You know who I am… You have heard our stories before. Around the camp fire, or a mother’s threat to make the child keep to their bed. But unlike the stories of recent years, mine is of the newer generation. My name is Lillyonna, and I am immortal. Yes… one of the undead. Much like those before me I have the dark gift running through my veins. Not wise by centuries of watching, but not unwise as the child who’s first breath was but moments ago.
Mortal birth only 28 years ago, my mortal death was but eight of those years . A child of the 70’s I am. Idealistic at best, but a rage of Anarchy inside. Let down by parents who’s great ambition was to give their children a better life. Their talks of world change and a great revolution, who later sold themselves out for three piece suits and Volvos. Money is after all, the loudest of all the cries heard though out the world. Money speaks and the parents of my generation listened with egger ears. Let down by my own parents I understand the cries of my generation. What have they left for us? Where is our path in this world? These questions I have asked myself many times, and to no avail I have no answers.
I was not by any accounts a wild child, at least I didn’t get caught. I did my loving daughter routine with the perfection of a Oscar winning actress. My grades were decent in my school years. I was not bound for Harvard but I did have a bright future. Not unpopular with my peers. I had the normal social life of the average high school teenager. Allowed out to roam the streets on the weekends but expected home before 9 o’ clock p.m. on school days. I had both parents in the house, unlike most of my peers, who’s house consisted of only a mother. Though I had both parents they really could care less if I was there. I wasn’t allowed to do as I wished, yet I wasn’t looked upon as their child. Not really. Left at times to fend for myself, to figure out my own problems, I became self reliable at an early age. Able to slide by only enough without drawing unwanted attention upon myself. Don’t get caught and they won’t bother you. That was my life.
It was the first year after my graduation from high school that I became infatuated with finding something I could call my own. I thought, like many at that age, that once out from under my parents roof my real self would emerge, like that of a butterfly. It is only now that I look upon my thoughts with a strange amusement. I decide, or was pushed rather, into moving East with my father’s parents. The plan was to attend college, get a good education, marry, have a few kids and die . At least that was the expectations of my parents, and grandparents. I on the other hand wanted no such part of this great dream they had for me. I did move in with my grandparents, but I did not enter college right away. My excuse was that of the eternal teenager. I wanted a year off to find myself. And find myself I did not. Instead I found daytime television more interesting than that of my own life. I did want to embark on a great journey to find a future, but that thumb that held me so closely under my parents roof did so under my grandparents, but even more so.
No longer allowed to do as I pleased when I so wished, I was expected to do so much more. No social life to speak of under my grandparents roof, for I knew no one around that new town that held any interest, I had to do as they asked. Pressured to attend church, like those around us did. My parents did not hold religion so closely to their heart as my grandparents did, but like all teenagers at some point in their life I did attend church. Or churches rather. I looked at the spiritual side of life and found that all contained babble and hypercriticism. I let my feelings known to my parents who shrugged it off without a second thought, but to tell my grandparents of such feelings was to tie that noose around my own neck. Like most older generations of the Eastern side of the country my grandparents held the church in the highest shelf of their lives. I attended when I had to, but other times I faked sickness. The last thing I wanted to do on a Sunday morning was get up early just to be yelled at by a stern looking man dressed in a three piece suit.
I entered college a year after my arrival in that small town. Accepted to a college not more than 3 hours from my grandparents home. Expected to come home for the weekends, I took it all in strive. I enrolled in the basic education classes, not putting forth any effort to pick a major right away. I made a few close friends, but nothing interested me. I went to class on a regular basis, avoiding any real social seen that was put before me. I did not attend any functions other than those that were assigned in my classes. Homecoming night was spent lounging in my door room while my roommate and her boyfriend did the popular thing and route for the football team. It just didn’t interested me. Most weekends were spent at my grandparents house, but when I could talk them into allowing me to stay, I spent the nights alone in my dorm room reading. I felt better being alone, and with my room mate spending her weekends at her boyfriends I was allowed to do whatever I wanted.
