VOILA! This is chapter full of random ideas smashed together. It was a lot of careless fun, so if I failed to describe something that NEEDED to be described…sorry. (I still give full credit to the ideas of Stephenie Meyer that are in this story.)
It turned out that I was stuck in the bathroom for a full 24 hours because of Sicilia—she wanted to "be sure". I couldn't say it was the most unpleasant time of my life, but it ranked in my top five.
The hunger stinging the inside of my stomach made me dizzy. I would have thrown up if I could. I was hot and saw that my cheeks were flushed bright red when I occasionally glanced in the mirror.
It was as if they'd completely forgotten I'd existed, which was probably the case.
I stood up slowly, grasping the edge on the sink for balance. My heart pounded and black dots blurred my vision for a few seconds. When I recovered, I took a slow step forward, testing my physical ability. Dizziness had left me and I was able to walk normally.
Silently, I pressed my ear to the smooth, white door and listened carefully. I held my breath.
"She's listening," Xavier declared. I would recognize his voice forever, but how'd he know that? I'd made no sound all—I was even holding my breath!
"You can come out." Sicilia called.
I sucked in air gratefully, loudly, and opened the door.
Nathaniel and Danielle sat cross-legged across from each other at a chess table in the middle of the room, scowling in concentration. David watched, equally involved. Xavier had Sicilia held lightly in his lap. She smiled at me. Even Nathaniel, I think, glanced in my direction.
"She doesn't look well," He commented.
Sicilia looked closer and frowned.
"I'm starving!" I lamented.
"Are you sure you aren't sick?" Xavier asked, concerned.
"Yes—food, please?" I urged. My hunger seemed to be growing now that I realized I was only a few yards from satisfying it.
"I raided a cabin last night," David told me. "There should be some canned preserves in the fridge."
I half ran to the kitchen, and I thought I saw each of them flinch as I passed by--every one of them except Nathan. He was too engrossed in the game.
I yanked open to fridge and scanned the minimal amount of food. There were three cans of assorted fruits, a bag of thawed meat, and a gallon of orange juice. I grabbed everything, threw the meat at Danielle, and searched for bowls, cups, and a can opener.
David had caught the bag of meat and was, I hadn't heard him enter, slicing it into bit sized pieces.
"The cups and bowls are right in front of you, and the can opener and silverware is in the drawer to your right." He said without looking up.
I opened the cabinet, grabbed a large bowl and a gigantic milk glass. I poured almost all the orange juice into it and emptied every can into the bowl. I hurriedly took a fork and a spoon from the drawer and brought my food to the bar. I jumped into the stool and began shoveling the food down so fast I forgot my glass of orange juice.
I didn't even realize who was watching me with a grin of pleasure and amazement. I just continued my odd meal of canned fruits and began on the juice. It tasted wonderful, I'd always loved oranges, and it relived my stomach of straight corn syrup.
It was when I'd finished everything that I finally noticed Nathaniel.
By now he'd slipped into the stool beside me and was staring at my empty bowl with disgust. His nose wrinkled. "Does it taste as horrible as it smells?"
"It was delicious." I objected.
"Blech." He growled in repulsion
"You didn't have to watch me eat it." I said dryly.
Then, his gaze turned to rest upon me.
Liquid swirls of gold moved like lava in his eyes; they seemed to look into my heart, desperately searching. His flawless face held a pondering expression, dark chocolate bangs that side-swept across his forehead had a tint similar to his eye color. I could smell the wonderful scent that radiated off him, hear his shallow breathing. I could see his powerful muscles waiting to crush something as he rested his elbow on the bar.
He laughed an enchanting sound, the tenor of it echoing inside my head. His brilliantly white teeth glittered, and dimples found their way onto his cheeks.
I mentally slapped myself.
"What?" I came out of my daydreaming.
"Your personality. I've never met a human before." His voice was strangely perfect, just like Xavier's. It was smooth, and he had excellent articulation.
I didn't look away from my eyes the whole time he spoke. I was locked in a trance-like state while I watched the lava rotate.
He continued to stare.
