Explanations
We weren't talking. The only sound I could hear was my own breathing. I felt like there was nothing I could do for him now. I wanted to comfort him. But, how do you comfort a vampire? I didn't know, that was for sure. I decided to try anyway.
I picked up my towel and the rest of the stuff I had brought with me. I slowly set everything down next to Riku. He had his eyes closed and his head looking toward the branches of the tree above. I sat next to the boy I had grown up with, my friend, of a vampire family.
As I was sitting there, staring at him, something happened, that I was only partly aware of. Somehow, during all of my cautious behavior, my arms had wrapped themselves around Riku's shoulders in a hug. He wriggled out of my grasp and said almost silently, "I haven't eaten in a while. I don't want you to become my next meal". I understood what he meant and backed off, though, I knew he wanted to be comforted.
"You okay?" I asked, surprised at how calm my voice was.
"Yeah, I think I'll be okay." he said with a reassuring smile. "You should get home, it's getting late."
I nodded, "But . . . I have a few questions t—". He cut off my sentence.
"Tomorrow. My house. Noon."
"Okay".
I grabbed all of my stuff and headed home. I needed to think this through a little before talking to him tomorrow. I thought the whole way home, during dinner, and as I was getting ready for bed. I made a mental list of all the questions I was going to ask him when I saw him.
1. What happens when you go on your "trips"?
2. Do you drink human blood?
3. Is your whole family made of vampires?
4. How do you stay in the sun without being burned?
5. And, are other mythical creatures real too?
I went to sleep thinking about my best friend and his secret.
I was near the lake. Under the oak tree. Riku was sitting there with his head turned from me as I walked up to him. He was staring at the lake. I put my hand on his shoulder and started to turn him around. He jerked his head around to face me. Then, I saw his black eyes, empty, except for a look of deep hunger. A snarled ripped for his throat as he got into a fighting position. My vision was becoming blurry. I soon realized it was because of tears that were running down my face. I faintly saw him lunge forward. He grabbed me by my chin. Twisting my head so he could get a clear shot at my bare neck. I let out a scream as his teeth pierced my skin.
I awoke in my room. Sitting straight up in my little bed. My throat stung from the scream that was escaping my mouth. I quickly realized that it had all been a dream, and stopped screaming. My eyes shot at the alarm clock on my nightstand. 11:00 A.M., it read. Good that gives me time to get ready, I thought to myself.
I grabbed some old jeans, torn at both knees, and an oversized, black t-shirt. I headed to the bathroom to change and fix my hair. When I was done getting dressed, I threw the PJ's into the hamper and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. I made myself a meager bowl of cereal, which was gone in a matter of seconds. Looking at my watch I decided to head over to Riku's. I still had some time, but I walked slowly passed the three houses that separated the two homes.
I slowed my pace even more when I saw the black raven sitting on the bush in front of Riku's house. As I got closer I realized that the raven was watching every move I made. It seemed to be looking into me, almost like it was looking at my very soul. I didn't even realize I had stopped moving until Riku came out of the house and shooed away the raven.
"You should be more careful, you never know what, or who, that bird could have been." he said grimly.
I gave him a confused glance as he lead me toward the front entrance. He didn't seem to notice.
We sat down on the couch in his living room. I was about to start asking questions when he interrupted me. "Before you ask me any questions about me, I want you to know about my family," I nodded to show that I understood, and that I was going to keep quiet while he explained.
He took a long, inward breath, then started, "I come from a long line of vampire lineage. Most of the people in my family are vampires. Though, there are a few exceptions." He paused. "My little sister, Ai, is a good example. She was born a human. We had an agreement with another lamia family in Japan. When Ai turned eighteen she was going to be sent back to Japan to be wed to the family's eldest son in a special ceremony. She was going to be turned into a vampire by her new husband. The ceremony was canceled, though, because Ai likes being human, she didn't want to become a vampire." He stopped again and took another long breath. Then started telling me more facts on vampires.
"We can stop aging whenever we want to. I could stay a teenager forever if I wanted to. We also have amazing strength and speed. Well, amazing by your standards." He started laughing when I gave him a look that said I didn't understand what he was trying to explain. He had always seemed just as strong or fast as the other kids at our school."Maybe I should show you instead." he said still smiling.
He moved swiftly, barely touching the ground as he lifted me from my seat and headed up the stairs. He took me to his parents room, opened the glass doors leading to the balcony overlooking the backyard, and sat me on the railing of the balcony, my legs dangling off the edge. I freaked out, my eyes wide with fear, I was deathly afraid of heights. Riku was on the ground below me looking up and smiling. "Jump." is all he said to me.
I trusted Riku. So, against all my fears, I jumped from the second story balcony. Strong arms were around me in moments. We landed with barely a sound on the soft grass below. I was still wrapped tightly in his arms as I looked up to see Riku's eyes staring at me. He leaned his head down slowly and we shared a small kiss. He set me back on my feet, and we both looked up at the darkening sky above us.