With no one around to bother me anymore about being accepted and fitting into the norm of things, I was free to pursue the topics of my own choosing. I was found most nights at the college library, when not in my room reading. I searched through the vast walls of book lined shelves. Plundering like that of the Vikings. Consuming every book I could get my hands on. I devoured every play by Shakespeare in a month. Reveled in every book on Europe. Longed for the day when my life would take me over the pond. My fascination with Medieval Europe found me hour upon hour, page after page of every book I could find. Jumping from one Europe city to the next within the pages of my books. I found myself wondering further and further from reality. Craving that which I had longed for only a year ago. To move away from my family completely. To find something I could call my own. The journey was the greatest part of it all, but to actually do it required more planning on my part. And so I read more books on how to go about planning such an adventure.
It was late one night while walking back from the library that I was approached by a young man clad in black. The incident didn’t strike me as unusual at the time, but now looking back on it, it seems that night was to change my life forever. He came to me like a vage dream one has in the middle of the night. I stood for a moment gazing at the moon when he approached. He asked for a ciggarette and when I gave him one he smiled and walked away. I did not see him again for some time.
The next meeting of he and I was not so rather brief. I was walking back to my room from the library one night when again he stood before me. I hadn’t noticed him being their for my head was planted in a book as it is done so many times. I almost tripped over him when he held his hand out to stop me. I looked up to see his face, even more clearly than the last time. Eyes as blue as the ocean, piercing like that of a knife. He smiled and picked up the book that I had dropped. I stood there dumbfounded, only able to utter a “I’m sorry”. He looked at the book for a moment before returning it to me. “I see you like poetry Miss?” he said as he handed the book to me. “Lillyonna.” I said as I reached for the book.
My fingers touched his hands as I took the book from him, and what I noticed that night was that his hands were very cold. He smiled down at me again before speaking. “Well it is a pleasure Miss Lillyonna.” he said with soft southern accent. With those words he melted the circle of ice around my heart. Very handsome he was, with long dark hair, just below the shoulders, and quite taller than I. He stood before me well over six foot tall, clad in black again. About his body he wore a black leather duster. I stood silent for a moment before he reached over, brushing the strans of hair from my face. ” Umm.. I must be going..” I said as I quickly walked past him.
Upon entering my room that evening I found my room mate and her boyfirend in what can only be described as a Olympic necking fest. I cleared my throat as I set my books down, letting the two of them know that I had entered the room. My room mate laughed as she sat up. The two of them exited the room and I did not see her until the next morrning. I can only imaginine where she spent the night. I however spent the rest of that night alone in my room, or at least I thought I was alone. I could have swore that someone was there with me. I had fallen asleep that night upon my bed only to be awoken by the feeling that I was being watched. When I opened my eyes and looked toward the window, all I saw a shadow. I now know that it was the man I had seen that night. He was watching me sleep. I shook it off and went back to sleep. The next morrning I awoke and dressed for my class. I found my room mate walking in our room as I was walking out. Still wearing the same outfit as she had on the night before. We said our civil hellos and I went about my business.
As soon as class was over I returned to my dorm room. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading the poetry book that I had picked up from the library the night before. Memorizing the poems that intreged me the most. That evening my room mate kicked me out of our room, siteing that I had ruined her plans the night before. Upon my exit I had decieded that a walk around campus for a few hours would do. I found myself traveling to the spot I had went to so many times before. A small grove on the edge of the campus, circled by many elm trees. It wasn’t brightly lit, but I had brought my flash light as I had always done before. I found my spot and opened my book. I sat quietly reading by the light for quite sometime, before I heard something moving around near me. I closed my book and shined the light toward the sound, only to find that it was a wild rabbit. The moment the light hit it, it scurred off into the darkness. I laughed and returned to my book. Moments later being startled by a hand upon my shoulder. It was him. The man that I had met outside the library the night before. I jumped and my book flew across the grove.
I looked up to find him smiling down at me. “I’m sorry I startled you” he said witha chuckle “Oh, you didn’t startle me” I said as I placed my hand upon my chest, trying to slow my heart beat. He bent down to pick up my flash light, for it too had flown out of my hand. I smiled as he retreaved my book as well. ” I believe these belong to you Miss Lillyonna” he said as he bent over to hand them to me. “Thank you” I said as I took the flashlight and book from him. My fingertips again touched his flesh as they had done the previous meeting. “May I ask what brings you here?” he aside as he bent to one knee. I looked directly into his eyes, noticing just how truly blue they were, but also noting the flecks of greyish silver that seemed luminate in the moonlight. I sat for a moment in awh as I moved my gaze further to his lips. A hint of red shown through the paleness of those lips. ” I came here to read, my room mate kicked me out for a few hours.” I finaly said as I pulled my gaze from his lips. “Yes, room mates can be a pain can’t they.” he said with a laugh.
