by E. Cullen
School was going along as usual. Nothing special was going on that day. I confronted Bellduh in the cafeteria.
I told her to meet me in the dark forest, and she agreed that it was a great idea.
School was out, and I didn’t go home. I went straight to our meeting area in the dark forest. I waited there until it was time.
I slowly looked up to see Bellduh as she stood across from me. She looked like she had a million questions for me. She walked closer to me as she looked at a dead bear on the ground. She knew that I hurt the bear and tasted it.
“That was animal cruelty you know!” Bellduh yelled.
“What do you think I am? I think it’s pretty obvious, Bellduh. Just say it. Tell me what I am. Say it. What am I? I want to hear you say the words, like right now; you witch!”
“What did you call me? Judging by the blood, you’re an animal abuser.”
“Bellduh, is that your best guess?”
“Well, if you are not, then what?”
I told Bellduh to turn around and close her eyes while I pulled my glitter container out and sprinkled it on my skin. I sparkled like the stars at night. Bellduh slowly opened her eyes.
“No way! Seriously? That’s like so beautiful, Edworth. You must be an angel, right?”
“Keep guessing, Bellduh. I got all night.”
“Edworth, are you crazy?”
“Please calm down, Bellduh. I will tell you what I am, but you need to just take a deep breath.”
She took a deep breath, and she ran her fingers through her hair in confusion.
“Edworth, I’m ready for the truth. Tell me right now. What are you? I promise that whatever you say, I will be ok with it. Just tell me.”
“Bellduh, please don’t hate me. Bellduh, I’m like… well, I’m a junkie. Do you know what that means?”
Bellduh’s mouth dropped. She walked back slowly.
“A junkie? Tell me something I don’t know, Edworth. Like, I knew that. I just hate that you have to hurt animals.”
I tried not to laugh. I let out an innocent smirk.
“Well, are you ok, Bellduh? I mean, it gets better you know.”
“I’m fine, Edworth. It’s cool; I’m cool. Nevertheless, there has to be another way for you to drink blood.
“Let’s get some things out of the way. Ask me some junkie questions. I’m willing to answer any kinds of questions that you have for me. I can only imagine how you must be feeling right now.”
“Yes, we should talk about what you are since we never really did cover that area, Edworth.”
“Go ahead Bellduh, ask me anything you want, I can take it.”
“How old are you, Edworth?”
“Too old for you. In fact, I’m way too old for you.”
“Well, how long have you been too old for me?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know, Bellduh.”
“I didn’t know junkies lived that long. Have you ever killed anyone before? Have you ever killed any witches?”
“Yes, but they were all jerks. Witches? Yes, they deserved to die. I sucked their blood out, and I liked it. I heard some junkies sparkle in the sunlight, but I don’t sparkle. I had to go to the art store to buy sparkles and sprinkle them on me just to look cool in front of you. However, I can glow in the dark when the full moon is out, and it is like so neat.”
“Wow, glow in the dark during a full moon. I want to see that sometime, Edworth. Would you ever like go out for a burger with me?”
“Yes, I would love that, Bellduh. I’m also a virgin.”
“Well, I’m like a virgin too, so maybe we could like be virgins together.”
“That sounds like a plan, Bellduh.”
“I actually like extra virgin olive oil, Edworth. I use a lot of that oil in my witchcraft experiments. It’s like so cool.”
Bellduh smiled. She seemed to like our meeting together. Breaking the ice helped our cause.
“So, you’re like really a witch? You and your friends?”
“Edworth, you are something. So, where do we go from here? You know people are going to talk about us more if we get serious. Like, really talk.”
“Let them. I don’t really care. So, would you like to go for some Chinese food, Bellduh?”
“Sure, I’d like that.”
Bellduh and I started to really get along. I walked her to my place. We sat by the fire, and we told each other stories.
It was a great night for us. A junkie couldn’t have asked for anything more that night. I loved that night so much. We took turns making up bad puppy jokes regarding Jacub.
