by Rue Volley
“That’s a shame.” He said as he finally noticed I existed. My lips pursed. “No, I don’t.”
The boy lingered. “Honestly, I’m dying of starvation here,” I added, hoping to hurry him along.
“I’ll be back,” he said in a flirtatious tone, leaning in toward my sister. I swear if I had a fly swatter I would give him a good whack across the cheek.
“Promise?” Midnight asked, and he bit his lip. “Baby, you know it.” I arched my eyebrow, and he straightened up. “Seriously?” I muttered.
He walked away, and she leaned out the door to get a better look. I shook my head, and she turned to face me. “He’s amazing, don’t ya think?”
I laughed. “Amazing?” I tried to deepen my voice to mimic him. “Baby, you know it.” My shoulders hunched. It was my best impression of him.
“Stop.” She said with the exhaustive roll of her eyes.
I headed back over to the bed and dropped down on it, forcing it to bounce. My hand lifted then hit the white comforter. “Come on, Midnight. He didn’t have one piece of information to share with you while we drove over here except for how often he works out.” I touched my chin and tapped it with my index finger. “Let’s see, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday he works on those abs and Tuesday and Thursday he focuses on cardio.”
She interjected with an aggravated sigh. “Physical health is important.”
I smirked, pulling out a map and staring at it. “So is mental.”
“Okay.” She lifted a hand and waved it around. “So maybe he isn’t the brightest, but he’s hot and hot sometimes overrules everything.” It lowered, finally resting on the side of her hip. “Besides, I don’t need him to talk to me.”
“Gross,” I muttered.
She gave me a wink. “Maybe he’s one of them.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, he isn’t.”
“His skin looked kind of pale.” Her mysterious hush was amusing. I chuckled and tapped the map on the bed. “He was not, he was tan. He wasn’t pale at all, Midnight.”
She bit her lip and added a reassuring nod. “I think I saw a fang.”
I snorted. “Oh my God. Midnight, listen. I said this on the plane. It’s folklore. I know you’re on this quest to prove that vampires existed here, but I’m going to burst your bubble…they don’t. Vampires are not real and honestly Mom would die, I mean DIE if she heard you talking this way. You know that if she can’t prove it, then it’s a waste of time.”
“Dad thinks they could be real.”
I paused. “He does not.”
She started laughing and dropped back on the bed. She stared up at me. “Oh, but wouldn’t it be amazing if they did?”
I shook my head in disbelief. “I think you’ve lost your mind,” I added a twirl of my fingers to nail it home.
She rolled over and drew her legs up. I watched the bottoms of her boots sway as she crossed them over. Her chin rested in her hands. A wink followed. “You need a boyfriend, one who bites.”
I felt my cheeks redden. “No, no I don’t.”
“I just don’t get it, Echo. You read all of those paranormal romance books. You have to believe that maybe, just maybe, something could exist out there that doesn’t fit into a neat little box.”
I pointed at her. “Watch it; you’re dangerously close to mutiny and mom may have the room bugged.”
“Mutiny.” She muttered. “Some of the greatest discoveries in history began with rebellion.”
I studied her expression. Could this be the first signs of my sister breaking off from what was expected of her?
It couldn’t be.
She was the prodigal daughter, the one who would carry on the work that my parents had begun.
She broke in with another question. “Why do you prefer reading about romance instead of experiencing it?”
I paused, licking my pouty bottom lip, quickly biting and then releasing it. Her shift in attitude was confusing at best, but then again we would be celebrating our sixteenth birthdays, soon.
Maybe her hormones were jumbling her brain.
I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s not as messy, I guess.”
She moaned and snatched the map from my hand. She rolled onto her back and held it up, staring at the cover.
“I love messy. The messier, the better.” She spoke with such a dreamy fervor.
I moaned. “Again, gross.”
“The veil.” She ran her pale fingers across the map.
My eyes wandered toward the window. It was dense jungle as far as the eye could see.
“The veil is folklore, Midnight. It refers to the blue mist that collects in the ravines. Vampires don’t exist. They just don’t.”
“Stop being so negative.” She scoffed.
I spoke through laughter with a wave of my hand. “I’m not, and honestly, you’re the one who loves discovering things, things you can prove existed just like mom does. I don’t, so I find it hilarious that I’m the only level headed one in the room right now.”
She lowered the map and closed her eyes. “Just think about it, Echo. Living forever. So romantic.”
I leaned down into her face. “Tiresome.”
The tilt of her head was met with a childish grin. “We can’t be related.”
I tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “Except for the fact that we look exactly the same.”
“Minor details.” She added, and we both turned our attention to the door when the boy returned with a white box in hand. I could smell the pepperoni and melted cheese.
“Now you’re hot,” I said passionately.
“What?” he asked as I rushed to him and snatched the box out of his hand. I returned to the bed and opened it up. Midnight left me there as she stepped out into the hallway with her new friend.
“Hey!” I called out, and she leaned back in as her long black ponytail slid over her shoulder and dangled in midair.
I shook my folded slice of pizza at her. “Hungry?”