“You live in the male dorms?” I asked, wanting to know something about him. “No, I have an apartment here in town” he said with a smile as he sat next to me. It would have frightened me to have some man sit next to me in the darkness, a man for whom I had just met, but for some strange reason, I felt at ease with him. Like I had always known him. “You never did tell me your name.” I said with a laugh. “Oh, I didn’t, well how rude of me… My name is Brendan” he said as he held out his hand to me. I hezatated for a moment before taking it, not because I was afraid, but because I detested the coldness of his hands. Yet, I did take his hand into mine, giving it a light shake. I sat quietly, not wanting to look directly at him. From his coat pocket he pulled a pack of cigarettes, offering me one before taking one for himself. ” I owe you one” he said with a laugh as I took one from the pack.
I sat quietly smoking the cigarette that he had given me, my aquardness clear by my random movements. He sat himself beside me without my giving him permission to stay. I thought it rude for a moment, but then accepting his company and shook it off. ” You consume books as other’s consume food, Miss Lillyonna.” he said suddenlty, no doubt feeling the silence defining. “Other’s are content with the world we now live in, I am on the other hand more at peace within the world theses books present to me ” I said with a coy smile, my eyes moving toward his gaze. I felt a strange sense of playfullness while with him.
We spent the rest of the evening walking about the campus talking. Well, I did most of the talking. I felt so comfortable talking to him. My life story unfolded before I knew it. My dreams of finding something I could call my own. My wanting to journey across the sea to Europe. My troubles with my family, and all at once I felt ashamed and uneasy about my gushing thoughts and feelings. I haden’t known this man but a few hours and already he knew more about me than anyone in the world. I stopped in mid sentence and mid stride, having an overwhelming feeling of being vulnerable. He turned to me as if he could read my thoughts and feelings. “You needent be worried, I would never do anything to cause you harm darlin’.” he said as he took my hand into his. I suppose his words did comfort me but I pulled away, hateing the feeling of not being in control of my own feelings and thoughts. “I’m sorry, I must go.” I said as I pulled away even further. “Very well, I shall see you again soon Lillyonna” he said with a smile. “Good night” I said as I turned and headed toward my dorm. My thoughts raced with each step I took. My pace quickened until I was in a mad dash to reach the front doors, and I did not stop until I hit the elevators.
That night I entered my empty room. My room mate and her boyfriend had long since left and the stillness of the air scared me more than being in Brendan’s company. I looked out the window of the 6th floor, half expecting to see him looking up at me from below, but he was not there. Only suttle swaying trees and empty parked cars awaited my gaze. I closed the drapes and made my way slowly toward my bed. Tired from the long talk and walking, but more so wanting to fall into a deep sleep where my dreams awaited me. Sleep was more of an escape for me than a nesity. In my dreams I could be the loving daughter that my parents were proud of. I could be the popular student who everyone loved and admired. I could be the wonderful grand-daughter that my grandparents bragged about.
I sat upon my bed, pulling my boots of carefully. My feet ached as I pulled my socks off and tossed them into the boots. I looked about the room, the shadows dancing across the wall and disappearing into the darkness. All my thoughts were still upon Brendan and how he had made me feel at first. How it was so easy to talk to him. How I had never, in my life ever opened myself up to anyone as I had done that night. How it was stupid of me to have run from him. He seemed sincere enough about wanting not to harm me. I fell asleep that night with his face still embeded in my mind.
I awoke that afternoon having slept through my first 2 classes. I would have slept longer if it were not for my room mate prancing her way into the room being as loud as she could. I reached for my alarm clock. 1:00 pm in the afternoon. I couldn’t believe that I had slept as long as I did, and couldn’t understand why I was so tired. I shruged it off with a sigh. Having missed all my classes that day I decied that heading for the library was in order. If I missed class I could make up assignements by going to the library and looking for a fellow class mate, to fill me in on what I missed. The library was all but empty and there was no one in there that was in any of my missed classes. I headed for the back wall among the books that I had tresured.
