Rose paced the hallway between rooms downstairs. The Celtic music she put on the stereo wasn't calming her down, so she changed it to violins. Three more paces up and down the hallway, changed the music again. She punched a couple of buttons and Toby Mac's Extreme Days blared through the speakers. 'How fitting' she thought. Aden's insistence on remembering had rattled her. She couldn't let him remember! Not while Adrian was on the hunt. He had to stay safe. Stay ignorant of who they were to each other. Oh, but how she longed to be held in his arms again. To nestle against his chest and listen to his heart beat and breathe in his cologne. She punched the wall near the stereo. "Oh God," she prayed. "What am I supposed to do?" She sank onto her sofa and let the tears come. Her sobs muffled by the beat of the music as her mind retraced the day she met him.
It was just like any other day at school, dull. She preferred her anonymity from among her peers. She had learned quickly enough how to blend in to obscurity; to be the freak no one would venture to associate with. It was better that way. Safer. You can't lose a friend you don't have, right? Too many times she had let her guard down only to be reminded that she didn't belong to this race. She may have appeared human, but life had a way of showing her she was anything but human. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why her mother made attend school in the first place. It's not like she needed an education. It's not like she would be holding a job; or getting married or doing any other normal 'human' thing. Her mother had said it was easier to hide in the open and nothing was more open then school.
Hide from what, you may ask. More of a 'hide from who' sort of thing. Adrian to be precise. A demon bent on her destruction. A man of exquisite beauty with chocolate brown skin, ebony hair and the deepest golden colored eyes she had ever seen. He always smiled showing off his perfectly straight white teeth and smelled of honey and lemons. Mother had always tried to protect her from this hunter but had failed many times over the decades. The thought of his name brought o shudder to her spine.
But then HE waltzed into her life. The first and only member of the student body that caught her attention. He was tall and slender, but well built. Dark, warm blue eyes stood out from behind those black frames screaming for attention; which he readily received from every girl in school. It was no wonder what they saw in him. He was exquisitely perfect; a stark contrast to the normal, run of the mill, male in the school. His teeth were a perfect set of pearls. His complexion was a perfect shade of off white; pale, but beautiful. His hair was perfectly in place as was his upscale attire. She'd half expected to see him driving some expensive sedan instead of the beat up yellow Pacer he did drive. Yes, she all about him that first day. A mere touch of his locker told all she wanted to know of him.
His name was Kaden Michaels; a transfer from a small town named Winnemucca, Nevada. His family had moved to Idaho after inheriting a farm south of Twin Falls. He liked eggs and cinnamon rolls, excelled in history and math and struggled in science.
He had spent his first week mingling with the current student body, stealing glances of her whenever he thought she wasn't looking. But she was always looking; always staring at his beautiful pale face. Always listening.
A question here and there earned him the lowdown on the freak in the corner. "She's just a loner." One kid said.
"Don't let her near you, man, she's evil," said another.
"No one really knows, she's just weird."
Of all opinions he'd received regarding the girl in the corner, not one person could recall her name. Curiosity must have got the better of him because he ventured into her private
corner one mid-semester day at lunch.
"Hi," he said with a kind, sort of velvety voice. "Name's Kaden. Mind if I sit with you today?" He didn't wait for an answer. He stared silently into her frightened violet eyes seemingly mesmerized by their unique color.
"Why?" was the word she forced out of her mouth. Her eyes scanned the lunch for some hint of an inside joke she was to be the butt of. His scent was divine. A mix of spruce and soap; clean. It would be easy to get lost in the liquid blue pools behind those heavy black frames.
"Would you rather I leave?" Innocent enough. "Yes," she lied. She knew he knew she lied.
She wasn't sure how he knew, but he knew. "I think I'll stay." He cracked open his soda and downed it in one swallow. "What's your name?"
She scanned the room again. No one was looking. They were all too busy with their normal teenage dramas to notice her. "Twila." barely above a whisper. She watched him extend his hand in greeting and she lurched backward. "No!" Her chair tumbled out behind her gaining the attention of every person in the room. She made no attempt to explain herself that day.
She left him at the table both confused and intrigued, yet awkwardly sitting with his hand still
raised in greeting. She couldn't touch him! No way could she let that perfect Adonis know exactly how freakish she was. She couldn't get close. He had to stay safe.