"Quit trying to read her mind," Danielle scolded him. "You know you can't do that."
He finally looked away, and I sucked in a huge chunk of air. I had forgot to breathe.
"I wasn't trying to," He murmured.
"Well then, stop attempting to kill her." She commented on my lack of oxygen.
Nathaniel rolled his eyes, so Danielle let it drop and danced to David, putting her hand on the small of his back. "What are you cooking, master chef?"
"Roast--it's one of my many specialties." David said, playing along. Of course, I had to strain my ears to just hear what they were saying, and I found myself leaning closer.
The front doors slammed shut, and I recognized Rachelle's voice. "Arrogant dogs!" She hissed. "Sicilia, if you don't let me kill them… well I'll do it sooner or later."
"You will not! If you so much as threaten them, they will consider us a target. Let's leave them in peace." Sicilia commanded.
"But they--," she stopped herself. "Whatever."
Rachelle stalked into the kitchen, and growled at Nathaniel. "Brother, come. We're going out."
He hesitated for a second, but followed her out the sliding glass doors behind me.
"Where are they going?" I asked Danielle, but one look showed me that she wasn't going to answer me. She was too concerned with David's lips at the moment.
I sighed contentedly. I was full, and Rachelle and Nathaniel were gone.
I walked into the room where Xavier and Sicilia had taken over Danielle and Nathaniel's—and David's--game. Sicilia's face held a look of triumph, but Xavier's was frustrated.
"I won—checkmate." Sicilia declared pompously.
"What? How?" Xavier gasped.
"Well, look closely to where I have my bishop positioned…" She grinned.
"Damn."
Sicilia chuckled, her voice ringing like a wind chime.
Xavier's anger was soon forgotten as he stared at her with admiration. "I will never win."
"How right you are, my love!" She sang.
It was hard not to be pulled into the levity of the atmosphere that flourished here. "Can I play?"
Xavier laughed. "You will lose."
"Don't be so sure." I smirked, but Sicilia obviously had many years of practice, and obliterated me.
By that time, David's roast's scent had drifted into my nostrils. Potatoes, carrots, and beef all deliciously stewed in broth. I shuffled into the kitchen, mouth watering. Steam rose from the pot, and the room was warm.
"It's not quite finished yet." Danielle saw my bulging eyes, and chuckled. "But Nathan brought you something to eat while you're waiting."
In her hands she held a bag of pretzels. How did he know they were my favorite?
Danielle tossed me the bag and I caught it greedily.
I shoved my hand into the bad and stuffed five pretzels at a time into my mouth, chewing rapidly.
Sharp, stinging pain attacked the tip of my tongue. "Ow! Dang it!" My tongue began to bleed and I ate another pretzel to help the blood go down easier. I almost gagged, but I was too embarrassed to spit in the sink.
"What happened?" Sicilia was at my side in a flash.
David was snickering and Danielle was shaking her head.
"I bit my tongue." I said with a mouthful of pretzels. I didn't have the best manners, but it hadn't bothered Sicilia.
"Where'd you get those?" She inquired with the same "grossed out" expression Nathaniel had worn.
"Nathan."
"Oh," She said under her breath.
"Sicilia told me you liked pretzels." Nathan flitted into the room.
"Yes, I remember telling you that…" Sicilia murmured, watching him suspiciously as he strode past her to me. Then she looked at Danielle and she shrugged. I wondered what that exchange was about.
Nathaniel stood three feet from me, watching my every move--the uncomfortable shift of weight to my right leg I made, my reddening cheeks, my creased eyebrows and puckered lips.
Enter the dimples and perfect teeth again. I jerk my head away from his face and focused on Sicilia's. She was studying Nathaniel, but she wasn't smiling. Her cat-like eyes were narrowed.
There was an awkward silence until a startled whoosh of air swept Nathaniel up, banging his head on ceiling. David, Danielle, and the even me burst into laughter, but in truth I was a little disturbed by the way he seemed obsessed with me.
Nathaniel snarled, baring razor-sharp pointed teeth. I instinctively flinched away. "What the hell was that for?"
