by Shelly Crane
“CB for Clara Belle,” he said and smirked. “I didn’t know you could draw like this.”
“I can’t draw. That’s just playing around.”
“Yes, you can, I’m looking at it.”
“Whatev. How do you want me?” He raised his eyebrow at that I felt my cheeks heat. “You know what I mean.”
He cocked his head looking at me and thinking.
“Ok. How about you turn away from me and look over your shoulder.” He took my shoulder and turned me on my stool, then pulled my face to look over my shoulder at him. “Just like that.”
He immediately reached for his pencil, without looking away from me, and started to draw. He’d focus on me and then back on his paper. He squinted and furrowed his brow in concentration. It was adorable. After less time than it took me, he was done. He didn’t wait for me to ask to see it, he just pushed it in front of me.
It was beautiful. The edges were faded and smeared looking and then clear and focused in the middle. Especially my eyes. He made them darker and bolder lines than anything else to make them stand out. I was in complete awe. I looked up to see him watching me.
“Eli, oh my gosh,” I gushed.
“I’ve had a lot of years to perfect it,” he said softly and rubbed a finger over the cheek of my picture.
“Eighteen?” I said in jest.
He just smiled and put a hand on mine, rubbing my knuckles with his thumb...and studiously avoided my question. I gave him a look that told him I knew exactly what he was doing and he chuckled silently.
“Ok, class. Now I want you to all display your work on the wall. Just hang your portraits from the clothes pins and after a week of viewing you can take them home. Now before the bell-” The bell rang. “Wait! I want you to all bring in something you do overnight. Anything you want to do and we’ll discuss the different types of art, drawings, painting, and brush strokes tomorrow.”
I got up slowly, waiting for Eli. I wondered if I was going to his house right then or if he wanted to wait until later. He took my bag from me once again and led me from the room and down the hall to the door, then through the parking lot to the road. I noticed how he knew just where to go where we’d miss Tate’s truck in the lot.
“Do you need to let them,” he motioned towards my house, “know you’re going to my house?”
“Yeah, I do.” I looked at him. “Come with me.”
“Are you sure? They won’t mind me just coming unannounced?”
“No. He’s a Pastor,” I laughed. “We have people in and out all the time.”
“Alright.
We walked across the street and I called out when I opened the door.
“Hey, I’m home.”
“Clawa!” I heard and then the patter of swift small feet.
“Hey,” I snatched her up and hoisted her to my hip to keep my balance. “Hannah. Hey, this is my friend, Eli.”
“Hi, Ewi,” she chimed. So frigging cute. Eli laughed too.
“Well, hello there,” he said and reached his hand out to shake hers. She took it and as he shook it gently and when he smiled she turned bashful and buried her grin in my neck. “Aww. Did I make you blush?” he crooned and smiled at me.
“And this is Josiah,” I said as I felt a small hand tugging the hem of my shirt back.
“Hey,” Jo said.
“Hey, sport,” Eli said and held his hand out for a low five. Josiah slapped it eagerly and grinned. “How are you, man?”
“I’m good. How are you? Man,” Josiah said awkwardly, trying to play big boy.
“I’m awesome,” Eli chuckled.
“Where’s your mom, Jo?” I asked and followed his point to the kitchen. “Mrs. Ruth, hey. This is Eli, the guy I told you about.”
“You talked about me, huh?” Eli whispered in my ear behind me before making his way around and smiling as he said hi to Mrs. Ruth.
“Hi there, young man. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
“Are you staying for supper?”
“Actually, I wanted to ask if you minded if I took Clara out for dinner. And then go back to my house for a little while.”
“And where do you live, Eli?”
“A couple streets over. At the bed and breakfast.”
“Oh, I love that house! Are your parents renovating it?”
“Sort of,” Eli answered and quickly changed the subject. “So I can ask your husband for permission to take out Clara if I need to,” he said respectfully.
“Oh, he’s at the church tonight. He hosts the AA meetings so he won’t be home. But if you’ll write your cell phone number on the fridge right there on that pad, them I’m perfectly fine with Clara going with you, if you bring her home by midnight.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said smiling and went to do what she asked.
I debated going to change my clothes but didn’t want Eli to think I was more shallow than he already did, so I just said goodbye to Mrs. Ruth and we were gone. We walked to his house, the street was loud and noisy from school traffic, and he opened the passenger door to a black ‘69 Chevy Chevelle in front of his house.
“This is your car?” I stopped in awe.
“Yep.”
“Why don’t you drive it to school?”
“Because I can walk, it’s so close. Plus,” he swept his arm for me to enter, “I don’t want to answer questions about how an eighteen year old kid can afford a car like this.”
