CHAPTER 9 — WANT YOU.

CONTINUATION…

I had jumped onto the shaded threshold just in time. All the skin on my neck was gone and I gasped with great effort, trying to draw in breath that I didn't even need.

I felt blood flow down the back of my neck and soak my jacket before the open artery quickly healed. I looked at my arms, no skin, just red meat. I watched as the skin slowly started to grow back and I felt feeling return to my nape. It took more time for the skin on my hands to grow back completely, leaving not even a scar behind and another even longer for the skin on my neck to grow back as well.

 I started to breathe again. I opened the door and staggered into the house. I was drained up of almost all of my energy and I plodded up the stairs and to my attic-room.

There was no sign of anybody at home and I was grateful for that. I got into my room and pulled off my clothes, they were stained with my blood, and I threw them onto the ground. I opened my filter curtains, quickly dodging a direct beam of sunlight.

My heart beat was still fast and I was still a little dazed with fear and shock. I placed the jacket on the ground where the golden rays of sunlight touched the floor boards and I saw the dried blood start to liquefy before it evaporated into thin air.

I adjusted the jacket in the sunlight, careful not to get my skin under it wincing on accidental sun burns which was happening very often because of my haste. Once I had disintegrated all the blood off my jacket, I took of the black jeans I wore and did the same. Most of the blood on the jeans was on the back of it so that was the parts I concentrated on.

The blood flow had been short and I was lucky no blood had dropped on the threshold. Once I was done with the evidence on my clothing, I stylishly pulled back the curtain and that’s when my adrenaline rush ran out. Fatigue loaded on me, weighing me down and compelling me towards sleep. I needed to regain my energy, and the only way I knew was through actual sleep.

I got onto my bed and dozed off into oblivion. When I woke up it was already dark, I glanced at the wall clock and saw that it was eight in the evening. I got out of bed, picked a black shirt from my wardrobe and wore it on brown jogger’s pants, it was the most casual I had. I got to the parlour and saw Leya; she was snipping off some leaves from the plant she had set on the table, with small shears.

“Hey Leya,” I said, she looked at me.

“The house reeked of essence when I got back from picking plants,” She said.

Leya usually went to the forested areas of town to pick plants and seeds that she'd add to her garden. She always went alone and sometimes she'll just stay there for a few hours before returning back home.

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“You were around humans weren’t you Kaldar?” It was less than a question… more of a statement.

I didn’t say anything; I just looked at her guiltily.

“Whenever you move with humans Kaldar, pass through the back door to come in, the fumes from the plants I nursed there help to get the smell of the human kids off of me when I come back from school so I don’t freak Jereum out. They should also work just as fine for you,” She said.

I hadn’t ever thought that Leya's plant obsession would benefit me in anyway, but now it had just impacted me in a great way.

“Thank you Leya,” I said.

She had just helped me escape a major incident, and the thought of what could have happened to me if it was Jereum who had perceived the smell, crossed my mind, he would have probably tracked it back to Dawn.

I was about leaving when I heard Leya's voice. “Oh, and Kaldar?”

I turned around. “Yes Leya.”

“In the kitchen you’ll find a jug full of blood in a flask, drink it all up and your temperature should rise up till just about not-too-freezing-cold-suspicious,” She said, and I remembered when Tia had told me something about our temperatures rising when we drank blood some time ago. But what she didn’t know was that it wouldn’t be suspicious, Dawn already knew what I was.

“Thank you Leya,” I said again. I entered into our small kitchen that we never used. Complete sets of cutlery were set about the place, on shelves, on cabinets, it drawers, just everywhere. I spotted a black flask seated on the kitchen Kaldar. It had a small label attached to it and I read out the calligraphic style hand writing which I immediately recognized to be Jhan’s hand writing.

It read, ‘For Kaldar, drink it with your nose closed…’

“Hmm.”

“Why does he want me to drink it with my nose closed?” I asked myself.

The girl had appeared at my side. “So that you don’t go frenzy on perceiving the blood,” Leya said, startling me so I almost knocked down the flask.

“How did you…” But I allowed myself to trail off.

“We can move around quickly and silently Kaldar, don’t worry, it’ll come naturally once you really need it,” she said.

I held my breath and opened the flask before I drained down the sweet liquid. The thick blood flowed into my blood and down my throat, my mouth watered for more and I felt a burst energy and adrenaline spread through me. When I breathed out through my nose, my breath was laced with the sweet perfume of the metallic smell of blood.

I wanted more but I held my urge. I gripped on the edge of the counter and I felt the ceramic break with a loud sound and then the ceramic crumpled in my fists.

I remembered the cloth in my pocket and, with shaking hands; I took it to my nose. The feeling was rather irritating, it was creating an itch in your nostrils rather than scratching one. 

“Are you okay?” Leya asked and I raised a thumb to confirm that I was still in my right state of mind.

“Good, now go play with your new friends before the others return,” She said, and I made for the door.

I stopped, hand on the knob. “Leya… Thank you,” I said and she just looked at me. But I didn’t have time to asking questions so I got outside. Today was a rather busy day, several people walked about the roads and I realized that the weather was indeed cold.

I stuck my hands into my pants pockets and started to walk down the road.

'Maybe this was a wrong idea…' I thought.

'I should probably just go back home,’ I thought but I toughened up and decided to face it anyway.

I went around her house, no security lights were on. 'Strange.’

I remembered the view from her room window and I positioned myself just right below the window. My heart was racing, if I got seen it would obviously give the wrong idea.

I leaped to her window, grabbing the windowsill, pushing the window open and dropping into her familiar room. It was dark, good.

It wasn't long before the door opened and she stepped in. She didn't notice me until she turned on the light switch and gasped, colour draining out of her.

I just looked at her, not moving. I could hear her heartbeat as it slowed down in her chest.

“So soon?” she said as she locked the door, and I thought I heard her sigh.

"I don't care what you are," She said, "you've already proven that you can't—won't harm me."

"Don't be too sure," I told her.

She took a bold step forward, looking at me in the eyes.

"That night, the night that you saved me. I was terrified to a point that I couldn't even think. When I heard your voice I felt like running to you... I just felt like you were there for a reason, like you would protect me," She said, "and then when I woke up in my car, I thought I had crashed and hallucinated... But it still felt all real... I felt crazy."

"There's more to this world than you can ever imagine," I told her.

"Then why don't you show me," She said, unwrapping the cloth from around my face.

I clenched my jaws, pressing my teeth hard against each other as the smell of her blood diffused into the air around me. She looked straight into my eyes and I looked into hers. I loved her and that was the reason I saved her, that was the reason I was here yesterday and that was the reason I was holding her waist right now.

She looked at me amorously in the eyes and then I saw her eyes trail down to my lips. She then, very slowly, wrapped her arms around my neck, got on her toes and kissed me.

It felt like a burst of vibrant colors had exploded behind my eyes.... Filling me with warm and peace.