did you know what I had for dinner?” I looked up meeting his gaze.

  A grin spread across his face like wildfire. “I peeked in through the kitchen window. You look like your mother.” He played with a piece of my loose hair.

  “Mum thinks I have my dad’s eyes.” I slid my hands up his chest which felt like cool, chiseled marble. Orlie’s midnight-sky eyes locked onto mine as his hands enveloped my fingers.

  “They’re the color of a fine summer’s day,” he whispered, his mouth just inches from mine. I went to close the short gap, but he pulled away, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. “Cali…”

  I stepped back, removing my hands from his. “You have a girlfriend, don’t you?” I sulked over to the window seat and sat down. I went to bring my legs up, but Orlie appeared in front of me, claiming my hands again.

  “Cali, look at me,” he said gently. I shook my head, keeping my eyes on the dark room across the fence. “Calista, please.” When I looked at him with watery eyes Orlie winced.

  He went to touch my cheek, but his hand fell back to his thigh. His other hand was softly caressing my fingers. “You said you don’t know much about us? Daybreakers and Nightfallers?” I nodded. “I can tell you what I know, if you’d like?”

  “Yes,” I said excited. Orlie’s mouth twitched into an almost invisible smile. He stood, shrugging off his coat, and I was infatuated with what
was hidden underneath: a tight black t-shirt, a brass belt buckle in the shape of a crescent moon, loose fitting denim jeans, and black boots. I took every inch of him in as he threw his coat on my bed. When he sat back down in front of me, my eyes travelled back to his handsome face.

  “Before you start…is there a girlfriend?”

  “No,” Orlie said. “No girlfriend. I have a soulmate.”

  “Oh, that’s so much better,” I spat out, throwing my arms in the air. I angrily stood up, getting ready to tell him to evict my room and life, but stopped when he appeared in front of me. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at my bare feet.

  “Calista let me explain.” He touched my arm then sighed heavily when I didn’t move. “Please, sit down.” I stomped over to the window seat and sat, cross-legged, leaning my back against the wall. I relaxed my arms, letting my hands fall to my lap. Orlie sat in front of me with his long legs stretched out and his ankles crossed.

  “My soulmate is you,” he told me, keeping his eyes on his folded hands. “It’s always been you.”

  I snuck a glance at him and saw that he was intently staring at his hands. When the silence dragged on for another minute, I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees. “Soulmates?”

  Orlie smiled and met my eyes. “Yes.”

  I frown. “I wanted to kiss you…but you moved away.” I felt my eyebrows scrunch together. “Did I have bad breath?” my question makes him chuckle.

  “Your breath is fine.” he turned serious. “Our relationship isn’t a normal one,” he said, watching every inch of my face. “Daybreakers and Nightfallers can’t be together whenever we want. We can’t act on our impulses.” Orlie holds my hands while I process his words.

  “We can’t be…” I say slowly. “We can’t kiss?” Orlie nodded. “Oh…we can’t…” my eyes grow wide and I glance at my bed. “We can’t…”

  “No.” Orlie’s voice is sad. When I turn my eyes to him I see that he’s heartbroken. I reach my hand out, placing it on his cheek and smile when he moves his face into my palm, kissing it.

  “We can touch…at least we have that,” I say in a soft voice. “Tell me more about us.”

  A smile appears on his crimson lips, but it’s unhappy. Orlie stands then pulled me to my feet. I was about to ask him what was wrong, but he flicked the light off before taking my spot on the window seat. He gently pulled me to him, guiding me to sit between his bent legs. I leaned back against his chest while my hands rest on his thighs. I feel him breathing while his chin nestles into the hollow of my neck.

  “What would you like to know?” he asked, his cool breath blowing my hair.

  “Everything!” The moon shone outside the window as a warm breeze ran over us. Orlie’s long fingers gently ran up and down my arms.

  “Have you ever heard of the saying, ‘Once in a blue moon’?” I nodded. “It’s a mortal saying, but a blue moon is when a son of the moon is born. When a daughter of the sun is born the sun glows a brilliant red.”

  “I thought that happened when there’s a huge bushfire,” I said, turning my head and looking up at Orlie. Knowing he was my soulmate made an electrifying tingle rush through my whole body. I couldn’t help but smile.

  “No, the sun turns red to welcome the daughter.”

  “That sounds beautiful.” Orlie’s hands slid down my arms, stopping at my hands, and lacing our fingers together. “I thought you said we couldn’t…you know.” My eyes flick to my bed while I frown.

  “That’s true…most of the time.” I heard him sniff my hair.

  “Most of the time?” I asked a little hopeful.

  Orlie kissed my earlobe then gently kissed my jaw and neck. “A man and woman fell in love many, many years ago. Sadly they were torn apart and forced to live an eternity separated.” As Orlie spoke, he twirled my hair around his fingers. “The man was condemned to the moon and the woman to the sun. Once every hundred years, they are able to get together to make love…that’s why a blue moon and red sun are so rare in a mortal’s lifetime.”

  “So, they only see each other once in a century?” I sigh heavily. “That’s so sad.”

  “It is a sad story,” Orlie agreed. “They are soulmates cursed to be apart.”

