Young Writers Society

Chapter 5:

“A style that Clark Gable would have admired.”

(The Postal Service)

I filled my mouth with the warm liquid and let it run down my throat. The taste was like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was like having all my favorite foods as a human in my mouth at once--only better. I kept drinking and the next thing I knew, the blood stopped flowing into my mouth. I took the cup away from my mouth and stared at it, confusion lining my face.

Nicholas chuckled from where he stood across from me. Funny--I forgot he was still in the room.

"I know you are probably still hungry but that’s all I have here at the moment. I only keep it around for extreme cases--it’s much better when it’s straight from the source."

"Better than that?" I didn't think it was possible.

"Yes, better. We will go hunting later on tonight. Its almost dark now, we should go take care of the scene and get it over with."

I looked toward the large window, noticing the setting sun for the first time. The sight of the purple, orange, and red shades surrounding the buildings from this view was stunning.

"I think that might be my favorite part about living here," he said from right beside me. I hadn't noticed he had moved from the other side of the island to stand next to me.

As we stood there, his arm gently brushed mine. It felt...nice to be standing so close to him. To be here, watching the sun set behind this view of the New York City skyline. Just then he took my hand and held it. I looked down at our abnormally pale hands laced together. I really liked holding his hand, it felt so natural. I felt his eyes on me and I looked up at him.

"I like it too," he said simply. With some effort, I pulled my eyes away from his to watch the sun finish its progression from this side of the world.

All of the beautiful colors that had run across the sky a few minutes ago were now replaced with the dark blue sky, almost completely devoid of stars. I sighed and turned to look at Nicholas again. Unsurprisingly, he was already looking at me. I didn't know if he had heard the intentions in my mind to look at him or if he had been staring for a while.

"I think I watched more of you than of that sunset that so captured your attention," he answered my unspoken question.

Instead of looking away like I always did I held his stare. Finally he sighed and dropped my hand. "We should go now," he stated and led me back the way we had come.

Once we were on the street, I gave him the address of the party I had been to last night. Wow, less than twenty-four hours since then, and my life wasn't even recognizable anymore.

We got back on the subway for what felt like the hundredth time today. I had never taken the subway this many times in a week since I’ve lived here.

"I would have gladly hailed a cab, but I didn't think you would be able to keep your thirst under control having not fed properly yet," he explained.

I just nodded. He was probably right, and he did know more about this life than I did. The subway took us about a half block from where we needed to be. Thankfully I wouldn't need to pass the building the party had been in to get to the alley I was looking for.

I turned into the small passage between the two brick buildings, with Nicholas trailing not far behind me. I looked around me, remembering the attacker and how this alley had been the only witness to the crime committed against me. I shivered with the memory. Nicholas put his arm around my shoulders to comfort me.

Just then I noticed a small mound slumped against the wall to the left of me. I walked over to find the purse I had been carrying last night. How could I have forgotten that I had a purse with me? Probably because my brain was overloaded with everything I had learned today, I reasoned.

I bent over to pick it up. "That would probably be good to leave behind for the police to find," Nicholas explained to me. I reached in and grabbed my wallet.

"If my wallet is missing, they will probably think it was a mugging gone wrong," I told him. If I could do anything to give my family any more comfort right now, I would, I added to myself.

Nicholas replaced my bag where I had found it before, and added my zip-up not far from it. Then he reached into the light jacket he was wearing and pulled out the container that I had filled with my own blood earlier. He poured all the blood onto the street near the sweatshirt, capped the container and replaced it in his inside pocket. I watched as the blood began to spread outwards finally reaching the article of my clothing I was leaving behind. Then a thought came to me.

"Won’t your fingerprints be on my jacket now? What will they make of that?"

"Well first of all, I wouldn't be in any database they have, so they wouldn't be able to track me. Second of all, I don't have fingerprints. When we are changed it smoothes our skin and perfects it, like you noticed in the dressing room earlier," he smirked as he reminded me of my memory lapse this afternoon.

I quickly turned around and began to storm off, and away from the alleyway. Nicholas quickly caught up to me, grabbing my wrist and spinning me around to face him.

"What’s the matter; did it upset you to have to be there again?" The sympathy in his eyes almost broke through my anger. Almost.

"Noooo, I’m mad because you shouldn't have been spying on me while I was in the dressing room to begin with. I didn't get mad at the time because I was too embarrassed. Now that you so graciously reminded me of it I can remedy that," I hissed.

His face immediately became incredulous. "You think I was spying on you? I wasn't spying, I can’t help seeing what I see or hearing what I hear. Especially when I am attuned to a person, their thoughts are so clear to me. Sometimes I can’t tell which are my own," he replied with indignation.

"How can you be so attuned to me after having known me for less than a day?"

He stopped short at my last question and stared me hard in the eyes. "I don’t know why I have formed such a strong bond with you so quickly. I wish I did know. I wish I could still use the excuse that I want to help you, but that would be a lie. I have gone above and beyond anything I would have done for anyone else in your situation. And after I have shown you how to properly feed, I will have shown you everything you need to know and I could just let you go your own way but I--"

"You know what? I don't think I will be needing your help anymore. I’m pretty sure I can figure things out on my own from now on. Sorry I have been such a burden," I practically screamed and began to walk away from him again.

"Wait Charlie! You didn't let me finish," he yelled after me. Suddenly he was in front of me with his hands on my shoulders, restraining me from walking any further.

"What?"

"You didn't let me finish," he repeated. "I said I could let you go your own way but I don't want to. I don't want you to leave. I don't know why but it feels right to have you near me. Do you remember when I told you that I watched you more than I watched the sunset earlier?"

I simply nodded my head, he smiled and continued, "I was looking at you and thinking how surreal it was to have you in my apartment. How you seemed to fit in perfectly with the scenery, like you were always meant to be there."

I just stared at him, as my anger rapidly faded away. Just then I decided to be daring. This was not my usual behavior, but it just felt right. I took one half step closer to him until there were only a few inches separating us. I tilted my head back and asked, "Is it later yet?"

His eyes were at first confused, until he understood my meaning and smiled a small smile before wrapping his arms around me. He bent his head down and I felt his lips press softly against mine. This kiss was unlike any others I had ever had. It felt like every other kiss in my life had just been the opening act for what I was experiencing now. I sighed and parted my lips, his following my lead. His mouth moved with mine as he pulled my body closer to his.

Finally, after I don't know how long, he pulled his head back but kept our bodies in the same position. He smiled that smile that would stop my heart, if it could still beat. Then he released me and took a small step backwards, picking up my hand.

"Huh," was all he said.

"'Huh'? What the hell does 'huh' mean?"

"I didn't take you for the type to make the first move. I figured I would have to work up to it myself. You saved me a lot of time and self-doubt. Thanks." he grinned.

I didn't know what to think, so all I said was "You're welcome."