Written In Black

I stared up at him, realizing that, it wasn’t my imagination, it was a vision almost.

“I saw you, but not you.”

Peters grip loosened his grip as I realized he had a hold of mine, “What did you see?”

“You, but you were riding a horse, and wearing old clothes, what--was that?” My heart was pounding for a moment, I was still trying to process what just happened.

Peter stayed quiet a moment and spoke, “We should get you inside.”

There it was again, the feeling like Peter was hiding something, he was keeping more secrets from me then before.

“You...know something, don’t you? About what I saw.”

He let out a large sigh, “Go inside, I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that, he shut the door and zoomed off.

I ignored it all, knowing Peter, I would never learn the truth.

I went in to find my mom standing in the kitchen, hands on her hips, “Want to explain?”

“Sorry, late night at work, car broke down so my friend gave me a ride.” I couldn’t believe I still hadn’t told my mom about Peter.

“You should have called.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” I pretended to yawn.

“I’m gonna head to bed.”

“Alright.” I headed upstairs, because their was something else I needed to do…

Alright, Sean said to relax, to clear my mind, and focus on what is new, then I could tell if I had any--gifts. I swallowed hard and sat down in my bedroom, clearing my thoughts.

I eliminated anything that had to do with family, or friends, or school, I vanished any thoughts from my mind.

Suddenly, I started to feel dizzy, really light headed, my mind was spinning and a bright light showed in my mind.

An image popped into my mind, several images, one showing me my sixth birthday party, I was sitting on the couch opening my presents while my dad was taking pictures.

Then another image came to mind, it was me, sitting here. I was watching myself watching myself.

And then finally, an image I didn’t recognize, there was someone, a man--very tall, with dark hair, he was glaring at me.

Then suddenly, he plunged toward me, striking pain through my neck, pulsing through my veins.

NO! Suddenly I was pulled from my trance, I was sitting in my room again. Sweat ran through every part of my body, and my heart pounded fast. What--was that?

I needed to talk to Sean, he would know…I got up to check the time, four a.m! Was I really blanked out that long? I’d gotten home at twelve or one.

My car crashed so I couldn’t drive, which meant I had to run.

I grabbed my coat and shoes and headed out.

It was amazing, how fast I could go, not before long I stood before Sean’s door, I held my hand up to knock but right away Sean stood before me in the doorway, jacket in hand, I stared up at him to notice he seemed paler than before, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah I just…” I couldn’t stop staring at his appearance.

“I see you noticed, I was just heading out for a snack.” he smiled, showing his bare pointed teeth.

I guess he noticed my expression, he knew something was wrong, “But of course it can wait, come in.”

“What brings you by at this hour?”

I stood stiff for a brief moment, held my breath and spoke, “I think I saw my gift.”

Sean stopped short and turned, “Really? Well?”

“I’m--not sure, I mean, they were images, one of me on my sixth birthday, one of me now, like how I am now, and--” should I tell Sean that the man had tried to kill me?

“And an image of someone I have never seen.”

I looked to see Sean focused on me, intensely, “You are sure?” it sounded like he was on to something.

I nodded, “What is it?”

“Jay, you have the gift of sight.”

I took a step closer, “What?”

“I remember reading it somewhere…” Sean made his way to the back and came back with a green book in hand.

“This book right here,” he said, flipping through the pages, “Tells about every gift every vampire has received.”

“Here we go, the gift of sight, only one other vampire in history has received this gift, the gift itself basically allows you to see your’s and other’s past, present, and future. Technically you have access to the past and present, but it’s decided when you can see the future and what you can see.”

“And who decides that?”

He shrugged, “You do.”

“I do?” How would I know what I didn’t know?

Sean nodded, “”Your subconscious calls out to that information, just like when you saw your gift, it is there, you just have to look.”

“Maybe I could talk to the other vampire who has the gift, what about him?”

