The training was fun. I didn't realize that I was good at basketball. I never missed a basket, thanks to my powers. I was surprised that Solomon was also good at it. We made accurate three-pointers while the other boys watched with their jaws dropped. Coach, on the other hand, was impressed with our display and was delighted to have discovered us ( even though I made him find us out with force).
After training, we went back to the locker room and showered up. I didn't feel uncomfortable bathing with humans, which was very awkward. I changed into my regular clothes and walked into the hallway with Solomon. The afternoon sun washed half of the hallway with its light and bathed our skin. Our skins would glow and shine like diamonds if we were normal vampires. That was why normal vampires wore sun bracelets or rings.
I pitied Oliver because he had no sun ring making him stuck at home. I had one more sun ring in my possession. When I met him, I would hand over the ring so he could complete his task. We should have come without our car when we reached the parking lot.
And then, Hope approached the parking lot. She looked at us and waved at Solomon. Solomon waved back and walked towards her. She carried her eyes to mine and quickly withdrew them. I tried to reach into her mind to know what she was thinking, but I was blocked out again. I was frustrated once more. Maybe she was feeling bad for making me end our conversation earlier today.
I thought of approaching her but changed my mind immediately. I balled my hands into fists in the pockets of my hoodie and listened to their conversation. They were talking about the conversation I had with her today.
"Do you think he's mad at me?" she asked, feeling bad.
"No, I think not," Solomon assured. "Sometimes my brother could be a pain in the ass."
And then I had to join them. I couldn't let my brother tarnish my name. But how did it bother me? It was a girl I hated deeply. Why would it move me? I pushed this out of my mind and approached them. Everybody stared at me as I walked to them. Solomon, who was talking, paused and turned. He was surprised to see me join them.
"Desmond," he said with a surprised tone.
"Yes, brother," I said with a smile. " I thought maybe I could join both of you."
I turned and looked at Hope. As our eyes met, I heard her gasp softly. Her heart pumped faster, and I could hear the adrenaline flush into her bloodstream. Yes, I knew I always mesmerized her.
"Sure," Solomon filled in the space created during a few seconds of silence in which Hope and I stared at each other.
"So what are we talking about?" I asked after tearing my eyes from Hope. I looked at Solomon and smiled.
"I was about to ask Hope if she could give us a ride home," he confessed ( lied, to be honest).
I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at him. Was he crazy? He was showing a human our home, which was extremely dangerous. I gave him the "Do you know what you are doing?" look. Reading my mind, he turned and smiled at me.
"Err, I don't know," Hope stuttered.
"Oh, do not worry," I tried convincing her to say no. "We will find a way home."
"I think Hope could help us," he said gently.
"Yeah, I think so," she offered.
"No, Solomon and I have another way home. It is much faster and more efficient", I assured. "Is that not right, brother?".
He looked at me for some seconds. I smiled at him, and he rolled his eyes.
"You are right, Desmond," he said with a hint of sarcasm.
"You see, no need to worry," I said to Hope.
"Okay then, see you guys around," she said and got into her blue Ford truck. She ignited it, and the engine roared to life. She waved at us through the window, and we waved back. I, with a fake smile on my face. She drove out of the parking lot and went home.
"What the hell were you doing, Solomon?" I asked, turning to him.
"Trying to act humane, unlike somebody who does not feel anything apart from rage," he pointed out.
"You are not human, so stop acting like one," I emphasized. "You almost took her to the Mansion. Which is very risky and dangerous".
"Whatever," he said ignorantly.
This behavior from Solomon was surprising. I was usually the carefree one. What had gotten into him? By the time we had finished arguing, the parking lot was empty.
"See you at home," I said and zoomed off.
I began looking for the sun ring when I got home. I had to find it before Solomon got back. I searched the library and the storage room but found nothing. Alfred asked me what I was looking for, but I am still waiting for a reply. If I did, he would probably tell Solomon. I guessed he was tasked to obey Solomon.
After thirty minutes of searching in vain, I gave up and went to the wine cellar to get myself a drink. I took out a bottle of "The Englishman," which was probably my best alcoholic drink, and poured me some in the living room. I leaned on the table and sipped from the glass while staring into space.
Zechariah had not come to my doorstep to complain about any changes in his pack or the death of Zack, meaning Oliver hadn't carried out his instructions yet. I didn't see Zack in school today, which told me he was supposed to die, but I'm sure he wasn't. I had to get that ring to Oliver, or my plan would crumble.
And then it struck me. It came to me in a flash. I had kept the sun ring in a little box and hid it in the wine cellar to prevent Alfred or Solomon from ever finding it. Unsure, I dropped the glass, and in a split second, I was in the wine cellar once more. I walked to the last shelf and squatted. I stretched my right hand under the frame and reached for the box, but my fingers touched nothing. I searched for it until my hand touched something. I grabbed the object and brought it out. Behold, it was the box.