Jacub smelled so bad; his own mother didn’t want anything to do with him, and she probably stunk pretty bad herself.
Nothing made me happier than being with Bellduh. It was breathtaking. Bellduh and I enjoyed the rest of our night, and we cherished our time together. Hours went by, and we made our way to my bed.
It was storming outside, and the thunder was very loud. I went to my bed, and I looked forward to holding Bellduh. I closed my eyes, and it felt great. The night was still young, and Bellduh was about to fall asleep. Bellduh’s scent was for real, and it felt like a dream. I wondered why the smell was so tempting.
Act 18
Mr. and Mrs. Popular
The day was beautiful and cloudy. It was just the way I loved it. I hated the sun with a passion since it burned my skin and my eyes. If I could have blocked out the sun for good, I would have. Mother Nature hated me, and that was a fact. I always knew that she did. I had a big smile on my face and for a good reason. My life felt more complete than ever before. Bellduh completed me. Having Bellduh in my life was the most wonderful feeling.
I got up and prepared for school. I made my way out, and I was on my way to school. I took my time just like I usually did.
Bellduh waited for me in the schoolyard. She smiled and took my hand. We were big time at Eclipse High. Someone should have sounded the bells and rolled out the red carpet. We walked hand in hand.
Everyone was outside today. That was the moment people practical loved being at Eclipse High. They saw us together, and they also looked forward to the drama, gossip, and pure excitement. I waited for the paparazzi to arrive. We were like celebrities at Eclipse High.
Kermit saw me and gave me a great big smile. I could tell he was nothing but happy for me. I saw him with Roosilly, who kind of looked like she was jealous of me. I loved it, and I hoped that she was jealous.
I loved making other people jealous. She should have been jealous because I was Edworth Cuddles, the hottest junkie at Eclipse High. I looked at Roosilly and smiled, but Roosilly rolled her eyes back at me and looked away.
I saw Derek Yucky. He was so sneaky, and he was evil. What a complete jerk he was. I disliked him so much.
Bellduh’s weird friends were nothing but smiles. Every person at school was staring at us, including the faculty. I loved the attention, and so did Bellduh. I was like an attention whore.
Whatever I wanted I got. We made it safely inside the school and went to our own classes. The whole day was nothing but stares and rumors. I could hear whispers and jokes.
However, I wasn’t a joke, everyone else was a joke. I was madly in love. Bellduh was mine, and no one could have her but me. I went to Chemistry class, and even the teacher knew what was going on. Casper looked at me and smiled, and he was very sincere in his feelings.
I could not even concentrate in class. Casper made onion jokes all day. We would giggle the whole class. In music class, Bellduh and I would play our duets together, and we were on top of the class.
Some were jealous, and some people were happy to see us in love. Not all of my other classes were with Bellduh, but people still kept up the dirt birdy rumors.
The rumors were ridiculous, like, oh I heard Bellduh is pregnant. Another rumor was like, oh I heard Edworth is cheating on Bellduh.
The rumors had spread like wildfire. Other rumors were that I was gay, and another was that I was cheating on Belldu
h with Roosilly. Even Casper managed to end up in the rumors.
After the lunch break had ended, we all went to our classes. The rest of the day was typical. I was supposed to walk Bellduh home, but she had detention for telling some girl off in class that was starting up all kinds of rumors. Bellduh had threatened to cast a spell on them.
One cold night, I took Bellduh out to the movies. We caught a chick flick. It was some cheesy vampire movie. I was a true gentleman. I bought the movie tickets, and Bellduh bought the popcorn and pop, all for herself, of course. We made our way to the middle of the theater. The movie started, and I placed my arm around her. She ate popcorn with extra butter. It stunk, and it ruined the moment, but I loved Bellduh’s blood, so I tolerated it.