"For scaring my daughter. Please try and contain yourself." She hissed.
"I was scaring you?" He asked doubtfully.
Hesitantly, I looked straight at him, beautiful eyes and all. My cheeks flared. "No." I lied.
He beamed at me. Sicilia didn't look convinced, but she said nothing and disappeared.
I slowly turned away form Nathaniel, careful not to look back at him.
I was eight feet farther from him and only four feet from the entrance into the entryway when Danielle yapped, "What's that matter with you?"
Unthinkingly, I turned to face Danielle and Nathaniel who was a foot behind me. I jumped, a small yelp betrayed me.
"I scared her that time didn't I?" He laughed, seeming to glow with joy. It came to me then that he did have a luminescent glow about him.
David and Danielle stared at him warily; they both wore the exact same expression. It was like they thought alike.
Nathaniel finally realized why everyone was looking at him that way. "I don't have those intentions." He growled.
"Why, then, do you continue to stalk her?" David asked, an edge of anger touching his features.
"I want to get to know her." Nathaniel was still growling. "I'm not making excuses for myself, but you know how I've always wanted to meet a human…"
"A human girl you mean. I know how you dislike our kind." Danielle snapped.
He snarled at her and crouched like a lion would for its prey. David was suddenly in front of Danielle, glaring at Nathaniel and in the same position. I stared at them, my heart sputtering, but my mind racing with interest. They behaved so like animals.
I watched intently as Danielle put a hand on David's shoulder. He immediately straightened at her touch, but Nathaniel was much slower as he let his guard down. Inch by inch he stood, his eyes missing nothing as they watched him.
"Hostility is not the answer!" Xavier appeared beside me—Nathaniel immediately stood up. "My friends, my daughter, there are ways to settle disputes through other means. Explanations are vital for communication."
"What if others refuse to listen or try to understand your explanations?" Nathaniel purposefully glanced at Danielle and David, his voice accusing.
"Then you let them believe what they think they see--it would be their problem." Xavier's glance shifted to everyone and rested on me. His face immediately turned loving. "Nathaniel, would you care to show Amelia the library?"
Great, my own father was on Nathan's side now.
"No problem." Nathan, to my surprise, didn't smile as he put his freezing hand on my shoulder and led me away. Sicilia was waiting at the top of the stairs for us, and she took my hand. Nathan let his fall, and stared forward with a poker face.
"You like to read, am I correct?" Sicilia inquired.
"Well, yeah." I'd only read one novel in my entire life: Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter. There hadn't been many books that were meant for an older crowd at the orphanage, and that was the only chapter book there. At least it challenged my mind in a way picture books couldn't.
We stopped in front mahogany doors, identical to the front ones. Nathaniel opened them for us, and the smell of dust and paper usurped my sense of smell.
The room was circular like a tower, and at least three stories high. Bookshelves covered every inch of the walls, and they were filled with thousands of books—every shelf was occupied. The ceiling was domed, and where there wasn't a wall with a book shelf, there were stained glass windows of patterns made from diamond shapes stained different colors of red, green, yellow, orange, and purple. They reminded me of the broken windows of the abandoned church across the street form the orphanage. (The kids use to dare each other to sneak out at night and sleep at its dilapidated cemetery.) Stairs led to the first story and a walkway followed the wall of bookshelves until it turned into another staircase. This occurred all the way to the top story of the tower. The bottom floor had gigantic hearth with yet another cauldron. There were couches and loveseats placed in sets around the room—one set before the hearth.
It was so antique, so glorious and stood in awe.
"There's more books through that door,"-- Sicilia nodded towards a white door at the east part of the room--"if you can't find anything that suites you here."
Nathan was happy again as he told me, "I've read everything, here and in there."
"So have I," Sicilia remarked.
I started towards the stairs, walked up them and along the wall of books until I found a title that caught my eye: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It was a small book, but I was intrigued further as I read the inside cover.
