What i Found In You (13 page)

Alyon Alik

Chapter 16.0

              "I suppose I should finish answering the question you asked earlier in the car. Just, the thing is I have never had to explain this to someone before so I don’t really know how to put this. It’s almost like there is this shadow that hangs over me..”

              “Does it have something to do with how Jean reacted to you that night I came for Sam?”

              “Yes,” I said quickly, I hoped I was hiding it well but I was desperate for this to not come out as crazy as it might seem.

              “He was clearly larger than you but he was scared of you almost in that moment,”

              “Almost all Vampire look at me in the same way,”

              “Including Lilith?”

              “No, she saw this in me as a human and knew it would work in her favor, but it is more than just fear, death comes naturally to me. I don’t mean just being what I am, but to cause death and avoid it myself.”

              “I dont understand.”

              “How about I just start a little before Lilith found me, I want you to really understand who I am when it comes to what I am. I was eleven when I first tried to kill myself this was around the early 1000’s. I jumped into a river during a flood. I thought death would be better than the endless hunger, living off of the scraps thrown onto the ditches of dirt roads. The raging water scared me at first as it bubbled and frothed in anger. Too bad I woke up on the riverbank the next morning, shivering and sore, but still very much alive.” Vanessa’s eyes were wide as she couldn’t help but stare. I wasn’t sure if I was scaring her or not, but I still went on. “I tried to cut my wrist once when it became too much again.” I pulled back my sleeve and showed her a thin dark line running above a vein on my arm. “This is the only scar I carry from when I was human. Normally the transformation heals all old scars, but this one stayed with me. I woke up in a small house; a young woman with a kind smile was sitting over me. Her husband found me as he was walking home. He brought me back to his home and they took me in and watched over me until I recovered. However, the old man owed a lot of people money. His home was burned to the ground; both he and his wife were killed in their sleep by smoke. No one knew a small boy was in the house. I thought about lying in the fire and letting it end me when I heard the whimper of a puppy trapped by the flames. We both somehow made it out alive.” I couldn’t help sighing as the memory of the missed opportunity still annoyed me.

              “Alik, you don’t…” Vanessa started reaching across the table to touch my hand, I turned mine over her fingers ran across my skin warming me. I held on grounding myself in her warmth.

              “Have to tell you my somewhat pathetic story?” I smiled, turning to watch two guys who were taking pictures next to my car. “I don’t mind, but if I’m boring you, I can let you eat.”

              She took my face in he other hand leaning over the table and looked in my eyes. “I can tell you want to tell me this. Just don’t hurt yourself doing it. I don't know how I feel about you yet and this feels very personal.” she said, I ignored the warning and went on.

              “I found Lilith the night of my nineteenth birthday. She was a defenseless woman on the surface, easy prey for a thief. I didn’t know she was actually baiting me. I followed her into an alley that ended at a brick wall. All I had on my mind was easy money. She turned and smiled at me.

              ‘So what now?’ she asked calmly while my voice shook.

              ‘Give me your pouch and anything valuable you’re wearing, I will let you pass then.’

              ‘If I were to say no?’

              ‘I will take them by force.’

              ‘And if I said you’re the victim here?’

              ‘I’d laugh.’ I had been in many fights by this time and I had lost enough of those to learn how to win. Those beatings were life lessons in how to survive. I had no fear in losing to this woman. I approached her with a small knife held out in one hand and the other balled into a fist. ‘I will ask nicely again; hand me your valuables.’

              ‘You’re the nicest thief I’ve ever met, asking me so politely and so many times.’ She smiled.

              ‘If you have met many, then I pity you.’

              ‘You are sweet, but I’m going to say no.’ I lunged at her and she made a graceful twist and easily ended up behind me. I quickly turned to attack again, but she blocked my hand with her arm. It felt like my hand was broken as it cracked against her arm. She then punched me in the chest, and it felt like all the breath was forced out of me. I stumbled back, but she then kicked my feet from under me, following me down to the ground where she held me by my throat with her fingers digging into my skin, slowly cutting off my air. She looked into my eyes while I was looking up, it could have been that I was slowly blacking out but it was the first time I had ever seen the shadow. It moved as if anxious over her shoulder, a few times it jutted forward as if you attack Lilith but thought better of it. It was strange because she followed my line of sight and smiled again. ‘There is a presence of death about you, an impatient yet protective presence. Why aren’t you dead? she asked like it was a problem that I was still alive.

