Eternal Changes (Mikah)

by Tiffany Berry

“Hey, Lucy,” Sam chirped as she intercepted me.

  “Hey Sam,” Lucy said as she kept walking.

  “I just wanted to tell you that you were amazing at the track tryouts,” Sam gushed. “What Alexis did to you was uncalled for. When I saw you get up and take off, I never cheered louder for anyone in my life. It was the coolest thing ever.”

  Lucy looked at Sam and smiled. The exuberance etched on Sam’s face was the same as a child who walked into a candy store for the first time.

  “Thanks,” Lucy said she reached her locker.

  “Did you know that the coach already posted who made the team?” Sam asked. “It’s on the billboard near the gym.”

  “Have you checked it out already?” Lucy asked Sam as she grabbed the books she needed from her locker.

  Sam was literally bouncing up and down. “Yep,” she gushed. “You made varsity!”

  Lucy should’ve been happy, but all she felt was a sense of sadness. There was no way that she could commit to being on any team. She’d never be able to see the season through. There wasn’t much time left.

  “Don’t be sad, Luce,” Ashton’s voice whispered through Lucy’s mind.

  Lucy glanced around the hallway, wondering where he was.

  “Are you ok?” Sam asked a little worried.

  “Yeah. I’m fine,” Lucy said as she saw Ashton walking towards her. “I was just supposed to meet with someone this morning.”

  Lucy’s heart started racing. Everything else around her went silent. All she could see was Ashton. His brown hair flowed back in waves and the golden highlights seemed to shimmer as he moved. She could drown in the golden pools of his eyes and his smile mesmerized her. He was more than beautiful. He was exquisite.

  Sam’s mouth dropped open as her voice dropped to a whisper. “Is that who you’re supposed to be meeting?”

  Lucy couldn’t form a single word. The only thing she could do was nod. Would he have this effect on her for all eternity?

  “Yes. Don’t you feel lucky?” Ashton whispered in Lucy’s mind.

  Lucy blushed. She’d forgotten that he could hear her thoughts. It was going to take some getting used to.

  “Hey, Luce,” Ashton purred as he grabbed Lucy’s hand. “Hey, Sam.”

  “H-h-hey, Ashton,” Sam stuttered as if she was star struck. “I really n-n-need to get to class. I’ll talk to you later, Lucy.”

  Ashton and Lucy smiled as Sam scrambled down the hall as if she was on fire.

  “At least I’m not the only one affected by your good looks,” Lucy said as she looked over at Ashton.

  “I’m irresistible,” he said as he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

  Lucy laughed out loud. “Alright, Mr. Big Head. We need to get to class. I’m not so sure your head will fit through the door though.”

  Ashton laughed as they started their trek to first period. Lucy’s eyes darted up and down the hallway. She blew out a sigh of relief.

  “Michael’s not here yet, Luce,” Ashton whispered in her ear as they walked into the classroom.

  “How do you know he’s not here?” Lucy asked.

  “I know what he smells like and I’ve one heck of a sensitive nose,” Ashton’s voice replied in her mind.

  “Do you know what I smell like too?” Lucy asked him as she communicated with him telepathically.

  Lucy could hear Ashton moan in her head. “Delicious.”

  “Thanks for making me feel like a rib eye steak,” she joked.

  Ashton’s laughter twinkled through Lucy’s mind and she smiled up at him.

  The day slowly passed by, but at least Lucy had Ashton to keep her amused. She continued to test her ability to talk to him using her mind while the teachers droned on.

  Lucy never thought too much about what she’d do after high school. Did she always know in the back of her mind that she was different? That she’d never go to college? Her thoughts drifted to having a family of her own one day. Was it possible for her to even have a child?

  “It’s possible,” Ashton said. “Vampires are only able to produce children every few hundred years and we never know when it is. I’m not sure how it will be for you. You’re one of a kind, Luce.”

  “I’m not so sure that’s a good thing,” Lucy said.

  The final bell rung and the students rushed out of the room like a small stampede. Ashton and Lucy walked out of the classroom and headed out of the school.

  “What are your plans for tonight?” Ashton asked as he walked Lucy to her car.

  Lucy shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t have any plans, but I think I’m going to stay at home.”

  “Will you be ok by yourself?” Ashton asked as he opened the car door for her.

  A raw hunger washed over Lucy as she climbed in the car. Her mouth was parched and felt like sand paper. She felt thirstier than she’d ever felt before. Her eyes shot up at Ashton. “You haven’t fed.”

  Ashton backed up as he shut the car door. “No.”

  Lucy’s eyes pleaded with Ashton as she grabbed his hand. “Use me.”

  Ashton bowed his head in shame as his voice dropped to a whisper. “You know I can’t.”

  It felt like someone kicked her in the heart. She let go of Ashton’s hand and started the car. A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked at him. “I don’t know why it’s killing me to think about you feeding from someone else, but it’s literally ripping me apart.”