I spent some 6 hours in there, reading and looking up things on the computer. Reserching different places all the while writing them down in a journal that I carried on me at all times. It contained my thoughts and the names of the different places that I had intended on going some day. Far off places where I could study the different cultures and admire the art of the different lands. It was always my dream of returning to the land of my ancestors. Ireland, the place where my forefathers had lived hundreds of thousands of years ago. I looked at as many books on Ireland as I could in that libarary the first months at college. Copying the maps by hand in my journal. Putting stars around the different citys I wanted to visit. Finding as much information as I could about my ancestors, right down to where they originated from in Ireland. What their celtic name ment. I even tried to lean the Celtic language from an old dusty book I found in the way back corner of the library. To my astonishment the language came easy to me.
It was well after 9 when I decied to return to my room. I placed the books I had took from the shelves back in their places and made my way out the front doors of the library. I stepped down to find myself looking at Brendan once more. His eyes looking directly at me, a smile upon his face. I laughed for a moment, having the irony of meeting him once more outside the doors of the library. “Do you wait for me everynight to come out of the Library?” I said with a laugh, which he in turn laughed and shook his head. “As much as it might surprise you, yes, I do wait for you every night.” he said with a chuckle. I didn’t know how to take it. He had admited to waiting for me. Was he a stalker or was he just a friendly man who wished my company. “Your company” he said with a smile. I looked up at him oddly as I shifted my journal to my coat pocket.
We walked once more about the campus, this time I said as little as I could without being rude. I asked him about his life. He said very little which intreaged me even more. The misterious type facinated me. We found ourselfs in the parking lot of the campus, stopping at a little red sports car. I looked at him for a moment before he leaned against it. “Would you care to go out somewhere?” he said with a smile. I didn’t know how to answer him. I had never been asked out on a date, and it frightened me somewhat to have him ask me out after just having met him. “Where were you thinking of going?” I said with a laugh, trying my hardest to hide the fear. ” Perahaps to a movie?” he laughed
” Well, I… uh…” I said, not knowing what to say. ” You are right, it is to quick of me to be asking you out.” he said with a smile. ” Yes, but.. I didn’t say that outloud.. Are you reading my thoughts?” I asked, my expression turning to that of consern. ” Yes… It is quite easy, I could teach you how to do it.” he said with a smile as he pulled a ring of keys from the pocket of his duster. I looked at him oddly. Wondering if he was telling the truth or if it was a simple parlor trick. ” You will find out soon enough Miss Lillyonna.” he said as he opened the car door. I stood there quietly, not knowing what I should say or do. He stepped into the car and looked up at me. ” I will see you again, soon.” he said as he shut the car door and turned the engine. It roared as he gave it gas. The whole car shook before me as he started to pull away. The smell of exaust filling the air. I continued to stand there, unable to move. My thoughts still racing with questions. Could he really read my mind?
I stood there for quite sometime before actually willing myself to move. The whole experience in meeting him frightened me somewhat. I slowly made my way toward the female dorms, my thoughts still lingering over our encounter. The night was unusually chilly and my body shivered feverishly as I entered the building. Preocupied with continued thoughts about him, I looked up to find myself standing before my door. I didn’t remember how I had gotten there, only glad that I was so. I entered my room as I have done so many times before, and again, my room mate was gladly no where to be found. I assumed that she had taken off with her boyfriend. I slowly removed my shoes and got myself ready for bed. It was a weekend, but I didn’t have anywhere to be, so I settled myself into bed, turning on the televison and cuddling up with my favorite blanket. I had wanted to watch a movie, but I woke up the next morrning realizing that I had fallin’ asleep moments after my head hit the pillow.
It was early the next morrning when I awoke, expecting to see my room mate asleep in her own bed across from me. Only she wasn’t. The bed was still made, and even her favorite stuffed animal was still lying upon the pillow untouched. I didn’t really think much of it, for I had often awoke to an empty room save for myself. I slowly climbed out of my bed, reaching for my robe. Its cotton softness wonderful against my skin. I decieded to take a shower before adventuring out into the daylight. I made my way toward the bathroom, an arm full of neccessitys in hand. The water was particularly cold this morrning which sent shivers down my back as I stepped under the pulsating spray. The kind of coldness that makes even your toenails ache. I quickly increased the temprature of my shower to a hot steaming one. Letting the water erase all tentions in my back and neck. The steam almost making it hard to see around inside the tiny room. I emerged with a refreshed sense of self. I began to dry myself off in the usually fashion, standing before the mirror. The steam of my hot shower making it fogged over.
