Bitten

Three showers in a day, is that considered compulsive at all?

I stare at myself in the mirror seeing that my skin has a natural glow to it and my eyes are not as dark as before. They are getting some of the browns that were there when I was human. The mirror fogs up again and I wipe off the residue with my hand. The droplets that hang to my skin glimmer in the light, I wonder if I sparkle.

“Abigail, can you hurry up!” Wes says from the living room. I roll my eyes and tighten the towel I have wrapped around me and open up the bathroom door.

“I’m going, no one said you had to wait here.” His eyes widen when he sees me and I notice his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows hard. I just turn and walk into my bedroom, which is right next to the bathroom, and close the door.

I dress in tight light washed jeans that are ripped at the knees, black combat boots, and decide to wear my black Nirvana shirt.

I comb out my hair and let it air dry since it is naturally straight and grab my last accessory, my sunglasses. I do not know if I am going to need them but Wes always has his, so I put them on as well. I decide on no makeup since my glasses are not coming off but I do not want to look dead so adding some color on my pale lips won’t hurt anyone. I grab my berry red lip stain from the counter and dab some on giving my lips some pop.

The cool breeze hits me as I walk out of my bedroom. Wes must have opened up some windows.

Wes’ jaw is about to fit the floor, “Wow, I would have never thought that this was your style!” His eyes ravage down my body and I am about to snap at him when his words stop me.

“How did you think I dressed?” My interest is peaked as I walk over to the front door and Wes is at my heels.

“More, I don’t know. Sundresses I thought you wore sundresses and maybe some flats I guess,” his eyes keep running down the length of my body. We step out into the hall and I turn around and lock the door.

“So you thought I wore sundresses?” I scoff and walk down the hallway quickly.

“Yes, I thought your clothes matched the bubbly personality you have. Not that I am complaining.” He smiles as we walk down the stairs. I roll my eyes and walk faster down the stairs until we hit the ground floor. I swing the door open and the sun is high, must be around noon, an involuntary hiss escapes my lips. I am expecting for me to burst into flames or at least blister up.

Wes laughs next to me and shakes his head, “It’s not going to happen.”

“Sorry, I watched too many vampire movies.” I scan my arms and nothing is happening. Wes put on his glasses taking me bringing up a question I have been meaning to ask him, “What’s with the fashion sense?” I point to the sunglasses. He shrugs.

“They’re not necessary but I feel that if you want to live amongst human you need to blend in and having your eyes always red as if you’re high all the time doesn’t look good. The fact that our irises change colors when we are near blood is also hard to explain, don’t you think?”

“Why do we look high?” He chuckles.

“The brightness of the sun irritates our eyes and sunglasses is the only cure I have found,” he grabs my hand and pulls me down the street; we blend in well with the people around us.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“I want to show you what you are missing out on,” he is practically dragging me around. His steps are double mine and I am running to catch up. He is eager to make me see something to live for, I can feel that is what he is doing.

We spend the day walking around the city. We go to the carnival by the beach, ride the rides, walk on the sand, he bought me some cotton candy and even though I would have loved it as a human, it isn’t as great as a vampire. But I swallow it down with a smile on my face.

We then head to the park where we see children playing on the playground and adults talking to each other, laughter filling the air.

Odd he would bring me to a park after what I tried to do the night before, but at least he took me to a different park. A park without a pond. A coincidence, I doubt it.

Wes and I are sitting under a tree with our backs against the trunk, looking on at the people enjoying their day at the park, when the ringing gets all the children’s attention.

“Ice cream!” A lot of kids say in unison. A stampede of footsteps running towards the ice cream man is heard from a mile away.

“You want some ice cream?” Wes asks and I can swear his voice sounds sleepy.

“Um, sure,” I do not feel him get up but he walks in front of me towards the swarm of children on the far side.

This is going to take a while; I lower my body and let my eyes close. When a small child’s laughter is close by and I open my eyes just as a little toddler runs around the tree and trips over me.

She has a flowery dress on and pigtails. “I’m sorry,” I lift myself and pick her up with me.

She turns and looks at me with her big grey eyes that make me stare at her. Her rosy cheeks and fair skin makes her look like a doll. She is so beautiful.

“Hello sweetheart,” I say to her as she smiles showing me her small teeth.

“Hannah! Hannah, where are you?” I stand up with the little girl in my arms and walk around the tree and come face to face with a guy. His skin is flushed and he looks around searching for - his sister?

“Machon!” The little girl screams with glee.

He swings his head in our direction. He has the same color hair as her with waves in them and he is very fit from the look of his legs and arms. He has dark eyes that soften at the sight of the little girl in my arms.

I try to control my breathing but his blood is running fast close to the surface of his skin. He must have been working out. He walks closer to me not knowing of the danger that stands in front of him.

“Hannah, how many times have I told you not to run off from where I can see you?” She throws her face into the nape of my neck.

“Sowy!” She says into my skin the warmth of her breath would have given me goosebumps if my body would react like it used to.

“I apologize if she bothered you in any way,” he says looking into my sunglasses.

“Bothered me? This little cutie, Nah. She’s just playing around.” I force a smile on my face but the pinch of pain I feel in my gums makes me close my lips quickly.

“I should feed her and then get her home,” he smiles at me and stretches his arms out.

Hannah raises her head and looks at him then back at me. She giggles and wraps her arms around my neck - at this point, I have completely stopped breathing. She then gives me a big wet kiss on the cheek.

“Bye,” she waves as she lets her body fall back forcing me to step closer to the guy and he wraps his arms around her and pulls her closer to him, as I release her. He laughs and nuzzles her hair.

“Hey, I’m Mason and you are?” He looks at me and I move my chest to make it appear as if I am breathing.

“I’m Abigail!” I give him a tight smile and he nods. Mason’s eyes fall on Hannah for a moment and then he returns his gaze to me.

“Well Abigail,” the small smile pulls at the corner of his lips, “hopefully I will be seeing you around.” He smirks and walks away with Hannah looking at me waving the entire time she can see me.

I try to hide the smile that is pulling at the corner of my lip.

“Abigail, all they had is vanilla!” I turn around and am disappointed that it is just Wes.

“That’s fine,” I say as he walks towards me. Wes hands me the ice cream cone. I lick it absent-mindedly and my fingers skim my cheek feeling the warmth of Hannah’s kiss - the warmth of life.

The realization hits me hard when I notice this is something that I will not be able to do. We walk around the park for a while longer, my eyes scanning the area for the little girl with pigtails.