“I see,” I said, though I really didn’t, as I climbed in and he shut my door.
Once he jumped in his side and started the deep rumbling engine, he pulled out and started down the street the opposite way.
“So I’m assuming this is a classic or something?’ His face was quite funny when he looked at me, like I was a totally clueless girly girl, so I forged on. “Where are we going?”
“Do you like pizza?”
“Sure, who doesn’t?” I said laughing. “What kind of question is that to ask a teenager?”
“The times have changed.”
“You are very cryptic, Eli.”
“I know,” he muttered through a chuckle. “I’m sorry.”
“You can’t tell me what’s going on first and then take me to eat?”
“No. I want you to enjoy your meal.”
“Eli, please,” I said, turning to him. “You’re really freaking me out-”
“Hey, hey,” he said sweetly and reached for my hand. “I promised didn’t I? I will tell you everything, but you can’t be scared. Ok? I know I haven’t earned your trust but I need you to trust me for tonight.”
“Eli, really, this is...” I sighed.
“I know. Please, Clara? Please trust me.”
I sighed again and said nothing, just looked out the window. It was strange how I felt so at ease with him but I didn’t really know him. Something was definitely happening. I mean the Reveries...they were real. It was real. I was confused about a lot of things but the fact that he didn’t just walk into my life by accident was evident to me. So I sat and waited and tried to be patient.
We arrived at the pizza place and he came around to open my door. I took his offered hand and let him pull me up but after he shut the door he stopped. He looked at me and his face almost looked regretful as he pushed my hair back from my face. He leaned closer, putting his hands on the car on either side of me, and hovered there, just beyond my lips. His eyes pleaded with me. He was waiting for me…to inch forward and meet him, to say I understood even though there was no reason for me to trust him.
I lifted up on my toes and bunched his shirt front to steady myself as I pressed my lips to his. He hesitated at first, waiting to see if I was just humoring him or if I was for real. After feeling his warm lips on mine, I was definitely for real. I felt too warm all of a sudden and opened my mouth under his. That was what he was waiting for and he leaned against me, kissing me deeper. I felt his small groan as his hand moved to my cheek and my pulse banged behind my ribs. My
breaths were practically non-existent by this point.
I pushed him gently away to catch my breath and his lips released me but barely. I could feel his breath on my face as he pressed his forehead to mine.
“Clara.” He released a ragged sigh. “You’re too much,” he groaned.
“What?” I whispered.
“You’re just so...” He shook his head. “You’re everything that I...” He sighed harshly and leaned away from me, holding his hand out to me. “Come on. Let me buy you a pizza.”
I went willingly and followed him to a table. He ordered us a large pineapple and ham because I told him that was my favorite.
“So...you don’t have any other family other than a sister?” he asked.
“Well, I have a couple uncles. Why?”
“I just wondered why you lived with the Pastor and his family instead of your own family.”
“Well, for one thing I didn’t want to change schools my senior year but also, neither of my uncles wanted to live with a teenage girl so...the Pastor came and asked if I wanted to stay with them until I graduated. So they are my foster family I guess.”
“They seem nice.”
“They are,” I agreed and swirled the ice in my cola. “They’re really great.”
“What are you going to do after school?”
“No idea. You?”
“Depends on some things,” he said vaguely.
“What things?”
“Are you gonna eat that?” he asked and grabbed the rest of my second piece, taking a big bite of it.
“You are such an avoider,” I accused and he laughed. “I don’t get it. You won’t tell me anything? Why?”
“I don’t want to scare you yet with that answer.”
“Ok. Well let’s go then because I’m so very ready to understand what’s going on with you.”
“Ok.”
I heard the excitement and the reluctance in his voice. I followed him to the car and he drove to his house. It was a huge blue house that had been vacant for some time. I loved it because the yard was full of flowers and big green bushes and trees. The owners must have had someone taking care of the yard while they were trying to sell it. The house used to be a bed and breakfast but now...
Once again he opened my door for me and led me up the walkway to the door. I was getting antsy, excited and a little frightened by what he might have to say. He stopped in the doorway, his hand jammed in the doorframe.
“Clara, I told you not to be scared,” he said hoarsely as his mouth opened and he licked his bottom lip.
I looked at him questioningly.
“How do you know I’m scared.”
“I just do. Please don’t.” He took a cautious step towards me. “All this is going to be hard enough and I won’t be able to handle it if you’re going to be frightened of me.”
“You’re not really helping by saying things like that.”
“I know, just please try to keep calm.”
