tense arms from my sides out of fear I might accidently brush his arm that invades my blanket space.
I lie there trying not to assess every inch of him as I carefully tilt my head to casually get a better view. While I’m failing at not looking at the corded muscle of his bicep, his right eye peeks open and catches me again for the second time in an hour.
Immediately, I turn away from him, facing the fire. I’m uncomfortable on the itchy blanket and hard ground and wonder if he’s watching me. Should I be afraid? Strangely I’m not, though part of me knows I should be. I watch the fire and try not to think. I try to keep from dissecting the day’s events and eventually sleep does come and I dream.
My dreams are filled with textbook drawings of vampires clawing their way over towering brick walls. Although true vampires are a thing of the past and have not been sighted in several decades, the cryptic drawings of snarling pale beasts with red eyes fill my mind and come to life. They fall over the wall into society one by one, piling up until there is an army stampeding through the dusty streets of my camp. I hide behind my mother. I’m only an image of my youth. A tiny girl with big green eyes, eyes that hold fear of the unknown.
I find protection behind my mother and comfort from her hand resting on my thick hair. I cling to her arm, peering out from behind her legs as the monsters draw closer and closer. Once they are only a few yards away, my mother raises her palm slowly and signals for them to halt.
The rushing crowd of ancient, decaying beasts stops instantly, obeying her like a servant to a master. Their red eyes are eager, hungrily watching us.
Just as I close my eyes in relief, my mother’s hand moves from my head to my arm. She picks me up, and I cling closer to her, trying to find comfort from her warmth. She smiles softly at me, making me forget my fears, forget the monsters, before tossing me into the mass of vampires. Their claw-like hands draw me in and rake down my skin.
I wake with a shudder, breathing hard. Sweat drips down my neck from the heat of the fire behind me.
The rumors of the few remaining vampires hiding within the Red Hills circle my mind. With eyes wide open, I recall the whispered stories of the monsters who haven’t been seen in decades, but could still be living in the shadows of our world …
Soft fabric is bunched tightly between my fingers and a comfortable yet firm surface is under my head. The most calming feeling laces through my mind as I snuggle deeper into my pillow. My very hard, hard pillow.
Every muscle in my body tenses. It takes me only a few seconds to realize I’m tangled around Forty-four. My head rests on his arm with my hand fisted in his now crumbled shirt against his chest, while my right leg is clinging against his physique. I’m like a boa constrictor that doesn’t fully remember how to kill its prey.
He’s awake. And watching me. His hands are still folded behind his head, not touching me. He watches my every move. Rigid, tense muscle lies beneath my fingertips, as if he’s uncomfortable in our odd situation.
I am too, my friend.
As casually as possible, I pull away from him and grab my blanket as I stand. It’s nearly dark out and I can’t stay another minute in this cave. My safe haven has been turned into a torturous jail. A jail where I’m the punisher and the prisoner and the end result is only embarrassment and stupidity.
I refuse to look back at him as I walk past and start climbing down the wet rocks. My fingers slip against the crevices in my hurried escape, but my mind doesn’t acknowledge the fear of falling. My hands move without hesitation toward the ground below.
It’s slightly colder now that the sun has set, but humidity clings to the air. The sky is a beautiful orange and blue color. The water below the falls pools into a deep lake. I shed my clothes at the shore and wade into the warm water. My muscles ache, but the water relaxes and soothes my joints.
The clear water starts to darken the farther out I dog paddle yet I keep going. I’ve swum