I sat down on my table in Biology class. We finished lunch early, so Allen and I decided to head over to the classroom and prepare for the class. By the time we got inside, it was empty. Allen went to nap on the table while I organize my notes from the previous lectures.
Few minutes in, with my notes organized neatly and properly, a sweet, honey-like smell hit my nose. Knowing the reason for it, I zipped my bag and stared at the door. Edythe Cullen, as stunning as ever, entered the room in graceful steps. Without a second's delay, her eyes met mine. Those golden-rimmed orbs stared into my own, and I felt my vision blur for a second.
That's... new. Maybe I should've gone back to sleep this morning.
I shrugged it off, turning my attention back to Edythe who had sat down next to me, her pale hands resting on the tabletop like a noble young lady. Well, she could be a noble, actually. Vampires live for quite a long time, and there's a chance that Edythe is part of aristocracy. Well, at least before she became what she is.
She just sat there, quiet and unmoving. Her eyes stared out the window on her left, as if a painting had just come into life. I know I said it before, but Edythe is absolutely beautiful. There's simply not enough words to describe her. She's stunning in every way, in every angle. Her pale skin, free of any blemish, made her akin to a porcelain doll. Her long, bronze hair, framed her face, amplifying her beauty a few times over. Her eyes, as if deep in thought, shone in its golden splendor.
She's gorgeous, that much should be obvious. Perks of being a vampire.
That said, it's easy to understand why so many students, male and female alike, are so into her. She's a walking painting. Coupled with the fact that vampires inherently attract humans, Edythe is a literal magnet of attention and admiration.
"Am I pretty?"
I snapped back into reality, noticing that I've been staring at her for quite a moment now. Well, that was embarrassing. And concerning. I don't usually lose focus that easily. Is sleep-deprivation that serious?
"Sorry, I was thinking about something." I smiled at Edythe, who had changed her posture so she's facing me, chin on top of her hand.
"Do share." She leaned into my direction, eyes turning into slits. She smirked, and I can feel the smugness behind her dimples.
She's a hassle to deal with. It should be obvious that I fell for her charms without noticing, but she wants me to say it out loud. It was annoying, but I pride myself in quick thinking.
"Are you wearing contacts? I remember your eyes being black." I inquired, my eyes staring back at hers.
She flinched. It was hard to notice, as she doesn't really move much. But I saw it.
"I was. It was during your first day, wasn't it?" She titled her head to the side. "It's interesting how you remembered that detail." I slightly raised my eyebrow at her teasing tone.
She's being friendly. Which, I wouldn't really mind, but I have a slight suspicion that she's only doing so to get me to open up. She's still wary of me.
"What can I say?" I smiled lightly. "Good memory."
"How many mental screenshots did you take while staring at me earlier?" She leaned further, now looking up at me. If it was any other guy, they would probably freeze. Having Edythe look at you in this way really does things to your mentality.
It was different for me though. Her nose twitched a few times, and I wouldn't have caught it if she wasn't leaning towards me. It's easy to guess what she's doing. I've been exuding a smell reminiscent of a corpse. Only vampires would notice it with their enhanced senses. And from what I've seen so far, Edythe is trying to learn more about it. And she's growing bolder with her methods.
"You flatter yourself." I moved back slightly. I'm not sure if she will get anything from smelling me in a close distance, but I'd rather not take chances.
"I was just lost in thought." I smiled, though rather stiff this time. I need to keep my heartbeat calm and steady. Edythe would notice the slightest deviation, and that would give her more reason to pry into my life.
"Whatever you say." Edythe just shook her head and went back to her initial posture, as if a graceful noble young lady in the 18th century. Is she from the 18th century? Not sure. But there's a chance she might be.
We basked in the silence for a while. Allen was still in a coma on his desk, while a few students are starting to enter the classroom. They obviously stared at Edythe for a moment before sitting down. It's hard not to, she's just too beautiful. Have I been saying that a lot? That's seriously concerning.
My musing didn't last long though, as Edythe had spoken to me once again.
"You know, you're hard to read." She said, her eyes fixed on the front of the class.
Her sudden seriousness surprised me. She was teasing me a moment ago, and now this. Her expression is unreadable. It's just blank and casual, as if nothing in the world bothered her. What bothered me more are her words. It was cryptic, to say the least. I'm sure there's a deeper meaning behind it, but for once, I don't know what she's talking about.
"How so?" I inquired back, propping my chin with a hand.
"I can easily get a read on people. Their thoughts are as plain as day to me." She started, her eyes still fixed on the front, but I know better that she's in deep thought at the moment.
"But you're different." She turned towards me, eyes narrowing. The moment her eyes met mine, it was different. I felt my skin turn cold, and shivers ran up my spine. It was like a predator staring at a helpless prey, savoring its fear.
My pupil constricted, and it felt hard to breathe at the moment. It was not from fear, however. It was an instinctive urge to charge at her. It was enticing, and it's growing oh so tempting. I felt my breathing speed up. It was getting harder to control. I clenched my fist, and my legs are shivering. It wants to jump at her.
I want to grab her neck. To twist her fingers. To bend her arm. To break her legs. To crush her knees. To twist her neck. To gouge her eyes. To-
"Chris?"
My thoughts grinded to a halt, and I found myself staring into a worried, almost scared, Edythe. She put her cold, freezing hand on top of mine. I took a deep breath and felt my heartbeat calm down. Cold sweat ran down my back, and my hands are clenched tightly.