“Ok,” I promised. “I’ll try.”
I saw a cage in the corner with a huge blue and green McCaw inside. Other than the bird, there was no decorations, just old fashioned furniture that probably came with the place. The bird seemed content to gnaw on its nut so I just focused back on Eli.
“Sit,” he ordered softly but made no further movements to come near me. I sat on the sofa he directed me to and watched the emotions play over his face as he stood in the doorway. “Please promise me you won’t just run. Promise that you’ll hear me out first and then if you want to leave, I’ll let you.”
I nodded and said, “Yes. I promise.” I tried to be as calm as I could muster and he took a deep breath before speaking.
“Now, I lied to you when we met about my parents living with me. They are alive but I won’t live with them, though I see them from time to time even if I don’t want to. My parents and my brother and sister live a different life than mine. They’re cruel and sadistic. I couldn’t live like that, so I ran away.” He looked down at the floor and then back to me without lifting his head. “I ran away...one hundred and twenty three years ago.”
I gulped and clasped my hands in my lap. Oh boy... He continued.
“I know you can believe in the supernatural. We share Reveries. I know you know that’s real. Well there’s lots of things in this world that you never knew existed. Supernatural things, and I’m one of them. My kind are called Devourers. My family are as well but they choose to live true to their nature and I fight mine,” he spat and I could tell he truly believed what he was saying, crazy as it was. “See...we scare people, in Reveries mostly, and feed off their emotions. I don’t sleep, none of us do, but I can feel every dark emotion that runs through any person I am in proximity to. Hate, jealousy, greed, pain, anger... lust. I have lived and fed on these emotions my entire life. But then you...” He shook his head and took a step forward but thought better of it. “I could feel your sorrow from across the park that day. It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before because not only could I feel your pain at your loss but when I got closer to you, I could feel your calm and contentment too; the way you were just lying there looking at the clouds made you happy. I have never in my entire existence felt those emotions before. I had no idea what was happening but then you glanced at me and looked me over...I could feel your attraction.” I felt my eyes go wide and my cheeks heat but he continued. “Clara, I had to know you. I only planned to stay here a few weeks, like I usually do when I pass through a town. But you...I had to know this girl who was still happy and sweet even though she had apparently suffered so much.”
I bit my lip as I looked at him. He was coiled, ready for me to take flight and bolt. His eyes begged me so I pulled it together and decided to ask questions so I could seem like I was believing until I could get out of there.
“So, you scared me that night? To feed yourself?”
“I only did it that once. I needed to see if I affected you or not but I promise you I’ll never do that again. I only feed on the emotions that people feel without my interference. I don’t elicit those feelings in them like my family does. Not anymore,” he said sadly.
“So you can make people feel fright?”
“Yes, I can, but I don’t,” he insisted quickly. “Our kind can make you feel fright, hurt, sorrow, lust...but the most potent emotion is terror. It fills us up like nothing else, until I met you. Your...when you...” He actually chuckled like he was embarrassed and it was cute even though he was clearly insane. Maybe I could get him some help. “Your attraction to me, it feeds me like nothing else in this world ever has. There were rumors about your mate being able to feed you on their emotions alone but I never believed it. Until now.”
“Mate?” I said, blushing furiously.
“I know, it’s a dumb word,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, uh...a person who pulls you, draws you to them. I know you feel it too. I feel it every time you think about me,” he said hoarsely and my pulse jumped.
That look was back; the ecstasy look. I turned the promise ring on my finger and thought about what I could do. I was pulled to him, I had wondered about that from day one; why I felt so comfortable and strange around him. But that didn’t mean he was a supernatural being.
“Eli,” I said cautiously. “I’m...” I had no idea what to say.
“Let me prove it to you,” he said but didn’t look to happy about it.
Six
“Eli-”
“How do you explain the Reveries, Clara?”
“I can’t.” And I couldn’t. That part was definitely a mystery. “I can’t, but I’m sure there’s something to explain it.”
“There is something to explain it. I am what I say I am.”
“Eli...”
“I don’t want to do this, Clara, but you have to believe me,” he said and came a step closer. He knelt down in front of me. “Look at me.”
“Eli-”
“Look at me,” he repeated more forcefully.
/> I looked up into his violet eyes now level with mine and felt a little spike in my heartbeat. I squinted looking at him. Then I felt my hands begin to shake and my heart rate picked up increasingly. I suddenly felt scared for no apparent reason at all. He opened his mouth and licked his bottom lip. I chalked it all up to him freaking me out with his talk.
“I’m scared because you’re freaking me out.”
“No, you’re scared because I made you that way.”