As I stepped inside my bedroom once more the phone rang. I quickly jumped over the usual teenage trash about the room to answer it. The voice on the other end quite reconizable. It was the dorm mother, she was calling to tell me that there was something downstairs for me. When I asked her what it was, she replyed with a ” Come down here and see!” I wasn’t expecting a package from anyone, nor was it my birthday. I frantically dressed, pulling on a pair of jean cut off shorts and a tank top. The kind of mad dash that has one picking clothing up off the floor, knowing full well that they were dirty. I made my way down to the lobby, feet bare and cold upon the floor, head still dripping from my shower. There the dorm mother stood with a dozen white roses, long stem at that. I looked at her oddly. “Surely they’ve made a mistake. ” I said as I looked at her, the flowers still in her arms. ” The delivery man said… Miss Lillyonna.” she said with a girlish laughter, no doubt from the years of being around teenagers. I shook my head. “There is no way they can be for me. ” I continued to protest as she placed the bunch in my arms. I looked at them for a moment, searching for a card. Just under a rose bud lied the card I was searching for. I pulled it from the flowers, and carefully opening it. I read it aloud, ” Dinner and a movie tonight.. I’ll pick you up at 8… In perfect trust…. Brendan” I smiled softly, not knowing what to say about such a display. The dorm mother looked at me, her eyes welling with tears. ” Now what do ya say about that…” she smiled, her face turning pink in color. ” I.. I don’t know what to say. ” I said, my eyes still widened from just the shock of receiving such a thing, much less the point that he sent them with an invitation as that.
I slowly walked toward the elevator, flowers in hand, and every girl in the lobby green with envy. That of I know. I couldn’t help but laugh as I entered the elevator alone. I shook my head as I reached to push the button. The elevator screeched to a halt as it has always done. My hair still dripping as I entered my room and placed the flowers upon my bed. My room mate stood there, her mouth open and eyes wide. ” You didn’t tell me it was your birthday, how sweet of your grandparents to send you those. ” she said as she bounced over toward me. ” It isn’t my birthday, and they didn’t send them to me” I said quietly as I sat beside the bunch of roses on my bed, my face still in utter shock of it. “Then who? A guy?” she said with a crewl laughter as she bent over to pick up the card. I sat there, my eyes narrowing at such a remark. She opened the card and quietly read it to herself. “Who’s Brendan? ” she said as she layed the card upon the flowers and looked at me. She looked as though she were a child who was caught with their hand in the cookie jar. I shruged, ” Just someone I met.” I said quietly, laughing inside at such a disappointed look upon her face. ” Oh… well… that’s nice.” she said as she turned toward her own bed, her voice sounding hurt and jelous. I knew that her boyfriend, of 6 months had never sent her anything such as those wonderous flowers. In fact, he had forgotten about her birthday all together some weeks before. I looked about the room, searching for something to put them in. The only thing I could find was a plastic cup from a fastfood restarant. I filled it with water and lowered the flowers into it. I placed the flowers in front of the window and then sat back down upon my bed, staring at them. Should I accept his invitation, or tell him that it is to fast for us to go out together?
I thought about for the rest of the day. Never moving from my bed, my eyes still fixed upon the roses in the window sill. My room mate had long since left when I came out of my trance like state. I looked about the room. Dusk had thrown shadows about the walls. I got up from the bed, deciding I had nothing to lose with going out with him, and perhaps everything to gain. I picked out a short silky black dress. One that I had never worn before. It was given to me by my aunt with the intentions of me wearing it out, but sat in the back of my closet for some year and a half. Now it seemed an approprate thing to wear, even though I had no idea where he had planed on taking me. I placed my hair in a ponytail as usual, leaving little ringlets of hair cascade down from my temples. The classic look of some of the more popular girls at school. I grabed for my combat boots, looking at them for a moment. I shook my head silently, glancing at my room mates pile of ever mounding shoes. I picked out a pair of heels, not too high as I would never forgive myself for falling flat on my face in his company.