“Yes.” She said with a wink and disappeared from sight.
I grimaced. Honestly, I had no idea where her appetite for boys came from, but it seemed to get worse and worse with each passing day. I cocked my head and shrugged my shoulders. She could do whatever she wanted to; I was going to devour this pizza like it owed me money.
Two hours passed, and I flipped through the channels, finally landing on some random cooking show. The guy poured some liquor into the pan, and the fire shot up into the air almost catching his spiky white hair on fire. He flipped the food, and I eyed the small refrigerator. I had saved some pizza for Midnight, but she hadn’t returned yet. I sat up when the door opened, and she slipped inside. She turned and pressed her back against the door, looking all dreamy.
“There’s cold pizza in the fridge,” I spoke without keeping my eyes on her. I love my sister, but her newfound religion at the altar of temporary love was starting to annoy me.
“I ate.” She made her way over and sat down on the bed next to mine. Her hair was down, and her lips looked swollen. I knew what that meant. She had been making out with this guy. Yuck.
“Oh, yeah?” I have a tendency to be sarcastic when it comes to things like this.
She laughed, pulling her hair back and balling it up with a black hair tie.
“I had some traditional food.” The ball of hair tilted on the top of her head.
My eyebrow rose. “Oh, let me guess. Was it indigenous boy?”
She hit me with a pillow. “Cut it out, and no. We mostly talked.”
“Mostly,” I whispered as I leaned back and rested on the pillow I successfully stole from her.
“Seriously, he’s a guide. He knew a lot about the veil, and he told me about a spot we should check out.”
“So, he’s an expert on vampires; that’s handy, and no, I’m not stepping foot i
n that jungle.” I know I sounded jealous and maybe I was. I mean, there used to be a time when Midnight and I were inseparable. Now, not so much.
“Yes, he is, and you shouldn’t be so dismissive. It’s rude.”
“Rude? Oh, okay. Not believing in some made up stories about blood sucking creatures is rude?”
She looked over at me and grinned. “You need a boy and some adventure.”
“What’s his name?” I asked.
“What?”
I side eyed her. “His name, did you ask?”
She paused, and I laughed. I lifted the remote and haphazardly flipped through the channels like I could focus on them. “You need to shush.”
She laughed at me. “Oh, come on, Echo. Honestly, don’t you wonder about it?”
I lowered the remote in my hand. “About what, his name? Sure, but then again I would have asked before I allowed him to attack me like a face hugger from Alien.”
She hid her amusement. “Stop, no…how it feels?”
My eyes narrowed. “How what feels?”
“Kissing.” She had locked her eyes onto mine, so I was cornered.
I rubbed the side of my neck as my nerves kicked in. Of course, I wondered about it, but no one had made me want to make out with them as of yet. She continued with her harassment.
“You know, lips pressed together and your heartbeat racing in your chest.” She tapped her chest and added in sound effects. “Thump, thump, thump.”
“Stop it.”
She grinned. “Maybe someday you’ll find your vampire.”
I thought about the many paranormal novels I had devoured this past year. I shook off the thought of something so silly. “And maybe someday you’ll remember a name.”
She swatted at me, and I had to move out of her way. “Do you want that pizza or not?” I asked her when my stomach growled again.
She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “No, you go ahead and eat your emotions.”
I left the bed and walked to the refrigerator, quickly pulling out the box and turning with it in my hands. I shook it. “He may be a caveman, but this pizza was the bomb.”
“That caveman can do things with his tongue that would make you…”
“Ah!” I held my hand up and then sang over her as she went on about the hugging and the kissing. She grabbed her pillow and hugged it, brushing her hand along the top of it.
I sat down and chewed with my mouth open. She grimaced and stopped. I pointed at the pillow in her hand. “I bet this one has a higher IQ.”
“I’ll smack you, Echo.”
I grinned while taking another bite of cold pizza. I waved at her pillow. “Oh, hi, Bob.” I winked at her. “His name is Bob, just in case you wondered.”
“I wouldn’t make out with a Bob. Maybe a Roberto.”
“Oh sure. Like you would know.” I continued to chew, foregoing any manners.
“Way to ruin the mood.” She huffed.
“Sorry.” I grinned as I swallowed. Finally, she joined me and took a slice, quickly nibbling on it.
I half laughed. “I thought love sustained you.”
She nudged me from the side. “Shut up you brat.”
She woke me up late that night, whispering in my ear.
“Echo…Echo. Wake up. I want to show you something.”
I swatted at her, and she giggled. She shook the canister next to my nose, and I could smell the coffee. I perked up.
“You suck,” I muttered while I took a sip of it. She nodded to me. “You won’t regret it, come on.”
“What time is it?”
She ignored my question and grabbed my hand, dragging me from the bed. Luckily I had fallen asleep in my clothing or she would have been pulling me along in my pajamas.
Soon I found myself standing in the dark jungle with strange sounds echoing in the distance and Midnight’s hand firmly gripping mine. She pulled me along, silently as my clumsy feet hit every protruding vine beneath us. Her pace quickened, her grip tightened. I dropped my coffee, and it annoyed me. I jerked on her hand, breaking her hold.