The movie was so cheesy and was probably the worst movie ever made. I guessed Bellduh thought I would like it. I just wanted to spend time with her as much as possible. That’s what really mattered to me. I started to lean in on Bellduh to kiss her. I could taste the foul popcorn and butter on her lips. This was such a big mistake. I hoped that I never had to take her to the movies ever again. Maybe she could have just not ordered the popcorn because it was like so gross. Well, it was still great being with her. I watched Bellduh as the movie went on. I stared into her eyes and watched as she laughed at the cheesy moments of the movie. I admired her hair and ran my hand through her beautiful hair. She looked at me and smiled as her almost perfect heavenly white teeth sparkled in my eyes.
The girls around me were nothing but jealous of Bellduh. I could see the hate in their eyes as I touched Bellduh. I could smell their blood boiling around me. It really smelled great. Going to the movies had turned out to be a good idea. The bloody smells had managed to overpower the foul smell of popcorn and butter.
The night was going smoothly. I also thought that I would bring Bellduh here more often just to make all the girls jealous. That was pretty fun. The movie was coming close to the end. The only thing I hated was the fact that the date would be over soon. I looked forward to many more nights like it. I loved watching how happy Bellduh was with me. I loved seeing that side of her. She was very different when she was with me. I wondered if she would ever be a junkie like me. We would have to just wait and see what happened.
Act 19
Meet The Voltweety
My dad and I sat by the fire. My dad started to reminisce about his time with the Voltweety. He mentioned that the Voltweety were part of a circus act that was a freak show, not there is anything wrong with that. They took their acts all around the world. They were the worst junkies of them all. You would have never found a larger circus act of junkies than the Voltweety.
The Voltweety supported junkies all around the world. My dad admitted that he was once part of the circus act, but then he changed.
The Voltweety loved the circus. They had many talents to show. Some things they did were unspeakable. There acts were so horrendous that my dad would not speak of them.
The Voltweety wanted nothing but to live in peace, but that was hard to believe. They had done many horrible acts to other junkies that had better circus acts than they did. They continued to do many unthinkable acts against other junkies.
The Voltweety liked to keep their circus acts secretive. They were very low profile. They were a silent but deadly freak show.
The Voltweety were the most conceited junkies in the world. Some of their names were Farse, Crackass, Cactus, Farse's cousin Pulpfixia, and Crackass's cousin Assawhora.
The real powerful junkies of the Voltweety were named Eatmee, Pain and the most paranoid, Panic.
Farse was one of the circus leaders. Pain and Panic followed him. Eatmee loved eating cats and sucking the blood right out. Eatmee was a really passionate junkie. Pain loved to inflict a lot of torture on other junkies by tickling them. Pain really loved her fetishes. There was nothing more exciting to Pain than watching others suffer. Pain was a very sick and twisted junkie.
It was usually a bloody ordeal when Pain was around. As for Panic, this junkie was the most paranoid junkie that existed. When Panic got too nervous, a lot of smelly gas was involved. It could happen where Panic was near.
It was very difficult to describe how paranoid Panic was. Even the other Voltweety members got a little nervous around Panic. One day my dad made love to a female junkie. It was the most extraordinary thing he had ever experienced.
It was then he decided that he was sick of being part of the freak show. It really wasn’t for him anymore. It was a painful experience. Unfortunately, the Voltweety did not approve his decision and wanted him destroyed.
One night he escaped the Voltweety and then he was hunted. He was saddened by the slavery of his lover Shiarax. She was captured and forced to be in the circus. The Voltweety tickled Shiarax’s body until she went crazy. They humiliated her, where other junkies could see and be afraid. My dad had finally found a peaceful place in the world, but had to move every few years.
Finally, our current home was in the town of Eclipse. This was where we belonged, and we were here to stay. My Dad and I spent the rest of our evening by the fire. It was a great night for telling stories. We never ran out of them. My dad and I have been together for many decades. We had enough stories to last many more decades to come.
Act 20
Beers and Smiles
The morning had arrived, and I was out in the dark forest. The rain started, and I had the biggest craving that morning for a big fat bear. I was very thirsty that morning, so I made my way deep into the dark forest. There was not an animal in sight. That was unusual, and I wondered where all of them could have been.
