The cool autumn air didn’t faze me, but my lady friend was not as lucky. She shivered, rubbing her bare arms in a last ditch effort to warm herself up. Her cheeks and nose were crimson, and I could sense the blood that flowed just beneath her fragile skin. As I watched her shiver, I couldn’t help but think how I would be doing her a favor if I just ended the feeling of cold…No! No, I couldn’t do that to her; I couldn’t take away her life.
I sighed. This decision was going to be hard to make. And to think it once seemed so easy, just four weeks ago.
She had cuts on her arms, the victim of working with wild animals at the shelter the night before. I could smell the blood, so close to the surface, threatening to make me lose all control. I held my breath, trying not to think of the girl sitting next to me. I knew her, of course. Rosa Antler. We had been in school together for years. Classes changed, but it was as if our schedules were interlocked, for she showed up in the same room as me every time.
I didn’t mind. Rosa never bothered me, never bothered anyone. She was a quiet girl, nothing unusual about her. Her simple features were nothing special, her long straight brown hair and big brown eyes were nothing much to look at. Although, I had always felt that if you looked too far into those eyes, you would find something that should have stayed hidden.
I could barely remember the events that led up to our being here. We had been assigned to work together for a biology project, and we had to meet every day in class to work on it. Throughout that time, I had discovered just how unordinary this girl was. She had seen so much in her life, watching her mother die in a fire when she was nine. She admitted to me that she wanted to die, as she felt there was nothing more for her to live for.
I thought I had made my decision. Instead of letting her kill herself, I would do it for her. I would make sure that she wouldn’t feel a thing. The poison coating my lips would numb her before I even took a bite in her flesh. Just because I was a vampire didn’t mean I had to be evil.
But there was something even more peculiar about her. The way she spoke. The way she carried herself. The way she trusted me, even though we hadn’t truly known each other that long. Usually no one ever trusted me. I knew my way of acting wasn’t the most inviting.
I remember last night, October 27th, when we first kissed. I didn’t know what had come over me; I just knew that I wanted to have her close. I didn’t even think of the venom in my mouth until she pulled away. I wondered briefly if she could still move her face, but I didn’t worry once I saw her talk.
“Well that was…interesting,” she said, smiling. She stood up to leave. “We should do it again sometime.”
“Yes,” I replied. “Yes we should.”
Snapping myself back to reality, I looked over at Rosa.
“Well, are you ready to hear my secret?”
She smiled.
“Yes, I think I’m ready. Now what is it? Are you going to tell me you’re my long lost brother now?” I laughed along with her, hoping she didn’t notice the hint of hysteria in my voice.
I was going to tell her. I had to. She told me so much; the least she should know is that I’m not even human.
“No, that’s not it. Rosa, this is going to sound crazy, but…I’m a vampire.”
She didn’t run. She didn’t scream. She didn’t back away.
“Say something.” I begged, hoping she wasn’t in some state of shock. I breathed a sigh of relief when she opened her mouth.
“A vampire. Uh-huh. Well, call me crazy, but I believe you. And call me totally nuts, but I love you.”