The box was carved with ancient writings, probably Greek or Latin. It was black and was not much bigger than a jewelry box. I opened it and found two pieces of jewelry. One was the sun ring I was looking for, and the other was a bracelet I had forgotten about. It was a silver chain decorated with ruby diamonds. Those diamonds were capable of resisting compulsion from any Genesis Vampire. I looked at the bracelet, and it brought back memories I had never wanted to recall. I took out the ring and closed the box. I slid it under the shelf and walked out of the Cellar with the ring in my hoodie pocket. As I got back to the living room, I saw Solomon sitting on the couch with a glass of alcohol in his hand. "You were right, Desmond; I did make a mistake," he said, not looking at me. I smirked and folded my hands across my chest, savoring the victory. "It is fine, brother. We all make mistakes", I comforted as I sat beside him. "Today at the hall, I saw something," he began."What?" I sa
We drove silently back home after school, Solomon staring out the window through the entire drive. I didn't know if he wanted me to feel guilty for what I did at the cafeteria earlier today. The truth was, I wouldn't. I was heartless, emotionless, as he had described, and happy with it. I swerved into the marble lot of our compound and parked the car inside the garage. I slumped on my bed when I entered the room and stared at the ceiling. It was just white, empty, and vast. My mind took me to Oliver. I hadn't seen Zack today, meaning his father was supposed to arrive soon and start wailing. I got downstairs and went straight to the fridge. I opened it and got a bottle of 7.42. I poured myself a glass and took a sip. The alcohol burns at the back of my throat; ecstasy. I carried my glass into the sitting room and saw Solomon sitting on the couch, staring into space with his legs crossed while lost in thought. I leaned on the door frame an
17 AUGUST 1873. I woke up and found myself on a bed in a room I couldn't believe I would find myself in. My clothes were old, and so was everything in the room; I was in 1873, the year I dreaded most. Yes, I feared something. The door opened, and a maid came in with a new pair of clothes folded neatly. I looked at her face, and memories flooded back into my mind. Adrenaline flushed into my veins as I remembered her. Her blue eyes could instantly cure my anger, her black hair shone in the sun, and her lips tasted like strawberries. She was Mary Sherringham, the first girl I fell in love with. And she was the chief maid of Stephanie Collins, the daughter to the Mayor of Winekove. Whatever was happening, I wouldn't say I liked it one bit. First, I was trapped at the bottom of an ocean; now, I relived the worst year of my eternal life. "Good morning, sire," she greeted with a smile. Her voi
I found myself in a dark, empty, and cold situation again. I had the same feelings as last time. At least I wasn't at the bottom of the ocean this time. I felt like I had been tied up with ropes that burnt into my skin. The pain was endless, and once again, I prayed for it to stop. 28 SEPTEMBER 1873 This time, I found myself standing just outside the mansion. I remembered this day too. It was a September morning, a typical summer morning. The bird chirped and flew across the house, and the sun rays washed every inch of every room and yard in the mansion. Solomon and I were taken in by Mayor Collins when we got back from France. It was the first time we had returned to Winekove since our transformation. We had nowhere to go, our house was no more, and trees covered the spot it had stood. Luckily, Stephanie was passing by in her carriage and saw us stranded. She took us home and told her father we had no way to go. He offered us shelter and food, and we accepted it gratefully. We a
I retreated my fangs from her palm after pouring some of my venoms inside her to heal the wound. I cleaned my mouth with my wrist and shifted back slowly. The scenario was weird and disturbing. She looked at her palm and was surprised that it had healed. "I guess your mum did not tell you everything about us," I said. She just scoffed a laugh while examining her palm. "Why aren't you afraid of me?" I demanded. "Because what I feel for you is greater than the weight of your secret," she said, shifting closer to me. "No, no. This doesn't seem right", I said." I'm a monster. We can't be together". "I don't care about that, Desmond; every inch of my body is longing for you," she said, rising and moving closer to me. "But what about the Mayor's rule?" I asked again. "I don't care either." By this time, her lips were an inch away from mine. She looked into my eyes once last time. I could hear the sound of her heartbeat. It was pounding hard against her chest. She placed her lips on
I was back again in the ocean. This time I was drowning, choking on the water as it rushed into my lungs. My brain felt like it had been set on fire, but I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't move, nor could I swim. It felt like a spellbound me. Pain stabbed my lungs as they were filled up with water. I faded out slowly till everything became dark. I woke up this time on the shore of an ocean. I looked around and saw vast emptiness. There was nothing in sight apart from the sea. I gulped in fear. I summoned courage and stood up. I tried using my supernatural abilities, but they didn't work. The sun above my head beat down on my skin, and it felt hot, which was very strange. My throat burnt with thirst, but I didn't long for blood. I longed for water. And then it hit me. I was human! I gasped in horror as the realization struck me. I turned back and dived into the ocean. The ocean quickly faded, and I fell on the sand. I stood up, confused and enraged. There was no other optio
"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I... I came to study with Solomon", she said." I heard you were traveling to Australia to see a relative." I turned and looked at Solomon, who sat on the couch. He gave me a big smile. I wish I could slap the hell out of him. "Yeah, I did," I said as I cue into the lie. "That's good," she said, nodding her head with a smile. Her frizzled hair which was puffed, bounced slowly, hitting against her bronze skin. "I'll see you around then," I said, reminding myself I had a destination. "Okay then, have fun," she said, stepping in while I stepped out. Her hair brushed against my jacket and got stuck on one of its buttons. "Ouch!" she exclaimed as she was drawn back with it. I looked at where we were connected and sighed. Anytime she was close to me, there had to be trouble. "Wait, let me get it," I said as I unraveled it. Her two hands rested on my chest, and she looked up at me. For a second, I stopped and looked at her, too, as our eyes made co
I sat behind Hope in literature class, bored to death. I was tired and restless because I didn't sleep last night. Mr. Johnson was rambling on about some ancient art book while I paid deaf ears. As I set my eyes on Hope, it reminded me of what happened last night. After I had left Solomon in the sitting room, I went to the bathroom in my room and washed my face. I looked at my eyes in the mirror, and they were bloodshot, meaning I was still drunk. I sat on my bed, bored and drunk, then a strange idea came to mind. I wanted to see Hope once more. So I jumped out my window, careful not to let Solomon notice, and wandered off. I didn't know where she lived, so I used her scent to track her down, and I arrived at her house after an hour. I stood in her backyard and looked into the house. Everywhere was dark, which indicated everyone was asleep. I sighted a window which I guessed to be hers, and targeted it. I shifted back and leaped forward. I grabbed the window pane and pushed myself