A big thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it. Next chapter will be the last!
Broken Hearts
It was strange to wake up to darkness instead of the gray light of dawn, but with my enhanced night vision it was at least easy for me to see. It was also very strange to wake up upside down, which disoriented me for a moment or two before I realized where I was. And fresh anguish welled in my throat, making me want to sob. Tonight I would have to say good-bye to the Frog brothers to keep them safe.
"Hey, are you awake?" Marko asked, peering at me. "Well, if my eyes are open and I'm talking, what do you think?" I replied, rolling my eyes. "Oh, just c'mon. The other guys are out in the main cave and we are thir-sty!" he replied, emphasizing "thirsty". "Okay, okay," I mumbled, detaching my toe claws from the bar and hopping into Marko's arms. Once he had set me safely on the cave floor, we crawled out through the tunnel and into the main cave.
"Finally! Jeez, you sleep a long time!" Paul growled and I glared at him. But before I could open my mouth to say something, David cut in. "Alright, alright, girls, don't get into it. It's time to hunt! And we will have to teach this newborn how to hunt properly as well-''
Before he could go on, I boldly interrupted him. "Actually, could it wait till tomorrow night? I have some things I need to do before I get settled in here…" I trailed off as David raised his brows. I glanced over at Marko for help, knowing that he would realize what I was talking about.
"Yeah, c'mon guys. She's got some… people she needs to say good-bye to," Marko insisted. David narrowed his eyes. "Alright, but don't hint about what we are. It's important that we keep our existence discreet, you know," he warned. There was venom in his voice and I nodded obediently, if not a little fearfully.
"Well, let's go. We're wasting moonlight," David ordered after a while and we all headed up out of the cave and onto the beach. "Do you think you could fly tonight?" Marko asked me quietly. I gulped and bit my lip. "I don't know how, though!" I protested and he just grinned at me. "It's really easy…you don't even really have to think about it, it's just natural." I heaved a heavy sigh coated with nervousness and then nodded determinedly. Marko took my hand and led me to the cliffside.
"When I say go, jump and don't let go of my hand until I say so. Okay?" he murmured and I nodded quickly, hoping fervently that I wouldn't chicken out. "Alright, one…two…three…" Marko and I both tensed, crouching down over the cliffside. I ignored the impatient hollers from the other vampires and tried to focus. "GO!" Marko finally yelled and I closed my eyes, jumping with my hand still in Marko's.
The heart-in-the-back-of-your-throat feeling that falling induced made me want to scream, but I suppressed it. "Its okay, Megan! You're one of us! Let go!" Marko yelled to me. Nonononono! my brain screamed as my stomach clenched in fright. But at the sound of my cousin's order, my muscles automatically let go of his hand…and I was no longer falling. I was floating. I was about ten feet from the waves that crashed against the rocks, and it suddenly dawned on me that I wasn't about to die (which, by the way, was a stupid fear. I'm a vampire.)
"Oh my God! This is AMAZING!" I laughed, elated. Marko chuckled along with me. "Okay, can we go already? I understand that this is a very touching moment, but I've had a long day and would like very much to party and get something to eat, okay?" Paul growled impatiently. "Alright, alright, we're coming," Marko hollered up to his friend, grabbed my hand, and soared off, across the waters toward the Boardwalk.
The moonlight silvered the crests of the waves below us, and I suddenly wondered why I had never appreciated the earth's beauty before, in my human life. Once we had landed on a secluded area of the beach below the Boardwalk, Marko and the other vampires left me alone so that they could hunt. With a regretful, heavy sigh I trudged up to the busy, lively Boardwalk that had become home to me in only a matter of days.
The comic book store seemed strangely alien, and that made me uneasy. What did I have to fear? Their anger…they'll hate you, a dark inner voice sneered inside my head and I shooed it away. They couldn't hate me; they'd told me themselves! Bracing myself as if for an onslaught of enemies, I walked through the door.
"Edgar? Allan?" I called out and two heads popped up from behind the counter. I met Edgar's gaze and he grinned in relief. "Megan!" he exclaimed, leaping up from his chair to hug me. "You're back!" Allan chorused, following his brother. I leaned as far away from Edgar as I could, feeling the bloodlust well in my veins, threatening to overpower what little self-control I had.
