by K. A. Poe
“Great! Well, I need to go get some new clothes for work,” she grinned at the sound of her words, “want to come with?”
“Sorry, I can’t,” I mumbled, staring down at my cup as I tried to come up with an excuse. “Salem and I already had plans later today.”
“No problem,” she replied, “have fun. Call me when you figure that out about Friday!”
“I will.”
“And Alex…”
“Yes?”
“Let’s never go that long without seeing each other again, okay? I miss you. Jason misses you.”
“I know. I’m sorry it’s just that lately…”
“I know. Salem. He’s obviously important to you Alex. Just don’t let him make you forget about us.”
“Never.”
She smiled half-heartedly and headed out the door.
8. CLAIRE
For roughly ten minutes I sat at the lonely booth sipping the last bit of coffee that remained in my cup. I hadn't even noticed the annoying sucking sounds I had begun to produce until an older lady in the booth in front of mine cleared her throat and gave me a nasty look. I sent her an apologetic smile, dumped my cup and headed through the arched doorway. A welcoming warm breeze brushed against my skin and rustled my hair. My feet led me to my Alero, but I stopped in shock when I reached it.
“Claire?” I muttered, finding her leaning against the back wall of the café. She was eying me suspiciously as I inched closer to my vehicle.
“Alex,” she answered with an unexpected coldness to her voice. It didn't sound quite as musical now. “I was hoping I would catch you out here. Didn’t expect to have to wait so long, though.”
“Oh…I was just finishing my coffee,” I replied. “Did you need something?”
“I just wanted to thank you,” she said, the melody coming back into her tone. I stepped back some as she approached me. “Don't worry; I don’t bite,” she laughed a little and rolled her eyes.
“What are you thanking me for?” I asked, obviously confused.
She was mere inches from me now. The wind blew the scent of vanilla from her skin all around me. With one swift, delicate movement, her hand was on my shoulder. I wasn't sure if I had imagined it, but I was certain I felt an electric jolt flow through me at her touch. “I wanted to thank you, for being there for Karen.” She gave me a warm, friendly smile.
“Oh,” I said awkwardly. “I haven't really been there for her much lately, though.” A pang of guilt ran through my entire body once again.
“I know, but every little bit counts, and I do appreciate it,” she smiled once more, a slight dimple forming in her cheeks.
“Oh, well…no problem. I love Karen like a sister. Was that really all you wanted, though?”
“That was it. I'm sorry to hold you up, I’m sure you’re busy,” her hand lowered from my shoulder and she stepped away. “I hope to see you again soon.”
“Yeah, you too...” I whispered and quickly climbed into my car. As I was pulling out, I spotted an empty styrofoam cup and a puddle of caramel liquid beside the building – I could barely make out the black ink across the side of the cup, but I was almost certain it said her name. Claire's topaz eyes were locked on me the whole time as I left the parking lot.
I hastily ran towards the front doors of the Victorian as a sudden downpour fell from the sky. It took me just seconds to get to the door and I was already soaked. Salem was sitting at the dining table when I entered, his face hidden behind the screen of my laptop. He peered up over the top of the device and frowned at me.
“You are drenched,” he said.
“Thanks there Captain Obvious,” I replied, a little harsher than I had intended.
“Captain who?” he said, looking a little confused.
“It’s just a saying…never mind. I'm going to run upstairs to change out of this mess.”
After pulling off my soggy clothing, I dried off quickly with a towel and pulled on some fleece pajamas. I was back in the dining room within ten minutes. Salem hadn't moved an inch. I pulled up a chair beside him.
“What have you been doing?” I asked, eying the laptop curiously.
“I have been struggling to find answers to Hannah's whereabouts,” he replied sheepishly.
“I thought you had given up on searching because it was practically impossible.”
“It's not easy to give up,” he sighed and shut the computer gently, then reached his hand out to touch mine. “Did you have a good time?”
I shrugged. “It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Karen sort of wants to meet you...”
