by Sam Vickery
“Thank goodness for that,” I muttered, glad that she would never even get close to figuring out my secret.
After showering, I dressed quickly, before slipping quietly out of my floral room. Listening carefully for just a second, I smiled to myself making up my mind. I pulled the door closed behind me, and stole silently down the stairs, slipping out through the front door, and into the night. Tomorrow I would worry about my next step. Tonight, I was going hunting.
Chapter Two
I sat at the back of the bus, wrapped up in the depths of my mind as I watched the grey skies blend into a greyer sea. It was hard to tell where one ended and the other began, a cloak of fog shielding the town from any chance of a slice of blue sky. The weather this morning reflected my mood perfectly as usual. I thought wistfully back to the sunny days of happier times. They seemed so far behind me now, the memories still as sharp as they had ever been, but somehow it was as if they belonged to someone else. I felt as if I had no business conjuring them up, like I was reading a private diary, memories which should be locked away, but I just couldn’t stop myself from peeking.
I'd woken at the first sign of sunrise feeling tense and restless, and had paced the house in agitation while I waited for the rest of the world to awaken. I had decided to go into town to visit the library, in the hopes of finding something that would help me figure out what my next step should be. I looked out of the dirty fogged up window now as far as I could see, hoping for something, anything, to appear that would rip me out of this nightmare. I wanted my old life back. I missed my parents so much. On the few occasions I had allowed myself to open the door into those colourful memories and think of how things had been, I had felt as if the earth was opening up ready to suck me into its molten depths, never to release me again. My life seemed like an infinite purgatory now, I was sentenced to walk alone for the rest of my days.
A sudden commotion tore me from my over dramatic and self indulgent thoughts. Three teenage boys were jeering loudly, shouting obscenities and insults, the other passengers sitting frozen faced, unwilling to register their discomfort out loud. The rowdiest of the boys was dark haired, wiry and had a face as hard as stone, his mouth turned down in an unattractive sneer. The other two could have been brothers. Both had thick coppery hair, they stood much taller than the first boy, at around five foot nine and six foot respectively, and both were brawny. Their features could almost have been angelic, had they not been set into such cruel expressions. Their golden skin was flushed with adrenaline at the discomfort they were causing.
Across the aisle sat a younger boy, the focus of their insults, who I guessed to be around twelve years old. He was small and dressed scruffily in clothes at least two sizes too small for his tiny frame, his freckled ankles on display, shaking hands clamped firmly in his lap. I watched with interest as his glasses began to steam up, though he made no move to wipe them. Despite the obvious heat he was feeling under the tension of the boys scrutiny, his delicate face was pale and drawn. The boy's head drooped down so low that his chin touched his chest. He looked as if he were trying to fold himself away, to make himself so small he would become invisible, safe in his own protective bubble. I could hear the flutter of his heart, smell the bead of sweat that ran smoothly down his cheek, past his glowing red ears and down the slope of his neck.
I noticed, in the same quick glance that both the gang of lads and the younger boy were all wearing the same school uniform. It obviously wasn't the first encounter of this kind between the four of them. I watched, waiting to see if the situation would die down and the young boy would be left alone. They had turned away now and were talking in low voices. I supposed, to a humans ear, their chatter was inaudible, but not to me. I listened to them planning, my quick eyes breaking through the small gaps between the barrier of their bodies, shaking my head in disgust as I saw what they intended to do.
The dark haired boy had his back to the aisle, shielded by the others and was filling a plastic juice bottle with his dark urine. The stench of ammonia drifted through the air, hitting my nostrils and sending repulsion through me. How can people be so cruel? I wondered in disgust, as I watched them scheme, and realised their intentions.
“We'll throw it at him at he gets off,” the dark haired one sneered spitefully.
“No, just do it now, it will be funny mate, just do it!” goaded one of the sidekicks.
“Just wait,” instructed the dark haired boy firmly. It was clear that he was the top dog in this little gang.
