It was a rainy night. No one in their right mind would want to be out in outside in this rain. Except for one person, one Shulon Farr. After running away from home two years ago, he only recently found his way into the small town of Gatesville, Montana. It had been only a few days since he had found himself there. Gatesville was a small town with few stores here and there, no big incorporated nor industrialized businesses or organizations. The biggest businesses here were Wal-Mart, Kroger, and a mall with 20 mini stores in all. It was a nice, small, quiet country town. The locals were friendly and kind and they all seemed to know each other. It was a nice family town. But, it was just like home…
Everyone knew each other, and half the time ignored each other. They gossiped about each other all day long. Most, though they honestly don't know it, were pompous and arrogant and show no notice to a single new-comer such as Shulon. So he finds himself here, in the dark, in the rain… alone…
This place is just like home. Maybe I can start over here, I thought, He continued to walk, looking for a possible place to stay. As I turned down no in-particular road, I noticed a laundry mat still open. But the manager seemed like he was working on closing the store. I walked into the laundry mat and sat my dripping wet bag of clothes down on top of one of the dryers as the manager walked up to me.
"Good Lord, son! Why in hell have you been outside in this weather?"
Because no one knew me and since I was still new in town, I decided it was best that I not tell anyone that I didn't have anywhere to go.
"Just bad luck, I guess. First my car breaks down and then I get caught in this."
"No kidding? Where d'ya leave your car?"
"I was lucky enough to break down right in front of a car repair shop. They have it now."
"Well, there's a silver lining for ya."
We both laughed at that, then the manager said he needed to close up shop.
"I really hate to ask this, but I really need to dry these clothes off. Can I make sure the last few things needed done to lock up is done so I can dry them off?"
The manager was very kind about it and said that it was fine. He showed me where the lights were and told me that the doors were already locked. All I had to do was walk out the door and make sure that it closed all the way, and the lock would do the rest. After that, he left saying good-bye.
When the doors closed, I put the last set of clothes I had into the dryer and threw my old, wet bag into the trash. As my clothes dried over the next hour, the rain slowly began to stop. As I sat there, waiting, I kept finding myself looking over my shoulder, as if expecting to see someone there. I just shrugged and ignored it.
When my clothes were dry, the rain had finally stopped and the stars and the full moon were shinning bright. I got my clothes and went into the back to change. As I came out, carrying my soaking wet clothes, I stopped in my tracks and looked around. I couldn't explain why, but I kept getting the strangest feeling that I was being watched. I couldn't find a security camera anywhere, nor were there any people around, especially at this time. Whatever it was… it felt… odd.
I threw away my wet clothes with my bag, cut off the lights to the laundry mat, and left, making sure that the door locked behind me. I continued to walk down the street, the same as before. It had to have been at least midnight, and most of the town's streetlights were on. I decided to walk towards the outskirts, away from the center of town. I had never much liked the city. I prefer life in isolated areas, away from all the lights where the stars and moon are the only source of light.
After walking for about thirty minutes, I felt that same feeling that I was being watched. Someone has to be following me. There was no other explanation. I turned around and looked for someone, but I couldn't see anyone. Just as I was starting to think I was being paranoid…
"Someone is awful jumpy tonight."
When I turned around, I was met with a pair of deep, dark blue, sapphire eyes, which belonged to a girl who appeared to be about my age, eighteen. She was about 5'8", just shorter than me and she had jet-black hair that went halfway down her back. She was wearing a dark grey sleeveless shirt, which came down from her neck to just about her breasts, not trying to show anything. She was also wearing black Capri's that came down between her knees and ankles with black, small heels. She had a black wristband that covered her entire wrist. She was beautiful, absolutely gorgeous. But my mind told me that those thoughts were understatements.
As I thought this, she had a smile on her face.
"So what are you so nervous about?"
I mentally shook myself out of my shock. She was about five feet away from me, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed. She still had a grin on her face while she waited for my answer. Something was odd about this girl, but I couldn't figure out what. Still grinning, she said:
"Well?"
"I-uh, I mean, I-I'm not."
She obviously didn't believe me. I could see it in her face. She didn't say anything about it though. Instead, she pushed herself off the tree and asked me:
"Well, then, what are you doing out this late?"
I couldn't be sure, but something about how she asked me that question made me feel as though she was toying with me.
"I'm just out for a walk. What about you?"
She shrugged, saying, "The same."
She walked closer to me.
"Mind if I join you?"
Our eyes met and my mind felt like it was no longer its own. Something told me that I didn't have any choice. So, I merely nodded and we began walking with no real destination in mind.
We kept on walking, all the while not talking to each other, as though there was no need. Something was odd about all of this, but my mind wasn't going to help me figure out what. The more I tried to think, the less it seemed I could. So, instead, I looked up towards the sky.
