After entering the apartment, I noticed Thomas preparing to go out again, this time with his equipment in tow. He was heading out to get food for me, but something else caught my eye: a jar of acid. "Are you going out?" I asked, my voice calm. He continued working before looking up at me with those tired, dull eyes. "Do I have a choice?" he replied, his voice tinged with resignation. I must have really shaken him earlier. I hugged him, trying to offer some semblance of comfort. He looked down at me, a mix of frustration and sadness in his expression. "Please, don't see that boy again. Okay?" he asked. I didn't respond, and while I respected his request, I simply couldn't fulfill it. Without another word, I walked away.
A few hours later, I was lying in the room next to Owen's bedroom. We communicated through Morse code, our taps a comforting rhythm in the silence. It was peaceful. But then the radio beside me crackled to life. "An unidentified man has been arrested in connection with the recent ritual murder of a local high school honor student. The suspect was hospitalized in critical condition, with severe self-inflicted acid burns over his face and torso, making it impossible so far for authorities to determine his identity." My heart sank. They had Thomas. I tapped on the wall to Owen. "I-G-O-T-T-O-G-O. B-E-R-I-G-H-T-B-A-C-K." I tapped. After a moment, he replied, "O-K."
I reached the hospital where Thomas was being held. It was a large building, easy to find. I didn't bother with shoes; I couldn't climb with them on. Inside, I approached the front desk where a woman sat, her face kind and unsuspecting. "Excuse me, I'm looking for my father," I lied. She took the bait, her expression softening. "Is he a patient here?" she asked. "Yes, the police brought him in," I said, injecting a note of worry into my voice. She looked sympathetic. "Oh, I see," she replied. "Do you know where he is?" I asked. "He's on the 10th floor, sweetie, but that's restricted. Let me call up there and—" I cut her off. "No, no, that's okay," I said, turning and leaving before she could ask my name.
Scaling the wall outside, I reached the 10th floor. There he was. Thomas looked up as I approached, his face a grotesque mask of acid burns. He struggled to his feet and opened the window. "May I come in?" I asked softly. He couldn't answer, his mouth almost welded shut. His breathing was labored, and I could see the pain in his eyes. He wanted to die. He offered me his neck, and I bit down, drinking his blood. With the last of his strength gone, he fell forward, plummeting to his death. The snap of his neck echoed in the night, followed by screams from below. I climbed onto the roof, watching the chaos unfold. Now I was alone. What was I to do?
Owen.
Owen.
Owen.
Owen.
Owen.
Him. I'll go see Owen. It's late, but I don't care. I can't be alone right now.
I don't want to be alone.
I got to Owen's apartment faster than I expected. I guess I was just that anxious. He was sleeping, but.. I didn't care. I knocked on the window before opening it. "Owen.." I called. I could hear him stirring up. "Owen…Can I come in?" I asked him. I saw him about to turn around, but I stopped him. "No, No, No, wait, wait. Don't look at me." I begged him. He turned back around, probably too tired to even really think about it. "But you have to say it- That I can come in." I told him. "You…can…come in…" He said sleepily. "Close your eyes," I ordered. "They're already closed." He said with some agitation. It made sense, I did wake him up. I crawled in, but I wouldn't go in the way I was. I just.. Began to strip my clothes off, before crawling into bed with him. "How did you get up here?" He asked me. It was late..I don't think he would believe me. "I flew," I told him. Just as I expected, he didn't believe me. I like how naive you are Owen.. "Yeah right.." He felt me, my body that was. He realized I wasn't wearing anything. "Hey, you're not wearing anything. And you're freezing." I became a bit self-conscious. Huh, that's been happening a lot recently. "Is that gross?" I asked him. "No.." He said. We sat there silently for a bit, but only for a bit, before he spoke up. "Abby..?" He asked. "..Yeah?" "Will you go steady with me?" Owen asked me. It shocked me. I didn't think he would actually ask. But.. While I didn't 100% Know what that meant, I wasn't stupid. But I was a bit nervous. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Will you be my Girlfriend?" He asked. I didn't know he'd be so direct. "Owen, I'm not a girl," I told him. I was one but..I'm a vampire. I'm nothing. We aren't supposed to last this long. "You're not a girl?" he asked me. "No." "Then what are you?" He asked me. I could tell he was a little freaked out. "I'm nothing," I told him, facing away from him. "Oh. You know, it's OK if you don't want to be my girlfriend… You don't have to make stuff up" He replied sadly. Now I felt bad. I wanted to be his girlfriend, I really did, I was just..afraid. Afraid of what could happen. "Look, can we just keep things the way they are?" I asked. "Yeah, sure." He replied sadly. …But didn't really want to end it there. It began to almost immediately eat up at me like termites going through wood. I want this. I want to be his girlfriend. I want him to be mine. "Well, do you have to do anything special when you go steady?" I asked hopefully. "No.." He said. "So everything remains the same?" I asked him. "Yeah." Good.. Thank god. I smiled, he couldn't see it, but I smiled. I was so happy.
"Ok… we can go steady," I told him. I can sense his smile, how I wanted to see... But I couldn't let him see me, not like this. "Really?" He asked. "Yeah," I reassured. I took his hand and placed it on my cheek.
He fell asleep a bit later. I stayed with him for a while. It was nice being this close to him, with no restrictions whatsoever. No Thomas, No people. Just me and my lover…Owen… I wanted to stay there longer until I noticed the time on his clock. I had to go before the sun went up. I kissed him on the cheek. *Goodbye, my Love..My Owen.." I whispered. But before I left, I placed my clothes back on and wrote something down on the back of a Wrapper. "I must be gone and Live, or Stay and Die." I wrote. Then I added. "Abby + Owen.."
"Together Forever."