Sean chuckled, “This book holds records that are nearly hundreds and thousands of years old, for all we know your guy could be dead, or in china.”

“I thought vampires didn’t die?”

“That’s where you’re wrong, yes, we hold immortality, but we can also be killed by other immortals, humans may not have our abilities, but other vampires do.”

“That pretty much does it for me.” I sighed.

“Well, thanks Sean, I’ll let you get back to your snack.” I said bluntly.

“I’m glad you found your gift, not very many do on their first try.”

“Is that why I happened to be sweating like crazy and it was past my curfew?”

“Maybe you thought a little too hard.”

“And by the way…” Sean turned to me, “I know you’re just starting off with this new style Jay, but sooner or later you’re going to have to accept it, I’m sorry.”

I shrugged, “I just wish there was some other way to stay--fed without killing someone.”

Sean’s eyes shot up, “There is.”

I looked at him wide eyed, “How?”

He laughed, “When you take a human’s blood, you have two options, you can snag it all and kill them, or you can take a small portion, and have them forget.”

“What? What about the mark, wouldn’t it show?”

He shook his head, “It heals itself up, nice right?”

“Sounds too good to be true.” I crossed my arms.

Sean shrugged, then made his way over to the door closing it behind us, then pulled on his jacket.

We began walking, so I decided to bring up Peter, “I think I saw him.”

“Who?”

“Peter.”

“Is that so?” Sean’s gaze didn’t seemed surprised.

“It looked like it was from the past, but that can’t make any sense then because I definitely wasn’t born in that time.”

“Sometimes visions might be for the future.” Sean suggested.

I knew that wasn’t true, but I felt like I kept stopping Sean from his task, “You’re probably right.”

“Thanks again.”

“No problem.” he pulled in to give me a kiss on the cheek.

I blushed, “Let’s keep this between us.”

I nodded, then he vanished.

I remembered earlier that morning that Scarlett and I still had our english assignment to finish, and when I would call her to come over, it would be more awkward than ever.

I slipped out my phone, she answered, “Jay?”

“Hey, I just remembered, we still had the english project to finish.”

It was quiet for a few seconds, “Be over there in a few.” Then she hung up.

“Yep, couldn’t be more awkward.” I told myself.

I turned to find Scarlett in my bedroom doorway, I jumped, falling onto my desk.

“Sorry, where’s your mom?”

“Out, is everything okay?” She seemed a little on edge.

“Ya, it’s just--you’re different, even on the phone, your voice sounded new, clearer.”

I swallowed hard, just her saying this had reminded me how much was going to change.

“Yes well…” I couldn’t help it, tears started streaming down my face, Scarlett made her way over and comforted me.

“I am so sorry Jay. But there was just not an option, and your life is too valuable to throw away.”

“It’s--it’s not that, I mean yes, this is all new, it is a big change, but that isn’t it, ever since I met Peter, my life has changed, and ever since then, he hasn’t told me anything, and even now, I still feel like more secrets are being kept from me, even from you and Sean.” I sobbed.

“Whatever secrets there are Jay, are between you and Peter, yes I know he has kept you in the dark, he has informed me not to get in the way, so I am not, but Jay I promise you, things will get better, you will know everything within time. You just have to have a little patience.”

I threw my hands in the air, “I guess you’re right…honestly, I just want to set this aside and finish our project.”

“Sure.”

To keep things from being quiet I stirred up a conversation, “So you knew, the whole time?”

“Pretty much.”

“And umm--how…” I shook my head.

“How old am I?” it was like she read my mind.

“Too personal?”

She shrugged, “I don’t mind, how old am I? About six hundred and eighty-five, give or take.”

“Oh….” I was still in the midst of processing this.

“So umm, how?” I added.

“You mean how did I end up like this?”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” I looked away shyly.