What happened? That never happened before. When her eyes met my own it was just... It's like reason completely disappeared...
"Are you... alright?" I turned to Edythe. She still looks worried and, if my eyes aren't playing tricks on me, slightly scared. Her eyes are still staring at mine, but I can see the subtle shaking. It's like she's only forcing herself to look at me. Like a child that just broke a plate, her eyes reminded me of a guilty child.
"I'm alright." I answered, getting myself in order. I fixed my glasses on top of my nose and straightened the collar of my jacket. My breathing and heartrate went back to normal, and my attention swam back to the cold sensation on top of my left hand on the table.
Her cold, pale hands are still on top of mine. It's like being in contact with ice. She's cold. Really cold. But at the same time, her hand is really soft and smooth. It was weird, really, having a soft but freezing cold hand on top of yours.
Still, it helped me focus. I focused on the sensation of her hand on mine, and my thoughts gradually went back in order. There wasn't any trace of anything that happened before, whatever that is, other than the hollow, pounding headache at the back of my head. I shrugged it off, however. I have other things to deal with at the moment.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Edythe seemed overly concerned, and that confused me. I thought she would be right up my arse the moment I did something suspicious, and I just did. I don't know what exactly occurred just then, but I'm sure it should be enough to make Edythe consider me as a threat.
Vampires have enhanced senses. There isn't any solid basis on why, but vampires have a certain sense that enables them to sense threat. If anyone is thinking of harming them within the immediate vicinity, they should get a feeling. And I'm sitting right beside Edythe, thinking of doing... whatever that is, to her. I'm sure she sensed it, but the fact that she's not actively dragging me out the classroom and into the woods to kill me is surprising.
Still, I have a character to play.
"I'm good." I tried to smile, but I don't even need to look at a mirror to know how forced it looked. "Just didn't sleep good last night."
Edythe stared at me in silence for a few seconds, before nodding slowly and turning her attention back to the front of the class. Her hand also left mine, finding themselves under the table and clenched on her thighs.
I also turned my attention to the front, trying to get any ideas of what happened. It was alarming. It was the first time that happened to me, and I'm still not sure if that's only a one-time thing,
With my thoughts stuck in a dryer, the remaining students entered the classroom followed by the teacher, and Biology started. It was a simple quiz about our lectures during the week, and I answered them quickly.
While answering, my eyes would gradually find themselves looking at my unusual seatmate, who, from my peripheral vision, seemed to be doing the same. We didn't speak, however. And an unknown silence encompassed us two.
I want to go home.
-
It was evening.
The moonlight bathed the small town of Forks in a gentle light, and the cold, evening wind rustled the abundant vegetation of the area. Streetlights are still open, but there wasn't anyone out during this time. No humans, no cars.
It was about 11pm now. I found myself spending quite some time on the cafe, stuck in my thoughts. What happened during Biology had alarmed me. During that moment, I almost lost all reason and had almost committed manslaughter in front of the whole class.
"What's wrong with me?" I muttered, sighing.
Edythe looked at me before that. It wasn't the same glance she always gives though, but something much more... violent. I saw myself reflected in her golden pupils, and I can see how she viewed me as nothing more than a human snack. It was a predatory stare, like I wasn't a living being, but a stake served on a silver platter.
From my musing on the cafe, I came up with a few theories. But all were proven wrong within the next minute. Except one.
"I'm losing control."
Graveborns.
It's a term given to humans that are given a special vampire blood. It gives them the same abilities as a vampire, without breaking the camouflage of being human. They can eat human food, drink human drinks, be in the sun, and do everything a vampire cannot do. They can exist in human settlements without worrying about being found out.
However, it came with a price. A human body simply cannot contain the abilities of a vampire. And so, Graveborns are cursed with a limited lifespan, living to only 40 years before dying.
As Graveborns approach their twilight years, their human blood cannot suppress the vampire blood within them, leading to strange urges appearing. One of which, is the desire to eat vampire flesh.
It was unknown why that happens. People at 'that' place says it's the desire of the vampire blood to reside within a vampire body instead of the human body that a Graveborn has. It usually isn't an issue, as Graveborns who reached their twilight years are rare. They usually die in the middle of hunting vampires.
In my case, it should be 23 years before that. But unfortunately, I'm special. I'm the most potent merger of the Blackthorne blood, the blood that enables one to possess vampire abilities while staying human.
In other words, my abilities are far superior to other Graveborns and vampires. That much is a given, as Blackthorne is a clan of the most powerful vampires to have existed in history. And as someone who had inherited their blood the most potently, I have inherited a larger percentage of their abilities.
Sadly, the potency of the blood is also the cause of my downfall.
Instead of 40 years, the potency of the Blackthorne blood within me had cursed me with only 20 years of life. Right now, I only have 2 years and 6 months remaining before that.
That means I'm in my twilight years. And the urge to consume vampire flesh is starting to emerge.
I stopped walking, standing on the sidewalk with my bag slung over my shoulder. My glasses fogged slightly from the humidity and the cold., The moonlight shone behind me, covering my face in shadows. Coupled with the darkness of the night, my face would be unrecognizable.
It doesn't matter though, as the other person can see even in total darkness.
"The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" I started, smiling in my usual manner.
"Chris." Edythe, standing a distance away with a blank face, spoke.
There's no escaping tonight.