Several days passed before he mustered the courage to try again. This time he caught up with her in the hallway. "Hey! Got a minute?"
She stopped to look at him. "What do you want from me?" she demanded.
"Just trying to get to know you. Maybe be your friend." He smiled.
Her knees threatened to buckle at his smile. "Why? You got a thing for freaks?" She turned to walk away half hoping he would follow.
He did. "Maybe. You a freak?"
"I'm sure you've heard as much."
"Yep. I've heard. But we're teenagers and teenagers call a lot of really cool people freaks."
"Well, this time they got it right."
"Do you always walk so fast? I mean most short people normally have to run to keep with me and you got me jogging here."
"No one asked you to keep up."
"I want to."
She stopped abruptly and turned to face him. His shoes squeaked on the tile floor as he braked stopping just shy of touching. She felt his nervous breath on her forehead. "Look Kaden. The kids here were right when they told you to stay away from me. I am not friendship material. You are better off making other friends." She loathed the words she was saying as she wanted nothing more than to spend as much time with him as she could get before… "Adrian." She muttered the name barely above a whisper.
"Adrian? Who's Adrian?"
Her eyes misted over. "No one. Seriously Kaden, I don't want to be your friend!"
"Is Adrian your boyfriend?!" He called after her as she bolted out of the school.
Twila didn't return to school for the rest of the week; spending that time trying to convince her mother that homeschooling would be a better option if education was so important. Having lost that battle, she returned the following Monday to a very expectant and eagerly persistent Kaden waiting for her. She passed him in the hallway and quipped "buzz off!" before he could utter the words he had on his tongue to say. She did her best to avoid him throughout the day; going as far as to eat her lunch in the girls' bathroom. Leaving her last class early to avoid him in the daily mass exodus of the students, she rounded the corner to her locker only to find she had been unsuccessful. There he was, in all his beauty and charm, leaning against her locker. The thought of turning around and running for an exit crossed her mind but his gaze told her that would be a futile endeavor. Instead she opted to square up her shoulders and face him with her phony fury. "What. Do. You. Want?" She growled. "I thought I said…"
He raised his hand to silence her. "You don't wanna be my friend. Yeah, I heard you." He smiled that weakening smile. "I know you lied about that, too. I know you like me. I see your knees go weak when I get too close. I see the wonder in your eyes when you steal glances at me."
She shook her in protest, looking down to avoid eye contact. He was right, of course; she did like him. She wanted to know him in every sense of the word, but she couldn't allow it. Again, she shook her head no.
"I know you're scared. Scared of me and what might happen. Scared of Adrian and what he might do."
She snapped her head up in fear at the mention of Adrian. "What do you know about what I'm afraid of? What makes you such an expert on me suddenly?"
"Look, I don't know anything. Really. I mean I want to. I want to know everything. Even the freaky stuff." He smiled again. "It's just… I can sense things." He looked up as if he would find the right words. "I mean… I'm not sure how to say it, exactly. I can tell when someone is lying or hiding the truth or from it." A frustrated sigh escaped his lungs. "I don't know how to explain it. I know you're lying when you tell me to leave you alone or that you don't want to be friends. I know you're wearing contacts to hide your true eye color. I don't know what you are afraid of; but I know you're afraid. The mere mention of that name sends terror through your veins and you think you need to protect me from him; from you." He paused for confirmation before continuing. She tried to shake her head no, but her eyes betrayed her lie. "I don't need protecting. I'm not afraid." He extended his hand out to touch her shoulder, but she jumped back from his reach.
"Don't!" she yelped, "touch me." She watched his hand retreat then looked apologetically into his eyes. "I'm sorry, I just…"
"I know, you're afraid. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
"The bell is going to ring in a minute. It's best we don't stay here. Meet me under the north end of the Perrine at eight tonight and I'll explain to you exactly why we shouldn't be friends." She left before he could respond but she imagined he was still leaning against the lockers smiling.
