CHAPTER 14 JUST AN ACCIDENT

Matt stretched and yawned. He made his way to the bedroom window and, blinking against the bright light, peered out. The sun was already high above the trees in a clear sky. His bedroom felt hot and sticky.

He yawned again, bumped into his dresser, opened a drawer, found a bathing suit, and sleepily stepped into it.

Padding heavily into the kitchen, brushing the hair out of his eyes with one hand, he found a note from his parents on the kitchen counter. They had gotten up early to go fishing with friends. Didn’t want to disturb him. Wondered what time he had gotten in. Would see him later.

What time did I get in? Matt wondered.

He wasn’t sure. After the triple feature, he, Ben, and some other guys had headed to the carnival grounds to check it out. But the field was dark, the rides all shut down, the booths covered for the night.

It must have been well after midnight. Back in town, Matt met some friends who had been to the carnival. One of them started teasing him about April.

“What are you talking about?” Matt asked, confused.

“April was there all night. With another guy. A tall guy. Straight, black hair. You’d better watch out, Daniels.” The boys walked off, snickering and making jokes at Matt’s expense.

Gabri. She was there with Gabri, Matt realized.

As he made his way down Seabreeze Road, kicking clods of sandy dirt as he walked, he decided he’d better apologize to April. He probably shouldn’t have spent the night with the guys, even though he had really wanted to see those movies badly.

He realized he hadn’t spent much time with April since they’d arrived at Sandy Hollow. And now this townie with his dark, romantic eyes and slick smile was moving in on her.

He’d put a stop to it, Matt decided, sneaking into the cottage, hoping his parents wouldn’t hear him come in. He’d call April first thing in the morning.

Now it wasn’t exactly first thing in the morning. It was ten-thirty, to be exact. But he gulped down a glass of orange juice—too quickly, for it gave him a sharp pain between his eyes—and then dialed April’s house.

The phone rang three times before someone picked it up. “Hello?” April’s mother said.

“Hi, Mrs. Blair. It’s me. Can I talk to April?”

“Oh. Hi, Matt. She’s still asleep.”

“Huh?” April was a morning person. She was usually up at dawn.

“The twins tried to rouse her for breakfast more than an hour ago,” Mrs. Blair said. “She muttered something about not feeling well, said she felt like sleeping for weeks. That’s not like her. I figured I’d better let her sleep.”

“Yeah. Well . . . ” Matt was surprised. He wanted to ask, “How late was she out with Gabri?” But instead he said, “Tell her I hope she feels better. If she wants to, she can meet me at the beach.”

He hung up the phone, feeling troubled. He scratched the back of his neck. His skin felt all prickly. The air in the small kitchen was heavy and wet.

It’s really going to be hot today, he thought. I’ve got to get to the beach.

He called Todd, who had also just pulled himself out of bed, and arranged to meet him at the beach. “Bring your Boogie board,” he told him. “Maybe the surf will be good this morning.”

But when he arrived at the beach, already crowded with morning sunbathers, several swimmers diving and darting through the low, blue-green waves, Todd was stretched out on a beach towel in the shade of a yellow- and white-striped beach umbrella.

“Hey—” Matt called.

“How’s it going?” Todd asked sleepily.

“Where’s your Boogie board?”

Todd raised his head and looked around. “Guess I forgot it.”

Matt sighed impatiently and dropped his Boogie board to the sand. “What’d you do last night? See that girl?” He dropped onto his knees, then sat down on the Boogie board, the sun warm on his back.

“Yeah.” Todd yawned loudly. “Jessica. We just walked around town. She wanted to go down to the beach, but I wasn’t up to it. I went home early.”

“Hey, man—you need a swim,” Matt urged. “We both need something to wake us up this morning.”

Todd didn’t respond.

“Hey, Todd—come on, man.”

Silence.

“Todd?”

Leaning over his friend, Matt saw that Todd had fallen asleep.

What’s with this guy? Matt wondered. How can he conk out before eleven in the morning?

Todd uttered a sigh in his sleep and rolled onto his side.

What kind of suntan lotion is Todd using? Matt wondered, staring at his friend. He seems to be getting paler—not darker.