“Why? Why did you bring me here?” I muttered.
She just kept pushing forward.
“Midnight, wait,” I grumbled through blurred eyes.
“Come on, I want to show you something amazing, trust me.” I stared at the jungle floor trying to find my coffee. Finally, I did, and as I reached for it, I heard Midnight cry out to me. I stood up, squinting my eyes, trying to allow the full moon to give me some direction.
“Midnight!”
She didn’t respond. Again I yelled into the darkness. “Midnight?!”
I rushed forward, trying to stay upright and then I heard her call out to me.
“Echo! Over here!”
I gasped when I reached the edge of a large ravine. I stood next to her and stared into a blue mist that masked everything below us. The breeze would kick up, and the thick sheet of mist would rise a few feet and then drop back down like a living breathing thing.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
“I know, right? Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked me.
I shook my head. “It is, it really is.”
“If you close your eyes you can hear it.”
“What?” I asked.
“A heartbeat.”
I half laughed. “You cannot.”
“Echo, just try.” She said without laughing.
I glanced at her, and she already had her eyes closed. I decided to give it a try, but just as I relaxed and accepted the fact that I may hear something, the peaceful silence was broken by movement behind us. We both turned to see what it could be and she cried out as her foot slipped over the edge. I spun in horror just in time to see her disappear over the side. I rushed forward, and my eyes widened when I spotted her. She was hanging onto a thick root protruding from the side of the cliff. Instinct flared. I fell to my knees and then laid flat, extending my hand toward her. She looked down and then back up at me. Her eyes captured slivers of the moonlight.
Even then she didn’t look frightened.
Even then, she was brave.
“Take my hand, take it,” I yelled, half out of breath. Her free hand lifted and she clasped it in mine. I felt my heart flutter in my chest as I could hear the root giving way. It budged, spewing dirt and dust down onto her and jerked me forward. I dug my nails into the earth at my side while my grip tightened. Again the root shifted and pulled me further over the edge. Inch by inch, moment by moment, it was begging to claim us and drag us into the unknown.
I moaned as my body moved forward. I stared down at her in horror, sweat glistening on my face and neck. I could feel the strain in my arm, shoulder, and back. The tips of my shoes desperately dug into the ground but found nothing that could stabilize me.
Her expression was calm.
No fear, no regrets.
I didn’t know that she had made her choice without consulting me.
The root gave way, and I cried out as she dangled there from my hand. I felt her grip loosen and my heart sank. I was losing her.
I wasn’t strong enough.
I was never strong enough.
“No…no, help me, please, help me,” I cried out through gritted teeth. I inched forward while gravity played havoc with us. “No, no,” I repeated as if my words outweighed reality. The top half of my body was inching forward with each passing moment. I couldn’t find anything to grab onto so that she would have the opportunity to climb. I just didn’t have the strength to do it myself.
Her eyes softened, and she tilted her head. “Echo.”
I tried to focus on her through the sheer terror of the moment.
“Midnight, please…please help me.”
“Live.” She whispered and then she let go.
My hand exte
nded toward her while her body disappeared into the mist, silent and peaceful.
No screams, no sound at all.
She was just gone, taking my heart with her.
1
The cab came to a stop, and so did my mind. I peered up at the large three-story black brick house sitting on top of the hill. It had high peaks, like a mountain range. Streaks of rain tumbled down the clouded car window, and I had to wipe it with the side of my hand to see the house more clearly.
This was the Navarri Estate home, in Port Royal, Maine. I had only been here twice, well three times if you count when Midnight and I were born.
We had spent one summer here when we were five. I remember very little about it, just bits and pieces here and there. Then there was our last trip home which was an attempt at closure as we held a service for Midnight and placed an empty coffin in the family’s mausoleum on the other side of town.
I swallowed hard and pushed the thought of that terrible day as far away from me as I could and returned my attention to the house. I knew that it had an extensive library on the third floor. It was the selling point my parents had used to convince me that I should come here while they stayed behind in Brazil.
My eyes lit upward, and I could see the flickering lights of large white candles in every window. I loved the thought of staying here. The only thing I didn’t love was the fact that I’m about to turn seventeen in two months and I’ll have to attend this new school.
I’d rather be homeschooled as I had been on and off my entire life, but my parents insisted that being around kids my age may help me snap out of this depression I seem to be stuck in.
I wanted to stay in Brazil, but I knew that leaving would be best for all of us, even me. I couldn’t even bring myself to enter the jungle again, let alone leave my room in the hotel. I was slowly wasting away, breaking my sister’s last wish, for me to live.
But depression is a prison all its own and I had no key.
That’s when I had first met Molly, Molly Brindle. She was introduced as a new tutor, but I knew something was different about her when she skillfully interjected the occasional statement that made me think about more than math and literature. She was on a dig all her own, into my mind, and somehow she snaked her way into my psyche and started to become the outlet that I sorely needed.
