Born Dark

by H G Lynch

  “It’s not a good idea, but… for now, we’ll leave it alone and just see how it goes. Maybe it would help if you explained the thing about the crow?” Brandon said, looking almost resentful at Reid and Ricky - mainly Reid - and sitting back in his chair.

  After that everyone sat down and Reid and Ember relayed the crow incident, with Ricky throwing in a few comments. When they were done, Brandon and Perry looked almost as horrified as Ricky had when he’d first seen the mangled bird, but they recovered quickly this time and began plotting out ideas to catch whoever had done it. Ember wasn’t sure why they were so eager to catch some sick prankster, especially one that had terrified her, seeing as they appeared to hate her now. But she appreciated the help and figured they were doing it for Reid more than anything. Ember thought it was really too bad Sherry wasn’t here. She would’ve loved it, the creepiness of the stone-bound room. It was a pity she didn’t know about any of this. Yet.

  “Um, Ember? I know you haven’t said anything to Sherry, but I was just wondering… how are you handling that? I mean, considering how close you guys are, I imagine it must be pretty hard?” Ricky approached her just as they were leaving falling into step beside her while Reid was already hopping into the car. A light drizzle had begun falling from the steely clouds, and Ember pulled her hood up to shield her from the rain.

  “Hard? No, it’s not hard at all, hiding a life-changing secret about my best friend’s boyfriend from her when I only see her every day.” Ember knew Ricky didn’t deserve the heavy sarcastic remark, but she was tired and he’d just asked her about the exact thing that annoyed her most about this situation. Fortunately, Ricky didn’t take it too hard. He just gazed at her evenly with blue-green eyes, a crooked, humourless smile touching his mouth.

  “OK, I know it sucks. And I want to tell her, I really do but… I just don’t think it’s the best idea right now. I mean, it was an accident that you found out, and it’s not like you and Reid had anything going on then, but it’s more complicated with me and Sherry. I really care about her and I know she trusts me. How would she react if I suddenly came and said to her that I was a vampire? Seriously? She’d freak and probably never talk to me again. I don’t want to hurt her and I really don’t want to scare her off.” He truly did make it sound like there was no other option. Ember wanted to growl at him. She sighed, pausing at the door of the Aston Martin and turning to him.

  “Ricky, I know. I know you don’t want to hurt or scare her, and I know it’s safer for her not to know but… this is a huge deal. And I think you’re underestimating her ability to cope. I didn’t exactly freak when I found out, and I already had every reason to hate Reid. Sherry feels much the same way I do about vampires, and I honestly don’t think you’d scare her off. As for the trust thing…well, that might be damaged but if you really do care about her the way she cares about you, I have no doubt you two could fix it. The only two reasons I don’t tell her, are because I don’t want her in danger and I don’t feel it’s my place since we’d be talking about you as well. It’s your place if you want her to know and, as unhappy as I am about keeping the secret from her, I won’t tread on your turf,” Ember finished glumly, guilt sweeping through her again. But Ricky just nodded. His expression caught between gratitude and guilt, and walked off to his Audi.

  Once in the car with Reid, Ember tried to relax. She’d honestly enjoyed hanging out in the vampires’ secret den, despite her newfound dislike for Brandon and Perry. The place was certainly awesome, and Ember wondered if she’d ever be allowed to read some of those big, leather-bound books. Surely they were full of interesting stuff about mythical creatures, which Ember could probably spend hours trawling through gladly.

  “What was that about with Ricky?” Reid asked sounding a little piqued. It almost sounded like a hint of jealousy laced his tone, but Reid didn’t seem like the jealous type.

  “I was telling him where to find me tonight so we could go have sex behind Sherry’s back. What do you think it was about?” she snapped sarcastically, making Reid grimace. He didn’t look all too convinced she was being sarcastic and she had half a mind to find matches and set the boy on fire. Surely that would kill a vampire? It did in her books. She growled under her breath and Reid sighed, starting the car.

  “You always seem to end up in a bad mood around me.” It was a simple statement but Reid sounded a little hurt. That just sent another wave of guilt over Ember and she tried not to snap at him again.

