Chasing Shadows

by Rebbeca Stoddard

  I dressed in a swimsuit, shorts, and a T-shirt. Then I brushed my teeth and put on cover-up and mascara to hide the dark circles that were forming around my eyes. While I was walking downstairs, I heard my parents talking to someone who sounded faintly familiar. Slowly, I continued my path to the kitchen, where I choked on my own breath. My dad stopped talking and looked at me questioningly. I put my hand up and apologized, and quickly left to escape the stranger in my house.

  I sat on the shore and played with the sand that stretched out before me. A tall shadow blocked the sunlight, and I knew without looking up that it was the stranger from the kitchen—and my dream. He stood there for a few minutes before sitting down next to me. When I finally got the courage to look at his face, I couldn’t help the blush that spread over my body. He was ridiculously handsome and smiling at me. We sat there in silence for what seemed like eternity until he finally spoke, and my body tingled with every word he said.

  “AubrieAnna, we have not officially met, but I am Sebastian.” His voice was beautiful.

  It was hard to find my voice and when I did, it came out small and quiet. “Why are you here?”

  “Clamora sent me to see how you were doing. I understand that you are going through the change. She wants me to keep an eye on you, to make sure that it is going at the rate it should be and that you are not having any problems.” He looked down at me; one side of his mouth was turned up in a half smile. As I studied his face I realized that his eyes held a deep sadness, and I had to stop myself from reaching up to comfort him.

  “Can you tell me what I am changing into? I just don’t particularly want to be a werewolf, that’s just too much hair, and I don’t think I want to be psychic. I definitely don’t want to know what everyone thinks of me; that would be too depressing . . . ” I cut myself off before I could ramble anymore. Suddenly feeling awkward, I forced my attention on the sand.

  “I cannot. For that I am sorry. You will know soon enough. I do know that you will be great and do wonderful things. I hope that helps.” When I turned to thank him he was gone, and I was left sighing in frustration.

  Hours passed as I sat there staring out at the water while my fingers and toes dug around in the sand. My brother appeared, carrying sandwiches and two bottles of water. He handed me one of each and sat down. I drank most of my water before eating my ham and cheese sandwich. When I finished it, I drank more water and sighed. Everything felt like it had changed in the past few days. While I sat there thinking about my life, Alexandier stayed by my side. I recognized his silent curiosity and explained all of my thoughts as they entered my mind. As I explained some things and tried to explain others, he sat there silently and patiently. After I finished talking, I realized how much the information I had received in the past few days was affecting me. Exhaustion hit me, and I sighed heavily. Alexandier helped me up from the sand, and we headed back to the cabin to play card games until dinner was done.

  My mom had made oven-baked potatoes, fettuccini, and steak. Once everyone was sitting down with food in front of them, we started eating. While I picked at my fettuccini, I looked around the table and smiled. My family was the one constant thing I had; they were my rock and my support. I knew I was going to do everything in my power to make sure they lived through whatever was coming, and I was going to need Clamora’s help to do that.

  After dinner I walked back to the lake to watch the sun set. I felt calm as I watched the sky change from day to night. The sun disappeared over the horizon, and the dark sky was quickly littered with clusters of stars. Faint footsteps headed toward me, and I turned to see who was coming then scrambled to my feet. There was no shame on his face, and his smile lit up his eyes and glowed like thousands of stars. My breath stopped and I blushed. My smile faltered the closer he got. Sebastian was only around to make sure I was up to speed in my changing process, not because he wanted to see me. When he made it to where I was standing, I began to pick at the split ends on my hair.

  “AubrieAnna, I must tell you that tomorrow will be a hard day for you, since you are going through the change. Clamora sent me to tell you that if you are going to use her help, you will need it soon. The process only gets worse from here. I apologize for the pain you will be in; I know what it is like.” Sebastian had a sad look in his eyes. He reached out to touch me and stopped, and I fought back to the urge to step into his touch.

  I nodded and continued to pick at my split ends.

  “Please, look at me?” he begged, and I complied. “I know who you are, and in time I hope you know who I am. I wish I could explain it all to you at this very moment. But I cannot. Just let me leave you with this.” His cool hand finally cupped my cheek as he handed me an envelope. As I looked down at it, his hand disappeared. Sadness settled deep in my soul, and I shivered.

  ***

  As I trudged up to the cabin I could see the kitchen light was on, which meant someone was waiting up for me. When I walked in, Alexandier gave me a curious look and stalked off to his room. I shook my head and got some water then made my way up the stairs and into my dark room. I turned on my lamp, put in a DVD of Scooby-Doo Where Are You!, and crawled under my blankets. The first episode ended, and I felt my eyelids get heavy. My bed started to feel like a sea of feathers, and I shrank farther into the pillows and let sleep claim me.

