After Forever

by Krystal McLaughlin

  “Cali, what’s wrong?” she asked, putting her book down. She stood from being curled up on the couch. “What happened, sweetheart?” her arms went around me, protectively.

  “I’m okay.” I sniffled. “Allergies…from Faith’s garden, I guess.” I rubbed my eyes while mum took in my puffy, red face. “I’m alright.” I felt bad for lying, but I couldn’t tell her the truth: I had just met my father’s killer.

  “Hmm…you’ve never been like this before.” she placed a hand on my forehead. “You aren’t coming down with something, are you?”

  “No, but I’ll take some vitamins just in case I am.” I went into the kitchen as mum closely followed. I splashed cold water on my face as mum poured orange juice into a glass. When I turned around I saw a garlic tablet and two Vitamin C tablets beside the glass of juice.

  “Thanks, Mum,” I said, picking up the tablets and throwing them into my mouth. I took several gulps of juice then smiled. “Stop worrying about me.”

  “I can’t help it.” she felt my forehead again then topped up my glass. “Drink it all up.”

  After finishing my drink I put the glass in the sink then slid onto a stool. “What’s for dinner?” I spotted a pizza menu lying on the island bench. I picked it up and started to peruse the options.

  “We could have Italian or Mexican.” Mum stood beside me. “Ooohhh that sounds yummy.” Her finger pointed to a picture of a seafood pizza.

  “I think Italian tonight,” I said. “I’m going to have the bacon and meatball pizza with BBQ sauce.”

  “Oh, that sounds good too.” Mum took the menu and started to compare the different pizzas. “Nope, I’m sticking with the seafood.”

  “I’m going to have a shower,” I said, pushing myself off the stool. “Are we getting cheesy garlic bread?”

  Mum grinned. “Of course and I’m splurging…let’s get chocolate-caramel mousse.”

  “That sounds good to me.” I kissed mum on the cheek then headed upstairs.

  The cool water made my skin turn goose-pimply and it was a welcome relief from the summer warmth outside the shower door. I submerged my face, holding my breath, and braced my hands on the tiled wall. I pictured myself as a toddler watching my father being killed for loving a mortal woman; my mother. How could I tell Orlie that his dad was a murderer? I didn’t want to hurt him, but he had to know.

  Pouring conditioner into my hand I lathered my hair making the air smell like lavender. Toweling myself off with a towel I pulled on underwear, mauve cotton boxers, and matching singlet. As I went into my room, a bead of sweat trickled down my neck. The cool shower was no match for the humid summer.

  I sat on the bed, pulling the brush through my wet hair, and watching as Orlie’s curtains gently moved in the warm breeze. I knew the dark room was empty as I couldn’t feel his eyes watching me.

  Entering the kitchen I saw mum sliding two pizza boxes onto the bench along with a rectangular box and two small tubs. “Good timing,” she said, picking up the two tubs and deposing them into the refrigerator.

  “Smells good.” I hoisted myself onto a stool then threw open the lid of the top box. It was my meatball and bacon pizza. I moved the box in front of me as mum opened the rectangular box and broke the garlic bread in two, tossing a half onto my pizza.

  “Let’s eat in front of the telly.”

  I was about to bite into a slice, but put it down. “Okay.” I carried my dinner into the living room and sat on the couch, balancing the box on my lap. “I don’t think I can eat all of this.” I picked up the loose slice and took a huge bite.

  “Oh, I’m sure we can try,” mum said, folding her legs under her butt and turning the TV on with the remote. “I haven’t seen this show in years. I see Alf Stewart’s still living in Summer Bay.” She shoved a piece of cheesy garlic bread into her mouth as we watched Home and Away.

  “Hmmm…he’s pretty cute,” I said as the camera panned on a tall, dark-haired male with ‘All or Nothing’ tattooed on his shoulders. A short girl with dark hair was snuggling up to him.

  “What did you think of Orlie?” mum asked out of the blue. “He seems like a nice boy.” When I stayed silent, she turned to look at me.

  I swallowed my mouthful of food, keeping my eyes on the TV screen. I stayed quiet, waiting for her to speak. When she didn’t, I cleared my throat and said, “Yeah, he’s nice.” I quickly shoved a piece of garlic bread into my mouth in case another question came my way. Mum made a noise in her throat before turning back to the TV.

