Chapter 12: Reality Is Long Gone

Arsenio rested his forearms on his thighs, looking down between his legs with his back hunched over and not meeting my eyes. I sat next to him, rigid with anticipation and waited for him to continue with his story.

"The first time I met Alana, I was 15 years old. When I saw her, she was shining so brightly, like a light in utter darkness. It was almost like the time before I saw her was all night, and suddenly, I was thrust into day. She was what I'd imagined an angel to look like…" Why did I feel pain at his words in hearing his utter adoration for this other girl? Why did I feel this pang in my chest, and a wish for him to say it to me instead? It didn't make sense that I would feel that way, considering I loved Daniel… or did I?

I zoned back into the conversation just as he said, "As I told you, I didn't tell my best friend about her. And Daniel, as you call him, is that same guy. Back when I knew him, his name was Davide, and mine was Emil. I ditched my old name was Alana died, and became known as Arsenio. Clearly, Davide did the same. When I found out that Alana had been cheating on me with Davide, I was so angry at both of them, for lying to me. I had no right to be angry at Davide; he didn't know we were dating the same girl either. When I found them together that day… it was like my heart had ripped into two, just by seeing them together." His hands clenched into fists, the veins in his neck throbbed, but he still kept talking. I put my hand on his fist, and he wrapped his long fingers around mine, as if needing me as a lifeline to keep him going.

"I moved towards Davide then, demanding to know why he had lied to me, and why he didn't tell me. He'd seemed as shocked as I was, and asked what I was talking about, said that Alana was his girlfriend, the one he had always told me about. I yelled at him, saying he was a liar, said that Alana was my girlfriend. We just kept going like that, back and forth, until Alana stepped between us and said she was dating both of us. We both looked at her as if she had grown a second head. She told us she wanted to be with the both of us, and couldn't bear to choose. She wanted all three of us to be together forever, just sharing her. Neither Davide nor I could bear the idea of her not being with only one of us, and so, we demanded that she choose one of us. She could only have one of us, not both, and we told her that.

"Alana refused to choose between us, so we just kind of glared at each other for a while. I can remember what I said then." His breathing grew haggard, as if he were trying to fight tears. "I can remember exactly what I said, and it kills me that I would have even considered it. I told him, "Neither of us will be happy if we have to share her. So I challenge thee; a fight till one surrenders. The winner will be with her." I told him that, and he hesitated for a moment." His voice grew dreamier, as if in his mind, he had returned to the memory, was seeing it play out before his very eyes again. "He told me he didn't want to fight me, that we should just both break up with her and let her choose which one of us she would come to first. The one she went to first would have her. I told him it didn't work like that, said that we could be together at the moment, and then she would approach both of us at once. Again I told him to fight me. Again he refused. So I just charged at him and threw a hook punch at his jaw. So, we fought, right there in the middle of his backyard. Alana tried to come in between us, tried to make us stop, but every time Davide stepped back, I came after him again, screaming at him to fight me.

"Alana came between us while I was throwing a punch at Davide's chest, but Alana, being shorter than us, got in the middle, and it hit her straight in the neck. I felt her spine break right under my hand, but on the other side, at the same time, Davide had done the same thing. The pressure had been too much for her, and she died." He shook his head, his voice choked with tears, "I couldn't stop it, couldn't save her. I could only watch as she died in Davide's arms and mine. There was nothing else either of us could do for her." He shook his head, the grief on his face so clear and agonizing that I wanted nothing more than to hold him in my arms and comfort him, but I couldn't. There was more to the story; I could sense that much. "So, that started my feud against Davide and his against me. We left town the day after Alana's funeral, going in opposite directions, seeking to rid ourselves of the horror that had been brought down on us. For years, we didn't meet, until tonight that is."

He sighed then, and I suddenly had the feeling that the next words he said would change my life. I waited in anticipation, needing to understand what had happened tonight. He'd explained his history with Daniel, but what had happened tonight still baffled me. I knew he knew, he knew I knew he knew what had happened, and he knew that I would make him answer for it. He released his hand from my grasp and stood, starting to pace, his hands behind his back. He opened his mouth several times, but no sounds came out, so he just shut his mouth and kept pacing, just to do the same thing a few minutes later.

Finally, after almost five minutes of pacing, he stopped and spoke. "I know you've wondered how it is Davide and I could have so much history at such young ages, and why it is that you seem to be losing parts of your memory, and always waking up in a heated moment." He didn't even look at me for confirmation; it was as if he just knew. "I also know that you wonder about my speed, and weird strength, and Davide's as well. You think it's just a part of us being boys, being extremely physically fit, but that's not it; that's not it at all."

He sighed and started pacing again. For a moment, I thought he wouldn't say anymore, and just leave it at that, but then he asked me the weirdest question I'd heard in quite some time. "Elena, do you believe in monsters?"

I was startled by the question. What's he talking about? Why this all of a sudden? Nonetheless, I answered, "What kind of monster do you mean?"

He shrugged, "Werewolves, ghosts, zombies," he paused for a second, "Vampires."

I blinked at him in confusion, "What does this have to do with what happened?" Then, his question really sunk into my brain, "Are you trying to tell me those things exist?" The thought that vampires existed weren't too bad, but werewolves, ghosts and zombies? Hell no. "They exist, don't they? Werewolves, vampires, zombies, all of that crap." Fear bit at me, making my palms start to sweat. The thought of werewolves tearing apart my family and friends scared me to no end, and I started getting hysterical, "They can't! Everyone will die! Please tell me they don't exist! They'll kill everyone! Arsenio, please-."

He shook his head quickly, and clamped a hand down over my mouth, "Elena, be quiet and listen to me," he pleaded, "I'm trying to explain what's going on. Only vampires and werewolves truly exist, but only the vampires are out in public. Werewolves live in the woods in packs, on their own. They'll only hurt you if you get too near them."

Arsenio moved away and kept pacing, looking everywhere except at me. "I'm not going to beat around the bush. Do you remember the first time you lost your memory? It was at my house. I'm going to tell you exactly what happened that day…" And so, he did. He told me how Alana had come and possessed my body in order to speak with him. He didn't know how she had done that, but she had, and he had feared for my life. When he'd asked me what I remembered, it was to gauge how much I knew, and how many questions I would ask. When I hadn't asked anything, he'd be dumbfounded.

"How did Alana even do that? What is she?" I interrupted, tired of the story. Yes, it was completely terrifying to have someone invade my body like, but still, I needed to know how she had even had the power to do that in the first place.

He finally looked up at me and met my eyes. "I asked you a moment ago if you believed in monsters, and then I told you vampires and werewolves existed, though only vampires came out into the open." He took a deep breath. "Alana is a vampire, Elena. I am too. And so is Davide."


Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long to update. I've been busy with some other stuff, some stories I haven't posted on here, so yeah. Anyway, I'll try to post another chapter as soon as I can, and really, I'm very, very sorry this one is so short; I couldn't think of much to put on it. I'm considering putting it up for adoption... Ah well, you let me know what I should do. Until then, peace out!

Hanieya Okudashu