  His breath was warm on my face as he stared into my eyes. I felt my cheeks turn pink as I got lost in the green of his eyes. He leaned in closer, glancing at my lips as if asking permission to kiss me. My breath stopped as I waited for our lips to touch for the first time. Moving slowly, his lips gently pressed against mine. He had finally kissed me after waiting for weeks. It was everything I had ever imagined it would be. My heart beat erratically in my chest, and he smiled against me. His fingers delicately slid down my cheek to my neck and reached around to cup the back of my head. As he deepened the kiss, I tangled my fingers in his hair. My stomach tightened as the butterflies that had been there all night wreaked havoc. When he finally pulled away, he was breathing heavily, his lips were swollen, and his hair spiked out in different directions. I smiled sheepishly and he kissed my nose softly before pulling me into a tight hug.

  I breathed in his scent, committing it to memory. We both knew the consequences if he didn’t succeed in his search. I was afraid for him. If he left and never came back to me, I would break, my soul would shatter and I wouldn’t be able to survive—but if he failed and came back, he wouldn’t be able to survive. He looked down at me, smiled, and wiped away my tears. He kissed me fiercely one last time before leaving. I clutched my apron and watched silently as he walked out the door. Once he left, I sank to the floor and let the sobs shake me uncontrollably until my body gave in to exhaustion.

  I woke up with a gasp and looked around my room. The only light in the room was from the TV. I scanned my surroundings, and my eyes landed on the stark white envelope on the floor. My eyes ached after staring at it for several minutes. I got up and carefully picked it up. There was no telling what Sebastian had tucked away inside, but I needed to know. Once I was back in my bed, I carefully opened it and pulled out the thick stationary from inside. In the most beautiful writing I had ever seen was a letter to me from Sebastian.

  AubrieAnna,

  I gave this to you after seeing you this evening. There are many things that I wish I could tell you, but it is hard to form the words without you thinking that I am crazy and banning me from your sight. I cannot completely tell you everything yet. However, I can tell you this: You are a wonder, and you have my mind captivated by who you may be.

  The change you are going through right now is scary and painful. You are not turning into anything that you said earlier. I promise. You are changing into a mix of supernatural creatures. You are a mix of three—vampire, witch, and fairy. No, there are no others like you. It was your sister who created this mixture by giving you part of her soul. It had never been done before, and there were repercussions to her doing that. I wish I could explain
more to you right now, but I cannot. I have already partially broken the rules. I wasn’t allowed to tell you, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t write it. So I leave you with my number and hope that if you are ever in need of a friend or someone to speak with that you will contact me. You may also contact me whenever you wish if you would like.

  Thank you for reading this. I hope you don’t think I’m crazy.

  Sincerely yours,

  Sebastian

  I smiled at the end of the letter and put his number in my phone. Yawning, I lay back in bed and looked at my ceiling. Sebastian kept hinting about who I was, but it continually left me confused. I rolled onto my side and sighed. After a few short minutes, I fell back to sleep and didn’t dream of Sebastian’s face again that night.

  Chapter 3

  I woke up well rested and feeling better than I had the past few days. The smell of breakfast called to me, and my stomach growled angrily. Following the demands of my body, I made my way to the kitchen. Grabbing a few pieces of bacon off the island, I patiently waited for my toast to be done. My dad walked passed me and set down a glass of orange juice. I smiled my thanks and took a sip. After I finished my breakfast, I rinsed my dishes and put them in the dishwasher. When I turned and walked away from the sink, I doubled over in pain. My head spun, and my stomach threatened to reject its contents. Footsteps slammed against the floor, making my head ache more. Pain suddenly burned between my shoulder blades like a branding iron. I screamed.

  When I woke up, I tried not to move. The sun was shining too brightly and stung my eyes. I wished for my curtains to close and to my surprise, they did. I glanced around the room to see if anyone was there and had read my mind, but no one was. Straining my ears, I listened for any signs that anyone was home and heard soft footsteps in the kitchen, then my mother’s gentle voice. There were shared words between her and someone else, then two sets of footsteps walked up the stairs and stopped at my door. The door slowly opened and revealed Sebastian’s tall frame. Trying not to seem as frail as I felt, I forced myself into a sitting position, and he smiled at my stubbornness. He quietly closed the door behind him, shutting us in darkness.

  “Clamora needs you to come to her place. She needs to teach you and show you how to handle this. Your parents agreed to let me take you and bring you back after a few days. I couldn’t explain in detail, but they understand what is going on. You are scaring them.” Sebastian saw my look of shame and continued, “I know it’s not intentional, but you are. They are worried for you; they don’t know what to do and can only help with medicines that are no longer meant for your body. I am going to pack some of your clothes. I know what kind you will need, so no worries. Then I will put them in my car and come to get you and we’ll leave. Do you understand?” Sebastian’s voice was serious and worried, and the look on his face said there was no arguing.

  I nodded and watched as he dug through my closet and drawers. Once Sebastian finished, he disappeared for a few moments and quickly returned. I protested as he picked me up, but it did no good. Without jostling my body, he made it down the stairs and out the door. He carefully placed me on the passenger seat and buckled me in. I squeezed my eyes shut as he started the long drive to Clamora’s. He never once turned on the radio or spoke a word, and for that I was grateful. My head was pounding, and the ache between my shoulder blades returned. When the car finally stopped, I opened my eyes and realized we were in a garage.

