Chapter 3: Aleah
The next day started in a typical way. A different park this time. I passed the house of the previous day screams, a police line surrounded the building, and I noticed a few civilians give remorseful looks at the house.
Lunch at the Chinese fish and chips, the male owner seemed reluctant to say something to me, but decided in the end not to. I smiled at him encouragingly as I walked out. I meant to imply, keep to yourself and I'll stay to myself.
I was sitting on a bench, on a street in a heavily populated suburb. This area was known as the most dangerous part of the city, and also known for its stereotypical display of dark alley ways. I picked at the chips; the owners had added complimentary chicken salt. It tasted disgusting.
I had just finished my meal when I heard the pleas of a young girl. It wasn't the voice of anyone I had heard or met before. But the innocent human continued to cry for help. It was almost like she was crying out to me. Her voice shrieked my head.
"No please!" Was repeated as she suffered pain continually. She was a teenager, and soon to be a victim to another murder. She wasn't dead yet though. She cried louder this time.
I fell to my knees, she was hurting me. Her screams echoed my brain, my mind and dominated my hearing. I couldn't help it. People looked at me oddly and sympathetically as they walked or drove past my struggling body. Some considered helping the poor boy in pain, but they were warned off by my seethes of agony.
I had to stop it now. I knew where she was, in a dark corridor of the city. I could help her. How?
Without revealing my secret? I could attempt to use my immortality and undeath to ward off any blows, and then just bash her tormentors up. But if I was shot or knifed, I would either have to die on the spot or go to the hospital. Neither was possible for me.
I ran anyway, towards the terror the girl was wailing about. I reached the closest alleyway to me, littered with rubbish and the occasional steel bin. I rounded a corner; she was a lot closer now.
I hurdled a giant rubbish container silently and stopped instantly as I saw the girl and the thugs. They hadn't seen me yet, they were too preoccupied with their prey. There were three of them. One was armed with a giant dagger, while the others used their fists.
Right now they were just pushing her around. She had already lost her bag to the thugs. The tall one, the one that badly needed a shave, took out his dagger; it glinted ferociously in the glimpses of light. I moved in, watching them all closely. I was going to help this girl, in the most human like way possible. I can't be seen as an immortal or supernatural boy running wild on the streets.
The dagger wielding one got close to the girl, and placed the metal blade under the girl's neck. The man closest to me was short, and not very aware of his surroundings. I paused should I kill them or just knock them unconscious?
I stuck with the unconscious choice; I didn't intend to become a killer anytime soon.
The short thug fell to the ground silently. Unfortunately it alerted the other unarmed thug. He roared something incomprehensible and charged at me. He attempted a rugby tackle but I dodged him cunningly to one side. He fell into a trash heap and stood up again a little dazed. He fell quickly back down again, with a knocking blow to the back of the head.
The last thug had turned to me. He hadn't said anything yet, his eyes observing my talents. The dagger was still close to the girl, under her chin, threatening to draw blood. I looked at the man with passive eyes, intimidating for someone in such a life threatening position..
My opponent let the girl go. She fell into a heap on the ground. She was still alive; I could hear her pulse beating. It was pacing swiftly, but at least still beating.
The man walked closer to me, stopped and raised his knife. He obviously intended to throw it at me. He failed miserably. The small blade flew past me and struck a brick wall, creating a quick screeching sound and then falling to the ground.
I moved forward, and punched the man in the chest. He was too tall for a slow punch to the head. It must have felt like being whacked by a giant metal bar. He fell short of breath and collapsed with a broken ribcage to the ground.
Wait, punching a human so softly and then breaking their bones wasn't normal for humans. Especially when you're just a quiet teenager in this world.
The girl was now staring at me. She was probably expecting me to finish her off. I tried to act innocent, it didn't work too well.
"Are….are you alright?"
She stared at me blankly. Could she speak English?
I walked towards her. She didn't move. But when I got within grabbing distance, she sat up against a wall behind her, her eyes never left mine.
"What are you?" Is all she said. Oh crap, maybe it was the bloodshot eyes?
"What?" I had to make her look like the odd one out.
"What are you?" She repeated.
"Umm…what are you?" The 'umm' bit ruined my appropriate confidence.
"My name is Aleah,"
"A-lear? What kind of name is that?" Maybe I could distract her.
"A very nice name," she crossed defensively, "and it's pronounced Aleah."
"Alright…" I added a sarcastic tone to the end, to make the word sound like I was teasing her in a way.
"What is your name?"
"Lucius," I said warily, did it really matter if she knew my name?
"That's an odd name, like an evil character off a book," Damn Harry Potter and his influence.
"Yeah, well it's an old name, not something you would expect these days," The girl was starting to become more comfortable around me. It at least distracted her from her first question. I realised then that I had all the time in the world to talk, but she didn't.