• • • • •

As darkness descended, Jessica tingled with excitement and felt almost alive. She could feel the renewed energy coursing through her body.

She swept her long hair back over her shoulders, allowing the soft breeze off the ocean to ruffle through it, and thought about the nectar.

So sweet and tart at the same time.

So rich and thick.

And thirst quenching.

The moon, which had begun as a pale, white disc, was growing bolder, beginning to gain its golden glow. Staring up at it, Jessica tried to remember her life.

What had she been like when she was sixteen—like Todd and his friends?

Did she summer at the beach? Did she have boyfriends?

Try to remember, Jessica, she urged herself. Try.

But she had no memories.

No memories of her real life.

Her childhood was gone. Her family was gone. Her teenage years—all her years—her life was gone.

Even her death was gone, she realized.

How did I die?

But of course she hadn’t died.

And that was why her only memories were of her life as an Eternal One. Her only memories were those of the gray, twilight world she roamed in, floated in, soared in, shadowy memories of longing, of need, eternal need—of thirst.

Was that a tear rolling down her soft, pale cheek?

Was she actually crying for her past, for all that was lost to her? Crying for a life she hadn’t a single memory of?

No. It was just the salty air, she told herself, brushing the wetness from her cheek, forcing her morbid thoughts away.

This was to be a night of triumph, after all.

A night of victory, and then of celebration.

A night of nectar. A night of renewal.

She saw Todd approaching along the shore. This is your night, Todd, she thought, all of her sadness lifting as he neared, and her tingling excitement returned.

This is your night, my poor, innocent, shy, not-so-very-smart Todd.

This is the night you become an Eternal One. The night you shed your boring, old life and soar into the dark sky.

He waved to her, and she stepped toward him, her bare feet light on the wet sand, moving out of the shadows of the rowboat dock. Behind her, the three rowboats tied to the dock bobbed like flat fish in the water, bumping gently against the wooden piles.

“Todd!” she called enthusiastically, running toward him, her short sundress lifting high on her long, slender legs as she ran.

“Hi,” he said. Still shy. Still reluctant. “Nice night, huh?”

She took his arm. Kissed his cheek.

So near the precious nectar. So near.

Her pulse throbbed. She could feel it.

And she could feel her thirst.

One last sip. One little taste, Todd, and you’re one of us. Forever.

“What did you do today?” she asked, locking her eyes on his.

“Went to the beach,” he told her. “But I didn’t swim or anything. I was feeling kind of lazy.”

Wonder why, she thought dryly, holding on to his arm, staring into his eyes, letting her power do its work.

“You want to go to the carnival or something?” he asked, his voice quavering.

He’s under my spell, she thought.

He’s mine.

“It’s so peaceful here on this end of the beach,” she whispered, leaning against him, moonlight reflecting off her pale face, her bare shoulders. “And we’re all alone.”

He turned his eyes to the water, to the small, wooded island out beyond the rowboat dock. But she forced his eyes to return to hers.

“How about a kiss, Todd?”

She didn’t wait for a reply. A faint smile began to spread on his lips as she moved her face forward and pressed her mouth to his.

He’s mine. He’s mine.

But what was that sound? That fluttering over the rush of the waves.

Was it just the rowboats bobbing against the dock?

No.

She pressed her lips against Todd’s, sighing softly. And raised her eyes to the purple sky.

And saw the bat hovering low overhead.

Gabri! It must be Gabri! she realized.

He’s come to ruin it for me. He’s come to rob me of my victory.

No, Gabri, she thought, her pulse pounding as the wild, inhuman energy flowed through her.

No, Gabri. Not tonight.

You will not interfere tonight.

You are too late. The boy is mine.

The bat hovered lower.

Quick, quick! Jessica commanded herself.

Her fangs lowered, and her face pressed against Todd’s throat, and she bit deeply.

Deeply.

And drank.

The bat fluttered low. Lower. But he was too late.

Too late.

The race was lost.

Jessica drank. More and more.

Then, as Todd uttered a loud moan, of pain, of helplessness, of ecstasy, Jessica pulled her face back.

The color faded from Todd’s eyes as they rolled up into his head.

“No!” Jessica shrieked. “No! No! No! It was an accident! I—I don’t believe I did this!”

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 554