The moon, still hanging high, was shinning bright. I thought about how I used to always sit outside and stare at the sky at night. The peace and quiet of the night, and the beauty of God's sky, all the stars and the moon, shinning and gleaming, showing only part of His own beauty. I would always find peace of mind just staring at the sky, even in the hardest of times at home. But I guess it got to be too much.
As my mind continued to slowly drift away, the dark haired mystery next to me caught my attention.
"So do I just try and keep your attention on earth or do I call you by a name?"
I turned my head back from the sky and looked at her to answer her question.
"My name is Shulon. What's yours?"
"Lin, Lin Calahann. Nice to meet you, Shulon."
I nodded, like wise, not really sure what else to say to this girl. She was beautiful, and I felt… almost at peace. But something still didn't feel right with her, though. Why was she out this late? And how did she just come out of nowhere like she did? And was she the one I thought was following me earlier?
Suddenly, my mind froze while my body kept on walking. I couldn't even try and think any more. In the back of my mind, I could have sworn I heard a laugh. I don't know how, but somehow her hand was entwined with mine.
I couldn't lie to myself, I liked this. I like her, even though I had only just met her. But though I liked her, and I didn't do nor say anything about our holding hands, one question managed to come back to my mind. Could she have been the one I thought was following me?
"Yeah, it was me."
I stopped walking, frozen to the spot. But instead of stopping with me, Lin kept on walking, and because of our still joined hands, I soon followed, without a choice. I tried to stop, to at least want to turn around and run, but I couldn't. Something in my mind kept on telling me, 'Keep walking. You can't stop.'
We were still walking slowly and still holding hands. Neither of us had spoken another word, as of yet. Finally, I tried to talk.
"How… how did y-you---?"
"Read your mind?"
I merely nodded. She laughed before she answered me.
"Lets just say I have some 'special' abilities."
I looked at her and she at me. Those deep blue eyes were alluring. Again, something I couldn't explain, but I started to relax. She smiled at me, and couldn't help but to nervously smile back. By this point, we were well out of town, away from all the streetlights and possible onlookers.
Then we stopped, or really she stopped and I did the same as she. I turned to face her and she did the same. She slowly moved closer to me. When her lips met mine, I couldn't help but to kiss back. My hands moved to her shoulders as hers slowly went up to rest on my chest. Lin pulled back and looked me full in the eye. It was then, staring into her eyes that seemed to peer into my very soul, that I started to piece something together, almost as though she were helping me by staring at me with those deep eyes.
The feeling of being watched… Lin appearing out of nowhere… the voice in my head… it was all her. Lin had been doing all of this. As I thought of all this, she leaned in to my ear and whispered to me:
"Now, in knowing this, do you know me?"
She then kissed down from my ear slowly towards my neck. As she kissed a certain spot on my neck, it hit me. The one creature that can do all this… So that's what Lin is. That explains everything that has happened.
My hands still on her shoulders and hers still on my chest, I spoke, more relaxed than before.
"So, you're a vampire?"
She lifted her head from my neck. She gave me a wide, warm smile, showing me her vampire fangs. She brought her face close to mine.
"Now that you know what I am, what will you do, Shulon?"
With her face so close to mine, I leaned in the rest of the way and kissed her again. Her hands found my own shoulders while mine went down around her waist, holding her close as we just stood there. We broke the kiss and looked into each other's eyes, hers again, felt as though they peered deeper than my own could. I had no idea what I was supposed to say. I tried to think of something to say, but I couldn't. I liked her, I knew that, and I didn't kiss her because something else inside of my mind told me too, I wanted too. Somehow, I just couldn't put that into audible words. She seemed to have been reading my thoughts, because she smiled.
"You don't have to worry about saying anything. Just answer this."
I nodded, saying I would answer her.
"Do you want to stop here, now…"
She then leaned and whispered into my ear:
"… or do you want to stay with me?"
I knew exactly what she was saying to me. She was telling me that she was going to drink from me, to drink my blood. But she was asking if I wanted to live… with her. So, as some would say, either way, I was going to die this night, What really caught me off guard about this wasn't that she was a vampire, or that she had kissed me nor that she was going to drink my very own blood, but that she was giving me a choice. A choice to live or to die.
But I didn't want it. I didn't want that kind of choice. So I answered her.
"I'll leave that up to you, Lin"
She smiled a warm, comforting smile. I tilted my head to the right, giving her full access to the left side of my neck. She lowered her head to my neck. As she kissed the spot on my neck where she had kissed before, where she was planning on biting me, I pulled her into a hug, bringing my arms around her. She set her teeth in place on my skin, and then, sank them into my flesh and began to drink as blood flowed freely. I felt the blood leave my body, and I began to grow faint. My eyes began to darken, and I feel, unconscious, to the ground.
Written on 3-10-2007
Typed on 5-27-2007