I walked down the stairs, reading the preface, and saw Nathaniel in my peripheral vision sitting on one of the couches. He watched me, and the familiar electricity flowed through me. I slumped next to him, my hips touching his like he was my best friend and I could get as close to him as I wanted. I read, not paying attention to the words but, instead, my racing heart, his cold skin, and the memory of his smooth face and topaz eyes. For some reason, I felt attracted to him. He no longer frightened me, but made me want to smile. It was a strange feeling, and how quickly it had taken over me…
Nathaniel was still at my side, and he wasn't breathing. Maybe I'd gone too far, and maybe he, like he said, didn't think of me in this way. I grimaced, and scooted to the opposite end of the couch. I glanced up at him from my reading.
He was smirking at me, with a crooked smile. I'd never get used to how cute his dimples were. "That was completely involuntary, Amelia."
I blushed, and, not able to hold his gaze reread the preface because I couldn't remember a thing.
I still couldn't force myself to understand to words. Nathaniel had changed his mind. Apparently, he enjoyed my company, and didn't mind when I'd been stupid enough to sit almost on his lap. He acted like no other boy I'd met before. He was confident, but still a gentleman. Everyone was a little weird here though, but they were vampires.
I gave up, closed the book, and set it on the couch beside me.
Nathaniel grabbed the book before I could completely let go of it, and set it to his left.
"Care to tell me something about Andrew?" He asked, his tone suddenly serious.
I was shocked, first because I thought I was the only one who knew about him, and second because I couldn't believe he'd asked me that. That was a very personal subject. I pushed myself off the couch, glaring at him. "How could you ask me such a question?! If you know who he is, you should know how I feel about that!"
Nathaniel stood with more grace than me, but he too was slightly angry. "All I know is that he is one of your concerns. I want to know about him because you seemed so accustomed to vampires that I wondered if he was one."
I laughed sardonically. "He is the farthest thing from repulsive vampires!"
Nathaniel flinched, but looked thoughtful. "You loved him?"
Anger vanished inside me, and it was replaced with longing. Nathaniel noticed.
"I'm sorry," He looked in pain. "I didn't know, and I'm sorry I've encouraged your romantic behavior."
He was right. What would Andrew have thought of my earlier actions? Would he have been heart-broken, or would he have been happy for me? I shouldn't have to doubt what he would be thinking--I knew him very well.
"I just want to see him again, to make sure he's okay. I left him all alone when I went to the asylum. I'm afraid Ryan's friends will hurt him or he'll hurt himself…" I covered my face with my hands to hide the stupid tears. Damn my caring heart!
I'd all but forgotten Sicilia, who now had her arms around me. For the first time I was able to cry into my mother's shoulder.
"We can take you to him," She whispered. "But you can't stay."
"Oh but I would mother, I wouldn't be able to leave him." I sobbed.
She said nothing but stroked my hair gently and wiped the tears from my face with an ice cold finger.
"You know, we could take her and let her live her life how she wants to live it…" Nathaniel murmured.
"You know we can't do that! The Covenant would have our heads if we let her enter the mortal world with the knowledge she has of us!" She whispered menacingly.
"I wouldn't tell anyone; actually, I'd try my best to forget you." I turned into a manipulative machine. I could do that when I wanted to, I could assure someone with undeniable facts when ever I wanted to.
It was hard to persuade Sicilia, but Xavier thought I would be true to my word.
And, eventually, I got permission to go to the orphanage with Danielle, David, and Nathaniel. Sicilia and Xavier had to stay behind because they had to keep Rachelle in line.
David drove a silver Porsche ahead of Nathaniel who drove a inconspicuous "P.O.S.", as he called it. It was really a white Ford Fusion. He hated this car, but if I was to drive it, since I'd had minimal experience driving, it had to be worth getting rid of, and I couldn't draw too much attention to myself. But, I only had to drive it a block, so I was disappointed with not being able to get behind the wheel of the Ferrari they had stashed in the garage. Danielle rode with David, I rode with Nathaniel. I wanted to ride with David and Danielle, so I could have avoided to awkward silence that rang empty in my ears now.