I sighed, wishing I hadn’t heard, that I could go on in blissful ignorance like the other passengers. Wishing these idiots didn’t get their kicks causing embarrassment and suffering to others. Wishing for the past, wishing for everything that was gone, wishing I could sit in the sun, watching the waterfall, talk to my parents... just wishing. But I knew as soon as I saw what they had planned that I wouldn’t let it happen. The jeering had started back up again and the passengers remained sitting, stony faced, unfocused eyes, not willing to be dragged into something that took them out of their comfort zone. I stood up and took a step forward, closing my eyes as I took a deep breath.
Leave him alone. The words flew through my mind, but before they were formed in my mouth I heard another voice echoing my thoughts. A voice that left no room for argument, so calm and confident, ringing with power.
“That's enough.”
My eyes snapped wide open to see who had spoken, and in the space of a second, before I squeezed them shut again, I knew my life was changed forever.
He was tall, at least 6'2 and his hair was as black as the night. Emerald eyes glared out of his smooth bronzed face, a million soft black lashes surrounding them, framing them like miniature works of art. I thought I saw them flicker towards me, but despite my own impeccable senses, I couldn’t be quite sure. One thing I did know though, was that this was no human. His heart had the same quick rhythm as my own and I could feel the heat radiating from him. I watched in a daze as he dealt with the gang, how they saw his authority, respected his order without question. No need for him to stop them physically, they stood up as the bus pulled over to the side of the road, and got off without a word. I watched as the three of them walked quickly down the street, heads down, silent and shocked.
Before the bus had chance to pull away, he was gone, striding off in the opposite direction and out of my life. I stood for a nanosecond before my legs carried me after him. I knew he could sense me following, but I was too afraid to catch up to him. What the hell was I doing? Walking after a boy I had never seen before, into the outskirts of town, heading into the unknown. “I am strong, I am strong, I am strong,” I repeated in my head, knowing deep within myself that this stranger had a strength that may even match my own. My parents had always led me to believe that I was the only one of my kind. Unique, that's what they called me, special. When I was twelve I had wanted to go in search of others like me, but they convinced me I was wasting my time, told me that they had already searched the world, asking everyone who might know, and that no one had ever heard of someone like me. Even the human legends didn't mention me. The stories revolving similar creations were all so different, resulting in a being who was truly evil. I may not be human, may not have a soul, but I tried, oh how I tried to be good.
But if what my parents told me was true, then what was this boy? Something different, something dangerous perhaps? Who was he, where did he come from, and why did I feel as if I already knew him? Burning with a thousand unanswered questions, I continued to walk behind him for an age. His black hair was damp with the misty drizzle, his body tense, shoulders unmoving as he continued forwards. I wished I could tell if he was angry, or if he was feeling as nervous as I was in that moment. The town far behind us, we reached the edge of the forest and he didn’t break his stride. He glanced back, not quite meeting my eyes and I knew he meant for me to follow. He broke into a run and I copied, keeping a twenty foot gap between us. We ran in silence, my eyes never leaving his back as
we covered ground quickly, moving deeper and deeper into the woodlands. We must have travelled about four miles and I was beginning to feel panicky as I wondered where he was leading me, when finally, we emerged through the densely populated foliage into a glade, and he came to an abrupt halt.
There in the clearing stood an almighty yew tree, gnarly and ancient, domineering its part of the forest. Beside the tree was a lake, its surface smooth and unrippled, exuding tranquillity. I wished I could soak up some of its calmness, I needed it right now. The beautiful boy turned his back on the lake, facing me at last.
“You followed, I hoped you would,” he said, the words coming so quietly, as if they would draw me in. It worked. Involuntarily I took a step forward.
“Who are you? What are you?” I demanded, my voice wavering as I hid my shaking hands in my pockets.
“My name is Sebastian,” he said simply, his green eyes piercing into my own. “I'm the same as you.”
My heart thudded in panic and I watched his face, trying to decide if he had heard it skip a beat. “I don't understand, how do you know me? What do you think I am?”