  “Kind of like us,” I said in a whisper.

  Orlie wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my hair. “Daybreakers and Nightfallers can be together once every hundred years,” he whispered into my neck.

  “When is that coming up?” I felt him smile.

  “We were created in the last century. You’ll know when it’s time when you feel it in here.” His finger glided over my heart. “Did you know, when it rains during the day it’s the woman in the sun crying for the man in the moon, and vice versa.”

  “That’s romantic,” I said, rubbing my hands up and down his legs. “I have something to tell you.” I felt Orlie remove his face from my hair. His chin rested on my shoulder. “My mum…she wants us to introduce ourselves to your family.” I kept my eyes focused on the wall in front of me. “She wants to be neighborly.”

  “What do you think of that?” Orlie asked, curious.

  I shrugged. “I think she’d have questions about you being in my room.” Orlie chuckled softly. “She’s not a nosey person so she won’t be asking prying questions.” I twisted around to look at him. “If it’s not okay with coming over I can…”

  Orlie put a finger to my mouth. “I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “My mother would enjoy the company.”

  “What about me?” I mumbled against his finger.

  A wildfire grin broke across his face. “She will adore you.” He wrapped his arms around me, nestling his chin in the hollow of my shoulder. We sat on the window seat in the comfortable silence of the night, enjoying each other’s company.

  The early morning sun rose in the sky filling my room with a soft glow, the birds twittered blissfully in nearby trees, and I grumbled unhappily while pulling the sheet over my head.

  I had had a sleepless night dreaming of one person: Orlie. Every time I had closed my eyes I pictured his handsome face while he spoke silent words and his hands explored all over my body. My imagination ran away from me and when I woke I was panting, sweaty, and wanting more.

  I dragged myself out of bed at seven am and tried not to look out the window. It didn’t work. My eyes gravitated to the house next door and my shoulders slumped when I saw that the curtains were pulled tightly closed.

  I moved around my room like a zombie then found myself standing under lukewarm water, yawning, and trying not to get shampoo in my eyes. As I rinsed, I replayed what Orlie had told me last night: I was born during a red sun since I was a Daybreaker, I was a descendant of a woman who was trapped in the sun and Orlie was a descendant of a man locked in the moon, and we could only consummate our relationship every hundred years. This was…crazy!

  I pulled on knee-length black shorts and a black singlet which clung nicely to my body. I brushed my sun-colored hair, letting it hang down my back to dry, and then cleaned my teeth, gargling with mouthwash.

  “Morning, darl,” mum said as I entered the kitchen. “Oh, you look like crap.” She sipped her orange juice while her eyes took me in.

  “I didn’t sleep very well.” I slumped on a stool and folded my arms on the island bench.

  “Do you want some brekkie?” she pushed a plate towards me with two pieces of toast on it. There was a tub of margarine, a jar of raspberry jam, and half a jar of Vegemite.

  “I’m not really hungry,” I said picking up the top piece and pulling it to bits with my fingers. “When are we going over to annoy the neighbors?”

  Mum smiled. “After breakfast. You’re just as curious about them as I am.” She finished her drink then stood up, putting the glass in the sink. “I’m going to have a shower. Try and eat something, Cali.” Mum came over to me, kissed my cheek, and disappeared upstairs.

  I watched as the piece of toast became crumbs then sighed, leaning my arms on t
he counter top. As the birds chirped out the kitchen window I stood and threw the bits of bread into the rubbish. I put everything away before standing at the sink and watching as a magpie pulled an earth worm out of the grass.

  “Are you ready, darl?” mum asked coming into the kitchen and pulling on a brown t-shirt over jeans.

  “Yeah,” I turn to face her, “Don’t you have a shift today?”

  “Nope, I asked Deb to take my hours and I’ll take her shift tomorrow.” She dabbed on some lip balm, smacking her lips together. “The restaurant can survive without me.” Mum smiled. “Come on, let’s go meet the neighbors.”

  I stepped out into the sun and saw neighborhood kids riding bikes on the footpath while teenagers did tricks on skateboards. The door slammed shut as I walked down the path towards the road. Mum came up to me as I ambled towards the front yard of the house next door.

  The chain-link fence was partly hidden by a neat boxwood hedge that ran the length of the yard. A dirt driveway sat on the right side of the two-story house and a cobblestone path led to a small landing with a dark wood front door holding two leadlight panels.

  “The gardens are immaculate,” mum whispered, standing in the middle of the path and gripping my arm for dear life. “Look at those roses…they have flowers as big as saucers on them.”

  “Maybe you could get some tips on gardening,” I teased, pulling her towards the house. “Come on, mum!” Stepping onto the landing I reached my hand out and knocked on the door.

  “This garden puts everyone else’s to shame,” mum said in a low voice.

  Mum was taking in a jasmine vine hanging from a trellis and fully in bloom when the door suddenly opened. “Hello? Can I help you?” a slender woman stood in the doorway, a bright pink apron covering jeans and a blue-and-white shirt.

  “Hi!” I nudged mum’s side making her face the woman. “We’re your neighbors,” I pointed to our house, “and we came to introduce ourselves.”