“There is no harm in that,” he smiled. “I hope you didn't spend the whole time rambling on about me.”
“Pretty close,” I blushed and looked away. “I’m just glad that there wasn’t anything to make me turn.”
“I told you there was nothing to worry about.”
“Yeah…something weird did happen, though,”
Salem looked uneasy. “What happened?”
“Karen's cousin was acting kind of bizarre,” I replied, “When I mentioned I had a boyfriend she immediately got up and left. Then, I went out to my car and she was standing there waiting for me...she said she just wanted to thank me for being in Karen's life. The weirdest part was when she touched me...it was almost like a bolt of electricity went through me.” I shuddered as I recalled the feeling.
“Maybe the subject of significant others is a tender one for her, you can never tell. Although the rest does seem a little odd,” he replied. “What was her name?”
“Claire,” I shrugged. “She didn't give a last name.”
“Had you ever met her before? You had told me that you and Karen were inseparable as youths, did she ever mention this cousin?”
“Not specifically, but her family is spread all over the place. She’s mentioned cousins plenty of times but I don’t think she has ever named names. It’s probably nothing, but anyway…I am starving. I thought we were going for lunch but it was just coffee. Can I have some lasagna or something?” My stomach had begun growling ferociously.
“Of course,” he replied with a pleasant smile and I watched his eyes glow violet temporarily. A plate with a square of lasagna on it appeared before me.
“Thanks,” I said gratefully, “if I’d have known she had just meant coffee I would have definitely had something more than just that little bit of yogurt for breakfast.”
“Coffee,” Salem said with obvious disgust, his nose wrinkling, “one of the worst smells there is.”
I laughed. “I guess it would smell awfully strong to you.” I began eating the meal Salem summoned for me. It was warm and delicious. “This is better than any lasagna I have ever had!” I commented between mouthfuls.
“I'm glad you are enjoying it. It was hard work,” he flashed me a bright smile and retreated quietly to his shelves of books. As I ate, I watched him sit in the armchair beside the bookshelf. He was deeply engulfed in whatever he was reading, completely unaware of my watchful eyes.
After consuming my square of lasagna, I dumped my plate in the trash. I laughed quietly to myself when I imagined what it would be like if Salem kept every dish I ever used. The counter tops would be stacked to the ceiling with them! He didn't appear to notice me as I walked passed him and curled up on the sectional. My mind was filled with memories of this afternoon.
There was something unsettling about the way Claire had behaved. Part of me hoped I was making something out of nothing, but another part of me knew there was something going on. I sat up and stared out the window at the moon as it lingered above the lake, casting a magnificent silvery reflection against the watery surface. My thoughts grew depressing as I considered how many nights Salem had spent on this planet, compared to how few I was going to have. How many nights had he spent staring up at the sky in all its glory? He could sit through an entire sunrise and sunset without losing a second of his life. I was going to grow old and weak, while he maintained the same flawless, youthful bo
dy he was trapped in forever. I wasn’t sure what had brought on these thoughts or feelings, but they were persistent…and saddening.
I shut my eyes, feeling a tear trickle across my cheek. Had he ever considered this? It was frustrating how he could so easily read my expressions when I rarely knew what he was feeling or thinking. Maybe this was why vampire and human relationships never worked out, I mused. When I felt confident that my tears had dried, I turned to glance at Salem.
“I'm going to bed,” I said, my voice cracking toward the end.
His eyes narrowed as he looked away from his book. “Is something wrong, Alex?”
I shook my head and faked a yawn. “I'm just really sleepy.”
Salem looked unconvinced and set aside the novel. “If something is bothering you, you should tell me,” he frowned when he sat beside me and noticed the faint lines left from the moisture on my cheeks. “You have been crying.”
My eyes lowered, “I was hoping to avoid this.”
“What were you hoping to avoid exactly?”
“Talking to you about what is on my mind,” I mumbled.
He stared at me impatiently. “Tell me, Alex, please.”