“Oriah, I can hear your heart, it's the same as mine.”
I startled at his use of my name. “Can you?” I whispered, though I didn't dare to believe it.
“It's okay, really, you are safe with me, I promise you that,” he spoke gently.
“What are you?” I insisted, a test for him. I still wasn't certain he knew my secret, how could he? I was the only one of my kind, and I would have bet my life that my parents had never shared my existence with any outsider.
“I'm a Child of Venus of course, just as you are,” he smiled, shrugging in confusion at my questioning.
“A what?”
“Oriah, don't you know what you are?”
“Yes of course. I...” I hesitated, not wanting to reveal the truth to this stranger, yet feeling oddly compelled to tell him every little thing about me, to share my every dream, every secret with him. It was very unsettling. I took a breath and let the words spill forward. “I'm not actually sure there is a name for what I am,” I confessed. “My mother used to call me a Mélange and it seemed fitting, she said it meant a mixture. I think she made it up though.” He burst into laughter and for a moment I felt totally exposed beneath his scrutiny. “What is so funny about that?” I demanded angrily.
“Oriah, your mother didn't make it up, she must have learned it somewhere. She was right of course, but that word is so outdated, no-one uses it anymore!” he laughed. “You are a Child of Venus, just as I am.”
“And what does that mean?” I asked, crossing my arms defensively.
“A Child of Venus is someone like you or I. There are many like us the world over as it happens; So named after the first recorded case of a baby surviving his mother being envenomated by a Vampire during her pregnancy, which just so happened to occur during a transit of Venus,” he explained concisely.
This cleared up any worry surrounding his claims – he knew what I was alright. How strange to find another of my kind. And how interesting this term he used to describe us was. “A transit of Venus?” I queried.
“Yes – it's very rare. It's when Venus passes right between the sun and the earth. I rather prefer it to Mélanges, don't you?” he smiled.
I nodded, considering it. “Yes, I think I do too – it's pretty.” He laughed merrily, looking like a mischievous child. “So I'm still confused. How did you find me? Did you know I would be on that bus?” I stepped even closer to him, as if pulled by an invisible force, I couldn't seem to help myself. I had a strong urge to touch his face, which I pushed down deep inside me, shaking my head in an attempt to clear my mind, forcing myself to concentrate. He didn't take his eyes from mine as he answered.
“Well, it's a bit of a strange story actually, I'm not sure you'll believe me...” he paused, leaning against the yew. I took another step towards him.
“Try me.”
“I don’t know where to start,” he sighed, moving forward bridging the gap between us, near enough to touch now. I felt my heart stutter at his close proximity, feeling suddenly very awkward, and looked down unable to meet his eyes. He seemed to sense my discomfort and stepped back, turning towards the lake. “Do I frighten you?” he asked looking hurt.
“No,” I replied honestly. Strangely, I actually felt incredibly safe despite the unusual circumstances.
He continued to stare at the lake, waiting for me to speak again, I supposed. As he watched the water silently, he seemed to emit an aura of quiet confidence. He didn't look round as I moved to stand beside him. Nervously, and feeling totally unsure of myself I took a tiny step closer, taking a deep steeling breath as our shoulders brushed against one another, the backs of our fingers grazing lightly together. His skin was just as I had imagined, smooth and hot, and my heart thudded loudly as I built up the confidence to move closer still.
I felt him tense, and heard his own heart thump unevenly as he continued to stare at the mirror of the lake. I looked down, momentarily distracted from my thoughts by his reflection staring up at me. Our eyes met and I felt pure electricity running through my veins. His fingers twitched against the back of my hand, sending shivers one after another through me, raising the tiny hairs on my arm in anticipation. I had no idea what I was doing or why, but I knew that if I didn't grab his hand right then I would likely explode. Not taking my eyes from his perfect reflection I summoned my courage, and in one quick motion moved my hand to sit in his hot palm, shutting my eyes and exhaling at the incredible sensation that washed over me. I half expected him to pull back, to tell me to get off of him, and for a fraction of a second, he didn't respond. But then he was squeezing back, a heartbreakingly beautiful smile breaking across his features as he tried to calm his own breathing. I felt lost in the swirl of my emotions – elation, confusion, joy and a new one which I could only assume to be desire filling my mind and body.