  Ashton ran his finger down Lucy’s cheek, cupped her face with his hands, and leaned forward to kiss her. Lucy closed her eyes as Ashton’s soft lips touched hers. His love poured through her and all of his feelings rushed over her. He didn’t want to feed from anyone else, but he felt like he had no choice. Understanding dawned.

  The kiss ended and Ashton stepped away from the car. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lucy.”

  A half hour later, Lucy pulled into her driveway. The emotions of the past two days were threatened to overwhelm her. All she wanted to do was to take a hot shower. The less she had to think about, the better.

  Lucy turned the shower on as she got undressed. She gazed at herself in the oval mirror in front of the sink. Dark circles marred the pale skin underneath her eyes. She turned away from her reflection and climbed into the shower. The water drizzled over her head and face as she tried to relax. An image of Ashton burying his fangs into another girl’s neck floated through Lucy’s mind. She could see the look of ecstasy on the girl’s face as Ashton suckled from her creamy skin.

  “Stop torturing yourself,” Ashton whispered in her mind. “I won’t feed from a female. You’re all the female I’ll ever need.”

  “I don’t know how you deal with feelings that are stronger than the ones I’m dealing with,” Lucy said. “It’s almost unbearable at times.”

  “You’ll be able to get a grip on your feelings and emotions over time,” Ashton said. “Don’t worry about it. You need to get some rest.”

  Lucy headed for her bedroom when she was finished. She turned her tv on as she laid down on her bed. Lucy’s body began relaxing as she watched the movie on the screen. Her eyes drifted close as she gave into the sweet demand of sleep her body was craving.

  A few hours later, Lucy jerked awake. She looked over at the alarm clock. The red numbers flashed seven thirty at her. Her stomach grumbled and growled as she got up and made her way downstairs.

  Lucy walked into the kitchen and found a pizza box with a note attached to it. It said:

  Luce,

  I found out that we don’t have pizza delivery where we live. I know you’re not going to love reading that. It’s also not a pizza place we are familiar with, but there weren’t a whole lot of choices. I found you asleep in your room and I didn’t want to disturb you. I’ll be in my office writing if you need me. I hope you enjoy the pizza.

  Love,

  Mom

  Lucy put the note down and read the name plastered in red on the brown pizza box. Snappy Tomato Pizza? That was different. Lucy shrugged her shoulders as she
opened the box and took a slice out. Lucy stared at the pizza in her hand as she inspected it. The cheese was peppered with bacon and ham. She brought the slice up to her mouth and took a small bite. Her eyes widened as she gazed down at the pizza.

  Lucy annihilated the slice of pizza and walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door to grab a drink. “What in the world?” she murmured as she looked down at the green box sitting on the clear bottom shelf. “Ski? Never heard of it,” she said as she pulled out one of the soft drinks and popped the top open. She glared at the can before taking a small sip. The citrus and lime flavors exploded in her mouth. Her eyes widened as she looked back at the can. Who would’ve thought something so small could be so good?

  She ate another slice of pizza and shut the box. Lucy’s stomach dropped as she heard someone knocking at the front door. She chewed on her bottom lip as she walked over to open the door. The door squeaked as she pried it open. She looked up into Michael’s face.

  “Hey, Michael,” Lucy said as she walked outside and shut the front door.

  “Hey, Luce,” Michael said as he grabbed her hand. A smile lit up his face.

  Lucy stared down at her pale hand in his tan one and felt nothing. The warmth she’d once felt was gone. What did it all mean? She slowly pulled her hand out of his and looked up at him.

  “What’s wrong?” Michael asked as he tried to grab a hold of my hand.

  Lucy evaded his touch and sat down on the porch steps. “There’s something I have to tell you, Michael.” She looked out at the sky. A light purple streaked across it where the sun had set not too long ago. A mosquito buzzed around her head and she tried to swat it away.

  Michael sat down next to her. “What is it, Luce?”

  “I moved here from a place where I was an outcast,” she explained as she glanced over at him. “From the first time I met you, you’ve went out of your way to make me feel welcomed and I’ve enjoyed spending time with you…”

  “I’ve enjoyed spendin’ time with you too, Luce,” Michael interrupted.

  “I’m not done. Let me finish what I was saying,” she pleaded with him. “All I can be to you is a friend, Michael. I can never be anything more than that. Ever.”

  “What happened to make you say that?” Michael asked. “You’re all I’ve thought ‘bout since I met you. You’ve overtaken my mind. I thought we had a special connection.”

  “I’ve a stronger connection with someone else,” Lucy said as she touched his shoulder. “I didn’t mean to lead you on. It all happened so fast.”

  Michael pulled Lucy to him and slid his lips over hers. She felt nothing. She lay limp in his arms and he pulled away.

  Michael ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t think I can just give up on you, Luce,” he whispered as he gazed into her eyes.

  “I need you to, Michael,” Lucy said as she dropped her head into her hands.

  Michael stood up. “I ain’t so sure it’s what you need.”

  Tears filled Lucy’s eyes as Michael climbed in his truck and left without saying another word.

  Chapter 15

  In the darkness of the shadows, Jaymes and Ophelia hid as they watched the events unfold between the girl and boy. The tree leaves rustled as Ophelia sat down on the rough branch and waited. A small light gleamed from the porch where the two were sitting.