  “Sorry. I’m just peeved that Brandon and Perry seem to think I’m going to run off and scream ‘vampire’ to the whole school, or turn around and stake them or something. And the guilt’s killing me over not telling Sherry. She’s my best friend and we don’t keep secrets from each other.” She sighed again, and rolled down the window as they started back to the school. “Anyway, I am actually glad you took me here. It’s probably the coolest place I’ve ever seen. Very creepy, very cool,” she added, lightening her tone so that the words didn’t sink like the titanic. The cool air blowing in through the open window was refreshing and soothed Ember’s temper a little, letting the hot anger seep out. Reid didn’t reply for a long moment.

  “Brandon and Perry are idiots. I didn’t think they’d lash out at you like that. Me? Yeah, I expected them to thrash me later but I honestly haven’t ever seen Brandon talk to a girl that way before. Asshole.” Reid frowned, looking pretty peeved. It made Ember feel a bit better, and she hid a grin.

  “Yeah, well… at least I got to give him an earful. Next time it’ll be a mouthful of fist,” she said with a shrug. Then she broke into a helpless grin. Reid smiled at that and dropped the conversation, but Ember could feel him glancing at her the whole ride back to the school, like she might disappear if he looked away for too long.

  Tuesday was miserable. Ember was alone for a good part of the day, since Reid and the guys were out trying to find whoever had put the dead crow in her room - She didn’t even ask how they were doing that. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Plausible deniability was always a good thing - and Sherry was… well, she actually had no idea where Sherry was. She’d been gone by the time Ember had even woken up and she hadn’t left a note. Ember wasn’t worried though; sure her friend was probably off to the gym or the library for the day. But it left her alone with time on her hands, which led to boredom.

  She thought through her options of things to do for the day: Swimming? Skateboarding? Neither of those was fun on your own. Go for a walk? She glanced out the window and grimaced. It was typical autumn weather outside, windy and wet. Normally she wouldn’t mind walking in that, but she had nowhere to go on a walk, no destination, and she didn’t feel like wandering aimlessly around campus where she might run into people.

  Ember sighed, leaning her head in her hand. She wanted to be out with the boys, finding out what sick freak killed the crow, but Reid had ensured her she would be better off here. Of course, she’d argued and the only way he’d gotten her to stay behind was by physically restraining her, tying her feet together so she couldn’t run after him. It had taken her too long to get out of the ropes (or rather, the tie he’d used) to even think of going after him.

  Damn it, she thought, grabbing her hoodie and pulling on her boots. She’d go to her tree, cold or not, because she just couldn’t stand to sit in this stuffy, dull room any longer.

  Sitting in the damp, cold tree, twenty feet up from the soggy, pine needle and leaf-riddled ground, Ember groaned with boredom. A sharp blast of wind whipped the loose strands of her hair across her face, and made shivers run through her body almost like spasms. She watched the golden leaves swirl in little twisters on the ground below, and a flock of sparrows danced across the sky in an enrapturing pattern. Ember wished she had a camera with her.

  Listening to the rustle of leaves and the whistle of wind around her, she was swept into an old memory.

  ***

  It was the summer holidays back in Scotland, and she was camping with her family in Aviemore. Having
escaped the watchful gaze of her parents, she’d gone off to find Owen - her friend since childhood, and son of a family friend. His parents had come along with hers on the camping trip and Owen and Ember had been inseparable the whole week - until they got caught trying to tie a rope ten feet up a tree to make a swing… after dark. They’d gotten in so much trouble for being reckless and stupid: their parents said they could have gotten hurt, or broken a bone if they had fallen. They could have hanged themselves, or gotten lost in the dark. Blah, blah, blah. But Ember was a master at escaping her parents’ watchful eyes, even at nine years old.

  “Owen! Come on! We’re going to the hideout!” Ember had called to him, hiding behind his tent. A small, dark-haired boy crawled out the back of the tent and grinned up at her from the grass.

  “Hey, Ember! How’d you get away from your mum and dad?” Owen whispered, scuttling up from the ground and chasing after her as she ran for the nearby cover of trees.