  Sebastian had carried me into the house, laid me down in a guest bedroom, and put my belongings on the floor. He smiled softly and hurried out of the room. After a few minutes, I began convulsing and broke out in a cold sweat, then a sharp pain took over my entire body. I tried crying out, but only a small squeak came out. Moments passed and my body stopped shaking, but it ached all over. I was exhausted and closed my eyes in hope of some sleep.

  The room was dark when I finally woke up. I moved my arms and legs, testing for pain in the muscles. A sigh of relief escaped my throat when I found only soreness in my body. Slowly, I got up out of the bed and walked to the window. The curtains were closed, and I was curious if it was nighttime yet. I opened one side of the curtains and let the moonlight bathe my skin in a soft yellow glow. The harvest moon was coming. An earthy yellow color began to encompass the moon, making it brighter, with a golden halo surrounding it. My hand rested on the cool glass and I took a deep breath.

  Turning toward my bag on the floor I prayed that Sebastian had remembered to grab my toothbrush and a sweater. After finding my toothbrush and toothpaste, I pulled on my black hoodie and went in search of the bathroom. The light in the hall was achingly bright. I had to squint my eyes to see clearly. With my hand on the wall guiding me, I found the bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth. Once I finished with my teeth, I grumbled at my hair and threw it up into a messy bun on top of my head. I looked into the mirror one last time and paused when I saw that the veins in my neck were silver. Reaching up, I ran my finger along one of the veins and was surprised to see it turn a deep blue. Curious, I looked at my wrists to see if the color there had changed too, but the veins there were still blue and purple. Sighing one last time, I walked back into the bright hallway in search of Clamora.

  The study was dark and looked much like the sitting room where she first told me what had happened to me. There were crystals hanging from various parts of the ceiling, and candles took over a few of the shelves on the bookcase by the window. Dark curtains hung on each side of the window, letting in the moon’s faint glow. Two big white comfortable chairs sat on one side of the oversized mahogany desk, a black desk chair on the other. And a fireplace sat on one wall, with beautiful stone and marble creating its hearth and mantle piece. I walked up to the window and noticed it was very old. It had black crisscross bars in the glass, and it seemed to warp everything outside, making me feel like I was in a cottage. Everything outside looked beautiful through the glass, and I stayed there, unmoving, for a few more minutes. When I finally moved to turn around, I jumped and let out a small sound. Sebastian was standing in the doorway, looking at me with an intense curiosity. He opened his mouth to speak then shut it quickly and walked out of the room, taking all of its warmth as he left. I sighed and sat down heavily in one of the big white chairs and waited for Clamora to find me. It didn’t take long.

  For the last hour she had been asking me questions about my progress, a progress I didn’t even know about. I answered every one as best I could, which wasn’t saying much. When the questions finally died down, she looked down at her desk and let out a long sigh. It took her a few moments to regain herself, and when she glanced at me she realized it was time I knew what I really was. She stood up, walked to the window, and paused for a moment before turning to me and beginning the explanation.

  “For hundreds of years, there have been few witches, vampires, werewolves, spirits, fairies, and other supernatural creatures walking the earth. No one really knows how they are created. Despite what a lot of myths and legends say, they are not turned into supernatural beings by others like them; they are created by some other outside force. Many believe that it is the work of God and his gods and goddesses. Others believe these beings possess a life force that few have. Some even say it is in the blood of those who are supernatural. The answer has never truly been found or discovered. You are the strangest kind of supernatural that has ever been. You are a mix of three, witch, vampire, and fairy combined into one. In your past lives, you may have been one of each at different times, but since you were always sickly, you never made it through the change. I believe it was your sister’s soul that created the complete mixture. What she did has never been done before, and there are repercussions. We will not fully know what they are until you are completely changed.” Clamora sounded tired and sad, but she continued anyway. “Your process is almost done. And, after tonight, your change will be complete. At dawn it will be extremely painful. Sebastian and I will be there, and we will try to do everything we can to take some of the pain away,
but we won’t be able to take it all. For that, I am sorry.

  “I am going to do a few preparations for dawn, and I need complete silence in my work area. So please, do not disturb or come looking for me. Sebastian will stay with you until the time comes when we will all meet in your room to allow for the finishing process. Do you understand?” She gave me a stern look, daring me to say no. So I simply nodded at her and watched her disappear through the door.

  I sat there and stared into the dark gardens outside, silently mulling over what she had told me. The explanation was complete, or as complete as she wanted it to be for now, and it made some sense, in a strange, disorienting way. The longer and harder I thought about it, the more reality began to swim and scuttle into view. There were no others like me. I was special. And I was developing a crush on the wicked-looking Sebastian. A loud cough made me jump out of my seat, and my skin blushed crimson when I saw Sebastian leaning against the doorframe. He was easily six feet tall, his dark hair was disheveled and windblown, his green eyes were on fire with happiness and excitement, and his lips were plump, as if he had been chewing on them. His strong cheeks were slightly flushed, and the tip of his delectable nose was pink. Looking at him, I thought he seemed as if he just came back from a run or from kissing some amazingly beautiful woman. I shook my head and tried to push the jealousy out of my body and into the ground. When I finally looked at him again, he smiled and jerked his head to one side, signaling me to follow him.