She cleared her throat, “Actually, I chose it.” I gave her a confused look

“It was harsh times, I had been a slave to the king, he planned on slaughtering us all, I don’t remember what for, it’s been so long, but a man came, recruiting a few people, including myself, and told us we had another option, that we didn’t have to live in poverty and misery, so I took my chance and I became immortal, and no soul has ever tried to cross me since then.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” She shrugged.

I shook my head, “This is totally off topic, but if it is true; what Peter says, there’s a heaven and--and a, hell? I mean is there?”

Scarlett shook her head, “I’ve never been to either, but since Peter is a fallen angel, I guess the answer is yes, although during my human years, I remember believing in that stuff. But anything is possible, look at what we are.”

I nodded, “So…protagonist…”

Scarlett and I spent the next few hours finishing the project, then she left. I had done everything I could to avoid tomorrow, school. I was still nervous about going back, and wondering if people noticed something was different, that I’d changed, that gut aching feeling came to my stomach as I thought about it… I tossed and turned for nearly two hours, still trying to get to sleep, but nothing worked. I just wanted to shut myself off for the night so I could make all of this go away, all of this conflict and chaos, but I couldn’t. In fact, I hadn’t felt drowsy at all, could it be possible, that vampires didn’t sleep?

I can’t really say I woke up this morning, rather I finished my math homework I didn’t do, maybe not being able to sleep had some advantages.

I parked my car in the lot to find Cay waiting for me.

“Hey.” I said.

He nodded, I got out, why was he being so quiet, “Something’s…different about you.”

I shrugged, “I got a new haircut, like?” I fluffed my hair several times, trying to convince him this was the only new thing about me.

He shook his head, “Nope, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’ll figure it out.” he smiled, the most tremendous smile, and for one moment, I couldn’t take my eyes off him, his smile was wide and gleaming, suddenly I began to gaze at his eyes, they were shining like crazy, not just the fact that they were blue and looked like to goddamn ocean.

Suddenly I noticed Allie wrap her arms around Cays shoulders and lean in and kiss him, and for a moment I was jealous, jealous because I hadn’t had a real connection with Peter like that in forever, jealous, because sadly, I had, which made me sick to my stomach, a liking for Cay.

Allie looked back at me, “Woah, new look Jay, seriously, maybe we should get you to the tanning bed.”

I laughed along, “Yeah well, this happens a lot for me.”

“Probably the flu that is going around.” Allie guessed.

“You think so Jay, is it the flu going around?” Cay stared me dead in the eye, and for a second, I became scared, I don’t know why, something the way he looked at me, gave me the chills, I backed away slowly, when I tripped and fell onto the ground, water splattered all over me, great, I landed in a puddle.

Allie and Cay laughed and walked off, then I felt a hand grip my arm pulling me up.

“Just ignore them.” Scarlett.

“Thanks Scarlett, they’re supposedly supposed to be my friends.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have been making googly eyes at Cay.”

I gave her a cold look mixed with embarrassment, “How did you--”

“Not hard to tell, and anyway, don’t let Peter know, Cay is already a known suspect, and when things like this start to happen…” she gave me a doubtful look.

The bell rang, “We should get to class.”

I nodded at Scarlett, and we made our way inside.

When it reached biology, Cay sat at his seat and eyed me strangely, as if questioning something.

I slid my bag next to my desk and sat down.

I turned my head slightly to notice his eyes were still fixed on me, it made me shake, nervous almost.

I cleared my throat, “We should probably finish the bellwork.”

“Yes, we should.” He stared at me coldly, all of the sudden, everything began to spin in the room, the lights got brighter.

My vision got blurry and everything was growing hazier and hazier by the minute. I pressed my palm on my forehead, I was burning up.

Vampires didn’t get sick. Did they?

“Are you okay Jay?” Cay asked. But there was no concern in his voice, there was evil.

I stood up, to ask the teacher to go to the nurse, but as I stood my legs grew weak, and I trembled to the ground.

“Someone get the nurse!” Voices got quieter, they seemed to drift off as my vision darkened, now all I could see was darkness…