Author's Note: Yeah, I know I've screwed around with the layout of the story again. I've decided now that every chapter on fanfic.net will contain two of my chapters because they're just too damn short. I've also been getting a lot of reviews, so I think I'll be working a bit more on this lately. If I feel really ambitious, I think I'll also wait and write two or three chapters before posting again. Just to make you wait. Aren't I evil?
The Ache of Longing
Green With Envy
He sat by his coffin, in front of a black table set ablaze with candles. Below him on the main floor, he saw the other occupants of the secret rooms in Mansbridge Academy. Merrill, Drew, Essie, and Karl.
A wave of disgust swept through him as he saw Drew and Merrill kissing. Drew had finally gotten Sherry out of his mind when he realized that he couldn't love her. Not like he could love Merrill. Karl and Essie were hugging, the first step of a relationship. They thought they were so clever and nobody knew they liked each other, but he wasn't blind. He had tried to get with Essie once, but she had always rejected him. For Karl…
With the wave of disgust though, there was an ache of longing that threatened to tear him apart.
What was he thinking? He couldn't love anyone. It wasn't safe to show a weakness… But he was supposed to be safe at Mansbridge.
With a sigh of despair, Marty slipped into his casket and shut the lid. He would miss his feeding for it was early on in the night, but it was better than facing a want he could never fulfill.
*****
"Have you noticed anything strange about Marty lately?" Essie asked Karl a few nights later.
"Not really," he murmured back as he concentrated on the game of chess before him. Essie was beating him rather easily.
"He's been walking around the past few days with a weird look on his face and he's been missing his feedings. Marty never misses feedings. I'm worried about him," she voiced as she moved her bishop to take on of Karl's knights.
"Maybe he's sick," Karl suggested as he moved one of his game pieces.
Essie scoffed. "Vampires can't get sick Karl. You know that as well as I do."
"Not on a physical level we can't," he replied, "but what about on an emotional level?"
She snapped her fingers. "You know, you just may be right. I'm going to go ask Murdoch about it." She moved her queen. "Oh, and by the way," she added, "checkmate."
Karl stared dumbly at the chessboard while Essie swept silently out of the main room, heading to Dr. Murdoch's office.
2
Daisy Dreams
"So I think something is wrong with Marty," Essie finished after she had explained her worries to Dr. Murdoch, headmaster of the experiment which had brought the five vampires together.
"Hmm," he mused thoughtfully. "Would you bring Merrill in he? Perhaps we can get her to read him to find out what's wrong."
Essie turned and went off in search of the only other female vampire in the building.
Merrill arrived in the office a short time later, having absolutely no idea of what was going on. She just knew that Essie said she needed her help and it was going to require her reading technique.
"So," she began slowly, "what am I doing here?"
"Essie's worried about Marty," Murdoch explained. "He's been missing his meals and obviously he would never tell anyone if there was something wrong with him. We need you to read him and relay the information back to us."
Marty?
Were the first words that ran through Merrill's head. Marty missing meals? Never happen. She nodded her head in determination and went in the Trance State that was required before reading someone.Merrill's breathing deepened and in her mind, she pictured Marty, with all of his normal swagger and rebel good looks. And suddenly, she was there, at the barrier to Marty's mind. He was sleeping in his coffin yet, which wiped any thoughts of Marty and his normal attempts at trickery and mischief. Marty would never be sleeping at night when there were tricks to play, food to eat, minds to mess with…
Merrill paused, not wanting to see the horrors Marty's dreaming might bestow on her, but grimly pushed when she remembered Essie and Dr. Murdoch's anxiety.
She entered his mind… and was pleasantly surprised. Instead of the blood and gore she had expected, she saw a field full of flowers in the bright sunlight. How long had it been since Merrill had seen the sun, dream or not? She could not remember.
She stood invisible; floating just above the field of daisies that Marty was picking flowers from. Far off in the background, she could hear herself speaking of the flowers, and the beautiful, glorious sun. She heard Essie give an unbelieving laugh when she heard that Marty was picking flowers.
In his mind, Marty seemed to have finally picked enough flowers to make a large bouquet that turned into an assortment of daisies, Black-eyed Susans, carnations, snapdragon, roses, and violets. He rose and turned to give his gift to a figure far off in the southerly direction, nearly hidden amongst the dark glade of trees that had suddenly appeared. From where she was, Merrill could see the person had a feminine figure with curves to die for. However, the rest of her was undiscernibly shaded, even to Merrill's sharp eyes.
Marty smiled broadly, the first truly happy smile Merrill had ever seen from him, one that wasn't edged with bitterness. He strode quickly towards the wooden glade, but just as it seemed he would get close enough to really see the girl, she faded from sight.
Marty's smile disappeared and he dropped the flowers, running towards the spot that the girl had stood on. Standing out on the dirt was a small poppy, the plastic kind that people wore on Remembrance Day. Marty stared at it in confusion, but silently picked it up and carefully put it into his pocket.
The scenery changed suddenly and Merrill was surprised to see the main room they shared together. She saw it from up high on the balcony, where Marty sat. She looked down and saw her and Drew kissing passionately. She saw Karl and Essie hugging each other. She recognized it as a scene that had happened a few nights before.
She turned to Marty and saw jealousy and envy envelope his face. Then, as though they were one, she could hear his thoughts.
Drew's got Merrill. Karl's got Essie. Where does that leave me? Why couldn't Essie love me instead? She knows I like her? Why did she reject me?
, she heard him say fiercely. Then, Why do I even care? Nobody could love a monster like me, only another vampire and I doubt that'll ever happen anytime soon. Murdoch would never let any of us leave for any reason. Stuck here with all of these lessons. For our own good my ass.Letting out a cry of inhuman rage, Marty woke up and Merrill was thrown harshly out of his mind, snapping back in Dr. Murdoch's office.
"Well?" Dr. Murdoch and Essie waited patiently for Merrill's verdict.
Merrill hesitated, then told them what she thought. "I think Marty's lonely, and wants to find his soulmate, his One."
Dr. Murdoch and Essie were silent, contemplating her words.