"When we get to Salem, we'll park a few blocks away. Sicilia wants us to get in and get out. We won't stay with you long, but we'll be there long enough to tell that you are okay. We'll be following you, but you won't know where we are." He looked despairingly at me. "I was beginning to get quite attached to you, Amelia--I'm a very selfish monster, but I hope you won't remember me as a 'repulsive vampire'."
"Aren't you going to watch the road?" I commented, not looking at him but out my passenger window.
A few minutes later there was a smooth, cold hand on my forearm, grasping it lightly. The electric shock that came from his skin made my heart pound, but I fought back the urge, the unbearable urge to hold his hand, to kiss it… it was all so strange that I felt this way about him.
I looked in his eyes—that weren't on the road—trying to force the passion out of them. His eyes pleaded, they bored into mine. I was locked in the trance again, with no one to save me.
He leaned closer until I could smell his sweet breath. Was he doing this on purpose?
"Why are you torturing me like this?" He whispered. "I've found my thoughts consumed, and now warped, around the image of you. I've never felt this pain before."
My heart was jumping up and down, like it was trying to heave itself out my throat. "I don't know… you've been doing the same thing to me…" I managed to speak.
He leaned back from me, relieving his hold on my eyes. I looked down at the white trench coat that covered the gray sweater dress Sicilia had made me wear. The coat hung to my knees, and I wore black leather "jet boots", as Danielle had called them.
"But, you fight against this feeling—you still choose to go back to him." He seemed to be talking to himself. "You are smarter than I give you credit for." He was shaking his head and smiling. "You know danger when it makes itself present, but if you'd just realize that to go back there would be even more dangerous—no, you wouldn't know enough to see that."
He was doing it again. The being freaky and weird thing.
"I don't understand." It was sort of a question.
"I'm not at leave to tell you what you should desperately want to know." He was starting to get on my nerves with his mysterious words. They made me wonder if I was doing the right thing. Should I just watch and see if he's still alive? And if so, should I leave with my family?
I was starting to get ticked with Nathaniel all over again. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to deal with him if I stayed.
I made up my mind then. I would stay with Andrew. That way I wouldn't feel this stupid like/hate relationship with Nathaniel.
It was five minutes until I feel asleep. I dreamed of nothing because I was too tired to think.
I woke, in a familiar park and was lying across the armrest, my head almost in Nathaniel's lap. He was playing with strands of my hair. I glared at him.
"You could make this a little easier for yourself." I said dryly.
"I'm savoring…" He murmured.
Vampires were so dramatic--it was like he loved me. I shivered.
Danielle knocked on the window. "Nathaniel, is she up yet? We have to hurry."
"She is." He got out of the car and opened my door for me in the same moment.
I scowled as I walked around the car and got in the driver's seat.
"You know where to go, right?" David asked. I nodded.
"If you decide not to stay, just come back here." Danielle added.
"Whatever." I put the car in drive and back out. A turned onto the west road and drove, as they'd told me and as I'd assumed, a block until I came to the front of the old mansion. It was surrounded by woods and the paint was peeling. I recognized the top right story window that I had slept by. It wasn't the best place to sleep in winter—just like it was now. Clouds covered the sky, there was a steady breeze, cold bit at my face, and my breath was visible. The lights from the orphanage shone nine feet out it was so dark.
I took a deep breath and slumped slowly up the long stretch of stairs until I stood before the doors. My heart sunk like a rock in a pond as I knocked three rhythmic taps. A sound of many small running feet and the shrill voice of Ms. Abshire yelling at them to get back quickly followed.
She opened the door only a small bit, and poked her head out. "Who are you?"
"I'm Amelia. Don't you remember me?" I said, and many children's voices yelled, "Amelia! She's back, she's back!"
"Amelia?" Ms. Abshire took in my appearance. She looked frightened. "They told me you'd escaped…"
"I didn't—my father found me." I smiled.
"Oh… then why are you here?" She sounded suspicious.
"I wanted to see Andrew."
The children grew quiet, and Ms. Abshire's face suddenly looked very old. "Amelia, Andrew is dead."