I slipped them on and looked at myself in the mirror. Something was missing. I decied upon my great-grandmothers peal necklace and a pair of my fancy silver earrings. I looked at myself once more in the mirror, still something didn’t feel right. I ran my fingers along the straps of the dress, thinking to myself of what could be missing. Then it struck me, I had not bothered to even put a speck of make-up on. It never occured to me that I needed any until that moment. I wasn’t one for make-up in general, but now for some strange reason, I felt I needed it. I took a step back, wondering why I was so intense about this whole event. Why was I even bothering to fix myself up to conform to what others preceived as a women. I decieded that make-up wasn’t what I needed and sat upon my bed. It was just before 8 o’clock when the phone rang. My heart jumped as I reached for the phone, picking it up gently and breathing in deeply before I said anything. ” Hello?” I said quietly, in a calm voice, almost too calm. ” Miss Lillyonna?” he said. “Yeah, this is she.” I said as I placed my hand to my chest, trying my hardest to stay calm. ” Hey darlin’… are you ready?” he said ” Yeah, I’ll be right down.” I said as I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply.
I stood in the elevator, my knees feeling weak from the weight. My entire body began to shake and I had to calm myself quickly or else pass out right then and there. There were a few other people in the elevator, and they looked at me quietly. I sensed that they could tell I was uneasy. I stepped off the elevator, the heels clicking as I made my way down the hall toward the lobby. I decended the stairs, my stomphic in knots as I saw him standing before me. I smiled softly, my gaze going over his right shoulder as I saw my room mate standing behind him, a look of shock upon her face, and on her boyfriends. Brendan stood there quietly as I approached. “Well, well darlin’… you look wonderful.” he said with a coy smile. I rolled my eyes playfully as I took his outstreached elbow. We moved toward the front door, my gaze falling upon that of my room mate and her boyfriend. I smirked at her and continued to walk toward the door.
The night air was not as cold as it had been in recent days. The moon overhead shown through a sky of clouds. The stars hidden from view except for a ever surprising patch of clear sky. He was quite the gentle man, opening the door for me before I got in, and then waiting so he could close it for me. I had always been uneasy about the thought of a man doing such for me. In fact I had lost a guy friend one time over him trying to open a door for me at a club. Me having yelled at him, and him not understanding why I was so upset. We never spoke again over it. I let it go for now, but if he pulled a chair out for me I was gonna say something. The evening was wonderful, even more so when after dinner he took me to a park. We spent the remainder of the evening swinging at the playground and talking.
I hadn’t noticed it was just before dawn, but he had, for he looked at his watch and smiles politely. ” Well, Miss Lillyonna, I fear it is later than I expected to be out, I must be getting back to my apartment.” he said with a smile as he stood from the swing. He dropped me off at the dorms without even an advancement. I thought it odd that a man would go to so much trouble without even expecting a kiss, but then again, I didn’t intend on giving him one. I entered my room that morning and crashed out of the bed, not bothering to change clothes.
The next day started out as any other would. I awoke to an empty room. No room mate in sight. I took a shower and as I walked back into the room I had to race for the phone as it rang. “Hello?” I said quietly, trying to be as coy as possible. “Lillyonna? ” the voice said. “Yes, Grandma, it’s me.” I said quietly. ” I was wondering if you were going to come home this weekend? The Church is holding the Winter Bizzar and they want you to come down for it.” she said in a quiet sturn voice. ” Umm.. I don’t know Grandma. I have a few tests next week and I need to study.” I lied. I knew it was a lie, but I really didn’t want to go home that weekend. Especially to go to a Church Bizzar. “Well, I’ll tell them your busy, but I’m sure they’ll be sad that your not going to be here. ” she said. I knew she was trying to make me feel guilty.
That was what most of my family tried to do to me. If I didn’t go along with their plans, it was a guilt trip till I said yes. But this time it wasn’t going to work. I didn’t want to go home, and there was nothing that she could have said, short of someone dying, that was going to make me go. “I’m sorry grandma, I really need to study..Oh.. grandma.. I have to go.. my room mate needs to use the phone, I’ll talk to you next weekend.” I said quietly, trying to think of an excuse to get off the phone. We said our good-byes and I sighed in relief. Although my grandparents had never met my room mate, they knew that she was a popular girl that everyone liked, just by what she had on her side of the room. Upon the walls she strung posters of the latest boy group bands. A few pom-poms from her high school and the ever popular closet of clothes straight from the cover of Voge. Nothing like me, but my grandparents figured that she would rub off on me.