  “I’m a ninja!” she whispered back, pausing to pull a karate pose.

  The children laughed and continued running until they reached their ‘hideout’. It was really a circle in the dirt outlined by rocks and sticks, and filled with fern leaves. But to the nine year olds, it was their ultimate sanctuary. Nobody could find them here.

  “What are we going to do now?” Owen asked, respecting Ember as leader as always. Even as a kid, Ember was stubborn and demanding. And Owen… well, he was the sidekick with the big, cute eyes.

  “Let’s play hide-and-seek! You can be seeker this time!” Ember giggled, before running off into the trees, leaving a grinning Owen to put his palms over his eyes and count to twenty.

  “I’ll find you Ember! I will!” he called after her, still shielding his eyes. “I’ll find you!”

  ***

  A brutal lashing of wind shook Ember’s branch, returning her to the present. She grimaced to herself; she hadn’t thought about Owen since… when was the last time she’d thought of him? Before he’d gotten in with Scott Halen, surely?

  Scott Halen had moved in next door to Owen when he was twelve, and Owen had taken to him like a duck to water. They’d become good friends but Scott was a bad influence. A rough kid with anger issues and no respect for authority. Ember had thought he was cool too, for a while, but when he started getting Owen into trouble - stealing cigarettes, graffiti spraying and vandalising property - Ember had run the other way and tried to take Owen with her. But Owen was in too deep, too sunk into the thrill of danger and recklessness. Ember had lost a friend, but gained a sense of just how dangerous it was to ignore rules and laws. Not that she often kept that in mind. She’d left Owen behind, smoking and cursing at her back as she walked away from him just before she had her parents call the cops on her once-upon-a-time-friend-turned-bad-boy.

  “Ugh. Idiot,” she hissed to herself, feeling the pinch in her chest as she remembered the way those big, cute eyes had turned cold and narrow. “It was his choice,” she muttered to the air, as if she were trying to convince the wind rather than herself, glaring into cloudy sky.

  Sighing, Ember climbed down and made her way back to the dorms, feeling nostalgic and irritated. She wondered what Sherry had been doing all day.

  “Hey, Emz! I’ve got surprise for you!” Sherry was immediately on her feet as Ember slunk into the room, kicking off her muddy boots. After the chill of outside, their dorm room was exceptionally warm. Even the bright, yellow glow cast by the ceiling light seemed to give off tangible heat.

  “A surprise?” Ember glanced at her friend suspiciously and tossed her boots in the wardrobe, unzipping her jumper with one hand at the same time.

  “Well, two actually. One, I know you’ll love. And the other I’m not so sure.” Sherry’s grin faltered for a second but she stuck it back on easily. Ember dropped onto her inviting, cosy-looking bed and faced Sherry uneasily. Ember didn’t much like surprises. They often turned out to be bad news.

  “Oookay?” She rolled her eyes when Sherry instructed her to close them and hold out her hands.

  “Oh, come on! Please?” Sherz pleaded, bouncing in place. Ember sighed and complied, and instantly felt cool metal dripping onto her palm. Opening her eyes, she saw a long black chain curled on her palm, with a set of shiny, silver fangs attached to one end. Ember’s eyes went wide - both at the beauty of the necklace, and the irony of Sherry’s ignorance - and she grinned at her friend.

  “Oh my God, It’s lovely! What’s this for?” she asked, hugging the green-eyed girl tightly.

  Sherry laughed and shrugged. “Just something I thought you’d like. And I thought you deserved it, for all the crap you’ve been dealing with lately. Plus, I know I haven’t been around much.” Her easy smile dropped slightly and Ember felt guilt hit her in the gut, wrenching her stomach like nausea.

  “Aw, it’s OK Sherz. You have every right to spend time with Ricky! And anyway, I’ve been… handling Reid.” Ember made the last two words into an unhappy groan, but Sherry just gave her a knowing look.

  “And by ‘handling’, you mean?” Sherry giggled, arching her brows meaningfully, watching Ember clip her new necklace on with a smile.

