Author's Rating- PG
I walk the streets of the city this eve searching for something unknown to me. There is this void that I can feel in my heart and yet I do now know what it needs to be filled with. You see, I wasn't always like this, I was once a creature of the light, I was happy, carefree, and lively, but then there came a point in time when I was turned over to this life of darkness from which I cannot hope to get free. I once wallowed in my misery, but now I have come to accept my position in life and just try to live for each day.
I come to this hill and I sit at this spot here everynight. From this spot one can see all the way to the horizon. I come here to rest and reflect on all that has passed. The one thought that I can never escape from thinking of is how I came to be. I was turned against my will, I had met this one who fell for me and wanted to bring me over to this side. I knew what kind of life I would lead if brought here so I didn't want it, yet he pushed. Finally one night he approached me and just did it. My eyes turned a dark emerald green, my hair black as night, my skin became a pale sheen of white, I looked like the animated undead and that's because that's exactly what I had become, basically.
The one who made me grew tired of me quickly and left to find someone else to turn. Therefore I was on my own to figure out how I must go on living in this new life. I'm used to it now, taking others lives to sustain my own, I've been doing it for so long that I know no other way.
I'm sitting at the top of the hill looking out over the city out to the horizon when I hear a rustling of the brush beside me. I jump up in time to see a young man come through and stand in front of me.
"Who are you?" I ask in a somewhat angered tone because my peace and my favorite spot has been encroached upon.
"My name is Charles. Do you come here often?" he says in a friendly manner.
"What do you care?" I say, my temper rising and I am becoming uncomfortable around him.
"I was just curious. You see, this is my land and I come up here many times myself. I didn't know that this was also someone elses favorite retreat from the busy city down below." with that he smiles at me and I can only look at him in wonder.
I turn back to look at the city with all of its twinkling lights and the roaring cars. Then I turn back to him and for some reason I am drawn to him, it must be the look in his eyes, the way they put me at peace. He turns to go and I stop him.
"No! Why are you leaving?" I say worriedly.
"What do you care?" he says, smiling at me.
I smile back because he is poking fun at me.
"You don't have to leave. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." I say shyly.
He laughs,"You didn't make me uncomfortable I just thought you might want to be left alone in your peace." again he smiles.
Usually I would have replied that I would like to be left alone in my peace, but with him, there was something about him that wouldn't let me go.
"No, actually I was wondering if you would like to join me and talk a bit?" I say, again shyly.
He looks at me a bit in surprise, but still smiling.
"Sure, why not." he walks over and we both sit down together, side by side.
"So, have you lived here long?" I ask, sort of starting off with a general statement to get the conversation going.
He laughs at this.
"What!" I say in an exasperated tone.
"That was the most base question I've ever heard!" he laughs again. "Sorry, but I know with that one you were struggling for something to say to me. But, to be nice, I have lived here all my life. Now, what is it that you really want to ask me?"
At this I look at him and I am totally speechless.
"What are you talking about?" I say, a worried tone creeping into my voice.
He smiles and his eyes gleam with mischeif.
"I know there was something on your mind that you wanted to either ask me or tell me. I saw it in your eyes. You were thinking intently upon something then all of a sudden it was gone and right after that sparkle left your eyes you asked that base question of yours." he smiles more grandly now.
I am looking at him without knowing how to respond to that. It scares me because all that he has said is exactly right. I had been wanting to tell him something and yet I decided against it.
"I can tell you are now worried that I can read your mind. I will let you know, to put your mind at ease, that I cannot tell what you are thinking, but I can read things about you in your eyes. I have this gift of being able to read people by just looking into their eyes. Right now you are afraid and worried, but you don't need to be." with that he turns his face from mine and looks out to the horizon.
I stare at him for the longest time, taking in his profile and admiring how the moonlight seems to make his face glow in brightness. I look down to the rock upon which I am sitting and contemplate further.
"Alright, I will tell you what I was thinking." I say softly.
With the sound of my voice he turns to look at me once again.
"You don't have to if you really don't want to I just felt it was something that was really bugging you." he says sincerely.
"No, I want to tell you so you can decide whether or not you really want to hang out with me."
At this he laughs. I am stunned and somewhat hurt. He sees the hurt look upon my face and immediately stops laughing.
"I'm sorry, but it doesn't matter what you tell me for I enjoy your company already. I wouldn't care if you told me you were going to murder me in my sleep. If you did I would laugh and say how you are the nicest murderer that I've ever met!" he laughs again. "Listen, whatever you tell me won't change my wanting to hang out with you."
"Well, alright, but still give me the chance to explain." I say looking at him with his smile upon his face.
With that I begin to tell him the long story of how I became turned and was brought into this life that I now live. Throughout the whole story he just looks at me in a serious manner, taking in everything that I say to him. When I am done I turn and look out to the horizon. For a while neither of us say a word. Then, he finally breaks the silence.
"You don't have to worry because I believe you, sincerely. I can see it in your eyes that you have suffered greatly from what you have gone through and that you are not lying. But, you probably should be going now since the sun will be up shortly. I would like to see you again tomorrow night, if that's alright with you?" he says, looking at me in such a sweet and innocent way that I could not resist.
"Yeah, that's alright with me." I say, smiling in return.
"Good. Now, I leave you, take care!"
With that he stands to leave and I stand with him. We look at eachother for the longest time. Then, for some unknown reason, I open up my arms to him and he takes me into his embrace automatically as if our hearts had both wanted it and yet were afraid to take the first step. We hold eachother for only about a couple of seconds, but it seemed to me like an eternity.
He smiles then turns and disappears through the brush that he came through.
I stand there unable to put to words what I am feeling. What amazes me is that I was able to spend an entire night with him without getting the urge to take his life. I cannot explain it, but during that embrace I was at total peace and contentment for the first time in my entire life. I felt something deep inside of him that was emanating life, true life and love. It spoke to me and caused my heart to grasp it's calling and become drawn to it like a moth to light. Yes, tomorrow we shall meet because I doubt my heart would let me do otherwise. Goodnight my friend Charles, goodnight.
Copyrighted © 2000 Lady Mercareth