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jerenda -> RE: Into the Night (12/23/2008 17:51:46)
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Budding Writer, Budding Fangs
So. Chaos. Death. Doom. Destruction. Burn and fire, blast and boil, flames and rot and fear. Let it all burn, burn until there’s nothing left but ashes. Let death hover on every windowsill, every failed relationship, every incompatible lover destined to meet. Let it all blacken and fade. Let it turn to dust, be blown away be the wind of despair. The wind of change. Perhaps, when the world is born anew of fire and pain and suffering, perhaps there will be peace.
There’s a book called Cold Tom. Tom could see what’s bothering me, or he could if he were real. I’m tied down, bound by my only love. My very gift that brings me joy is my undoing. The strings that bind us all together have fastened on me. Perhaps Tom is right when he believes they are bad. Perhaps our links to other people, the means by which we control others and drive them to do our will, are inherently evil and of themselves.
And perhaps I’ll die tomorrow.
Dusk put down her pencil and sighed, stretching like a cat with relief. Another potential disaster, averted by the mighty pencil. Disasters 0; Pencil 3. That last line hadn't come out exactly the way she wanted- she meant it to be sarcastic, but instead it sounded morbid and angry. Ah well. At least it distracted me.
She gave a sharp-toothed smile to the girl to her right, gratified to see uncertainty and a touch of fear in the silvery-blue eyes. Her own eyes had faded to their normal olive green, startling and unexpected against her alabaster skin. A stray lock of thick, curling black hair traced a path down high, prominent cheekbones and almost brushed her full lips before her hand flashed upward, stifling its newfound freedom back into its bun.
Eyes still locked on the other’s, she let her hand rest on the edge of the desk, it’s long-fingered elegance on display for all the world to see. Dusk could hear the girl’s heartbeat speeding up as her expression of terror intensified along with Dusk’s evil grin… and then she looked abruptly away, breaking into laughter. Dusk followed, mimicking the silvery tones exactly, watching the girl with unveiled wonder.
Yet another encounter navigated successfully… and I think I actually understood that one. Today is going pretty good, Dusk thought, relieved. Not only was the female incredibly annoying when she wanted to be, but she was the most random drama queen ever. In all the schools Dusk had seen- and there had been many- there had never been anyone quite like Skyler. As near as Dusk could interpret it, that little experience was an exercise in acting. Yes, acting. Apparently, being threatened by a bloodthirsty vampire was a game to her.
Dusk turned her attention to math, attempting to make the glaringly obvious systems of Cranmer’s rule fascinating enough to block out the female’s next ploy for attention. As her insistent cries of “Dusk! Dusk!” grew in strength, Dusk’s ability to interpret what she was thinking only made matters worse. From Skyler’s point of view, Dusk was being terribly rude to ignore her. “I’ve got to focus, Skyler, I need to know how this works,” she lied, pretending to pay close attention to the insipid lecture being given.
“Yeah right, Dusk, you know how to do this better then Mr. Keath does.”
Music… I need music… As Long As You’re Mine, Dusk whispered, drawing the sound file from her memory and hitting play. Perhaps it was her heritage, or simple taste, but the intense love songs favored by most human females had the effect of driving away distractions and calming her. Finally able to relax, Dusk sank into half-trance, her hands moving with liquid grace over the paper, filling it with math of their own free ill.
Across the room, a curly-haired boy glanced up at the unnaturally beautiful girl. He saw in an instant’s flash the unfocused quality of her eyes, and the way her hands moved still, filling the paper in front of her with undoubtedly flawless math. A hundred other slight observations collided in his head, combining to form a larger picture.
Corol-mith; the new night. High speed and intellect, low strength and self-control. Quick temper, reads minds, strong thirst for knowledge, withstands sunlight and crosses, dislikes salt, silver, and blessed items, especially holy water. Identifying trait: lack of true sleep. Enters trance state instead, from which is easily awakened. Can still function on ‘autopilot’ in half-trance.
I’m dealing with a young Corol-mith, perhaps fifty at the oldest, and though she can read minds she has not killed me yet. That means she either does not know how to control that ability, hasn’t bothered to look, or simply doesn’t care. To him, the last possibility was the most frightening- a boy of his age and training was supposed to be more than a match for her kind, at that level of ability at least, and if she didn’t even care that he was there meant she was so far above him it was pointless to even try.
“Jacob! Can you do problem thirteen?” The boy turned away from Dusk, paying attention to the girl next to him. The girl, however, wasn’t looking at her paper. She was glancing from him to Dusk and back again. “Jacob… you’ve got a crush on Dusk!”
Jacob’s mouth dropped open. “What? That’s so ridiculous!” A crush? On her kind? As if. She’d kill me in a moment.
“You’re always staring at her. I don’t know… I think you’d look cute together.” Jacob just stared at the girl as if she was an idiot- which, to his mind, she was behaving as if she was.
“This is so pointless. Give me your math, I’ll help you.”
Brrring! A babble of noise exploded within the classroom as everybody vacated the premises instantly, emptying the room in a matter of seconds. Dusk and Jacob lingered, Dusk waiting for Skyler, Jacob determined to finish that one last problem before leaving.
As the girls left they passed close by Jacob’s desk, and he heard Dusk talking in her soft, dulcet voice that was the birthright of all of her kin.