  “I mean, keeping him in line. And maybe having a little fun at the same time,” Ember added shyly. OK, keeping Reid in line was actually part of the fun, but she wasn’t sure Sherry would understand that. But Sherry grinned, apparently pleased that the relationship she’d insisted had to happen was working out so far.

  “That’s what I thought. Now, do you want your other surprise?” Sherry held up a letter in one hand and waved it. Ember took it from her, opened it, and read the first line. And then groaned in horror.

  “No! Why now? Why now?” she muttered, her eyes glued to the paper in her hand.

  “I’m guessing it’s from your mum? But what are you talking about?” Sherry looked puzzled but amused. “She’s coming for a visit next week!” Ember hissed throwing the letter down like it had bitten her.

  Sherry’s eyes went wide but replied calmly, “Well, we do have the whole of next week off school, remember? It’s the Autumn Dance, and they need the extra time to set up.”

  Ember hadn’t heard any of this yet, but her mother apparently had. How was that even possible?

  “What dance?” She asked blankly.

  “We were told about it last week. But of course, you weren’t listening to anything last week, were you? You were caught up in bitching to everyone who came near you, and avoiding Reid.” Sherry sighed at Ember’s bleak expression. “Anyway. Your mum’s coming next week. Feel free to squeal or scream.” Sherry grinned, distracting Ember successfully, for now.

  “She always chooses the worst times! We’ve got some mad, crow-killing prankster on the loose and Lord only knows what’s really going on with me and Reid. We’re not in a relationship as such, I don’t think, but…” Ember shook her head. It was all so complicated. She didn’t feel comfortable pinning a distinguishing label on what she and Reid had going. It was almost a relationship, but conventional rules didn’t really apply when your would-be boyfriend was a vampire.

  “Seriously? I thought you’d sorted it out? You’re just like a couple, but in a really dysfunctional way. Just like your friendship was,” Sherry commented wryly and Ember shot her a glare.

  “We’re… oh, I don’t even know. But whatever you’d classify us as, my mum cannot know. She’ll either be overly excited and giggly, ‘Oh my God, my little girl has a boyfriend!’ Followed by a hundred typical questions. Or she’ll disapprove, ‘Ember, you’re far too young to be with a boy like that! He’s a bad influence; you should keep away from him!’ Yadda, yadda.” Ember rolled her eyes with a sigh. Sherry sighed too, though clearly not for the same reason.

  “You worry too much. How do you plan on keeping it from your mum? Sure, you can try to avoid Reid all you like while she’s here, but she’ll probably figure it out anyway. And I’m fairly sure Reid won’t like the idea of staying away from you for a whole week,” Sherry laughed.

&
nbsp; “He’ll live. Trust me. But if you say one word about me and Reid to my mother, I’ll shoot you,” Ember warned and Sherry held up her hands in mock surrender.

  “OK. I’ll keep my mouth shut. But I’m dragging you to the dance next week,” Sherry insisted and Ember started to protest. Ember knew it was futile though. Sherry had that determined look in her green eyes that said she’d physically drag Ember to the dance if she had to, and probably have Ricky help her. Well, there was no way she could fight off Ricky if Sherry brought him in.

  “Fine,” Ember agreed eventually, very reluctantly. Sherry grinned in victory, and Ember glared. Great. Next week’s going to be very busy, she thought bitterly.

  The rest of the week passed in more or less the same frustrating, boring fashion. Reid and the guys were out prying answers from every possible being they found, searching unwaveringly for the crow-killing freak; so far no luck. Sherry and Ricky spent a little time together but he was out almost as often as Reid.

  Ember vaguely wondered if Reid was avoiding her, but he made it clear whenever he dropped in that he’d rather be with her and he was only taking such a big role in the hunt for her sake. He still wouldn’t let her come along and that irritated her, but she had other things to worry about.

  She spent more time with Sherz than she had in a while; they watched movies and chatted and even went ice-skating one evening - Sherry fell a few times but got the hang of it quickly, while Ember showed off, using the skills she’d picked up in the few ice-skating lessons she’d had years ago. They were both freezing and damp from falling by the end, but they’d had fun.