A snake bit my heart and wiggled its way inside, eating everything, as it continued to drop.
"May I come in?" Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.
Ms. Abshire nodded and opened the door wider.
At a snail's pace I walked in, and the children grabbed my hands and my coat. All of them were crying too, and I even recognized some faces: Sarah, Julie, Rick, Ben, Harry, Diane… all of them my friends, all of them younger than eight. I didn't see any of Ryan's posse, so at least the children here now would be free of their stupidity.
In a coma , I continued to walk up the stairs to the bedroom. Rows of iron wrought beds lined the brick walls. The beds covered in unique quilts that the children had made themselves. The pillows had no cases, the window was foggy—the bed near it empty. The cobra spit its venom into my lungs now, and they burned and squeezed together.
I ran from the children, the sound of my feet echoing it was so quiet, and fell to my knees at the end of the bed. My hands gripped the iron bar mercilessly, the venom spread to my face until my eyes were welled shut. My body was hot, my muscles tense and ready for a fight.
Cold fingers seemed to cause steam as they wiped boiling water from my cheeks. My arm propelled upward into the person's gut, but I heard no squeal of pain, I felt to returning punch. I had no sense of my surroundings anymore; I couldn't even remember why I was crying.
"Ami, I love you." Andrew's voice, so clear, so vivid, so close, made my heart stop, my lips and arms reach out to the black cobra. I tried to pull it out, and ended up gasping and sucking air, trying to force air into my condensed lungs and swollen throat. It retreated, taking my soul, and a feeling a lonliness replaced the venom. The only thing that let me know I was still alive was the lava that my hand was soaked in.
The cold hand returned, and this time it was examining my lava engrossed hand. I let it do as it wanted; the cold brought the numbness I longed for back—it also cleared my vision, and I opened my eyes until I could at least see light. The sane part of me still wanted to know if I was alive.
"You'd think she was already a vampire…" Someone chuckled.
"Overreaction," Someone else muttered.
My hands groped toward the voice until one of my fingers landed on a smooth, frozen cheekbone. I prepared my arm for another punch, but the same damned ice-hand stopped my only desire.
I felt my face frown and a velvety laugh pierce my hearing. I screamed as the pain climbed from my hand into my ears and eyes.
"What's wrong with her?!" I recognized Danielle's voice.
"I think she just got the feeling for her hand back." David said.
"Hold my hand!" I roared to every one of the gray blurs. The one that was the closest grasped it soothingly, and I relaxed.
"Can you hear us?" Danielle sang.
"Yes," I nodded.
"Can you see?"
"Not really."
One of the blurs knelt in front of me, the darker shape of its lips pursed.
"They look clear—your eyes." Danielle's sweet breath smelt like peaches, and her hand touched my forehead. "You've definitely a higher temperature."
"Do all humans act so ridiculously?" David sneered.
"Well, I've never seen one lose one they've loved. I've seen them after, when they've recovered, but not… not when they've just realized it."
I could see her almost clearly now, and at the same time I realized it was Nathaniel who was holding my hand. His free hand applied pressure to each of my fingers until he saw me wince.
"I have to admit, I felt that punch. You could have killed a human—or at least put them through some serious pain." Nathaniel mused, then twisted my wrist. I squeaked. His eyebrows furrowed and his skilled hand squeezed up my ulna until I moaned and cried.
"I thought so." David muttered.
Nathaniel tenderly stroked my hand, pushing my fingers into the correct positions. It felt nice, and I almost fell asleep, but I soon remembered why I'd punch him in the first place. I ripped my hand from him, afraid of what Andrew would think now that I knew he loved me.
My whole forearm twisted and my wrist fell limp. The blinding pain burned my ears and eyes again and I unthinkingly shoved my arm back at Nathaniel. He grasped it again and laughed. David rolled his eyes and flitted to the bedroom door a second before Ms. Abshire opened it.
"Are you Amelia's family?" She asked after a few shocked moments, and blushed at David—she was only twenty-six.
"Yes, I'm her brother and the woman my wife. The man by her is also her brother. We brought her here, and were worried when she seemed so…incoherent." David was good at lying.