“Someday...” I paused, knowing if I spoke any further I would start bawling. “Salem, someday I'm going to be old and brittle. I won't stop aging.”
He reached across the sectional and cradled my face in his hands and smiled – how could he smile after that? “If only you knew how much of a gift that really is.”
“Gift?! I’m sick of that word. This isn’t one of those ‘the grass is greener on the other side’ kinds of things, Salem. Don’t you get it? If I don’t get killed hunting vampires or something first, I will eventually die of old age!”
“It is better than being this cold, husk…this monster. I would gladly-”
“Right, I know. You would gladly be human if you could, blah, blah. We’ll see how you feel when I’m some wrinkled up old woman and you still look eighteen.” I wasn’t sure where all this was coming from. Perhaps it had been building up in the back of my mind. As harsh as it was, it was still all true.
“Alexis, I will always love you no matter what. And when you are gone, so shall I be.”
This wasn’t helping. “Or you could just turn me! We could be together forever.”
“No! You don’t understand what you ask of me. Trust me; one normal life is better than eternity like this.”
“Whatever, Salem, forget I brought it up. Let’s just go to bed. I’m exhausted.”
9. NIGHTMARES
The cool blankets beneath me did not compare to the feeling of Salem's cold chest. Even through his shirt, the cold radiated outward, cooling me from the warm summer night. Suddenly he pressed his lips hard against mine. I struggled to breathe under the pressure, when he finally pulled back I gasped for air. Before I had even fully taken that breath, his lips traced the edge of my jaw, lingering at the base of my ear for a mere second before brushing across my neck. My eyes grew wide as I felt a burning, stabbing pain rising against my throat. I gasped and tried to push him away but he wouldn't budge. He was too strong. What was wrong with him? I screamed and cried as the burning increased. I could feel my blood, no, my entire essence being beckoned out of the holes pierced into my neck.
“Alex!” Salem yelled and I could feel him shaking me awake. “Wake up, Alex!”
I pried my eyes open, staring wildly at him through the darkness. My hand instinctively wiped across my throat. There was nothing there. I sighed with relief and stared at him cautiously.
“Are you all right? You have been flailing around and whimpering...I could barely get you to wake up!” His voice seemed very concerned.
“Yeah…I’m fine. Just a nightmare,” I muttered and jumped off of the bed, “I'm going to get a glass of water.”
“Do you want me to summon it for you?” he offered as I inched toward the door.
“No...that’s okay.”
Frowning, Salem sat and watched me walk out into the darkness. My attempt at going steadily down the stairs failed as I shook uncontrollably. With each lift of a leg I feared I was going to tumble down the rest of the steps. Fortunately, I made it down safely. Although the house was pitch black, I had become accustomed to its layout and could easily find my way to the kitchen without bumping into anything.
I froze as I went to reach into one of the cabinets, wondering if I would even find a glass. To my surprise, there was a singular cup sitting on the lowest shelf of the chosen cupboard – I wondered if Salem had summoned it there for me or if it was coincidental. Then I reminded myself that he once told me there were no coincidences. Holding the glass in my unsteady hand, I slid it under the faucet and let it fill up with cold water. The moisture against my lips was soothing, but the images from my dream still fought their way to the surface.
This was the first nightmare I had experienced in at least ten years, aside from the dream I had after Salem told me the story of how he became a vampire. I suffered from them occasionally as a child, but never throughout my teenage years. With my glass firmly clutched between my fingers, I walked through the darkness toward the sectional and sat down. Part of me feared the very idea of attempting to sleep again. That same part of me feared returning upstairs to Salem's room.
Without really thinking about it, I set my glass of water against the coffee table and curled up on the couch. I stared blankly at the half-empty cup and tried to think of happier thoughts. I began to realize I didn't have very many of those. The happiest memories I could conjure were my eighteenth birthday when Jason brought me my much unexpected laptop, and the night at the creek when Salem told me we were “twin souls” – that we were meant to be together.