Moments after I hung up the phone with my grandmother the phone rang again, I figured it would be another one of my family members trying to get me to come home, but instead it was the front desk. The dorm mother called to tell me I had another bunch of flowers sent. I didn’t think that Brendan would be sending flowers yet again. The first batch hadn’t even wilted yet. I hung up with her and slipped on a pair of my sanddles.
A few girls hung around down stairs in the lobby when I entered. I walked toward the front desk and to my surprise there sat a sliver vase filled with a dozen white roses. They looked as though they had been sprayed with silver glitter. They were wonderful. I had never seen anything like them before in my life. I felt the heat flush my cheeks as I stood before them. The dorm mother stood there with a ever growing grin. I said nothing, only picked up the vase and looked for a card. Little did I know that a crowd of girls gathered around me. A few of them “ooouuuued” as I reached for the card. I turned to see about 16 girls standing around me.
“They are from the man that I went out with last night, he sent them to thank me for the evening.” I said with a laugh, which only sent them into more of a ravonas frenzy. “Ohh.. to thank you for the evening.” one of the girls said with a coy smile, implying that I had done something for him, or to him last night. “No.. it’s not what you think, we had dinner and then I came home.” I said as I tried to push my way past them. “That’s not what I heard.” another girl said from behind the crowd. It was my room mate and she had arrived in time to put her two cents in. ” You couldn’t have heard anything, cause I haven’t spoken to you in two days.” I said with a smirk.
” Well, I heard from someone this morning that you didn’t come home until 5:30 a.m.” she said with an all knowing smile. “Well, you heard wrong.” I said, knowing full well that it was a bold face lie. ” I came home just after midnight last night, and if you will excuse me, I have to go study.” I said as I pushed my way toward the elevators.
Once inside my room I was free to squeall with delight at the fact that he sent me flowers again. I sniffed each one in turn while placing fresh water into the vase. I set the arrangement on my dresser, next to the other vase and stood back looking at them. ” I don’t know why he does it, but for some reason, I enjoy the thought of getting flowers from a man.” I said to myself as I turned and pulled the covers down on my bed and slipped beneath them. I then sat back and began to read my book.
Sometime around 7:00 p.m. that night I was shaken from my book to answer the phone. It was Brendan, and he wanted to know how I liked the flowers. I thanked him and asked why he sent them. ” I just wanted to.” he said softly ” And to let you know I would like to go out with you again some time.”
” Well, what did you have in mind for the next time we went out?” I said with a laugh. ” I planned on taking you to the local musiam.” he said, his voice was deep and I could tell that he had just woken up. ” Well, when did you have in mind on going?” I said as I closed my books. I hoped that he had expected us to go that evening. I wanted to see the expression on the face of the girls that were downstairs, and I wanted to see him again.
“Umm… well how about tomorrow night, I have some business to attend to tonight.. and I don’t want you to get tired of me.” he said with a laugh. I accepted his invitation, only mildly showing my disappointment in my voice. ” I could never get tired of you.” I said with a laugh. “Well, we will see about that.” he said with a chuckle. We agreed to meet down stairs the next night at 8:00 p.m., though I thought it strange that a Measuem would be open so late. He explained that his friend owned it and was allowing him to show me the place at night.
We said our good-byes and I began to study, having found myself nothing better to do than look over a few notes from my classes. No tests anytime soon, but it couldn’t hurt. It was well after midnight when I finally put my notes and books away. I looked about the empty room, and let a soft sigh escape my lips. Here it was after midnight and I was wide awake with nothing to do. I turned on the radio and changed the station. My room mate was known for changing the station to something other than what I called music. Her music was just a bunch of boys singing the same song regurgated over and over again with a different title. Not my idea of music at all. Since I was now living in a small town I had to deal with a lack of radio stations. It was either the popular boy band radio stations or country music, of which I could tollerate but really could care less about. I happened to find a decent radio station that played old rock and roll songs from the 50’s. I sat back and listened to the Beatles, soon finding myself droopy eyed I lied back down on my bed.
