VOLUME XXII: Lightning ~ Birds in Spring Collection ~ A Vampire's Forever

It wasn’t a dead end but Jae felt cornered. There was only a thin barrier of sunlight flooding down through the long crack that kept him from going any further. He could have easily run through it… if only he had fed. His body felt the full affect of mal-nourishment but as he thought back… withdrawing blood from that little girl would have killed her. He couldn’t do it. Jae stood there thinking. They were still far behind him. It would take them at least ten minutes to catch up. Jae thought about the possibility of going back the way he came but in his condition, it was way too risky. He couldn’t face all of them at once even if he was at the height of his ability.

Then…

She appeared out of nowhere. Jae turned around to see a girl dressed in a ridiculously large dress. It looked heavy and three sizes too big for her small frame.

“Hi there. Do you know where this place is?” He was surprised to hear her speak. Oddly, she wasn’t screaming her head off at the sight of him.

She would suffice, he thought.

Jae flew at her. Grabbing her hair, he jerked her head to one side as she struggled against him. He sank his teeth in the softness of her exposed neck.

Ice cold. Her blood numbed him. Jae extracted his sharp fangs before it paralyzed him completely. He back away… gagging. Because of the violent withdraw, the blood from her neck continued to flow freely. With one hand, she managed to temporarily stop the bleeding.

“You’re crazy, you know that? Do you know who I am? You’re so stupid…”

Jae couldn’t understand what was happening to him. He felt so much weaker as if his own blood was draining out from beneath him.

“What the hell are you?”

“There is no time to explain... I hear them coming…” She pointed her finger in the direction of the nearly inaudible sound.

He had forgotten all about them until she mentioned it.

“Will you be able to crawl?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I want you to crawl between my legs.”

“What?!? You’re sick and insane!”

“No! I’m trying to help you! I’m the only thing that can shield you from the sunlight.” She pointed at the light shining through the crack.

She was right, of course. With her back turned, she lifted her dress slightly so he could crawl through. He had no choice. It took all his strength to inch under her. Once on the other side, Jae collapsed.

He could hear her giggle, “I just gave birth to a vampire!” It was embarrassing how she could joke at a time like this.

“Why did you help me…?”

“You’re running away from your family, right?”

Jae didn’t reply.

Even though they were not of the same being, she could empathize with him. “My situation is not that much different from yours… I really hope you will be able to run away forever.”

Jae blinked and she was gone.

————————————

Night-time.

Great… why did the ring have to choose a time like this to mal-function? She ducked behind a stall as her pursuers turned the corner. Looking out into the marketplace, she caught sight of him. It was worth the risk. Besides… he owed her one.

“Do something! Hide me! Hide me! Hide me…” Jae just stood there as she ran passed him in a hurry to get away. So what if she needed his help? It wasn’t his problem.

What the heck… it wouldn’t hurt. Jae appeared beside her and grabbed her by the waist. They both disappeared from sight. He held on to her tightly as her pursuers passed on by.

She gave him a confused look.

He understood what she was trying to say, “Let’s just say I have a thing for blending in at night.”

“Like go invisible?”

“Yes… kind of like that…”

“That’s pretty useful…” She started to play with something on her finger until both of them heard a clicking noise. “Yes! It works again.”

In a batter of an eyelash, they really disappeared this time.

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“Jae… what have I done to you…” Cyndi dropped the bags in her hands and maneuvered her way through the furniture to Jae who was lying motionless on the hardwood floor. It was dark but she had gotten use to it. By now, her eyes were well adjusted.

“I was selfish in keeping you here with me. How could I forget you need fresh human blood?” She kept mumbling as she looked around desperately for a pillow or a blanket. There was nothing else she could do. Her blood was no good to him.

“But I wanted to stay with you…” Jae muttered as if he was half asleep.

“You’ve changed me.” Indeed, his fair skin was no longer deathly white. His eyes were no longer light grey. He almost looked human.

“I can’t change the fact that you need blood!” Cyndi was already impatient with herself. She felt the guilt consume her. With a gentle hand, she touched his black hair. At the slightest touch, it turned to ash.

“No… this can’t be happening…” Cyndi quickly took off her ring. Her hair blazed and her skin emitted so much light, it became day.

She was a daughter of the Sun.

Tears formed in her eyes as she looked down at his depleted body. Her tears never had the chance to fall. They evaporated in heat.

“I give you my immortality in exchange for… your silver harmonica.”

One last brilliant glow…

Light faded and the room fell back into darkness once more.

The light left and so did his Cyndi.

————————————

He never once ventured out beyond the house of shadows. Even with her gone, he couldn’t leave. There was no mystical power that held him prisoner. He imprisoned himself.

Was she in the sky? Was she in the tears that never fell?

Maybe the sunlight would show mercy on him and kill him…

As he stepped out from the darkness and into the light, rain started to pour.

Jae stood in the rain. The droplets were like acid. The sunlight was like fire… burning him. The overwhelming pain ripped at him and yet… he could not die.

Months passed like hours in a day. He still stood rooted there thinking of her.

Jae wanted to spend his forever with Cyndi…

But all he had was forever…

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Sykotica Notes: Googled stormy night wallpaper. Found one then animated it in PS CS3 lite (because installing a newer, heavier version won't do me much good with the amount of times I reformat). It was hella fun (NoCal speech). The title can be adjusted downward along the y-axis by starting a new line (pressing the enter button). It's positioned high for those super long titles and for mobile where everything is horizontally challenged. Like for this preview, I 'entered' once to get it down a line. I like it when the lightning blinds my title. From Lacey Balloon on out, CONTENTID1 will be the main body of the layout. Note that while punching in tags. I would go change all the other layouts to my new preferrably awesome way but they're already in use. Guys, you should be arriving here through the marketplace. That's the reason why this is unlisted. That's the reason why description is a preview. That's the reason why foreword is a preview.