"Hey look, let's get you up," I lifted her up with ease; her skin was exceptionally warm, I doubted mine felt that way, "Is there somewhere you need to go?" I needed her away from this place.
"Yeah I was on my way to school," she looked at my eyes directly; she was pretty scary for someone I had just saved.
"But maybe I'll just go back home," she added quickly. She seemed entranced for a moment at my dark face. It was like she was staring through the window of a shop that awed her, and was something she couldn't afford.
"How did you end up here?"
"I didn't, I was dragged in by those guys," Aleah eyed the men I had disposed of.
"Well alright, can you handle it from here?" I tried to sound encouraging, although I didn't have any schedules or anything, I didn't intend to spend too much time with this girl.
"Sure, I guess," she paused and looked up, "thanks for saving me," she grinned. "You're like a superhero, coming out of nowhere and saving people."
"Your welcome," Was all I said, I needed to act modest.
"Which school do you go to?"
Quick, I needed to make up a school. I didn't personally know many of the schools in the area. I could read Aleah's uniform tag, but she would know if I went to her school or not. Maybe if I told her I was a renegade on the streets it would explain enough.
"I don't have a school."
She looked at me as if she understood.
"Oh ok, well I'll see you around then," she reached up and kissed my cheek. "That's for saving me."
Must have stung her like hell when she touched me, I must be freezing and with her sweat it wouldn't be a pleasant touch.
But she didn't look any different.
"I'll see you around." She smiled and turned away.
Aleah walked out into the bright sunny day, out of the shadows of the alley way. It was then that I clearly looked at her. She had long black hair which was tinted to be almost brown. Her smooth face is what grabbed most of my attention, then her height. She was average for our age, but still shorter than me. I looked away, that was something you shouldn't stare at for too long in public.
I looked back at the thugs. I noticed suddenly the dagger the third man had used. It was lying on top of a plastic bag, with torn paper dumped around it.
On the handle were the initials O.C.
I headed off, that was enough excitement for one day.
Later that night I thought over my experiences. The way I tackled the three thugs, the initials of the dagger, Aleah herself, and then the kiss she gave me. I hadn't realised she had actually kissed me, until I was far away. I also remembered that I was smiling all that time. Something I couldn't control or notice back then. It was an odd experience; it felt like it was filling up a hole in my life.
My lonely life.
But she was a human, and I was a vampire. Her even knowing me too well was a threat to her life and mine. I didn't know her well, yet. And I concluded that I wouldn't intentionally try to meet her again. Deep down I hoped that some force of fate would bring us together again. Maybe I could save her again, and be the hero again. Maybe.
I lay down on my bed, resting my head on the pillow. I hadn't touched the pillow in a long time.
A past memory flooded back in. Something that reminded me of what I had lost.
Rachel climbed up the hill beside me. The orange sunset was best seen from this position. The only higher point around here was our house, and we didn't want to go back there. Not with Madison and her current bad mood. And besides, we wanted some privacy.
"It's bright," Rachel muttered, as she sat down next to me. The sun looked like it was melting in a way; it reflected along the desert, turning it orange was well. The shadows of trees and cactuses were more visible now. It was indeed bright, something that rarely happened everyday.
Rachel looked at me, and didn't move. My face was turned elsewhere, but I knew she was staring.
The sunset always seemed to make people look different in its light. A mixture of the overcoming darkness and the diminishing light of a star. I turned to face Rachel; she was looking at me, but not at my face. She was looking at me, like she was watching my mind, my life. She smiled, and didn't turn away from the awkwardness.
I smiled back and turned to watch the sun again. I could see the moving shadows of birds in the distance. Rachel was still looking at me.
I felt a warm hand touch mine, which was gripping the earth for balance. Rachel wanted something, I sighed.
"Yes Rachel?" She gripped my hand tighter.
"What's with the apathetic tone?" She finally added expression to her face, rather than the blank stares. Light bounced off her face, she looked even more beautiful in the haze of twilight.
"I'm not being apathetic," I defended myself. She really wanted something from me.
She turned her sitting position to face me.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I can't think with you around," I grinned teasingly.
"You're too quiet,"
"I'm enjoying the moment,"
She cocked her head at me in wonder. Then she crawled forward, closing the distance between us. Her hand was always grasped around mine, she wasn't letting go anytime soon.
She sat up with her knees so she was taller than me, and paused to examine me for another time.
"What are you thinking about?" I returned the question.
She smiled; I knew the answer to that question. With her free hand she pushed me back to lie on the ground.
Rachel climbed on top and embraced her vampire mate.
The sun departed and was replaced by a new moon. From our hill, in the middle of the desert, we stayed all night.
"I love you," she whispered.