              ‘Believe me, it’s not from a lack of trying.’ I choked out.

              ‘Perhaps you have just not died the right way.’

       ‘Then kill me and be done with it.”

              She then bit me I felt the blood being sucked from my body as she drank.. She took her fingernail and made a cut in her wrist offering me her blood, no words, just a look, commanding me to drink, so I did. My first vampiric memory was waking up in a forest at night. I opened my eyes and the sensory overload clouded my thoughts, but I couldn’t worry about that. Through the haze of ants in the dirt and birds in the trees, I heard larger footsteps somewhere in the underbrush; four others were watching me. They slowly approached and I didn’t know what to do. They bore their claws and teeth; and low growls echoed off the trees.

              I took peace in that thinking maybe it was finally my time to die. I waited for them to act. Two of them lunged at my back and I moved without thought. I turned, not knowing what I would do, but both fell with a sickly cracking sound, overshadowing the other’s growls. I turned to the other two and growled; I had no idea where it came from. They turned and began to run, but I chased them. Catching the first by jumping on his back and pinning him down, I ripped his head from his body with my teeth. I quickly caught the last, snapping his neck so easily in my hands. There was blood splattering my face and the smell of the earth deep in my lungs. I stood back and looked down at the vampire I just killed as his eyes slowly rolled back into his head. Lilith spoke, standing at my left, placing me on her right.

              ‘I knew there was something about you,’ she said. Instincts took over and I took a swipe at her. In one motion, she ducked under my arm, turned, and then grabbed me. ‘Too much power; you throw yourself off balance using all your force like that; it shows what you will do.’ I attacked her again and found myself kicked through two trees. ‘I guess it would be astounding if you had done any better,’ she stated, sounding slightly disappointed while tilting her head.

              ‘How am I alive after that?’ I asked her, confused, sitting up with only the slightest soreness which was quickly fading.

              ‘You aren’t. Werent you the one asking to be killed? By drinking my blood and killing the four Vampire who were after me you have entered my service.”

              “Those were vampire?”

              “Yes,”

              “What does that make me?”

              “A Vampire,” She explained to me what I had become and who she was; I thought she was just crazy until she took me to feed for the first time. Its hard to not kill your first, I found that I wanted to and the young girl was happy I did it. Lilith charmed her with unearthly charisma and for the first time, she introduced me as her son. I didn’t know what it was that I had felt, but I took the young girl’s hand and looked into her eyes. She blushed and smiled, her eyes glinting in the light. It was so easy to just leave her laying there, the cold smile on her bloodless face still showing the pleasure she felt in death.”  I wasn't looking at Vanessa when I finished; my eyes were on those two guys still taking pictures.

              “I still don’t understand,” Vanessa said, confused.

              “I don’t even think about it most of the time. That old man behind you in the brown hat: it would be so easy to simply snap his neck. Or the woman in the green glasses two booths down: one little bit, very discret to the wrist maybe a finger and she would be powerless and then dead in minutes. Or how about those two teens three booths away? How hard do you think it would be for me to get one, or even both girls, alone and far away from here with my fancy car? I bet I could kill the guy in front of them and they would still come with me. You saw people when we walked in here; I saw targets, meals, and blissful idiots. I give their lives no more meaning than roaches. When I see vampire, I constantly assess what order would be best to kill them. Enemy and allies have very little bearing for me.” I looked her in the eyes so she would know just how serious I was. “Even you, you’re the one light I have in this dark world, and I am seriously considering snuffing that out.”

              I think she was shocked by my confession, but she didn't show it, but I did feel it as I looked into her eyes.

              “What about the other girls Lilith mentioned?”

              “There are some people who I’d rather not spend eternity with.”

              "If you don't change me, you will only get maybe sixty to seventy years?"             

“Ask and I will do it. My fear is that being vampire around me, all you would be remembered for is death. Others shouldn't fear someone like you."

              “Why me?”