Twila rested atop the stone wall that ran along the edge of the canyon beneath the road bridge that spanned the Snake River. She chose this time and location because the audience would be limited to the homeless and wildlife. It was dusk for this time of year allowing enough light to chat but dark enough to keep onlookers at bay. There was a slight breeze in the cool evening air that gently tossed her hair about her face. She had opted not to wear her contacts this evening to show him the reason she wears them at school, yet still hid her eyes behind the tinted lenses of her old Varnet sunglasses. She felt his breath mixed with the breeze on her neck. "Part of me was hoping you wouldn't show." She admitted plainly.
"But most of you wanted me here." He surmised.
��Yes," she agreed. "It's still unwise, but I'm drawn to you in a way I have never been drawn to anyone. Can you tell me why that is, Kaden? I mean, since you seem to 'know' so much about me already."
"I can't. Honestly, I feel the same way about you but no, I don't know why."
"Okay, so what, then? Where do we start? Tell me about you. I tell you about me? What? What do you want?"
"Well, we could start by introducing ourselves. You know, start all over at the beginning." He stuck out his hand in greeting "I'm Kaden. Kaden Michaels. Pleased to make your acquaintance"
"I thought I told you not to touch me." She waited for him to withdraw his hand before continuing. "I'm Twila. Twila Rose. The freak of Twin Falls High."
"Please don't call yourself that."
"Why not? It's what I am."
"I don't think…"
"Clearly," she interrupted. "Look, I'm not a normal girl. Chances are pretty high I'm not even human. So 'freak' is as good a word as any other I've heard over the years."
Curiosity peaked, he began his inquisition. "What is it about you that you consider freakish? Your hair color? Lots of people have red hair. Most must buy Halloween hair dye to get the color you have, but still it's not that uncommon. You don't have a weird skin tone. I'd say it's a beautiful milk chocolate color which quite the envy of girls that are white like me. So, what's the freaky part.?"
"Funny you should mention Halloween. It's the one time of year I can be myself without scaring people. You see," she said removing her sunglasses, "my eyes are as red as my hair; a brilliant shade of blood, aren't they?"
His breath caught in his lungs. Frightening, yes; but also, mesmerizing, enchanting and all together the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. "Beautiful," He managed
"They are the least freaky thing about me." She studied his face for the fear she was expecting; upon not seeing it, continued. "Also, I don't bleed. Ever. I've been stab… er, injured many times and have never lost a single drop of blood." Recognizing his gaze as disbelief she opted to demonstrate. "Here, watch." She retrieved a pocket knife from her jeans and before e could protest she had plunged the blade into forearm and ripped the flesh open from wrist to elbow and watched his reactions as her arm sealed shut within seconds without one drop blood upon the blade or the arm.
"Okay," He admitted hesitantly; "that's a bit a freaky. Agreed." His eyes met hers again without a hint of fear in his gaze. "But not freaky enough to scare me off. What else you got?"
"You got secrets, Kaden? Things in your life you don't want known?"
"Um, I don't think so. No."
"Everyone does. I can see them." She watched his eyes widen. "Not with my mind… or my eyes… I'm not psychic. I can't read you mind or hear your thoughts or anything like that. No. It's my hands, my skin. It's how I can see everything. It's why you can't touch me." Confusion crossed his face. "It's… um. How do I explain it? Okay, If I were to shake your hand for example; I would see everything that ever was and is about you. Thoughts, dreams, actions, physical… just everything. If you had a medical problem, I would know what it is. Um, I would know what you had for dinner on your third birthday or whether you've ever skipped class. In a sense, I would completely relive your life entirely in a split second and you… Well, you feel like you got hit with a bolt of lightning. Painful. Extremely painful."
His silence hung thick in the air for several beats. "I see," Was all he could muster.
"You are the only person I've ever told. Only my mother knows, of course. This is what makes me the freak I am. It's the reason I fear Adrian. He wants me dead because I am this freak. He has hunted me longer than I can remember and has tried kill me many, many times. I've no doubt that if I allowed myself to have friends, he would hurt them too. That's just too great a risk for me to make. I hope now you understand why we can't be friends. Why you have to leave me alone." She felt her tears build on the edge of her eyelid. "Trust me, it's safer for you." She ran off before he could respond.