A wide smile crossed my lips as I shut my eyes and relived that moment. I scarcely noticed Salem slink down the stairs and sit beside me on the couch. He hesitated, and then gently pulled me close to him. I nuzzled against his leg as I drifted off to sleep once again.
Claire stared at me from across the clearing, a radiant crimson hue to her eyes. Her complexion was as white as cotton, a mischievous grin played across her lips. I was standing across the log-bridge over the creek, balancing myself steadily when I noticed her startling appearance. As I gasped in shock, I could feel my body tilting to the side.
“You do not belong here,” her melodic voice was harsh, “Leave Salem alone and go back to your normal life. He will hurt you, whether you believe it or not.”
My balance returned temporarily as I crouched down on the fallen tree. “Salem wants me here,” I objected.
Claire leapt forward, jumping straight across the clearing in one bound. She was at the base of the creek, a low growl emitting from her throat. “I do not believe that for a second. Vampires don't want humans in their lives.”
“How do you know he's a vampire?” I asked.
She shook her head, strawberry blonde curls bouncing elegantly against her shoulders. “Raziel told me you would try this. But I won't let you!”
“Try what? I don't understand...” I whispered fearfully, “where is Salem?”
“He is right behind you,” her lips curved upward into a horrible grin as I turned around. Before I had the opportunity, I could feel the cold lips against my throat. A burning sensation ran through my veins as his fangs sank into my skin once again.
“NO!” I cried, lifting my head up and staring around the room. My heart was racing and I felt like my breath was caught in my throat.
Salem was still beside me, immediately enveloping me in his arms. I wanted to fight it, to escape, but I couldn't. “Calm down, Alexis,” he whispered soothingly into my ear as I sobbed against his shoulder. “Was it another nightmare?”
My head barely moved as I nodded; I wondered if he could feel it.
“Would now be a bad time to ask what these have been about?”
I mumbled against his shirt, telling him detail after detail about both dreams I had. He tensed somewhat as he listened, mostly during the parts w
here I mentioned him hurting me.
“That's never going to happen,” he said comfortingly, holding me tightly. “They're just dreams.”
“They are not just dreams; they are nightmares…worse than nightmares. They are so real,” I said quietly, my voice barely audible through the sobs. “Why was Claire in them, of all people?”
“You just met her; she was fresh in your mind. Maybe you were just thinking about your coffee house visit before you dozed off,” he suggested.
“No. I was thinking about you.”
“I don't think it is anything to be concerned about. Dreams are strange things that do not necessarily mean anything.”
“This coming from the boy who never sleeps,” I grumbled and tugged away from him. “I don't think I am ever going to be able to sleep again.”
“Of course you will. You can't not sleep.”
“You could make it so I never have to,” I whispered, wishing I could take back the words as soon as I said them.
Salem looked disappointed and sighed. “Alexis we just talked about this, please don’t tell me you are still wanting…that.”
“If I did, I’d be lying.” I frowned.
“I told you before, Alex...nothing is worth this kind of life. Not even me,” The last words stung.
“Oh...” My lips trembled and I swallowed hard. “I-I think I'm going to go out for a while.”
“What?” his eyes narrowed and he reached out for my hand, which I quickly moved out of his grasp. “It is barely five in the morning, Alex! Where would you even go?”
“I don't know…someplace…normal.”
I watched him open his mouth to speak, and then slowly his lips creased into a thin line. “If you don't desire to be here...” his voice trailed off and he avoided looking at me, “I won't make you stay.”
The wet tears cascaded down my cheeks once more as I turned away from Salem. I grabbed my car keys and cell phone and was out the door before I could even give myself the chance to reconsider. The trees surrounding the Victorian swayed around in the strong breeze that was building up. As I crossed the path on the way to the garage, I could only picture Salem sitting there on the couch sulking. I was making him miserable, but it served him right. Was I really asking so much? How could he say he loved me but not want us to be together in this life forever. I kicked the side of the garage hard in frustration.