  After dinner I went upstairs, cleaned my teeth, and went into my room. My desk lamp gave off a dim glow as I sat on the window seat and gazed up at the moon. A minute later Orlie appeared at my side.

  “Cali…” his voice was gentle, hesitant. He sat in front of me while I brought my knees up to my chest. I felt him watching me.

  “I’m okay,” I said, meeting his guarded eyes. “I’m sorry for leaving.”

  “I told you some tough stuff to hear.” He brushed a hand through his hair and I saw the silver flecks in his chocolate mess of hair. I watched as the locks fell across his brow then half-smiled.

  “I had to hear it,” I said. Neither of us mentioned the subject of love. I wasn’t sure if I shared the same feelings, but I knew that we had a strong bond. We were soulmate’s, after all.

  Keeping our gazes locked, Orlie reached out and took my hand in his. His thumb massaged my fingers while his midnight-sky eyes probed mine in the silence. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he finally said.

  I shook my head, breaking our gaze. Orlie kept hold of my hand so I kept my eyes on our interlocked fingers.

  “Cali, I know something’s wrong. Did I do something?”

  “No!” I quickly answered. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” I saw doubt cross his dark eyes. I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose with my free hand. I took a deep breath then let it out slowly, opening my eyes. “Remember how I said my dad died when I was little?”

  “Yeah, I remember,” Orlie replied, nodding.

  “I was there when he was killed.” I glanced at the orange-and-black tiger sitting in my bookcase; the one my father had given me. I heard Orlie gasp as his hand slightly tightened on my fingers.

  “What?” he asked astounded. “You were there?”

  I slowly nodded. “Mum had gone to the shops and I was in the backyard with dad. He was mucking around…making me laugh.” I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Orlie reached out and brushed it away. “I was a toddler…this all came back to me when I saw the man who murdered him.”

  Orlie’s mouth fell open, gaping at me. After a moment he closed it and shook his head. “You saw your father’s killer?”

  “Yes,” I whispered, tears stinging my eyes. “I’ve seen him before.” I blinked, sending the tears down my cheeks. “It was your dad.” my voice was inaudible.

  Orlie’s expression turned to shock. He stayed silent while staring at me, unblinking.

  “Orlie, I’m so sorry.” I went to release my hand from his, but he kept a firm grip on it. “He killed my dad because my mum’s a human. That’s how he got that gold star on the back of his neck.”

  Orlie’s body jerked like he had suffered an electric shock. He blinked before saying, “How did you know about that?” his voice was thick with emotion.

  I bit my lip, noticing that his eyes were now black pools of anger. “Um…in the memory I had…Benedict plunged a shiny object into dad’s chest. It was a gold star,” I told him. “After dad exploded into a million sun beams, a gold star appeared on the back of Benedict’s neck.”

  Orlie stood and started to pace my room. His body was rigid and his hands were white fists. I knew he was furious at what I had told him.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I shouldn’t have told you.”

  Orlie spun on his heel, glaring at me. After a minute he took a shaky breath, slightly calming down. He sat beside me, his body still stiff. “We have asked him about the star-mark on his neck,” Orlie sai
d darkly. “But he never gave a straight answer.”

  “I guess a gold star appears after taking another life?”

  “It only happens when a Falling Star is used,” Orlie answered. He held out his hand so I slid mine into his cool grip. “My parents are Elders.”

  “Elders?” I asked, curious. Orlie gave a small smile.

  “They are…old. ‘Elders’ is a loose term. All you have to do is survive a hundred years and you’re automatically an Elder.” He rolled his eyes. “Elders can only be killed by a Falling Star.”

  “How come your parents look younger than their actual age?”

  “We stop aging at a certain age. They look in their late thirties, but are a hundred-and-seventeen-years old.” His eyes turned amused. “Many years ago mortals thought of our kind as vampires and werewolves.” He chuckled.

  “Really?”

