"Her name was Maria," he says before pausing, recollecting himself as tears threatened to expose his weakness to me, a mere stranger to him. "We had met when I had just finished my freshman year of college. She seemed to glow, every single day, and I thought it was just because of my crush on her, but it wasn't. It was something else; something dark."
"A vampire." I stated, shocked that a vampire would even try out a human school. Can they really blend in that easily? If so, what about Tyler? He'd been going to our high school since our scheduled freshman year and, surprisingly, never even missed a day of school. When did he turn? Was it while attending.. or had he always been one...?
Cyrus nodded. "She was a vampire, and we were in love, and doomed."
I looked at him then, confused. He continued.
"Maria and I had it a little rough, her more than me. You see, she had a bit of a run in with an old friend. He was someone whose romantic gestures and advances had been dismissed. He did not take it well, and decided to demand it, when that didn't work..."
He trailed off, not finishing his sentence, but he didn't have to. I knew what he'd meant, and I felt pity for the poor maiden whom I did not know. Having that taken from her so young... I have no words, but prayers that the vile demon that thought doing that to her was okay, got what was coming to him in the After.
"She was seventeen, when the incident happened, her life was ended and restarted with that awful encounter. he seduced her, but when she found out what she'd become, what he was, he claimed he was under a spell that all vampires have, the human need to continue the line. He fed her lies about the vampire race, had her thinking the unthinkable. All while she was still under her parents roof. The only truth he told her was the same thing that even she would've figured out on her own. Keep the secret. She couldn't say she'd been assaulted. There was no longer living proof of the man that did that. She had no one, and was scared to love me, even after."
He stopped then, lost in thought of memories from his dark past, unable to continue for a moment. He took a deep breath, then looked at me.
"She ran to me, starting a sentence then stopping, starting again, then stopping. I reassured her she was okay, and she needed to tell me. After she told me, though, all I could do was stand there, until she made it obvious she wanted a hug. I didn't want to freak her out after what she'd just been through. We had conversated for a few minutes, then she decided to change me, so we could be together and protect each other forever. She turned me, then..."
He looks away. "I don't really know what happened. It was if it wasn't her anymore, as if she didn't know it was me. She said she didn't want to be together anymore, and we should never be together; that we couldn't. She left me like that, broken. "
We sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, and as we did, I felt an enormous sensation tug me towards him, but the feeling was entirely internal, and mental. I did not shift one bit, but I could tell he felt it too, because he frowned, but he shifted closer, just a little.
He sat up straighter, mind on a new topic, and proceeded.
"So, by myself, as a new vampire, not knowing what the heck was going on, because she didn't even know either, I decided to seek out my old pal, Dewey. Him and I had been friends since forever, and I'd heard he'd recently turned. Seems like its all of us at this point, I swear. Anyways, when I found him he didn't tell me how he turned, or by who, he'd just said he had to fake his own death to escape. Crazy huh? " Cyrus laughs and shakes his head.
I was busy staring into space, the life lifted out then shoved back into me all at once. I was a vampire feeling like I could tear apart an entire human village right now, I'm so thirsty. None of that mattered right now, though; my brother was alive.
I feel a nudge and I look over to see Cyrus staring at me concerned. "Hey, you okay?"
I both was and wasn't okay. "When was this? When you found him?"
I didn't think I really wanted to know, but I had to.
"A year ago. Why?"
A moment passes between us. A million emotions play through my mind, tears well up and I'm unsure what exactly it is that I'm feeling. I thought my brother was dead. Now I'm finding out that Dewey was alive.
"Because a year ago, my family and I got word that my brother, Dewey, had died; killed himself. "
The silence was deafening. Neither of us certain on how to respond; this was Earth-shattering news.
"Where is he now? How could he leave us? Mom would still be alive if it wasn't for him!!" My face is red, and I feel steaming hot with anger. How dare my brother do this to us?
"I'm not sure where Dewey is, or where he went to exactly. I just know that it'll be a little adventure to find him. He didn't disappear of the map completely. All Dewey ever did was talk about you, his baby sister, and missing graduation, and the fact his mom died, and how it was all his fault. We can find him, don't worry."
I can see the concern in Cyrus' eyes, the uncertainty of what is to come, looming in front of us like a dark mist.
"Where did you see him last exactly?"
I wait for his response, thinking long and hard about how to answer.
"It was when I'd heard he'd been turned, I found him in a bar. I went to find him and asked him how it happened. He had no answer and simply said that he had to escape and seemed very panicky and, in a rush to leave. Dewey took off without another word. That was the last time I seen him."
"Then that is where we will start." Cyrus nodded in agreement, and we headed to the car, our journey set to find my brother.