              “It’s hard for me to explain, its just how you look at me, how you seem to perceive me. When I look into your eyes what I see looking back isn’t lustful. It’s almost like I am a person again, I don't have to put on an act for you and I’m such a selfish creature that despite all my reservations about changing you, I will be here waiting for you to ask and when you finally do I will make you vampire, and protect you always.”

Vanessa Stanton

Chapter 17.0

Despite that being maybe one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, or one of the cockiest.

“I dont know what to say,” it was probably the first time in my life I had said this and meant it.

“You dont have to say anything, just before you ask make sure it is really what you want.”

“I will,” I said and he smiled.

I finished eating; Alik paid for the food and the chef gave us a friendly wave with the same smile Alik had on his face. Alik then drove me home slowly, taking a much longer than necessary route. When we got outside, he walked me to the door and turned to look at me right in front of the door. He placed his cool hand on my cheek and leaned closer. “You know, my mother and somehow Sam are trying to watch us,” I whispered.

              “Yes, I can hear them giggling.”

              “Then what are you doing?” I said, leaning back and looking into his eyes.

              “Giving them a show, what does it look like I’m doing?” He meant that.

              “Your mother is right, you do have a high opinion of yourself.”

              “Are you going to stop me?” I hesitated and he took that chance to kiss me. I couldn’t stop myself from going along with it; I had never kissed anyone like this. The low squeals from behind the door were just a faint noise in the backdrop. All my senses focused on my lips and the small of my back where his hands were sending an indescribable sensation racing up my spine and out to my fingertips. When we pulled apart, I looked into his eyes with a dazed expression. “Did you like that?” he asked in a whisper.

              “This isn’t a TV show. The kisses on the porch after the first date won’t win me over, you know?” I felt a low tug of longing to kiss him again and he smiled. However, my words were somewhat weaker as my voice slightly shook, giving me away as well.

              “I’ll think about it and see if I want to try any harder then,” he said, the smirk still on his face as he stood back.

              “Maybe I will let you."

              “I never thought human would be my thing,” he whispered, leaning back in.

              “I’m still not sure vampire could be mine.” I placed a finger against his lips to stop him and he closed his lips around it.

              “May I have a taste?” he mumbled.

              “No, behave,” I reprimanded, taking my finger back. Not that I would tell him, but it took all the self-control I had to do so.

              “When do you move into Cornell?” he asked, changing the subject.

              “In two weeks.”

              “Want some help?”

              “Of course, but in between those two weeks, I expect to see you. If you want to win me over, that is.”

              “I’ll think about that as well.” He started to walk back to his car.

              My mom and Sam opened the door, seemingly unable to hold their excitement anymore and pulled me inside. As they attacked me with questions, I could hear Alik outside laughing as he drove away. Stupid vampire, he knew this would happen.

              After what Sam and my mother thought was a date with Alik, I was bombarded with questions. Maybe it was a date, or even a little more. It seemed that Sam and my mother had taken a liking to Alik more than anyone I had ever gone on a date with. My mother wanted to know about the date itself: where he took me, what we talked about, and whether or not he was polite?

              Sam ended up spending the night and when we got to my room, she hit me with another set of questions. Sam was much more interested in whether he had held my hand, if he tried to stay close, and the details on "the kiss". I lied through all of this and I thought I did well, considering that I hadn’t really been on a normal date if it was a date. Then Sam asked me one last question, “So, do you like him?”

              Did I like Alik? I didn’t know. This was the fourth time I had seen him and I just didn’t know what about me he liked and what was some abstract vampiric effect. The only time where I had ever remotely felt anything like this was that time with Seith. I’m still not sure what I felt then. With Seith, I was mad, comfortable, doubtful, and depressed when I had to leave for a while. Whenever I saw love, it was smiles and hugs. When my parents expressed love, I smiled and they smiled and we were happy. I can’t remember looking at Seith and smiling just from love. Thinking about my night with Alik, I hadn’t once just smiled and felt happy, or gave him a loving hug. I don’t consider the kiss a hug.

              “I don’t know,” I answered Sam honestly.

              “Yeah, I guess it’s still too early to know. Right now, it’s all about those amazing eyes and that tight ass.”

              “I hope that’s all it is.”