  Orlie nodded then his face suddenly turned dark and serious. “Cali, my father needs to be dealt with.” His eyes were those black pools of anger again. “He has to pay for murdering your father.” His hand gripped mine tightly making me cry out. He released my hand immediately, clenching his hands in his lap. I rubbed my fingers while Orlie seethed in the silent room.

  “Yes, he does, but I don’t want you involved in this.” I said, coldly. Orlie looked at me, frowning. Rage showed in his eyes, but confusion was joining the party.

  “What?” he finally asked.

  “I don’t want you to get hurt…Benedict’s your dad. I can do this on my own, but you have to teach me how to kill an Elder.”

  Orlie shook his head vehemently. “No!” he stood and started to pace again. “No way, Cali!”

  “Orlie…” I stopped when his pacing halted.

  “We should talk to my mum,” he suddenly announced.

  “Your mum?” I asked, surprised.

  The next day I practically ran home from school. I was relieved it was only a block away. Mum was at work so I dumped my bag on the couch and flew up to my room. I was anxious and excited about seeing Orlie’s mum, Faith, but I was frightened. We were about to tell her that her husband was a murderer.

  I had just pulled my shoes and socks off when I was joined by Orlie. He appeared in my room without a sound and I gave a startled gasp. He grinned, amused.

  “I need to get you a bell,” I joked, pulling out a pair of black-and-silver board shorts and a thin-strapped, black singlet.

  “What for?” Orlie sat on the bed, admiring me in my school uniform. “I do enjoy seeing you in a short, pleated skirt.” His eyes glinted as his tongue ran across his bottom lip.

  I teasingly lifted the hem of my skirt up a little more, showing off my leg, and then poked my tongue out at him. I heard Orlie groan while I balled my clothing up in my arms. “I’ll be back.”

  “Hurry back,” Orlie said, chuckling.

  I pulled off my uniform, throwing it into the dirty clothes basket, and tugged on my boardies and singlet. I readjusted my bra then went back to Orlie. “Are we going to talk to your mum now?” I asked, pulling my hair out of its ponytail. I felt Orlie watching me as I shook my hair out around my shoulders.

  “Yes.”

  I ran my fingers through my sun-colored hair. “What about your dad?” I saw his eyes narrow.

  “My father is on a business trip. He’ll be back tomorrow.” Orlie stood up and came over to me. His hands slid onto my shoulders and I felt his fingers in my hair. His eyes captured mine and I felt myself move closer to him. Orlie saw what I was about to do so he rested his forehead against mine. I sighed as my body screamed out for something more. A little voice in my head cursed at me when I stepped back.

  “We should get going.” I went to leave my room, but his strong arms circled my waist. I looked up allowing Orlie to gently kiss the corner of my mouth.

  “Hold on tight,” he whispered so softly it sounded like a breeze in the trees. He guided my arms up to his shoulders so I clamped my hands around his neck and moved closer to him; our bodies pressed together. I could smell his musky scent. “Close your eyes.” his hands slid around me, resting on my lower back. My body gave a small shudder.

  I closed my eyes and waited for him to move. When I felt his mouth against my forehead, I smiled. “Open your eyes,” he murmured against my skin.

  I slowly opened my eyes and saw his black t-shirt stretched over a hard, chiseled chest. Moving my gaze sideways I notice that we’re now standing in Orlie’s bedroom.

  “How did you do that?” I asked, stunned.

  A grin spread across his delicious lips. “It’s our ability. All you have to do is concentrate on where you want to go and you’ll appear there with no sound.”

  “I can do that too?” my excited voice went up a notch as Orlie stroked my hair. “I’ll have to try that out.” the room grew silent as the upcoming situation settled on our shoulders. “What about Aurie?” I lowered my voice as Orlie’s eyes turned sad.

  “She’s not here…” he said flatly. “I don’t want her involved.” He dropped his arms and turned towards the window; his back facing me. “I don’t want you or mum involved, either.” He shook his head angrily.

  I went over to him, running my hands up his back. I felt that his muscles were tense under his shirt. “I know you’re protective, and if I could deal with this on my own, I would, but I need you, Orlando.”

  Orlie faced me, his body slightly relaxing. He stroked my cheek. “I like hearing you say my name,” he said, his thumb brushing over my lips. I smiled then hugged him tightly. His arms wrapped around me and he kissed my head.