  Ophelia smiled as the human male kissed the girl. “Well, that was easy,” she said as she looked over at Jaymes. “When are you going to take the girl?”

  “I’m going to wait until she falls asleep,” Jaymes said. “Karver doesn’t want her harmed and there’ll be less of a struggle if she’s passed out.”

  “That’s no fun,” Ophelia said as a flicker of motion grabbed her attention. The boy was climbing in the truck. “Game on.” She jumped from the branch and flew up into the sky.

  The truck propelled down the road, but Ophelia was faster. She flew a quarter mile ahead of the truck and landed gracefully on the road. Excitement thrummed through her veins as she waited.

  The yellow glow of headlights lit up Ophelia’s figure. A horn blared as the truck propelled towards her. Ophelia smiled as she flicked her wrist. The truck slowed down as the motor sputtered and died. She hopped on top of the green hood as the truck stopped inches from her. She pointed at the driver side door and flicked her wrist and the metal door went flying off its hinges. It landed in the ditch across the road with a loud thud.

  “What the heck’s going on?” the boy asked as he climbed out of the truck.

  Ophelia stared down at him. “You’re coming with me.”

  The boy’s eyes widened as he backed away. “You’ve lost your mind lady. I ain’t goin’ nowhere with you.”

  “I guess we’ll do this the hard way then,” Ophelia murmured as the boy took off running down the road. She flew up in the air followed the boy. She could hear his shoes tapping across the pavement as he ran.

  The boy looked back at her before dodging to the left into the nearby woods.

  Ophelia’s laughter rung through the night sky as she flew in-between two trees and entered into the thick forest. She scanned the area and couldn’t see him. “You might have been able to run, boy, but you can’t hide from me.”

  Ophelia closed her eyes and tuned into the sounds of the forest. Hard, short gasps were coming from a tree to the right of her. She glided to the right and the breathing grew louder as she stopped in front of the tree. She peeked around the tree. The boy was leaning against the tree in a ball. His arms were wrapped around his legs.

  Ophelia landed next to him. “Don’t you like what you see?” she asked as she bared her fangs.

  “Oh my god!” He screamed as he scrambled across the forest floor on his hands and knees.

  Ophelia laughed and reveled in his fear. She could taste his fear on her tongue. “You’re coming with me,” she said as she looked deep into his eyes to compel him to do her bidding.

  The boy stopped, frozen in place as Ophelia walked towards him. She smiled to herself as she grabbed him to her. Maybe Karver would let her have a taste of the boy later as a reward…

  While Ophelia chased down the human boy, Jaymes continued to wait in the obscurity that the shadows provided. A sudden rustling in the woods caught his attention and he spun around. The golden coat of a cougar shimmered in the night as it large paws pounded against the dirt floor. Its topaz eyes glared at Jaymes, its fangs bared. A growl rumbled low in the cougar’s chest as it leaped into the air. Jaymes threw up his arms and delved his hands into the cougar’s furry coat. Jaymes grunted as he fell to the ground. The cougar’s razor sharp teeth dug into Jaymes’s shoulder and Jaymes screamed in pain.

  Jaymes pushed against the cougar’s thick neck as he kicked his legs up and flipped the cougar off of him. Jaymes flew up from the ground and faced the cougar. “What do you want?”

  Its golden eyes narrowed. “Your heart,” the cougar snarled as it crouched low on its haunches.

  “Come and get it,” Jaymes said as he waited the cougar’s next move.

  The cougar’s tail flicked back and forth as it stared at Jaymes. It darted forward and leaped into the air, its mouth wide open as it went for Jaymes’s neck.

  Jaymes glided over to the side and punched his hand through the cougar’s chest where its heart was located. Its warm blood streamed down Jaymes’s arm. The cougar roared in pain as Jaymes wrapped his hand around its beating organ. A popping sound rung through the air as Jaymes jerked his hand forward and ripped the cougar’s heart from its chest.

  The cougar’s body went limp in Jaymes’s arms. He backed up and let the body fall to the ground. Jaymes looked down at the heart he held in his hand. It still pulsated against his fingers. He tossed it to the ground and glanced over at the house. He levitated up to a tree branch and waited as he looked at the sad looking white house. Nothing in the house stirred.

  A light flickered on in an upstairs room. The girl walked up to the window and stared outside for a f
ew minute before cracking the window open. She turned away and went out of sight. The light went out and Jaymes leaped off of the branch and flew towards the house. He lightly landed on the black metal roof by the girl’s window. He peeked into the room and was relieved to finally see that the girl was lying in her bed.

  Jaymes waited patiently for her to fall asleep. He didn’t have to wait long. The sound of soft snoring floated through the cracked window. Jaymes smiled as he pushed the cracked window open and entered her room. He walked over to the side of her bed and waved his hand over her body as he compelled her into an even deeper slumber. A soft sigh escaped her lips as he slowly picked her up. He looked into her small pixie face. Could something so small really hold that much power?