I heard a crackle from behind me. I turned, and the stranger that stood behind was a junkie.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.
“Looks like I’m not alone in Eclipse. Where did you come from? What’s your name?” I asked.
“No, I’ve been here a while. I’m Smiley Beers. Pleasure to meet you.”
“I’m Edworth Cuddles. You seem to smile a lot. Have been drinking? My family and I have been in Eclipse for ages.”
Smiley Beers happened to be another junkie. Just when I thought I was alone with my family, I was wrong. He had curly red hair, dark, disturbing eyes, and smiled a lot. He was kind of creepy. I wondered if he had been drinking beer since junkies don’t usually drink. Drinking was against our junkie policy. I was getting bad vibes from him already. He looked at me like he wanted something from me. I was going to soon find out. One of the rules I had in life was to never trust a strange junkie. That was one rule I had always kept.
“Edworth Cuddles, that’s a pretty name. You must be worth something, and you must cuddle a lot, right?”
He offered his hand, and I shook his hand in disgust. His face was completely happy with a big smile. What a creeper.
“What brings you to these parts, Smiley? Do you live close by?”
“I live in a cabin on the other side of town. I thought I would see if anything interesting was out in this dark forest. Now I know there is. Have you caught any normal people? I thought I would drink something. I was also thinking of joining the freak show.”
“My family and I don’t feed off the blood of normal people anymore. We found it barbaric to do so. I can show you there are a lot of bears around these parts. You shouldn’t speak of the freak show since it is forbidden.”
Smiley smiled at me.
“Really… You don’t feed off the blood of normal people. You are a crazy junkie. That is fascinating. You’re a junkie, and you should do it. Drinking animals is no fun anymore. There is a local high school nearby. We should lure them in one by one. We can really take this town of Eclipse.”
Smiley Beers obviously was not a good listener. Either that or he was disrespectful. I tried to reason with him. He was one stubborn junkie.
“I’m sorry, Smiley, I don’t swing that way anymore. It is against policy. I actually attend Eclipse High. You should probably look elsewhere. Your strange kind i
s not welcome here, and you drink beer.”
Smiley looks surprised, yet he still smiled.
“Really? You attend Eclipse High. You are one of them? Trying to be like them, Edworth? You want to be like a normal person. They are not like us, Edworth. We are junkies, and we belong to the freak show. The Voltweety will not like that if they ever find out about you. You will be hunted down and humiliated.”
“That’s the life I’ve chosen. I think it would be best if you left the town of Eclipse. If you are tasting normal people, you can’t do that around here unless you have a fair reason, and you drink beer.”
“Have you killed any normal people lately, Edworth?”
I hesitated. This might have been a big mistake. Smiley Beers appeared to be clever. He knew right away that I have killed a normal person, yet I just didn’t want to share that information. See, I was really thirsty, and he was kind of a bad person. I knew he could sense the blood of a normal person that still lurked on me.
Smiley approached me. He was too close to me and made me uncomfortable. He sniffed me and exhaled. He smiled, and I knew he was going to tell me how good I smelled.
“Edworth, you have been a very bad junkie. I smell sweet blood on you, and it smells good. Why are you holding back on me? I want some too. I’m sick of drinking beer and smiling all the time.”
“You got me, Smiley. Please try to understand that I was thirsty, and you drink beer, so that is much worse than my crime.”
“I didn’t mean to drink beer. I smile a lot, I know that. I still want to drink the blood, and I want it now.”
“She was rather tasty. I admit; she was a feast. Are you happy now? You will have to stop drinking beer and find your own blood.”
“Well, I am glad you admit to what you have done. There is no shame in it. This was a rather interesting. You should think about what I said about taking this town of Eclipse. I will be on my way. I will see you again, Edworth. I will bring back some beer because I like it, and you should try it. I smile too much, but too much is better than too little.”