"That's all very well…but she's making the children disturbed. If you could, of course not at once, take her somewhere else?" Ms. Abshire's voice shook. David always looked intimidating.
"No problem." He smiled, and she flinched, but walked back to the children who peered at me curiously. David shut the door quietly.
"She's right. Our presence here is useless. Let's be gone—now." He hissed at Nathaniel.
"David, there's no need for hostility. I'm sure he will not attack." Danielle didn't seem sure as she glanced at the window.
"Ivan is no match for us." Nathaniel snapped. "At least let her see his grave."
I gasped as the snake slithered down my throat and spat venom in my lungs again. Acid rain ran down my rubber cheeks and fell from my chin.
"Are you sure she wants to?" Danielle glanced sympathetically at me.
"I want to." I stood up, and my legs screamed at me to sit. Nathaniel never let go of my hand.
"Let's leave this shit behind then and make haste." David ushered me forward with his eyes.
"Nathan, let me care for her, just for now." Danielle cupped my hand in hers. Nathaniel nodded and strode gracefully after David. They both had I-am-so-much-better-than-you strides that the children straightened as they passed. Ms. Abshire still watched David with longing, and Danielle hissed under her breath.
I smiled at the small delicate faces and knelt before them. Danielle stood at my side as the children ran at me. I embraced as many as I could with my free arm. I kissed the cheeks and foreheads of all that were closest to me.
One of the girls, Diane, whispered, "He left a note for you." She slipped a piece of paper into my coat pocket.
"Thank you." The poisonous water dripped from my face and hers. Diane was Andrew's little sister; she had his soft skin and kindred spirit. "How did he die?" I asked in an almost inaudible tone, my voice cracked.
"Consumption," She murmured.
It was hard for me to picture Andrew coughing up blood, all alone with his sister, and I was nowhere to be found. It was hard to imagine that way he must have felt before he died. I shook my head and squeezed the kids tighter. I knew my face was covered in salty water.
"Amelia…" Danielle's hand was on my shoulder.
All the children either were crying or scowling with pleading eyes. I ruffled Rick's hair and caressed Anne's cheek as I stood shakily. Diane, who was eight, wrapped her arms around my waist. I patted her on the back, stepped away, and nodded to Ms. Abshire as Danielle and I descended down the stairs. I stared at the children, trying to memorize each face so I wouldn't forget. I mouthed the words "be safe" to Diane before I disappeared through the front door.
David was visibly tense, glancing over his shoulders at the abandoned church, the woods behind the orphanage, and down the street towards town or the other direction towards the winding road through the forest. Nathaniel was his usually self, leaning against the car, frowning at the black clouds that raced across the sky and the occasional flashes of lightning that occurred.
Danielle led me across the street, Nathaniel and David followed, and into the cemetery next to the church. It was classically creepy. The naked trees swayed in the wind and the graves bored an ominous dullness. Dead leaves rolled through the grass and the ones in the air caught in my hair.
Danielle suddenly pointed to a small, square stone in the earth and stopped in front of it. I slumped onto my knees and ran my cold fingers across his name. Behind the stone, recently upturned soil lay in a russet mound. I grabbed some of the soil and ground it together in my palm until there was nothing left.
I didn't cry, maybe because I had already cried enough, but only whispered, "Wait for me."
I knew I'd die someday, but for some reason I got the strange feeling I'd forget him. I knew I'd move on. Years from now, he'd be only a friend. I would fall in love with someone else… and my promise would be broken when I died because I'd wait for my other love and join him instead of Andrew.
"Let's go, Amelia." Nathaniel's voice crept slowly through the wind. I turned, lips beginning to quiver, and saw his cool, pale skin and hair that wrestled with the wind. His hands were stuffed in his coat pockets, and his eyes poured themselves my own. He smiled slightly, as if to raise my spirits.
David mouthed something to Danielle and she led me away from Andrew's grave. I didn't look back to whisper a final good bye as Nathaniel followed Danielle and David into Salem in the Focus.