  Following Orlie into the kitchen I saw Faith busying herself with menial tasks. When she saw us, a bright smile spread across her mouth. I saw her eyes flick down to my hand that was laced with her son’s.

  “Hello, Cali! I didn’t know you were visiting.” She wiped her hands on a tea towel.

  “I asked her to come over,” Orlie said. “Mum, can we talk to you about something?” I gently squeezed his hand.

  Faith’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, sounds serious.” She ran a hand over her hair. “Cali, would you like a drink? I have some cookies which I managed to save from Orlie who was demolishing them.”

  I tried to smile, but it was grim. “No, thank you.”

  Faith came around the bench and gestured to the table. “Sit down kids.” She was suddenly worried. I pulled out a chair and sat down. Orlie took the chair at the head of the table and his mother sat opposite me. Her caramel eyes never left her son’s face.

  I rested my arms on the polished rosewood table and waited for someone to break the growing silence. After a moment, Faith finally spoke. “What’s going on?”

  Orlie cleared his throat. “Mum…have you ever wondered how dad got that gold star on the back of his neck?” Faith glanced at me before shifting back to her son.

  “He doesn’t like talking about it, but I know Benedict has his demons.” She looked at her hands before facing me. “What has he done?”

  I glanced at Orlie who was watching his mother. “My dad was murdered when I was a little girl.” I felt tears stinging my eyes.

  “What was his name?” Faith asked as Orlie reached out, holding my hand.

  “It was Dharkar Blithe,” I answered in a small voice.

  Faith gasped. “Oh, dear!”

  “Did you know him?” Orlie asked, looking at his mother.

  Faith covered her mouth with a hand before lowering it. “I-I grew up with Dharkar,” she said solemnly. “He lived next door to my parents. Dharkar told me about our world.” A sad smile curved her lips. “He was a good friend to me.”

  “I thought Gran and Pa taught you about us.” Orlie was shocked and I saw interest light his eyes.

  “My parents wanted me to ‘live’ as humans did. I went to school and acted like mortals. Dharkar was the first person to acknowledge what I was. I could be my true self with him.” she looked at me. “He met your mum in our senior year.”

  “Really?” I asked, perking up.

>   “Anna was a cheerleader and piqued your dad’s interest as she walked past him in the hall.” I grinned, absorbing Faith’s words. Mum rarely spoke about my dad.

  “What happened to Dharkar?” Faith asked quietly. I spent the next half hour filling her in on the memory that had hit me yesterday. As I spoke, I saw Faith’s eyes grow sad as I talked about her husband taking the life of an old friend.

  “He used a Falling Star to murder Dharkar?” Faith asked when I had stopped talking. I nodded.

  “That explains the star-mark on his neck,” Orlie mumbled. “Dad killed him because he fell in love with a mortal. He has to be dealt with.” He said ‘dad’ like it tasted sour. “He’s a murderer.”

  Faith slowly nodded while staring at her folded hands. “I want you two to stay out of this.” She looked up and her eyes were full of anger.

  “Mum…” Orlie started, but stopped when Faith glared at him. I saw Orlie flinch from her razor-sharp gaze.

  I reached across the table, taking her hands in mine. “Faith, I know Dharkar was your friend, but he was my dad. I want to help in revenging my father’s death, and I’m not taking no for an answer.” I squeezed her fingers. After a moment she nodded.

  “If Cali’s helping then so ‘em I,” Orlie said firmly. Faith sighed taking in her son’s serious expression.

  “Alright, but please be careful.” As Faith spoke her eyes moved from me to Orlie. We both nodded.

  A few days later…

  Sitting on the window seat I twirled my pen while my math book lay open in my lap. I was staring at the sky which was a kaleidoscope of baby blue, pastel pink, blazing red and golden yellow. It would soon be dark and as the time ticked by I grew more and more nervous about confronting Benedict.

  A knock on the door made me jump. “Cali, I’m going to work now.” Mum’s head poked around the door. “Sorry, did I startle you?”

  “Yeah, I guess I was focused on my math.” I held up the book making mum smile. “When do you finish tonight?”