We laughed in unison as he looked at me tenderly. How could I explain this feeling that I knew him, that his very being was a part of me? It was so sudden and unexpected, yet being here with this person who was no more than a stranger to me, felt like the missing puzzle piece.
“So,” I spoke quietly, “are you going to finish telling me how you found me... or start I should say,” I laughed.
He nodded, looking back towards the lake. “Okay, well, here goes...” he sighed, “I dreamed you, actually.”
“You... dreamed me?” I repeated.
“Yes,” he nodded, “for months, you filled my dreams, I saw your face every time I closed my eyes. At first it was just you, but then I began to see more. I saw a battle, you were all alone, lost and I knew I had to find you. It's going to sound strange I expect, but I began to instruct my dreams, focus more, trying to figure out where you could be. I saw so much jungle, the sun was so bright and then this week it all changed. I saw you get on a plane, saw grey skies, I recognised the land and then I knew you were coming to England. I dreamed your Aunt Ivy here in Hampshire, and knew at last that I would find you,” he paused looking at me for my reaction, but I couldn't speak. “I dreamed you Oriah, and I had to find you. Didn't you dream me too?”
No! I wanted to say, but I realised it was a lie. I had dreamed him, only I didn't know what I was seeing. Not a face, just a feeling. So many times I had woken feeling panicked, eager, like something I had lost, something so important, a part of myself was waiting for me to discover it. I looked at his wary smile and realised that it had been him I had been waiting for all this time. “Yes,” I said, a smile spreading over my lips. “I dreamed you too.”
I wanted to reach out, to touch his face and see if it really was as smooth as it looked. I wanted to lay my head on his chest and hear his heartbeat so close, listen to the way it mirrored my own, but I settled for holding his hand in mine. It was enough for now.
“We have so much to say,” he said.
“Yes,”
“But an eternity to say it in I sup
pose,” he laughed, his eyes crinkling.
“Well, not an eternity, but a lifetime at least,” I replied, feeling like a bubble was growing and growing ready to burst inside me.
“What do you mean a lifetime? We are immortal my darling,” he said, looking questioningly at me. I flinched at the word, “darling.” The last time I had been called that was as my mother was running to her death.
“We are Mélanges! Sorry – Children of Venus,” I corrected myself. “Our hearts beat, our veins pump blood, we are not immortal Sebastian,” I said in confusion. “Our bodies will give out after a lifetime, just like the humans. Surely you realise this?”
“Oriah, I am one hundred and fifty three years old and going strong,” he smiled, shaking his head like he was talking to a five year old. “You really have no idea about what you are, do you?”
“Of course I do,” I whispered, shaken. “Part mortal, part Vampire, just like you?” I said uncertainly. “I don't understand, how is your heart still beating?”
“It never gets old. I matured at seventeen, just as you will, and since then my body has been constantly renewing itself. As I sleep, my body is regenerated. It will go on forever. We are as immortal as any Vampire Oriah.”
I released his hand and slumped down onto the damp moss, confused at his words. My parents had been quite clear on this, I had an expiry date, my mortal side would win in the end. But here was Sebastian, one hundred and fifty three years old, and still clearly alive and well, telling me I would live forever. It was too much to take in. He was next to me in a second, folding himself to the ground beside me and gently taking back my hands. My heart was in my mouth as his fingers coiled around my own. I looked up into his beautiful eyes and smiled. “I'm sorry, it's a lot to take in. You just handed me immortality, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.”
He ran a finger over the back of my hand, looking serious. “Oriah, I have more I have to tell you that you don’t know.”