“Yes, I’m doing something in the science buildings until four, but I’ll be in the library by four-thirty. We can meet there…”
Their voices faded away into the babble of the crowd, and Jacob finally dared to look up. The science buildings… it’s a date then. Finally, a chance to test my skills.
Dusk strode out of the science classroom right on time, at four precisely. She had left her backpack somewhere, so now she walked unhampered by the extra weight. Jacob, waiting around the corner, had to look away and remind himself what she was. Oh, she was beautiful, and without the backpack… her very stride was enchanting. Then again, it was supposed to be. Man, I feel like a stalker, he thought, and then he was out of time to think.
She rounded the corner, gliding rather than walking, and Jacob stepped into her path. She very nearly ran into him, but fell back at the last moment, looking at him with confusion. “Um, hi. Jacob, right? Fancy meeting you here…” She was unnerved, he could tell.
“Hello Dusk,” he said, smiling casually. “I was wondering- could we talk?” He was careful to keep the fear out of his voice. He had to get her to let down her guard.
She hesitated- scared, as any sane person would be. “Well, okay… what about?”
He turned the direction she had been heading, motioning for her to walk and talk at the same time. They’re more comfortable moving… definitely not the sit-still variety. Now I just need an ice-breaker… “What did you think of that book we’re reading in English?”
That was not the question she had been expecting. She fumbled for words for a moment, apprehensive. “Twelfth Night? I’ve read it before- but I like it. Shakespeare’s one of my favorite writers.”
“Yes, the way he plays with his meter to create effect is fascinating.” Sure, he sounded like a nerd, but he couldn’t afford to worry about his image as well as everything else. She replied- he didn’t know what she said, but only that her apprehension had gone. In her mind, it was perfectly normal to want to discuss Shakespeare. Then came the moment- he pulled out a water bottle and broke the seal. He had to do so in front of her, to prove that it hadn’t been tampered with. He brought the bottle to his lips, but didn’t drink. Instead, he looked at her and offered it to her first.
To her, it was a nice gesture. Kind, and considerate. The water was clean, and as he hadn’t drunk from it yet, she smiled. “Oh, thanks Jacob.” Dusk tilted her head back and let it ‘waterfall’ into her mouth, so that she wouldn’t contaminate it. He was grateful of the gesture, but in a moment she wasn’t going to be caring about giving him her germs.
She swallowed and handed it back, and for a moment he was disappointed. He stashed the bottle and said something semi-intelligent about Twelfth Night, forming the words of his good-bye in his mind even as he spoke. If she wasn’t one, he was going to feel like a major idiot in a moment... and then she stopped.
A flicker of uncertainty crossed her face, then a spasm of pain. She crumpled to the floor, clutching her sides in obvious pain. Agonized olive green eyes met impassive brown ones, and Jacob smiled slightly.
“What… what is this?” she gasped, breathing heavily.
“Holy water. Want some more?” He brought out the container again, and she flinched away. “For any human it would have no effect. It would be just like normal water. But you’re not human… are you?” He crouched down beside her, uncapping it. “Well, are you?”
She sat up with an effort, one hand still clinging to her side as if to hold herself together. “You win. I’m a vampire.” Her words came quickly, rushed and gasping at the same time. “But is that any reason to… to do this to me? Do you even understand what you’ve done?”
Jacob’s smile grew sadistic. “You feel like you’re burning up inside- mostly in your stomach, but your lungs are affected too. It’s hard to breathe, and you are certain you must be choking to death. Yes, Dusk, I know exactly what you’re going through. If it makes any difference, I wouldn’t have if there had been another way. But you happen to be very dangerous, and I need to take you down. Look inside my mind- I know you can.”
Beads of sweat formed on her brow, and her entire lithe frame shuddered. She glanced up into his eyes, meeting them with pain and anguish. Despite his training, despite all of his loathing for her kind, he almost felt pity. Perhaps she saw that in his expression, for she took hold of his hand.
“Why, Jacob? I would never hurt you… never.” She drew him closer, a tragic heroine suffering for her love. Tenderly, gently, she encircled him with her arms, dazing him with her embrace. He was almost completely under her spell, but she couldn’t wait to finish the enchantment. Her eyes slanted to black, and she bent her head to his neck. She needed blood and now.
A dagger buried itself in her heart, and she fell back. At least he wasn’t smiling anymore- he looked shocked. Probably more at himself then at her- no doubt he had always though himself perfectly capable of resisting a vampire’s charms. But it was too late for him- seduction was the last thing on her list now. She dragged the dagger from her chest, gasping as the blood stained her shirt crimson red.
“You know, I really don’t appreciate that.” Dusk climbed to her feet, leaning against the wall. Jacob shook the shock off, forcing his mind to function properly, and rose into a fighting stance.
“That’s alright- I’m not fond of going on dates with people who want to kill me.” Jacob made the first move, pulling another dagger from his jeans and driving it towards her. She blocked skillfully and pushed back, using the wall’s unyielding strength to fuel her shove.
“What is it with you and weapons of mass destruction? Do you bring these things to school in your pockets?”
I'm not really sure what to do past here... I'm not exactly looking forward to writing my own death scene, and the muse has left me for this piece anyways. I shall work on it later, or perhaps sooner, if I get more inspiration.
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