The sound of her cell phone vibrating on the coffee table woke her up about noon. It was Paul. 'Oh, Aden, why couldn't you have just listened to me back then and left me alone.' The call went to voicemail. No way was she talking to that man today. She had no plans to talk with anyone in that office ever again. She needed to go to Idaho and deal with Adrian. No more running. She would face him and get it over with. If she died in the process, than so be it. Truth be told, she'd rather be dead than live a life without Aden in it but she would never be allowed to live in peace as long as Adrian was on the hunt. The cell buzzed again. Paul again. Voicemail. She grabbed the phone and went upstairs to pack. Not much would be needed. A couple a changes of clothes, a little money and the phone charger. The phone vibrated in her pocket. She answered it this time. "Good grief, Paul. What do you want?!"
"Aden never showed up for work. His truck is parked at his apartment but he's not there. Is he with you?"
Her heart fell to her feet and threatened to rob her lungs of air. "No, he's not."
"Could you..."
"Go to his place and see what I can see?" She interrupted. "Come get me, Paul. You, Paul. Don't be sending any of your idiot cronies!"
"Ok, Rose. I'll be right there."
Carma and Brian were in the apartment chatting nonchalantly amongst themselves when Paul arrived with Rose. Neither was happy to see her but chose to keep their opinions quiet for the time being. Rose ignored them and Paul completely as she was too panicked at the possibilities of what happened to her dear Aden. A slight sigh of relief followed by a scowl of annoyance swept across her face as she touched the door. She carefully looked at the counter where Aden's keys were then to her right where the stranger stood. She watched the conversation in her mind as if she were there. She would know that voice anywhere. "No." She slipped out almost under her breath. "No." She spoke a little louder, gaining the attention of Paul and the others. She stormed into the kitchen. "No! No! No!" She yelled as she snatched the photo off the floor.
"What is it?" Paul asked rounding the counter to the kitchen. Carma and Brian leaning in to see what she picked up.
"He wasn't supposed to find out! He was supposed to stay safe!" Rose bordered hysterics as the reality of what had transpired sank in.
"Who wasn't supposed to know what?" Paul took the photo from her hand. "Rose? I don't understand."
He heart pounded against her chest. Its rhythm echoed in her ears. Waves of panic and anger swirled through her voice. "They took him to get me, Paul. Don't you see? They wanted me to come to them but I wouldn't, so they took him."
"Who took him, Rose? Why would they take him to get to you?"
"Look at the picture, Paul." She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath to compose herself. Steeling against her emotions she returned to vampire they were used to. "What do see?"
"Well the back of it says Kaden and Twila."
She snatched the picture from his hand and stuffed in her pocket. "It is me and Aden. Seven and half years ago. Before someone tried to kill us at our wedding. I never knew what exactly happened to him until that day I saw him at the conference table when you called me in on this last case. And well, you know what happened to me." She let that hover in the air for a moment. Long enough for them to retract their slack jaws. Finally she said what they dared not believe. "Aden is my husband, Paul. Now he's been abducted by the very people that tried to kill us on our wedding day."
"Aden? Aden is your husband?" Paul was stunned. "He never said..."
"He doesn't remember." Interrupted Rose. "That's why I wouldn't touch him. I didn't want him to remember. I thought he be safer if he didn't know."
"No one is safe with you." Carma starting giggling.
"There's nothing funny going on here Fitzgerald!" Paul cautioned. "We have an agent missing."
Carma cleared her throat. "Um. Sorry sir. It's just surprising the freak here could find someone to love her, is all."
"You're out of line Carma!" Paul bellowed.
Rose didn't skip a beat. "Well, unlike your lover there," pointing to Brian, "Aden knew everything about me."
Brian, who had remained cautiously quiet up to this point, shot Carma a quizzical look. "What does she mean by that?"
"Don't worry about it Brian. She's just stirring up hate and discontent like she always does. Let's go run the fingerprints we've found here." She gestured for Brian to follow her as she nodded to Paul and left with a glare to Rose.
"I'll find him, Paul. But you'll have to let me do it alone. You folks don't want to deal with these type. Trust me."
"We're cops, Rose. These types are all we deal with."
"No, not these type. These are nothing like what you're used to. They're more like... um.. well, me. They're my kind."
"Well, I can't say that gives me warm and fuzzy feelings, Rose."
"Don't worry, Paulie." She said patting his back. "I'll find him, I'll need a car."
"Just take Aden's truck. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." He tossed her the keys from the counter and let her leave.