The next morning I was awoken by my room mate and her boyfriend being as loud as possible when they entered the room. I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. The music was still playing from the radio as I looked at the alarm clock. It was in the late after noon. I couldn’t understand how I had slept so long without even waking up once. Usually when I slept I awoke several times during the night. I had not woken up once. She and her boyfriend sat on her bed and made kissy faces at eachother. I shook my head and walked toward the bathroom. The water felt refreshing as I splashed it upon my face. I looked into the mirror, half expecting to see bags under my eyes from too much sleep. I reached for the hair bush and began to brush my hair, pulling it back in a tight pony tail.
With my room mate and her boyfriend occupying the room I decieded it was time to go to the library. Most of the students were gone for the weekend and the campus was quiet that afternoon. The library was especally quiet when I entered. The front desk was empty and a few people were sitting on the brown leather couches reading the local newspapers. I slowly walked toward the back wall. The green shag carpet looked as though it had been there since the building was first built sometime in the early 1960’s. It crunched beneath my feet as I continued to walk toward the back wall. I scaned the shelf, looking for the last book that had held my intresest days ago. I found it and pulled it from the line of other books, careful not to pull the entire row out with it, as the books were squeezed so tightly together. I walked toward a old table that was hidden by a very large book shelf. I had often came to that table, because it was so quiet back there, no one would even know I was there.
Sometime that evening I decieded to return to my door room. I stepped out into the night to find that the wind has picked up. The clouds in the sky were a deep ember color with crimson and purple hues. It was beautiful the way the stars peeked trhough the clouds every now and again. It had turned unusually cold for a spring evening. The moon was hidden behind the clouds but the rays shown through. I walked slowly toward the doorms with my nose still planted in a book. Looking up every now and again to make sure I wasn’t going to run into anything or anyone.
Half way back to the dorms I heard my name being whispered. I looked up from my book. There wasn’t anyone there. I turned around to peer behind me. No one was behind me as well, but I knew I heard someone whisper my name. I shurgged it off and looked back down at my book. Though it was hard to see the fine print on the pages, I continued to read. The street lamps I passed under gave me a few seconds of light to follow the lines in the book. I looked up once more to see where I was going, and there, before me stood a woman clad in black. Her hair blowing in the breeze. It looked like something out of a really scary movie. Her hair fling behind her as if it had a mind of its own. Her eyes gleamed from within the shadows and seemed to take on a redish hue. I was startled at first by her sudden appearance, but quickly shrugged it off as a fellow student who liked the gothic side of life. There were a few of them creeping around the campus. I noticed a few girls with white face make-up and thick black eyeliner, who liked to hang around near the fountan near the main building. I had a few of the guys in my class. None of whom really spoke to me. They never really seemed to talk to anyone outside their own circle.
This woman stood quietly, her hair flying about her. She made no attempt to move as I walked closer toward her. I said a hello to her, but she did not utter a word, and as I passed her I felt a cold chil eminating from her flesh. Thought it was a cold night, I thought it odd that someone could resinate such an emence extreme of cold from their body. I continued to walk, having passed her. I did not want to look back, for some reason I knew I needed to return to my room as quickly as possible. It is an odd feeling when you know something is out in the shadows. I felt it calling to me. Wanting me to stay outside, but I wanted no part of it.
Once inside my dorm room I let out a deep sigh. My heart beating deep within my chest as I leaned against the door. The room was dark and from what I could tell, my room mate was no where to be found. That is until I turned on the light. It was like a large flash inside my brain as I saw red everywhere. I stood for a moment, unable to move, or scream. Blood covered everything on my room mates side of the room. Claw marks scraped down the side of her wall. I almost vomited as the smell of death and blood filled my nose. There lying upon my room mates bed was her boyfriends head. His hair matted in a bloody mess, eyes wide open and staring off into the distance. My room mates body parts strung about the room. Her brain clinging to the ceiling as it dripped down in a foutian of blood and grey matter. His body lie slumpped over in a kneeling possition. It looked as though a wolf teared at her flesh and spat the blood on the walls. I cried out loud and that was the last thing that I remembered.