Finals arrived soon and surprisingly, they weren't that bad. People worry too much….Anyway…I graduated my first year. I was left to day dream out the window, my hand propping my head up and drool trying to spill out my mouth. I could tell my eyes were glazed over….The summer heat was getting to me. I was sitting at the dining room table with Aunt Cissa, and Marius and Maleah had permission to spend the night after a long year at school.
"But now you're home and you can rest finally." I heard Auntie say. Frankly, I didn't care what she was saying right now…I was too eager to start searching for my father.
"Serpentine?" I sucked up the drool, wiped my mouth and pulled my eyes away from the haunting graveyard scene that had attracted my attention every since I returned home. I wasn't quite sure, but there was something new and strange about it.
"Huh"
"You alright, dear?" I nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just thinking." Auntie nodded unsurely.
"Well alright…if you're sure. You know, I should really get back to cleaning…would you kids like anything to eat or drink before I head off upstairs?" The 3 of us shook our heads and I looked out the window and stood up. "Come on." Marius and Maleah followed suit and I led them outside onto the patio and down the stairs. I ran around the house and they picked up pace behind me, calling after me.
"Serp, what are you doing"
"Just follow me!" I made it to the cemetery gates and stopped, my hands clenched upon the black iron bars. They caught up and caught their breath next to me. "What's going on?" Marius asked. I didn't dare look at him. Since the little incident, I didn't want to even try glancing into anyone's eyes.
"I don't know…"I whispered. The sun was starting to hurt my eyes. The heat was beating down on my head, it felt like my hair was on fire. I wanted so much just to jump in a bath of ice cold water. And hide away in the shadows. "I feel funny…and it's not the sun. It's like I'm changing"
"I'll say." Marius muttered. "No. I mean…lately, those times when I look into someone's eyes and they get all"
"Horny?" Maleah laughed.
"Yeah…I guess…and like now…it's like if I don't get out of the sun, I'm going to die. But not right away…I'm fine. And I've just had an odd feeling once I got here…like he's here…I know it…but where?" It got silent.
"Serp….who are we talking about"
"My father. He's here…he just won't come out. And I don't know where he is…I want to help him…I need answers." More silence…
"Then why don't you call him or something?" I shook my head.
"It's not enough"
"Look, how do you know all this"
"I don't! I just…" I sighed and looked around the graves. "It's just a feeling I get and it just…feels right. Like…that night I told you about when I first came here and I told you something was in my parent's bedroom watching me. That was him." I turned around, squinting my eyes.
"You're crazy." Marius said quietly.
"I know. It's in my genes." I turned back around and opened the cemetery gates. I scanned the graves for any clue to help me….nothing. Until I had an idea.
I stopped dead in my tracks and they almost walked into me. They backed up. "What?" I held up my hand and waited until it was compete silence. I closed my eyes and raised my head so the sun was falling on my cheeks. I concentrated on my feelings and made the sun's warmth turn cold. The bright orange, red color of my closed eyelids turned pitch black. No sound except the birds. Then I felt it. I heard him. I lowered my head and my eyes snapped open. I slowly turned my attention towards the mausoleum to my left. I took off at a stride and stopped in front of the doors. I gripped the handles and pulled. The smell of death and rotting bodies came up my nose. Even though Marius and Maleah held their noses and backed away, It smelt like home to me. I headed down the stairs at a fast pace and landed on the bottom landing. "Serpentine, can we"
I held up my hand again to silence them. "Father?" I called out. I could tell Marius and Maleah were looking at each other like I was insane.
"Father?" I called out more demanding. Then came the noise of a box or something being moved by a bit behind us. We spun around and Marius and Maleah moved behind me. My heart was pounding in my chest, head and I could feel the blood pulsing in my hands, my fingertips becoming numb. There was a box over there. I jumped foreword and slid on my knees, my hopes running high. Somehow. I knew he was here. I pushed the box aside and Maleah screamed.
"You alright, dear?" I nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just thinking." Auntie nodded unsurely.
"Well alright…if you're sure. You know, I should really get back to cleaning…would you kids like anything to eat or drink before I head off upstairs?" The 3 of us shook our heads and I looked out the window and stood up. "Come on." Marius and Maleah followed suit and I led them outside onto the patio and down the stairs. I ran around the house and they picked up pace behind me, calling after me.
"Serp, what are you doing"
"Just follow me!" I made it to the cemetery gates and stopped, my hands clenched upon the black iron bars. They caught up and caught their breath next to me. "What's going on?" Marius asked. I didn't dare look at him. Since the little incident, I didn't want to even try glancing into anyone's eyes.
"I don't know…"I whispered. The sun was starting to hurt my eyes. The heat was beating down on my head, it felt like my hair was on fire. I wanted so much just to jump in a bath of ice cold water. And hide away in the shadows. "I feel funny…and it's not the sun. It's like I'm changing"
"I'll say." Marius muttered. "No. I mean…lately, those times when I look into someone's eyes and they get all"
"Horny?" Maleah laughed.
"Yeah…I guess…and like now…it's like if I don't get out of the sun, I'm going to die. But not right away…I'm fine. And I've just had an odd feeling once I got here…like he's here…I know it…but where?" It got silent.
"Serp….who are we talking about"
"My father. He's here…he just won't come out. And I don't know where he is…I want to help him…I need answers." More silence…
"Then why don't you call him or something?" I shook my head.
"It's not enough"
"Look, how do you know all this"
"I don't! I just…" I sighed and looked around the graves. "It's just a feeling I get and it just…feels right. Like…that night I told you about when I first came here and I told you something was in my parent's bedroom watching me. That was him." I turned around, squinting my eyes.
"You're crazy." Marius said quietly.
"I know. It's in my genes." I turned back around and opened the cemetery gates. I scanned the graves for any clue to help me….nothing. Until I had an idea.
I stopped dead in my tracks and they almost walked into me. They backed up. "What?" I held up my hand and waited until it was compete silence. I closed my eyes and raised my head so the sun was falling on my cheeks. I concentrated on my feelings and made the sun's warmth turn cold. The bright orange, red color of my closed eyelids turned pitch black. No sound except the birds. Then I felt it. I heard him. I lowered my head and my eyes snapped open. I slowly turned my attention towards the mausoleum to my left. I took off at a stride and stopped in front of the doors. I gripped the handles and pulled. The smell of death and rotting bodies came up my nose. Even though Marius and Maleah held their noses and backed away, It smelt like home to me. I headed down the stairs at a fast pace and landed on the bottom landing. "Serpentine, can we"
I held up my hand again to silence them. "Father?" I called out. I could tell Marius and Maleah were looking at each other like I was insane.
"Father?" I called out more demanding. Then came the noise of a box or something being moved by a bit behind us. We spun around and Marius and Maleah moved behind me. My heart was pounding in my chest, head and I could feel the blood pulsing in my hands, my fingertips becoming numb. There was a box over there. I jumped foreword and slid on my knees, my hopes running high. Somehow. I knew he was here. I pushed the box aside and Maleah screamed.
