Shiri looked at the boy that stood so close she could have easily reached out and touched him. His suit was soaked and water trickled down his hair into his eyes…and what amazing eyes he had. Eyes to old for a boy. He said nothing for a time, then did the oddest thing. He bowed. Shiri not knowing what to do nodded as queen might have to her night.
Turning she struggled through the water. She could hear him following her. The wind was cold, colder then even the water as it hit her. The dress useless against it. Suddenly a coat was around her shoulders. She looked up to stare into those eyes again, and this time was greeted by a smile. "You saved my life." His voice hovered on musical and seemed to flow about her. She felt very silly in his presence, very insignificant.
"You'll catch cold." Shiri said through chattering teeth.
"It really doesn't matter." The man said with a heavy sigh. He walked a few paces and sat down, burying his face in his hands.
Shiri, always curious walked over and sat next to him. Outwardly he looked like the saddest man on earth but…somehow she didn't think he was. "Why would it not matter?" She asked.
"I was trying to end it all anyway, but it looks like I can't even kill myself right. I'm sick of this world. Tired of my parents always fighting, of the pain, of the suffering. I'm just so tired of it all. Don't you ever feel like that?" He raised his head to look at her with those eyes again.
Well of course she did at times, didn't everybody? All people have low moments. The thing was…for some reason she knew he was lying. "You're fine." She said with conviction, but then feeling bad for being unsympathetic she amended it a bit. "Good things happen to good people. You'll see." Her head felt odd, maybe she had struck it.
His voice seemed to darken a little bit, like he was annoyed, but it still came out in those sweet musical tones that swept a person away. "And the bad? What happens to them… people like you and me? What makes you sad Shiri? Tell me your problems. Feel them, the pain, the betrayal, no one understands you. Open yourself to me."
Things raced through Shiri's head. Her father leaving her mother, her mothers remarriage, how people sometimes teased her and called her names. How she would never amount to anything in this world. No one did understand… then it just stopped. The sadness vanished like a shadow in the dark. "How did you know my name?"
He looked taken aback. "What?"
"I didn't tell you my name, how did you know it?" She caught something flicker out of the corner of her eye. She looked to the river. The riverboat had stopped and a life boat was rowing their way. "Look they sent…help…" Her words were carried off by the wind into the night. The boy was gone, but…how could he be. Surly she would have heard him leave. She had only looked away for a second. Standing she looked around. For a minute she thought maybe she had dreamed him…but that didn't explain the black coat that still hung around her shoulders.
Stephan watched the girl go, watched Shiri go. How had she resisted his will? No human could, not even many vampires could. How had she? Who was she? He owed her nothing…but why could he not get her out of his head.
Turning she struggled through the water. She could hear him following her. The wind was cold, colder then even the water as it hit her. The dress useless against it. Suddenly a coat was around her shoulders. She looked up to stare into those eyes again, and this time was greeted by a smile. "You saved my life." His voice hovered on musical and seemed to flow about her. She felt very silly in his presence, very insignificant.
"You'll catch cold." Shiri said through chattering teeth.
"It really doesn't matter." The man said with a heavy sigh. He walked a few paces and sat down, burying his face in his hands.
Shiri, always curious walked over and sat next to him. Outwardly he looked like the saddest man on earth but…somehow she didn't think he was. "Why would it not matter?" She asked.
"I was trying to end it all anyway, but it looks like I can't even kill myself right. I'm sick of this world. Tired of my parents always fighting, of the pain, of the suffering. I'm just so tired of it all. Don't you ever feel like that?" He raised his head to look at her with those eyes again.
Well of course she did at times, didn't everybody? All people have low moments. The thing was…for some reason she knew he was lying. "You're fine." She said with conviction, but then feeling bad for being unsympathetic she amended it a bit. "Good things happen to good people. You'll see." Her head felt odd, maybe she had struck it.
His voice seemed to darken a little bit, like he was annoyed, but it still came out in those sweet musical tones that swept a person away. "And the bad? What happens to them… people like you and me? What makes you sad Shiri? Tell me your problems. Feel them, the pain, the betrayal, no one understands you. Open yourself to me."
Things raced through Shiri's head. Her father leaving her mother, her mothers remarriage, how people sometimes teased her and called her names. How she would never amount to anything in this world. No one did understand… then it just stopped. The sadness vanished like a shadow in the dark. "How did you know my name?"
He looked taken aback. "What?"
"I didn't tell you my name, how did you know it?" She caught something flicker out of the corner of her eye. She looked to the river. The riverboat had stopped and a life boat was rowing their way. "Look they sent…help…" Her words were carried off by the wind into the night. The boy was gone, but…how could he be. Surly she would have heard him leave. She had only looked away for a second. Standing she looked around. For a minute she thought maybe she had dreamed him…but that didn't explain the black coat that still hung around her shoulders.
Stephan watched the girl go, watched Shiri go. How had she resisted his will? No human could, not even many vampires could. How had she? Who was she? He owed her nothing…but why could he not get her out of his head.