"Megan? What's wrong?" Edgar asked, immediately pulling away from me. "I'm sorry, Edgar, but I haven't fed yet and I don't want to hurt you," I explained quietly. They must have heard something strange in my voice because they both became solemn immediately.
"Why didn't you feed? Isn't that what you've been out doing?" Allan asked, confused. "I tried to. But…I met up with Marko, and then he took me to the place where he and his friends have been living and…I thought of some stuff…" I trailed off, feeling my heart tear open at the sight of Edgar's face, Allan's face, the faces of my two best friends.
"What kind of stuff?" Edgar asked quietly, as if he knew what I had to say next could be devastating. "I have to leave." There. I'd said it. "Leave? And go where?" Allan demanded. "I'm going to live with Marko and his friends. I realized that as long as I'm around you two, you're in constant danger. What if I lose control and hurt one of you?"
"Megan?" a small voice interrupted timidly, and I blinked in surprise as Laddie walked up to me. "Megan!" another voice exclaimed and dread made my limbs go numb. Mom. My mother's arms were around me before I could move, and I just stood their stiffly while she hugged me and told me how scared she'd been for me. My mind frantically raced as I tried to think up schemes to get away from her, but I was coming up blank.
"Uh, hi, Mom," I finally said. Nice. Real genius. "Is that all you have to say to me? 'Hi, Mom?' Do you know how damn worried I was for you?" my mom demanded, her eyes filling with tears. The bloodlust inside me started to boil like hot water as the lively, spicy scent of my mother's blood wafted to my nose. I blinked, glancing at the Frog brothers for help. But they were both just staring at us with detached, desperate expressions, as if they were trying to figure out what to do, too. Or maybe they were trying to figure out how to get me to stay.
"Uh, yeah…I'm real sorry, Mom, but I have to go," I said quickly, trying to pull out of her arms. "Go? And just where do you think you're going?" she demanded, fixing me with a stern, yet anxious, glare. "Mom, please. I have to go," I insisted, meeting her gaze evenly.
I pulled away and started to run out of the comic book store, but my mom grabbed my hand and pulled me back. "No, you are not going anywhere, young lady!" she snapped angrily and I glared at her, baring my teeth in a very non-human way. "Just let me go, Mom. You were the one that sent me away in the first place, remember? I'm happier on my own than I was in that house," I spat cruelly and guilt dropped into the pit of my stomach like a stone. I hadn't really meant those mean, nasty words…well, she had sent me away…but I still loved her. I knew I had taken a cheap shot. Mom drew back like I'd electrocuted her, cringing in pain.
"Megan…" she said but I shook my head. "Just let me go," I muttered, shooting a glance in the Frog brothers' direction, hoping that I conveyed my message well: I'll be back. I stalked out of the comic book store and went around to the alley next to it where I crouched down to wait patiently (since I'd been Changed, I had learned that I'd gained more patience…maybe it was the realization that I would live forever and would have A LOT of time on my hands…)
A few hours passed. My body started to cramp from being still so long, but I didn't move an inch until I actually saw my mom leave. Laddie looked forlorn, lost and scared, glancing around anxiously as if he hoped to see me somewhere in the crowd. My heart broke at the sight, but I steeled myself by repeating these words: it's for the good of your family and friends. And with that thought swirling around in my brain, I headed back into the comic book store to finish my conversation with the Frog brothers.
They approached me silently, their eyes duller than before. My heart broke again. "Listen, guys…I'm so sorry. I just…I don't want to hurt you, either of you," I told them quietly and then reached out to stroke Edgar's face.
"I'm so sorry…I love you," I told him and he placed his hand on mine. "I love you, too," he replied and there was so much pain in his eyes it was almost unbearable. Taking my hand, he kissed my palm gently and then curled my fingers so that my hand was clenched in a loose fist. "Remember me," he whispered and tears filled my eyes. "I will…" I promised and then turned to Allan. "Remember me, too?" he asked and I smiled at him. "How could I not?" He smiled at me, too, but it was all wrong. It didn't reach his eyes.
"Love you guys," I said as I began to back away. "Love you, too," they chorused. With one more hopeless smile, I left the comic book store. I didn't get far before the tears started to fall.
My heart broke once more.
R+R please! No flames also, please.